Kuwabatake Sanjuro

It seems he returned from loan earlier in the month where he got some decent 1st team experience. Would it be worth training him up as a left back to provide cover for Amavi with Cissokho leaving or is he good enough?

10 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

I'm starting to think we need a whole new midfield. Not just 2 central midfielders.

The defence is ok, and with Kodija up front we are a threat, but Jedinak is too slow and can't pass, Tshibola looks bang average, Westwood and Gardner just aren't footballers, Bacuna is a right back at best, Adomah blows hot and cold and Grealish seems to be an impact player from the bench.

Worrying.

 

And vice versa, I'm still absolutely sick about missing out on Darryl Horgan, exactly the type of player villa need in a position where there is no natural alternative apart from an 18 year old Andre Green.

I still don't rate him, a slightly more energetic version of Westwood, he'd get the ball pass it sidewards to Hutton and the move breaks down. At least Hourihane and Lansbury can pass the ball forward. Also worth noting how good Gana is in comparison (slightly different position granted.)

Mark Lawrenson was assuming Diego Costa would have nothing to do for 18 hours a day in whichever one of China's massive modern cities he ends up in. I'm sure with his £600k a week he might be able to find something to occupy himself with.

Also think how miserable the place would be and how many fans would be pissed off if the midfield stays as it is for the rest of the season.

2 minutes ago, Zatman said:

I think he has been one of worst signings we have made in years and that says a lot. good in the air but offers nothing except that

Not nearly as bad as Lescott but similar in terms of his legs being gone. His beard and decent attitude are his only saving graces but it has been a disastrous signing.

22 minutes ago, jackbauer24 said:

Worst player I've ever seen. And that's not hyberbole or anger or drinking. We're in the Championship, the lowest level I've ever seen us, and he still can't do anything. I'd genuinely prefer Veretout, Sanchez, Richardson, El Ahmadi or even Lescott (performance not attitude) back over him. All of them were absolutely appalling players I couldn't wait to see the back of but Jedinak takes the biscuit.

Can't run, can't pass, can't tackle, can't read the game, can't hold the ball up, winning an aerial header is different to directing a header. Unless we award contracts for people purely because of height?! We're full of awful and crap midfielders but he's the worst of the bunch by a country mile. 

I see not one single positive. Or is being an over the hill hipster enough in our darkest hours?! I've got nothing against his personality or even effort perhaps, I'm not just ranting, he just lacks ANY skill. I've not seen a worse midfielder in the entire division yet, that includes our only easy win against Rotherham.

Westwood or Gardner or any of our youngsters would have offered more than him today even if they only managed one succesful pass. 

 

KEA wasn't appalling, a bit lightweight yeah but he pressed well, moved the ball quickly and generally took the right option. Westwood even looked relatively decent beside him and Delph.

Johnson and Robinson have turned into quality players and it won't be too long before they are playing in the premier league. Simon Grayson has put together a very good young team on a budget that is only a fraction of what Villa have spent on rubbish in the summer. Can't see us keeping a clean sheet and can't see us scoring more than 1 goal here. Unless of course proper signings are made and in the team.

I'm not going to backtrack much more but after a tough game against Preston next week (a much better team than Villa at the moment) the fixtures are Bristol, Brentford, Forest and Ipswich. Failure to pick up a couple of wins there will leave us in a tough situation. Maybe the thread should be closed until then,

I'd still try him up front ahead of Agbonlahor.

1 minute ago, Keener window-cleaner said:

I don't agree, I think he is technically gifted and doesn't just tap the ball back to the nearest player but keeps the ball and tries to find a pass. I see big potential in him. But I agree that he didn't make much of an impression today, faded and was anonymous for periods, I'd like to see him take more initiatives going forward. He and Jedinak was too static, like two holding players. In a 4-4-2 I'd say one on the CM must be more creative, Jedinak clearly isn't as he is a destroyer and Tshibola didn't do enough.

It could be down to the lack of options but the taking 2 or 3 touches and passing sidewards reminds me of what Sylla used to do. Sylla is doing ok for himself still and played a big part in helping us stay up after being signed so I don't mean it as an insult moreso an observation.

You can see that he has potential, if the midfield signings come through and the team starts being able to get a foothold in games he could end up being useful this season while still being a prospect.

Am I the only one worried that the teams recent performance levels would be amongst the worst in the league then?

1 minute ago, kurtsimonw said:

I'd happily put money on it that we finish further from relegation (in terms of points) than we currently are now - forget actually going down.

If Hourihane and Lansbury are signed asap I'd agree but I'm worried if we are stuck with the majority of this dross for the rest of the season.

It may be a slight overreaction but the team just got outclassed by a poor Wolves team, and is in terrible form for a good while. If it wasn't for a few moments of brilliance from Kodjia and Grealish's goal against Wigan then they would have been a lot closer to the bottom. Very lucky win against Burton too, Villa aren't any better than the relegation candidates at the moment.

An 11 point cushion might be just enough if new signings don't materialise quickly.

I know there is an 11 point cushion but given how inept performances have been lately and the inability to secure signings I am slightly worried. If Kodjia gets injured at the AFCON then things might go south very quickly.

At least they have been able to keep the score down against the mighty Wolves. Under RDM they would be 3 down by now.

He doesn't do anything any better than Yacouba Sylla did when he was here. Apart from him being somewhat big I don't see the potential unfortunately.

He is old and his legs are gone, terrible signing and he is supposed to be on big money in wages. T

I'd be more worried by relegation given the standard of football played the past month. It is a common theme in Steve Bruce's career that his sides can go on some terrible runs.

Darryl Horgan who was a free transfer and who is only on £6k a week at Preston was supposedly excellent today. It is not as if he wasn't known about or linked to Villa before the window but is another example of ignoring value while vast sums are squandered on average players on massive wages.

Being stuck in the championship for a few seasons might teach the club about value for money.

Pretty much no hope now, shocking that no outfield player has been signed by the middle of January while Gestede as limited as he is was sold for about the only month he was needed so we are stuck with a striker who cannot score goals anymore. Shambolic and Lerneresque.

If a team manager in cycling was a known unrepentant  doper then it would be safe to assume the team is doping. I don't see why things would be different in football.

On the team shape is there anything to be said for trying Adomah out at RB?

----------------------Johnstone

-----------Chester-----------------Baker

Adomah-------------Jedinak----------------Amavi

----------Lansbirry------------Hourihane

----------------------Grealish

--------------Ayew-------------Kodjia

Forgot him, he didn't really have the stereotypical Cork features though.