MentalM

On 20/05/2021 at 00:04, villalad21 said:

can't see a lot of defensive quality  in him but i can see loads of offensive qualities. Think he will turn into a fine CM or maybe even a CAM

He is nr 3 in our team in interceptions, behind Cash and Targett. Nr 3 in blocks behind Mings and Konsa, the next person after the 4 defenders in clearances. Nr 6 in tackles (behind Cash, Targett, Nakamba, McGinn and Trezeguet).

How does he have few defensive qualities?

I am just glad we have a player with the tactical awareness to also do the occasional professional foul, who rarely gives away the ball for nothing.

Yes, he could do better in other positions, but he clearly have abilities both offensively and defensively. 

1 hour ago, Keyblade said:

Nah I'm dying on this hill!

I 100% support this decision. I thank you for these posts, been crying tears of laughter here of the last pages 

14 minutes ago, Keyblade said:

Is it just me or does Carney look and sound eerily a lot like Gareth Bale? It's been bugging me who it was for a while, but I think I cracked the code!

I hope you never will be asked to identify a culprit by the police 

6 minutes ago, mikeyp102 said:

Newcastle were only up a year longer than us. 

Think Brighton as well, they got promoted same season did they not? Grealish goal denied Brighton the title in last match when we were down to 10 men

I hope he sticks around as a coach or something. His professionalism should be used to influence the younger players

I fancy Heaton.

However best for both parties if he leaves. He earns quite a lot so getting it off the books would be great.

I believe with Martinez and Steer at the back we will be adequately covered if Martinez should need a rest a game or two  

1 hour ago, YLN said:

I'm not understanding this thread at all. 

Wesley scored 6 goals in his first half season in the premier league at the age of 22. Then he had a bad injury, and now he's back ready for full team action, and he's being written off, and being considered for sale/loan/knackers yard. I'm really missing the logic behind this train of thought. 

What are we basing the idea of him being a wreck now on? Our collective understanding about the recovery from ACL rupture? His 10 minute cameo against West Brom where he had a shot on target?

I am lost completely. He's an unbelievable option to have as an alternative back up striker to Watkins. Is it that we're deciding between a too good for the championship Abraham, and Wesley?

Joined in on @villalad21logic  

20 minutes ago, VillaJay said:

Potentially 3 villa players going to a major tournament with England. Has that ever happened before? Credit to Dean, he's improved most of the players and the squad value must be fairly significant now too.

Could it not potentially be 4 with Anwar being in the preliminary Dutch squad?

2 minutes ago, gwi1890 said:

Didn’t work out wont hold grudges thanks for gaining us a few points this season, however I don’t want to see you in a Villa shirt again good luck Ross.

This is what i want to see us fans be like! Please stay away from comments as "sod off"

17 minutes ago, Zhan_Zhuang said:

And I respectfully disagree.

I'm not discussing overall, i'm highlighting our poor form of late...

Villa were desperate for a player to galvanise us in the absence of Grealish, a player to drive us from midfield. What do we get, teams playing through us every game far too easily.

McGinn has been very poor of late and in some of those games he was consistently giving the ball away on average six times; read through this very thread over the course of the last few months where I and others have highlighted this. Six times in specific matches, it cost us points!

Of course the figures are more favorable to McGinn overall but when we needed him he failed.

Last few matches he has been better but I'm sorry once decent game in ten doesn't warrant a starting place for me.

Central midfield should be our number one priority for improvement. McGinn's athleticism or lack of it really bothers me, he flounders consistently and attempts to win a foul because he doesn't have the speed and agility. Eze bested him in the match against Palace, McGinn tires too often.

I 100% see where you are coming from. However I believe its a collective collapse related to Covid.

Personally see more issues in the CDM and CAM position than Mcginn (would still like to see him being tried in the AM position). 

And I could not agree more on McGinn tiring too much, but I also believe it is because he plays too much... Could be jadedness we see

51 minutes ago, Zhan_Zhuang said:

For over a year i've thought McGinn is a weak link through repeatedly giving the ball away, being caught in possession and just not athletic (quick) enough.

Yet this information is not correct.

He is the 5th most dispossessed person behind Watkins, Grealish, Barkley and El Ghazi.

He is 4th in most bad touches - behind Watkins, Grealish and Traore.

Yes, he plays further down so we are more exposed when he does the errors. However I believe much of the decisions are also what management wants from him.

He is the second in dribbling behind Grealish, second behind Grealish in keypasses

4 hours ago, Dave-R said:

Because we need upgrades on players and we need the m to compete.

