7500 To Holte - Aston Villa vs. Manchester United final score: Villa lose boring match 0-1Villa Til We Cryhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46611/7500-fave.png2015-08-17T10:00:01+01:00http://7500toholte.sbnation.com/rss/stream/89058042015-08-17T10:00:01+01:002015-08-17T10:00:01+01:00Aston Villa 0 - 1 Manchester United Tactics Talk
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<figcaption>Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><b>First-half thoughts: Villa's attack fails to click</b></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><b>The Abgonlahor-Ayew partnership didn't work: </b>The big change to last week's use of a 4-3-3 in the Villa attack was the shift in Ayew's role, as when Villa had the ball he moved up from the right flank into a second striker position, drifting behind Gabby Abgonlahor in a 4-4-1-1. Unfortunately neither of the two were good enough at hold-up play to make the partnership work.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Ayew lost a number of headers from Guzan's goal-kicks, including the play which led to United's goal. Both were slow to release the ball, panicking and heading back towards their midfield when pressured. Abgonlahor had one particularly bad moment, ruining a potential counter-attack when he hit a wild ball past Bacuna who was free on the right. It was strange to see them both on the pitch while Libor Kozak and Rudy Gestede sat on the bench, either of whom would have provided a more natural target man.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><b>Man United's pressure on the left wing breaks through: </b>Much like Bournemouth did last week (analysis <a href="http://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2015/8/9/9121391/brawn-over-brains-aston-villa-1-0-bournemouth-tactics-talk" target="_blank">here</a>), Van Gaal's team reacted to Villa's deep 4-5-1 defensive shape by playing cross-field balls to try and catch-out the high full-backs. Whereas Bournemouth played from their left to right, where Matt Ritchie failed to get past Jordan Amavi, United played from their right to left where Memphis Depay was facing <span>Leandro Bacuna</span>.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">They played long balls to Depay, who cut inside Bacuna several times and also almost got a free header behind him, and also pressed Villa's right side in possession which forced a turnover from Westwood that obliged Guzan to make a last-ditch tackle on the edge of his box.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Finally, it led to the goal, when Januzaj burst past Gueye on the right and got the ball out to Depay on the left wing, who laid the ball off to Mata. In the end it was the centre-backs who were to blame as <span>Micah Richards</span> tried to play an offside trap which <span>Ciaran Clark</span> didn't follow and they couldn't recover to stop Januzaj receiving the through-ball and scoring. Villa couldn't handle the overload down that side, and Bacuna compared poorly with Amavi throughout.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><b>Second-half thoughts: United contain one-dimensional attack</b></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><b>Amavi leads brief revival: </b>As seems almost customary under Sherwood's Villa, the Claret and Blue came out more adventurously after the break, led down the left by Jordan Amavi. He began linking with <span>Scott Sinclair</span> who started dropping back and shuttling the ball well. They played a nice overlap leading to a cross that was wasted when Ayew and Abgonlahor had the same instinct to go for the front post.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">That seemed to energise the rest of the side briefly, but tired legs and a lack of sharpness in Villa's passing play limited the threat. Ayew blasted wildly, Gabby managed a tame header for the only Villa shot on target and Gueye's shot was blocked at the edge of the box after too many square passes.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><b>Gestede substitution fails, as Villa go one-dimensional: </b>Finally Sherwood made the longed for substitution on 58 miinutes, bringing Rudy Gestede on as a target man and aerial threat, but the choice to take off Sinclair was a strange one. Villa's attack had been going down the left through him and Amavi. Without him, Villa struggled to shuttle the ball through the midfield as Gueye and Veretout tired.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Villa resorted to long balls and clipped crosses into Gestede, but he wasn't able to dominate the United defence as he did to Bournemouth and United were happy to sit back on the counter and should have doubled their lead when Mata found Memphis in behind Bacuna.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><b>Substitution watch: </b></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><i>Rudy Gestede for Scott Sinclair (58 mins) - </i>Bringing on Gestede made sense, but taking off Sinclair was a poor decision from Sherwood, when the winger had been growing into the match and bringing the ball forward well. One of Ayew or Abgonlahor deserved to come off and without Sinclair's trickery, Villa looked limited.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><i>Carlos Sánchez for Jordan Veretout (77 mins) - </i>Sánchez put in another good late game performance, winning the ball and moving it forward well, allowing Westwood and Gueye to push up. Veretout made very little impact and this is a sub that could've been made significantly earlier - <span>Carles Gil</span> or <span>Jack Grealish</span> would both seem to be preferable options at the moment to add a creative element.