WakefieldVillan

                                      Martinez

                  Cash  Chambers  Mings  Digne

   Buendia   Luiz  Kamara   Dendoncker  Ramsey  Bailey

4-6-0 - Try keep it down to single figures 

Let's face it, whatever team we put out will struggle to beat these, but I probably would genuinely play the above but as a 4-2-3-1 with Buendia, Luiz and Ramsey as the 3 behind Bailey, tight compact 4-5-1 out of possession (which will be A LOT!).

We're gonna need a lot of energy, be MUCH better on the ball, and need MASSIVE amounts of luck to have a sniff of a chance - I predict 0-4, the longer we can keep it at 0-0 will be key to what kind of hiding we suffer. Depressing.

He was the best of a bad bunch in our back 5 (including Martinez) but I don't think that says much to be honest. The two goals we conceded were absolutely dreadful goals with several culprits to blame in the build ups.

On last night's performance I'd rate Martinez 5 Cash 3 Digne 5 Mings 6 Konsa 4 - You need to be hitting 8's and 9's if you've any chance of coming back with 3 points.

I'd still easily have him captain over McGinn though 

The selections on paper aren't that bad. 

The worst thing he has done is make McGinn captain, he's way out of form and Luiz played well on Sunday hence should be starting tonight but because of the ridiculous decision to make him captain, he's made a rod for his own back.

It's how he sets us up that's the main issue. 

Just want to see some real fight. UTV 

---------------------------Martinez-------------------------

Cash------Chambers-------Mings---------Digne

-----Iroegbunam----Kamara------Luiz-----------

Buendia-------------Watkins-------------Bailey

4-5-1 out of possession, sit in, nice and compact, hit them on the break

4-0 Arsenal 

Well, I like it!

Speechless 

1 hour ago, CarryOnVilla said:

The first paragraph, only works in hindsight. Yes the team we played were awful in the fist half, but going in to the match, everyone would expect that 11 would of made mince meat out of Bolton. Even the players I mentioned would of done a good job… at least expected to do so.

he’s a situation where’s always going to get critics. More so with how poorly he’s been setting up villa. Yeah he’s going get it with any team he picks, and I’m criticising him on him going full tilt on a game when he could of had a free pass to experiment with new ideas and players 

as of the not wanted players, how we going to sell them when they’re not in the shop window. As I said, this is the kind of match you can play the fringe players. Give them a chance to shine, for the club or for the sale.

 

That's the point I am trying to make though and you've answered it yourself - Basically he was on a hiding to nothing last night with some fans whatever the outcome. As far as I am concerned he picked a side to win the game, we did, he took a few players off after 60 mins,  got some minutes into others, we had no injuries and we got a bit of confidence back going into Sunday. 

There are things to knock him with IE, formations, making McGinn captain, not playing Buendia, continued squad absence of Sanson etc but I will cut him some slack for last night - none of us are privy to what goes on behind closed doors.

FWIW I am no Gerrard fan boy - hated him as a player, but was hopeful he could become a great manager for us, which is looking very unlikely at the moment. I just want our team to have some of the traits he had as a player and I really thought we would see that, but we're a long way off at the moment.

But anyway, we can agree to disagree buddy. We all want one thing and that's a successful Villa  

3 minutes ago, CarryOnVilla said:

Yeah he wants to win trophies, so does every manager… yet, not all managers are trying to swot a fly with a nuke. Bolton can be beat with the likes of Sanson, Nakamba, Olsen, AEG, Ludwig and the youngsters playing. 

Pointless having squad depth if it’s not being used. More so when the fist 11 are not looking too sharp at the moment. These games are a free pass to look at the other players. 

Well that's a matter of opinion whether the above sort of team would have got the job done. I don't think it would have been quite as clear cut as you make it sound. If our so called best eleven made hard work of it, what makes you think a mismatch of other players who haven't played together done any better?

