PSG v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[ChicagoLion]

If we can get one back in the first fifteen minutes the whole game changes, don't understand the negativity.

I’m not sure it’s negativity for the most part. I think most people are acknowledging just how good PSG were rather than being overall critical of us. Then I think it’s realism, there’s a small chance next week but a lot needs to change and a lot needs to go our way.

Many teams would have been obliterated last night, so we did well to just about still be in the tie. But it does illustrate the size of the task.

Yes they were scary in their speed, movement, co-ordination and finishing.
They looked a level above us.

[PaulWinch again]

They did but the last 10 mins and the introduction of the subs showed the way. We have to try and get into them and try and carry the ball more.

[ADVILLAFAN]

Not a lot we did wrong, they just scored 2 unbelievable strikes, but the 3rd goal feels like it has taken the wind out of our sails.

[cdward]

It's half time and we need to score 2 goals at VP.
Do you want to bet against us...?

[Smithy]

That's third goal was a sickener. I take some of the blame as I was saying to a mate at 90 minutes, that although they'd dominated possession and had a lot of shots, it still took them two absolute worldies to beat us.

They are an incredible team, to be fair, and look like having their own 'invincible' season domestically, so they're the form team in Europe.  Kvaratskhelia is the player we all hoped Jack would become for us - brilliant to watch except when he's playing against you.

It's not 100% over, but I can't see us keeping a clean sheet against them at VP.  If we score first though, who knows?

Some people are saying the result showed our limitations, but let's be clear, their stats against Liverpool were almost identical (71% possession, 27 shots, 11 on target against Liverpool, and 75% possession, 29 shots, 10 on target against us).  There is no shame losing to a team this good.   

How Arsenal beat them 2-0 earlier in the season is beyond me. I'm sure Unai will be having a GOOD look at that game (and their defeat to Bayern) to see how it was done.  But even in those games, PSG dominated, but were picked off on the counter.  We might not have that luxury.

[tomd2103]

If we can get one back in the first fifteen minutes the whole game changes, don't understand the negativity.

I’m not sure it’s negativity for the most part. I think most people are acknowledging just how good PSG were rather than being overall critical of us. Then I think it’s realism, there’s a small chance next week but a lot needs to change and a lot needs to go our way.

Many teams would have been obliterated last night, so we did well to just about still be in the tie. But it does illustrate the size of the task.

Yes they were scary in their speed, movement, co-ordination and finishing.
They looked a level above us.

One of the things I've noticed when we've come up against some of the elite sides in this competition is the athleticism and pace they have in their teams.  It just enables them to break and turn defence into attack so quickly. 

[Monty]

That was the best team we've faced this year, Kvara's the best player we've faced this year, and it's OK to lose sometimes.

[Somniloquism]

Ball retention and the press were key. We didn't deal with their press well and did not execute ours well, either, which meant our ball retention was poor.
I didn't understand why Garcia, once purchased, wasn't in the Euro squad: several people have said that Disasi is a decent CB but lacks the pace and guile to operate as a RB.

A CB who might be able to play RB was more pressing than an unknown RB from the Spanish second division who was unproven for the team. Especially as we had sold one CB, another was out for at least 6-8 weeks, a third had just come back from a long term injury and a fourth was starting to get niggly injuries. But hindsight.......

[The Edge]

i

Robot?

[pauliewalnuts]

If we can get one back in the first fifteen minutes the whole game changes, don't understand the negativity.

It’s not negativity. As Monty said, sometimes it’s ok to lose, and they are the best side in Europe. I think they’d have beaten anyone last night.

2-1 would have been an achievement, they’re that good. 3-1 though is extremely hard to come back from when the opposition are that good.

It doesn’t really matter how good we are, and most sides would not have lived with them as long as we did, it’s that they are extraordinarily good, which makes a two goal deficit look insurmountable.

[pauliewalnuts]

i

Robot?

I I I used to ride my bicycle all alone.

[Olof's Beard]

Well I feel a bit less confident having read that they have won their last 16 away games in all competitions.

