Nycfc V Houston Motm & Post Game Discussion

[FootyLovin]

I can see both sides of the Villa argument. He's frustrated with the players around him, that the team can't win and he can't score. But. His body language is ridiculous.

This is a leadership issue, but that makes it not just a Villa issue but also a Kreis issue. It's Villa's job to be a positive, inspirational leader on the pitch. If he isn't doing it, it's Kreis's job to coach him into that behavior/role. Great leaders teach others not just how to be skilled technically or follow a game plan. They teach people how to be leaders themselves.

Announcer made a great point after Brovsky's second miss. He said if Brovsky had more confidence he'd bury that shot. No one on the pitch could do more for his teammates' confidence than a positive, encouraging, leading by example Villa.

Having said all of that, I am still a big fan of Villa and am looking forward to this getting better.

 

[FirstTeamer]

Villa lost the ball to launch the move that eventually ended in the Houston goal. When he lost it, he had an opportunity to immediately challenge. Instead, he stood at at the same spot with his hands on his hips and watched the entire move without so much as picking up one foot. The MCFC players were honorary captains and trotted out for several minutes. I guess they expected s heroes' welcome. Mostly no one cared one way or the other, but I just found it off-putting for Crazy Joe Hart, the corpse of the Player Formerly Known as Vincent Kompany and David Silva (love him, for sure, great player, but why?) to be trotted out as honorary captains during the prematch photo, etc.

Probably because they, along with Aguero who I read wasn't in NYC this weekend, are the spine of mcfc. And whether we love it or hate it, there's no way MCFC comes to an NYCFC match without being mentioned/trotted out

 

[typicalcity]

This is a leadership issue, but that makes it not just a Villa issue but also a Kreis issue. It's Villa's job to be a positive, inspirational leader on the pitch. If he isn't doing it, it's Kreis's job to coach him into that behavior/role. Great leaders teach others not just how to be skilled technically or follow a game plan. They teach people how to be leaders themselves.

Announcer made a great point after Brovsky's second miss. He said if Brovsky had more confidence he'd bury that shot. No one on the pitch could do more for his teammates' confidence than a positive, encouraging, leading by example Villa.

Having said all of that, I am still a big fan of Villa and am looking forward to this getting better.

When we saw nycfc in February was seriously underwhelmed by his performance and thought he didn't seem to fit in.has he been a captain before ? What's his English like ?and at the risk of letting the attack dogs out won't lampard make a better captain ?

 

[The Toe]

Villa also gets very emotional with himself. He's visibly frustrated when he makes a poor pass, screws up his footwork, etc. I think that's just kinda who he is. There's no denying his talent or his experience. That said, I think he gets a little miffed with all the long balls. He's better on the ground with the ball played to his feet, and it seems as though our midfield gets a little too anxious to get the ball forward -- or they have no other option.

 

[Vito]

I'm re watching the game right now and I noticed how many shots we blocked last night. We have 50 blocked shots this season which is 2nd best in the league

 

[FootyLovin]

I'm re watching the game right now and I noticed how many shots we blocked last night.

I could have told you that last night based on the 17 heart attacks I suffered before some blaze of blue flung itself in front of a surely goal bound ball.

 

[D_RoyJenkins]

I'm re watching the game right now and I noticed how many shots we blocked last night. We have 50 blocked shots this season which is 2nd best in the league

I've been saying it, our defense isn't as bad as people make it out to be. Its just magnified because of our offensive deficiencies

 

[jguab2]

This was OUR game... and we let it get away.

 

[FootyLovin]

I've been saying it, our defense isn't as bad as people make it out to be. Its just magnified because of our offensive deficiencies

For what it's worth, whoscored has Brovsky as the top rated player on either team last night. We are giving up 1.3 goals per game and scoring .8.

Anyone know what the league average is?

 

[kun]

Since criticizing Villa and/or the farce of trotting out MCFC players at our match gets threads locked, let me says this here again about Villa's actions preceding the goal. I wasn't nor am I drunk or anything. Everyone on my row noticed it and was horrified.

Villa just embarrassed himself. Fucking joke.
Giving the ball away and then standing there with his hands on his hips while Houston attacked. Most insolent, cuntish behavior I've ever witnessed on a field.

