Villain-from-Texas

2 hours ago, AJ said:

http://www.insidefutbol.com/2016/08/04/leeds-united-consider-joleon-lescott-swoop-as-aston-villa-prepared-for-free-transfer/298278/

How DARE you, Leeds?! You are a great and mighty club, but this sort of thing could make you a bit unpopular. Super Joleon has been one of the best defenders we have had at Villa Park, and you want to simply pinch him off us? His skills and commitment to the club are without question, and if you were to take him, you would break every Villa fan's heart. He is sure to make your defence rock solid and guarantee you promotion back to the Premier League where you belong.

What's the best pub near Villa Park for a pregame drink? I'll be visiting.

We started the window being linked to the likes of Huddlestone,, Townsend, and Brady. We ended up with the likes of Gana, Traore, and Amavi.

This strikes me more as Roma trying to gin up interest.

Are you being Syrias?

Saud-ly not!?

Iraq'd my brain to figure out the pun here.

Even ignoring that we've played only two games, I wouldn't judge the strikers yet. As VillanousOne said, we desperately lacked the link between midfield and attack that Grealish or Gil would provide.

That said, my biggest concerns are Ayew and Veretout. We desperately need 8-9 goals from Ayew. But we need to play him centrally and out wide. As for Veretout, he looked about as bad as he could've looked yesterday. He needs time, obviously. But we--especially Gestede--need his creativity and service.

I don't see any scenario in which we play only Gueye and Veretout in the middle. We bought Gueye to play box-to-box, not to sit back. Westwood will be in there.

His goals - lots of headers and tap-ins.

What's wrong with headed goals? It's a repeatable skill.

I have no idea who will play the first match. Tough to predict given all of the moving parts. But based on Gueye's statement that Sherwood plans to play a 4-3-3, I eventually expect something like this:

Guzan

Hutton, Richards, Clark, Amavi

Gueye, Westwood, Veretout

Ayew, Ady, Grealish

 

 

Jordan Veretout (born 1 March 1993 in Ancenis) is a French footballer whose head is shaped like a large purple balloon

 

I dont know if he will pass a medical

Makes sense that we want him. Scouts must've seen him during a purple patch.

This is the sort of move I'd expect from Leicester or Bournemouth.

Two strikers and a midfielder are mandatory. A midfield three of Gueye, Westwood, and Bacuna is a sure ticket to another relegation fight.

I have no idea what is going on at this club.

I've thought the same thing for about four years now.

I almost get the feeling some people will actually celebrate if he joins them.

 

Edit: Probably a bit harsh actually but I certainly won't be jumping for joy if he joins Man Utd, just because it means he hasn't gone to Liverpool.

It's more that he's too good for Liverpool, and their fans have rallied against him, so it would be all the more frustrating if he went there.

Benteke makes so much sense for United. I'm shocked that it hasn't been a rumor until now.

Hmm. Gil's passing has been very neat and competent but i don't yrt see him as the man to carve out match winning opportuinities or change the momentum of a game.

Except for when he carved out a match winner in the FA Cup and changed the momentum with his assist for Okore's goal against Chelsea.

Imagine if we were able to bring in Gueye, Praet and Amavi without selling Delph or Benteke? We would actually be a decent side.

 

I don't think we'll get Amavi now. I also think Benteke'll go. 

Even so, Gueye and Praet would make a massive difference to our midfield.

Who knows how these guys would fare in the Prem. But if we lost Benteke, while adding these guys and a half-decent striker, it's possible that we would be better off overall. Then again, Spurs fans said that when they got the Bale money, and Liverpool fans said that when they got the Suarez money.

Chicharito would never come to Villa, that said, I'd love it if he did, he's good poacher

You'd have to pay him a grip. I reckon he'll end up here in MLS, where some team will indeed do that.

 

Every time I watch Michael Bradley play for USA, I always think what could have been if Houllier actually gave him a chance. Bradley is the American Schweinsteiger. 

 

We should really pursue Deandre Yedlin from spurs if they don't want him. He made Blind and Germany's defense look amateur numerous times. I don't understand how Yedlin isn't played more.

 

Oh also that American goal keeper Guzan is pretty good. We should sign him up. 

 

I watch him play for Toronto last year and for some reason he was taking every set piece.

The guy is absolute toilet, has zero technical ability what so ever. Tries to spray the ball about and it is embarrassing.

 

With all due respect, this tells me that you haven't seen Bradley play much.  He was beast-level against both the Netherlands and Germany--and was the best player, on either team, against Germany.  And these are just recent examples of the way he frequently plays.

People talk of big change being needed to ensure we are not in yet another relegation battle but I really don't think signing two midfielders from Swindon Town are the answer. And hold in mind that if we sign these two it's unlikely we'll be making moves for any other midfielders. We need to be improving on what we've already got if we're to progess, not signing reserves.

If we manage to sign Cleverly, our midfield won't need much work. Neither player would be expected to contribute immediately.

It isn't as though Villa fans overrate him based on a few good performances. Tor-Kristian Karlsen called him the best signing of the January window. Guillem Balagué also spoke highly of Gil. The kid can play, and his total absence from the squad boggles my mind.

 

He's injured.

Not even allowed out to collect his goal of the season award. Adam Johnson plays every week, what the **** did he do??!!

 

Got injured.

He hasn't been listed as injured for any of the last three games:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/may/22/aston-villa-burnley-match-preview

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/may/15/southampton-aston-villa-match-preview

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/may/08/aston-villa-west-ham-united-match-preview

It isn't as though Villa fans overrate him based on a few good performances. Tor-Kristian Karlsen called him the best signing of the January window. Guillem Balagué also spoke highly of Gil. The kid can play, and his total absence from the squad boggles my mind.

If Sherwood is in charge of the signings I expect he'll sign a load of overpriced English based tat, MON style. I know he doesn't have any track record making signings but he just seems like that type of manager who won't look abroad and will instead pay over the odds for English players and players with a poor attitude that he thinks he can get the best out of.

It's as valid an opinion as any other I suppose. He does hate foreigners, like Benteke, Vlaar, Grealish and Bacuna.

When did he sign those players?

Like I said it's just speculation but he seems like the type of manager that would sign players like Joey Barton or players who are hard workers but don't have any skill. Hopefully it won't be the case.

Bacuna has been a regular after being frozen out previously and he's the very definition of hit and miss.

This is a myth. Bacuna wouldn't be playing if Hutton was healthy. Sherwood has done loads right, obviously, and deserves much credit. But I don't understand crediting him for Bacuna (who should be playing regularly, somewhere on the pitch).

He was by far our most creative player today, he put good crosses in the box, assisted Benteke's disallowed goal after a good passing move, scored a brilliant goal. Puts a shift in defensively.

He can be very sloppy at times, but it's a tradeoff I'd be more than willing to take. I'd have him over Gabby or Weimann in that wide position any day of the week.

I would go so far as arguing that he has been our most influential player in this cup run.

This, all day. He also played that great over-the-top ball in the build up to our second goal last round.

In a team dying for goals, he needs to start.

I cannot imagine that Villa's forthcoming DOF was absent from the discussions with Sherwood. Not a chance. He won't shy away from it, either--Spurs have a similar structure.

And, yes, DOFs do work out. It's a myth that they don't.