switters

Classy goal!

4 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Say what you want but having two **** sub youngster goal keepers instead of a revan or a out field youngster player is ridiculous 

How can kellyman not make bench? Or feeney, or o reilly?

We actually don't have a full bench, 8 players only. fact is though with 5 subs max, adding a kid on there, they still wouldn't be used - think remember him talking about this before when we were not naming full bench.

5 subs will be from Tielemans/Bailey/Traore/Chambers/Zaniolo/Duran. Even with some crazy spate of injuries during match, he'd find a way to shuffle senior players rather than throw in kids if they not thought ready (only position you can't do this is GK, hence 2 young GKs on bench)

My big worry with this is the defensive line/potential for miscommunications at the back - with no Martinez behind and a combo of Konsa/Carlos/Pau who are still learning each other's games. Don't know Burnley enough to know if they have the players up front to exploit that.

Might  be that we play a bit more conservatively because of this.

1 minute ago, OutByEaster? said:

The thing that worries me most about a back five is that it includes all of the fit players we have at every position in the back line.

A single injury anywhere on that line and we have to change formation.

 

won't Chambers be on bench?

1 hour ago, StanBalaban said:

Do you think the majority of our academy players dreamt about becoming an Aston Villa player? There's a few that grew up as fans, but most would want to play football for a living.

Our academy gives many of them a great grounding to succeed in their career, but the players will want to play where they can. They're not clinging on to the hope that it's here - they'll want regular football with the best team they can get, along with a good wage.

Elite sports is always going to be ruthless, but that cuts both ways. It's not always the big bad club. Many players will try to jump ship the moment a better offer comes along.

 

Very true, and you look around the league, most clubs - even ones with very good academies - I don't think many have more than 2-3 established first team squad members who came through their own youth system, and often only 1 real first teamer. And these examples tend to be the real deal because they were good enough to force their way through at top teams (e.g. Arsenal - Saka, Man Utd - Rashford, Man City - Foden,  Liverpool - Alexander-Arnold).

At the minute we only really have J.Ramsey and a few of the next most likeliest seem to be leaving this summer, but the main thing is that the Academy is regularly bringing through quality players who make it at a high level. If we keep doing it, it feeds back in terms of the quality of kids who join the academy - every so often one or two will establish selves here, others will end up as a star of another club (in the same way that we now enjoy the services of St Mirren's John McGinn, Exeter's Ollie Watkins etc.)

Not been perfect, but clearly gulf in quality between the sides. Made about 6-7 clear scoring chances, taken 3. Hopefully add one or two more 2nd half and kill it completely.

would quite like to see him try Duran on for Bailey or Diaby and see him alongside Watkins.

looked like should've been a pen on Bailey so justice from the corner.

Quality performance to get the season going after nightmare start, and especially good to get a few different players on the scoresheet. 

Plenty of positive performances. In particular, should be a nice booster for Pau to get a clean sheet after a pretty torrid introduction. McGinn was best player on pitch, and back to where he was 2nd half of last season. Diaby is also settling in quick which is great, and as he gets more understanding with Watkins that combi should bring plenty of goals.

Still early days to really judge this team. Newcastle away will be one of the hardest fixtures of the season, and on this showing Everton at home will be one of the easiest.

Really solid performance so far and exactly what we needed following last week.

Diaby, Bailey and McGinn all been very good, finding space in dangerous areas. the kind of game Coutinho would probably enjoy too, if he gets a run 2nd half.

Digne and Cash doing well too on the overlap.

Everton don't seem to have much about them. No real creativity in their team, just had that one chance from the neat one-two. 

Hopefully a 3rd earlyish in the second and then we can cruise it. Only real blip was giving up the two soft yellows. 

5 minutes ago, VillaJ100 said:

Dunno if it's the formation or occasion or both etc but looked second best all night to be honest

yeah a lot of the big players not really shown up. Bronze had her worst game of tournament. Hemp not been able to get involved. Walsh looks slightly off pace. Stanway battles but lacks quality. Decision making up front just not been there. And the passing in general not been up to scratch. 

Spain are very good though. Bonmati and Caldentey ran the game. And Paralluelo the ideal out ball all game. Definitely deserved winners. 

Got to be at least 10 mins added with the 5 min pen decision and now this injury and Spain are going to maximise the timewasting now. 

Kelly and James make sense to bring on, but I'm surprised who came off. would've thought Toone, who's not really been involved.

Unless Daly did have a knock, I'd have thought you'd find a way to leave her on even with change in formation. She'd been doing fine defensively and we know she can score goals. Just had a chance couple mins ago where it was Carter arriving back post where it would've been Daly.

