dont_do_it_doug.

5 hours ago, Greenfly said:

Yet another win for our Phil.

At least we know there's nothing wrong with his eyesight. She's a geezer surely? 

2 hours ago, the_eristic said:

Aside from the typical woes of adapting to a new country/league/slipshod side, the main issue was he's naturally a false 9, while everyone expected him to be a Benteke as we played him like a Heskey. Either he wasn't scouted properly by Suso and co, or Deano and ROK saw him and said, there's a big lad, just pump it up to him (or maybe both). With that classic Villa irony, he'd probably have been a much better fit for how we're trying to play now than Ollie, and Ollie much better for the promoted side.

Not that I want to join the procession of people laying into Wesley, because I thought he had some untapped potential pre-injury, but this is a maniacal take. Ollie Watkins is better at pretty much every single facet of the game.

Please explain to me how you think Wesley would be an improvement over Watkins in this system?

On 01/06/2022 at 15:26, romavillan said:

Hmmm, one of his big weaknesses IMO, look at the cross for City's first he should get to that. He really didn't do so well with Roma, I'd hope we could do better with a younger up and coming keeper....

It’s a volume thing though isn’t it. If a striker finishes 12 chances in a row, then misses a one on one, does that make him bad at finishing? 

10 minutes ago, Anything11 said:

It is being vastly overblown for me. We see plenty of pictures/media of Gerard on the training pitch and even taking part in some warm up drills.

People talk like he just sits in an office all day working out which potential new signings house he is going to rock up at, pops in for media duties, and picks the team on the weekend.

 

I agree that it’s a bit of a lazy statement. Gerrard is heavily involved in the training sessions and I think the fact that Critchley is a continuity choice in terms of coaching style to Beale proves to me that Gerrard has a clear identity in how he wants us to play. Unless people think he’s not making that decision at all, which sounds like a pretty wild conspiracy theory.

A lot is being made of a couple of statements, one made by the manager years ago when he had far less experience, and that Emi Martinez quote. That’s basically it, we’ve invented an entire coaching structure around it. 

11 minutes ago, Adam2003 said:

Sure, I’m not saying he didn’t have some good players. But he also had some (relative to what Gerrard will have going forward) very bad ones. Anyway the point is about 55 points then vs a target now, not another Smith vs Gerrard borefest.

Probably the best player to play for the club in 30 odd years. I think this context is important when I say I wouldn't be overly disappointed with 55 points next season. I wouldn't be elated either, and I think it would leave the manager on thin ice to be honest. 

7 hours ago, DaveAV1 said:

Yes but “The Wilderness Years” went on for what seemed like a lifetime and probably was for some people. I like this new version now I’m getting used to it. Still I can understand why people are a bit nervous when things go wobbly. When you’ve had years of under investment, unkept promises, outright fraud and disinterested miss management, this well oiled machine we’ve become, takes a bit of getting used to. 

True, but worth remembering we've finished 17th, 11th* and 14th so far under this 'well oiled machine'. The true measure of being ran well is success on the pitch, and given the level of investment we haven't seen that at all.

1 minute ago, maqroll said:

This ain't happening, chaps.

Source?

He seems fine as a backup. Was obviously rusty vs City, but settled in and commanded his area particularly well. 

Our goalkeeping coach is much vaunted by our fans and presumably he sees something he can work with in him, so why wouldn't we trust Cutler's opinion? 

If Martinez went down long term you'd want to find somebody better, but it's such a fine line to walk. 

7 hours ago, 1974Centenary said:

Last thing this club needs is a sulky faced mood swing player who scores the occasional good goal when hes not rolling around on the pitch feigning injury! So no.

I take you point but I do think that’s a *little* harsh on Watkins.

1 minute ago, Keyblade said:

We definitely can, but he won't be as effective as we know he can be as a 10 or as a target man. He would be ideal as the player wide left in a 3, but I can't remember us playing with a 3 up front under Gerrard.

