Looks like we have started the slow descent down to be with the dead men a little early.
The new owners may well be advised to find someone who can play our best team, and stop demotivating our best players some time ahead of the plug being pulled on RH.
I have never really understood the concept of introducing subs for 10 minutes, unless someone’s legs have gone - but that hasn’t been the case recently, it’s just what we do, and I have never understood the concept of not starting with your best team on the field, unless you don’t know who they are, or you have only been managing the squad for about two weeks.
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Welcome back Barry
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If we are to improve as a club we really shouldn’t be losing games like this and Wolves. Both opposition were bang average on the day and in torrid form.
For the life of me I cannot understand the starting lineup today. All that money and effort spent in the summer to add flair and creativity yet we still start with Djenepo, Elyounoussi and Adam Armstrong on the pitch.
He seems to be picking a defensive ‘keep it tight’ side, even in his choice of 10s, in the hope of nicking it late on via a sub. But as we haven’t kept a clean sheet in 13 games, that’s easier said than done. It also serves to just play with inferior players for longer.
Diallo isn’t going to cut it is he. Where was AMN? Not good enough against the ball? Hard to imagine him being worse than Diallo. We are buggered because an 18 year old player is injured. Crazy.
Same old frustrations, same old results. Same old Ralph?
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Am surprised he was still here after the transfer window closed tbh
You pick the bloody side mate and you’ve selected NONE of the new recruits in that front four. WTF
To be fair, that did actually work for a couple of games.
I think he should just put the best players on the pitch rather than picking last season’s players who everybody agreed needed improving upon.
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I couldn’t help thinking we missed Romeu last night. It was a perfect game for him. The ball retention was lacking. We didn’t construct any moves. Too much individual running with the ball, resulting in the loss of possession.
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If only we had another midfielder who is apparently good on the ball…
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I did wonder.
This. We had zero bite in midfield. JWP is a worse player without him. It’s a shame we’ve let three players better than Diallo go - Reed, Smallbone and Romeu. Very weak in DM now until Lavia comes back
But I would hope this forces Ralph’s hand to play AMN .
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That was f##king awful! No threat upfront, did not create a single chance. Villa only marginally better.
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Agreed
“Posted at 10:5510:55
Prince of Wales sends message of support to Aston Villa
The Prince of Wales sent Aston Villa a message of support as football returned, Steven Gerrard revealed, after his side beat Southampton as the Premier League returned following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.”
A good reason to abolish the monarchy
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He is frustrating. Taking this calendar year, we’ve lost most, if not all, games where the oppo has played 4-3-3, yet he doesn’t change the formation. Geordies Watford, Palearse, Brentford, Chelsea (last but strangely not this season), Wolves, now Villa. All defeats cos midfield gets outnumbered, front 4 get stranded and lose shape and create fuck all. His 4-2-3-1 doesn’t work and the team aren’t dynamic enough to enforce the numbers advantage up front. Yet he persists with it hoping for a different outcome. 2 shots on target from the last 180 mins us dreadful. Feel very sorry for those who spent good money going to those games.
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IMHO we don’t have the calibre of player to be able to keep the same formation irrespective of the oppo and enforce our game on them, like Citeh. We need to adapt and play alternative formations using the strengths of the squad. Sure this means rotation, primarily with midfield / attack, but surely better than being picked off by the likes of Watford, brentford and villa.
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Good article and worth a read.
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A remarkably good article compared to the usual dross from the Echo.
Isn’t this one of Ralph’s managerial MOs - keep doing the same (bad) thing, hoping for a different outcome?
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He loves a buck passing doesn’t he? “We will speak to them and…”. FFS, I know he refused to see it during the game, how will he see it now? And if he does magically ‘see it’, is he capable of doing anything about it? Let’s try something revolutionary, like, start some new singings in the front two thirds of the pitch?!!
Moussa at least looked interested, though as pointed out, he must be confused at what his position is, Diallo well, I know given time he may blossom but I’m running low tbh and if he couldn’t tell by half time AA and CA, especially the former, needed replacing, what hope do us fans have?
I think I have had the last of my patience tested with this game, sometimes you gotta know when to stick and when to twist in life, though understand that grass isn’t always greener etc
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