I would guess they are having to be very careful with this 'return contract' - suspect Premier League will be looking closely at these type of deals that City and Villa are doing which seem to be finding loophole somewhere between loan and sale, presumably to help comply with FFP.

There's got to be a question if Villa essentially have a pre-agreed future contract in place with the player,  how does it functionally differ from a long-term loan? in particular in context of when the player is playing against us. 

19 hours ago, TomC said:

I think that we learned a few things tonight tactically...

--Cash seemed to have more freedom to go forward than he/Young had last year. The formation may not be quite as asymmetrical.

 

Wonder if that's just down to it being Digne on the left, the asymmetrical tactic was built around having Moreno

Walsh is England's best player. Final ball/decision making in final third has been the main problem today, Haiti have put in good battling performance tbf and have a lot of pacy, strong players.

Defence doesn't look good enough to go far in tournament either really, but maybe too early to judge on that.

feeling a lot like Newcastle game, impressive half, early goal and disappointing not to be up more. 

Hopefully 2nd half will follow suit.

Decent response to going behind in first half, but  the 2nd half was dreck and a thoroughly miserable end to any hope of anything other than 8th/9th.

Wolves parked bus and we didn't take the few chances we had. Add in a crappy homer ref and it was just immensely frustrating and ugly match to watch. How such a stop-start 2nd half where it didn't remain in play for more than 10 secs at a time could only get 3 mins added time is just incomprehensible but that was the kind of officiating that was on offer today

Definitely one of our most impressive halves of the season, just lacked that 2nd goal to stop it being perfect.

Tactics again spot on from Emery, adding Donk to solidify centre which has given Buendia loads of freedom and Ramsey also able to get forward a lot supporting Watkins. those 3 all excellent, along with Moreno and McGinn supporting wide.

Defence has managed well against the high press, just fell asleep on one cross which could've been costly.

Newcastle will have to go for it 2nd half, expect they'll throw on Wilson up with Isak before too long, which will be dangerous combo but that should also give us breaking opportunities.

They clearly also have a gameplan to always leave their foot in on the tackles wherever they can, and ref completely letting them get away with it. 2 or 3 more should be on yellows which would stop this, but they been given free reign to hack.

Embarrassing ending. Competed well mostly, but the soft underbelly still there, and conceding way too many goals lately. First 3 goals were all similar failures to get out and close down quick enough. Arsenal obv very good team, Odegaard and Saka will cause any team in the world problems but the goals were avoidable in the build up.

Ref abject failure to give clear cards to Saka obviously helped them a lot too. He's a very talented played but knows the dark arts very well indeed and refs let him get away with it time and again.

For us, good attacking combinations at times and had the chance of our own fairytale ending with either Doran or Bailey, but we never had much sustained possession or attacking pressure, it was all countering. Still, against weaker teams you'd have to think we should find some wins again soon. Just got to hope the run of losses isn't too damaging to confidence. 

Too much laziness throughout, played like cruising when it was only 1-0. Stevenage were well drilled, happy to let us have the ball and sit back. And then two pieces of diabolical stupidity/laziness to throw the match away, Dendoncker's cock-up followed by failure to do basics on a corner.

We failed to have any consistent attacking pressure. Stevenage did only have 2 shots on goal, but then we only managed 3 with all our possession. Coutinho and Bailey badly need to remember how to shoot. Bailey had a wretched performance throughout, needs a spell out of the team. Coutinho, sometimes looked like might create something and was involved in the goal, but you'd still expect a lot more. Ings and Watkins were both pretty non-existent, but that was probably a function of creative players failing to make much opportunity for them. Final balls generally not good.

Sanson the only out-of-favour player to really make a case for more game time. Feel bad for him, finally gets a game, get himself a goal, which should've been the winner - instead he's now a footnote on one of the most embarrassing results in our history.

Great result ahead of the break. Two very rare things of late: winning away and winning after going behind.

For the non-penalty, yes I'm sure I would have wanted it given for us, but it was also kind of a lunging tackle from March, he's not taking the ball under control diving in like that. Think that's why not given. 

Good management tbf, keeping Ramsey, Coutinho, McGinn involved off the bench so they get some confidence from this game too.

yeah agree with others Sanson and Archer on for a late run out would be nice final touch, prob could just bring on for Ings and Watkins

3 minutes ago, MaVilla said:

how is Dendoncker playing?, i assume the fact he isnt making headlines implies he's doing his no.6 role to perfection?

been quality. Kept it simple with passing, and put in interceptions/tackles where needed. Pairing nicely with Luiz to give solid base to midfield.

Farewell. Zero sign of any functioning football team tonight, and in too many games this season. Will get relegated if don't make significant changes, and first one has to be manager.