He did work well with DCL in a 2 though, but I wonder how much our use of that formation was down to Gerrard not being comfortable with both Coutinho and Buendia on the pitch at the same time.

I think as much as anything I want him because he's different to what we have, rather than him slotting in as a direct replacement for anybody in particular. I think we can all agree he'd be a massive upgrade on Traore. 

If I'm honest I find the link ludicrous. But then, Coutinho etc etc. 

8 minutes ago, Keyblade said:

The only thing I'm worried about is how he'd fit in positionally. He's like Traore who's an inside forward and never quite looks at home in our formation. Unless we plan to play him up front on his own, which he doesn't excel at, I don't see how he fits in. I'd love him here though as he's better than most of what we've got up front.

We play 2 up top an awful lot, he can slot right in as the support striker or the target man. Or the wider player in a 3. Or as a different kind of 10 to either Coutinho or Buendia. 

Geezer is 25 and has 34 caps for Brazil with 13 goals. We'd work it out I reckon. 

1 hour ago, Villa_Vids said:

SG promoted Liam Bramley and then Bramley shortly went to join Norwich with Dean. I think Danks may take more responsibility if/when Beale leaves. Who knows? I would say the majority of us don't know our elbows from our arses on a coaching pitch. 

However, I think it is a sign of a poor manager if they struggle without a certain coach. 

Agreed. If Gerrard isn't able to cope with a coach leaving from time to time whilst keeping the wagon rolling, no matter how integral they may seem, then we should probably bin him off too. I'm hopeful that isn't the case. It's not like we have been pulling up tress under the current setup anyway, so maybe a change will do us good. 

4 hours ago, tomsky_11 said:

Better now than just before or during the season sure, but I doubt anyone is questioning that.

The point being made is its not ideal he's leaving irrespective of timing given his supposed influence on the set up and possible negative impact on any progress made in the last six months including any prep for this summer's business based around said set up, if him leaving means that all changes or the set up remains but is less effective without his coaching.

To be fair the post I was responding to was talking specifically about the timing. 

Just now, Tomaszk said:

Imagine it with Lewandowski, Messi and Salah though.

I hear Mane has made himself available 

Imagine our attacking options next season being Coutinho, Buendia, Watkins, Ings and Richarlison and going nah, not sure about that. 

Would never be me. 

Just now, Zatman said:

While I agree abut the first XI but any player that comes in really should be better than what we have as thats how you build the squad and make it better

Problem is depending on position, and he can fill a few of them, you're going to find it hard pushed to find better than Buendia or Coutinho. I'd take him over Ings, no question, probably Watkins too.

If we're going with 3/4 attackers every week in some kind of fashion, we're going to need numbers. 

4 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

I don't agree. Gerrard said how it's difficult to get across new ideas and tactics during the season. This first pre season provides the first opportunity for us to become a Gerrard side and by all accounts Beale has played a major role in this at rangers. 

If they'd both been here a season or two, I'd agree on the timings but not as it's the first one. 

Surely it's better he leaves now, when we've time to hire a new coach before pre-season than either well into pre-season, halfway through a season, or after a couple of seasons when it's more difficult to unpick the threads that have been sewn? It'll be almost as if he were never here at all. 

If you're expressing superiority to somebody based on a characteristic beyond their control, there's no moral difference to me if it's because they're white, black, female or bald. 

Not that it matters, Suarez has played in plenty of dressing rooms then and since and we've never heard a peep of trouble from within them. If it makes somebody uncomfortable personally, fair enough. 

Oh no. How on earth will we cope without him guiding us the giddy heights of [checks notes] 14th. 

16 hours ago, weedman said:

Has anyone actually said that? From what I've seen it's some people saying "bite their hand off for anything over £5m" and most other people agreeing that £15m would be a good deal for all, he's a good player who will likely never reach his potential at Villa as we've got better already and are likely looking to improve further

Yes.