Philosopher

1 hour ago, Tom13 said:

Interesting view. He's certainly a better dribbler than Buendia but the better decision maker and knowing when to release a player, it's not a close contest from what Zaniolo's shown so far.

Buendia's decision making is all over the place. Always looks and goes for the throughball even when it's not on. 

As for Zaniolo's defensive work it isn't as relentless, but he's more effective as he isn't a lightweight powder puff! He's the opposite a huge powerful specimen!

14 minutes ago, mole86 said:

didn’t see the first goal on Saturday? 

That was more of a cutback. Last night's was a proper cross. His crossing is inconsistent at best.

6 hours ago, Tom13 said:

Really? He linked up nicely in a tight space with Tielemans at one point, then weighted a nice ball for Cash into space to assist the winner.

That's what I like about Bertie, it's rarely hit and hope. He does things with intent and tries to get players into dangerous areas so there's a higher chance of a good chance being created at the end of the move.

He played one decent pass to Cash who for the first time in a while played a perfect cross. He didn't make one dribble, not one shot on target, never anywhere near an assist himself. He did very little. Played one decent pass. He didn't change the game, we were already dominant, and creating openings.

Not shitting on him, he wasn't bad either, but that's the nature of coming on as a late sub. 

1 hour ago, TomC said:

Like Buendia and Bailey were for their first couple years here...

Buendia just isn't that good. Bailey has improved this season, but still not nailing down that right wing position.

Zaniolo has more about his game than both. He works hard, closes down like Buendia, but actually has real physical presence, and is a far better dribbler than Buendia. 

For me Zaniolo has a no ceiling the guy can be anything he wants!

Yep, he is good defensively, but going forward he can only affect the game if there is lots of space.

Good run out. Needs games.

Not the game for him. Always struggles when opponents cede possession and defend deep.

Just now, HKP90 said:

Do you think he's lost a yard of pace? Might be me but he seems less explosive than I remember him.

Didn't get the space to run into. Had two men close whenever he got the ball near their box.

Very lively today. Looks a better player all round this season.

Just trying a bit too hard. Needs a rest.

Didn't do much tonight. Couldn't get upto the pace of the game.

Thought he was poor again. Misplaced passes without even being pressured. Dallied on  the ball, many poor passing choices, too many attempts at ambitious through balls. Wild shooting. Added to the fact he looks cumbersome and clumsy.

Luckily we got him on a free!

18 hours ago, TRO said:

I don't think Unai has the diversity of player in his squad, to change things as much as he would like.....The old saying change the "bowler, but you are not the bowling" is relevant to us imo......too many are just face changes, who have similar attributes going on, as them coming off....that doesn't make significant change, all the time.

Unai is responsible for the Squad diversity, so I think he is making things hard for himself, by having a shortage of certain ingredients.

We need to find a balance of attributes, to make the team tick. Too many looking to others for inspiration.

 

From what I see Unai wants his midfield players to have technical ability, the ability to spot a pass, and retain possession. This is why Dendonker struggles when we have the lions share of possession, he lacks the ability to use the ball effectively consistently. 

We do lack a powerful all action midfield that is a tackle and press machine. However for Unai to bring in such a player they would have to have the passing and technical prowess to match. However such a player is in very high demand. Ugarte a 20 year old playing at Benfica got snapped up by PSG. 

Defensively we have a variety of options. Unfortunately Lenglet and Chambers are so slow they're sitting ducks when the high line is deployed. Mings is a huge loss.

Currently injury, and the match load have stymied our options, which are actually pretty good. The type of player mentioned above is all that the squad really lacks.

So a really poor performance.

Changes had to be made. But Emery got things a bit wrong. Hindsight is 20/20.

So the first major thing Emery got wrong was playing Tielemens as a left midfielder / CAM. This guy clearly lacks the speed of foot, agility, and balance to operate in those tighter spaces. He just gave the ball away over and over and over again in that first half. If you want to play with Tielemens, Dendonker and Luiz you need a central midfield 3, with Dendonker Anchoring. 

Dendonker wasn't great, but to take him off and leave Tielemens on was poor Unai! 

Cash was very poor. He was shooting when should be crossing, crossing badly, and all he could do right was pass backwards. We may as well have played Chambers.

Pau and Konsa did fine. But clearly lacked confidence in Olsen who looked as bad as he could have in that first half. Came for nothing, shiting his pants when in possession.  Just not the right keeper for our style of play. 

McGinn didn't do too badly but had Tielemens in front of him. I'm glad he only played 45 minutes because he has been looking leggy for 3 games now. 45 minutes was probably the plan from the start for him.

Luiz continues to do what he does well, but he needs the players around him to give him options.

Zaniolo was off it, I believe he needed a rest. Unfortunately Bailey going off injured meant he couldn't get that rest.

Diaby was poor, probably needed a rest too. 

Duran tried but had no supply. 

Tielemens is not a wide or advanced midfielder, I don't want to see him in those kind of positions again.

Onana was excellent, bossed that midfield.

