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Wes

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Posts posted by Wes

    Summer Transfer Window 2023

    in Villa Talk

    Posted

    15 hours ago, Delphinho123 said:

    Let’s play a game! 

    Budget/value/wages aren’t an issue. They’re immaterial for the purpose of this exercise.

    You’ve got 4 to pick. Who are you choosing…

    P. Torres
    Lee Kang In
    F. Torres
    M. Asensio
    P. Goncalves
    H. Barnes
    M. Ugarte
    Guendouzi
    N. Williams
    D. Ceballos
    Lo Celso
    A. Buena
    M. Merino
    Y. Pino

    (I’m sure I’ve forgotten more)…


     

    If I had to choose based purely on your list, and those we've been linked to:

    1. Matteo Guendouzi - Want above all else. I don't think there's a better squad fit of a player out there right now. Just increases the options and quality of squad depth in 3 different positions with 1 signing.

    2. Nico Williams - Not even 21 yet. Could, could, become elite. Think he has all the attributes to thrive in the Premier League. Could play either the right sided midfield or withdrawn/right sided striker role.

    3. Aaron Wan Bissaka - The "island" right back that I believe Emery wants in his system. Entrust him in 1v1 situations which he will be a lot of the time with the players in front of him on the right side being. I feel this is slightly harsh on Cash though. It'll be interesting to see what happens at this position in the summer.

    4. Lee Kang-In. This could've been Goncalves or Alberto Moleiro. Just another forward minded player who is good at progressing the ball either via passing or dribbling, who still has room to develop.

    • Like 1

    Summer Transfer Window 2023

    in Villa Talk

    Posted

    Just a small note to say that both La Liga and Ligue 1 have their final weekend of the season a week after the Premier League finishes.

    We've been linked to players from both. It's unlikely we hear any signings confirmed from either league, especially pending free agents like Moussa Dembélé, until after the 4th June.

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    Summer Transfer Window 2023

    in Villa Talk

    Posted

    Guendouzi provides legit starting XI competition for:

    • Douglas Luiz's Left Sided DM spot
    • Kamara's Right Sided DM spot
    • McGinn's Right Midfield spot

    *all based on most recent run outs when all fit.

     

    He loves playing for Emery.

    He fits the right age profile.

    Has Premier League experience.

    Has top level European Competition competition.

    Has experience playing alongside Kamara.

     

    Adds top level competition and cover for a number of positions in Emery's system. It would just be a really sensible signing on a number of levels.

    • Like 5

    Summer Transfer Window 2023

    in Villa Talk

    Posted

    12 minutes ago, one_ian_taylor said:

    Guendouzi's an interesting one - people were all for him coming in January seemigly as a replacement for McGinn. But McGinn's form has been stellar recently. Is an upgrade  needed as much now, or would he still be a big upgrade,  or would it be an expensive way of adding squad depth?

    Guendouzi provides starting level competition immediately for either DM or that Right Midfield position. Keep it so that no one's place in the starting eleven is taken for granted. Emery has spoken already that he wants two in each position - Guendouzi covers more than just one position!

    He loves Emery. Has a good understanding with Kamara already. Has just turned 24 last week so fits the right age profile. 

    He simply elevates the squad in so many ways.

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    Lee Kang-in

    in Other Football

    Posted

    I think this would be a really solid signing, so I hope it's true. This is a signing that if Brighton made every other fan of every other Premier League team would be saying "why weren't we in for him for that fee?".

    Let's break down who he is, and what Lee Kang-In would bring to us.

     

    Firstly, lets look at how we currently set up, with the assumption that this is how Emery wants to setup going forward.
    We currently line up in a base 4-4-2, that can morph in to a 6-2-2 out of possession shape and a 4-2-2-2 in possession with the two wide midfielders moving infield in a more advanced position. The right sided of the two forward players is typically either an attacking midfielder, whose role is to drop deeper to create link up play with the midfield, or a hybrid winger, who is tasked with stretching play by playing out towards the right wing.