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Disappointing substitutions from Sherwood who made the wrong decision in taking off Sinclair and didn't seem willing to try and shake it up more after Gestede came on.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><b>What we learned: </b></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">- Villa cannot start another match with Abgonlahor and Ayew as the main strikers. They are too similar, too poor in their hold-up play and too wasteful with chances to have both on at the same time. At the moment, Ayew probably deserves to stay in the team more, if only because he presses better and drops back to link up play more.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">- Gestede is not enough of an answer to Villa's attacking struggles. Gil or Grealish coming back would be a big boost, but it was also noticeable how Sánchez staying back released the other midfielders. A 4-4-2 with a diamond, with Sánchez at the base and one of Gil or Grealish at the tip and Gestede partnering one of Ayew or Gabby would make a lot more sense.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">- Villa still have a serious problem at right-back. Bacuna was exposed by Gradel at Bournemouth and by Memphis against <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a>. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/crystal-palace">Crystal Palace</a> are a team who love to play with pacy wingers, and it would make sense to give the more defensively solid <span>Alan Hutton</span> his chance next week.</p>
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https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2015/8/17/9162613/attacking-failures-aston-villa-0-1-manchester-united-tactics-talkAdamClark2015-08-16T21:31:59+01:002015-08-16T21:31:59+01:00Sit in the Holte End for Villa-United
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<figcaption>Michael Regan/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Can't make it to Villa Park? Put on some headphones and we'll take you to the Holte End for Aston Villa vs. Manchester United.</p> <p>James has gotten season tickets in the Holte End, and he'll be giving those of us who can't go (and those who can!) a taste of what Villa Park is like. The first installment gives us the sites and sounds of Aston Villa's home opener against Manchester United.</p>
<p>James accidentally left his phone set to audio recording for the entire match, so rather than get irritated at his "mistake" he decided to give us the first-person audio view of what it's like to sit in the K5 section of the Holte End. You'll get to hear Adama Traore's introduction, and the always-thundering "Villa, VILLA, VILLA!!" chant.</p>
<p>And might I suggest pairing this video with <a href="http://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2015/8/16/9158879/Aston-villa-manchester-united-adnan-januzaj-match-review">James' first From the Stands report</a>? He'll be sitting in the K5 section all season, and so we've got eighteen more of these reports headed our way. Maybe if we're nice, he'll keep making us videos, too!</p>
https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/villa-park-fan-match-report/2015/8/16/9162545/aston-villa-manchester-united-sounds-video-holte-endRobert LintottJames Rushton2015-08-16T16:44:18+01:002015-08-16T16:44:18+01:00Villa lose, but actually look good doing it
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<figcaption>Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Villa may have lost, but there were many positives to be found.</p> <p>
The last <a href="http://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2015/7/19/8997739/aston-villa-fabian-delph-manchester-city-transfer-news-analysis?_ga=1.57927849.288951488.1426956821"> couple </a> of iterations in <a href="http://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2015/6/1/8695287/look-on-the-bright-side-the-fa-cup-final?_ga=1.250291973.288951488.1426956821"> this series</a> were pretty tough to write, given the misery that surrounded last season. So we're kicking off this season on a much better note, because although we lost on Friday night against <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a>, there were actually a load of positives to take away from the game. So make yourselves comfortable, make yourself a cup of tea, and enjoy!
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1. Jordan Amavi
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It's still early on in Jordan Amavi's Aston Villa career, but I'm honestly of the opinion that he is the best left back that we have had since I started following the club over a decade ago. I know there's a few of our regular commenters that have been following for even longer, so if you can name a better left back than Amavi, then please do let us know!
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Against Bournemouth, Amavi was solid defensively in the first, and dangerous offensively in the second. Unfortunately he was unable to get forward as much on Friday night, but in defence, he was impeccable. Manchester United failed to launch a meaningful attack from their right side all game, and that is thanks to Jordan Amavi's defensive capabilities. Like against Bournemouth, Amavi's play got a little sloppy in the closing stages due to fatigue, but he was hardly alone in that regard, the majority of the Villa side looked out on their feet in the closing stages.
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Once the Villa side starts to gel, the chemistry between Amavi and the likes of Rudy Gestede will surely develop, and we will fully be able to appreciate the crossing prowess of Amavi, and the heading ability of Gestede. Patience is required, but the signs look good.