We should have started with midfield 3. Unfortunately Ramsey wasn't on the bench so must have a knock, otherwise he'd have started left mid. Then was could have rested Diaby and gone 433.

So this guy was dog shit last night!

Lacks the maneuverability and speed of foot to play as advanced as he started last night. Just lost possession over and over again. Then got moved back after Dendonker came off and basically gave a away a goal. 

If he wants to start more matches, then he really needs to up his performance level. Currently Luiz is twice the player he is. 

9 minutes ago, CVByrne said:

It seems you are having some completely other conversation about Johan Lange or something!! 

I'm just discussing the clubs recruitment as a whole which has got us a squad who are performing well today. You have come into it from an angle specifically around Lange for some reason.

People were praising Lange. Saying he's done a good job. My point (from the beginning) was most of our best players have nothing to do with Lange, and that the jury is still out!

1 hour ago, Zatman said:

Heaton had one major injury before signing for us and before that was playing 40 games a season

It was two. And he had become Burnley's no 2. So he wasn't playing 40 games a season.

42 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

Yeah but surely you must recognise that an injury doesn't effect the quality of the signing at the time. It's just luck.

If we somehow managed to sign MBappe in January and two games in he had a career ending injury, it would still be an incredible signing. It would just have been ended by bad luck

The quality of the player it doesn't affect. But regardless injuries are one of the major reasons signings don't work out.

Coutinho was a fantastic talent, still is, but his hamstrings keep tearing. So poor signing. If you sign a player with a history of injury issues, like Coutinho, like Heaton and injuries mean their transfer doesn't work out that's a poor signing.

Wesley had no history of injuries and got a nasty injury that's ruined him. Really he and Villa should sue the **** out of Ben  Mee. That's really bad luck, the signing is unsuccessful, but you can't say poor.

Fanatics manufacture the merchandise not the kits. The kit is Castore's responsibility.

1 hour ago, CVByrne said:

Events like injury aren't things we can judge a player for. Wesley had 5 goals in half a season for a relegation club and Heaton was excellent for us when he played. 

Also what people determine a "success" is what exactly? Is the bar you must be Luiz, Konsa, Martinez level signings? as in players who are good enough for our club right now?

Heaton certainly wasn't a success. In fact he was a failure. Injuries are down to luck really, Villa and Heaton didn't have much luck together. Same for Wesley. Ultimately they are signing that worked out badly for both the club and the players.

In our first team group, Mings, Konsa, Luiz and McGinn were signed under previous directors of football, Martinez, Cash, and Watkins had little to do with Lange as well. Ramsey is an academy product.  Pau and Moreno are clearly Emery signing. Zaniolo is more Emery and Monchi. 

The Lange signings are Sanson, Ings, Buendia, Bailey, Carlos, Kamara, Digne, and now Tielemens and Diaby. Carlos and Tielemens the jury is still out, but I'm hopeful. Kamara and Diaby excellent signings. Sanson and Ings poor signings. Bailey and Buendia so far passable at best.

Lange has done okay, but for me the jury is still out.

Never rated Targett. Though his lock down season was very good. Heaton spent most of his time here injured, so he wasn't really a good signing. We replaced him after one season.

53 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

the thing is though that we signed players that we needed to fill out the squad and for the purpose of just surviving and getting us up the table, we were always going to have a high turnover of players, the reality is Hause who we signed to be 4th choice CB in an attempt to avoid relegation was never going to be also be our 4th choice CB in an attempt to get CL, same with trez, el ghazi etc etc

but they're not bad signings, they served their purpose

agree with 2021 though, the 3 of them were just ok

lange has also seemingly done very well at youth level, he signed kellyman, kerr, bogarde, feeney, wilson and did various good bits of work contracts wise

Lange wasn't at the club in 2019. So that staying up season had nothing to do with him. He also had little to do with 2020 signings as he had joined the club while those deals were in the process of being made. 2021 was his first proper business, oh and Sanson.

1 hour ago, CVByrne said:

Mings, Konsa, Luiz - 2019

Cash, Martinez, Watkins - 2020

So brilliant signings by the club in those two windows

Leaves out all the distinctly average players we also signed in 2019. Also 2019 was a different team of recruitment staff.

Also leaves out 2021 window of Ings, Bailey, and Buendia. And while Bailey and Buendia are useful players, they have failed to really nail down a first team place, and their goals and assists figures have not been good enough.

Not convinced be Lange to be honest. 

Defense is still a worry. We were cut open fairly easily at times. The high isn't a problem, it's part of the modern game. It enables us to compress the play and make it harder to play through us and facilitates our press.

Cash and Digne has problems with the Chelsea wingers, one on one they struggled. The offside trap worked well, but there were 2 or 3 occasions where it didn't. 

Thought it was a fairly even game until the sending off, after which we controlled the game until we scored. After we scored, we made it easier for them by failing to keep the.

Martinez and Kamara the clear stand outs. McGinn was a better, bit still a little below par. Diaby didn't really get into the game.

Generally an average display, defense kept a clean sheet which is much needed. Goormdn

Kamara is having a good game. McGinn needs to step it up. Diaby a little off it.