    The wide midfield roles and the right sided forward (accompanying Watkins) share some similiarites. They are one of the three main attacking threats alongside Watkins (the other being the advanced Left Back in Emery's system). They also share similar characteristics. They must be hard-working, be good technically, and perhaps most key of all - good progressors of the ball vertically, either via dribbling (i.e. Ramsey) or passing (i.e. Buendia).

    Lee is definitely one of the former. He's very left footed. He excels at ball control and progression via dribbling. He is very press-resistant. Physically he is incredibly agile, capable of swift changes of direction and rapid acceleration, without being out and out fast in terms of overall pace, although he is fast enough. He's tenacious too - he doesn't shay away from the physical side of the game.

    He is elite at getting past an opposing player. I don't use that term flippantly. He is one of the best in La Liga at this. His success rate suggests that more of ten than not he will beat the player he's up against - more likely than Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Nico Williams and Samuel Chukwueze (if you look purely at the percentages - those four other players attempt way more than Lee does, mostly because they are able to because they play in far better teams).

    But look at those last two names - Williams and Chukwueze. Two names we have already been strongly linked with. Two players who are also excelling at progressing with the ball via take-ons. Perdro Goncalves is another whose statistics excel here. Guendouzi is an excellent Progressive Passer of the ball. My theory is if you want to look at potential targets for this summer, looking at progressive carries and/or passes for these three supporting/attacking positions is going to be a good start. He will be able to draw players in to him, and escape, freeing up space for others to attack. We've seen already this season that Emery likes drawing opponents out of their shape, to make room for others to thrive.

    In terms of profile of player, I think Lee could play any of these roles - left or right of midfield, moving in to those inside midfield advanced positions or as we've seen Buendia of late in that second striker position - dropping from that position to link up play - when Emery wants to play that way. He's done that for Mallorca.

    He's a good set piece taker, which just opens up more options for us.

    He's got pedigree. At the U-20 world championships in 2019 he won the Golden Ball as player of the tournament - ahead of players like Haaland who scored 9 goals in 3 games.

    In terms of ability to settle in, he's been in Spain since 2011 (when he signed for Valencia's youth system) so he'll be able to communicate efficiently with the Spanish contingent in both the coaching and playing staff. I have no knowledge on how good his English is.

     

    Is he the finished article? Absolutely not, but at 22 (birthday in February) you wouldn't really expect him to be. He's not one, yet, for the starting eleven, but he is deserving of a place in the match day squad at the very least.

     

    So in Summary:

    • Fits the preferred age profile of new signings.
    • The fee is completely reasonable.
    • Wages are likely to be very reasonable too - estimation is that he's currently on less than £5k a week.
    • Versatile enough to play in any of three of our supporting attacking positions.
    • Excels at ball retention and progression - areas I think we are targeting specifically in this window.

    Should he sign, I think he would initially be a backup in the wide left midfield role. Typically it has more licence to get forward than the right side in Emery's system. Also seems like it would be easier to communicate with Moreno on that left side with regards defensive duties. But he has enough positives to his game, at still such a young age, that it's precisely the kind of low-risk, high-reward signing that we should be trying for. It won't stop us from other targets because his versatility means he would be a great person to have on the bench and/or to cover injuries anyway.

    • Like 15
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    Villa’s Race for Europe 22/23

    in Villa Talk

    Posted

    59 minutes ago, Monkeypuzzle said:

    Do Liverpool have an easy fixture list for their run in? They seem to be predicted much higher than I expect based on their current position.

    The below image was published on April 1st and is based purely on Opta's Power Rankings, which already has an element of subjectivity to it, but is useful as a rough gauge of difficulty.
     

    Premier League Fixture Difficulty 2022-23

    Team shape, tactics and personnel

    in Villa Talk

    Posted

    Think that Tifo analysis is spot on personally.

