barry'sboots

I just don't believe he has the ability to attract top class players, nor does he have the tactical skills required to change a game. MO'N has been backed fantastically by RL, no manager in Villa's history has had that luxury, except MO'N. Saying that, MO'N has done a lot of good things for us since he took over and I appreciate him for that.

Do I think there's someone better than MO'N? Yes, I say Moyes and Jol are better. And we could attract them to the club IMO.

I will support MO'N to the end of his tenure. I like the guy, but I want this club back at the top, where it should be.

I agree with your sentiment to some extent in that I find MON massively frustrating and do not think that he has a great deal of tactical ability or flexibility.

Unlike many, I am really pleased with the squad he has built, my only slight dissent to this is that I wished he had bought in Tuncay in the summer to give us a proper link man to Gabby. For the relative expenditure, compared to many of our "competitors" (excepting Arsenal) he has done a really good job.

I wouldn't mind finishing 6th or even 7th or 8th if I felt we had competed well and played to our optimum BUT i don't feel like we have.

Too many games we have gone in blindly with MON's preferred players in a 4-4-2. There are a number of games where I felt 4-5-1/4-3-3 should have been given an opportunity given the shape/form of the opposition (Arsenal away being the obvious example) and the fact that we virtually always seem to pull out a result when we play this way. There have also been a number of games where we have started well but faded and MON has not made the necessary adjustments to retain that early momentum(Citeh and Spurs at home are examples) or started poorly and kept on playing poorly with no alterations (several away games in our poor run).

I would guess we are about the 6th or 7th biggest spenders (transfer fees over the last 5 years or so and the current wage bill) so 6th or 7th would seem to be a reasonable expectation. As for the Carling Cup, it will be a great day out but we have not beaten anyone that we would have expected to have lost to so its not yet a fantsastic achievement?

I like MON but feel that there is just something missing. If he had it he would be a truly great manager but I am not sure he will ever get it. I am not sure there are many that we could attract that would be that much better though.

I wouldn't normally miss a home game but just can't get excited about this game - even for a tenner. Personally, I am getting slightly fed up of MON's predictability and failure to try things when things are not working and a change is required. I can see this game being fairly turgid - I hope I am proved wrong!

If Coker is unfit and he is going to rest Stan I can't begin to imagine what side he will put out as I don't see us having another CM'er that can play the DCM role?? Sidwell I suppose with Delph in front of him?

6-4 again?

Fair enough, I disagree with you, didn't think he did anything at all like the rest of the team in the first 30 minutes but maybe I need to re-watch the match.

I agree with you AVFCPoB, but to be fair to Stan, and Jimmy, it was another game where 2 were playing 3, and at times 5 with their narrowness, and MON did nothing to respond. It was MON that was poor, IMO, and not Stan or Jimmy - outthought by that horrible moaning git Big Sam.

....Technical ability, no comparison.... despite jimmy's impressive displays.

I have mixed feelings on jimmy's energy, sometimes he covers too many area's and we lose our shape..... particularly when we havn't got the ball.

not trying to be picky, but not as convinced as some.

TRO, agree with some of your points. The original post was about potential and not a comparison of Milner after 14 games and Gerard at his peak.

As to energy, I think this is a highly valid point but I think Gerard also has this attribute and that is why I am suggesting that Jimmy might be better suited to the third midfielder/second striker role?

I think his weaker games have been against sides playing 4-3-3 where he tends to get the runaround, especially when playing with Stan who is not the most athletic DCM. The 4-3-3 system would really release him IMO and we could see a 20 goal a season midfielder in the Lampard/Gerard mould.

I don't think anyone is saying he is as good as Gerrard though, simply that he could be the next Gerrard.

Agreed. What do people think of the idea of playing him in a similar way to Gerard i.e. effectively as a second striker off Gabby?

Has every chance to be the standard of player Gerrard is although they are slightly different players.

Why do you say this? I think they are very similar.

