Anything11

Watkins moves on for decent money and Emerys grand plan for Rogers is revealed.

But seriously - his work with his back to goal/on the turn is very good.

Really want to see this guy smiling and having a good time again. Due for a return to form.

People have been complaining about this area of the club for years. I am going to wait this out and see how it shakes out over the next 6 months to make a judgement call. Underperforming aspects of any business usually go through a painful period of change which can be/look messy.

18 hours ago, tomav84 said:

I actually feel like he's trolling at this point and it's like Dan can't see it. You can tell he doesn't watch villa anymore and knows that the fan base generally doesn't like him so he's just on the wind up

See it has become the opposite. He has been talking up our chances of top 4 and how great the season is going despite our dip in form. Most people don't like him because despite his faults he is actually quite level headed and has enough connections in the game to get an accurate read on things. His lack of emotional investment and getting carried away puts people off. Bardell is similar (level headed most of the time) but does have the emotional investment obviously. 

If we lose a game its easier to listen to 1874 then to come on this forum IMO.

On 21/02/2024 at 07:17, wishywashy said:

In Emery's case I do think it might be a stim. Especially as it's usually way more pronounced and aggressive when he's stressed (he was practically rubbing his chin off in the interview following the Boxing Day United game), which is a key element of stimming.

As someone on the spectrum myself, I would be a bit surprised if he wasn't neurodivergent to some degree (although stimming by itself is obviously not uncommon at all among pretty much everyone). He's habitual, incredibly detail-oriented and clearly an extreme obsessive. I read in a Spanish piece a few months back that despite the day being a Spanish holiday, he once came home so late from analysing an opponent that his now ex-wife made him sleep in the car.

Neurodivergence is probably more common in elite sport than people think imo: some of the traits associated with neurodivergent conditions (like those above) feel like they can end up being very beneficial in that sort of environment. I know Gerrard and Beckham are two of the more high-profile players to have talked about having OCD, for example.

Of course, I'm not a professional, so please don't take this as fact: just my feelings on it.

I am a professional believe it or not. He is an obsessional neurotic not neurodivergent (and I would argue a lot of neurodivergent diagnosis nowadays are neuroticism rather than "true" autism for example [but thats not for this forum]). If you know who Zizek is then it will make sense that he is quite similar.

Unai forever - Bayern never.

21 hours ago, Steero113 said:

Another typically passive aggressive post which could have been delivered in a far less derogatory tone.

Thanks, I suppose. 
 

Your post was passive aggressive. Mine was direct.

But as always things get misunderstood online - my apologies.

13 hours ago, Jas10 said:

You’ve missed the best, and by far the most entertaining, of the lot:

 

Absolutely. The best by far.

2 minutes ago, BOF said:

It probably was a communication issue, but in that situation the centre back sometimes has to take command and get rid of the danger. He allowed Emi to take command when Emi was 3rd favourite to that ball. Which is why I think Lenglet chose weakly. He deferred to someone in a worse position and we conceded a goal from it. Had he put his boot through it, as he was closest to the ball, then we wouldn't have conceded the goal.

Emi has a better view of the whole situation as Lenglet is running toward goal with no vision of what is behind him. Thats why balls in behind and "turning the defender" is so dangerous. Its Emi's box and his responsibility. Completely disagree.

The only thing Lenglet should have done better is shield the attacker from getting to the ball. He makes a poor effort at it.

1 minute ago, BOF said:

For me the goal was on Lenglet. He could have put his foot through it very easily. Row Z problem solved. He chose not to do that. The striker won a race he was 2nd favourite to. Martinez OTOH was always second favourite to the striker in that race. And he lost. It's nice of Emi to say it's on him, but that ball was Lenglet's to decide what to do, and he chose weakly. Other than that he was very good, I agree. And he has been vital to us recently with our 'luck' with injuries.

So Emi says its his fault but somehow you are trying to blame Lenglet? It was a communication issue.

I was surprised at how much more comfortable he seemed to be in the middle/right of the backline. Seemed more assured with his passing too. Maybe the Pau effect?

1 hour ago, Steero113 said:

Crikey, how long does a player need to get "up to fitness"?

He's played 18 games worth of minutes. 

Crikey, how do expect a player to stay fit while out for 4 games with a calf injury? The mind boggles.

These are his minutes since returning - 26 (Everton) , 63 (Newcastle) , 81 (Sheffield United), 17 (Man United), and 90 (Fulham)

So its actually just over 3 games worth of minutes since returning. 

