Aston Villa v Leeds Utd Match Thread - Struijk starts in defensive midfield

[whiteswan]

Lots to digest from that game. Biggest talking point for me is probable Bielsa taking off Struijk that early on. He would've been sent off within the next 10 mins imo. Masterstroke move, and probably one of my biggest complaints about Smith is substitutions. I think probably 90% of managers wouldn't have the nerve to make a sub like that 10 minutes into the game.

Not sure how Mings didn't get sent off, but that was a very weird moment.

We've gotten rather fortunate in the first 4 games, so our luck was due to run out sometime.

Well done and respect villain for coming on here after a 0-3 defeat, and being honest re Mings. I didn't see the game and I'm just catching up reading all my fellow MOT'ers reviews.

[HarryofOz]

How great is it to have genuine options from the bench in Poveda and Raphinha?

The quality on our bench this season is really amazing. Tonight we had the likes of Poveda, Raphinha, Hernandez, Shackleton, Roberts and Davis...and that is with Cooper and Phillips out injured.

[gessa]

Lots to digest from that game. Biggest talking point for me is probable Bielsa taking off Struijk that early on. He would've been sent off within the next 10 mins imo. Masterstroke move, and probably one of my biggest complaints about Smith is substitutions. I think probably 90% of managers wouldn't have the nerve to make a sub like that 10 minutes into the game.

Not sure how Mings didn't get sent off, but that was a very weird moment.

We've gotten rather fortunate in the first 4 games, so our luck was due to run out sometime.

Have to say mate,other than a 5-10 minute spell, I was really disappointed with a lot of your play tonight, don't want to rub things in but you'd probably do a lot better if your players stayed on their feet a bit more. We totally outclassed you all over the park. Mings is a lucky boy but tbf so was Struijk for us.
Bamford's third was brilliantly taken but 3 defenders or was it 4 and no one made a challenge.
You've had a great start but the thing now is, how you react to this performance.

[gessa]

I can't recall buzzing like I am in a long time

I won't sleep tonight

I will 5 pints and 4 rums

[1964white]

Well done and respect villain for coming on here after a 0-3 defeat, and being honest re Mings. I didn't see the game and I'm just catching up reading all my fellow MOT'ers reviews.

You missed a treat Swannie

[1964white]

I will 5 pints and 4 rums

There's no stopping you mate

[gessa]

There's no stopping you mate

[Villafan]

Great performance Leeds, hugely impressive. I thought like ayling was motm, what a player.
I was worried about tonight's game and I was right.
Top class football

[visitingvillan]

Was a good game even before the goals, some great keeping from our young un Meslier. What would you have done differently were you Smith, looking back?

Feel like this game was going to be won by whoever scored scored first.

With Smith it can get very complicated in todays result because imo McGinn was very off it and that was the catalyst for "collapse". Trezeguet looks great one or two weeks in a row, and then would look lost as a sunday league player. And he didn't help Cash out at all who I thought was the Villa MOTM.

I would've tried to give both fullbacks more support, but I probably would've also tried to play the counter like we did vs Liverpool. At the end of the day, McGinn and Luiz have played probably 4/5 full matches in a 2 week period so I think they are knackered but we just don't have the depth to replace them. Maybe I would've brought in Nakamba instead of one of those 2.

[visitingvillan]

Well done and respect villain for coming on here after a 0-3 defeat, and being honest re Mings. I didn't see the game and I'm just catching up reading all my fellow MOT'ers reviews.

yeah I think Mings reaction was because he initially thought that Bamford had dived (not sure if you have seen the replay). Could've easily been a second yellow, but not sure why he got a first yellow.

[andrewjohnsmith]

60/40 Possession
27/12 Shots
9/4 On Target

We were pretty good weren't we

[BobHirst]

Grealish would have been batter playing football than playing for FK's and pens.

I can't stand the diving git but he does look like a very good player when he plays rather than dives.

