TRO

1 hour ago, ben1505 said:

And the General Secretary of UEFA with direct ties to Olympiacos... corrupt anybody?

Sounds like the Eurovision, song contest.

4 minutes ago, Adam2003 said:

Even this (in a totally reasonable post) shows how crazy and short term football is. If I go back a month from today, without counting Thursday-Sunday last week, we have gone four unbeaten in the PL - including beating Arsenal - to go seven clear of Spurs, and won a European quarter final.

Basically the difficult period we are all worried about was four days last week! I think it’s going to be absolutely fine.

Hope your right.

We have won 3 league games in 9, so it's a little bit longer than that....not a crisis, but certainly not representative of what got us to 4th place......fortunately Spurs are also having a bit of a dip in form, ironic since their win at Villa Park.

We seem to have gone a bit indifferent since the Spurs 0-4 reversal, with only the Arsenal and Bournemouth games, showing the league table form....sure injuries are conspiring against us, and the players left fit, are being drained, but we have to keep going.

I hope we can find something, for the last big push.

I think it's fair to say, most fans expected more from him.

Will he follow a similar path to Bailey?....not sure, hope so, if he doesn't improve, we have wasted, some dough.

I think the biggest worry is, he doesn't look a threat....scores some great goals, but it's like a token gesture.

I also wonder where this blistering pace, is?....he was supposed to have.

I guess, we will just have to wait and see, if he finds some form from somewhere, that has prompted us to part with a record breaking fee.

4 hours ago, duke313 said:

We'll upset Jude again, if we get through.

4 hours ago, allani said:

There are still plenty of CMs or DCMs who won't fit in the system that Emery wants us to play because they are not good enough on the ball.  I agree that there are plenty of options who would be capable of playing in the way that we require.  But there are also a fair few who wouldn't be as disciplined defensively or as good on the ball when we have possession.

This discussion was kicked off by the suggestion of Sangare and the concern that his passing statistics are way below par.

I get your point, and its valid......but I hope you get mine.

There is no point, being good on the ball, if you can't get it, in the first place.......playing without the ball, is an important part of the game.

The good players, do both......win it and play it, convincingly.

I trust UE and Monchi to go after those that can do both.

There was a similar debate, when we signed Kamara.....saying its hard to get players who can do both. We not only did that, we got a french International at a tender age, with no transfer fee, from his home club....what a coup, just about perfect.

My point is.....if we don't know what we are going after, we can't get them.

10 hours ago, Captain_Townsend said:

Is the correct answer.

I think the eye test says......is it?

He has scored some good goals, and had some good moments......but he has also had too many quite passive moments, where he has offered no threat....and looked like a passenger.

It's not always about just scoring, and that is difficult to say, to get context......it's more about being a constant threat and nuisance...where the opposition are constantly on their toes.

I don't think he offers that with any consistency..........................yet.

Hoping he has a better, next season.

On 05/05/2024 at 16:23, M_Afro said:

Having to replace Morgan with Cash just about says it all. Our squad is so weak compared to the other big teams. Not even Unai can make a silk purse out of a sows ear!

I think he can.....but its the rest of the pig, he's struggling with.

On 26/04/2024 at 11:18, Jas10 said:

 

Unai Emery, would push the cleaning lady......thats what top coaches do......Drive their staff.

2 hours ago, MotoMkali said:

I disagree. Kamara is very much a straight DM, he is just capable on the ball which is what you need from a DM. 

All the good ones are like that....I am staggered anyone is thinking different.

We have moved on from the midfield thug.

3 hours ago, ender4 said:

Newcastle have just announced their ‘official transport partner’ paying them £3m a year. 

With errrrmmm an unrelated company called Saudi Airlines

Over to Chris Heck - let’s get Brightline or whatever that LA to Vegas train is called to sponsor us for our transport partner

"Stagecoach"......to add to all the other coaches.

2 minutes ago, thabucks said:

Just read Sawiris is a stakeholder in the Joe & The Juice chain - they should become our new nutritional refreshment brand - anyone else fancy a £7 smoothie at half time  

Maybe the players have been having one?

1 hour ago, Thug said:

I’m gobsmacked by the short sightedness of some fans.
 

