Aston Villa fans had a lot to say about how Matty Cash performed against Manchester United, as Unai Emery’s side lost 2-1 at home to the Red Devils on Sunday afternoon.
Manchester United left it late to haunt Aston Villa once more this season, as Unai Emery’s side suffered their third consecutive home defeat in all competitions.
A first-half goal from Rasmus Hojlund gave the visitors the upper hand to take into the interval, with Erik ten Hag’s side’s lead cancelled out in the 67th minute thanks to Douglas Luiz’s close-range strike.
The Brazilian’s hard work in midfield was rewarded to level the scoring after some significant pressure from the hosts in the final third, registering 10 shots on target to United’s five in 90 minutes, via Sofascore.
Just as some hoped that Villa would complete their comeback with a winning goal, Scott McTominay netted the visitor’s winner in the 86th minute, netting a fairly unchallenged header after a first-time cross from Diogo Dalot.
Despite Villa’s best efforts, Emery’s side suffered defeat at home to the Red Devils, who closed the gap between 5th and 6th to five points.
It’s back to the drawing board for the Villa manager, who wont have a hard time pointing out one particular weakness during the defeat, as right-back Matty Cash was the subject of fierce criticism from fans on social media after the game.
Aston Villa fans left angered by Matty Cash performance vs Manchester United
After Ezri Konsa’s injury sustained against Sheffield United, Cash realised his position as Emery’s first-choice right-back, particularly as Calum Chambers’ future at the club hangs in the balance.
Konsa had made the right side of defence his own during his rise from stepping out of his central defensive role, adding pressure on Cash to perform after losing his place in the XI.
Unfortunately for the Poland international, the 26-year-old received an abundance of criticism for his lacklustre performance on Sunday evening, with one fan describing his performance as “pitiful”.
Many fans had a lot to say on the defender’s performances at right-back in comparison to the injured Konsa, with one supporter taking to Twitter X to say, “I would rather Chambers plays instead of Cash while Konsa is out. Cash just isn’t right for this system”.
Another added to such narrative by saying, “Huge loss that, 3 on the bounce at home, just shows the impact of Konsa and Pau on the rest of the team, Matty Cash just isn’t at the level we need realistically.”
Aside from name-dropping Konsa into debates around Cash’s display against United, a few fans questioned the former Nottingham Forest man’s suitability to feature at the level expected from Emery.
One fan said, “Matty Cash proving he isn’t good enough for this level, again. Once we get rid of the few weak links in this side we’ll have a chance at a proper top 4 season, until then we’ll always fall short.”
Failing to react in the build-up to McTominay’s winner was the final nail in the coffin for Cash, with most fans taking to Twitter to criticise the naivety of the 26-year-old and Diego Carlos for the goal.
One said, “McTominay reacted quicker than Cash & Diego, with us not taking our chances. That’s why we lost today.” Another added, “Cash & Carlos have to defend better for the winner would be my only criticism of the players.”
With Konsa said to be absent for the coming weeks, the opportunity is there for Cash to redeem himself and claim back his favoured position although, his performance level will have to increase to convince fans of his worth in the current side.
