duke313

14 minutes ago, messi11 said:

Form since Gerrard Honeymoon period ended

But pointless picking a random match day just to make the table look worse. Our form Since SG took over has us slap bang in the middle.

Strikers couldn’t hit a barn door, might as well just play without and stick Bailey and Buendia on the wings.

10 minutes ago, jacketspuds said:

Of that starting 11 today, excluding loan players, the only ones I’d be annoyed about us selling would be Martinez, Cash and Ramsey. The rest can piss off.

We are in desperate need of CB’s, a DM, a CM and at least one striker.

Martinez was dreadful today.

Just now, PerryBarrPet said:

No not many and therein lies the problem - bottom half squad with some Villa fans thinking our players are better than they really are. We need big changes in our playing staff this summer.

Too many sentimental players from the Smith days. They were good enough to get promoted, and consolidate in the league. But if we have any realistic ambition of cracking Europe, massive changes needed.

Just now, Zhan_Zhuang said:

Again individual errors cost us.

Villa lack mental toughness, we are weak. Sure one or two winners in the team but it's a big part of the game and it needs to be addressed.

The gulf between top six and Villa is vast, we are just so average.

Week in week out visit the player threads and people will debate which players are good enough to push us on. I honestly think less than half of the players who played against Spurs are good enough.

How many would get into Spurs team? Not many I’d have thought.

Better get that cheque book out

1 hour ago, Tayls said:

Four defeats in a row if we lose tonight… not sure where the next win is coming from either. Other teams below us picking up points. Still possible that we get caught up. 

We play Burnley x2 and Norwich.

1 minute ago, nick76 said:

Good job the club hire people that actually know what they are doing than letting fans decide.

It was a joke, calm down.

2 minutes ago, villarule123 said:

I have no doubt in my mind that he'd be a huge asset to us right now, it's not like our strikers are prolific at the moment anyway.

His problem in the past was that he could never stay fit, he looks like he's finally put the injuries behind him. Bring him home. 

Sell Ings and Watkins, Archer and Davis to lead the line next season.

4 minutes ago, Steero113 said:

I've said this before a couple times in this thread, and it will never happen, but I cannot help feel that if he was given the Joelinton treatment and moved back into a midfield role, his power, presence and frankly ability on the ball would shine. 

He lacks the absolute cutting edge finishing to be a top striker in the PL but he is without a doubt a high quality footballer. 

(Sorry for derailing the OW thread... again)

He might not be a 20+ goal a season striker, but that doesn't mean he can't be an asset to us.  Look at Michail Antonio, he's not gonna break any goal scoring records, but he's quite an important player for West Ham.

35 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Davis isn’t PL quality

How do you know? He has never really got a fair run of games with us.  He's doing pretty well in the Championship.

2 minutes ago, Tom13 said:

Just Archer? I think not giving Davis a proper crack at the PL (not playing in a relegation threatened side low on confidence) would be criminal.

Mainly Archer, but Barry and Young as well.  The problem is we (mostly) play with 1 striker, and Watkins and Ings are always going to be ahead of Davis.  Unless we consistently play with 2 strikers, he won't get playing much.  Saying that 5 subs next season, so you never know.

He's at the age now where he should be given a chance or sold, I suspect it will be the latter due to the forwards coming through that are younger than him.  

On 07/04/2022 at 10:41, TRO said:

just being devils advocate.

when the full backs do it properly and commit the oppostion to retreat, what you say, becomes less of an issue.....it's the losing of the ball so often, that causes most of it.

Sure, I get your point, but when the players are not doing it i.e "at it"  all formations have gaps and vulnerbale bits.....its players, that make formations work, formations don't bail out players.

FWIW.....i don't like the idea of midfielders being deployed to cover absent full backs/wing backs.....albeit, worked correctly it can work.

It seems to me SG favours the attacking wingbacks similar to the Liverpool way......but at present, we haven't got the midfielders to make it work.....maybe he thinks we have to start somewhere in changing it, and Lucas Digne was the first opportunity in a bigger plan.

We will see in he Summer.