No doubt if he had picked a weakened team and we had lost then he would have been criticised too.

Plus of the players you mentioned - Sanson / AEG look like they are not wanted, and perhaps Nakamba isn't fully fit. I personally would have played Olsen, nothing to lose there at all.

1 hour ago, CarryOnVilla said:

Last night wasn’t a good look for ol Stevie G, despite the flattering score line. So much happened that showed how out of his depth he currently is… 

He chose a team that was overkill for the team we were playing. Of course this was to ensure a win, not a win for Villa’s progression in the cup, but a win to keep his job. Regardless of what team he put out, he would of lost his job if Villa lost the match, so he played it as safe as possible.  

Worst part of it, this team still struggled to over come Bolton’s second string team. The entire first half was dictated by Bolton’s play and Villa had no answer to it. Villa still faced the same problems as they always do, over committing midfielders and wing backs to attacking play and leaving massive open spaces in the middle of the pitch, which allows the opposition so much time and space to play their game, such as Bolton. When playing Prem teams it could be chalked off as a tactical mismatch, or an idea that needs work. when it’s happening to League 1 reserves with near enough our best team… it’s a tactical blunder that needs scrapping ASAP… but as things stand, I don’t see Stevie having a plan B or even a plan back to basics… 

As of the assets we got, I’d say drop McGinn or Ramsey for Doug and ask him to stay back on attacking plays and support Boubs if faced with counters or quick turn arounds. And only have 1 full back in the attacking play and the other staying back. Swapping the duties throughout the match. At the very least it makes us harder to be dominated.

To be fair from the moment he arrived he has iterated that he wants to win a trophy, or at least go as far as he can. Don't get why people are using this as a stick to beat him with. Surely our manager wanting to win silverware is a good thing, no?

I agree with our "style of football" not working and it's all looking a bit bleak for him/us at the moment, but we badly needed a win last night and we got it, hopefully we can kick on from that.

I like SJM, don't we all, but he is seriously out of form at the moment and needs to be left out of the firing line.

I am hoping (praying) that he suffers a (made up) "little knock" in training and gets left out of the starting eleven on Sunday. 

Make Martinez captain (whom for me was the most obvious candidate anyway) and see where we go from there.

IE If we win and play well without him, then it will be easier for SG to leave him out for the game after (and after)...

I do think making McGinn captain is the worst thing SG has done so far in his tenure.

Their physicality concerns me - Zouma, Rice, Soucek, Antonio - their doggedness, with the likes of Coufal, Bowen, Fornals...

We have to win the midfield battle - we have more flair in our squad, but as we have seen already at Bournemouth and Palace it won't be enough without the fight.

I am concerned we will lose this, they absolutely battered us last year and although they have got off to a start as bad as ours, we all know that they will turn it around, and who better than us? Right? That's what we are good at - being a soft touch.

For once, just once, I hope this isn't the case.. but I suspect it will be. Prove me wrong Villa / Gerrard - Silence the critics. Please.

I would have probably chose Chambers over Konsa but to be honest Calum looked a little shaky last night and maybe Konsa's pace will be more suited to face Antonio. How we deal with him will also have a huge bearing on the final outcome. 

Buendia did ok, nothing more in a short time last night so I can't see him starting, whereas Bailey could and should be pushing for a starting place.

Young played well but I would expect Cash to come in.

And then we are just left with the midfield conundrum - McGinn not playing well and should be the one to miss out, but we all know this will not be happening so it seems pointless picking a team without him.

With the above in mind I think we might see something like - Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne, Kamara, Luiz, McGinn, Bailey, Watkins, Coutinho.

I'd personally go Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne, Kamara, Luiz, Ramsey, Buendia, Watkins, Bailey.

