OxfordVillan

The concern is what damage the league cup final could inflict on us. All ifs and maybes at the moment, but it’s possible that by next Monday we could find ourselves in the relegation zone and nursing a humiliating loss in a cup final. By the time we play our next league game it’s possible we could be 5pts adrift of safety. Highly unlikely, granted, but possible. On the flip side of that we might win the final and fathom the confidence that we can win against the top teams and go on a little run that proves to be the pivot to us staying up. Dean has to get the cup final selection and team approach perfect.

West Ham will gain confidence from their display at Anfield, they probably should have won that game. If they take that confidence and similar performance into their next game at home to Southampton then they have a good chance of 3pts. We cannot and should not be looking at others results to help us, we should be adapting our mindset & philosophy to deal with the here & now. The horrific stats above tell anyone which way we are heading, and I’ve been saying it for a long time that we offer up too many chances. Our front men have proven not good enough for us to play any system with 3 at the top, the midfield equally incapable of having just a pair of CMs. For me we have to go either 3-5-2, 3-6-1, or 4-5-1. Trezeguet doesn’t have enough, ElGhazi doesn’t look up for anything other than TV/showpiece games. We need players with bottle and determination at this time, experience helps. ............................................Reina....................................... Guilbert..............Engels....................Mings............Targett Elmo.......McGinn......Nakamba......Drinkwater.......Grealish ....................................Samatta............................................ Lets become more difficult to score against and earn the right in games for Grealish or Samatta to nick a goal here and there. Luiz has been better off the bench.

We’ll lose the league cup final and we’ll lose away at Leicester. The home game with Chelsea looks pivotal, time wise. We have to start picking up wins at VP asap or the pressure just ratchets up and performances get worse everywhere. We need McGinn and Davis back and match fit asap to hopefully give us a little lift. And we have to get flexible with the philosophy, we have to reduce the amount of chances we offer up to the opposition. If that means 3-6-1, 5-4-1, 4-5-1, or whatever, then so be it. More often than not I think we have to go something like; .........................Reina......................... Guilbert....Engels....Mings.....Targett Elmo...SJM...Nak..DWater...Grealish ......................Samatta......................... ElGhazi unfortunately looks not up for the fight, only seems useful at VP. Ditto Luiz, just seems to get overrun away from home unless coming on from the bench. We need effort now, lots of it. Beef up the midfield and start earning the right to bring on the likes of Luiz later in the game if required. Davis will have a big part to play if he can stay fit. Elmo doesn’t have anything like the natural talent of ElGhazi but you can rely on him most games to deliver a 6 or 7/10 performance. His crossing is also far better. I think we need to reboot our mindset and start becoming harder to play against, first and foremost. Playing out from the back may have to be compromised more often.

We simply have to pray that City sustain injuries to Aguero, Sterling, KDB, Silva, & Jesus.

Smith doesn’t have an option other than to drop a player or two now. He’s come out and told the media that some players have played themselves out of the final. If you don’t back up what you’ve said then your credibility is shot, and if your credibility is gone then it’s end of days!

I can’t disagree with any of this. A combination of opposition teams poor finishing and great saves by our GKs has taken some ppls eyes away from the fact that on another day we could’ve lost the Leicester & Spurs games by 3-4 goal margins. Our set up in midfield is rarely correct and we have very little up front. Unfortunately I’ve arrived at the conclusion that it’ll be a small miracle for us to stay up.

It’s incredible that the manager cannot fathom that we’re not good enough to go with just the two midfielders, especially away from home. We must pack the midfield every game and try to stop offering up so many chances to the opposition, and leave Grealish & Samatta to try and steal a goal. We’re playing ourselves back to the championship if we continue with philosophy over practicality.

Where the back line played all game was the issue, we offered Spurs chance after chance against a high back line. Spurs will not create chances easier against anyone else this season. We were a mistake waiting to happen. And that’s in the management/coaching

Seriously, we were not unlucky. We could have lost the game 6-3. We simply seem unable to defend as a team, unable to find the balance between trying to create whilst not offering up numerous opportunities on our goal. Spurs didn’t have to try hard for their chances, they had acres to simply run into with simple balls knocked over the top down the flanks. That’s not bad luck, it’s piss poor team set up.

