Pimlico_Villa

43 minutes ago, weedman said:

And if that PL U23 LB was worse than Taylor you'd still be happy? 

It is not possible to be worse than Taylor. 

2 hours ago, AvfcRigo82 said:

I'm interested for the answer to the same question.

A LB! Even one on loan, as it is an emergency situation and we’ve known that since August. I know January market is difficult, and our main targets were not available, but surely - given that we have a Director solely focused on bringing players in - we could have at least got one in on loan? 

Would have taken a PL U23s LB and been happy over the other dross we’ve brought in. 

10 hours ago, weedman said:

This. There's been tons of signings that have come with massive hype and expectation and a big name and they've almost always ended up being awful. A few lower profile signings may prove to be better? At worst case we should see how they actually perform before casting judgement. 

I mean I'm pretty underwhelmed by our January transfers, but I was excited by the likes of Hogan, Lansbury, Bree etc last year and look how they turned out. Being unsure, or underwhelmed is fine, labelling it a disgrace etc before any of these players have even kicked a ball for us is ludicrous. 

I mean before January started we pretty much all agreed that our squad was hugely imbalanced and top heavy, we had no fit CB, with a common complaint being "Chester playing on the left side is hugely detrimental", a calamity of a goalkeeper and our defensive midfield options were Whelan, Jedinak (injured) or Thor, with a manager who wants them to be a quarterback pinging passes around and dictating the tempo. We've addressed all these issues, we now have 4 CB, 2 right sided and 2 left sided (one of whom is also a competent LB giving us 2 options there as well), with Axel still to return, a new keeper and a new DM who can actually play football in Smith's system. 

While the window was underwhelming we've addressed our weakest areas without a huge financial outlay, so sure it could have been better, but it could have been a whole lot worse as well and there are definately reasons to be positive 

I don’t share the optimism here, simply because the calibre of player that has come in is so poor. Take Carrol for example, he can’t even get into a team that aren’t challenging for POs and has a terrible physique for a player reported to be playing in a defensive capacity. Equally, Hause is not fit and GK has looked suspect. 

January strategy has to be to sign players that can make an instant impact or can be given the rest of the season to bed in for next; none of these players coming in fit that bill. They are either rubbish, or will be going back to their loanee clubs, so would love to hear the happy clappers on here explain that logic.

Do you honestly think we couldn’t get a single LB, even in on loan? Our LB situation is an emergency and this is the incompetency that I reference. The issue didn’t come up in Dec., it’s been apparent since August, so given we have people that are paid just to source players, not to even get in a loan is a shambolic disgrace. 

Really don’t know where the happy Clappers draw their blind optimism from. 

13 minutes ago, AvfcRigo82 said:

What were you expecting from the January window?

Basic competence. 

3 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Lets open a "we're shit thread" to accommodate all the more knowledgeable fans shall we? 

It’d be more apt and likely an improvement on the “let’s just get behind the lads, no questions allowed or you don’t know anything about football” brigade. 

I can see the coping mechanism I’ve eluded to in other threads playing a prominent role in this thread. We have so many sycophant happy clapper fans that would be happy whoever we signed. Must be nice to live in that bubble. 

If he is meant to be a defensive midfielder, then we are in trouble. He has the physique of an attacking midfielder, and proper players will bull him. 

33 minutes ago, Zatman said:

sacked Steve Bruce, kept Jack Grealish, signed Tammy Abraham, signed 2 international goalkeepers

thats a start

I'm talking about in the present, not at the beginning of the season. This window shows pure capitulation and same old Villa

1 hour ago, Paddywhack said:

I'd say if you think this club isn't aiming to get promoted this season then you are completely and utterly deluded.

Tell me one thing the club has done what would imply they are aiming for POs this season. Apart from signing a load of injured players on loan, of course. 

1 hour ago, Demitri_C said:

5x,better than hourihane not sure about that mate. Hourihane scores and creates opportunities. 

But all that is completely offset by how he lets players just walk past him and score time and time again. Hourihane is utter dross. He should play as a Punter in the NFL as that’s all he can do. 

6 minutes ago, wilko154 said:

Mings and Carroll will both be in the squad for Saturday.

Hause is on the bench each week and must be near full fitness.

Kalinic has played every game since coming in.

 

Obviously we are aiming for the playoffs, but we also have one eye on next season and not trying to piss all our money down the drain as we have done for the last 10 years.

