Monkeypuzzle

What was our actual formation at the start of the game yesterday?

Followed by a concussion, poor lad. That was a great goal. Calm footwork to go round the keeper and across the chasing defender.

How can a player on loan from us change teams without our say so? I thought I also read that St Louis sold the rights to him back to Miami. If that's correct, how can another club make money off of our player?

Now if those three new first teamers happened to be Yeremy Pino,  Pau Torres and Victor Osimhen, well, I guess we'd just have to cope!

A first XI looking something like this:

                ?????

Bailey  Ramsey  ?????

        Kamara  Luiz

Digne  ?????  Carlos  Cash

              Martinez

With a bench including:

?????, Mings, Kesler-Hayden, Chrisene, Dendoncker, Iroegbunam, Coutinho, Buendia, Watkins

Still leaving the following to rotate in or loan out:

Sinisalo, Feeney, Bogarde, Ramsey, Philogene, Archer + several other promising talents.

That looks like a great squad for next season with only 3 starters and a back up keeper who suits our style a bit better than Olsen to buy between now and next August! It also allows us to make a bit of money back on some players who move on.

End of contract/retiring/loan ending/sell:

Steer, Olsen, Guilbert, Chambers, Konsa, Bednarek, Young, Augustinsson, Nakamba, Sanson, McGinn, Traore, Davis, Wesley, Ings

We might not manage to move all of these on but worst case scenario, we wittle it down to about 5 names who can be in the squad for another season still, learning from the manager.

The way I see it we have a solid squad for next season but of course we can upgrade with new, better players in any position.

                   Ings                                                     Archer                                                                          Wesley  Davis

    Bailey Buendia  Watkins               Ramsey  Coutinho  Philogene                                   Young Nakamba  Sanson  Traore

          Kamara  Luiz                              Dendoncker  Iroegbunam                                Augustinsson  Hause  Bednarek  Guilbert

Digne  Mings  Carlos  Cash       Chrisene  Konsa  Chambers  Kesler-Hayden                                         Steer

                Martinez                                                Olsen

The first group is what I consider to be our best eleven when everyone is in form, the second would be our back up next season and the third would be out of contract or to sell.

Yes we have other great youth players coming through but they are not the issue here. I am just not sure where to put McGinn or Azaz. Both are good players but I just don't think they fit in a 4-2-3-1 formation ahead of the others.

With a one in, one out system, I'd be interested to see who the new manager brings in to improve an already good squad when playing like we did against Brentford.

1 hour ago, mrchnry said:

It's happening tomorrow for my birthday. 

It hasn't happened today for mine.

Wow, so many insane and ridiculous comments in this thread. I won't waste my time checking back here until January.

Waiting for a Crocodile Dundee reference.

"I don't need a gun. I've got a Donk!"

I'd like us to sign the 6'7" Nigerian striker from Genk, Onuachu. Wouldn't cost too much and a great alternative up front. Powerful in the air, surprisingly quick for his height and a calm finisher. He's been looked at by Arsenal and Liverpool in the last couple of years.

He is still out with the injury he suffered at Luton as far as I know.

                   Watkins                                                           Watkins

Buendia                    Bailey                             Coutinho  Buendia  Bailey

Kamara  Dendoncker  Luiz                                   Kamara  Dendoncker

Digne  Mings  Carlos  Cash                            Digne Mings  Carlos  Cash

                 Martinez                                                           Martinez

One sub can change us from solid defensively but still dangerous to an aggressive threat.

We can even switch a few of those options based on injuries or form with little overall impact on the effect.

Ramsey, Sanson and maybe even McGinn once he has recovered some form can rotate with our attacking midfielders.

Dendoncker, Luiz and even maybe Nakamba can rotate in the defensive positions.

A glimmer of hope maybe? Or a tease in a disappointing season? Who knows?

If he tackles players and gives it straight to someone else, probably Kamara, to move it on, what does it matter if he isn't the best at passing. He's not bad at passing, it's just not his best attribute. Hopefully it will see us change to a 4-2-3-1 formation?

