Adam2003

3 hours ago, useless said:

My guess would be that Forest had just misplaced a pass and it went out of play in our leftback area, maybe Emery was disappointed that Moreno wasn't able to take advantage of that misplaced pass, and so getting carried away he turned around and told Digne that he would expect him to do better in that situation, if you notice Emery's hands he does that rotating thing with them that players and managers do to indicate a sub, so I think whatever he was saying it was to do with instructions should he, Digne be brought on

“I’m going to bring you on in a few minutes and as you can see, these lads are garbage so get a few assists please”

On 24/02/2024 at 13:18, villa4europe said:

It then went to Unai bollocking him and it looked to me like Digne was wording "When? When?" I wasn't sure or would at worst like to think Digne had a laugh with the crowd and the pass and the Don shot him down 

I assumed they (or at least Digne) were speaking French and Digne was saying “ouais?” - ie “yeah?” - which would be the same mouth shape as the “when?” you thought you saw. But that’s based on the exact same video you saw and either way it just seemed like a tactical chat.

Lenglet will play 25+ games for us this season despite Pau, Konsa, Diego Carlos etc. There will definitely be plenty of games for Mings if he comes back strong.

1 hour ago, Leeroy said:

Well he has done it consistently for this season. He's got 8 goals and 7 assists in 1200 minutes. Ridiculous. Don't think Young ever had the capacity to do that.

 

Maybe I'm being harsh on Young but he was very much a get your head down, cut in and cross player. Very effective, skilful and always fit but very one dimesnional. I don't think he would have the skillset to stand out in Unai's possession based, intricate system.

 

Bailey is more talented and more exciting IMO but I recognise that Young was an extremely important player for us 2007-11 and also when he played full back last season. He's had an incredible career and still playing at the top at 38 years old is some testament to him.

Love Bailey but I do think you’re being harsh on Young in your second paragraph. He had loads to his game - hence the career you reference in your third. But it’s a good comparison as two players who at their peak get the ball anywhere and you think “hmm maybe they’ll skin a few people now and we will score…”

2 minutes ago, AVTuco said:

I'm trying to suggest we might lose a fair bit of games with those two ad CBs. 

I don’t think anyone would disagree with that but what’s your suggestion instead? Or if you’re just saying we have to just hope for the best - I agree!

23 minutes ago, AVTuco said:

But... we cannot go on with Chambers/Lenglet and expect to keep winning

What’s your suggestion? Get a witch doctor in for Pau, Mings, Konsa and Diego Carlos? I support it if you have a good one.

I’ve watched Jonathan David for years and I don’t think he’d get ten goals in a PL season. Screams Edouard to me as another player we were linked to a lot who came in and scores about five per season. Swapping Ollie for a gamble like that has a good chance of dropping us from challenging CL to midtable IMO, and even if David comes in and scores five goals MORE than Ollie per season that would only move us maybe a place higher in the league - too much risk for too little reward, IMO.

I’m looking on the bright side… could have gone to the Euros, had a breakout tournament, been a target for the very top clubs in the summer. Now we just need to qualify for CL without him, no problem, and he’ll be back for next season bossing it against Real Madrid at Villa Park. All good.

8 hours ago, fightoffyour said:

Lino Sousa

I totally missed this signing! Off to do some reading.

36 minutes ago, fightoffyour said:

I think we've already signed our new RB and LB with Cash and Digne to be sold. The starting backline, as intended this year after phasing Pau in more slowly than he had to be, will be Moreno - Mings - Torres - Konsa. Lino will be sub or Mings can switch to LCB with Kosta the attacking full back in place of Konsa.

We should probably replace Carlos with a younger right-footed CB option, but otherwise we're done assuming everyone is fit at the same time ever.

Think I’m missing something obvious here but who’s the backup/rotation LB if we sell Digne and don’t sign anyone?

2 hours ago, MaVilla said:

the stadium was part of Everton's FFP issues.