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2. Villa lacked a playmaker, but they have options
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Villa rarely threatened the Manchester United defence, and when they did, they lacked the crucial final ball which would have turned half chances into full chances. This doesn't sound like a positive thing, and on it's own, it isn't, but when you consider that Villa played without three of their most dangerous players in <span>Carles Gil</span>, <span>Jack Grealish</span> and <a href="http://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2015/8/14/9152685/barcelona-starlet-joins-aston-villa-transfer-news"> new signing </a>Adama Traore, it doesn't sound as bad.
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On a couple of occasions, with the right pass, Aston Villa would have had a clear chance on goal. Jack Grealish and Carles Gil are two of the better playmakers at the club, so when they come back from injury, against <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/crystal-palace">Crystal Palace</a> next week <a href="http://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2015/8/11/9131741/grealish-and-gil-return-to-training-set-to-miss-fridays-game"> in all likelihood, </a> the Aston Villa attack will be in much better shape.
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It's not to say that the players that Villa had on the pitch on Friday aren't good enough, but with Jordan Ayew and <span>Gabby Agbonlahor</span> making the same runs often, it limited the possibilities. With another playmaker to support Ayew and Sinclair, it opens up more channels offensively, which in turn should allow for Amavi and Bacuna to be given more opportunities to play in Gestede. This will definitely be helped by the arrival of new signing Adama Traore, who by <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2546620-why-barcelona-starlet-adama-traore-is-worth-the-premier-league-fuss"> all accounts </a>is a fine playmaker. Although it didn't exactly look this way at times on Friday night, but <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/">Aston Villa's</a> attack is in fairly healthy shape.
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3. Ashley Westwood is good, and he's here to stay
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<a href="http://7500toholte.sbnation.com/aston-villa-transfer-news-rumors/2015/8/12/9137077/aston-villa-contracts-ashley-westwood-extension"> Earlier this week,</a> Ashley Westwood signed a new five year deal with the club, and this was great news, because although he rarely grabs the headlines, Westwood is one of the best players at the club. This was shown again on Friday, as he was probably Aston Villa's <a href="http://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2015/8/15/9157031/player-ratings-aston-villa-manchester-united-chemistry"> best player. </a>
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<span>Ashley Westwood's</span> passing was on point against United, one pass especially was a world class volley ball out to the flank. I can't find any footage of the pass sadly, so instead I've included a clip from last season. I'm told that <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/">Newcastle's</a> Paul Dummett still has nightmares about this moment.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Throwback to when Ashley Westwood destroyed Paul Dummet with a simple touch and pass. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/avfc?src=hash">#avfc</a> <a href="https://t.co/7cS0I8Ir0L">https://t.co/7cS0I8Ir0L</a></p>— Charlie Cox (@charlcox6) <a href="https://twitter.com/charlcox6/status/628002467352068096">August 3, 2015</a>
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One of Westwood's main strengths is his reading of the game, and when his new teammates start getting comfortable at Villa, there will be far more scope for Westwood to play his killer passes.
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4. Atmosphere
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Villa Park was sold out on Friday night, and the atmosphere was incredible. I'd liken it to the European clash against CSKA Moscow a few seasons back in terms of how great it was to be there on the night. And this came after <a href="http://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2015/8/14/9153961/birmingham-traffic-terrible-ahead-of-manchester-untied-clash"> traffic issues </a> delayed many of the fans' arrival to the ground.
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From the pre-match unveiling of Adama Traore to <span>Leandro Bacuna</span> accidentally winning himself a corner in the second half, the Villa Park faithful was buzzing. Now, I'm no psychologist, but you have to think that having Villa Park full to the rafters and cheering the team on will be a good thing for morale, and morale should impact on Villa's home performances this season. Hopefully, this will see Villa Park reverting back to the fortress of old.
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5. Villa didn't look out of place
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<p>
Manchester United are title contenders in the Premier League. Top four at least. But Aston Villa went up against them on Friday and didn't look out of place.
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Villa limited their opponents to just two shots on goal, and the shot that did go in took a huge deflection. This is crucial because it shows that our defence wasn't ever truly threatened. If Villa can come out of a game against United without looking terrible, it looks good for the rest of our season. As soon as the strikers get their thing together, things are looking up in the world of Aston Villa!
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If you agree or disagree with anything, or just have a point of your own to make, do let us know in the comments below, and thanks for reading!