Liverpool do it, they play with 3 in midfield and cover TAA and Robertson when they go forward.  With the right players the system can work and work well, we just don't have the players at the minute.

3 minutes ago, rbcuk said:

Supposedly gerrard was at the Leicester game last night looking at Noni Madueke, can’t see it as he’s a winger and doesn’t even play our wingers 

Reported by TalkSh**e, i'd take it with a massive pinch of salt.  As you say, we don't play with wingers, we also play Leicester shortly, so most likely he was checking them out ahead of that match.

5 minutes ago, ferguson1 said:

I agree. I think I’d be more than happy if we could put out a team similar to below next season: 

                         Martinez 

Cash      Konsa            Mings       Digne

                 Phillips      Bissouma

      Buendia     Ramsey    Coutinho

                          Watkins

Few tweaks and and it’s a very capable side.  

This would certainly get u into top half comfortably.

3 minutes ago, Wainy316 said:

I hate to have highlight him but Bielsa (yuk), at VP last year identified Strujk was an issue on what I think was his debut and hooked him before the half hour.

Then Bamford morphed into Lewandowski and the rest was history.

Bielsa is a bit mad though, so not surprising.  Very rare it happens, most managers will usually wait to half time.

2 minutes ago, IrishVilla10 said:

JJs played himself into any line up we have now imo

He could play as the center AM with Coutinho on left.

10 minutes ago, NoelVilla said:

Can't see Gerrard changing formation. No evidence for that based on his time here so far.

Unfortunately this is true.  Two good holding midfielders, with Buendia - Coutinho - Baily in front and either Watkins or Ings as striker would be fantastic. 

4 minutes ago, Awol said:

That’s probably right, but it’s true that Gerrard was his idol as a youth so that might swing it. Plus he’s a genuine Leeds fan andgoing to Utd would be like Grealish going to Small Heath. 

Possibly, but United signed Smith, Ferdinand and Cantona from Leeds before, so don't think it would be an issue.

4 minutes ago, Awol said:

Don’t see us going back to 4-2-3-1 tbh. 

Midfield 3 of Phillips, Bissouma, and Ramsey/McGinn would compete with any in the league imo. 

Can't see us getting Phillips, we are being used by his agent to get a better contract or a move to United.

5 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Two defensive midfielders and a wide man allows us to play 4-2-3-1 again with Coutinho as the 10. 

I’d be content with just those three signings tbh as long as it meant we’d finally sorted out the midfield area and moved away from this daft formation with two number 10’s. 

I think we might be interested in Richarlison if Everton drop. Picking him up for something in the region of £25m wouldn’t be a bad deal. I wouldn’t touch any of their other players, mind, 

I wouldn't go near him, the ego of Ronaldo with the career of Stewart Downing.

6 minutes ago, Laughable Chimp said:

I don't know if Gerrard's the answer, I just think some of the criticism he's getting is incredibly blown out of proportion. Aren't we still top 10 in the league in points ever since Gerrard came in? That's pretty much exactly where I expected us to finish at the start of the season. You listen to some people talk about him in here, you'd think we're battling relegation right now.

I think people here will just have to accept that SG will be in charge next season weather they like him or not, and is likely going to oversee a clear-out of the current team and massive transfer expenditure in the Summer.  Only way that doesn't happen is if we lose every game between now and the end of the season, in which case the owners might reconsider his tenure.

15 minutes ago, VillaParkAvenue said:

When Everton are relegated we could probably get Allan pretty cheap as new DM. 31 and experienced, maybe not a proven winner but did win the Copa Italia some years ago.

I don't think a 31 year old from a relegated Everton is going to excite many on here, most fans are expecting a huge sum to be dropped on a big name DM.  The problem is who can we actually attract to the club in that position? Looking at a list of DMs ranked by market valuation, their aren't many names we could get on the list.  So it will end up being a bargain but not the most exciting, or an unknown  player from abroad, who may need time to develop.  

7 minutes ago, NoelVilla said:

I would say as far away as before. Was always unlikely. Some CL club going to buy him.

It was always going to be unlikely he came here as we are not currently much of an upgrade at the minute to Leeds, money would have been the only reason he moved here.  But it's zero chance now.