Philosopher

Both him and Buendia were constantly playing through balls for the opposition defenders!

I think this formation suits him and a consistent run of game and couple of goals and he'd be a big player for us again. Problem for him is if he gets that time, and whether we get a superior player in the transfer window.

Captian of the back ups!

To be honest I'm a bit worried about Buendia. We also have Coutinho so I think he is going to have to start putting in some performances. Also I'd pick Sanson ahead of McGinn, as I think he is a smarter, more skillful player, with better technique. Jacob needs a playmaker next to him.

His performance yesterday was a little worrying. Kept trying to make things happen, but it just wasn't coming off for him. I feel like he is always going to be rather inconsistent.

Doug just wasn't to Gerrard's liking. But the reality is if want to keep the ball and use it intelligently Doug is essential. We need Ramsey in the team as well. He makes such a difference with his powerful ball carrying, and technique. McGinn should be a squad player nothing now.

Classy operator of Doug. Never doubted it. Technique, and intelligence, just needed experience and quality coaching.

Leon Bailey stated clearly the facilities were a major factor in his decision to join Villa. The money in the prem means a few teams have similar facilities, but the coninent is different only the very top teams boast similar. And yes our facilities put us ahead of Man U in that regard. We recently built a new performance centre, then upgraded if further to emulate the facilities they have in American football. Our facilities are right up there. The owners are building a world class foundation of which the expansion to Villa Park is the culmination of.

The facilities at bodymoor really are fantastic. Up there with the best sports teams in the world. This is a massive attraction for players.

Well Juventus seem to think the American John Mcginn in a trade could entice us !?!?

Scotland have a real hard time scoring goals against any team. They lack quality talent in the attacking areas. McGinn is played there because of a lack of quality options. Ramsey, Buendia, and Coutinho are all better options for us in the number 10 role, if he's a no 10 he shouldn't be getting a look in, and be deemed surplus to requirments.

I guess that depends on how you see it. For me Kane was dropping far to deep, to play some lovely passes to players you'd rather Kane be on the receiving end of. You can't play an attack of Kane, Foden, and Saka, because none of those players will run in behind. Saka terrified the French defenders and ironically he was the first player Southgate subbed. Just ridiculous. England have a wealth of top quality number 10's but they insist on playing him in the no 10 role when he lacks to ability to dribble past players. It's stupid. Kane is good when he has someone like Son or Rashford. Players that will run in behind from deeper positions and have the instincts of a striker. But this makes the team one that has to exploit the transition. They will still lack the ability to breakdown a stubborn defensive side. As Kane is not a top no 10, he is a top no 9, that needs legs around him. For me building a team around him is rather limiting. As if you play him with a no 10, they just get in each others way. You need a shadow striker in that 10 position to make it work.

World Cup is a world away from premier league. It's slower, with less movement. The players don't have the team to build a rapport with each other in the same way they do in club football. A target man can be more effective in world Cup football. But if you look at it properly it's the quick strikers that have had a greater effect. Kane was rubbish for example. We saw more from Rashford in one game then Kane in 3. Your point out Giroud, but he has Mbappe and Dembele suppling him, and the only decent they played (England) outplayed them, and Giroud was now more than a passenger apart from the goal. And remember he was up against Stones and Maguire. Either one is fine alongside a genuine world class defender, but together, they're an accident waiting to happen. Take Morroco as an example, lot of the players are performing well at this World Cup, but none of them would be a first team regular for a top 6 team. Their no 8 for example would have to increase his output by at least 15% to put in the same kind of performances.

Manchester or Newcastle it is then!!!

Lots of potential. Looks like a Rooney type in that he's almost fully grown by 16. I was 5'5 at 16, now I'm 6ft! As is the way with youngsters, steering clear of serious injury, making his breakthrough at the right time in his development, and being and staying hardworking and hungry are all essential for him to make it at the top level.

Most likely it will depend on opposition and fitness. Against a low block a deep lying forward with two pacy wingers (Bailey and Watkins) wide. With Ramsey behind him. Against quality opposition, behind two wide forwards (Watkins and Bailey), with 3 defensive midfielders behind. Ultimately he will be the creativity either alongside or behind pacy wingers / wide forwards. I expect we want a creative striker that can play no 10 (like Felix) and a pacy winger, that can also play as a striker for the left side. So we could then rotate Watkins, Bailey, and the new winger around 2 spots. Pacy players pick up a lot of muscle injuries generally.