Make as much fun as you want.  

Take what I’m saying out of context if you want.

But being in the Deloitte top 20 financial rankings brings with it safety from the kind of plans that would have left us behind if the European League had to come into existence. Laugh as much as you want at spurs not winning anything, but at least they were invited to THE party.

But hey! At least you could be saying ‘oh but remember we won the third tier of European club competition 30 years ago?’ when having an argument with SHA fans. ‘What a day!’
 

 

 

Argument about what!....don't say football.

Positive news... but he needs a pre-season, out of the cauldron.

Think we have missed his intensity and bit of aggression.

On 26/01/2024 at 01:34, Kiwivillan said:

Scorchio means hot

so I've got a "scorchio woman"....sounds cool, I mean scorchio.

On 19/04/2024 at 12:59, East London Villa said:

Kosta has been injured ever since he signed for Villa, which is very unfortunate. Hopefully he'll be learning English (if he didn't already speak it well) and I wouldn't bet against Unai sending him a few hundred gigabytes of tactical videos to pore over.

I highly doubt Kesler-Hayden will be at Villa for the long term, Nedeljkovic already seems to have a lot more of what Emery is looking for (pace, height, physicality, decision making).

Puuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

On 04/05/2024 at 20:45, Rich192 said:

New mayor is keen to fund it, as per a few months ago. 

but let's hope, it doesn't become a political football game....with a reason for inaction.

Conservative Government, and a Labour council, spell Silo.

Maybe  I am being cynical.

On 04/05/2024 at 20:21, Villa_Vids said:

It seems like Andy Street has lost - will this affect re-development and witton station?

good question.

On 29/02/2024 at 21:12, OutByEaster? said:

I think Heck sees Chelsea as a model for us - the idea isn't so much about increasing capacity as increasing yield and I think the club still very definitely believe that there is an opportunity to do that.

That's pounds per person - the amount they can get from each person attending, rather than adding more people who are paying less. Part of that will be converting some of those that currently attend from being regular seats to GA+ and Hospitality seats, part of it will be changing the Hospitality offers to add more 'exclusive' opportunities and higher prices (stuff like a tunnel club and the seats around the dugout) and part of it will no doubt be increasing the prices for matchday fans and season ticket holders.

I think the challenge the club see is how to get us from £2m a game to £4m a game without adding additional seating.

It's certainly a way, but I am not sure its the right way, assuming it could change the profile of the fan base....for the worst.

I am not an expert on this, just posting my pennyworth.

It doesn't seem to my knowledge ,it's a  way the Germans look at it....With Munich, and Dortmund, I am told have cheaper, prices and less expensive Beer, No wonder they have huge crowds and I guess the maths spell huge volumes.

I fear, doing it the way, you suggest, would diminish, not enhance the atmosphere.....it could be in danger of creating a ground full of "Prawn Sandwiches".....people who could take it or leave it.

I guess Chris Heck has forgot more than I know, about Marketing....but Chelsea, is a completely different environment to B6.....He needs to be careful, with his ambitions.

I am getting to an age, where it doesn't really matter, I have had 60 odd years of Supporting Villa, and I will continue, until my health, says no more.....but I have witnessed, many , many years where the club, would have bitten off your arm for a full house....Even the greatest season 1980/81 was c 30-35,000.....very up and down in terms of volume/attendance.

I am now supporting Villa, with a full house, every week.....He wants to be careful not to kill the goose who lays the golden egg.

Folk tell me it takes time to build a squad, and yes I know......and it takes time to increase entrance fees without being avarice....to keep raising prices too quick, could lead to unrest, and an inevitable reversal of feet.

The intrinsic nature of a fan, with a battle hardened loyalty, that is not easily put off, by a run of bad defeats, are not easy to come by...Chris Heck, should be aware of that....some corporate fans are here today and gone tomorrow, its business....but the business, wants the buzz of the lay crowd....kill that, and there is no corporate interest.

He needs to be careful, what he wishes for and his aspirations of us fans with a perceived bottomless pocket.

8 hours ago, Sulberto21 said:

No. We’ve got promoted and built an entire squad to survive, and then we rebuilt to become midtable. 

