villabromsgrove

They're both 6ft 2ins though!

1 minute ago, The Fun Factory said:

Glad you are approaching this with an open mind.

I don't think there are going to be many "open minded" Villa fans after this promising transfer window turned into a tragic comedy, and Villa sit 19th in the league. The next 7 hrs 45 minutes could prove me wrong of course.

6 minutes ago, rodders0223 said:

Top 8.

Pushing for Europe.

£150 ticket increase.

 

Signs Dendoncker for a relegation battle.

 

Woeful.

I don't usually like your posts rodders, they're far too angry for me .... but you've got this absolutely right in my opinion.

Pushing for top 8 at the beginning of the transfer window .... shopping in the yellow sticker clearance section three months later .... Puzzling?

I watched Gerard's post match comments and he was saying that his "messages were not getting through to the players".

He said "we told them that Saka was left footed so show him to his right .... Jesus is right footed so show him to his left .... Martinelli likes to shoot so get out and close him down". 

It struck me how basic his idea of preparing a team of Premier players for a match was. It doesn't seem as though he has much trust in our players at the moment.

He loses more aerial 50/50's than he wins. for a big guy he doesn't get off the ground very well. He's strong although a bit clumsy.

He would be more of a panic buy than any part of a plan for the future in my opinion.

Simple question, how does Gerrard expect to play proper football with the narrowest team set up in the league?

I think most of our players are putting a shift in. Several are ineffective due to the system and a couple are having their usual non existent games,

It won't get better until they get some proper coaching and we play a more suitable system for our players.

This transfer window started professionally, then went very quiet ,and has now descended into confusion. I don't know who's to blame for our naivety but Lange and Gerrard will be under the microscope. Purslow is also culpable but I feel he is too important to NSWE currently to feel their wrath.

When the window closes tomorrow night Gerrard will know that in a short time barring an unlikely win against one of the next two top teams that await us, he will be confronted by the Grim Reaper alias Wes Edens.

SG's last chance starts tonight.

I think the equation is a simple one for NSWE .... Aston Villa minus Gerrard equals survival in the Premier League. Our owners are professional businessmen who will not endanger their investment for the sake of one man. 

The Gerrard experiment has failed on the pitch, but worked as a project to raise Villa's profile considerably over the past nine months. It's served it's purpose if it ends now.

I wish you all the very best for the future Anwar. Some special moments will ensure that you will always be part of the Villa story. 

I still think that we will sign a 'big money' CM and a temporary CB in the next few days. However, the enthusiasm that I have had through this transfer window has been steadily drained by my concern that our Head Coach/Manager,  Sports Director and scouts may not be singing from the same hymn sheet.

After the next three games we can look at our results and league position and compare them with Brighton and Newcastle. They both have managers/coaches that I respect and currently they look far more qualified for the Premier league than Gerrard. Good luck SG because this is where we enter a critical stage and you need to step up.

When we start having conversations about Dawson being better than Bednarek for Villa, I start to despair. It's just not what I expected or hoped for.

Keeping your plans close to your chest is a good way to do business, but it creates a vacuum into which fans pour all their anxieties and frustration when things appear to stall and results are poor.

Gerrard needs a win tomorrow or recent muddled events may well encourage an angry vocal reaction from fans. So far it has mainly been social media, but if it spreads to boots on the ground he will have an uphill task ahead of him.

I'm putting out good vibes for a Villa home win tomorrow.

Just now, IrishVilla10 said:

Any chance you could link the article mate? Cheers

A few years back I tried linking an article and got my wrist smacked by the Mods because I did it wrong. (I'm not good at tech, lol).

The article is on Sky football and is written by a data and analysis guy Adam Smith. 

According to an article I've just read Villa ran less than any Premier league team last season, and although we've only played three matches we are currently the team that has run the least collective kilometres per game this season .... Is this down to the way we set up or does it highlight a lack of fitness or effort?

On the plus side it does appear that our pressing has improved, and our high turnovers are fractionally better. This corresponds with our higher possession stats so far this season.

9 minutes ago, TRO said:

while i was initially happy.......totally underwhelmed right now.

Carlos's injury obviously plays a big part in that, but hey ho!

It's a shame about Carlos TRO.

The reason that I mentioned the three players, apart from their prices and availability was because of one particular characteristic that you've often mentioned .... Strength!

Caleta Car is a very big, strong and dominant RCB.

Abdou Diallo has good strength, size and excellent technical ability.

Ben Brererton Diaz has strength, size, pace and a really cracking shot. 

We are far too weak as a collective, increasingly so with the extended absence of Diego Carlos. These signings would change the dynamic for us.

Three affordable and gettable targets for the back, middle and front of the team.

Caleta Car RCB

Abdou Diallo DCM

Ben Brererton Diaz attacking front three. 

57 minutes ago, RicRic said:

Zero faith in our direction from the recruitment side if we are signing Bednarek as a key option for our defence… five steps backwards and shows if we can sign him we will sign anybody that has two legs.. i know we cant sign another 30 mill cb but come on we can look for much better elsewhere 

You raise a good point here. If we are as ambitious as Purslow and Gerrard tell us we are, then there is absolutely no way we should be considering buying or loaning players that clubs like Southampton (or similar) deem surplus to requirements.

I think that the only time a player who is surplus to requirements at his current club makes sense to a club like Villa, is if that player is already with a top club ( for example Diallo PSG).

All I've got to go on are YouTube videos. He looks a cultured footballer who can do most things well, but he doesn't look like a Premier League RCB. I could see him playing beside Kamara as a strong technical CM pairing though.

I don't know anything about Abdou Diallo other than the You Tube videos that I've hastily watched, but what struck me was the fact that he has the qualities needed for a LFB or a holding defensive midfielder more than a CB. I could be way off as  compilation videos just show highlights and not the average grind of a footballer doing his job.

24 minutes ago, TRO said:

The irony is Dave, he halted the slide, by making us a bit harder to play against.....then he signed Countinho and Digne....too very talented but light weight players, since then we have gone backwards in terms of "Hard to play against"

If they are to stay in the team other players have to compensate, in terms of defensive nous, and physicality.....that hasn't happened, so we are exposed physically and athletically.... TBF Kamara has come in, and Diego is a tragedy, but never the less, for what I am saying a set back.

That was the turning point, back to where we came from, for me.

I think you've hit the nail on the head Paul.

As long suffering fans we knew there were two outstanding areas of weakness that were stopping us making the next step up .... The lack of a skilful, mobile and physically imposing CM pairing, and the lack of a dominant CB pairing who have real aerial and positional prowess as well as considerable physical strength.

I believe that Gerrard thought he could manage these weaknesses by trying to replicate the neat and dangerous high possession style of Man C, L'pool etc, without going through the process of building a really strong and combative central spine.

The problem is that SG seems to have ignored the fact that the reason why top teams can do most of their defending in the opposition half, is because they employ some of the world's best footballers. It won't work for us so SG (or his successor) has to do the glaringly obvious and buy players who can dominate key central areas.

Two expensive key signings would point us in the right direction again. 

We are playing tonight, it's on Sky and I'm looking forward to supporting Villa..

5 minutes ago, Aston_Villan4 said:

Lol look at this guy trying to be rational. You silly goose. 

I know, I'm from a much earlier era and I keep making the mistake of trying to be rational. That's not how things are done now is it? 

Here's a cool idea, it's half past nine at night so why don't we wait patiently for accurate, authenticated news tomorrow.