Bazmonkey

1 minute ago, duke313 said:

We look good on the counter, but seem to be giving their wing backs loads of space

We do this to every team....wingers get loads of space to bring it down and then 20 yards to play in....60 yard diags all the time 

So passive as a team....just inviting them...need to put more pressure on them higher up...we have had chances and being more proactive we could get higher up the pitch 

On 07/03/2023 at 20:07, TRO said:

I get that.

and maybe, which players he can trust, too.

I was not at all happy, or convinced with the Leicester game, so its no point me pretending different.....do I think we still have that in us? sadly I do...because we are still capable of being caught on the ball, and losing it.

You might say most mid table teams do, but if we want to improve, and move up the table, its things like that we have to minimise.

Basics have to be got right, before the more sophisticated stuff, is dealt with.

Spot on...its failing at the basics that make the mistakes.  

We have shown that we can play well.....pass...move.....and score.....but...and its big BUT...too many times our own failings have cost us....and we have made some team look better than they simply by not doing these basics....both in defence and going forward.

58 minutes ago, tinker said:

I'm not sure how Martinez playing out from the back has anything to do with any of the goals we conceded against Arsenal or Man city? He does it slowly to try and draw the opposition out,  which the entire point of it all, isn't it? 

The first pass and movement draws the opposition out...not slowing down it because the oppo will wait for the first movement before they react.  Just allows them to get organised better which again...is pointless.

There was one saturday from a cross maybe.... but Cash would have been away if he had just rolled it out...but he just waited for everyone to reset.

Speaking to arsenal fan...he say Emery got rid of him because he cant play his feet......maybe this and the fact emi knows he cant is the reason its so slow....confidence thing...either way....its boring and kills any counter or attacking play

2 hours ago, VillaParkAvenue said:

The main issue with midfield currently is that it works better than every other part of the team.

Sorry....the midfield is the main problem....either to weak...to passive....drops to deep....

32 minutes ago, Tom13 said:

So you're suggesting Unai is only picking him because of his price tag? Madness.

We have no one else is probably the issue 

36 minutes ago, Tom13 said:

Midfield general.

Private more like.

The lad from Chelsea for them today was a general. Poles apart in terms of how they play

emery has the the ability turn us in to a top 6 team with his footballing knowledge

Just not with the team he currently has at his disposal.

Same players...same mistakes....same lack of this or that shown under three different managers.

Many of the squad have hit the glass ceiling collectively as a team....some may move and look better but as a group.....12-15 is where will be come the end of the season.

Top half even even 8th is possible...heart says yes...head says no 

this window for me

from a business point of view....great...some money off the books...gets rid of some big earners.

But from a football view....very risky...smaller squad and relying on everyone staying fit and in the striker position....i.e Watkins....banging more goals than he has done before

In terms of structure we are like spurs...Everton....old school.clubs.

But unfortunately its on the green stuff that matters and that puts us with Brightons...Brentford and palaces of the league.

History and size don't matter...you.only have to listen to how we are perceived by most fans and media....we still get referred as a team who has only recently been promoted.

Not sure on Dembele......if honest I cant remember seeing playing or know much about him.

However, if its an Emery type of player and one that he wants...rather than a Lange experiment....then i have more faith in Emery that this...if it was to happen is probably a good signing. 

2 minutes ago, TRO said:

Spot On.

He allows too many crosses to come in to our box, and fails to cut out danger....too easily negated.

Full backs for me, have to have defensive intelligence, else we are exposing the centre backs.

Agree...because he allows the the attacker a free reign to run at him and get the cross in its the start of the domino effect....he then starts to back off and drop and the rest of the defence do the same...before we know it we are in our own box under pressure.

We brought him after one year after playing Right Back.

Like many of the players we have recently brought....they are learning on the job and in the Prem.

His defensive frailties IMO mean we should be looking for better...his main problem is his positioning.....he allows wingers to much time and space.....I would love to play as a winger against him...get a 20 yard head start and a free touch before he even starts to close me down.

Apart from the tattoo....done them all

Ill even add....had two jobs at the club...good times!!!!

On 14/01/2023 at 01:49, DJBOB said:

Not for the faint of heart!

In some ways, early goals can throw off the gameplan further than necessary. After the early goal, we just couldn’t get ourselves going. We lined up for the first time in a 4231 to match Leeds but Buendia couldn’t hold onto the ball, Bailey was getting doubled and JJ looked rusty so our outlets weren’t there and put a lot of pressure on our defenders.

Leeds pressed in a narrow 433 with Rodrigo shuttling a lot of the hard work pressing both CB’s. But when the ball shifted to a fullback, our CM’s were man marked and their third CM got out hard to squeeze our fullback to try and force an error. Dangerous as it leaves the far side open, but successful. 

Credit to the Unai second half adjustment (and he has been on point on almost all second half adjustments) - recognizing that Leeds were squeezing us in the middle, we made a conscious decision to build more down the left but with Moreno going high and wide to pin back their fullback and JJ moving in with Buendia close. This way - we finally had a numbers advantage if we could beat the first line press. Kamara dropped, not as a 3rd CB to form a 3 but to stagger the double pivot with Luiz staying higher. This caused a gap that Villa could exploit as the Leeds forward line waffled between pressing Mings and Konsa and subsequently leaving Kamara open in the half space or pressing Kamara and leaving Mings/Konsa a little more time. Credit to Emi/Konsa/Mings who continued trying to play out and attract the Leeds forward line so that the Villa midfield could operate. 
 