 

Honestly think some of our fans are still in denial of where we are as a football club.

On the contrary, I know exactly where we are and have accepted that we are stuck down here with the dross for a long, long time. 

If you think that we are aiming for POs then you are completely and utterly deluded. No chance whatsoever with the playing squad we have. We have 2 good players - Tammy and McGinn - and beyond that the rest are bottom half of Championship / League 1 standard that are lazy, unfit and physically pathetic. 

I really do wonder whether we should just accept that we are complete garbage and never going up. Takes the pressure off and we can actually enjoy going to games. 

Not bringing Fer in is the difference between me thinking we have an outside chance of creeping into POs and thinking that we won't even finish top half.

Fer is a proper player and exactly what we needed - big, strong, fit and authoritative. He is 5x the player Hourihane and Whelan are. 

Another regime, another appalling display of incompetence in the window. 

41 minutes ago, praisedmambo said:

We are obviously and rightly still going for the playoffs. We'd be knee deep in them if we hadn't lost Grealish against WBA, so hopefully with these additions and getting and keeping Jack fit we can get back as we were. It would be insane of the management team to sign nobody if there are players who can improve us now, and, in fact, both Mings and Carroll have buy options of various degrees, so there is that too.

Tom Carroll is better than anyone else we could play at DM.

Our first team back in November, with Jack and Tuanzebe, was a match for anyone. We have Mings, Kalinic (settling) and Carroll—er and Hause—who have rebalanced the squad to a decent degree. If we get into the playoffs we have a good shot at going up. Game on.

How can you say with a straight face that we are still aiming for POs? Particularly after that window? POs went after Smith played for the draw against Stoke at Home. 

Can’t even see us finishing top half with the attitude the club has. 

Its us that should be receiving a fee for the business we’ve done in this window as all we are doing is leasing out our physio room. 

24 minutes ago, Harry said:

Very much agree with those thoughts. For once we have not made panic buys or brought in aging players often on high salaries to try to solve a problem.

This is very much building for the future in how we have handled our existing squad, particularly the younger players going out on loan. 

Just because we did not sign a player for a particular position like LB does not mean we did not try.

Personally I think it shows the benefits of a football CEO, a DoF and a forward thinking young manager.

How can this be preparing for next season when the majority have been structured as loans without a contractual right to buy? 

Actually quite annoyed with this window. I know January is difficult, but we needed to bring in players that are going to be relevant next season - i.e. use rest of this season to gel and hit the ground running next. 

I can stomach the capitulation of this season if it was clear we were building for next, but the players we’ve brought in - and, more importantly the fact that these are structured as loans without immediate right to buy - is ludicrous. 

Just looks like we are paying other teams to rehabilitate/improve their injured players with no obvious tangible value to us. As it stands, we’re staring at another Summer rebuild. 

Carroll looks small and lightweight, when we need a big, strong authoritarian midfielder who can own a game and dictate play.

Feels like more stupidity from yet another regime. What did we ever do wrong to deserve this!

I’ve called certain decisions by Smith into question recently, but yesterday confirmed to me that too many of these players just do not put in the required effort. 

You could have Pep in charge and I don’t think he could motivate Hourihane to run or make a forward pass. 

43 minutes ago, TRO said:

Just on one point.

When i watch our team play, i do wonder if they ever do any work on positional play or working off the ball.....i don't see organised lines...just a gaggle of geese all doing their own thing.

I wonder ,right through to the academy whether they work on this aspect of the game.

it leaves me in doubt at times.

The ‘doing their own thing’ is a hangover from Bruce, where there were no general tactics. Almost as if he said “you’re a good player, go out there and play” - and for that he was paid millions. 

I think the players still doing this now is a mix between confidence for some - where players have a safety first, sideways/backwards inclination - and for others just outright filthy laziness and poor fitness. 

To play in a joined up way requires movement, which in turn requires fitness, which in turn requires players to actually want to run. 

Hourihane plays in a position that can completely dictate the tempo of the game, but he is physically pathetic and appallingly lazy. He gets paid exactly the same whether he runs or not.

We should structure contracts so that players need to cover at least a certain distance in a forward direction in a match before being paid. 

4 minutes ago, hippo said:

Well when successive managers overlook the u23's you have to wonder if they are good enough.

Who exactly would you put in the team for the game v Hull ? 

