Following on from the hugely disappointing defensive collapse against Leeds United, Aston Villa were looking to get back to winning ways in today’s clash with Newcastle United.
Travelling up to St James Park for our Sunday afternoon Premier League clash the only real change of note was January signing Calum Chambers coming in for Ezri Konsa, but despite being slightly the better team on the day in terms of overall chances (we won’t talk about the performance), the hosts helped themselves to the lead in the 35th minute through a Kieran Trippier effect – and that was exactly how it stayed as we frustratingly ticked past the hour mark.
And then it changed – well almost.
In the 61st minute Ollie Watkins capitalised on a defensive error to put the ball in the back of the net, but the corruption that we otherwise know as VAR clearly felt it was missing out on something, so it decided to spend a few minutes finding at best a hairline offside from Ollie – despite the fact the ball actually came off a Newcastle player.
1-0 it stayed and we won’t talk about the refereeing decisions either.
Ultimately, only the players can be blamed after a showing like that and the questions around Steven Gerrard will continue to grow after another set of late and ineffective substitutes.
Meh.
St James' Park
Premier League
13/02/2022 2:00 pm
Referee: Craig Pawson
Newcastle United | Aston Villa | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trippier (35) | |||||||
Dubravka | Martinez | ||||||
Trippier | 48 | Cash | |||||
Schar | Chambers | ||||||
Burn | Mings | ||||||
Manquillo | 45+5 | Digne | |||||
Willock | 90+2 | McGinn | 85 | ||||
Shelvey | Douglas Luiz | ||||||
Joelinton | J Ramsey | ||||||
Fraser | Buendia | 72 | |||||
Wood | Watkins | 72 | |||||
Saint-Maximin | Coutinho | ||||||
Substitutes |
|||||||
Dummett | 45+5 | Sanson | |||||
Krafth | 48 | Young | |||||
Murphy | Ings | 72 | |||||
Almiron | Olsen | ||||||
Darlow | Hause | ||||||
Gayle | Bailey | 72 | |||||
Longstaff | Carney Chukwuemeka | 85 | |||||
Guimaraes Rodriguez Moura | 90+2 | Chrisene | |||||
De Bolle | Iroegbunam |
Game Statistics |
||
10 | Goal attempts | 11 |
2 | On Target | 1 |
3 | Corners | 6 |
22 | Fouls | 15 |
3 | Yellow Cards | 4 |
0 | Red Cards | 0 |
37 | % | 63 |
Another shocking performance from a team that seems to lack leadership and direction. It doesn’t seem to matter who manages this team, this kind of performance seems to be in its DNA.
Three games ago they were going into a run of easier and therefore winnable games. Now, the game against Watford takes on extra significance because I don’t see them getting anything out of Southampton or Brighton who are both much better coached sides.
Most seasons there seems to be a mid table team that goes on a shocking run and plunges down into the relegation battle. I think I just watched them.
Pete, the plunge you refer to is something I’ve feared for years, at least since the days of O’Leary’s honest bunch of lads. Although I have the feeling he was happy to see the lads had left him a chocolate digestive on the tea trolley.