Delphinho123

Say what you like about Zaha but he's better than anything we have here. He's a superb player and I think he'd thrive up front in our system.

Wages etc. would be an issue. 

6 minutes ago, bickster said:

These are two entirely different scenarios

Stray missile is 100% Russias fault

There is no sorry guv our missiles are a bit shit defence

Ok, I understand it’s not a defence, but at the same time, there is a proportionate response here and I’m sure that isn’t quite WW3! 

3 minutes ago, BleedClaretAndBlue said:

 

The full fledged response might just be an absolute gluttony of weapons delivered to the Ukrainians. It might be even more sanctions and that comment might be in retaliation for a deliberate attack.

There is just no way the Russians have just decided to target a farm in Poland. It’s a stray missile or something shot down by Ukrainians and the last thing anyone needs is huge retaliation. 

This guy is usually right..

5 minutes ago, bickster said:

That slightly changes things

How so?

51 minutes ago, Tom13 said:

There was a foul there, quite obviously. As Jenas rightly pointed out on MOTD, he took Dougie's leg, not the ball, and also shoved him.

Repetitive nature of mistakes? They're very rare. Martinez played an inaccurate pass to him, while he was being pressed from behind. Dougie had to accelerate to even get to it, try and take a perfect first touch while resisting an aggressive press (which turned into a foul) from behind. Cut him some slack man. Ridiculous.

Agreed here. It was a daft pass by Martinez. It probably was a foul, but nobody wants to receive that pass from a goalkeeper. Suicidal. 

2 minutes ago, duke313 said:

I'd prefer we got rid of Sanson and Nakamba, and had Kamara, Luiz, Kessie and Dendoncker.

I'm not sure a team in our position can have that much quality for what will effectively be two positions. If we were in Europe, maybe, but that feels like overkill for the 2 spots in central midfield. 

So Luiz for Kessie in a straight swap deal. We having that?

4 hours ago, CVByrne said:

Match of the Day 2 had really good analysis of our defensive shape for the end of the game, a back 5 and sometimes a back 6 is McGinn was defending down his side. What's clear is how the defence all step forward when Brighton move ball back to play to the other side and Martinez (who is a much better sweeper than Olsen) steps forward to the penalty spot. Mings turns sideways so any balls over the top Martinez will get and/or Mings running back. Defensively aside from the mistake we were very good against Brighton.

Also in how we build from the back, Emery is clearly a smarter more experienced coach relative to Gerrard. Both want to build from the back, Gerrard wanted us to play short passes, beat the press and progress ball into our narrow 10s, easier said than done. Emery wants to trigger the opponents press (if they press high like Brighton do) and specifically the press on our 6s who run towards our own box to receive the ball and pass quickly to a CB or FB who then play the ball long and direct forward. What Emery wants is for space to be created by sucking their players into our 1/3rd of the pitch which opens up more space in the rest of the pitch for Ramsey and the two forwards to run into. It's quite simple for a team like us to execute and plays to strengths when we've Watkins / Bailey in the side due to their pace.

Our defensive shape means the two forwards block passes into midfield and when the ball goes wide it triggers the press. This is what Gerrard wanted to do but with the front 3 forcing ball wide in same way. We execute a mid block so the space is in behind our defence so pacy players attacking from wide areas will be a threat to us, it relies on Martinez in goal as the defence trust him and he's good positionally. It also plays to the strengths of Konsa and Mings who are quick CBs. Carlos is quick too and is excellent at the long direct switch passes so he will excel in this set up. 

I think we are a team who is set up very well for away from home. I do remain worried about us at home to sides who are in the bottom half and will execute a low block. We have struggled for years to break it down and needed Grealish really to do it. For those games I feel Buendia and Ings in the side are key, Buendia from a wide position and maybe Ings and Bailey up top (as Bailey can run at defenders and beat them which creates space). 

As the side are better drilled we will see improvements too. I hope the summer training camp lets Emery work on breaking down a low block, with lots of movements and quick passes.

Fine, but we cause ourselves all manner of problems by doing this and I can't say it doesn't frustrate me. We lose the ball so often playing this way and it's costs us two goals in two games. Possibly more, but I can't remember the passages of play for the United goals. 

