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S1 E67 Misery in Monaco
10 Plays18 hours ago
On today's episode Joe and Dan give their post-match thoughts after Villa's 1-0 defeat to Monaco in the Champions League.
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Transcript
Introduction to the Daily Villa Podcast
00:00:09
Speaker
Hello and welcome to today's episode of the Daily Villa Podcast brought to you by the Global Sport Podcast Network.
Analyzing the Loss to Monaco in Champions League
00:00:17
Speaker
My name is Joe Boone and I'm joined once again by Dan to talk about the game in the Champions League against Monaco that we were unfortunately on the wrong side of the result of 1-0 defeat. Saw a difficult kind of end, I suppose, to this ah this league phase of the Champions League. The game finished ah roughly an hour or so ago. So, Dan, talk us through your ah your instant feelings after that one. Well, Joe, I'm sure um our listeners have got to know me as the optimistic one on the Daily Villa podcast. But even I think that was a tough game to watch.
00:00:58
Speaker
we We gave the ball away so many times through so sloppy play, which really hurt us in the end. And I don't know about you, but I didn't see a plan B in that. Maybe be our plan B is to beat Celtic and hope it's okay. But um that's a bit of a rubbish plan in my mind.
Villa's Performance Critique
00:01:21
Speaker
um My instant feelings are we let the occasion get to us.
00:01:27
Speaker
um and we missed a golden opportunity, we really did. Yeah, I completely agree mate. I thought we were sloppy in possession. I thought we didn't look particularly um energetic. We didn't look like we we kind of had a detailed plan going into the game. I thought we were out battle. I thought we were out ran a lot of the time and exactly what you said. I don't mean we looked after the ball nearly as as well as you need to in the Champions League against, you know, against the Monaco side.
00:01:58
Speaker
I don't want to you know kind of get to that point where you think have we underestimated yet another team in this competition and come up on the wrong end of the result but that's how it's starting to feel with the club bruise or that should have been a kind of warning sign for you know those those kind of smaller or less kind of well well-renowned teams in this in this competition and time after time we seem to overlook those those those kind of teams and once again it's come back to bite us because I thought Monaco were actually a really strong performance from that. I thought they had a lot of kind of interesting players and an interesting system. I said in the preview, they had lots of X kind of top six Premier League players in them, and um you know, whether it may be in that squad. Zachariah is another one. So they were a team like sought to underestimate and i thought we we kind of did that Once again, we started the game really slowly.
Villa's Game Start Challenges
00:02:55
Speaker
It was a a lapsing concentration early on that kind of cost us for the goal. We'll speak about that in more detail a little bit later. But we often speak about the kind of strong mentality of this team when we're coming from two goals behind to get a point at the Emirates or, you know, coming back to win games with the RAM coming on to score goals. But
00:03:15
Speaker
It's kind of the other way around, this this mentality that we don't start gamers very strongly. Do you think there's a kind of common thread or reason why that is?
00:03:26
Speaker
Well, it's quite interesting. This isn't the first time we've mentioned that and it it has been a problem for us. We do seem to give our opponents you know a head start before we start playing. And I believe it was yourself that said we can't do that too often or we will be found out. And we were found out today.
00:03:49
Speaker
but it's I've tried to have a little think about this in in in the instance straight after the game and whether or not it is us trying to control the game and look for that perfect pass and stringing those clever passes together. And today we looked sloppy doing that and just, as you say, um didn't defend the ball well and gave it away far too often.
00:04:15
Speaker
where Villa, when we play in the transition, we look much stronger. I don't know if dominating games and controlling the ball is quite Villa's bag at the moment. Certainly something that Emery is desperate for us to do and desperate for us to first to improve. And we're going to need to improve if if we play like that. um So it's all very good having a strong mentality, but um we have to start strongly as well. We have to force forced ourselves upon the game and dominate it. And sometimes that's playing the simple pass rather than the clever threading the eye through the needle from the halfway line, which we seem to be doing quite a lot this evening, to not a lot of success.
Lack of a Consistent Plan B
00:05:03
Speaker
yeah we absolutely do and i think it's it's an interesting kind of talking point in terms of what is this villa's side's plan b we all know what the plan a is we all know that it's brilliant when it works but when it doesn't work against the side that are slightly more energetic a bit more dynamic and zipping the ball around we can't necessarily slow the ten tempo down, take possession and kind of dominate in that way. What does the plan B look like? Is it hitting teams on the break in behind? Because I think that's something that we saw kind of glimpses of a little bit with kind of Watkins being released or, you know, is it kind of, it doesn't look to be a kind of consistent plan B that we roll out when needs to be, it kind of seems to just be keep churning away at plan A until it, you know, somehow works. And I think exactly
00:05:50
Speaker
kind of what you said there, you you can't keep the same sort of, you can't keep pedaling out plan A when it's not working. I think we are a little bit guilty of that at times.
