Villa H Sat 10 Aug 17:30 BST

[superstaryid]

For those that saw MOTD, did they discuss the clear handball claim that went to VAR and ended up in nothing being given?

Nope

 

[Kristeva]

The acoustics of the stadium are bang on. Credit to Villa fans in terms of noise, but obviously you would expect them to be loud. I was surprised how many of them left when we scored our second. I thought they would stay and applaud their teams efforts. A fair few of their fans spent most of the game looking the wrong way back at us. A very gobby set of fans.
Reading their forum, I am shocked by their attitude. There is an expectation that they should be competing with us in terms of performance. Get real villa fans, on another day that could have been 6-0.
Stand out performances for me: Kane, KWP, Winks, Rose.
I think Ndombele had a mixed debut. Firstly, he is clearly quality. He grew in to the game and his goal gave him confidence after he had lost the ball a few times. I thought he didn't look as fit as the rest of our players - obviously this will come. Still he finished the game bossing the midfield so very exciting times.
A mention about Skipp's few minutes, the kid is class.

Don't be surprised, my m8's a diehard Villa fan and hes as deluded as fuck, they constantly live in the past.

 

[BAE32]

Oh yeah by the way can anybody explain to me how the Mings handball decision was any different to the handball decision given against Sissoko in the CL? I thought VAR was used to get rid of any inconsistency but I honestly think its ridiculous that we can get penalised for the Sissoko one but the Mings one is treated differently.

Not that it matters now but it's another case of VAR implementation irking me.

 

[Clynelish]

I thought VAR was used to get rid of any inconsistency but I honestly think its ridiculous that we can get penalised for the Sissoko one but the Mings one is treated differently.

That's never gonna happen, at the end of the day it's the interpretation of an official and in that regard completely different from goal-line technology. We will continue to see many mistakes and controversies this season.

I'm not against the VAR, but it's naive to think that it will solve all problems.

 

[superstaryid]

Rewatched the game again and focused on Winks in that first half. What a player we have on our hands if he can keep himself fit. Hopefully Poch can rotate him more during some weekends, especially when the likes of Lo Celso are up to scratch to help keep him fit and make him realise no one's position should be safe in there.

First time we've played at the new stadium and it felt like the Lane in my view.

And some on here thought your hiatus was due to you getting a girlfriend, still makes a change from a Bundesliga/Seria A Sunday morning double I guess

 

[YidZecke]

Oh yeah by the way can anybody explain to me how the Mings handball decision was any different to the handball decision given against Sissoko in the CL? I thought VAR was used to get rid of any inconsistency but I honestly think its ridiculous that we can get penalised for the Sissoko one but the Mings one is treated differently.

Not that it matters now but it's another case of VAR implementation irking me.

AFAIK the FA said they would not follow the strict rule set out in their respective leagues.

 

[Bazali]

City is exactly the game Sissoko SHOULD be playing in. I know it is counter-intuitive when you see him put in a poor performance against a newly promoted side, but Sissoko's weaknesses are all exposed and his strengths unused when we have all the possession and the opponent is parking the bus. It's the opposite when we play a top team where we will have to defend heavily and carry the ball in transition.

I'm not saying he's the ideal player EVER and I do hope we get to the point where he is just a squad player, but for where we are right now, I think he's very much in the discussion to start vs City.

He did it time and time again last season in games when our defence was under pressure
Getting us possession by breaking up an attack and driving forward allowing us time to regroup
Ok often he eventually loses it but that’s not the point

Yesterday even I was calling for him to be taken off as he was playing out of position and was totally ineffective and embarrassing

Eriksen came on he was played further back and we got a different game and a different player but some on here are so stupidly biased that they can’t see that

We’re going to be put under pressure next week so he starts for me but not as an AM

 

[Blanchflower]

Oh yeah by the way can anybody explain to me how the Mings handball decision was any different to the handball decision given against Sissoko in the CL? I thought VAR was used to get rid of any inconsistency but I honestly think its ridiculous that we can get penalised for the Sissoko one but the Mings one is treated differently.

Not that it matters now but it's another case of VAR implementation irking me.

Was it even reviewed?

 

[Bazali]

I was going to say something very similar to this. When we are going forward against a team just looking to play on the counter, Sissoko’s total inability to do anything offensively is just glaringly obvious. But against a team that moves well, puts us on our back foot, and especially exploits us wide, Sissoko’s huge motor and his ability to get back and provide extra cover becomes valuable.

And even when he was playing crap he didn’t hide and kept showing up
Great character

 

[Bazali]

Oh yeah by the way can anybody explain to me how the Mings handball decision was any different to the handball decision given against Sissoko in the CL? I thought VAR was used to get rid of any inconsistency but I honestly think its ridiculous that we can get penalised for the Sissoko one but the Mings one is treated differently.

