[Albion] Aston Villa vs Brighton & Hove Albion *** Official Match Thread ***

[Farehamseagull]

Or the season before that.

It's been evident for quite a while, in fairness it's been hiding in plan sight all this season too.
Many of us chose to ignore it, basking in potential Europa League 'glory' and palace being shite, but oh my are we on a comedown now!!


A case could easily be made for this team to be 19th right now.

An end of year 'Potter in or out' thread could be quite lively!
(Still in as always - but blimey he makes it difficult)

I don’t think we all did ignore it did we?

I know I posted saying we hadn’t improved and actually weren’t as good as we were last season. I’m pretty sure Bozza, Machiavelli and maybe Mustafa said the same.

The wins were enjoyable but I didn’t think it could last, they masked shortcomings and I felt we were a better side last season.

A few issues this season:

I know you will disagree with me on this one but I think Duffy for White is a big downgrade both defensively and going forward. Duffy has personally done ok this season but we’re just not as impressive a unit as we were with him in the back 3 at all. I’m sorry to say it again but his distribution really doesnt help us but also his lack of pace is a big issue. White had that which meant he got us out of a lot of sticky situations - I don’t think Watkins would have scored that goal today with White there for example.

Lamptey is still not fully fit and firing;

Bissouma has been brilliant when fit but has missed a few matches and other stuff etc;

Maupay hasn’t progressed in all the time we’ve had him, he’s exactly the same player we had in August 2019 - I would have hoped he’d have kicked on a bit by now;

Welbeck has missed too much football - last season he played the majority of matches;

Gross has played too much.

 

[Stat Brother]

I don’t think we all did ignore it did we?

I know I posted saying we hadn’t improved and actually weren’t as good as we were last season. I’m pretty sure Bozza, Machiavelli and maybe Mustafa said the same.

The wins were enjoyable but I didn’t think it could last, they masked shortcomings and I felt we were a better side last season.

A few issues this season:

I know you will disagree with me on this one but I think Duffy for White is a big downgrade both defensively and going forward. Duffy has personally done ok this season but we’re just not as impressive a unit as we were with him in the back 3 at all. I’m sorry to say it again but his distribution really doesnt help us but also his lack of pace is a big issue. White had that which meant he got us out of a lot of sticky situations - I don’t think Watkins would have scored that goal today with White there for example.

Lamptey is still not fully fit and firing;

Bissouma has been brilliant when fit but has missed a few matches and other stuff etc;

Maupay hasn’t progressed in all the time we’ve had him, he’s exactly the same player we had in August 2019 - I would have hoped he’d have kicked on a bit by now;

Welbeck has missed too much football - last season he played the majority of matches;

Gross has played too much.

Well done for seeing it as it is, I'm always 'yay we won - boo we lost' without much more thought.

Of course Duffy is a downgrade, you're comparing a (albeit entry level) Ferrari with a bulldozer.

But the 'dozer has done a lot more good than harm and certainly more good than any of us expected.

The excitement of Lamptey and Cucu suddenly seems rather pointless now they can only pass to each other with nobody in between!



It does feel like if GPott were given The Royal Philharmonic.
Got all the musicians to play different instruments.
He'd somehow manage to get them to play a great tune.

But that would be it, the audience would be listening to Carmina Burana, but just the Old Spice bit, over and over again.


Thankfully The Leeds United can't play in the way required to win and their manager is too pigheaded to change.
So GPott has a chance next week before Moyes and Ralf pick us off in the last 10 minutes, after a toothless previous 80 minutes.

 

[Mackenzie]

Everything was so slow today, Villa could just walk back into position. We look like a team devoid of confidence.

Team needs a shake up, get Sarmiento and Tolaj/Ferguson on the pitch to freshen it up. Bissouma seems subdued (understandably) but we really need him at full throttle go give us a push. Webster looks 70% fit, Groß in the team for his set pieces but they’ve been poor, Duffy hasn’t got near a headed goal from one of his corners yet he scores them every match for Ireland. Solly looked slow, Lallana anonymous, Moder did a couple of neat one-twos with Cucarella but didn’t really threaten, Trossard had a quiet one. Dunk was alright, Steele flaps a bit but he made a couple of good saves. Lamptey and Cucurella our best players.

GP has got a bit of thinking to do this week, something needs to change.

 

[BN41Albion]

We were lucky with our journey, biggest delay was for food at Oxford on way back.

Good call re atmosphere, their fans were embarrassing…..

