Sunday, 2pm, what’s not natural about football in the modern game anymore. Head coach Steven Gerrard took his Aston Villa side to the Brentford Community Stadium to ironically face Brentford this afternoon and whilst some other sides (Newcastle Arabia) do all they can to call off games with the pesky virus that persists, our action continues and we see rare appearances from Kortney Hause and Bertie Traore.
It was a slow and ponderous start in many ways but we soon got ourselves on top and started creating some decent chances, and after a fabulous ball from Emi Buendia, Danny Ings did what Danny Ings does and we had the advantage 16 minutes in.
Could we add to it? Brentford weren’t offering a lot in the opening half hour.
Again, we had the chances but wasted them and as the hosts stepped up more towards the end of the half, some sloppy play in defence let them in, although credit where it’s due, it was a good finish.
1-1 at the break, if we found another gear and could finish, the game was still there for the taking but that was a kick in the you know what’s.
Brentford started more brightly this time but we had two great chances ahead of the hour mark to restore our lead, but it just wasn’t falling for us again. The rest of the half was poor from both sides, but we were still on top – although Brentford tested Emi Martinez more than we managed their keeper and, of course, the sucker punch came with just under ten left on the clock and they took the lead.
We almost responded immediately but had Ings’ effort been either side of the keeper rather than straight at him, we’d have been justifiably level.
Neither side deserved to win, Trezeguet’s pathetic and childish play acting should’ve seen him booked but ultimately Gerrard has made a rod for his own back here with the team selection, game management and substitutions.
Given Bertie and Trez are off now, why he picked this game to take a closer look at them is probably beyond everyone.
Pathetic.
Brentford Community Stadium
Premier League
2/01/2022 3:00 pm
Referee: Craig Pawson
| Brentford | Aston Villa | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wissa (42), Roerslev (83) | Ings (16) | ||||||
| Fernandez | Martinez | ||||||
| Roerslev | Cash | ||||||
| Pinnock | Konsa | ||||||
| Jansson | Hause | ||||||
| Bech Sorensen | Targett | ||||||
| Canos | 54 | McGinn | |||||
| Onyeka | 80 | Douglas Luiz | |||||
| Nargaard | J Ramsey | 69 | |||||
| Jensen | 61 | Traore | 80 | ||||
| Wissa | Ings | ||||||
| Toney | Buendia | ||||||
Substitutes |
|||||||
| Thompson | Sanson | 69 | |||||
| Forss | Steer | ||||||
| Ghoddos | 54 | Trezeguet | 80 | ||||
| Ajer | El Ghazi | ||||||
| Baptiste | 61 | Philogene-Bidace | |||||
| Janelt | 80 | Carney Chukwuemeka | |||||
| Bidstrup | Archer | ||||||
| Stevens | Iroegbunam | ||||||
| Cox | Feeney | ||||||
Game Statistics |
||
| 10 | Goal attempts | 16 |
| 4 | On Target | 5 |
| 3 | Corners | 7 |
| 17 | Fouls | 11 |
| 2 | Yellow Cards | 2 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
| 45 | % | 55 |
Highly unfair to criticise Gerrard. The football is a million miles better than we have seen for ages. The players are not good enough. Traore, Luis, Trezeguet, Al Ghazi, just to name are few aren’t good enough. Hope the board back him this transfer window.
I genuinely feel weve wasted a huge sum of money on player who just dont fit what villa are trying to achieve ,we have three winger who offer nothing different , infact ive never know three wingers to run into the opposition so much as our three ,we lack real intelligence and mental strength.
Gerrard will need to strip out alot of these players before we see what he is really capable of as a manager