I was debating with my Old Man last night whether Milner has the potential to be better than Steven Gerrard and just saw the comparison posted on the Milner thread. Clearly, Gerard has done it for a number of years so Jimmy has that consistency and longevity to achieve before he can really be compared to Gerard. However, when I look at his attributes I struggle to see much that Gerard does better than our boy.

- Jimmy is more two footed, as last nights strike showed

- Jimmy has a better engine

- Jimmy has a real strike on him, probably not too dissimilar in this respect

- Both can hit a long ball very accurately

- Gerrard probably has more nous and maturity and is capable of more variety but this will come to Jimmy I believe

- Jimmy is more disciplined when playing a wide role if needed

I can't really remember Gerard at a similar age - probably 5 or 6 years ago - so difficult to make a direct comparison. It was probably easier for Gerard to shine as he was coming through in a Plop team with better players around him than Jimmy has had during his time at Leeds, Newcastle and Villa first time although the current crop at VP is getting there. It has also obviously taken longer for Jimmy to find his true position although Gerard has also spent a lot of time out on the right in the past.

Gerard's best position in recent years has proved to be off a single striker with two midfielders behind him. I personally would love to see a defensive midfielder (for me NRC but I know most would prefer Stan) with Delph alongside as our Alonso (playmaker) allowing Jimmy the freedom of the park. I think he would be a 20 goals a season midfielder like Gerard and Lampard with this formation.

Same old cockney ... always cheating.....

.... title bears no relation to the poll?????

Outplayed in the first 20 minutes or so. We really struggle to play teams that play with 5 across the middle and are narrow. Recent league games against Arsenal, Wet Spam and tonight show this. I think Sam "out tacticed" MON here - not that hard IMO!

The better quality of player shone through in the end, particularly when they were down to 10 men.

Don't understand why we didn't see one or two of Delph, the Fonz and/or Albrighton when we were 5-2 up. I would also have bought Luke on when Blackburn went to 10 men and shifted Cuellar inside for Collins. Tired legs after three games in six days - can't understand why he won't use his bench.

Pick of the players for me were Jimmy (once he started to get some of the ball) and Dunne (rock solid again). Players off a bit were Collins (struggled with Kalanic) and Little Brad (still not commanding his box). Stan tired again after 60 or so but nothing on the bench to replace him, even if MON would consider it! Emile worked hard but, for me, I'd still much rather have seen a third CM'er, preferably Delph, in there to get control of the centre of the park. MON had a poor game.

Big Sam is a prize plonker. I'd be seriously embarrased if MON had given that interview!! I hope he gets the chop soon!!

Petrov MOTM - I must have been watching a different game. Started well but tired badly again midway through second half hence West Ham coming more in to the game. We needed NRC's drive at that point to push us forward.

Downing was the clear MOTM for me. Ran the show for us.

Carew was a complete waste of space for his 35 mins, with the exception of his flick on to Gabby. I would have much rather have seen Delph come on to run the show in the centre and free up Jimmy to get in an around Gabby.

Does the runners up spot ensure Europa League qualification if the winner has CL??

I'm guessing because of Blackburn's physicallity.

I'm pretty sure it was but I hope that Luke returns to the team on Sunday. Not really fussed which of the three CB's drops out but if pushed would revert to the Cuellar/Dunne pairing.

I would think the rest of the team would stay the same with the exception of Friedel's return.

Great first half performance. Stand outs for me were Milner, the whole defence and the away support. I think its hard for Guzan to dominate his box/defence when he isn't playing very often. I also think this is the weakest part of Friedel's game?

Got pushed back second half and I would have liked to see MON respond more quickly. I think with 30 minutes left I would have bought on NRC and Delph for Stan and Heskey.

James Milner is worn out after clearing the snow last week and playing for Villa and delivering all the christmas presents

This can't be true .... James Milner is never worn out??????????

Because we won at Anfield with Blues with it, it is all conquering

No. Because, for me, with the players we have at our disposal it is our best formation. I don't think we have a second striker that is worthy of a starting spot if everyone is fit. Even if we did, however, I think 4-5-1/4-3-3 is the best formation against certain teams like Arsenal and Liverpool - good sides who play three in the CM - otherwise your CM can get swamped as it did in the loss at Emirates over x-mas.