I wonder if there's a multi page thread on their message board about how the atmosphere at villa Park is an embarrassment to the footballing world when the game is shyte and about how shit their own fan base therefore must be

 

[Weststander]

I don’t think we all did ignore it did we?

I know I posted saying we hadn’t improved and actually weren’t as good as we were last season. I’m pretty sure Bozza, Machiavelli and maybe Mustafa said the same.

The wins were enjoyable but I didn’t think it could last, they masked shortcomings and I felt we were a better side last season.

A few issues this season:

I know you will disagree with me on this one but I think Duffy for White is a big downgrade both defensively and going forward. Duffy has personally done ok this season but we’re just not as impressive a unit as we were with him in the back 3 at all. I’m sorry to say it again but his distribution really doesnt help us but also his lack of pace is a big issue. White had that which meant he got us out of a lot of sticky situations - I don’t think Watkins would have scored that goal today with White there for example.

Lamptey is still not fully fit and firing;

Bissouma has been brilliant when fit but has missed a few matches and other stuff etc;

Maupay hasn’t progressed in all the time we’ve had him, he’s exactly the same player we had in August 2019 - I would have hoped he’d have kicked on a bit by now;

Welbeck has missed too much football - last season he played the majority of matches;

Gross has played too much.

Hard to argue with that.

White in a nano second started our counter attacks. We miss that.

Creating fewer big chances this season.

 

[BN41Albion]

Lets be honest nothing has really changed from last season, we just had some luck in the beginning of the season.

Last season our xg was champions league... Certainly isn't anywhere near that so far this season. That's a bit of a worry, isn't it? Still not winning, but not even creating and missing chances this season like last...

 

[Bozza]

I don’t think we all did ignore it did we?

I know I posted saying we hadn’t improved and actually weren’t as good as we were last season. I’m pretty sure Bozza, Machiavelli and maybe Mustafa said the same.

I keep saying it.

When media folk were saying "Brighton have solved their goalscoring problem" and "What have Brighton done differently to get the results this season?" I was silently replying "Oh no we haven't" and "Nothing".

We had the proverbial rub of the green early on this season and, don't get me wrong, we were owed a fair bit.

We remain a good technical side able to control possession against many sides, move forward with intent and with a well organised defence. We can't score for toffee though.

 

[Weststander]

Last season our xg was champions league... Certainly isn't anywhere near that so far this season. That's a bit of a worry, isn't it? Still not winning, but not even creating and missing chances this season like last...

= a continued drift down the table.

Until we somehow become a team with goals in it.

Felt so sorry for Trossard today, a class above his team mates imho.

 

[Si Gull]

The excitement of Lamptey and Cucu suddenly seems rather pointless now they can only pass to each other with nobody in between!

This was so obvious this afternoon. Any frisson of excitement felt as our speed kings ran towards the opposition evaporated immediately as you remembered that there wasn't going to be anyone for them to pass to should they beat their man. An odd set up, coupled with odd substitutions, that gave us little hope of winning from the off.

Hugely frustrating and deflating.

 

[Vankleek Hill Seagull]

I deliberately avoided the internet as I was unable to watch the game until late afternoon EST and then wished I hadn't. Damn, I was annoyed when their first goal went in.

Trossard should stop fannying around in front of goal. Go back to basics Leandro, although to be fair, there isn't really much he can do when nobody else is in the area.
Gross and Lallana are too slow. Let's get somebody else in with pace and would like to go forward instead of backwards.
Cucurella spent a lot of the time passing the ball back instead of going forward.
Time to try out the youngsters, Sarmiento, Richards, etc. Can't do any worse than the current crop.

We're too slow. We need pace, and Villa had this is spades. Come on Mr P. Sort it out.

 

[theboybilly]

Just before final whistle and bus back to New Street (15 mins max) for the 5.50pm. Learnt last time not to go back to New Street via Witton Station.

I was teasing. I watched a fair few Villa, fans going on 78minutes. Blimey.
As an aside was that a No. 7 bus you caught from near the Witton Arms? When our coach left it seemed that there was one-way traffic past the Doug Ellis Stand down to the lights. I am sure if that is the case that with a little bit of thought the police could get half a dozen Albion coaches on their way without too much trouble as far as the Expressway. Leicester Police can do it but the W Police obviously cant.

 

[The Fits]

We are really missing Ben White. Oh well, let’s hope for better next time out.

 

[Robinjakarta]

I know you will disagree with me on this one but I think Duffy for White is a big downgrade both defensively and going forward. Duffy has personally done ok this season but we’re just not as impressive a unit as we were with him in the back 3 at all. I’m sorry to say it again but his distribution really doesnt help us but also his lack of pace is a big issue. White had that which meant he got us out of a lot of sticky situations - I don’t think Watkins would have scored that goal today with White there for example.

