Rightdm00

I love manager who proves himself to be flexible and willing to change it up when necessary. 

Dean realized our strikers were pants during the break and turned us into a defensive focused team that conceded twice in our last 4 games. Also, both of those goals were of a very fluke variety. 

I think next year we won't be this defensive but it's good to know we have something to fall back on if necessary. Given that FFP has been switched off for the next season I think we will be one of the big spenders again.

In the end I'm glad Dean is still the man. He delivers, what more can you ask for.   

Even City are fielding a pretty much full strength lineup versus poor Norwich. Only Liverpool seems to be fielding less than full strength. 

As fans we are all nervous. Nervous probably doesn't even do our current emotional state justice. 

The boys though, they have to be loving it. You grow up pretending to be in these type of matches. Honestly I'm envious, the level of focus matches like this give you can elevate your game to levels you didn't know you had (See our boy Trez). 

We have the perfect opponent. Should have won the reverse fixture, no major injuries in the squad, and all to play for. 

See everyone on the other side. UTV!!!

1 minute ago, av1 said:

We will beat West Ham and that's all that matters. 

Have to. If the arsenal team that showed up today plays against Watford we will definitely need a win to stay up. 

2 hours ago, villa89 said:

His last ever game as a villa player at VP tonight. 

His interview he just did post game sealed it. We just need to stay in the Prem so we can get full value for him. 

Yeah, definitely suspended. Never heard of a yellow card being rescinded. 

To be honest we deserved that goal.  We missed two clear cut chances earlier in the half.  Let's hope ManU figure out a way to turnover City so we can get some revenge. 

Oh man they can't get Trez off the pitch .  I counted at least 100 head rubs and at least 400 back slaps. 

23 minutes ago, romavillan said:

Some people have a real problem with 3 at the back, don't know why. In my lifetime I've seen us use it to very good effect, playing good football too. Apart from Villa though sooooo many sides have won stuff with it, seems daft to think it's a no go as a formation. We've got centre backs who are comfortable on the ball, that's half the battle. I think it really suits us, I'd like to see us play it with Jack in the middle, as part of the 2 in a 3-4-2-1 I think he'd run things.

Hand up that was me. For the most part I have always seen 3 in the back as a negative formation. This is what changed it for me. Mings and Konsa are so comfortable on the ball. They easily make up for a lack of that 3rd midfielder. Especially if that 3rd midfielder is going to be Lansbury or Hourihane. 

2 hours ago, KHV said:

Zero

He has no pace at all

Trent Alexander-Arnold moved from the wing to fullback. Pretty sure Targett was a winger as a youth as well.  That seems to be the trend and I'm all for it.  I'm I'm going to play 3 at the back I would rather my fullback have a nice set of offensive skills rather than be a defensive stalwart. 

1 hour ago, Brentfordnylons said:

Dean asked on BBC by Lineker “what’s your best memory during your time at Brentford he answers “ beating Villa “oh dear

It was a great quote.  Also, Dean has Bruce figured out. Hasn't lost to him yet. Long may it continue. 

36 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Only football fans could make something out of that comment.  Managers, players, coaches really do have to watch everything they say. 

It's just people bias showing.  If you think Dean is a poor coach then you turn that comment into something negative.   

If you work at a job where your boss is not open to comments or suggestions from his subordinates then that sucks. You should find a new job. 

Villa Trivia

Right or wrong the answer is always Jack Grealish. 

Are we really arguing that strength isn't an integral part of excelling in a contact sport?  The biggest difference in Jack's game between now and 4 years ago is that he is strong enough to ride the challenges of prem level defenders.  

Another example, Aaron Connolly, the 19 year old striker from Brighton, got bullied by Mings all game.  It was almost comical how easily Mings would ease him off the ball.

You can go down the list of technically excellent players who truly didn't become stars until they physically developed enough to deal with getting clattered by grown men 90 minutes every week. 

As far as Louie Barry goes, he is a stick. Which most 16 year olds are. Imagine him getting clattered by Mings once or twice. We wouldn't see him again for weeks. 