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https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2015/8/16/9159239/look-on-the-bright-side-aston-villa-vs-manchester-unitedElis Sandford2015-08-16T16:08:37+01:002015-08-16T16:08:37+01:00From The Stands: Part One - Phantom Pain
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<p>It's the first home game of the season and a phantom pain strikes Villa as they open up Villa Park to Manchester United.</p> <p><i>Welcome to the first edition of the new & improved 'From the Stands'. I'm now fortunate enough to be one of Villa's season ticket holders, situated in Block K5 of the Holte End. In this series, my goal is to provide the same experiences that I feel at Villa Park to fans who aren't as lucky as me in terms of their location or situation. This won't be your usual match report.</i></p>
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<p>I'd never left work so fast in my life. Texts from family and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/">Aston Villa</a> flashed on my screen. There had been a closure of the M6 Motorway - and for those in the know, that's almost like giving the jugular of the arterial motorway network of England a good kicking. It was the train for me; the Walsall line takes you straight to Aston Station from Sandwell & Dudley. Unluckily, it seemed that every single Aston Villa fan in the entire world have conceived the same idea as me and a reincarnation as a sardine in tin followed for the next forty minutes. Walking from work to Sandwell and Dudley was a weird experience. I'd no Villa colours on me except for a small makeshift claret and blue wristband, yet a few cars sounded their horn in approval whilst stuck in the gridlock. The first game of the season is glazed in a sickly sweet sense of reckless pride. It was the first time I'd ever went to a Villa match without a claret & blue shirt thanks to the timing of the game (and money, but we'll change that soon).</p>
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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a target="_top" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" href="https://instagram.com/p/6aE7SVDBHc/">Holte Pub</a></p>
<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by James Rushton (@jamorushton) on <time datetime="2015-08-15T14:31:11+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Aug 15, 2015 at 7:31am PDT</time></p>
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<p>Witton Station drops you closer, but you just don't get the <i>feel</i> of the walk from Aston Station. You walk under the expressway, past the Church and are afforded a glimpse of Aston Manor on the hill before the Holte End welcomes you along with horde of Villa fans surrounding you. That's not to mention the two evergreen stalwarts of the route - the man trying to flog his bagpipe recordings and the man trying to flog his pork scratchings. The route from Witton seems almost boring in comparison. It's a quick fix compared to the route from Aston which is enveloped in a natural atmosphere.</p>
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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a target="_top" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" href="https://instagram.com/p/6aFpDxjBI9/">A photo posted by James Rushton (@jamorushton)</a> on <time datetime="2015-08-15T14:37:26+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Aug 15, 2015 at 7:37am PDT</time></p>
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<p>The parading of Adama Traore before the match heightened the flow of optimism, even if he's the definition of raw, you couldn't help but think that Villa have turned a corner. Signing a talent from Barcelona is something a team leagues above Villa should be doing, no matter the ability - Traore earned his stripes at Barça like so, so many other stars that fill the ranks of the World's best teams; so of course this signing means the world to Villa fans, who've had to make do with the scraps and rejects of mid-table contenders for the last few years. Traore's arrival was met with jubilation, as you'd expect from a hungry crowd waiting to pin their hopes on their latest Villan.</p>
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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/6cN7tEjBEB/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_top">A video posted by James Rushton (@jamorushton)</a> on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-08-16T10:28:22+00:00">Aug 16, 2015 at 3:28am PDT</time></p>
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<p>It's hard as a Aston Villa fan to expect any positive result from a home game against <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a>, but with such an atmosphere, it wasn't impossible to feel as though Villa were going to win and this feeling rolled on as Aston Villa took the game to a slightly lacklustre United team. In a way, Villa were only held back by their own mentality as they tried to play a way that is now impossible. They tried to build the same jigsaw as before, but of course - they are missing the old pieces.</p>