00:06:03
Speaker
There were, however, kind of areas, I think in the, in the back line, especially, sorry, that were kind of gaping holes
Defensive Pairing Concerns
00:06:11
Speaker
defensively. And I think defensively, we maybe didn't look as solid now. Means and concert have had a relatively good kind of runners that center back pairing, ah largely due to the injuries of Carlos and Torres. Um, but they, they looked a little bit shaky for me tonight and I'm not exactly sure what that was down to. Did you have any thoughts about the center back pairing?
00:06:32
Speaker
Well, it's odd, because we talk about um Ming's and Konza as if they've never played together, where they have been, not certainly while Ming's was injured, but the years preceding that are main first-choice line-up in defence. So it seems rather staggering to me that they seem to have lost the ability to play together, and I understand that we've switched people out and You know, I mean, we've just seen that we've sold um Carlos to Fenebaccia, and I'm not saying he would have made the difference today. But core blimey, Mingz and Conza certainly need to get there their act together, because we can't wait for pal Torres to come rushing back. We need to solve this problem before that happens. I think Mingz looks so relaxed sometimes, he almost looks...
00:07:26
Speaker
ah like he isn't Like he doesn't care. Now, I'm not suggesting for a second that he doesn't. But I would like to hear a little bit more um zip and determination. I mean, he did do a wonderful block out of nowhere um in the game. I think he was in the second half. And I want to see more of that from him. And I think he also really needs to impose his style of leadership, although he's not the captain.
00:07:53
Speaker
on that back line. I think he is the key to organising that for us and maybe you need to um be shouting a little bit more at them. Yeah, I think that's a really interesting point. I think it's the kind of, we know Tyrone Mings as ah an on the pitch leader and despite him not having the armband, we know the kind of qualities in that area that he brings. I think exactly what you said there, these are two centre backs that have played with each other for kind of, for a while at Villa.
00:08:20
Speaker
they know each other's games inside out and I think they've at large been probably the best pairing that we've seen this season in the Premier League. I think the Brentford game particularly where I thought the both looked pretty strong and it certainly saves Esricon's are being stuck at right back. which i'm sure we've all spoke on the do ask so We're blue in the face. We're not overly keen on that on that. i no i talk But look, I think, you know, it's very much a case of exactly what you said there. They need to kind of impose themselves a little bit more on the game because we know the qualities that they do both have. They are are a very, very strong sense of action. I think it's that kind of confidence, maybe, or leadership that they maybe need to impose to kind of get the best out of them.
Emi Martinez's Form Discussion
00:09:03
Speaker
The goal came eight minutes in, and yet again, Emi Martinez in between the sticks makes a bit of a hash of the save, kind of palming it up, but not away or behind. He's going through a little bit of a rough patch this season so far, kind of thought the Arsenal game, the goals were a little bit soft in terms of his ah attempts there. How do you think he comes out of this kind of rough rough spell that he's going through? I mean, let's...
00:09:32
Speaker
let I agree with what you're saying, but let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. he you know We chant he is the world's number one, and arguably he still is. so i you know In Martinez we trust, and he is a massive part of our team in the way Villa play. He must be such a huge personality in that dressing room, geeing up the squad.
00:09:57
Speaker
Certainly with his, I'm not going to use the phrase, but the something-housery that he uses every game um to gee up opposition. I think when we look at the rough patches that he has, we need to remember the save that he made against Forrest.