Heading is a dying art, with all the talk about brain injuries, high quality pitches, an emphasis on shorter passing and greater mobility the target man is a dying breed at the highest levels of the game. If we can find a deep lying forward that can head as well as link up and create that would be lovely. But Teddy Sherringham was an exception. These types of strikers aren't usually good in the air.

We do not need a lump it to the big man player. Joao Felix is a fine player. And would be exactly what we need. The technical, creative deep lying striker that can help to unlock teams that drop deep (which is our weakness). Of course the big man up top is also a way of doing this but, you simply won't do very well when it comes to keeping the ball, as to make use of a big man you have to hit long balls, a play lots of crosses (and accurate crosses and long balls aren't strengths this group of players have).

If Chelsea paid 60m for Cucerella then Leon is woth 100m!

The problem with Hause is he is very injury prone. If he wasn't he could have surpassed Mings by now.

I agree that Luiz should have been more switched on, however the presser was within 3 yards of Luiz, he had many passes on that wouldn't leave the recipient having to fend off an opponent as soon as the ball was received. It was that poor choice that was the root cause. Just delighted with the Come back. However a word of caution. None of the current tactics will help us get through a low block. That is the real weakness of this team since we got promoted. Teams that come at us we can counter, and defend in numbers against. Smith and Gerrard were both capable of this, Gerrard's Man City draw wasn't lucky. The low block, with little intent to commit against us is our kryptonite! Hopefully Emery can remedy this well known weak point.

I think that part of his game has benefited thanks to the improved pressing. having another sit alongside him gives him the freedom to get higher up the pitch where he can do that also. I felt that was negligent from Martinez. It's why he is the only member of the defense (outside the subs) I gave a 6 to.

The header should've been on target. You are right it was buendia that assisted the peno. Luiz assisted the second goal. and Ramsey didn't get any assist. I guess I could bump Buendia upto a 7 for the assist. Ramsy still deserves an 8 though.

Fantastic result. I'm extremely pleased with that. To come from behind and win is something I thought was impossible for this group of players. We didn't play well, but had a few good moments, and had to defend really well. These kind of results is what get teams like ours European football. It's not the outplay the opposition and win a majority of the time, thats for the teams with the very best players. Half the time we will need to grind out a win when we deserve a draw, or grind out a draw when we should lose. Throw in we lacked any real pace in attack and had McGinn on the pitch (who actually did okay, but still lacked quality). Referee was rubbish as usual, however the commentary was worse, as usual! The commentary is so biased, ill informed, and inaccurate these days. Martinez - 6 - Poor pass to Luiz for their goal. Otherwise solid. Cash - 7 - Solid in defense, good pull back for Buendia's header against the post. Konsa - 7 - Cleaned everything up that Mings couldn't, poor playing out from the back. Need a better centre back so he can play back up ideally. Mings - 8 - Imperious at the back today. Too slow on the ball when playing out for my liking. Digne - 7 - Did well defensively, penned in and couldn't really contribute going forward. The rejected penalty shout was rightly rejected. If that was a penalty, then Mac Allisters goal should've been ruled out for a foul. Kamara - 7 - Worked hard, usaually in the right place at right time defensively, going to be a very important player for us, not there yet though. Luiz -8 - Good distribution as usual, put himself about, caught unawares on the goal, but was played into trouble. More than made up for that with the assist. McGinn - 7 - Worked hard, disrupted Brighton well, Won the penalty, but got bypassed too easliy on his flank at times. Buendia - 6 - Worked hard, played some good passes, but also gave the ball away a lot. Should've scored that header. Ramsey - 8 - Did well defensively, worked hard, assisted the penalty. Was our most dangerous player. Faded in the second half. Ings - 8 - Scored two goals! Although the penalty was nearly saved, and the second got a lucky deflection. Linked up well at times, but did little else outside the goals. Not a viable option in the medium to long term. Subs: Bailey - 6 - Didn't really offer the threat we would expect, but was ill. Worked hard and defended as best he could. Augustinson - 6 - Defended okay, not much else to say. Young - 6 - Played as an outside right back / wing back. Did little on the ball, gave Cash extra protection. Archer - 6 - Ran hard and pressed well, looked bright, but had nothing to feed off. DenDonker - 6 - Stronger defensive presense than Luiz, almost played as a third centre back at times.

Yep never been a top striker. Top strikers score 1 in 2.