1 hour ago, El Segundo said:

Not sure how much we can gauge from that performance.  We should expect to win comfortably playing a mostly first choice 11 against a team two leagues below us and the scoreline, on the face of it,  suggests we did.  But it certainly wasn't comfortable or anything like competent first half.  It was a poor first half performance from us and you could see we were (are) a team short on confidence - Bolton, as expected, were up for it and they were flying into tackles but you could see that we were always going to score a few goals once we settled. I reiterate what I have previously said about Leicester - they played a team THREE leagues below and were taken to penalties. What does that say about them.  I think the team / Gerrard did all what was asked last night.

Three of our goals owed something to a flaky keeper and two to decisions that VAR may well have overturned, and our defending was a joke for Bolton's goal.  You could say the Bolton goal came from a foul too, which knocked us back.

Superior technique and fitness held sway second half but we won't have that advantage in most games.  No we won't, but you can only beat the team in front of you.  

Great team move for Digne's goal and brilliant individual skills from Bailey for the fourth - like Traore on speed.  Agreed.

Thought SG should have brought Archer and Tim on after the third went in to give them a better run out. Agreed.

If we learned anything it's that Luiz deserves a chance instead of Ramsey or McGinn in the PL.  Whether the manager takes the hint or not, who knows? Agreed.

By hook or by crook we need to put in a performance against West Ham and get 3 points 

3 hours ago, Villan_of_oz said:

Just my view, but it's embarrassing that line up was put out. 

What does that say about our squad overall, must be really poor outside the favoured 11 which is scary cos they've been pretty poor themselves.

Can it be guaranteed that all those that played tonight are fully fit and rested for West Ham?

Maybe I'm just looking for reasons to be annoyed but I find most decisions lately bizarre...

Yes, I think you are.

We won comfortably in the end, we're through to the next round, no injuries, with a bit of much needed confidence going into Sundays game.

Look at the side Leicester put out and they were taken to penalties by a lowly league 2 side, I dread to think what the reactions would have been on here if that had been us.

Was it free-flowing 1970's Brazilian football - No. Can we improve - Of course. Will this be under Gerrard - Perhaps not, the jury's out. But I think a lot of the fans moaning about last night's performance / team selection are anti Gerrard and are looking for anything to beat him with. For me, last night was job done. And I am glad he is taking the competition seriously. Let's hope for a couple of kind draws and let's try for a day out at Wembley. UTV.

20 minutes ago, MaVilla said:

i dont think any of us with an IQ higher than our shoe size actually turned their nose up at Jesus or Zinchenko, both brilliant players.

I would have given my right arm for us to get Jesus.

I seem to recall one or two on the summer transfer thread that didn't want Jesus, but to be fair it may have been more due to the wages / not the position people felt we needed strengthening at the time - than not rating him as a player.

I'm with you though, big fan. 

The part he played in the first Arsenal goal against Bournemouth was absolutely class - strength, awareness, skill, pace, vision, weight of pass 

Sure there were some Villa fans turning their nose up at Jesus & Zinchenko when we were (lazily) linked with them this window  

I would have loved to have seen either in a Villa shirt, especially Jesus - he's a fantastic player and I am surprised City let him go (to a possible rival?!).

Of the so called top 6 - these have always been my "favourite". I use the term favourite very lightly. The most bearable. And I enjoyed watching the Wenger invincible team.

Hope they can give City a run for their money, but I doubt they will really.

3 hours ago, Zatman said:

With this clown we will be there or thereabouts

I must be getting old - but I just don't get the name calling one bit.

Ok, he's under performing and as fans we aren't happy, but I'd like to think we'd be better than that 

Still hoping he can turn it around, but it isn't looking good - especially if you go by VT members.

Poch or Potter still the two that I'd be very happy with - if or when the time comes..

Be extremely difficult for anyone to pick our starting eleven tonight - but I hope we go strong as this is our best chance of silverware (like it is every season).  

I would go -

                           Olsen

Cash   Chambers   Mings   Augustinsson

          Sanson  Iroegbunam  Luiz

    Buendia           Ings             Coutinho

Get the job done 1st half, then look to replace Cash, Mings and the front 3.