What would people think about going for Paul Onuachu, the Nigerian striker from Genk? He is big, strong and good in the air. Reminds me very much of Benteke. He has also scored over 50 goals for them in the last two seasons combined, albeit in the Belgian league. He wouldn't cost the Earth but might be. Just what we need as an alternative up front?

                   Watkins

Coutinho   Buendia   Bailey

             Kamara   Luiz

Digne   Mings   Carlos   Cash

                   Martinez

Olsen, Young, Konsa, Chambers, Augustinsson, Iroegbunam, McGinn, Ramsey, Ings

That is a strong first eleven and a stronger bench than most teams in the Premier League or even in Europe!

That is a team far better than many in the Champions League!

That is not a team with any glaring weaknesses or areas lacking in depth!

That is the best squad I can remember in over thirty years at Villa Park!

That is a team with eleven international players in the starting eleven (many for top tier countries) and nine internationals on the bench (including youth level as international level)!

That is NOT a team that should be playing as crap as they have been for so long now!

The problem is not on the pitch, it's in the dug out!

Coutinho   Buendia   Bailey

              Kamara   Luiz

This is a fantastic midfield and is certainly good enough for European football. Unfortunately I can't see us playing with it. Questions over Douglas Luis's contract and a lack of quality depth in the more defensive areas require addressing. Another quality winger would be welcome competition as well.

Our two strikers are not playing at their best, but they ARE good enough. Of course additions and upgrades are welcome but not essential just yet.

Our fullbacks are both quality players, but are struggling with our bizarre system that relies on DEFENDERS to do the attacking! With Carlos' injury our centre backs are definitely our weakest position due to Konsa's decline and Mings' injury. A loan signing or addition of someone no better than our back up choices does not improve the team on the pitch.

A top quality centre back is the only position that would definitely improve our starting eleven (if we actually played our best players or formation). A top quality defensive midfielder would be great too but would not have as big an impact replacing Luiz as say, Diallo would have replacing Konsa. When Carlos is fit again we could then look to move on either Konsa or Chambers if we felt we had too many centre backs at that point.

Therefore my highest priority this window would be a top quality centre back (Diallo is the best that I have heard us linked to but Caleta Car is also a good option). Then I would hope to also bring in a quality defensive midfielder (Sangare or Laimer are the best options I can think of). Another quality winger would be my final choice this window, although I'd cope until January if necessary. This needs to be a top quality attacker though, equal to those already at the club. Ryan Kent is not good enough for example.

Let's be honest, none of that will happen probably, we will get Bednarek from Southampton and no one else, but one can dream.

* I had to edit this post three times because of stupid autocorrect and players'  names!

Can we please make the new way of stating the fans dissatisfaction with a Villa manager as people holding up pictures of cabbages? Large numbers of pictures of cabbages in the crowd sends a clear message, is in no way physically threatening to the manager and adds a little humour to a sad situation. It also avoids wasting food.

Not as much as we might have got for him but the guy needs to play and deserves a move. A few million less than we might have had is not too much of an issue for villa. Good luck to him!

Watching the highlights, that game could easily have been an absolute thrashing by us on another day! 7 or 8 very close or scorable (is that a word?) chances. Mostly for Brad Young, as has been said. Wright hit the post as well, one cleared off the line etc. Definitely a game we should have won comfortably!

Just now, Tayls said:

Entirely different circumstances. 
 

-

1) Depay is probably on more at Barca and was being cast out so they could register new players. It say he was within his rights to make it as difficult as possible. 

b) Villa are a bit of a joke and I’d question what is actually happening at our place now in terms of transfer dealings

4) there is no way a young lad who currently plays for Leicester is going to turn down more money to join Chelsea who are forking out £70m on him. 

My point is that someone said the deal was done. It isn't. It might be close, it might be done tomorrow, but as of NOW, it is not done. That was my only point.

9 minutes ago, Tayls said:

Pretty much done 

Sarr was pretty much done. Delay to Juventus was pretty much done.

9 minutes ago, Rustibrooks said:

I’d expect more movement now for CB - Leicester and Chelsea have struck an agreement for Fofana

Have they? I haven't seen that reported anywhere?

Diallo and zakaria would be two names I'd be very happy with. Is it greedy that I'd like another attacker as well now that Bertie has gone

Didn't juve only just sign zakaria?