KentVillan

Just now, Stevo985 said:

There’s no denying he likes a drink. 
but that’s not just what people are talking about. People are saying he doesn’t look after himself in general. 
 

Apart from liking a night out every now and then I see no evidence of that

It’s more that to stay in the top flight into your late 30s you need to be extremely serious about looking after yourself, to an extent that would seem unhinged to your average punter.

There’s no sign at all that Grealish lives that kind of life. Nowadays even one night a week on the beers is disrupting your training / recovery enough to put you at a disadvantage.

The fact Grealish was caught on a heavy bender mid-season (a few days before a match) to the point he wasn’t even allowed into a venue, and was then dropped for a game … in his late 20s … doesn’t point to an elite level of professionalism.

I’m not saying at all that his career is just going to nosedive, but I think he is going to find it increasingly difficult when he turns 30, and will either have to make some lifestyle changes or lower his ambitions.

More of a Rooney decline than a Gazza decline, if that makes sense.

2 minutes ago, theboyangel said:

Grealish might be happy picking up his massive wages for another 3yrs and decide to stay put. 

Hasn’t he also just signed another lucrative sponsorship deal too? 

Those deals would dry up if he weren’t at City. 

Those deals will also dry up if he stops getting minutes for City and England.

31 minutes ago, PaulC said:

Nobody on here knows how much he drinks, how often he drinks so I find it amusing that people use that as a reason his career will last. Fact Is modern footballers carry on playing well Into their mid 30s at a high level and i bet some of them enjoy a night out. 

Maybe not, but it’s pretty obvious he drinks more than your average top flight pro.

16 hours ago, Stevo985 said:

I really find this sort of opinion amusing. 
Apart from liking some nights out, is there any evidence that Grealish doesn’t look after his fitness?

I know through an ex Villa player that he likes a very regular drink throughout the season, and parties fairly hard in the off season.

Not saying he’s the wild man sometimes portrayed. I don’t think the Gazza, Merson, etc comparisons are at all appropriate.

But to retire in your late 30s, you usually need to take extreme care of your diet and nutrition, and he definitely isn’t living like that.

That’s part of the charm, though, and he’ll still be a decent player into his early 30s I’d imagine, unless he picks up a bad injury. A few on here engaging in spiteful wishful thinking.

57 minutes ago, romavillan said:

Yeah when they come forward it's an extra man. Plus they both tend to find nicer passes into the midfielders from the back too.

And you can view this as “punishing the press”.

ie when we have Konsa and Pau in the side, high pressing us is a huge risk, because that’s what they want the oppo to do. It just creates more space for us to progress the ball.

But with our current lineup, the oppo get much more return on that high press, with a lot less risk. Suddenly the dynamic of our games against the better sides is we look panicky and under pressure for 90 mins.

That wasn’t happening before, even though the tactics were largely the same.

It’s a personnel issue in my view. Although maybe Emery could experiment with playing tighter and deeper for a few games while we wait for key players to return.

As the Shef Utd game showed, against weaker oppo, the tactics still work well. I think it’s more in these Man Utd / Newcastle / Chelsea type games where the personnel change has turned winnable games into big challenges.

15 minutes ago, TRO said:

That was one or two games, it wasn't a major issue, because very few teams do that.

I accept the emboldened bit, but that is one of the factors, I consider to be an issue.

Losing 4 first team defenders, is not ideal, but Mings has been missing all season, Pau is more noted for his progressive passes, and Konsa has only just become injured, he played against Newcastle, which showed similar deficiencies.

I am not blaming Unai's tactics.....but if you are telling me we can afford, to ignore the oppositions actions, buy not stopping their intiatives, Then we are in for a big shock, mark my words.

Pau isn't just a progressive passer, he's incredibly press resistant. He's the CB most comfortable with being pressed, turning out of trouble, and then springing an attack. It's no coincidence IMO that losing him has made teams more confident pressing us.

I feel like you're equating press resistance with being defensively solid and hard working. For me it's the ability to keep the ball under pressure without panicking, and play good progressive passes. That's what scares teams into *not* pressing. When you lose that passing quality at the back, the risk/reward of swarming the defence changes completely.

Earlier in the season / last season, teams that tried to press us were getting punished, because Unai was really the master of humiliating the press. I think he's lost some of the players (Torres, Buendia, and now Konsa) who really helped him achieve that, and the central midfielders, who are also instrumental in this tactic, all look knackered atm.

One mistake I do think Unai makes at times is not rotating key players off early when a game is clearly dead (in either direction). That may be something he needs to consider. We're all haunted by the MON season where we just ran out of gas. I don't think Unai is that type of manager, but he may be overworking certain players atm.

4 minutes ago, TRO said:

funny, how the ones that are beating us lately, do.