The opposite actually. If they’d taken on debt around the stadium, they’d have been fine as it wouldn’t have counted towards FFP (or the PL equivalent at least). The owner instead decided to fund the stadium directly, and take the debt to support day-to-day operations - meaning it did count. Absolute financial incompetence.

17 hours ago, wishywashy said:

Neurodivergence is probably more common in elite sport than people think imo: some of the traits associated with neurodivergent conditions (like those above) feel like they can end up being very beneficial in that sort of environment. I know Gerrard and Beckham are two of the more high-profile players to have talked about having OCD, for example.

 

100%. You don’t get to the top of sport with a “normal” mentality - it has to be exceptional in some way. I don’t use either of those terms ‘normal/exceptional’ to mean good/bad and apologies if it comes across that way - I am agreeing with you entirely that you need a ‘different’ mental perspective. Same with people who set records like sailing round the world solo and so on.

On 17/02/2024 at 15:32, Pongo Waring said:

What error?
That was Emi Martinez's Error

Don’t really believe in blaming one player personally. Martinez could have claimed it. Lenglet could have got rid of it. I’ve played in defence and in goal - sometimes, whatever the shout, you use your judgment and deal with the situation. So I’m not really interested in whose “fault” it was - my point was, apart from that one (collective) error, Lenglet looked better on the right than he has on the left to me! I’d be fine with him and Pau next game - which is lucky, as I don’t think anyone else is fit…

28 minutes ago, PaulC said:

Another good game. He's fit and not an issue

Yeah better today than I’ve seen him in a good while 

I think he’s actually our most important player 

Came on here to say what everyone else is - error aside, I felt more comfortable with him on the right alongside Pau than I have with him on the left alongside anyone else. Which also speaks to how good Pau is.

I think it’s realistic that Man United overtake us (but we have a 5-point gap so that’s on us) and it’s realistic we don’t overhaul Spurs (but we easily could). But I think the idea of us falling behind Newcastle/Brighton/West Ham and not getting top 6 is a stretch for me.

Personally I thought 5th three months ago and I still think 5th today.

On 08/02/2024 at 17:36, burchy said:

Personally I think we need a new RB

Didn’t we just sign one like two weeks ago?

20 minutes ago, captain said:

I have a slight worry with Moreneo that he tires of towards the end of a match. Last season  he was playing so well yet he was usually subbed. Obviously this season he hasnt but I am wondering has he been saving his energy. So being able to sub him might lift his game.

I think they are such complementary swaps for each other as well. If Moreno’s on and running at a defence, they’d much rather back off… suddenly Digne is on and if they back off he’s dropping it on Watkins’ head 6 yards out. Or they are closing Digne down as quickly as possible, then Moreno comes on and is just waiting for that so he can go past them. Works so well - and we haven’t had it all season.

I don’t believe in “must win” games that often, but will say if we can avoid defeat vs United then that’s a top 5 nicely separated from the rest - and there’s a chance all 5 get CL. And even a draw puts us back above Spurs.

Lose and the gap is still 5 points to 6th but way less comfortable!

2 hours ago, onmeedson said:

Probably the mistake was to play Konsa here there and everywhere in games and the lad was bound to pick up an injury. To much football for one player to cope with and constant risk to that player but we are here now and the bare bones of a squad to deal with. 

Didn’t he collide with a post from a set piece? What does CB vs RB have to do with that?

1 hour ago, NeilS said:

I don't want to be harsh on Lenglet as it must be difficult coming into a team where the defence has had wholesale changes and no continuity, but he an Diego both seem to have a costly blunder in them

I mean the simple fact is he’s probably our fifth-choice centre back, and while I don’t think he’s very good I don’t remember us ever having a better fifth choice. The issue has been him having to play so much

5 hours ago, Follyfoot said:

Hypothetically if we go on a run from September to December, again, we could potentially be top of the league by seven or eight points.

Won’t help us mate, we need those points by May