Once we started beating the forward line, Buendia and JJ could combine with Moreno to build and then snap a pass out to an isolated Bailey holding the width on the right so he could do what he does best and dribble with a head of steam in front of him. 
 
Leeds are a hard team but Marsch lacks the in game management that Unai has and was slow to recognize Villa’s foot hold in the second half. Once Villa could retain a a stronger build up on the left, it allowed us to open the game in transition and beat the first line press without losing duels in the midfield. 

I kind of get what you saying and in some parts you are correct.

Regardless of the time we scored that shouldn't change the game plan...if it works...you dont fix it...only when its not working or the opposition change their own game plan which makes ours in effected....you change it then.

We definitely couldn't get going after the goal...for some reason when we score we just back off....its like we have scored now...you have it...I'm hoping Emery changes this mentality...good teams keep going because ultimately bar better finishing and top goal keeping we could have gone in to half time 2-1 down maybe more.

Our problem Friday was that we didn't move the ball fast enough from the back...when you play a high pressing team like Leeds you need to move the ball quicker to make them move quicker....countless times Mings would get the ball and delay the pass that much the Leeds players were just waiting and pounced when it got out to Young and Moreno.....making forced errors...it also didnt help that Luiz and in parts Kamara were not moving....offering an alternative for Mings and Konsa...we were predictable and Leeds read this.  

Moving the ball quicker would have made the Leeds players move as well...thus creating the space they have just left for us to play in....you then add better movement in the middle and you have broken their press.

It got better in the second half but Im not sure if that was down to us or the Leeds lost their discipline a bit and we were able to play more with Kamara getting on the ball a lot more and bring us forward.

My main gripe so far and I still cant workout why we do it nor has it been mentioned is why we have 10 players back for every corner or free kick...it just invites the opposition on and makes it two attacks because if we do win the ball....there is no one outside the box to get the second ball.....and ultimately it come back in to the danger areas. This happened in the Leeds game every time and in the Liverpool game where Trent was able to get the ball....pass 30 yards out without any pressure....and they scored from it.

You should always have a forward out to take two of them away  its crazy.....the one time we did do it a better Bailey was able to pressure the Leeds player and he was forced to pass it back to the keeper....but why we do it i just dont know.

We need better organisation rather than bods back because they just end up standing still.....or dropping back and not picking up the danger...we often concede goals with 8....9...even 10 in the box against 4...5 opposition.....but all of ours behind the ball....backs to wall rather than nullifying the threat at its point of source...in this case...edge of the box or final third. 

You can definitely see what Emery is trying to do...and its very positive so far...but there is definitely a lot more to work on.

I wasthere last night....for.me..he is a good footballer when he has the ball...he as good technical ability and can keep it simple when needed....but he never goes looking for it enough.

However, as with some of the comments..he is good but not that good...I think he says away from the ball especially when we play out from the back....his movement is very poor and when playing Leeds with a good press...we needed more from him.

Not necessary getting on the ball but creating space for others to play for the press. He did do it s few times and it worked but most of thetomw he hides behind an opposition player offering nothing.

He is capable of it...he has done it...but doesn't do enough for me.

Last night was a prime example of this.

This could go in every player thread on here.

Did he make a mistake....YES

Will he make mistakes again...YES

And this is the main one

Is he good enough.....NO.

I watched the last 30 mins...you could see it coming....he was just the one to do it....

We have too many players who can't do basics right....this mistake was just one of many I see regularly by all.the players

Always willing to give players a chance.

But for me he is not good enough...he sits where we will probably end up.finishing the season 14th.

We gambled on a right back who admitted the season before was his first in that position hoping he would get better.

I work at forest and when we brought him most were saying he isn't a right back and thanks for money.

I'd say apart from Martinez....Doug......Kamara all the others are on the block...maybe not this Jan....but some should be worried this summer.

However, I've said this before, our recruitment has been poor and cost far too money for what are 'project players'......in that we hope they will become better and learn on the job playing in the prem.....problem is they all lower league players learning from each other which is never going to happen....im all for players from lower leagues but not a squad.

If we were to buy better....proven players then you could argue we dont need to get rid of most of the squad as they will bring quality to team...quality to training.......and improve some of what we already have

The annoying thing is it makes the spurs result pointless as we haven't gained anything.

If we lose lose to wolves we have helped them and kept us flirting with with bottom 6.

We need to beat these teams and use wins like spurs as a bonus to get higher up the league

It was a loose touch in the middle that led to the goal and this is the problem with Mings...and a couple of others in the team...they are just not 'cultured' enough to take us where we want to go.

These players have done us a a service now...getting us up...and maintaining us in the league...its time to move on...they are not going to get any better hence we keep raising the same issues for the past four years.

He and konsa are both the same...positional sense is shocking...we have a bad habit of retreating under pressure especially when we are in our own box.

If you look at most of the goals we conceded often our defenders are behind the goalie or stood still in 6 yard box.

Goal 2 there we 9 players in the 6 yard box yet they scored.

The third Mings runs past olsen who pushed it out and stands on the goal line. He should have reacted better and closed the player down instead of allowing the shot off...would the shot gone off...probably but chances are it would have been blocked out for corner or away.

He is too reactive...often wrong..than being proactive.

Only criticism.

Needs to sort out corners..too.many times we have too many back.

Their first prime example..all 10 in the box.

When I played the centre forward stayed out so it stopped two defenders getting forward...Watkins goes out and trent doesn't get that ball...they dont score.

Is he good enough....no

To blame for the goals today....no

That is all