<p>A <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_pain" style="background-color: #ffffff;">phantom pain </a>is a unique condition. Feeling the tips of your fingers, even though you have lost your hand. Feeling your toes wiggle, even though a prosthetic has been fitted. Feeling the pain in your mind as though the physical limb remains. It's almost a universal symbol for loss in the sense in that whatever you lose, the feeling will always remain - the mental connection is simply too hard to sever.</p>
<p>In a sense, that's a huge part of what I gathered from Villa's performance against Manchester United - they seemed to try and play the same way they did when they had <span>Fabian Delph</span> and <span>Christian Benteke</span> in the team; even more so when it seemed that <span>Ashley Westwood</span> was genuinely looking for Delph's run. It felt to me that the mannerisms of players such as Delph and Benteke where expected by Westwood and other players like Clark and Agbonlahor as they simply tried to repeat the same old tricks subconsciously without fully realising that they are playing with a new group of players. With time and effort, that should correct itself.</p>
<p>Another aspect of Villa's defeat that is slightly more worrying is that AVFC thus far seem completely unable to create the chances that teams like Stoke and Leicester seem to find in abundance unless the chance is given to them. Scott Sinclair's substitution seemed unfounded, as he had laid waste to United's right side in a partnership with Jordan Amavi and even though Rudy Gestede came on to an ovation - Sinclair was sorely missed as Ayew and Gestede were man-marked out of the rest of the game. It didn't stop the fans cheering Gestede's every touch, as the Benin-born player has reached a John Carew level of support not two games into his Villa career.</p>
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<p>"Where the F**K is Gabby? Where the F**K is GABBY!?" - Woman sitting behind me (Hopefully not for the entire season).</p>
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<p>Despite the result, it was absolutely fantastic to see the quality offered by United on display. It's not every day you get to watch a <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/fifa-womens-world-cup" class="sbn-auto-link">World Cup</a> winner such as Bastian Schweinsteiger grace the pitch and even though players like Rooney and Depay made little impact on the game, it was almost overwhelming to watch true superstars of the game play at Villa Park. When I'd held a season ticket before, the ability of these players was simply lost on my youth and the feeling of just wanting Villa to win <i>every single game. </i>Don't get me wrong, I want Villa to win - but in some cases, you've just got to sit back and enjoy the football, regardless of the result.</p>
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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/6cQxeiDBId/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_top">A photo posted by James Rushton (@jamorushton)</a> on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-08-16T10:53:11+00:00">Aug 16, 2015 at 3:53am PDT</time></p>
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<p>Going forward, I've got 18 more home games to attend and if every single loss is as bittersweet as Friday's defeat against the Red Devils - then I've certainly got plenty to enjoy. Don't believe the whispers, Villa Park is as electric in defeat as it is thunderous in victory.</p>
https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2015/8/16/9158879/Aston-villa-manchester-united-adnan-januzaj-match-reviewJames Rushton2015-08-15T08:00:02+01:002015-08-15T08:00:02+01:00Player Ratings: AVFC lack chemistry in United loss
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<p>In a strange match, Aston Villa failed to beat Manchester United at home yet again. While the men wearing claret and blue understandably lack chemistry still, you can still vote for your Villa Man of the Match from Friday's match below.</p> <p>Everything about the match was a bit strange.</p>
<p>It was the Premier League's first appearance on a Friday night in years. Villa Park was full to the rafters, making an incredible European-like atmosphere for the entire country -- and the world -- to see in a much-hyped match. And on the pitch, two teams with many new faces and little chemistry battled out a sometimes interesting but mostly disorganized game of football.</p>
<p>In the end, the result wasn't strange at all. <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Manchester United</a> beat <a href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Aston Villa</a>, 1-0, with the Red Devils putting in a professional away performance against a Villa side lacking connectivity or rhythm. While the match lacked memorable moments and was decided by a lucky deflected goal, here are the player ratings and analysis nonetheless for the Aston Villa men on a scale of 1 to 10 -- with 1 being the worst and 10 being the best.</p>
<p><b>GK: <span>Brad Guzan</span>, Rating: 6</b></p>
<p>A pretty solid performance from Guzan. The goal was deflected well out of his reach. His distribution was better than usual. And his best moment was a slide tackle just inside the box on Memphis Depay on a similar situation that <span>Thibaut Courtois</span> got wrong for <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chelsea</a> last weekend, conceding a penalty and receiving a red card. Guzan timed it perfectly on Friday. Unbelievably, he didn't even have a save to make.</p>
