Ty Bracey dismisses Jesse Marsch complaints as more Aston Villa injuries bite
We’re delighted to welcome Villa View host Ty Bracey as our exclusive Aston Villa columnist each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at the club…
Jesse Marsch’s complaints about Aston Villa time-wasting in the goalless draw with Leeds United were a “huge overreaction” says Ty Bracey.
Following the game at Elland Road on Sunday (2 October) the Whites boss said, via BBC Sport, that the match “was slowed down by an opponent from the first minute” and that he “felt sorry for the fans”.
In response Steven Gerrard said that he wasn’t interested in the American’s opinion while suggesting the home side had done the same, and Bracey isn’t buying that there was any deliberate effort to waste time, despite a number of injuries including a new one to loanee left-back Ludwig Augustinsson.
He exclusively told Villa News on the delaying question: “No, we know that sometimes Emi [Martinez] can be a bit slow on the goal kicks, releasing the ball and whatnot.
“But I don’t think we made a concerted effort to waste time, I think that’s a huge overreaction on his point of view.“
On the latest injury to Augustinsson he added: “It’s just one thing after another of typical Villa luck. Things aren’t really going our way.
“I just want us to succeed, and I don’t care who’s in charge as long as we’re doing well, but with the injuries it doesn’t appear to be helping the situation at all.
“Augustinsson wasn’t brought into play 90 minutes every week and now he can’t even do that as a back-up.
“And hamstring injuries… it’s not great.”
The match seemed to be one that nobody came away from satisfied, with Villa disappointing against 10 men for large periods, and the home side complaining about the referee.
Both got a point, which is obviously better than nothing, but will need to be better going forward after a disjointed and scrappy affair.
Stuart Attwell’s first time in charge of the two sides since the infamous 2019 meeting in the Championship was one that will probably have him hoping the next iteration is a similar distance away, as he drew the crowd’s ire and appeared to have forgotten the first yellow card to Luis Sinisterra before he sent him off, so it was a game that none will look back on especially fondly.
In other Aston Villa news, Dermot Gallagher suggested the Lions could have had a penalty at Elland Road.