00:10:15
Speaker
um and hold that dearer um in our thoughts. And I think he also made a ah a pretty good save in the first half or to keep us in it. But I think it comes not necessarily from from his play this rough patch but i think it comes from those in front of him he's spoken about that villa have been shipping too many goals and i think that has knocked a bit of his confidence a bit and affected his game and when we've chopped and changed with defenders as well that must make a goalkeeper uneasy look at me as if i'm talking like i'm a world cup winning goalkeeper but i can't imagine that being
00:11:00
Speaker
um you know, instilling confidence in in the man, but i you know I think we just need to stick with him and we we know the performances he can do. So yeah, I think keep the faith is the answer. Yeah, 100%. I think, you know, he I think Emi Martinez is one of those players that potentially is a victim of his own kind of standards and quality. And I think that is sometimes something that people potentially get carried away with. I think Watkins from last season is kind of going through that same thing now a little bit. But yeah,
Monaco's Energetic Play and Villa's Underestimation
00:11:33
Speaker
I do agree. I think Emi Martinez is the best goalkeeper in the world for a reason. And I think sometimes it's easy to be overly critical in terms of things that he's kind of like mistakes that he's made or saves that you could have done a bit differently. And I think, don't get me wrong, I do think he,
00:11:49
Speaker
He should have saved the the goal from Monaco this evening. I think if he pushes that over and out, it's a relatively routine save. However, yeah, I think, you know, for every one of those, there's probably two game winning saves or game kind of point winning saves that he's made. So yeah, I think he's got enough credit in the bank in that respect. We're going to be back to talk through the game further after a very short message, courtesy of Zenkaster.
00:12:17
Speaker
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00:12:57
Speaker
Welcome back. And we hear the phrase kind of they wanted it more, they look like they wanted it more kind of banded about aimlessly in in a lot of football analysis. um But for me, I think if there probably was a performance that kind of sum that up to me, it was Monaco's I thought they were more dynamic, more energetic, they took more risks on the ball, but they were also a lot more eager get to kind of take care of possession against this this bill aside. We looked kind of a bit a bit kind of devoid of ideas, especially in the attacking sense, we looked a little bit careless, a bit sloppy on the ball, almost as if we were expecting to to kind of rock up and walk through this game and secure Champions League kind of automatic qualification. um Obviously, we spoke about mentality earlier, but kind of from a footballing perspective on the pitch, what do you think that kind of that Monaco energy that we just couldn't seem to contain? What do you think that's down to? Well, I think it is
00:13:53
Speaker
um It's down to two things in this in this particular instance. To my understanding, and please correct me if I'm wrong, the French League work very hard in resting teams before their European Games.
00:14:07
Speaker
So Monaco were more rested than Villa. Now, I believe it was only 24 hours, but 24 hours is 24 hours and they're not traveling to their game. Obviously we've played away um and it's it's not an arduous journey down to Monaco. I've driven there from you know, Kettering and it only took me 18 hours non-stop driving. So, you know, beautiful part of the world anyway, whatever. um It's not a hard place to get to. So I'm not going to give them that as a total excuse, the Villa Boys, but I think with Monaco today, it was, it was this game or bust really for them. um You know, now we've, we,
00:14:56
Speaker
We've played a game like that before um in the Champions League of Way, was it to life thing, where we actually ended their Champions League hopes and I was surprised we weren't more didn't have that um in our memory as much. they They really needed this win and as you say we looked like we were going to coast through this and after eight minutes we were proved wrong.
00:15:28
Speaker
And we didn't look like we were going to not coast through this, the Villa squad, that is, until about 10 minutes before the end. I mean, I was screaming at the telly. We really looked low on energy. And I mean, maybe that is just because they're tired. They used all of their mental toughness to come back against Arsenal, which, you know, fantastic result. but you know, I'd have taken a win with this and maybe a lost against Arsenal, but such is life. Yeah, that's ah that's an interesting point in terms of the, that Arsenal game was so kind of high emotions, it probably did zap a fair amount of kind of ah energy from them. And again, in terms of travelling, and you're right, the the French do, they probably allow that their teams and their players slightly more kind of um preparation for these European games, which is a
00:16:21
Speaker
I'm sure a podcast did in its own episode about kind of unfortunate kind of preparation time for some of these European games. But yeah, I just think it was very much a Monaco side that were very that were fighting for their life in this Champions League kind of league phase.
Mentality and Underestimating Smaller Teams
00:16:38
Speaker
and We looked like a team that kind of already qualified and we had a little bit of sort of yeah on the beach ah mentality about us with the performance I thought. was yeah It's not something that I, A, expect from an Emory side and B, want to see because we're very much not on the beach. We've got a huge kind of game to end this league phase and it could very much decide whether we're automatic qualification or whether we're out of competition.