    • From a statistician's point of view - our underlying numbers suggest we have been overperforming/lucky in a number of games to have the point tally we do.
    • From a tactician's point of view - Emery has done a really good job of embedding in a system which plays to the strengths of our players (Watkins highlighted here).

    Overall a fair summary; on a purely numerical basis we may be overperforming, but we have enabled all of that to happen because of the good work by Emery and the development of the players we are witnessing. I'm sure Emery and his staff are aware of this, it's why in all his interviews he continues to stress that we need to continue improving.

    The trajectory is positive and that's the main thing.

    Summer Transfer Window 2023

    in Villa Talk

    Posted

    3 minutes ago, Lord Willard said:

    I know Emery prefers a hybrid RB but if Saints go down I'd be looking at Walker-Peters. 

    Also I'd still enquiry about James Ward Prowse. Imagine two McGinns in midfield. 

    I think our second McGinn is surely going to be Guendouzi. Can play either the DM or wide midfield roles. Too much smoke here.

    • Like 1

    Summer Transfer Window 2023

    in Villa Talk

    Posted

    Some reports today that the asking price for Jonathan David, the Canadian international Striker at Rennes who has often been mentioned as a potential target for us on this forum over the past 12 months or so, is around £57m.

    Personally I think this will be more than we are willing to pay for him now. I think we will break our transfer fee record this summer, but that money will be for that wide forward postion that compliments Watkins, rather than one that is more similar in style to Ollie (they're not exact copies of one another, but they share a number of similiarities).

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    Emiliano Buendía

    in Villa Talk

    Posted

    Rewatching the Chelsea game, he did a very good job applying a "Cover Shadow" (basically blocking the passing route) to whichever of the Chelsea midfield two he was tasked to. He was always looking around him both in both phases of play. He also did well infilling for McGinn and Ramsey in those wide midfield positions in the second bank of four if either of those two were caught out further upfield than him in an attack. Knew exactly what their responsibility were and what their assignments were in different scenarios (i.e. Chelsea winbacks overlapping or following an inside runner).

    Just wanted to highlight a small part of his overall game I noticed from the weekend which is valuable to the way we currently set-up and want to play, particularly when playing away from home.

    • Like 9

    Team shape, tactics and personnel

    in Villa Talk

    Posted

    Claret & Blue Podcast with Jon MacKenzie from Tifo Football discussing Unai Emery's Tactics

    Highly recommend this podcast/video published today. Really good, articulate discussion. Not everything covered is new or groundbreaking for those who have been devouring as many articles and videos as they can, but just solid overall.

    Some points discussed:

    • Benefits of building up from the back.
    • Phases of play in a modern tactic - a flexible system.
    • Balancing Tactical System with Skillset of Current Players.
    • Positional v Relational football.
    • The importance of the Goalkeeper in this system.
    • Like 1
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    The NSWE Board

    in Villa Talk

    Posted

    Sawiris and Edens were both at Villa Park today. Good that they got to watch a great peformance!

    Discussing Summer plans (and other development tasks) during the international break perhaps?

    January Transfer Window - 2023

    in Villa Talk

    Posted

    He's not a French journalist. Take a few minutes to check his post history. 80% of it is Villa related, and only during transfer windows. It's someone just trying to bait/get attention from Villa fans.

    I can't believe how many people fall for this stuff!

    January Transfer Window - 2023

    in Villa Talk

    Posted

    The timing of this Vitinha news is hard to figure out. Either we said we were interested, then Marseille confirmed the deal and the player is on his way to France already. Or Marseille thought they had a deal in place and we have now got involved to potentially "gazump" them. Time will tell.

    January Transfer Window - 2023

    in Villa Talk

    Posted

    3 minutes ago, duke313 said:

    Why would those players leave when they are sitting 3rd in the league?

    I don't think they would! I doubt they need the money having sold Isak in the summer and why change a winning formul, I agree! But when the Trees says there's a plane heading somewhere, it's always a bit of fun to speculate!

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