VillanousOne

1 hour ago, Tom13 said:

Not sure we do and we certainly don't need to. Kamara and Douglas are great at threading passes into our creators' feet. Diaby being our best current creator with Buendia and Moreno out. Problem is Diaby lacks players on his wavelength (Ollie certainly included) to build quality attacks consistently. Bailey was good yesterday but he's not that player either. Zaniolo, Moreno and Buendia I reckon would help Diaby out no end.

Diaby is great with the ball in front of him or creating chances, he is great with his feet and technically, but i've not seen any evidence he has the physicality or height to hold the ball up or win balls easily when played long, which considering with Ollie we play quite a few long balls to him kinda is needed.

Diaby was pinged off the ball by Liverpool players a number of times very easily, same Bailey, they made us look like an U15 team at times the difference in physicality, we literally lost 90% off all 50/50s.

1 hour ago, Kiwivillan said:

If we should have back up striker to rotate with Watkins does that mean Olsen should play ahead of Martinez because he's let in 8 goals in 2 losses?

If Olsen was any good, maybe. But the point is not about rotation - it's about if Watkins gets injured we have no one remotely similar to him in the squad.

1 hour ago, duke313 said:

How is Torres green? He played this exact way under Emery at Villarreal. Unless you mean green as in new to the league?

that's indeed what i meant

16 minutes ago, Chindie said:

All senior players that had done it in the PL and weren't 'doing a job'. Most of them are the modern forward style player which mixes positions. We don't play in that style and rely on Watkins to tussle and harry with defences, and we don't have anyone else that has reliably shown they can do it.

It's fine you disagree, but it doesn't diminish that many don't, and it's very rare that clubs don't have specialised options in positions -the ones that don't often find it to be an issue. Having 1 senior striker is a mistake.

This.

Diaby, Traore, Kellyman and Bailey don't have the physical presence to play the lone striker role if Watkins gets injured. Zanilo might but that is as yet an unknown.

Buendia if fit is the only player we have who has that physical hussle about his game and yet he would also be useless getting on the end of long balls as Watkins does - and the Arsenal comparisons are pointless, we aren't Arsenal and we heavily rely on Watkins to start almost all of our forward play.

Ollie maybe lacking in form but even when he is failing to score he still creates the space that people around him can exploit and get goals.

I think Duran and even Archer are players like Ings that need the ball laid on a plate/in front of them to score goals, they aren't going to ruffle feathers - get on the end of long balls or tussle in 50/50s like Ollie does. Duran might get there but he is so raw he would be better of getting a loan than being a back up.

If Watkins was injured - we would need to set up differently, not having like for like back up option is a huge fail for me.

6 minutes ago, PaulC said:

To me its not the tactics, its the players just didn't perform at the level that is expected. I thought we got rid of this malaise under Emery but it's happened twice in four games now. This is the old Villa whst we were like under Smith and Gerrard. Concede a goal and fall to pieces.

Cash, Digne have never dealt well with a high press.

Kamara and Doug aren't brilliant either. Konsa is better but capable of making mistakes under pressure (see Newcastle). 

Pau has come from a league where you get more time and space, people forget Carlos has only played 4 Prem games.

That back four will continue to get ripped apart by any of the Top 6 clubs unless they learn quickly or we play differently.

If you can't successfully play out from the back when you have players running at you, stop trying...

7 minutes ago, CVByrne said:

We lost away to Newcastle & Liverpool, teams who have incredible home records. So a point was best result really for both games. Then in both games we gifted them an early goal, our chances of getting a point drop massively then. We lose a key CB and reshuffle. 

On top of this, we are playing the two best high intense pressing sides in the league as we are trying to learn a new system and new build up play. On back of the gifting them early goals and the CB injuries. I think we can't read too much into those games. 

We've lots of games coming up and hopefully we get better in our system and structure

Regardless of injuries we have almost always been ripped apart by teams that press hard and high, yes it's mainly the best teams that do this, but we really have to get a handle on this.

At the moment though the defenders (not injured) do not seem comfortable playing together

 

I think Emery needs to look at our playing out of the back and high line tactics.

It took Mings a fair bit of time to lead the organisation of that and even then every team we've played who play an aggressive high press has caused us problems.

If we don't press ourselves and close down quickly then we just get our arse handed to us, for some reason we didn't against Liverpool - despite doing this the last time we played them.

This is as much about Torres being green as it is opposition coaches knowing exactly how to exploit our weaknesses.