Lamptey is still not fully fit and firing;

Bissouma has been brilliant when fit but has missed a few matches and other stuff etc;

Maupay hasn’t progressed in all the time we’ve had him, he’s exactly the same player we had in August 2019 - I would have hoped he’d have kicked on a bit by now;

Welbeck has missed too much football - last season he played the majority of matches;

Gross has played too much.

I for one wouldn't disagree with any of that.

When Ben White was on his way, he was being belittled on here by several: only 3rd centre back and all that. Losing his skills is I think a major reason for our troubles this season. Duffy has indeed done well and deserves great praise, but White was always going to be difficult to effectively replace and hasn't been.

Added to the above:

1.Sánchez has been less consistent this season. He's young, so this was to be expected. Nobody's fault. He'll come good again.
2. Lallana hasn't been at the top of his game so much. I suspect that this is at least partly because of playing with Gross in midfield in pairing that does not and will not work.

That's EIGHT of our players mentioned in these two posts. No wonder we're having problems. Most should resolve themselves. We aren't and never have been better this season than last but we can do better than we have been during the recent poor spell. To kick on short-term, I'd say we need to replace Gross, Duffy and probably Maupay.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

We are really missing Ben White. Oh well, let’s hope for better next time out.

He could have played in our match then got a climate destroying plane ride up to Anfield just in time to concede four goals to Liverpool.

Me, I’m sick of this PL crap and off to support newly-formed FC United of Brighton. OGS has agreed to become the manager apparently, Sergei Gotsmanov his number two and three.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I deliberately avoided the internet as I was unable to watch the game until late afternoon EST and then wished I hadn't. Damn, I was annoyed when their first goal went in.

Trossard should stop fannying around in front of goal. Go back to basics Leandro, although to be fair, there isn't really much he can do when nobody else is in the area.
Gross and Lallana are too slow. Let's get somebody else in with pace and would like to go forward instead of backwards.
Cucurella spent a lot of the time passing the ball back instead of going forward.
Time to try out the youngsters, Sarmiento, Richards, etc. Can't do any worse than the current crop.

We're too slow. We need pace, and Villa had this is spades. Come on Mr P. Sort it out.

Yes. I'm not sure where the absolutely genius idea of having two very quick wingbacks with no one to cross or pass to came from. Last season we could have been in Europe on xG. This season maybe we can just put a pair of electric hares behind each linesman and take bets on which of our flyers can reach the byline first while chasing them. Then the others can have a snail race.

 

[Stat Brother]

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

We are really missing Ben White. Oh well, let’s hope for better next time out.

But for me if we are playing three the obvious replacement for White is Veltman.

I'm not sure where that leaves Duffy who performed well yesterday.

 

[Icy Gull]

But for me if we are playing three the obvious replacement for White is Veltman.

I'm not sure where that leaves Duffy who performed well yesterday.

I think we should be spending more time sorting out the attacking approach than worrying about defending, unless of course you think White would have made a big difference in the games we have been incapable of making chances

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

I think we should be spending more time sorting out the attacking approach than worrying about defending, unless of course you think White would have made a big difference in the games we have been incapable of making chances

That's fair as well. But we don't have a 'great' forward in the club, and this has not been addressed since Murray left. Maupay is okay, and each season starts well, but if we truly have a top ten ambition is not the answer. In fairness to him, he seems out of favour at the moment, and certainly can't help on the bench.

The issue for me yesterday was Graham Potter and the formation, I'm not against that style when we play Liverpool or a so-called top team, but Aston Villa? Newcastle? We have flair full-backs with nothing to aim for. Trossard has been outstanding, but effectively leading the line?

Time and time again we got to the last third and went backwards as there were no options.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

A few issues this season:

I know you will disagree with me on this one but I think Duffy for White is a big downgrade both defensively and going forward.

Lamptey is still not fully fit and firing;

Bissouma has been brilliant when fit but has missed a few matches and other stuff etc;

Maupay hasn’t progressed in all the time we’ve had him,

Welbeck has missed too much football - last season he played the majority of matches;

Gross has played too much.

Agree with all of this, as per my earlier post I would play Veltman when we play a three with Dunk and Webster.
uBut............re Gross, who do you play? MacAllister was dreadful vs Newcastle, Moder doesn't do enough and was at fault for their goal yesterday, Lallana great at times, but has struggled more as well.

Perhaps Taylor Richards?