Fair does to Enrique, you wouldn't say that his team is chocked full of star names but he has them working as one hell of a unit. Seeing how easily they kept the ball Vs how difficult our international class players found it to string a few passes together was sobering.

We did well to hang in there and obviously the last goal was a sickener. But we can win next week if we find an aggressive, high energy performance in the mould of the Man City home game last season next week. At them from the off and rattle their ball players. We can't stand and watch the likes of Vitinha again all night.

[AV82EC]

I was at the Parc des Princes last night. We gave a good account of ourselves in a difficult game. Our discipline and defensive shape and ability on the counter were there to see but was let down with poor execution. They’ve got 2 or 3 world class players who were absolutely on their game. Enrique ensured they kept any probing away from our centre backs and they kept creating overloads on fullbacks particularly our right hand side which kept dragging Bouba and Youri out of position and meant McGinn was constantly being dragged back into the final third.

I’m going to put a few scores on the doors, bronte style.

Martinez -7 didn’t seem to do much wrong in my view no chance with any of the goals.
Cash -5 was doing ok against the Georgian and slightly unlucky with his booking and then having to be hooked. We lost something after he went off.
Konsa -5 had a dodgy start seemed to settle and be ok then got done for the third.
Torres -6 I thought he looked calm and composed and it was noticeable PSG pressed really hard when he had the ball.
Digne -6 probably Luca’s best and most disciplined performance for us from a defensive perspective, they definitely focused more on our right than left but we just looked more secure on his side of the pitch.
Kamara -5 worked tremendously hard but ended up playing as an auxiliary Right CB for most of the night. Slightly sloppy in possession.
Tielemans - 6 disciplined from Youri and when he got up the pitch looked threatening and of course an assist.
McGinn - 5 a real up and down night for John, some real good assertive tackling and interceptions and transitioning the ball well to Roger’s/Rashford but also some woeful passing and losing of possesion and poor positional play.
Ramsey -5 like McGinn a real up and down night.
Rogers -7 a goal, some superb play against a tough opponent in Nuno Mendes and bar a few sloppy moments was my MotM.
Rashford - 5 some great stuff in the first half and they were absolutely shit scared of him but got next to no service second half and drifted from the game.

Disasi -4 got done by the Georgian as soon as he came on (it was a fucking brilliant goal) settled into after that and looked ok but then got done for the third.
Asensio - 5 no real impact but could have scored bar the deflection.
Watkins, Onana, Maatsen - no score as not really on long enough to impact.

Emery - 5 slightly too passive in our set up but get the mentality of trying to ensure we were in the tie going back to VP. Thought he got the subs wrong and would have had onana, Maatsen and Watkins on earlier.

My only other comment is that the French stadium announcer can shove his microphone right up his arse……..sideways.

Great day in Paris with good friends beforehand and bar the 3rd goal going in and putting a dampener on it a really good away trip.

We’re still in this, just, we need Unai to take some calculated risks. We don’t need an early goal, we just need 2 goals. Don’t make the Liverpool mistake of going for it and conceding early, stay in the tie.

Right off for some breakfast before my flight home. Onwards…..

[Chris Smith]

That was the best team we've faced this year, Kvara's the best player we've faced this year, and it's OK to lose sometimes.

Exactly, they somehow managed to play at high speed and showing youthful exuberance but at the same time always to be in control. It’s an old cliche but it really did look they had 13 players on the pitch as they seemed able to outnumber us in attack and defence.

Could still be a special night next week.

[Somniloquism]

Torres -6 I thought he looked calm and composed and it was noticeable PSG pressed really hard when he had the ball.

Disasi -4 got done by the Georgian as soon as he came on (it was a fucking brilliant goal) settled into after that and looked ok but then got done for the third.

With Torres, they were pressing him more as they know he could hurt them so stifled his chance to do that.

The whole right side back line got done for the third, but Disasi was in position to mark the winger and Mendy just stood between him and Kamara. The latter's was the biggest mistake as he dived in to cut out the ball where if he had ran with his man, the cutback would have probably been easily cleared up. But as soon as he missed it he had the free run into the box.