Up for the cup!? Exeter. Away.

Bart saves the first penalty!

 

Bart saves! Bish blows it!

 

Bish saved

 

Captain scores

 

2-2, come on Bart!

 

Oh dear, looks bleak! Out we go!

Night all! Villa up next hmmm!

 

And we go out at the first hurdle again!

Can't even be bothered to comment further on it

 

What's the matter with this sh!t team..cant even beat poxy Exeter!!!

 

It wasn't so long ago people were posting saying they didn't care about results as long as they saw entertaining, attacking football, everyone happy then??

 

2.5m on two strikers ...play them together ffs

 

Disappointing result, although I much prefer winning league games than cup games.

Looks like we dominated possession and had chances to kill the game off, but a lack of cohesion across the pitch, careless defensive mistakes, and arguably a need for more firepower up top stand out as concerns.

I’m sure Hurst is not happy with the result and realises the team needs a bit of a shake up. He needs to bring in a striker on loan at the least. I don’t think Jackson and Harrison are reliable enough goalscorers over the course of a Championship season.

Still worth stressing that we are only three fixtures into the new campaign. With the amount of changes made in the summer, I think we can all agree the team will need another several games to really get to grips with each other and the Hurst system. We haven’t been outplayed in any of the three games, so it’s not all doom and gloom. The approaching fixtures of Villa, Derby, Sheffield Wednesday, and Norwich does look a little disconcerting.

 

I don't give flying one whether we dominate possession or not, Evans has sold for a huge profit our top goalscorer, Garner, and McG and replaced them with players who last season were in the 3rd and 4th division respectively, and that's exactly why we are getting lower league standard football, not surprising really is it? As the old saying goes, you can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig.

 

A slightly more attractive pig but yes still just a pig.. can someone call a cab for Chambers and Knudsen?
Bishop taking first penalty!? Erm..

 

Regarding the line up and performance, I have nothing to add from the two league games.

But on the result - to fail to prepare is to prepare to fail.

Town didn't bother practicing penalties and decided to just wing it, this result is the outcome. That's not great form for a manager who claims to be a stickler for analysis and discipline.

 

I know about 15 people who went to this as part of the South West supporters club and they all agreed we were gash.

Striker isolated, didn't look like scoring and a crap performance Yorkie.

Not one of the lads in the Whatsapp group said it was good.

Totally with you AGAIN field marshall - all about style of play and result irrelevant apparently?

I'm not remotely happy right now but it's going to take TIME and a new batch of players, so lets hope it improves for the Villa.

 

Morning Westy, I realise that it will take time to get what is basically a new set up organised and competitive and that includes the manager, I just hope they're are not in over their heads.

 

I get both arguments, where style of play is more important, and others who say it's the result. Yes, ultimately it's a result business, and that's what Hurst will be judged on...but the fundamental issue for me, and it goes further than style or results, is the attitude and desire from the players . I'm sure all paying supporters want to see are the players wanting to win, fighting for every ball, and putting in 100% effort.
Hurst was spot on with his post match comments..if the players on the pitch gave 100%, then we would've beaten Exeter.
I don't know if it's a lack of confidence, or just poor attitude, but something has to give.
Teams like Exeter, and Rotherham to an extent, know their limitations, so they fight and battle for each game . We don't, and if that doesn't change then it's goodbye to the championship . You can pass the ball as much as you want, but when your backs are against the wall, and things ain't going your way, then players need to step up and run faster, tackle harder..we need to be tougher and more street wise.
We dont have any leaders on the pitch, maybe chambo to some extent, but we need more Butchers and De Vos's in our team!!

 

I actually don't think this is the problem. It's glaringly obvious to everybody else but the manager apparently can't see it. All summer he has had this system in mind and it's not working - so now we find out...

- Has he made a load of assumptions about fitness and tactics that apply to League One but not the Championship where everyone is as competitive?
- If he can't see what's wrong himself, is he listening?
- Is he man enough to be wrong and change it?
- Tactically is he strong enough for this level?
- Does he have the personnel?

Everybody is focussed on the last question but it's irrelevant if Paul Hurst isn't already starting to ask himself the other questions and fix it very quickly.

 

Maybe the players are already fed up and frustrated with playing a system that won't bear fruit. I would be fuming if I was asked for the third game in a row to play that way.

 

I can forgive the results not going our way this early in his tenure, but what is worrying is the lack of effort.
While I was (and still am) very happy with his appointment and the knowledge that he would dip into leagues 1&2 for players, I was surprised and a little unsettled that he went for 9 new players, to get these players to gel is going to take time and patience and how much time he is allowed no one knows. The lack of effort is certainly more worrying than lack of results, how you get the squad to gel if there is a lack of effort is beyond me and I hope there isn't something of a dressing room rebellion from the 'senior playing staff' because if there is then Hurst has a major task on his hand and I hope he is up to it