<p><b>RB: <span>Leandro Bacuna</span>, Rating: 5</b></p>
<p>Really a tough matchup for Bacuna. With the threat of Memphis, <span>Luke Shaw</span> and <span>Adnan Januzaj</span> overloading that side of the pitch frequently, Bacuna did a lot of defending and rarely got forward. Did well enough and had some impressive interceptions, perhaps suggesting that the defensive side of the Dutchman's game is really improving.</p>
<p><b>CB: <span>Micah Richards</span>, Rating: 4</b></p>
<p>Low rating because of his poor defending on United's goal. His failure to track Januzaj's run behind was compounded by over-committing to the challenge, allowing the winger to cut back and get a shot away. That type of moment might not be punished at right back, but hopefully Richards learns how to deal with situations like that going forward as a center back. Because besides that, he played well again. Just needs to cut out the glaring mistakes.</p>
<p><b>CB: <span>Ciaran Clark</span>, Rating: 6</b></p>
<p>Another assured performance from Clark. He won everything in the air and defended very well. Terribly unlucky to not block Januzaj's shot that led to the goal. His passing can improve, but Clark has continued his form from last season into early in this campaign.</p>
<p><b>LB: Jordan Amavi, Rating: 6</b></p>
<p>While Bacuna was forced to sit back and defend, Amavi still managed to get forward throughout the match -- much to the approval of the Villa Park faithful seeing a quality left back for the first time in years. Nine take-on attempts from a left back is remarkable, and he succeeded with an impressive five of those. When his teammates start anticipating his crosses instead of reacting, the assists will come. He also defended well with five interceptions and three tackles.</p>
<p><b>CDM: <span>Ashley Westwood</span>, Rating: 7</b></p>
<p>Most of Villa's threatening attacks came through Westwood, with the confidence oozing for the man who just signed a new long-term deal at Villa Park. His ability to switch play and maintain possession was awesome to see, and NBCSN commentator Arlo White gushed on several occasions at the Englishman's distribution. Westwood is another player who could start tallying assists for fun when the Villa attackers begin gelling.</p>
<p><b>CM: Idrissa Gana Gueye, Rating: 5</b></p>
<p>A very Fabian Delph-like performance from Gana. His tackling was quality at times, making five to break up United's play in key defensive areas. But his passing wasn't up to snuff. He gave the ball away too frequently in forward positions. He remains an undoubtedly talented player who needs time to develop chemistry with his teammates, especially the forwards.</p>
<p><b>CM: Jordan Veretout, Rating: 4</b></p>
<p>Not involved near enough offensively or defensively. Veretout was out-muscled by the quality players throughout United's lineup. For a player brought in to be a creative dynamo, the Frenchman didn't initiate anything going forward, a big reason why the Villa attack struggled to connect passes in the final third. Judging by this performance, Veretout may need quite some time to adapt to the Premier League.</p>
<p><b>LW: <span>Scott Sinclair</span>, Rating: 5</b></p>
<p>Put in a shift. Ran his socks off, tried to dribble forward when possible and had some slick passing. However, Adama Traore was watching on, and he'll surely be confident he can possibly displace Sinclair in the starting XI soon.</p>
<p><b>ST: <span>Gabby Agbonlahor</span>, Rating: 3</b></p>
<p>Another player who could be on the bench in the near future. Seven completed passes isn't good enough for a player who was on the pitch the entire match, regardless of position. Agbonlahor didn't do much to make his case for a continued starting role. And with the No. 10 squad number still available, <span>Tim Sherwood</span> might feel like another striker is needed given the performance of Agbonlahor on Friday night.</p>
<p><b>RW: Jordan Ayew, Rating: 4</b></p>
<p>Ayew did his best <span>Charles N'Zogbia</span> impression in this match, and that's not a compliment. The forward got himself into some good positions but couldn't dribble past any defenders or get the final pass right. Ayew is taking some criticism from some Villa fans for his poor end product, and rightfully so. There's nothing more frustrating than attacking players who get into dangerous areas before losing concentrating or failing to execute at the key moment. Hopefully Ayew can improve in that area.</p>
<p><b>SUBS</b></p>
<p><b>ST: Rudy Gestede, Rating: 5</b></p>
<p>Was surprised Gestede didn't start, but I understand Sherwood's reasoning. Gestede doesn't seem like the type to close down and defend like needed when facing a top four club. When he did come on, the big striker helped put United on the back foot a bit more, but he didn't have the game-changing impact like at Bournemouth. Against much better defenders, Gestede's aerially ability wasn't as overwhelming.</p>
<p><b>CM: Carlos Sanchez, Rating: 5</b></p>
<p>Came in and disrupted a few United counter attacks but didn't do what Villa really needed towards the end of the match: provide creativity going forward.</p>
