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Match Ratings vs Soton


That's the top of the list.

Nice Cherry Picking of stats scara.

Had a quick look through the same app and Guzan to Benteke (or basically anyone to Benteke) only shows up top or near top twice in their last 5 games, against us and against Man U.

Against City, QPR, Swansea, Sunderland and West Brom, there is no evidence that they play direct to Benteke. Or in fact direct football in general.

Let's just leave it at that to avoid yet another Sherwood discussion.
 
Nice Cherry Picking of stats scara.

Had a quick look through the same app and Guzan to Benteke (or basically anyone to Benteke) only shows up top or near top twice in their last 5 games, against us and against Man U.

Against City, QPR, Swansea, Sunderland and West Brom, there is no evidence that they play direct to Benteke. Or in fact direct football in general.

Let's just leave it at that to avoid yet another Sherwood discussion.

That is the trouble with most stats, they are those who think they are the holy bible but they very rarely tell the whole/true story and are used ( by some) to push whatever agenda those who quote them want.
 
Nice Cherry Picking of stats scara.

Had a quick look through the same app and Guzan to Benteke (or basically anyone to Benteke) only shows up top or near top twice in their last 5 games, against us and against Man U.

Against City, QPR, Swansea, Sunderland and West Brom, there is no evidence that they play direct to Benteke. Or in fact direct football in general.

Let's just leave it at that to avoid yet another Sherwood discussion.
Bit of a reading/comprehension fail there.

At no point did I suggest that Villa do nothing but play long ball, even Pulis teams don't exclusively play long ball.

I was simply responding to the suggestion that "Villa don't play like that" - they clearly do and did against us. The post to which I was responding was, in itself, a response to the suggestion that we struggle against teams that play long ball. In which case, the only relevant stats were those from the match against us where Villa very clearly lumped the ball to Benteke as I originally described.
 
Pretty much agree with these marks and the comments too.

Poch 5. Too slow to react with his subs once again. We look vulnerable at corners from well practiced movement. Why can't we see the same when we have corners and wide set pieces?

Look at the attacking options available on the bench... Soldado, Townsend and Dembele...? Not a single player that has even come close to challenging Kane, Chadli and Eriksen for a place in the team even. On the day Eriksen was having a bit of an off day, Chadli was invisible for large spells punctuated by some moments of brilliance. Lamela was doing well. Why would we think that Townsend, Soldado or Dembele on earlier would have made us better?
 
Look at the attacking options available on the bench... Soldado, Townsend and Dembele...? Not a single player that has even come close to challenging Kane, Chadli and Eriksen for a place in the team even. On the day Eriksen was having a bit of an off day, Chadli was invisible for large spells punctuated by some moments of brilliance. Lamela was doing well. Why would we think that Townsend, Soldado or Dembele on earlier would have made us better?

I said as much in the pub during the game. Everyone on the bench is worse than those playing.
 
Look at the attacking options available on the bench... Soldado, Townsend and Dembele...? Not a single player that has even come close to challenging Kane, Chadli and Eriksen for a place in the team even. On the day Eriksen was having a bit of an off day, Chadli was invisible for large spells punctuated by some moments of brilliance. Lamela was doing well. Why would we think that Townsend, Soldado or Dembele on earlier would have made us better?

Two words. Fresh legs. Especially against tiring opponents.

Then there is the opportunity of changing formations and tactics to actually try and win the game. Remember, to dare is to do.
 
Bit of a reading/comprehension fail there.

At no point did I suggest that Villa do nothing but play long ball, even Pulis teams don't exclusively play long ball.

I was simply responding to the suggestion that "Villa don't play like that" - they clearly do and did against us. The post to which I was responding was, in itself, a response to the suggestion that we struggle against teams that play long ball. In which case, the only relevant stats were those from the match against us where Villa very clearly lumped the ball to Benteke as I originally described.

So your only point is that when Villa play the ball long to Benteke they are playing like a long ball team. No brick Sherlock.

I think it's obvious that the point @harr1984 is making is that Villa are not a 'long ball team' in the traditional sense of the saying I.e a team that is overly reliant on playing direct long balls. His comment was in response to GB saying they had gone 'all Sam Allerdyce'.
 
So your only point is that when Villa play the ball long to Benteke they are playing like a long ball team. No crud Sherlock.

I think it's obvious that the point @harr1984 is making is that Villa are not a 'long ball team' in the traditional sense of the saying I.e a team that is overly reliant on playing direct long balls. His comment was in response to GB saying they had gone 'all Sam Allerdyce'.

Yes that's exactly what I was saying - if we had Benteke I'd expect us to utilise his strengths and be going long to him at times - you have to mix it. But in no way are Villa a long ball team....
 
So your only point is that when Villa play the ball long to Benteke they are playing like a long ball team. No crud Sherlock.

I think it's obvious that the point @harr1984 is making is that Villa are not a 'long ball team' in the traditional sense of the saying I.e a team that is overly reliant on playing direct long balls. His comment was in response to GB saying they had gone 'all Sam Allerdyce'.

Yes that's exactly what I was saying - if we had Benteke I'd expect us to utilise his strengths and be going long to him at times - you have to mix it. But in no way are Villa a long ball team....

If we had Benteke I'd be incredibly disappointed if we played that kind of football - especially for a whole match like Captain Bellend's merry bunch did against us.

I'm all for varying styles and there's a place for lumping the ball up there in the final minutes/seconds of a match when you desperately need to score. But to use it as a game plan is just low - even Arsenal don't sink that low any more.
 
Ratings albeit late

Bentaleb - 8 MOM
Chadli, Dier, Hugo 7- Good match, Chadli a point up for another nice goal
Eriksen, Jan, Fazio, Lamela, Kane - 6 Each had nice moments and did OK. Lamela's goal was lucky but it still counts, Kane no service but very quiet by his standards
Mason - 5 Some sloppy moments, tackles
Davies - 2 he was atrocious
 
Well, that's the norm isn't it? You play your first 11 who are the better players?

Not really. Those on the bench were not only worse, but considerably so. Ideally you'd have 14-15 outfield players that can be rotated without a noticeable drop in quality. We don't even have 10.
 
Two words. Fresh legs. Especially against tiring opponents.

Then there is the opportunity of changing formations and tactics to actually try and win the game. Remember, to dare is to do.

Fresh legs is one factor, one of many. Not something that invalidates all other factors, like those I mentioned.

Pochettino did something different to what you wanted, that doesn't make it any less daring.
 
Completed as far as I can tell. Considering the fact that we're talking about low-return passes that's pretty shocking.
I'd say the complete opposite.... I'd say it's absolutely fantastic. It means that Benteke won 12 balls coming from goal kicks from Guzan and that is when up against Fazio who's strength is in the air. I would imagine our keeper also took a number of goal kicks long, the difference is that Kane won very few of them.

What a fantastic option that Benteke provides to relieve pressure.
 
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