Agreed that it's good to suck their midfielders towards our goal to create space in behind, we just need to make sure they don't score from us trying it!

I think I might start a similar thread before every away game from now on. 

I tell you who's a good player. Moises Caicedo. I watched him closely at the match yesterday and he's a very accomplished player for his age. No way we could afford him but someone is getting a very good player there. 

3 minutes ago, Tayls said:

I think seeing as we can’t agree on this penalty decision, we should write to the FA and demand that a draw is given to make this fair. 

No need. They'd have missed the penalty.

10 minutes ago, The_Steve said:

The ball also ricocheted into Digne’s leg - March wasn’t in control. There wasn’t any advantage to gain nor was he impeded as he fell off balance trying to win the ball before he’s touched. 

Nor was McGinn. The ball is going out of play when he gets taken out by Dunk. Should that not be a penalty either then? 

12 minutes ago, osmark86 said:

imo no

Wow. Ok. 

4 minutes ago, Rolta said:

How about if the reason you kick that person's leg is because they are flying into your body out of control in a way that is imminently about to take out your whole body, the very reason they end up on the floor.

He wasn't out of control. He nicked the ball off Digne who had taken a loose first touch and drew a pretty nasty foul. As did McGinn. It's a penalty (and you know it ;-))

Just now, bobzy said:

The thing is, they sort of are.

McGinn knows that Dunk is sliding in and that he needs to get the ball first before being fouled.  March can see Digne has dallied on clearing the ball and needs to nip in to play the ball in order to be fouled.

Looks where the ball is going for McGinn and where the ball ends up for March.  Neither player is getting an opportunity to do anything with the ball - but both have made sure they get clattered.

Finally, someone else who gets it!

2 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

It was 100% a pen.

But that doesn't take away from Digne's performance, which was excellent.

Shockingly this very good player we've signed looks like a very good player when he hasn't got a clown of a manager in charge

I thought he was very good too yesterday tbf. 

He has the transfer fee, age profile and 168,000 a week hanging over his head, but as long as he keeps putting in good performances, then I'm fine with it!

2 minutes ago, duke313 said:

Different scenario.  McGinn had possession of the ball before the tackle, March didn't.

Yes he did, he nicked it off him. He got there before Digne did regardless of whether he'd have gone on to keep possession of the ball. 

McGinn wouldn't have got to the ball had Dunk not taken him out, he'd over hit it. Doesn't mean it isn't a penalty. 

Just now, bobzy said:

McGinn just made sure he got there first and poked the ball away.

 

They both should've been penalties.  I reckon the Digne one wasn't given because of the "high bar" more than anything else.

Digne's wasn't given because VAR isn't interested in giving the right decision, it's interested in protecting the referees initial decision. 
Still, even I'm surprised Digne's wasn't given. It's as clear as day. 

Just now, Tomaszk said:

That is a pen. No doubt.

No surprise VAR came to the wrong decision.

Nice to steal one for once.

This.

Honestly, I know we're biased on here, but it's as much a penalty as the grass is green. There is absolutely zero doubt it's a penalty, and quite a nasty foul actually (albeit accidental). 

47 minutes ago, Tayls said:

How was it a pen though when he was literally in the process of striking the ball before the other blokes foot got in the way. 

How was ours a pen then? Dunk was in the process of sliding for the ball and McGinn's feet got in the way. Should never have been a penalty for us. 

He did ok yesterday. I thought he tried to make things happen. Fair play to him. He was not worse/better than most out there and I often feel he is our weakest link. 

8 hours ago, messi11 said:

100% a pen for me! needs to improve 

It was a pen, but he also played well. 

Such a good player and a dream for the manager. Left back, right back, left mid, right mid. Doesn’t matter. You play him, and he performs every.single.match.

Probably one of my favourite ever Villa players. As good as he is as a fullback, nothing will beat that feeling when he played left wing for us and he squared his defender up to run at him. It got Villa park to its feet because you knew something was about to happen.

What a career. What a man. 

It might be that he has some sort of transfer payment triggered if he gets to a certain amount of appearances for us? 

Not sure. I just can’t understand how somebody with such a strong reputation when he came here, can just not ever feature for us. 

I kind of want him gone now just so we don’t have to think about this bizarre situation anymore.