00:17:05
Speaker
I'd like to see that stamped out as soon as possible if it is a mentality thing because you know we can't keep rocking up to these these kind of quote-unquote smaller size and expecting to walk through games because we've been proving time after time whether it was the Club Bruges game tonight's performance the entirety of the conference league that that's not how it works and that these teams are there not teams are they not to make up the numbers that they're on merit and I think the fact we haven't necessarily learnt that mistake is is slightly concerning from ah from my point of view. There were however pockets of space opening up for some of our attacking players tonight. I thought there were kind of areas and and things that we could have exploited and didn't in this Monaco side. Were there any areas particularly in the game that you saw and thought we we kind of particularly struggled in that you'd like to highlight?
Midfield Struggles and Missing Players
00:17:54
Speaker
I mean, I think the game was won and lost in midfield, to be perfectly honest. I think we really missed Anana in this game. Although I love Kamara and Timmons, I think they play fantastically well. um But putting Wendir in there seemed to ah not and not having Timmons slightly further forward seemed to disrupt our rhythm and our passing network as it were. um I think we had more joy going wide, um but some of our crosses were pretty weak.
00:18:33
Speaker
um It's hard to pick out a positive, really, from this. um I think just about every area of Villa's game looked pretty diabolical today, which was which was very sad. I mean, I was just counting back the corners, and I can't think of one good delivery from a corner in that particular game. And that's not what um Austin McPhee is paid for. you know
00:19:04
Speaker
we Last year we were so wonderful at these set-piece routines and that seems to have totally died to death since that away game against Liverpool. But in this game, yeah, lost lost in midfield with our sloppy play and yeah, we we need to get either McGinn, Anana back as soon as we possibly can. I don't think Tealemond is a defensive midfielder. Now that's not calling him out, he's done some fantastic work for us. You know, and Buendia, I love Buendia, he's one of my favourite players but I don't think he's quite ready for Champions League games myself.
00:19:45
Speaker
Yeah, I think that's ah an interesting point. Again, it's very kind of similar to um the Arsenal game in the sense we saw Tealemann slightly further forward in that number 10 role. He was allowed to be a bit more creative. He could kind of express the qualities that he does have attacking wise a lot more than he does when he plays in that double pivot. And I'm not entirely convinced that is where he should be playing. I know obviously we have Rogers and we have um Bailey and and obviously Marlon coming in who will occupy those kind of wide areas, Megan, as well as another one.
00:20:14
Speaker
But I really want to see Urie Teelamans make that number 10 roll his own. And um and whether that means Rogers has to and shuffle out or where it means there's a slight tweak in formation that kind of sees Rogers occupy a half space, that's something that could be explored. but i I think for me Kamara and Onana together in that that double pivot they provide such defensive steel and I think that's what you kind of missed a little bit with Tealemans and I think this would have been a game that Onana would have had ah a really kind of interesting role to play because obviously he's a physical presence defensively. I think he would have cut out a lot of those kind of um dynamic energetic younger players in this Monaco side. yeah ah We had a difficult time kind of containing Minamino and I think Onana would have been slightly better yeah to handle that um than maybe kind of Kamara and Tealiman as well. So I think the sooner we get Onana back the better because I think he's we're starting to see in his absence how much of a big part of that kind of defensive double pivot he he is.
00:21:17
Speaker
The other kind of area going forward, the other area I think we struggled in was lacking cutting edge as well. I think it's something that we've kind of mentioned a couple of times. We've obviously got that the huge strike of debate that seems to kind of wail on throughout the season. Obviously, John Duran is subject to a ah large bid from West Ham. um it's It's an interesting one for me because I still think they both have huge part to play in this villa squad but for tonight specifically do you think Watkins was the right call?
Striker Choices and Tactical Systems
00:21:51
Speaker
by
00:21:54
Speaker
yeah um I'm not going to try and necessarily second-guess Unai Emery. As soon as I saw Watkins on the team sheet, I understood exactly why. I mean, he scored, um you know, um in the last two games. So he's building up that run and I'm sure Emory was desperate for that run to continue. um And I think Watkins, once he's got those first amounts of minutes in his legs for a game, he really starts to come good. And there was that fantastic
00:22:28
Speaker
opportunity where he he should have put it away in the first half and I think we'd have had a very different game on our hands if he had of them. It was a good save by their keeper. um Yeah, I would have started Watkins tonight. I think Duran, although he's getting better, he doesn't do enough off the ball for me.