He got it wrong by sitting and watching our defence for 94 minutes and not changing a single thing. That back 3 were shambolic today and we looked like conceding at every simple ball pushed over the top or in between. We were 1-0 up and kept pushing forward with a shit defence, stupid. We got back level at 2-2 and still didn’t learn, and kept trying to go forward rather than defend properly. Mourinho took Smiths pants down. He calculated it would be won in midfield, as I have said, and he made the changes that saw Spurs go pretty much the entirety of the 2nd half unscathed. Targett &Guilbert were nullified, as was Grealish. Because Mourinho got his team to control midfield, in the full knowledge that we were defensively shit. Spurs didn’t have to do anything even remotely special to win that game. When I see us like this I cannot see anything other than relegation, it’s like we are learning nothing tactically.

McGinn or Luiz, rotate them accordingly. I’d forgotten about because I’ve gotten used to not playing with him!

I’d go in full tilt for Kalvin Phillips if Leeds fail to get promoted. Ditto Benrama at Brentford. To get hold of Malang Sarr from France would also be a coup. ..........................Reina......................... .........Konsa......Mings.....Sarr............. Guilbert....................................Targett .................Luiz.........Phillips............... Benrama.........Samatta.........Grealish I actually don’t think we’re too many signings away from a very decent team, with the ability to play either 3 or 4 at the back seamlessly without different combinations in midfield

I think I’d prefer something more like a 3-5-1-1, with Grealish playing behind Samatta and an extra body in midfield. I think you have to be strong in the middle against a Mourinho side. ...........................Reina......................... .........Konsa.......Mings......Hause........ Elmo.........................................Targett ....Nakamba.....Luiz.......Drinkwater... ..........................Grealish....................... ......................Samatta.......................... Try & get a stranglehold on the middle and that should allow Elmo & Targett the freedom to get in some of their good deliveries. The extra body in midfield would hopefully buy a bit more time for Luiz to be more forward minded and do his work in the Spurs half, Grealish too.

I think you’re wrong, I think you’re maybe being influenced by the current noise being created by some sections of the RedTop media. I think that, the England team aside, it’s very much in Villa’s hands as to whether they retain Jack Grealish for 20/21. If Southgate continues to not select Jack then that might influence Jack towards thinking a move is needed to fulfill his international ambitions. I don’t see that happening, though, as Southgate has selected players from all types of premier league clubs. There’s every chance Grealish goes to Euro20 and makes himself an England star. Domestically Villa have to stay up, and preferably finish the season relatively strongly to set us up for good summer recruitment that would put better players around Grealish. Thus far the paper talk is 90% ManUtd being the club he goes to for around £60m. Two things wouldn’t stack up with that scenario; 1) Man Utd might not be playing any European football, let alone champions league. 2) £60m is fanciful. Utd paid £80m for a CB. Why will Villa sell at £60-80m when £40m buys you a Haller or Jolinton in today’s market? It would be really stupid business. We’d need Suarez type money where we could go and buy VVD & Allisson types to really strengthen other parts of our team. Unless you can get the type of money to do the above (ie, bring in 2-3 really good prospects) then you retain Grealish. I would hope our owners have removed any release clauses, or certainly set any clause at around £150m. I’ve said it before, Grealish is almost unique in his style, he is the closest thing in the current game to a Messi. Pundits have talked about similarities to Gascoigne. Top, top, world class players who demand market leading transfer fees. Im certain our owners aren’t mugs who don’t know the value of an asset, and thus if Jack does leave this summer it’ll be for the type of money that could transform AVFC on the pitch.

I’m convinced this game is a good opportunity to pick up a win against one of the upper echelon clubs. Some not insignificant differences from the reverse fixture; 1) No Sissoko. A strong, physical influence in the 1st game. 2) No Kane. Scored 2 in 1st game. 3) No Pochettino. I think we’ll get a little more time on the ball against Mourinhos Spurs than we would against a Pochettino Spurs. I don’t think they’ll press us as high up. Added to the above, I believe there are injury question marks against LoCelso & Lamela. Obviously they still have very capable players even with the injuries, but I’d rather play a Spurs team minus Kane & Sissoko than one with them. And we have to be 100% in all areas, no doubt. But this is a chance, we must take the opportunity.