https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2015/8/15/9157031/player-ratings-aston-villa-manchester-united-chemistryRJSepich2015-08-14T21:45:04+01:002015-08-14T21:45:04+01:00AVFC 0-1 MUFC: Instant reaction
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<p>Aston Villa lost 0-1 to Manchester United, but it's not worth freaking out over. </p> <p>Despite a smaller crowd at kick-off than many would have liked (thanks in part terrible traffic in Birmingham), the atmosphere at Villa Park was electric for the home opener. Using the same starting XI that he did against Bournemouth on Saturday, Tim Sherwood had his team playing unintimidated football against a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a> team who have not lost at Villa Park since 1995.</p>
<p>For the opening ten minutes, Villa actually looked tempted to bring the match to United and seemed to control the pace. Nevertheless, they couldn't find an opening as United's defense collapsed and filled the box at the first sign of an attack. Eventually, by around the 15th minute, United started controlling things again.</p>
<p>This led to <span>Adnan Januzaj</span> scoring in the 29th minute. <span>Juan Mata</span> sent in an absolutely beautiful pass, and <span>Micah Richards</span> tried to stop things with a slide tackle. Unfortunately, he totally missed and Januzaj got a shot off that deflected off of <span>Ciaran Clark</span> and into the goal. Had Richards stayed on his feet or the ball not deflected, it probably would not have gone in. But that's asking for a lot of ifs, and some shaky defense let down Villa.</p>
<p>In the final five or so minutes of the half, Villa looked to assert themselves and actually put together a few nice attacks. Unfortunately, they kept trying the "send in crosses" approach, which doesn't work well with <span>Gabby Agbonlahor</span>, <span>Scott Sinclair</span>, and Jordan Ayew up top.</p>
<p>The second half saw Villa start more brightly, but two issues seemed to plague them throughout. The first was sloppiness: when they would get chances, poor balls in would waste them; and when they were in possession in the middle, sloppy passing would lose it. There were some really bright moments, though, with Jordan Amavi and Scott Sinclair spurring some fantastic chances up the left side.</p>
<p>The second problem was fitness. As the half wore on, Villa began to tire quickly. By the final 10 minutes they looked absolutely exhausted. That only compounded the aforementioned sloppiness.</p>
<p>Also rather strange were <span>Tim Sherwood's</span> substitutions. Rudy Gestede came on, and that was an obvious choice. But he came on for Scott Sinclair, who was looking lively and very good. A move to replace Gabby Agbonlahor (still junk!) or Jordan Ayew (much better today) would have been better. And then Carlos Sanchez came on for Jordan Veretout. That sub made perfect sense except for the fact that it was the last one of the day. With the team struggling, why not bring on Libor Kozak and let players just hoof it into the box and hope that one of Gestede/Kozak can get a head on it?</p>
<p>But, it's an 0-1 loss to a title contender. I'm not too worried. At no point did Villa look like a disaster and there were plenty of moments where you could see the promise that this side holds. With plenty of winnable matches coming up, this shouldn't worry us for long.</p>
<p>Some quick notes:</p>
<p> </p>
<ul>
<li><span>Jordan Ayew looked much better in the first half than he did against Bournemouth. He was getting involved and seemed to be gaining confidence. I think he'd be better served by playing a more central role just a bit behind someone like Rudy Gestede or Libor Kozak. </span></li>
<li><span>Jordan Amavi is still amazing. </span></li>
<li><span>Mike Dean is an atrocious official. </span></li>
<li><span>Really unsure why Tim didn't use all three subs. We needed fresh legs. Maybe he just wanted to sit back, but why not bomb forward and go for it? Who cares if you lose 0-1 or 0-2? </span></li>
<li><span><span>Ashley Westwood</span> was, once again, a really solid and quiet player. </span></li>
<li><span>I said this above, but Gabby Agbonlahor is junk. He had Villa's best chance of the day when he put his head on a corner... and sent it right into the keeper's hands. Ugh. </span></li>
</ul>
https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2015/8/14/9156533/aston-villa-manchester-united-final-score-premier-league-report-recapRobert Lintott2015-08-14T17:14:47+01:002015-08-14T17:14:47+01:00Consider taking the train to Villa Park tonight
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<figcaption>Shaun Botterill/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Consider taking the train, friends.</p> <p>So, we’ve been watching Twitter all day, and chatting with our writers in Brum, and, well, it’s looking like a night for the train to get to Villa Park for <a href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Aston Villa</a>’s Friday night clash.</p>