[SG90]

Lots to digest from that game. Biggest talking point for me is probable Bielsa taking off Struijk that early on. He would've been sent off within the next 10 mins imo. Masterstroke move, and probably one of my biggest complaints about Smith is substitutions. I think probably 90% of managers wouldn't have the nerve to make a sub like that 10 minutes into the game.

Not sure how Mings didn't get sent off, but that was a very weird moment.

We've gotten rather fortunate in the first 4 games, so our luck was due to run out sometime.

Villa will bounce back We'll both be comfortably above the drop zone imo.

[Mick Jones shoulder]

Decent final ball , Result.

[andrewjohnsmith]

What about that pass from Raphinha, tho -

I'm sure if it gets hyped a few more times we'll all remember where we were when Raphinha made that pass

[Smudge3920]

After a weak of stressing and worrying all our fears were washed away in 90 minutes... Bielsa the wise got it right and the boys did the rest... To go into an unbeaten (Prem) team's barn and make a statement like the boys did, was unbelievable...
The team performance was a 10+
Made my season already, seeing Grealish having to resort to his cry baby tactic's, really let's himself down a player of his calibre,
Ming's needs a few lesson's in intidation, when you "scare" a man enough to put another 2 goals passed you , your doing something wrong
Who is this Watkin's they talk about?

Villains were made to look like the relegation threatened team they were last year...NOT because they played bad... WE were just so superior

Could not be prouder of the team as I am right now, to shake of the last (close) loss and come back and ruin the party for the only undefeated team in the prem so convincingly... Every player today any other day would have been MOM...Superb.

[visitingvillan]

Have to say mate,other than a 5-10 minute spell, I was really disappointed with a lot of your play tonight, don't want to rub things in but you'd probably do a lot better if your players stayed on their feet a bit more. We totally outclassed you all over the park. Mings is a lucky boy but tbf so was Struijk for us.
Bamford's third was brilliantly taken but 3 defenders or was it 4 and no one made a challenge.
You've had a great start but the thing now is, how you react to this performance.

ohhhh i 100% agree with you there & most of the "free kicks" are taken quickly and get wasted. Jack definitely goes down a little easy — there's a really good and insightful article (I think the Athletic had) which went in detail as how he wins lots of fouls. Bringing in Barkley will definitely help in that regard (again, not sure how much Villa you guys watched last year) because Jack was our only outlet for 99% of games thus why he was 'fouled' so much. That Grealish run from midfield that Meslier saved well would've ended up on all the highlight reels and I think that went through Jack's head.

I said this in another post, but McGinn has played I think 5 full 90 min games in the last 2 weeks and Luiz has done 4 + travel to/from Brazil, so I wasn't completely surprised that they were lethargic tonight. Don't think we coped with the switch to the 2vs1 on the wing at all and that destroyed us.

Yep, no clue how Mings wasn't sent off. Though as said Struijk could've walked — also why make that challenge less than 20 seconds after you've been booked? No clue why.

[Boo Radley]

A wonderful description of the game from this evening’s report of the game;

Once they took the lead, they seldom looked like relinquishing it and could have left their hosts even more disturbed. For Villa this was a reality check inflicted by a team whose play bordered at times on the otherworldly.

The only pity was that almost no one was here to bear witness. This was one of those matches where the absence of fans felt especially poignant. The first top-flight meeting between these two noble clubs since 2004 should have been enlivened by hollering throngs but instead Villa Park was all lit up but barren, a theatre without music. But the show must go on and Leeds, in particular, produced a spectacle of beautiful style and substance. Bamford got the goals but this was a collective triumph orchestrated by Bielsa.

[visitingvillan]

Villa will bounce back We'll both be comfortably above the drop zone imo.

yup i think we will. We have an extremely favorable schedule for the foreseeable future, up until the festive period (Arsenal A is the only "big 6" game we have until then).

This is probably better said in another thread (general PL) but I already think that relegation battle is down to 3 teams from 4 (Fulham, WBA, Burnley, Sheffield United).

[visitingvillan]

Also as a general comment, those comments made by Gabby 100% influenced this game