Antti Heinola provides his regular six reactions and talking points to the Tuesday night action as QPR and Aston Villa fight out a dramatic 3-3 draw.
When asked after the game who would be more pleased with a point, Ramsey seemed surprised and said "Them, surely,” as it kept the status quo. Smart move. He's not getting carried away by two decent results amidst a season of slurry. But I doubt he really believed that. Look at it from Villa's point of view. They probably have an aim of getting perhaps 37 points. Before Tuesday night, their last three away games are all toughies, but their last four home games are much easier. Of those, Sherwood would have been banking on a win against us. Not being able to beat us at home does not bode brilliantly well for the rest of their season. While a point for us may prove not quite enough, in the circumstances it was a good one and it stopped Villa from becoming pretty much out of reach. Put it this way: this won't be the result that sends us down. In fact, it's a result that gives us a fighting chance. Three wins from our final six might just - just - do it.
But there are concerns for Villa fans - at least there should be. And those concerns should focus on Sherwood. I've never been a fan of his shtick - he clearly rates himself far higher than he has any right to given his short run in the managerial game and repeated (and dull) claims about his bloody win percentage at Spurs don't mask how often they failed against any half decent side. First half last night, Villa were at it. Delph was superb (as he was throughout), Benteke a constant danger and I was also impressed with young Grealish. They looked motivated and certainly much more of an attacking outfit than when under the deathly grip of Lambert. But after half time, QPR - and Ramsey in particular - turned it around magnificently and Sherwood didn't seem to know how to respond. So he didn't.
Given our injuries and lack of options in particular down the left hand side, most teams playing us at home should know how to exploit our many weaknesses. Villa managed that first half, but that switch to 3-5-2, matching up their three in midfield, and injecting a bit more pace in the unreliable form of Traore down the left, changed the game. It was a courageous moment for Ramsey and Bondy Bond. 3-5-2 has not worked for us this year and here we were 2-1 down and in danger of being swallowed whole. But it worked.
Now, we may go down with Ramsey and Villa may stay up with Sherwood, but if I was a Villa fan I'd be worried about how easily Sherwood was out-manoeuvred here, and by his failure to react. I look at the two men and know which one I'd rather have. There's Ramsey, calm and concentrated on the touchline. And there's Sherwood, all exaggerated mannerisms, all playing to the gallery, flinging his coat off over minor incidents, over-celebrating a first half equaliser against the worst away team in the division and then a cocky stroll down the touchline at half time, a little smug, hands in pockets, apparently thinking it was in the bag. Everything he does screams: 'LOOK AT ME!'
Ramsey, his good mate, was almost the opposite. Calm, measured, never carried away by anything. He may have not looked greatly pleased with the result, but I suspect he was very pleased with it because we are far from out of it now, despite looking dead and buried 10 days ago. Meanwhile, Sherwood used his interview time to bemoan injuries (as if we don't have any) and says: "I'm very confident that I will be able to keep Villa up." I. *I*. No thanks.
The commitment is there, but not the mobility and that lack of speed down an entire flank is a gift for any team in this league. Hell, it would even be a gift for us if we were playing against it. The second goal was a great example of how slow our team is - we just cannot keep up with teams when they attack us on the break. Sandro couldn't even foul effectively to stop it. I'm not convinced 3-5-2 is the answer - it worked here for sure, but having Phillips trying to deal with Hazard is a recipe for disaster. So if we do revert back to 4-4-2 and assuming Yun is fit again, it might be worth starting him in midfield with Clint behind. Yun can get up and down that pitch all day and can cover Clint too. It's not perfect, but we can't field that left-side line-up ever again.
On the TV highlights commentary Andy Hinchcliffe (always a sign the channel doesn't care about your game if he's on comms) actually criticised him for hitting that pass too hard, saying he should have rolled it in to Charlie. Two things there, Hinch: first, had he rolled it to him, it would have been intercepted or at best the defenders would have had time to close Charlie down. Second, have a look at the replay where Charlie says to Phillips: 'Fucking superb!' I suspect Charlie is a bit better qualified to say what is and isn't a good ball into a striker. Well done Matt. Don't get injured. Please.
Every time you think you've seen the last of him, he's recalled because of some disaster or other and he does the same solid job over and over. If he makes mistakes, and he does, they are honest ones more often than not only down to his age and declining pace. Throughout all the joy and the crap over the last five years, he's been the constant. A proper leader. A club man. An inspiration. A ruddy good bloke. A throwback. Must be brought onto the coaching staff this summer if he, as expected, decides to call it a day. I remember last season fantasising about him scoring the winner at Wembley long before we even cemented our place in the play-offs. This season I'd love to see him score the winner at Leicester. That would be some fairy tale.
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