Do better.

We know from his time at Leicester and earlier this season that he needs game time to get up to speed. He is building that right now and we should see more fitness and less wayward passing as he progresses.

I like the look of this lad. Hard not to see him doing well in the Kamara role even though he apparently offers quite a lot higher up the pitch.

2 hours ago, STO said:

And put a load of kids in instead.  Does seem a weird decision. 

He isn't in the plans. Not sure why this is weird.

On 06/02/2024 at 01:43, DJBOB said:

Sheffield match more about Sheffield being terrible but it was the first iteration of the side that played against City/Arsenal with the exception of Lenglet and Moreno for Pau and Digne.

I think it's the most balanced side we can field and injuries/suspensions aside, the side we will see the most in the second half of the season.

One of the problems we had against Newcastle and other variations of these formations is that without Bailey holding the width on the right - it allows teams to crowd us in. Cash and Moreno are typically the wide options, but because of their starting positions at fullback, they allow teams to focus on us centrally but give themselves enough time to react to Cash and Moreno's runs.

When Bailey plays (and I'm convinced Unai will try Diaby in the same role eventually and showed signs of him doing it with the second half substitution), it allows us to stretch the pitch from left to right and allows Tielemans to drop in between the lines and use his intelligence and cleverness to either recycle play or look for the ball in behind. Because Bailey holds the width on the right - it becomes very difficult for the opponent CB to follow Tielemans in between the lines, or else a big gap opens up behind him.

When Diaby plays that second striker role and drops in between the lines, there's no one on his right as the pace option or if there is, it's Cash and the Bailey to Cash downgrade is untenable in terms of frightening the opposition. This also allows the opposition CB to come crashing into Diaby with no threat in behind.

So for me - the back 6 are relatively settled, maybe some variations with Konsa at RB or Cash at RB, but that's about it. Then I see the front 4 in this manner.

McGinn or JJ at LM

Watkins at Striker

Tielemans or Rogers at Second striker

Bailey or Diaby at RM

Tanswell wrote a good piece yesterday outlining how we have reverted back to a similar set up as last years run in.

Tielemans as second striker dropping into the box midfield next to McGinn and Bailey holding high and wide and essentially becoming the second forward. We seem more settled and able to pick out McGinn/Youri more consistently (although Sheffield were pants)

A nice bump in intensity like we saw last year at this time.

6 hours ago, Delphinho123 said:

He’s the player Buendia was supposed to be.

Incredible passer of the ball. I always know that when he gets the ball in space with his head up, he’s going to hurt teams. 

For me, he lacks the athleticism to play in the wider positions and possibly the pace to play in central midfield, but if you can get pace on the flanks and play him as a 10 he can really, really hurt sides.

He’s a very gifted footballer. If he was athletic, pacey, quick, whatever, he wouldn’t be playing for us. 

You are the "Buendia" of posters so it figures. 

Youri is a very intelligent footballer and showed it today in addition to his work rate and surprising athleticism. I believe the reason it didn't work so well out wide recently is due to form but also the whole team not clicking well. I often think he is in the right place or has the right idea and others just aren't on the same wavelength.

Played exactly how I suspected he would and why I think we bought him in.

He is very clever/disciplined with his positioning which leads to good link up play.  

38 minutes ago, Jas10 said:

Think this is quite a big deal… seems a confident lad, big frame, agile, good shot stopper…

Doesn’t appear to be the bag of nerves that Olsen often is… 

But it’s a question of how fast/well he will adapt…

We may have solved the back up GK issue… that’s important… could be an excellent signing for us.

Now to find a buyer for Olsen in the summer…

Can you stop spamming threads my dude

Based on no evidence but I just have a feeling this might work out in the long run.

8 hours ago, foreveryoung said:

It's not entitlement at all!

It'll just be seen as a huge disappointment and a missed chance, especially because we were flying, beating man City and Arsenal and then couldn't even see off Sheffield, struggled with a 10 man Burnley and lost our home record to a poor Newcastle who hadn't won away from home for nearly a year.

Can't fly forever. Not even City do that.

Time to solve some of these issues and work our way back into form. 

8 hours ago, DJBOB said:

I think he might end up playing a bigger role this season than many think. 
 
His ability to be a mobile midfield option or a replacement for Diaby at the 10 position might be the key to breaking us out of the high press that teams have used to stifle us until they get ahead. 

Agreed. Back to goal and link up play are things he appears to excel at.