We were comfortably beating those kinds of teams not that long ago, and the main concern we had was that Unai's Villa couldn't break down a low block. Now it's that Unai's Villa can't deal with an aggressive press.

Losing 4 first-choice defenders to injury + not having squad depth to keep Kamara/Luiz/McGinn fresh may be a bigger issue than Unai's tactics?

52 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

If we won a trophy and finished in the top 4 this season, we *could* do it again next season. We *could* even do better! But by far the most likely prospect is some regression to the mean, and Carragher is not wrong to point that out. If people are imagining that we're going to effortlessly maintain 2ppg and win a trophy every season from here on out, I feel that's likely setting themselves up for disappointment unnecessarily. 

I don't think regression to the mean is really the appropriate concept here.

Unlike most teams who claw their way into Champions League / Europa League places in a single season, we have the budget to cement whatever level we reach. Yes, FFP is a major barrier to that, and yes, if Man Utd get their act together, that will make it significantly harder for challengers to stay there.

But I think there's this slightly false idea that Unai is working devil magic to get these players performing at this level. Whereas the reality is that we're making big signings most seasons who significantly improve squad quality.

In the last 4 seasons we've signed Watkins, Cash, Martinez, Buendia, Bailey, Digne, Kamara, Moreno, Duran, Tielemans, Torres, Diaby.

Ok you might quibble on Cash and Duran, but in the main these are serious first team signings that have improved squad quality.

We'll make more signings like that this summer.

I think this club is on an upward trajectory, and this isn't a statistical blip.

We're in 4th place with a massive injury crisis. If anything the regression to the mean is our best players coming back from injury, and us actually performing *better* than we are at the moment.

1 hour ago, TRO said:

Lets just say, hypothetically.....He wanted to go all defensive, for a few games....Who has he got, available, that he could call on to do just that?

How many players, have we got, that you could honestly say, defender first, attacker second.....We know, today, we expect players to do both, but its clear, the attackers have a prime function and its nice if they can add a bit of defensive duty....but I reiterate, how many are defender first?

Even Pau is looked upon for his playing out, first, not his defensive qualities.

I just find it an interesting question, I was asked.

Mings, Konsa, Kamara, possibly Digne

You’re right, but arguably this is a squad depth issue rather than a transfer policy issue. 

10 minutes ago, striker said:

I couldn’t care less about your comments either to be frank. 
 

As clearly stated in my post I don’t know what he has said to the players. My comments were mainly about his post match interviews. 

For example would you call Ferguson inept?

There are times when a manager has to out his team and players for consistently underperforming. That has been evident throughout the history of football.

I also felt his decision not to make changes at half time after such a poor first half was scandalous. He then made two substitutions and waited until the 80th minute to make two more when the game was gone.

You seem to be adverse to anything critical of the manager or players. That’s fine but more than a little naive. 
 

I call it as I see it including Luiz but I won’t stop posting my opinion due to annoying you.

Ferguson mostly criticised his players behind closed doors. He rarely called them out in media interviews.

Post match interviews mean f all really. The players know they’ve stunk the place out, I don’t see any signs of comfort or complacency - just bad, tired performances. What does Unai gain from saying that?

1 hour ago, juanpablosaliceband said:

We can’t start using tiredness as an excuse already. We have had a good break since Christmas. The squad has been well rotated all season. We may not have huge quality in depth but we do have depth and numbers. Most players have had time out with a combination of injury, suspension or squad rotation. Konsa, Luiz, McGinn, Kamara and Watkins are probably our most used players. Konsa now has a good break. Luiz had a short suspension. Kamara had a long suspension. None of them play international games other than McGinn. The rest of our squad should have a full tank of fuel. I’d be surprised if any of our players have played significantly more minutes than any of the top six, in spite of their deeper squads. 

4 matches in 13 days, and McGinn / Luiz / Kamara have started all of them, and either played full 90 or been subbed late in 2nd half.

I don't think our rivals are doing that with their entire central midfield? You'd want to be rotating players in, but we simply don't have the depth.

Tiredness is a natural consequence of that, professional footballers aren't superhuman.

And I don't think any of this is on Unai really. Maybe he could have hauled a couple of players off earlier against Shef Utd. But mostly his selections make sense, given who's available.

33 minutes ago, Callum said:

We, Unai and backroom staff knew the position we were in and what we can achieve this season - We also knew we had JJ coming back, Pau out, Digne, Mings, Buendia, Bailey Prone and did absolutely **** all about it in January. Buying kids, who might come good in 2/3 years. Brilliant. What we needed was support NOW. Even loan players. It's honestly baffling and more frustrating than some of the underwhelming seasons gone-by. 

I don't understand the ins and outs of football business, so try not to speak too much about what I don't know so this is probably a naive post, but I don't care. We needed players, we had an opportunity and we **** it. 

Everyone was blowing their beans over 2 kids and Morgan Rogers, without really sufficing the immediate needs this squad has. 