You can also play the pressing game without every players running at 90mph - thats where accurate passing comes in.

I think part of the problem is that VP is an intimidating place for players who are not used to playing in front of +35K fans. I don't think it is possible to prepare a player for this, you just have to get them in there and allow them to acclimatise. The weaker ones will falter, but proper players will embrace it and thrive. 

Against Hull, the obvious would be to bring in O'Harew. I know that is an easy thing to say and the discussion been more than covered on here, but I wouldn't begrudge Grealish a move to the PL next season and he is the closest like for like. He also has obvious ability and can actually run, which so many other players find it difficult to do. I'd also recall Oscar Bog at LB, send Bolasie back and recall Green. None of these players will get us up this season, but we'll need them next season and should take advantage or our mid table mediocrity to get them up to speed. 

On the second point, I'm not just talking about pressing; I agree that that can be done efficiently without having to bust a lung. I'm actually talking more generally, including making the necessary runs that force Whelan and Hourihane to pass the ball forward into space instead of backwards or behind the player. 

Just now, striker said:

I actually thought that more of the the U23s would have been intergrated into the first team by DS so that’s been a major disappointment for me so far concerning Dean Smith’s short reign at the Villa.

I think they'd all be better suited to his high tempo, high intensity style as well. Smith needs younger, fitter players with it all to prove. Asking the likes of Hourihane and Whelan to run and pass the ball forwards is just too difficult a task. They just will not do it. 

Alternative would be to acknowledge the fact that these players are too old to change and start playing more to their strengths. We all want to see attacking football, but if we have players that just outright refuse to run or play high intensity, then he needs to show pragmatism and tweak things tactically to appeal to player's strengths. 

Personally, I would write this season off (yes, I know we're only 5 points of POs, but in 12th place there are too many teams above us we'd need to dislodge) and blood the youth. In the long run, we need players willing to run and run and run. Give them the rest of this season and they'll be ready for next. 

I'm also sick of the youth being wrapped in cotton wool - if they are so mentally fragile at 21 then they are a waste of a squad position and shouldn't be at Villa. 

37 minutes ago, foreveryoung said:

It's amazing after the quality we have turned out since Smith arrived, we are now blaming the players again. There were one or 2 games where every player scored a 9 or above, so I think we have some quality, just needs to be consistent, an that was the problem under Bruce, thought Smith would knock that on the head.

Don't get me wrong we have still got players that need to be shipped out, but this team can play if they need to. The attack side of the team was close to the best in the league until recently, where has that gone, a question for smith to answer me thinks.

As someone has already mentioned though, this team has not looked fit at all after the Christmas period, an that could be a huge factor.

 

Yep, not a single shot on target yesterday. Absolutely ridiculous when you look at the calibre of our attacking players

3 hours ago, macandally said:

Attitude, Pace, strength and energy.  Sounds simple but that is what Smith needs to play a high tempo pressing game.

Now look at our squad!.  Get our talented u23s out on loan (like RHM has just done), Scout for pacey, young and hungry players in lower leagues and abroad and let’s see if we can do it with kids.  A fresh, young and new group.

We get another chance to get it right in the summer, we simply can not afford to get it wrong again.

Actually think Smith stands a better chance of getting a tune out of younger, lesser known players rather than big name, expensive players. 

Younger players are much more coachable and would be more receptive to Smith’s modern day tactics. 

Also think this is why established players like Hourihane, Whelan, Chester, Taylor, etc. are struggling. 

3 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

this big club with big name players shit is **** poison

we're a mid table championship team with a lot of utter garbage players who let us down every week because they are not good enough but they are at a big club and on great money so they are doing ok

neil taylor big name, international player, played in the olympics, played in the prem, earns probably around £30k a week at a big club....none of it means anything because he's **** shit

Completely endemic with us.

21 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Is the job too big for Smith? 

Absolutely. Even the players are too big for him. 

4 minutes ago, wilko154 said:

You can't write him off as a manager because of a bad performance today. He hasn't had a full window or summer window yet.

The midfield and defence are massively letting us down at the moment and as of yet he hasn't been able to recruit any players to fix it.

I bet that has been written on here for every Manager we’ve had. You can’t give him funding and two windows if he can’t even get the absolute basics right and is showing such utter incompetence. That would be madness. 

Giving crap Managers time and funding is exactly what has set us back for so long as it takes years to resolve the mistakes they make.