Following on from last week’s hugely disappointing defeat to Leeds United, the Aston Villa squad and head coach Dean Smith have had a solid week back out on the training ground as we look to rediscover our spark and hopefully prove our second half capitulation was a one off.
Nobody really expects us to be in the top six at the end of the campaign, and of course, we are going to lose matches this year as we are still rebuilding – but it’s been a great start and we cannot ruin it by letting the mentality slip.
And we’d need it against an organised Southampton side.
Well, it was a bright start, but not for us and having been opened up a little bit too easily, Southampton scored three minutes in from the resulting corner. But it was offside, VAR to the rescue!
We were a little bit more lively, but the visitors were again the next to test our goal as Danny Ings clipped the woodwork, but at least we were starting to trouble their defence now.
Having warmed into the game we were on top for good periods, it was just the final ball that was letting us down, but Southampton’s threat had largely disappeared.
That was until they finally won a freekick in a rare sortie into our box and when the ball came in I can only assume we thought a musical statues routine to defending it would confuse them. It didn’t.
1-0.
We still didn’t wake up, we were slow and ponderous and another poorly defended set piece had them 2-0 up.
Another poorly given away freekick, another goal for James Ward-Prowse. 3-0 and the second half against Leeds wasn’t a one off.
So what did the final 45 have in store for suffering Villa fans?
We finally got two shots on target, and then the visitors made it 4-0 with their fourth shot on target.
And then Mings scored – was the strangest comeback in history on?
No, we could’ve easily closed the scoreline up with the chances we did fashion, but we just weren’t clinical enough. It’s not much to shout about but at 4-1 we did wake up and actually looked like we wanted to get back into the game, but it was way too little, way too late.
Jack did win a late penalty and Ollie Watkins converted to make it 4-2. Undoubtedly the second half was ours and we had double the chances they did, but we’d wasted the chance of a comeback and the stats make us look better than we actually were. Jack then got himself on the scoresheet and that just made it worse really as it’ll paper over how bad we had been for long periods – yet at the same time, we came so close to getting something out of it once we did dig in and after Leeds that would’ve been the reaction we were looking for.
4-3.
Small positives if you look hard enough, but sadly, plenty of familiar questions. Have to take the strong finish and hope we start like that in the next one.
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Villa Park
Premier League
1/11/2020 1:00 pm
Attendance: 0
Referee: Darren England
| Aston Villa | Southampton | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mings (62), Watkins (pen 90+3), Grealish (90+7) | Vestergaard (20), Ward-Prowse (33, 45), Ings (58) | ||||||
| Martinez | McCarthy | ||||||
| Cash | 67 | Walker-Peters | |||||
| Konsa | Bednarek | 45 | |||||
| Mings | Vestergaard | ||||||
| Targett | Bertrand | 79 | |||||
| McGinn | Armstrong | ||||||
| Douglas Luiz | Ward-Prowse | ||||||
| Traore | 29 | Romeu | |||||
| Barkley | Walcott | ||||||
| Grealish | Ings | 85 | |||||
| Watkins | Adams | ||||||
Substitutes |
|||||||
| Steer | Stephens | 45 | |||||
| Hourihane | Long | 85 | |||||
| Trezeguet | 29 | Redmond | |||||
| Nakamba | Djenepo | ||||||
| Engels | Diallo | 79 | |||||
| Elmohamady | 67 | N'Lundulu | |||||
| Davis | Forster | ||||||
Game Statistics |
||
| 19 | Goal attempts | 9 |
| 10 | On Target | 4 |
| 11 | Corners | 1 |
| 12 | Fouls | 17 |
| 1 | Yellow Cards | 2 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
| 56 | % | 44 |
That’s quite a cynical view point to a game of two halves lost it in the 1st half they had 4 on target and scored 3, 2nd half we looked better more passing quick and a threat from the wide areas. So all in all a very much improved 2 half. And if I am honest if you asked me at the start of the season I would of put us lower in the division. if I was to criticise anyone I would look at McGinn he was very quiet and Matty cash had another nightmare up front poor Ollie gets hardly any service he’s strong on the ball and has a good football brain
For as bad as we were, our defending lost us the game. Plenty of credit for the late comeback as with the chances Southampton couldn’t have argued much had we drawn level – but equally that would’ve been on them not managing the game out. But as said, it was some kind of reaction, particularly thinking about heads dropping against Leeds – at least we plugged away this time – but could’ve so easily been a very ugly victory given the second period.
As expected, largely outplayed by a better-coached team until the game was effectively over. However, conceded 3 ridiculous goals before the break. Never a free kick for the first goal, McGinn left to mark a giant and the result was only too predictable. I don’t like zonal marking when you don’t do it properly. Two big centre backs marking fresh air and both turning to admire Vestergaards header. Brilliant.
Much as I like Douglas Luiz as a footballer he is definitely not any protection for the back four. In fact, he is a liability. Gave away the free-kick for the second goal and the ball in the build-up to the third (I think). Two great free-kicks from Ward-Prowse but it isn’t as if Villa didn’t know he could do that is it?
Villa were better after Southampton decided they had won when the fourth goal went in and strangely I felt that if they could have got a second by 70 minutes they could have got something from the game.
Midfield looks disjointed and certainly does not play as a unit. In addition, they largely disappear when the opposition press making it difficult to play the ball out.
I could go on but I am feeling a little deflated by seeing all the old defensive frailties appear. I need a bit of time to help gain some perspective.