Wolves could easily get the winner here. Liverpool look out of ideas. 

Was looking for the xG thread a couple weeks back for some reason. Didn't realize it was hiding out here.  xG is a tool nothing more. Funnily enough our xG has gotten worst since our switch to 3 in the back. We are allowing far less shots but now they are of much more efficient quality. 

4 hours ago, Kiwivillan said:

That's a very minimal way of looking at it. We were bossing game vs Watford but no striker and he wasn't responsible for goal

Just to second your point. With Luiz/Nakamba starting we took the lead versus Burnley and Leicester in the first half then held on for dear life in the 2nd. That really isn't sustainable. 3 games into Drinkwater starting and we had 65% of the possession versus Watford.  We definitely score more than 2 goals if we have an actual striker in the lineup. Drinkwater has his faults but having options off the bench to change the game is something that Dean has been lacking all season. 

1 minute ago, Delphinho123 said:

And? 

We will obviously tell them to stuff it.  They need something though. They don't finish top half without Rashford. 

10 minutes ago, Adam2003 said:

Hi guys, what about if we say: Konsa could have done better with their goal, so could Guilbert, and hopefully they both learn from it and continue to develop as promising young players in their first season of top-flight football? As long as they keep knocking in the goals themselves to make up for any lapses I'll forgive them

That's fair I can leave it there. As a wide defender myself I always hated it when the CBs expected me to pick up the huge CF while they did **** all trotting around the penalty spot marking empty space. Just felt the need to defend my boy Guilbert their for a sec. 

ManU lose this and we may hear about a 70 million pound panic bid for Jack. They look that ineffective in the final third. 

1 minute ago, Elton said:

I really don’t get this viewpoint. Fred was marking him and left him knowing that Konsa was facing the other way and not able to see Deeney. Fred could see the whole picture.

It would be the same if El Ghazi playing up front decided to leave a man he was marking when defending but that’s ok, it’s not his normal job. What if a defender has a tap in but decides not to bother because that’s not his normal job? 
 

These are basics of football and if we want to stop conceding so freely then everyone has to be alert and do the basics and not fall asleep at crucial moments and that applies to everyone if we like them or not.

Hause gets cutout by the threw ball. Ming's comes over to cover. Konsa ends up marking no one.  As a CB he should be marking him. If you expect Fred to come that far center then that leaves a whole half of the field open. Plus, expecting your WB who is 2 inches smaller and 30# lighter to out jump Deeney seems like a match up you would try to avoid. 

2 hours ago, villa4europe said:

the athletic reporting that 85% of Bournemouth's income goes on wages

**** me thats dangerous

Weren't we somewhere around there when MON abandoned us. Definitely unsustainable. 

44 minutes ago, sheepyvillian said:

Mimgs needs to get them shorts a bit more dirty. I get that he's integral to the team, but he is far too casual at times. Someone once opined that he had McGrath type qualities, not for me, don't confuse being casual with being smooth, Paul was a Rolls Royce, who had one bad game in fifty. Mings has, at least, one in four. There is plenty of room for improvement and I hope he's smart enough to realise that. 

Mings has all of ~20 appearances as a top flight CB. Seems a harsh standard you are holding him to. 

18 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

Just watched it back. Yeah he probably should have been tighter but konza's position seems wrong to me. He didn't need to be so far away fro. Deeney and really konza should be the one challenging. Deeney will eat guilbert in the air most times. 

Overall, not a great defensive display for their goal. 

Exactly, what's the point of having 3 CBs (all 6' or above) on the pitch and then leave it up to your 5'10 WB to mark a 6' CF.  Fred maybe could have done a little more to put off Deeney's run but that's Konsa's man all the way. 

49 minutes ago, Tomaszk said:

That's amazing. Can you watch live online as well?

Yep, rewind/pause and all that.  I know in the UK it's not nearly as easy to watch your local squad.  We get the same pain over here for other sports. For example I pay $250 for all of the NBA games but can't watch my local team unless I'm about 100 miles from my Washington DC.  It's dumb all the way around.