You must not watch much football.

 

[mgarbowski]

For what it's worth, whoscored has Brovsky as the top rated player on either team last night. We are giving up 1.3 goals per game and scoring .8.

Anyone know what the league average is?

I calculate the GS per game team average as 1.18. By definition, I suppose the GA team average is the same, although I could not find the GA average by team on WhoScored. Is is there?

 

[gbservis]

Do we really have to be so cynical about the honorary captain thing? We got to see some of the best players in the world come out and wave to the crowd, whats wrong with that? Even being an Arsenal fan I thought it was fun to see those guys.

Maybe I am too optimistic but I think the MCFC relationship is going to be a big positive for NYCFC in the long run. Yes, there have been bad parts (Lampard situation and the primary kit) but a lot of it is good. Between this trip and the preseason they have shown players that if you play for NYCFC you are going to get to train at their state of the art facility in Manchester and interact with MCFC players. That is going to be a selling point to young talented players that we are trying to recruit. On the other side maybe one of their players comes to the game and sees 30K people and sees this as a option at some point in their career. Maybe they go back and tell other players in Europe that MLS is growing and drawing big attendance because they saw it first hand. You never know when a trip here plants a seed in a guy like Silvas mind that steers him to us in a few years. In a salary capped league we need any advantage we can get if any of this stuff gives NYCFC a a leg up in building the best team in the league over the next few years I am all for it.

 

[FootyLovin]

I calculate the GS per game team average as 1.18. By definition, I suppose the GA team average is the same, although I could not find the GA average by team on WhoScored. Is is there?

That sounds about right. Which means our D (+.1) is a lot closer to the average than our O (-.4). So all the complaints about our backline, while having some legitimacy, aren't as concerning as our anemic offense.

EDIT: Of course, we also lead the league with 4 red cards. These tend to hurt O more than D.

 

[Midas Mulligan]

You must not watch much football.

I'm sure not enough to meet your standard of being able to give an opinion. Cool thing though: I don't give a damn.

I think I qualified "live" somewhere, but probably another post. Either way, it was a bitch move and led directly to a goal.

 

[kun]

I'm sure not enough to meet your standard of being able to give an opinion. Cool thing though: I don't give a damn.

I think I qualified "live" somewhere, but probably another post. Either way, it was a bitch move and led directly to a goal.

I'm just winding you up, mate. And if you did qualify it with live then fair enough.
However, as someone who sat through 5 years of Joey Barton, 3 years of Mario Balotelli and one infamous night in Munich featuring Carlos Tevez, I find Villa's laziness fairly vanilla.

 

[Keith Putnam]

There were also a few moments, especially in the first half, where Villa had options in the box but tried to play through traffic himself. To me that says he doesn't trust his teammates.

In at least the one specific case where Villa took the ball all the way from the left side of the box to the right without passing, it seemed to be because every single NYC player was marked and none of them even attempted to shake their marker.
They all just watched him work from left to right and made no attempt to get open. It was kind of gross.

 

[Ahab_Flanders]

In at least the one specific case where Villa took the ball all the way from the left side of the box to the right without passing, it seemed to be because every single NYC player was marked and none of them even attempted to shake their marker.
They all just watched him work from left to right and made no attempt to get open. It was kind of gross.

Saw that as well. It was a little of column A, a little of column B.

 

[JayH]

I'm sure not enough to meet your standard of being able to give an opinion. Cool thing though: I don't give a damn.

I think I qualified "live" somewhere, but probably another post. Either way, it was a bitch move and led directly to a goal.

I understand the criticism of his reactions this time and others but not sure I understand the directly leading to a goal part. A bad pass by Wingert leads to a giveaway by Villa. He pouts. Ultimately the play ends with a corner kick. We all saw what happened on the corner kick. I didn't notice while watching in the stadium, and couldn't tell when watching on tv, but could he have broken up the play leading to the corner kick? Was he supposed to be in coverage on the corner kick and was not? Not challenging your conclusion just wondering if I missed something.

 

[mgarbowski]

Right now I'm mostly glad we played last night and not tonight.

 

[LionNYC]

Right now I'm mostly glad we played last night and not tonight.

We would be down 12 players due to injury.