eholm

Yeah FFP still impacting us due to our last season in Champ being included in calculations. Is there anyone more financially savvy who has a view on the level of impact FFP will have this Summer?

Way too early to place him in that bracket IMO. Early performances show that he is one of our better CMs in regards to advancing with the ball. Carries the ball well and has an eye for a pass. Pretty sure he’ll start against Spurs. I’m confident he will be a big player for us next season.

One positive from last night.....Smith significantly changing formation mid-game. When Barkley came on, went 442 with midfield diamond. (The fact El Ghazi played up top instead of Davis days it all about his future as I’ve mentioned in his thread). So a definite Plan B that has often been missing from Smith and Co. OK, it didn’t work out as we wanted but still encouraging.

Think this game proved what we all surmised about Dean’s trust/confidence in KD. We went 442 for last 25 mins when Barkley came on yet he pushed Anwar up front with Ollie. That, for me, says it all. If Keinan can’t get minutes when we play 442 then his time here is up. Season long loan next season may save his career here but I don’t think he will ever play for us again barring injuries.

Yep....this game can be oh so illogical though sometimes!

All very good points and very logical. I’ve just got this nagging doubt that one of the big boys will find the money and make a real statement - moreso Utd or Liverpool. As I said I hope I’m completely and utterly wrong......

Hope so, mate. I’m intrigued about what was agreed within his new contract. Even Jack said at the time that up until a couple of days before signing he thought he would be leaving. Clearly he was told that we weren’t going to let him go and then a nice big pay rise......and MAYBE some sort of gentleman’s agreement about future bids etc??

I wouldn’t sell him for £150M but we all know that the player holds the power. Every club has reluctantly sold their best players to other clubs, even Man Utd, that’s how the game works. I agree that it doesn’t make sense for us to sell him but we are not in the position YET where we can stop him leaving if a top club comes in. Utd and Liverpool will spend big in the Summer, irrespective of Covid, to try to catch City who will also invest massively again. Look, I hope to God I’m wrong but I genuinely believe it’s 50-50 this Summer.

Previous posts all have valid points. However, if he finishes the season as one of the top overall contributors in the league as well as more good England performances, I do feel there will be firm interest Yes, I know he signed a 5 year deal and he’s Villa through and through etc, etc...but if given the opportunity to play at the top level I think he will want to take it. 26 in September and realistically it will take us at least another 3 years minimum to finish in top 4 by which time he’ll be getting too close to 30. I think both Manchester clubs and Liverpool will be interested and feel that they could well pay +£100M. I’d be gutted if he went - best player I’ve seen at Villa in my 40+ years - but just get the feeling that this Summer we will have a real fight on our hands.

Keeping Jack will be a real challenge this Summer imo.

Impressive full debut and clearly a talented player. Looks classy on the ball. However, he is a typical Smith midfielder and very similar to our others. Against a less physical midfield as Wolves had last night he will be fine. Smith needs to move away from his ‘identi-kit’ midfielders and bring in that physical dominating and powerful CDM who in a significant amount of matches is essential. Until he does this, I still think we will be a soft touch against bigger teams. That said, MS looks a proper player and the upgrade on Hourihane we required.

Maybe more of a plateau than a ceiling. As has been said managerial improvement is not a constant upward trajectory. The observation I was making was that Smith hasn’t quite got us playing the way we were in the first half of the season, especially from an attacking perspective and this has coincided with teams having experience of playing us. As I said, we rarely control the midfield and lack central focused creativity. I am sure that Smith and Co will find the answers either within the current squad or by solid recruitment in the Summer. To say that a ceiling is a stupid concept is an opinion I disagree with; if so, every manager would a PL manager and every player a PL player. This is all part of the ride we are on - a relatively inexperienced coach at the top level and a young inexperienced squad. I am sure we will continue to develop and improve and I’m looking forward to seeing how Smith attempts to turn is from a principally counter attacking team who struggle when pressed into a more varied attacking unit. Exciting times

Personally can’t see a bounce as we have a tough run in. Think we’ll continue as we are, a solid mid table team. I’m still not quite sure if it is Smith or the players/squad that needs to develop.....prob bit of both?

