Radness

13 hours ago, Jas10 said:

Anyone been watching the Olympic football games? Any decent players/youngsters we could attract?

Cunha any good, for example?

Almada, Kubo? 

Chris Wood

35 minutes ago, skarroki said:

Just looking through players still without a club this window and wondering what people think about David Luiz? He could play the DM / back-up CB role quite well if he's settled in England and knows he's not coming in with a guarantee to start.

I know I'm opening myself up to GIFs of Sideshow Bob and lots of different ways of saying it's an awful idea but I'm curious nonetheless.

He would be a liability in my indoor football team.

3 hours ago, thabucks said:

Very good point well made. Just watch Barca and Messi - they press from the front in swarms and try and get the ball back …. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/barcauniversal.com/barcelonas-pressing-intensity-over-the-years/amp/

Not sure how Bailey and Traore fit though into this system of high press … Suppose tracking back can be taught and worked on . 

Sounds great, but the do have Busquets, probably the best DM on the planet.

There’s so many reasons to like him, but a highlight for me is free kicks/corners. How often in the last few years have we won a crucial free kick, everyone on the edge of their seats, only to see it completely wasted?

40 minutes ago, The Moustache of Teale said:

He’d better be, otherwise it’s curtains for him.

 

(does that even qualify as a beef pun?)

What, he’ll get the chop?

6 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

We already have loads of those 8 types though.

Sanson played there for Marseille, McGinn can obviously play there, Doug plays there for Brazil and Ramsay can also play there.

I'm actually really surprised we didn't offer Ramsay to Norwich on season long loan as part of the Buendia as don't really see where he fits in next season with all these links. Norwich signing Billy Gilmour this week.

If we're going big on a midfielder it needs to be either top class DM who can read play well enough, pass well enough and offer a big physical presence, Nakamba can do that on occasions but not really sure he's capable of doing it 30 times a season otherwise he'd be starting every week for DS.

Or sign a fantastic attacking midfielder like the one Jas keeps suggesting.

Winks just feels more of the same of what we currently have in midfielder rather than a real difference maker in the trio.

Seen a few saying we're trying to model Liverpool by just playing three similar types in central midfield....big difference there is their front 3 tends to chip in with 50-60 goals a season so we'd be needing 20 + from Ollie and at least 15 from Jack or other wide players.

Exactly, if we get a new midfielder it has to be someone with a point of difference, that’s why I like Ward-Prowse because getting a dead ball specialist is going to make us more dangerous.

2 hours ago, Phil Silvers said:

Really want JWP, it feels like it could that magic piece of the jigsaw that elevates us to a while new level

I know ppl on here have a lot of love for McGinn but if we could sell him to Liverpool n swap him for JWP it would b a great trade.

6 minutes ago, barry'sboots said:

We have let one go in every position you have mentioned, except for striker (depending on what role Ashley is expected to play), so your view is not unreasonable imho.  Obviously, with the exception of Barkley, these have all been back up/squad players that will need replacing.  How aggressively they will be replaced - i.e. with what level of player - will indicate NSWE's short term ambition.

Last year ppl were mentioning Traore when discussing back up strikers, is that still a viable option? 
 

For all the talk about Leeds impressive tempo i think it was the decisive passing n excellent first touch that undid us. We need a player like Harrison on the right to stretch the play n get us our space, he was brilliant.

3 minutes ago, paul514 said:

That was mings fault not getting back

And Targett walking back

Exciting game so far, giving as good as we get. Feel a lot more confident with Cash there, he reads the game quite well.

18 minutes ago, paul514 said:

I can only see that argument for a centre back as that is the only one we don't have the cover for, the club obviously disagrees or they would have at least loaned someone.

It looks like they see Elmo as last call CB/RB

If it hasn’t been said in the last 5 minutes can I please say, thank you Jack for sticking around. The state we were in nobody would have begrudged you forcing the clubs hand, and now u will always have a special place in a lot of Villians hearts.

26 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

A mate of mine has a theory that shorter players learn to compensate by having a better ability to jump. Conversely tall players don’t develop this ability as much as they should because they don’t need to as much. 

Alan Wright always amazed me how many headers he got to and yet others, I can’t think of a good example but there are plenty, who were 6’+ who would barely get off the ground and lose most of the height advantage they had. 

Tim Cahill is a good example

8 hours ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Got to feel for Freddy, basically saying even though it's a difficult time, nothing will stop him from fighting for the shirt etc.

When was the last time we had a player so desperate to stay here and fight?

Is there a chance during a game we might push Cash into midfield to get Freddie involved?

If we do get the big, tough DM/CM I would love someone with a winner’s reputation to give the team some confidence in themselves, as soon as we got ahead we started looking unsure n nervous. Would love an older head that can lead the way when we are under pressure.

1 hour ago, Kiwivillan said:

Great news. Steven Taylor has left Wellington Phoenix by mutual consent

He’s no Paul Ifill

Does anyone think we may have promised Jack he could play midfield as further encouragement to stay? Reading the room most people think he’s better utilised forward on the left and playing him midfield wouldn’t suit us as much.

Kiwi living in Oz, been a Villa fan for30+ years, started following Villa just to spite a Liverpool fan and got hooked. Luckily I’m a barista because I’m one of the mad few getting up in the middle of the night to watch the game.