We then had the expensive haircut nearly undoing the good work Dean Smith did and since he has come in Don Unai has simply made a mid-table squad challenge for CL. 

Dean Smith after a game against Chelsea said ideally you want 4/5 windows to shape the squad however you’d like it. 

You keep going on about defensive minded players but for Unai Emery they have to posses ball playing ability. 

Defensively minded players who can play football cost a lot of money. It’s why Rice cost £100m , Rodri £60+m , etc. 

Our squad can defend they proved it last season and at times this season. But injuries have caused mental and physical fatigue as shown on Sunday. 

Some of the things you say are true, and some are questionable.

• It is acceptable that we are WIP and still rebuilding....and yes it takes time.
• The expensive haircut, as you put it, at least had the presence of mind, and the personal profile to secure our only dedicated CDM.....and boy do we miss him.
• Dean is probably right, you do need many windows to shape a squad.....but did we need many windows to sign a CDM?....which is a legitimately crucial position in a team.
• Are you suggesting defensive minded players, have an inferior talent when playing the ball......if so, I suggest, your bar is set low......I might also say, if you can't win the ball back, how can you play it?, unless you just passively wait for errors.
• Defensive minded players, who can play.....are not all as expensive as Rice, they can be, but not necessarily , Kamara wasn't, and the "haircut" secured him.....sure they are hard to find, maybe because all the best teams have them......we too are aspiring to be one of those.
• Paradoxically, We had a better record last season than this.....maybe we have focused more on the offensive side, this season.....and with the personnel available, maybe that was prudent.

I am not criticising Unai Emerys style......IMO he has chosen a way this season to win games, with the players he has.....perfectly, acceptable to me.

All I am saying is moving forward, we need to be harder to play against, and concede less goals.....that way, again IMO we will become more consistent, and more convincing, in our play.

I am hoping in the summer, he strengthens us, with that in mind.

Ps I make no apologies, for banging the drum, for more defensive Nous in the team....as and when we can

18 hours ago, briny_ear said:

I’m fascinated by the tendency of some fans to regard Emery ask some sort of trainee manager who could do with a bit of coaching on how to run a team. Just pop over to Wikipedia and have a look at what he has achieved in his career.

And then reflect on the fact that we are fourth in the premier league with a squad not massively enhanced from the one that struggled to avoid being in the relegation zone for periods in the last two seasons. And one that has had a high level of long term injuries this season.

You know what? I think he probably knows the capabilities of his squad a bit better than any fan does.

I agree.

But that does not exclude, fans from having an opinion.....and that opinion, could be non populist.

Personally, I am not of the opinion, he can save us, from every poor performance, and I am not of the opinion, when it happens, it's always his fault.

I think he is the best, we could possibly get......but quite apart from the energy sapping campaign, and the testing time of the injury list, not to mention, some unconvincing officiating.....We are WIP

I think the WIP element has nearly as much credence as our lack of energy.

I am not blaming UE for anything, but its clear to me we need strengthening, despite his monumental effort, to get us to where we are.

Some will say, how can we do better, than 4th, next season in view of where we have come from , in such a short time,....and under performing teams, preparing for a better season.

so what am I looking for next season?.....(UE talks constantly about consistency, the second half of the season in particular, has highlighted his view) to be more convincing and not be so easy to beat in certain games. I am looking to maintain our scoring record and reduce our goals against to a level that has us, difficult to play against. That might not have us finishing any higher, but more convincing will have us stronger.

UE is adamant, that he is not engaging in excuses, despite a fairly reasonable need to.....I like that style.

He knows we are WIP, and I am looking forward to the new recruits.

30 minutes ago, DJBOB said:

I mean honestly you're being facetious there.

Because no amount of tactics can solve an injury and fitness crisis.

If you look at the squad that played against arsenal, there's already 3 players that missed out on against Brighton (Zaniolo, Tielemans, and eventually Rogers) - and the Arsenal squad was already paper thin. All 3 of those players were immense against Arsenal as well.

So, to say, well wow - I guess Unai got the tactics wrong against Brighton is really silly.

I didn't say that, nor did I imply it........I was just interested to see the different reasons given for winning or losing.