Dean Smith should be our manager/coach next season, regardless of which league we’re in. We’ve had our issues, that’s undeniable. But let’s not overlook the overall record over the last 18 months. It’s positive. It’s under Smith that Grealish has gone up to the top level player we now see, it’s under Smith we won promotion. It’s under Smith we’re going to a league cup final. It’s under Smith that with 13 games to play our destiny is in our own hands. Smith was undoubtedly the driving force in bringing Mings to the club, one of the most influential signings we’ve made in recent years. Pivotal. We’ve basically HAD to put together almost an entire team over the summer, whilst remaining inside FFP rules. We’ve had a terrible injury list taking away three of our 1st team for half of the season. Yet compare where we currently are to Fulham at this stage last season? Fulham sacked Jokanovic and replaced him with a title winning manager in Ranieri......who did worse. You Villa fans have to consider where we came from 18 months ago, be realistic, and look at the bigger picture. This time last season we were all planning for another season in the championship and bracing ourselves for the departure of Jack Grealish for around £30m. Today we’re in the Premier League and a league cup final with Grealish being talked about as a minimum £80m player. Get some perspective ffs!

The reality is that we cannot afford anymore halves of football like we witnessed 1st half of the Bournemouth game. If we avoid that I think we have a decent chance of 3pts against Spurs. It’ll be a lovely bonus if results go for us this weekend at other games but we must treat the Spurs game as a fight to the death, make this the game that we learn we can beat big names. It could prove a vital boost of confidence going into the following fixtures. Spurs aren’t the same possession/pressing team under Mourinho as they were under Pochettino, that should suit us better.

Always stupid to even try and predict, but I reckon we’ll get 15pts from our remaining fixtures. Now watch Samatta & Grealish get injuries in the first 10mins against spuds......in which case I predict 0 pts.

I agree we should do all we possibly can to match his talent. The first step to doing that is to stay in the Premier League. Then we’d have to sign 2-3 players that are at a level that shows serious intent, we’re talking £50m+ players. I’m not convinced Jack is the type who yearns for medals, I think he likes being surrounded by family and friends, and being adored by Villa fans. Let’s remember that the best Premier League striker (Shearer) chose his hometown club over guaranteed medals at ManUtd. If Jack plays for England and Villa stay up then I think he stays for next season. We should, though, be getting him a new contract now that pays him more than what Maddisons new Leicester contract will.

What’s clear now is that we need to get Jack on another new deal paying him top class money with a release clause of £150m. Minimum.

The figures being spoken about are £80-100m. I think it has to be higher. Has to be. Off the top of my head West Ham spent £45m on Haller, Grealish is so far more effective than him it’s incalculable. Maguire at Man Utd was £80m, Grealish as a No10 is a far more valuable and rare player. A couple of factors will have a big effect on potential value....1) Villa must avoid relegation 2) Euro 2020. If Jack has a good tournament his value goes into the stratosphere. Similar to John Terry I don’t envisage Jack EVER wanting to play against Villa, so if the worst happens and he has to go then I think/hope it’s abroad. The momentum now is all geared to trying to unsettle Jack in the coming weeks/months to try and effect his performance negatively in the hope it gets Villa relegated. We MUST find a way to survive this season.

I was concerned that this game might prove to be something of an “after the Lord Mayors show”, and so it proved. Was Drinkwater injured? Luiz was my concern after Tuesday, he’s young and inexperienced, and didn’t come down from tuesdays high. As didn’t one or two others, I should add. There’s no doubt now that we’ve got to get wins from one or two of the big clubs to give ourselves a chance of staying up, and that’s without dropping results against the teams we expect something from. I don’t think we’ll be safe now before the final game of the season.

Bowen apparently on £80k pw at WestHam. Good luck, no way I’d ever pay the fella that sort of money. They’re welcome to him on that. Funny money.

Brentford have signed the Oxford Utd left sided forward, Fosu-Henry. Will that free up Benrama for a big money move?

You can’t make a judgement on someone being a “great” signing after 5 months, or very few can be put in that bracket.