Villaphan04

11 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Is it? We have lost 8-1 in those two games

Agree with what @Mark Albrighton says, that it's better the points dropped are against the better sides than those who we should be finishing above. My other point is that I'd much rather have Liverpool & Newcastle coming to Villa Park in the end stretch of the season than right at the beginning. Getting the hardest fixtures out of the way earlier

10 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Maybe thats the problem? Play to archers strengths ans we may have had a top goal scorer on our hands

Not sure that the answer would have been to switch our style of play just to accommodate archer. I feel like he would've been more of the backup to Diaby in that hybrid second striker role.

It really is a good thing that we got Newcastle (A) & Liverpool (A) out of the way this early in the season. 

14 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Selling archer and not getting another striker looks like a genius move 

Duran was above Archer for backup striker & Archer doesn't really play the striker role we usually employ. 

outside of his ballooning shot in the first half, he was invisible. 

not necessarily his fault, but this is the kind of game he is absolutely not made for. Liverpool closed him down and he didn't have the time and space that other teams would afford him. It's just the type of player that he is. Certain games are more suited for Moreno, certain games are more suited for Digne. 

wonder if he goes in for Kamara at some point this season. not sure why, but it feels like we play better with him partnering Luiz than Kamara... 

really didn't understand subbing him off when there were probably 5 or 6 players who had worse games than him. position wise, I guess is the argument, but he was not the problem (far from it tbf)

3 minutes ago, Farlz said:

The thing for me is, even when he does settle in he won't suddenly become a good defender. Torres never has been an actual good defender and well probably won't ever will be. On the ball he's as elite as they come, but when tasked with defending though it's a bit of a shambles. 

I don't hate him, I don't want him dropped, I'm not scapegoating him it's just how it is imo. Will have to deal with it many more times this season I expect. 

this x100.

he will look great vs teams where we have control of possession a lot as his distribution is world class. But playing a team like Liverpool where he will have to defend is not ideal. His lack of pace will get exposed vs teams with very pacey players as it was today. The Mings injury probably effected Unai's ideas with how to play with Pau throughout the whole season. 

that was painful. at least we got Liverpool (A) out of the way for the season (also Newcastle A)... 

Luiz is easily our best player and him/Diaby were the only ones to come out with any credit today. Bailey was alright as well, don't think he should've been the one to come off. 

Duran showed more than Ollie in his cameo today, and that's not saying much. 

Pau was always going to struggle in a game like this, consistent pressing from Liverpool's forwards got to him

Hope Diego Carlos' injury isn't bad but who knows... good that we have the break

McGinn was invisible today, Kamara was bad just like the Newcastle game -

Clearly missed Moreno & JJ on the left, Digne was in no mans land quite often today. 

I know why we played with the high line, but it still makes me think why does Unai play with it when we are playing a team who have extremely pacey forwards that can easily expose it. Núñez probably could've had a brace with the chances he had. 

2 minutes ago, TheAuthority said:

Unpopular opinion.

We look stronger with Dendonker than Boubs. That was the midfield when we trounced Newcastle last season

came here just to post that. Boubacar looks extremely leggy and hasn't been good

at this point, I'm happy that we got Newcastle and Liverpool away out of the way right now (at the beginning of the season). 

We clearly miss JJ and Moreno + their link on the left. 

Tim Howard on Ollie not making the England squad "there are like 6 or 7 players that I don't understand in the England squad." 

11 minutes ago, sidcow said:

Is he off? 

yep, mutual termination of contract. 

that's a terrible backpass by brentford

selling Archer and keeping Jhon around was the right decision imo and I think the last couple performances have shown that he has a bigger role to play then he did last year. 

23 minutes ago, duke313 said:

Can't sign world beaters in every position 

This is a stereotypical Emery signing.  A player who has not been at their best recently, signed for relatively peanuts and turned used as part of a successful team (See Coquelin, Lo Celso, Capoue etc.)

Came to post something similar to this. It feels like Unai’s most successful signings are ones who get discarded by teams because of mediocre performances and he is able to help them recapture form and turn them into a very solid & consistent player. 

23 hours ago, DJBOB said:

Only side he wouldn't immediately go into the first XI is City.

Has some competition at Arsenal and Chelsea but would easily start for every other prem team.

Villa fans really deluding themselves just because he's not got Kane-level passing or Haaland-level finishing.

for those who say that we can easily replace Ollie, I'd strongly argue against that. He probably starts for at least 3/4 of teams in the PL... Manchester United have spent almost 75m on a highly rated but not proven striker from Serie A & loaned in Weghorst as their #9 competition last year. If that doesn't spell out how the striker market is, not sure what will

looked a lot better with distribution today 

McGinn & Digne are linking up quite well yet again