Not saying he has to be sold but when you don't keep your fitness in check and it's doing you in through games he should clearly be a sub and nothing more. He has admitted hasn't he that he doesn't keep his fitness in check??? I mean are you kidding me, your at a club who's in the top flight, are you telling me that for the job and club you say you love your not going to keep your fitness in top shape? Especially how your a first teamer you are asking to lose your place and it's only because we have no one else that he hasn't yet but that will soon change this summer or next, it has to.

100% agree on upgrades and competetion. In McGinn place I believe healthier competition would be good. I think he is a player that has a future here, and will be an important contributor to our push for Europe.

I cannot respond to the statement about his fitness assessment, since I have not seen him mentioning it anywhere I have seen.  However, I can believe he is slightly complacent since we do not have much depth in quality in central midfield.

Personally I would like to see McGinn in the nr 10 role, and push Nakamba and Luiz in the middle (even thou last season that combination was a disaster). 

I am not sure why McGinn is getting so much stick.

Yes his passing is annoying at times, yet there are only Grealish, Luiz and Konsa with higher pass %. He creates the third most behind Grealish and Watkins with his key passes. 

As someone said further up, he needs a break at times. We get overrunned in the midfield when he is out of gas.

Villa fans seems way more negative towards McGinn than other people are...

15 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

It was Sheffield united's first season last season and they finished top half.

Leeds top half now with their players if not all with no pl experience.

But these players had played together as a team. So what they lacked in experience they could atleast make up for in cohesiom.

We had neither.

I Will let my judgement on Bielsa rest until after his second season

And let us not forget he took over a team that had played in PL before. Unlike our players

1 minute ago, villalad21 said:

You are just digging your head in the sand at this point.

If there is a problem you need to rectify it. Not just turn your head and hope it goes away.

And some people get stubborn easily and keep ramming their head into the wall...

We are 100% on track to where we are supposed to go

3 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

This isn't just poor form.

This has been going on for 5 months.

I just witnessed our midfield getting dominated by Crystal Palace. Just did see that right? And you are not feeling even slightly concerned?

If we were talking about 4-5 games i would be with you. But we aren't. We're talking about half a season here.

This has been going on after Covid outbreak. Could it be related? A few players looked way worse (Barkley in particular). Also adding up the injury to the leagues best player.

I agree on Smith needing to improve on many things, but if you see the improvement from last season to this season you should be thrilled.

Bielsa has one huge advantage, continuity in the squad. We have had a MAJOR rebuild in our entire team. And Bielsa have clear weaknesses with stubborness and naivity himself (had that all through his career). Had to mention this since you seem to worship him as much as you worshipped Maupay...

We have the youngest lineup in PL, and we are on the track of one survival season, one season to settle, and contest for Europe next season.

Why are we so inpatient? Building a team takes time. If Traore shows the improvement i.e Targett and Konsa has shown, he would be a world beater next season  

It is frustrating that we are so slow om subbing...

We been overrunned in entire second half. Why did we not put in Nakamba for Luiz after 60 min?

Now we are using three steiners, and we Will have no service it seems like

Couldnt complain if it would been a red.

Yesterday seems to be a day where they didnt want to give reds on those (United had 2 by Fred and McTominay)

No black, yellow or white for me

Our 3rd kit last season was really nice, and the light blue away the same. 

1 hour ago, KenjiOgiwara said:

Disagree. Heaton is excellent. Wesley and Engels were both pretty mixed bag, but both averaged on the shite side.

Fair enough.

I believe Heaton was far better than what we were used to. However I also believe he never settled properly before the injury, and I cant say he was that good as I expected him to be  

2 hours ago, hippo said:

Here's the quote.

My meaning was that many of the players we signed before last season has improved THIS season.

Targett, Konsa, Luiz, Nakamba, Trezeguet

Heaton, Wesley and Engels hard to say anything about with all the injuries. 

I am not including the players that were signed after being on loan (El Ghazi and Mings). 

The abovementioned things lead to my comment that I believe Traore can be much better if we give him another season  

6 minutes ago, hippo said:

Agreed - but I'm struggling to think of a player who fits the stated criteria of improving on last season and is currently in his 2nd season. Target appears to be the only one.

Targett, Konsa, Luiz (more consistant this season imo, fewer of the horrendous decisions), Nakamba (when he has played), Trezeguet (his improvement startet after Covid break last season thou)

Engels, Heaton and Wesley hard to judge.