We're gonna start with 4-4-2. I don't know why people kid themselves into thinking it'll be anything else.

We'll only start 4-5-1 if both carew and Heskey are injured.

I don't think any of us are Stevo. We're just discussing what we would like to see.

Will be gutted if it's off.

Hope it stop's snowing and clears up about friday 12pm...

Would go:

Friedel

Young Cuellar Dunne Warnock

Coker Delph Milner

Downing Gabby Young

This for me. Delph and Milner interchanging with Ash and DJ with NRC covering. Would be awesome. Won't happen though - 4-4-2 with Stan and Emile back in I reckon.

I don't think MON signed Henrik Larsson, I might be wrong though TRO.

He definitely didn't.

James Milner was slightly peeved to hear the game was called off tonight as he already jogged up to Blackburn, ahead of the rest of the the team, to warm up and to check out Big Sam's heart surgery and his eyes after Sam's declaration that Diouf was wrongly sent off!

I don't think it is all about money. We have one of the best defences in the league but not one player in there cost over £8m - compare that to our rivals!

I think we have good strikers but the wrong ones. If we look at our main three, I would summarise them as follows:

Gabby - very pacey and excellent in a 4-5-1. Struggles a bit in a 4-4-2 because, IMO, we haven't found the right partner for him

Carew - on his day, one of the best in the world. It just seems to me that we are rarely going to see his best again. Still very useful as an impact sub, IMO, for the last 20 minutes.

Heskey - very good as the point striker with a typically smaller goal scoring second striker feeding off him from a slightly deeper position e.g. Owen or Rooney.

I have all but written JC off as a consistent starter now and Gabby and Heskey need different partners. I wanted us to sign Tuncay in the summer and think he would have been the ideal player to play behind Gabby as he is capable of playing the through balls and linking up the midfield to the point striker. IMO, with this sort of partner Gabby's goal ratio should improve. Unfortunately, I think Emile will never really work well with our other strikers.

Nathan is a different proposition and I haven't really seen enough of him to form a view. I would love to see him get a chance as a support striker behind Gabby. He is more mobile than both JC and Emile, has a better touch than Emile and is capable of putting a shift in plus he can find the net.

I don't think we need to spend £30m, I just think we need to get the right players to work in our team. I would probably have sold Emile and bought in Tuncay at the start of the season to give us more options/a better blend.

So let's say NRC and Delph (or NRC & Petrov, or Delph & Petrov, or Sidwell & any one of these).

What about Milner? Attacking central midfield or out wide? Or benched? Then there's Young and Downing.

NRC, Delph, Milner, Young and Downing? That makes 5. So we play a 4-5-1. A midfield of:

................NRC.....Delph.............

....................Milner....................

Young............................Downing

I like it. But it doesn't look very MONnish does it? Only one man up? Fine by me but fine by MON?

.

Definitely my preferred line up but I would draw it slightly differently.

------------ NRC -------------

----- Millie ------- Delph ----

Ash ----------------------- DJ

I see Delph and Millie as two attack minded CM'ers with NRC covering in the old "Makalele with Legs" role! Both CM'ers could interchange with the winger outside them and across the four for that matter - very fluid I would hope with NRC providing the cover. I think this would be a very positive selection.

Can't see over the other side of the road from my window here in Selly Oak

I should think that's a good thing in Selly Oak.

Only joking!!

In fact, I'd love to see:

---------------Guzan-------------------

Young---Collins---Dunne---Warnock

--------------Reo-Coker---------------

--------Milner-----------Delph---------

---Downing----------------------Young

----------------Agbonlahor------------

Love to see this team play. Alternative might see Albrighton out wide right and DJ take Delph's position - two right footers on right side.

Nice to see Delph and Coker play together, honestly it's a partnership I've wanted to see for a while and it seemed to work well.

Agreed. High energy, right and left foot, drive. One cultured, one agricultural but breaks down the opposition.

The right type of partnership for a 4-4-2 IMO.