A ceiling in regards to this season only. Obviously we have progressed and developed very well as you say. However, my post wasn’t meant as a criticism of Smith and the players, more an observation of where we are right now....and that is a good place to be. Last 7 games only scored 6 goals I think yet still picked up some defensively impressive 1-0s. That is the ‘ceiling’ I refer to. Teams know how to nullify us yet we have been unable to kick on again. It’s been a great season already and a probable 10-14 finish is a huge improvement. The challenge now is for Smith and the players to develop again so that we can control games and be creative when our counter attacking threat is halted.

Since the turn of the year and the ‘difficult second album’ scenario with teams having now worked out how to nullify is, I do feel that both Smith and the squad have reached a bit of a ceiling. Not quite able to evolve a more varied attacking strategy whilst also being hard to beat. We have very rarely controlled a game although we have ground out some very good 1-0s. Is it Smith currently unable to find the solution and plan or us it the limitations of the squad. Probably a bit of both to be honest. Either way, until there is development where we are now, mid table, seems about right. Investment vital in Summer for midfield and attack and hopefully Smith can review what worked well, what didn’t and formulate a strategy to push us on again. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Must be tactical. At one point Mings was heard telling those in front of him to slow down with their pressing; Smith possibly concerned that our press would be beaten and then Leicester would be in. So maybe his thinking was to allow Leicester to have the ball and we just sit deep and engage them when near edge of box. Wrong call imo but there must have been a logic behind it...

Some interesting view points here and good to have different opinions on arguably our most pressing tactical issue. I can see merits in most observations. I guess, above all, it comes down to the personnel. A system is only as good as the players within it as even a questionable system can be improved by the quality of players it governs. For me, this is a huge test for Smith. I’m curious as to how much he acts on the advice he gets from CS. As the most experienced PL coach you would have thought he could possibly have more solutions. I’m not for one moment saying that Smith is being overly stubborn but in times of struggle a good leader listens to his lieutenants. If Smith and Co can get this midfield issue resolved we can then kick on once more. At present it’s as though we are facing the ‘difficult 2nd album’ scenario. Teams know what we are all about and are successfully nullifying us in the 2nd half of season. I will be amazed if there isn’t at least a personnel and/or a system change in midfield for Leeds. If there is none then I fear for the result.

Not if the 8 performs the role correctly i.e. defensively when out of possession. We just do not have a physically imposing type destroyer who is good enough to play as a sole 6. So many of our team have natural attacking tendencies that we need that double pivot due to personnel. Now, if we had a Ndidi-esque player then one 6 would be fine. Smith, though, has never gone for that type of 6 so I don’t see that drastically changing anytime soon, unfortunately.

Possibly....but I still think we need 2 6s as the vast majority of our players, even defenders, are all of an attacking persuasion. It’s Smith’s preference for us to be very attacking so his insurance should principally be 2 6s.

6. 6 8 suits us better than both of the above.

Problem today, apart from Barkley doing zero, was that Smith went with 2 8s....again!! Every time we play with this system we get overrun in midfield and lose. Luiz not enough of a destroyer to be the only 6. I do not understand why Smith continues to use this set up when it makes so open in centre mid.

McGinn was playing as one of the 2 8s today so not required to drop as deep as Luiz. For me, I thought McGinn was one of our better players.

Agree. No energy, no involvement, no contribution. Pretty much like playing with 10 men. Has to be subbed asap.

Playing 2 8’s and a 6 against Leicester is asking for trouble. Don’t see Smith’s logic here - at least drop McGinn back into the 6 role.

100% this.....which is why we are currently unable to control the midfield against progressive and pressing teams. Simply cannot have RB as a 2nd striker vs Leicester so need Sanson/Nakamba or Ramsey in to make it a genuine midfield 3 or at least a more solid 2 and 1.