00:22:53
Speaker
you know Now, that's not to say he's like not a good striker. he He knows exactly where the goal is, where Watkins sometimes struggles with where the goal is. um But Watkins gives so much more and creates so much space for other players to run into, even when he's not got his shooting boots on. I'm i'm i'm a big fan of Watkins and i would have I would have played him tonight. I mean, it was interesting to see um It wasn't a swap when we bought Duran on we actually saw the two of them playing together um If we're gonna do that, we need to teach them to not occupy the same meter of the pitch That's something we need to really work on but it is an interesting prospect That we could play both of them together and as you've just said they offer
00:23:47
Speaker
so many different things that they both have a place at Aston Villa in my opinion. I don't think it's necessarily an either-or, it is how can we get both of them working together.
00:24:01
Speaker
and you know Yeah, there's definite there's definitely a future there for Duran and I certainly would have started Watkins tonight to answer your question. Yeah, I think that's absolutely right. I said in the preview that I thought this would be a game made for Watkins. I thought that his running would stretcher ah that Monaco back line. I thought that he would be able to have a lot more opportunity to kind of drive in from the left side as we often see. I also did mention the fact that I would i kind of ah thought this would be a good opportunity to try Duran and Watkins together. I think it's very interesting you mentioned the substitution there because I think it's a very it's a really strange one. Unai Emery obviously net would never second-guess him, trust him a million percent, but it does seem the most Unai Emery-esque thing to kind of throw Duran on and for them to kind of
00:24:52
Speaker
follow each other around the pitch essentially. So it seems that there wasn't a system in place when Duran was on it, but it sort of felt a little bit kind of, you know, we need a golfer or a striker on with no real idea as to how they would work together. So that was a little bit strange to see and I do think that the Duran-Watkins partnership can work. I just think that essentially more minutes on the pitch or maybe a kind of tweaking system is is what's needed because like you say they can't occupy the same area on the pitch and expect both kind of yield results from that because they are very different players. yeah We're going to be back after a very short message courtesy of the Global Sports Podcast Network.
00:25:33
Speaker
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Upcoming Game Importance
00:26:03
Speaker
So it seems as though Villa now have to beat Celtic to kind of um to to gain automatic qualification. um After tonight's result, how big is that game going to be?
00:26:18
Speaker
i did Simply massive. Simply massive. um We all thought the Bayern Munich game was big. this ist a This is the biggest game in the Champions League villa I've had um for years and years and years and years and years. um you know it It's a must-win game and and I believe we're still going to have to hope for certain results to go our way, even if we do win it.
00:26:44
Speaker
um you know which that extra, um even a point tonight, would have potentially changed. Look, it's not the end of the world, the result tonight. let Let's remember that. But it does mean that there can be no more slip-ups against Celtic, and that's not going to be an easy game by by any means.
00:27:05
Speaker
the The fans at Villa Park are going to really have to be right up for that game because Celtic are definitely going to be bringing the battle to us, that's for sure. They certainly are. It's going to be an absolutely huge game and we're hoping for another ah Villa Park-esque atmosphere that we've we've been so good at in this campaign so far because it's absolutely a must-win game if we're going to kind of have any chance at automatic qualification, which would be a ah really great achievement.
00:27:33
Speaker
for our kind of first Champions League campaign and in around 40 years. And to kind of wrap up the the episode, Villa have been kind of so far this season, very kind of susceptible to that Champions League burnout. We're back in action again on Sunday against West Ham in a really kind of huge game looking to to to qualify for the Champions League next season in those fourth and fifth places. How important is it that we don't have that Champions League hangover going into that one?
00:28:03
Speaker
Well, you know, I don't want to say the same answer that I've just said previously, but it it's a massive game for us. um You know, we've we've just played West Cam in the Cup at Villa Park and they are going to be right up for getting a bit of revenge out of that. And I i think in the end we we were quite lucky with that result. um West Cam at Villa Park is a game we should be winning.
00:28:30
Speaker
um They seem low on confidence and they had a bit of ah a poor result against Crystal Palace, I believe they played at the weekend. um But as as we've said recently, in this point in time we really need to start putting a run together if we're looking ah finishing in those um European places, let alone um the top five. So I really don't think now is the time to be getting the European hangover. Hopefully they can not have been um
00:29:03
Speaker
sipping too much champagne in the um hotel parry and get back to B6 as soon as possible. I'm sure Emery's got them on the plane almost immediately. You'd certainly like to think so after after tonight's performance but exactly that mate, two huge games. ah We can't afford any sort of continental hangover because we've got a massive champions league game and then a huge game obviously on sunday and we'll have lots of content lots of previews reactions on the daily villa podcast and that wraps up today's episode thank you dan for joining me once again this has been a global sport podcast production thank you for listening as always but the villa