I think Unai, gets his tactics right, most times......I am merely suggesting, there was no mention of fatigue, against Arsenal after a midweek game against Lille, and that was a few weeks back, is it because we won?.....take from that what you will.

I am not attempting to be facetious, I think they are legitimate, questions, that warrant consideration.

Just recently, Unai said himself, relating to injuries......"A no excuse culture".....He also said after Olympiacos game....."Not bad luck" when asked if it was.......He has also said, the injuries, are "just an opportunity for peripheral players to show me, what they can do"

It's all positive stuff.

Many times in the past, young players have risen to the challenge, to give outstanding performances......Morgan Rogers, himself has stepped up, why not more?

I think Unai has a tricky balance to make, in the next few games, and like you, I don't see his undoubted tactical brain, always bailing us out, because its only one element of many in the game.

20 minutes ago, DJBOB said:

There's not really much more he can do.

If you squint, you could say - maybe trust some of the youth more. Starting Tim. Duran instead of Watkins. Maybe some of the other academy players. - KKH, Kellyman, etc.

But it's not as if he's against starting youth. Morgan Rogers went in right away and he can't have trained much after the transfer window. JJ was a key piece to his team last year. If he doesn't think Tim's ready, then Tim's not ready. And honestly, he has hardly taken the game by the scruff when he's come on. Same with the others.

Watkins, McGinn, Luiz, and Konsa are close to clearing 4,000 minutes in incredibly high pressure situations.

Everyone else is half-fit at most. Pau (and Konsa) are clearly carrying around knocks that inhibit their movement. ACL injuries well documented. There are almost no other midfielders, either in the center or in the wide positions. There are no other fullbacks (with Moreno just back and still a shadow of himself from last year).

So when people ask - what's wrong? I'm a bit mystified as it's clear what's wrong.

The tank is empty and the corpses of the Villa squad are trying to get over the line as best they can.

I think its a popular opinion.....and one I have no appetite to disagree with it.....Is it clear? I guess it is if thats what your think.

It certainly looks like it to me, but the caveat is, I have no experience or expert knowledge of players energy levels....so I am reluctant to go heavy on it.

I go with the majority, and I hope they are right.

just being devils advocate......when its right and we win, against Arsenal, its down to tactics, yet they had more rest time, than we did, so energy, was not considered then....maybe because we won....just offering an alternative view.

I am not criticising anything, just fascinated, how we can play so well, and so badly, in a short space of time......I am in no way, dismissing the cruel injury list, but just interested in alternative views.

1 hour ago, villa4europe said:

Something tells me that if we weren't 4th or don't finish 4th that won't be considered working miracles, it will very much be a stick to beat him with 

I think he has worked a miracle....more because I don't believe in the balance of this squad, to have done what he has, is phenomenal. I now wait with baited breath, to see if we sign players to strengthen us....not just supply numbers.

During this season, I have seen some outrageously good games, and I have seen some very unconvincing ones too....Unai often talks about consistency as his target, and I get that....but where he has taken us to, I was not expecting.

I think it would be absurd to criticise him, for anything this season.....but some games, have been well below par, and when we go OTT on the good games, it makes the bad ones sour, and the comments selective.

Of course it's great to celebrate the double over Arsenal......but some of the home defeats, like Spurs and Chelsea in the cup, have been questionable......and I don't always see an appetite for a debate, as to why.

We can all talk tactics and our manager, is one of the best, but form is up and down, with players, quite separate from energy levels.....and the better ones hold on to it better.

 I have watched every home game this season, Live...and all of the away games on the TV.......but despite the great games, I have also seen some games, where there is obvious room for improvement.....even to achieve what we have this season.

It is likely, Newcastle, Man U and Chelsea, will be a force, next season, so to stand still, we have to improve the strength of the team,and I don't mean, just cover for first teamers, I mean bringing players with weapons to improve our overall game....i.e players who can score from set pieces, players who can run for fun and show urgency.....we need to add attributes to our squad, to give UE proper options, to change games.

Its gone a bit sour, right now and I hope we can find something, to save us fizzing out.

but Finally, Unai, has changed the perception of Aston Villa, for the good.