Cash and Digne have zero defensive footballing brain when it comes to dealing with any press or fast counters - for Pau to have a chance at bedding into this league we have to look at our shape.

52 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Not sure I agree. Emery fancied Bailey over Buendia toward the back end of the last season. Agree re. Ramsey. 

Either way, hope he doesn’t play much this season. Bailey, Traore and Buendia aren’t good enough for a team challenging the top 4

we aren't a team challenging the top 4

1 minute ago, MackHaakon said:

Schooled. Lots of skill but no leadership or steel. Work in progress I guess.

where was this skill you speak of? Unless playing like a pub team is a skill

We've not recovered from the loss of Mings, there is zero organisation at the back just a bunch of players who look like they just met

Just now, osmark86 said:

Emery is going to have to calm everyone down a bit and try to get the confidence back up ahead of second half.

losing every 50/50, bullied off the ball like children, falling over during almost every attack, utterly clueless defensively, the guy isn't Gandalf!

can't beat a high press playing out the back, shocker

he's had a great start to the season, long may it continue, lets focus on the positives and stop this weird forensic attempt to run down everything he does.


 

30 minutes ago, bannedfromHandV said:

To be honest, I felt much better sticking Mings on Haaland than I do any of the currently available CB’s

Kenneth Williams gif

1 hour ago, KAZZAM said:

Iheanacho would be good cover for Ollie. 

Surprised he's still there

2 minutes ago, Zatman said:

We were never getting the fee some fans were expecting last summer, in the end we should be grateful for a million

Good luck to him anyway, sadly his lack of goals will work against him

where does it say a million?

2 minutes ago, striker said:

Cannot believe that after Ming’s injury Villa didn’t go all out to sign Laporte.

as they say any Laporte in a storm

52 minutes ago, Monkeypuzzle said:

Also, and just hear me out, you don't have to look directly at something to see it. Bailey is so close to McGinn in that situation that he can almost certainly see a claret shirt out of the corner of his eye. Looking directly at something to see it is only necessary with mirrors during your driving test.

and when the brothel door is next door to the gay bar

some mumurings that the Acuna deal is off as Seville want daft money for a 31 year old on his final year of contract.

hope we go for Tavares instead

1 minute ago, Awol said:

Dafuq? 
https://x.com/villareport/status/1693379016281989334?s=46&t=ypHb-xivXyIOi6hQmFuhAA

it's in that lovely right wing rag, the Daily Mail, be interesting if we can get an actual eyewitness account rather than gutter journalism

7 minutes ago, ozvilla28 said:

His on a different level to our players in our side.

He's awesome, but lets not carried away

he looked completely un-interested, like he was resigned to leaving already, maybe that is just how he is/looks most of the time

either way pointless keeping him if he is only going to make occasional pointless cameos

Just now, DJBOB said:

Truth is Bailey can dominate lower teams and if teams sit back at home, he can turn and get into his stride. 
 
It’s when we’re under the kosh and you’re asking him to hold up the ball or win these shoulder duels. 
 
He should be a rotational player depending on the opponent as he’s shown that if the opponents let him turn, then he can get going. 

he needs a player to go with him who can interchange/pass with and that player could well be Diaby who he did this well with in Germany

10 hours ago, TRO said:

thats what I said, so why are you arguing.

Unai himself has said there were things the players did wrong during the game, and I have told them so.....Thats is exactly what I was saying, and you are calling me out.

Don't tell me what a good players he is, we all know that....I'm not judging his career, just elements of the last game.....at least address the point, not your version of it.

I've literally no idea what your point is anymore. But you clearly think it's correct so I'll let you enjoy it.

4 hours ago, TRO said:

Its not a case of writing anyone off....its a case of calling elements in a game out for what they are.

If we are analysing passages of play, that led to goals against, you can't dress it up, and just skip over it as if, nothing has happened....thats simply convenient denial.

I am fairly confident in my own mind, BK has played with far more authority in the past, than he has lately....If he finds his form against Everton, and dictates play, like I know he can, I will be the first to say.

make of that what you will.

I'm sorry i'm just not going to judge someone on one game plus a pre-season where plenty of players shined and plenty just turned up, as pre-seasons are about getting fitness and sharpness.

Doug gave away possession plenty of times vs Newcastle, was easily bullied off the ball throughout the match, but he had a superb pre-season....

No one is saying Kamara hasn't had poor games, there were times last season where he was dispossessed on the edge of the area, along with Luiz, Dendoncker, Cash, Mings, Konsa and so on.