Worry about West Ham on Sunday.

                        Martinez

Cash     Chambers    Mings      Digne 

        McGinn   Kamara   Ramsey      

                         Buendia

                 Ings           Watkins 

I expected 3 points against Bournemouth and a 1-2 defeat against Everton so I've been pretty poor with my predictions, therefore I will say another 2-1 defeat on Saturday and hope I'm wrong again and we can return with 3 points. They have some very dangerous players in Zaha, Eze, Olise.. but we can cause them problems too, need to be at it from the very first minute.

Bottom line for me is that he is a good option to come off the bench if we are chasing a game as he has the ability to produce moments of class but he is just too inconsistent to start games and far too powder-puff.

I was confident against Bournemouth and look how that turned out so you will be pleased to know I could quite easily see us losing this by the odd goal in 3. Coady with the winner. Of course.

I hope I'm wrong, I also hope SG makes changes from Saturdays team. Players need to know that if they don't perform then they lose their shirt. 

That in mind, I'd personally like -

                        Martinez

      Chambers    Carlos     Mings  

Cash     Kamara    Iroegbunam    Digne

              Buendia         Coutinho

                         Watkins 

Absolutely no chance of this team mind so I probably shouldn't even bother

16 minutes ago, Podster said:

I can't understand how you can say that, you are contradicting your own reasoning, you give all the reasons why SG is useless, but then say "give him till January" We need to stop being soft, I have said this in a previous post "give a new manager enough time to achieve something this season, if SG had the ability to achieve something we would have seen some glimpse of it by now and we havn't." give him 5 games at best.

 

• "

I know what you're saying. I think I am just more lenient in giving managers a bit more time than others. Not saying this is right though. I suppose I am just hoping that he will learn fast from his mistakes and turn things around. Starting with the Everton game. The players also need to take some responsibility too. 

I think I have more patience than a lot of fans, it took me longer than most to want Bruce out, though obviously the latter stages of his tenure was very poor and he did himself no favours by the end.

I wasn't convinced by Smith on his appointment (knew little about him) but I grew to really like him and he did a terrific job here - had his faults (doesn't everyone) but I was upset to see him sacked even though results weren't good enough.

I was happy with Gerrard's appointment, at the time I was pleased with either him or Graham Potter. I felt he really talks the talk and his winning mentality, I felt, is what the club really needed. I'd rate his time her so far about 5/10. Good signings, but odd team selections, and more negative performances than positive.

Do I think he should be sacked ? 

No, not yet, I think he should be given till January and re-assess then - but as I've said I'm more lenient than most.

The Bournemouth team selection, performance & result has really hit me and my confidence in SG, I really hope to see a different Villa against The Toffees. 

As for a potential new manager - Poch all day! I hope we're doing some things in the background in case it doesn't improve under SG. I personally think he's attainable! 

17 hours ago, WakefieldVillan said:

Currently sat in the labour ward with my wife awaiting the birth of our first child, could be a new little Villan born today or tomorrow  

I'm excited, but petrified at the same time, it's been a long week for us both, especially her (of course) as she's been in hospital since Monday, waiting to be induced, waiting for her waters to break, waiting for a spare bed etc etc,  she's been dreading giving birth all her life and has been very emotional (naturally) but I've been there for her which has definitely got her through this - well it's OUR journey after all.

We do not know the sex either which is really exciting, just hope everything goes ok ❤

Moving on from here, my wife's waters broke at 3.30am Thursday morning and we are still in hospital now and she's gone from 2cm, to 4cm to 5cm to 7cm dilation over 24 hours! It has been the hardest night watching her suffer, we've both had one hours sleep when her epidural kicked in early hours of this morning. We are mentally drained, she is physically drained.

Positive is baby is ok (at the moment). She needs to just keep going for a few more hours