Well-run clubs don't sign many players in January. It's always been a seller's market.

Just looking through Man City's transfer history over the last few seasons. The only first team players they've signed in a January window were Laporte (2018) and Alvarez (2022). They do almost all their business in the summer.

FFP makes it even harder for us.

If we overpay for players in January, we just end up with less budget to spend in the summer transfer window when there are more quality players at better prices available.

And it's not even clear to me how much authority Unai has to demand signings.

He looks off the pace and frustrated - possibly done in by the injury.

Despite all the worries about the defence (who weren’t good), it was our midfield that really stank the place out. Looked tired, not up for it, slow to the second balls, and too many missed passes.

Very odd performance, not much fun at all.

I thought the forwards (Bailey, Tielemans, Watkins… Diaby when he came on) actually played ok, unlucky at times not to get something.

Didn’t think it was a foul for their FK, but great strike nonetheless.

7 minutes ago, Callum said:

I've just lumped my undies reading this. Those 4 together literally gives me anxiety. 

We've won games against decent sides with far shakier defences in the past, and we still have the best keeper in the world behind them, plus an amazing defensive mid partnership in front of them.

Think we need to trust in Unai's ability to get them firing.

Cash - Carlos - Lenglet - Moreno is a decent enough defence. Konsa will be missed, but talk of disaster / catastrophe etc is hysterical.

On 21/01/2024 at 06:07, foreveryoung said:

I'm a bit worried we won't see the best of him again. He's 31 and big injuries take there toll at the latter ages. Looks pretty fit, but as we know it's a completely different story once your on that pitch.

I’m optimistic. I’d be more worried with a midfielder or striker, but I don’t think he particularly relies on a turn of pace (which is the main thing injuries tend to ruin) and he obviously looks after himself well. Plus he doesn’t have a lot of miles in those legs for a 31 year old.

And he’s come back from bad injuries in the past.

The good thing is we have enough quality at CB to not rush him back or overwork him.

I think Emery is pretty limited in options at the moment, and tactically that makes him more predictable.

If you’re an opposition coaching team doing your homework on Villa, it’s pretty obvious who’s going to be starting atm, and what the plan is going to be.

That would be different with another starting striker or winger, with Buendia available to cause mayhem in midfield, with Pau available to spring attacks from deep, and so on.

For that reason, I’m not sure much of the criticism is justified even though I completely agree we’ve dropped off badly in recent games.

Pau coming back would obviously be big, but realistically we can still go on a good run without him, as we showed last season.

I also don’t think every team we face will be temperamentally willing to just play a low block. That’s going to mainly be the lower table sides who are happy to scrap for a point or a goal against the run of play.

We’ll carry on picking up big wins IMO.

2 hours ago, WallisFrizz said:

So how many other Columbians has he tweeted congratulations about their transfers recently? Or is it just the one that’s moved to the club that have apparently shown interest in him?

Im on the fence with this. On the one hand I don’t think it’s that big a deal but given the recent noise, I do think he would have an idea of how it would be perceived and chose to do it anyway.

What was the last big signing of a Colombian player in England? Also, who cares?

I like that he uses his Twitter like a human being and not a PR robot.

I’ve spent a lot of time in Colombia, don’t think people understand the national pride they have. When any Colombian makes it big in Europe or the US, they take it very seriously. Everyone knows about it and celebrates it, whether it’s actors, musicians, footballers, cyclists, whatever. He’s done nothing wrong at all IMO.

For example, if you tell any Colombian who has an interest in football that you support Villa, they’ll immediately say Juan Pablo Angel and Jhon Duran. Villa being a relatively obscure club outside England. They care a lot about this stuff.

1 hour ago, wishywashy said:

Bizarre how consistently inconsistent he is. He will always score like 8 in 8, then 1 in 9, then another 8 in 8. Every single time. Never a middle ground. It's kinda funny.

This is all strikers except for the handful of elite goal-a-game strikers.

If you’re a 1 in 2 or 1 in 3 type of striker, then those goals are going to come in streaks.

It’s definitely “Aston Villa are” in British English - that’s what the BBC, Sky, and newspapers would all say. It’s referring to the group of people who make up the club.

”Aston Villa is” is US style. It’s referring to the entity itself. It’s less personal, more corporate.

Hope that adds some useful color to the debate y’all. Cowabunga

57 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

Surprised no one else commented 

Head went today, looked a very frustrated figure, Evertons plan of lots of contact overly physical slyly kicking him and no free kick being given paired with going down when he brushed one of them done him 

He's the player we should be looking at to rise above it and take games out of the mud, he didn't today, didn't come close either 

They had a deliberate game plan to target certain players. Dougie definitely one of them. Unai’s job will be to coach him to learn to handle this and exploit this. Ultimately it’s a compliment to his abilities, but need to avoid it becoming a regular theme.