<p>The M6 is closed in both directions between junctions 6 and 7, which is really bad news for anyone, especially those coming from north of Villa Park, because J6 is the exit for the A38(M), which goes right past the ground. Lovely!</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">TRAVEL UPDATE: Severe disruption on the M6 between J7 and J6. Details: <a href="http://t.co/suzEhWkZ2M">http://t.co/suzEhWkZ2M</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AVFC?src=hash">#AVFC</a> <a href="http://t.co/K8STU18baR">pic.twitter.com/K8STU18baR</a></p>
— Aston Villa FC (@AVFCOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/AVFCOfficial/status/632178277772304384">August 14, 2015</a>
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<p>It’s also Friday night, which means a lot of other things are congested, too, even before the matchday traffic, and the M6 closure, is taken into effect.</p>
<p>7500 writer James Rushton said there’s "lots of travel congestion in Birmingham now and it will affect people going to Villa," while our own Elis Sandford confirmed, describing it as "terrible."</p>
<p>Since Sky are a bunch of money-grabbing assholes, we won’t be pushing back the start of this one, so it’ll still be a 7:45 kickoff.</p>
<p>If you haven’t left yet, do so as soon as possible, and get yourself to a train station. Check out the <a href="http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/">National Rail site</a> for scheduled services to Aston and Witton stations.</p>
<p>On the bright side, this traffic delay won’t have too much of an effect on <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Manchester United</a> supporters, given none of them live in Manchester in the first place.</p>
<p>This points out part of the problem with Friday night football, especially in cities that don’t have the public transportation infrastructure that London does, but hey, TV money!</p>
<p>Nice going, English Defence League. Real nice work, you twats.</p>
https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2015/8/14/9153961/birmingham-traffic-terrible-ahead-of-manchester-untied-clashAlexander Carson2015-08-14T16:00:03+01:002015-08-14T16:00:03+01:00AVFC-MUFC: Open thread and how to watch
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<p>Aston Villa get to open their 2015-16 home schedule against Manchester United. We've got everything you need to follow along live. </p> <p>20 years. It's been 20 years since <a href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Aston Villa</a> have beaten <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Manchester United</a> at Villa Park. 20 years of abject misery and total domination at the hands of the Red Devils.</p>
<p>And you know what? It makes sense. United aren't a good club. They aren't a great club. They are one of the best-run clubs in the universe. They probably should drub Villa more often than not.</p>
<p>But do you know what Villa haven't had for those 20 years? Tim. Sherwood. And we've got him now, and Villa Park is sold out and ready to be as loud as it has ever been on a Friday night match.</p>
<p>So follow along with us, why don't you? You'll find everything you need to watch the match below. While you're waiting for it to start, why not look <a target="_blank" href="http://7500toholte.sbnation.com/aston-villa-2015-16/2015/8/12/9141763/aston-villa-vs-manchester-united-injuries-lineups-news-how-to-stream">at our coverage thus far</a> or give a listen to <a target="_blank" href="http://7500toholte.sbnation.com/aston-villa-podcast-holtecast/2015/8/13/9149983/aston-villa-ride-winning-streak-into-friday-night-match-with">this week's Holtecast</a>? And be sure to join us in the comments.</p>
<p>Up the Villa! Up the Sherwood!</p>
<p><b>Location: </b>Villa Park, Birmingham, England</p>
<p><b>Kick-off time:</b> 7:45 PM GMT, 2:45 PM Eastern, 11:45 AM Pacific</p>
<p><b>Available TV:</b> Sky Sports 1/HD UK (UK), NBCSN (US), NBC Sports Live Extra (US), NBC UNIVERSO (US)</p>
<p><b>Available streaming:</b> NBC Sports Live Extra, Sky Go UK</p>
<p><b>Available radio:</b> AVTV (subscription required), Westwood One Sports (US)</p>
<p>For listings in other countries, check out <a target="_blank" href="http://www.livesoccertv.com/match/1613870/aston-villa-vs-manchester-united/">LiveSoccerTV.com.</a></p>
<h4>Aston Villa team news</h4>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">TEAM NEWS: Villa side to face <a href="https://twitter.com/ManUtd">@ManUtd</a> this evening, kick-off 7.45. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AVFC?src=hash">#AVFC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MUFC?src=hash">#MUFC</a> <a href="http://t.co/U2v9SYboHW">pic.twitter.com/U2v9SYboHW</a></p>
— Aston Villa FC (@AVFCOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/AVFCOfficial/status/632246572684865536">August 14, 2015</a>
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<h4>Manchester United team news</h4>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mufc?src=hash">#mufc</a> XI: Romero, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Shaw, Carrick, Schneiderlin, Mata, Memphis, Januzaj, Rooney. <a href="http://t.co/Ju2VMrSbfQ">pic.twitter.com/Ju2VMrSbfQ</a></p>
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) <a href="https://twitter.com/ManUtd/status/632246583791366145">August 14, 2015</a>
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https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2015/8/14/9150155/aston-villa-manchester-united-2015-premier-league-live-stream-tv-schedule-team-newsRobert Lintott