Not that it matters now but it's another case of VAR implementation irking me.

I said at the time that it was a clear pen and haven’t changed my mind in that his hand appeared to go towards the ball unlike Sissokos which was the opposite

 

[B-0-Sspurs]

Not at the races in the first half, I get annoyed with our inability to move the ball with more tempo, but second half was fantastic, just knew as soon as we equalised we would go on to win. Was impressed with kwp yesterday, hopefully on an upward trajectory.

Also great for Harry removing more ammunition from shitty journalists about his August scoring record or not having scored at the new WHL.

 

[Clynelish]

Also great for Harry removing more ammunition from shitty journalists about his August scoring record or not having scored at the new WHL.

He should've scored at least a hat-trick!

 

[Bazali]

Was it even reviewed?

Commentators said that it was but they clearly got it wrong

Fortunately for us it didn’t matter in the end

 

[78Spur]

I think the key difference (as much as the shape at least) was the tempo in the second half, we were too ponderous and indirect in the first half, Villa could predict our play and contain us.

I thought first 15 minutes of the second half we went up a gear and started to stretch them but once we'd equalised the feeling that we had the momentum at that point made me believe, lovely goal by Ndombele. Two great saves from Heaton from Eriksen and Sanchez too, we could have won it more comfortably had we not committed the cardinal sin of conceding the first goal.

I also think the fact this was a later game, Villa had seen West Ham and Norwich play fairly openly and get torched, so they took a more intelligent approach to the game and did everything they could to frustrate us.

Eriksen definitely helped us unlock them though, we looked a lot more potent with him on and Sissoko playing more centrally, we were closing down much more effectively and pretty much camped out in their half second half.

Good start.

 

[RealCoolYid]

I said at the time that it was a clear pen and haven’t changed my mind in that his hand appeared to go towards the ball unlike Sissokos which was the opposite

Blatant pen

What are his hands doing up by his neck anyway , plus plenty of time to get them out the way of the ball

 

[Mick Cooper]

Staggeringly shit post Mick.
He's 22 and in a newly promoted side playing against one of the best in the land. His team got dominated. His debut in this league. He did pretty well.

I'm glad you're happy, I kept an eye on him throughout the game and he spent a large amount of time being bypassed and ineffectual, culminating with a petulant foul on KWP. So I dont think it was a shit post, I took the trouble to watch him and that's what I saw. Took his goal well though

 

[Totti]

Poch didn't think it was a penalty.

ochbye:

 

[78Spur]

Blatant pen

What are his hands doing up by his neck anyway , plus plenty of time to get them out the way of the ball

Is there a replay of this anywhere?

There was an interesting call for a penalty at Watford yesterday where the ball hit a player in the wall's elbow, but the arm was not in an unnatural position, which I reckon some refs would have given last year.

 

[RealCoolYid]

Is there a replay of this anywhere?

There was an interesting call for a penalty at Watford yesterday where the ball hit a player in the wall's elbow, but the arm was not in an unnatural position, which I reckon some refs would have given last year.

I’d be interested in seeing it again. Maybe hoofoot or footybite

 

[sudoku]

Been more or less the same XI barring injuries for the opening game but this season only 4 the same as last season (Lloris, Sanchez, Sissoko and Kane). Fit but not selected Eriksen, Dier, Verts, Aurier.

2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20
Lloris	Vorm	Lloris	Lloris	Lloris	Lloris
Naughton	Walker	Walker	KWP	Aurier	KWP
Kaboul	Toby	Toby	Toby	Sanchez	Toby
Capoue	Verts	Verts	Verts	Verts	Sanchez
Rose	Davies	Rose	Davies	Davies	Rose
Dier	Dier	Dier	Dier	Dier	Ndombele
Bentaleb	Bentaleb	Wanyama	Sissoko	Sissoko	Sissoko
Eriksen	Eriksen	Eriksen	Eriksen	Eriksen	Winks
Lamela	Dembele	Lamela	Dembele	Lucas	Lucas
Lennon	Chadli	Dele	Dele	Dele	Lamela
Adebayor	Kane	Kane	Kane	Kane	Kane
Same player
	3	6	7	8	4

 

[VoiceOfThePoshSeats]

Neil Johnsons article on the game (BBC website) did not mention Eriksens contribution once. Why bother to give the so called football writers a free pass to attend in the best stadium in the world and no doubt get some freebies as well when they write bullshit!

Was watching sunday supplement. Some of the writers were so fat they need help lacing their shoes. How can they commentate on football?