TrentVilla

Boy is this lad improving quickly, one to watch for sure.

Just now, HalfTimePost said:

Maybe but he's injured so difficult to tell. The hard working, pressing, all action style doesn't suit him but he also doesn't appear the type too kick up a fuss.

Anwar maybe?

Archer? He's gone missing but also he's young so can't imagine him kicking up a fuss either

I don't think he was suggesting people were kicking up a fuss.

I simply took it to me that they were asking players to play in different ways, to adapt their games to how they want to play and that they perhaps weren't fully convinced yet. I don't think that is that unusual or concerning following a change of manager, I'd say it is fairly common in fact new managers need results to demonstrate their way works. The Gerrard name would have been good only so long, probably until the first training session.

3 hours ago, Tom13 said:

He should have given away a pen though

No chance, Schmeichel didn't even appeal for a foul from Mings he appealed for the push not realising it was his team mate.

The contact only happened because Evans I think it was pushed him forward into Mings who was using his arm to jump and no more the fact he didn't head the ball is irrelevant.

On Mings more generally I've one of his biggest critics and I said by all my previous criticism but credit where it is due he was very good today.

Thought he did well again today, been quietly impressed the last couple of appearances which is the first time I've said that.

My shopping list in terms of positions I think we need to address within the squad.

Back up GK

First choice/genuinely competitive LB 

LCB

2 x CM

I don't think these will all be addressed in January but they are the biggest issues in the squad currently and were in the summer but went unaddressed.

4 minutes ago, HalfTimePost said:

That is interesting and from team selection its tough to work out who he might mean. Ings maybe but that seems unlikely.

Mings had been dropped by Smith so seems unlikely to be him too. The ones I'd have expected to be Smith cheerleaders would be Konsa, McGinn, Watkins and other than Watkins being a bit whingy they've all looked good under Gerrard so far. 

Can't really pick out who the problem children might be. 

Sanson reportedly feels better about seeing a path to game time. Nakamba is a new man under Gerrard. Luiz is getting to play further forward too. Other than Ings - whose had an injury - I can't really think of somebody who is losing out.

Buendia and Bailey might be unhappy but they should be and weren't exactly pulling up trees under Smith

Traore possibly.

2 minutes ago, rodders0223 said:

There were games last season against big dogs were he was excellent then he'd be straight out the team unfairly. I remember saying it several times last season.

Smith had his favourites. Simple as that. Rather inflexible in that regard.

I don't think it was about favourite so much as mentality, Smith wanted to go and win every game so didn't want a player like Nakamba in his side. It was idealistic and more than a little naive because you need to have a solid base but he just wouldn't do it.

Brilliant and infuriating at times today.

I've said throughout his time at Villa that he needs a specialist forward coach to work with him, a former top goal scorer to just work on some elements of his game.

6 minutes ago, WHY said:

Just read an interview where Gerrard said a few players haven’t bought into the new regime. Interesting that he mentioned it though. It’s not the type of thing a manager usually says.

As I just said in another post his whole interview was laced with messages to the players.

Nakamba has been excellent the last few games, I'll probably take pelters for saying it but he is still one of the players we need to try and improve upon though.

Absolutely no chance of Europe through the league this season in my view, our start under Smith was just too damaging and not just those 5 games.

As if we are in for Gomez.

39 minutes ago, MaVilla said:

Yeah but mate, Lingard needs his final fat pay day to fund his top of the line JLingz perfumes and clothes, it could be argued that signing him on 180k a week to allow him to really develop the JLingz brand, his JLingz clothing etc, isnt that almost a human right and a boon to the poor masses?, dont we all want some JLingz in our lives?

I think funding JLingz might be considered a social good and a benefit for wider humanity.

Footbal isnt everything, sometimes we just need to try and give something back, you will feel better for it, warm and tingly inside, i promise.

You are right, 5 year deal on £100k a week should keep him going. Get it done.

5 hours ago, Genie said:

All the advice is not to sign up to any deals at the moment. I assume this means they think it’ll settle down before the next price cap review end of March. 

It won’t, it will get worse come April.

5 hours ago, Davkaus said:

I'm as big a fan of dogging as anyone, but I don't see how it helps here

Use your car heater rather than your home heating?

28 minutes ago, Blasterpocket68 said:

I agree he is a really good prospect , but TBH the midfield wasn’t fantastic yesterday as a 3 against Brightons 5 . I just think to play this system we desperately need experienced midfielder who will  be strong and play box to box. His a good player but needs time to develop. 

I agree but then you'd have to have 3 very good midfielders to deal with the way Brighton play as a 5 and their ball retention.

20 minutes ago, av1 said:

I think that’s also a fair comment. Without digressing away, I did say to lad that sits next to me yesterday that after all the money we’ve spent on the squad we were essentially starting the game with youth player and Nakamba in our midfield. 
I mention that not to digress, but as a sort of acknowledgment that he probably wouldn’t have even forced his way In to a stronger midfield. 

But to give credit to the kid, he has taken his opportunity and come on really strongly this season. 

Back to your point in bold, have you seen enough in his progression to make you think he could become that player in 12/24 months or so? 

I think that is a very good point re out midfield and something that for me makes me question our recruitment but that is another topic.

He has certainly taken his opportunity, to answer your question I'm not sure. I've seen enough to make me think he could be yes, it will I guess though be a case of if he can progress rapidly enough or will what happened with Cahill happen with him, I hope not.

I'd imagine though that part of our recruitment process with Gerrard would have included discussions about our academy and player progression.

29 minutes ago, av1 said:

I think the most impressive thing is the speed of progression. Correct me if I’m wrong but I think 5/6 months ago, you, like myself was pretty sceptical about him, I simply didn’t see someone who was going to become a really good PL player. 
 

This season however he just seems to have taken his game into a level that I didn’t think he had. If he can keep that progress up, and like you say do it on a consistent basis, we could have a really good player on our hands. 
 

One thing I think the new coaching set up will work on is his fitness. That’s not a criticism he’s still a young lad, but he does seem to drop off pretty noticeably after about an hour. That will improve I’m sure 

I hold my hands up on it I didn’t see anything special in him initially but his progress has been so rapid. I’m still not convinced he should be starting in a side with aspirations of Europe but it will aid his development as will the new set up.

Even when he has a good game he just isn't good enough, we need better.

2 hours ago, Stevo985 said:

He was very very good yesterday. MOTM to me. If he can consistently perform to that level he'll be some player for us. Looking forward to seeing more

Agreed, he has progressed so rapidly in the last year and this despite I suspect a first team coaching set up that was not really best placed to develop him. With Gerrard and McAllister now in the set up you feel he has the perfect environment in which to develop his game.

What an utterly pointless game.

Bellingham though, what a player that kid is going to be.