Jonathan Kodjia

[DCJonah]

1 hour ago, Dr_Pangloss said:

Most of his goals for us seem to come in the box rather than cutting in from the left. Like Henry he has a tendency to drift to the left hand side at times but that IMO doesn't mean he should play out there. I'd much prefer to have him playing through the middle. 

Yep. He can still be our main striker and at times drift wide for different starting positions. 

[Woodytom]

Thought he was poor again. needs telling that he doesn't need to take on the whole team every time he gets the ball.

 

[Nigel]

4 minutes ago, Woodytom said:

Thought he was poor again. needs telling that he doesn't need to take on the whole team every time he gets the ball.

 

Id agree normally but yesterday was one of the exceptions!  

Wigan had us at arms reach for 90% of the game and it needed individual moments of class to stretch them into giving us a sight of goal.

We really need a midfielder to do this though, it will make all the difference in a game like this.

Over to you Mr Bruce......

[Stevo985]

I like Kodjia, he's very talented.

But I don't think he's very good at being a lone striker in a game like yesterday's. He doesn't get many flick ons and doesn't hold the ball up well with his back to goal.

I know Bruce got stick for playing our top scorer out wide, but I actually think that's his best position.

Rudy, for all his faults, would probably be a better choice for games like yesterday. He's better at bringing others in to the game.

[TrentVilla]

16 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

I like Kodjia, he's very talented.

But I don't think he's very good at being a lone striker in a game like yesterday's. He doesn't get many flick ons and doesn't hold the ball up well with his back to goal.

I know Bruce got stick for playing our top scorer out wide, but I actually think that's his best position.

Rudy, for all his faults, would probably be a better choice for games like yesterday. He's better at bringing others in to the game.

Completely agree. That's why I was supporting him playing wide.

[mikeyp102]

Off the ball his movement is shocking, doesn't move into space or pull defenders away. On the ball, he is good even if yesterday was a poor game for him.

[HanoiVillan]

I thought he played well, and used his strength well against a tough backline. No complaints from me. 

EDIT: Actually, one complaint. He should have scored that chance in the first half. If he'd waited a fraction of a second longer before pulling the trigger, Jussi would have been sat further on the floor. Tiny margins. 

Edited December 11, 2016 by HanoiVillan

[Woodytom]

31 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

I thought he played well, and used his strength well against a tough backline. No complaints from me. 

We must have been watching a completely different game.

I thought it was an incredibly poor game with zero quality bar the grealish goal.

I can't think of any villa player who throughout the 90 played 'well', though jack was comfortably the best 

[HanoiVillan]

3 minutes ago, Woodytom said:

We must have been watching a completely different game.

I thought it was an incredibly poor game with zero quality bar the grealish goal.

I can't think of any villa player who throughout the 90 played 'well', though jack was comfortably the best 

I utterly disagree. We were in total control, and simply struggled to break down a dire team who set up 11 behind the ball. It happens. 

[TRO]

3 hours ago, Stevo985 said:

I like Kodjia, he's very talented.

But I don't think he's very good at being a lone striker in a game like yesterday's. He doesn't get many flick ons and doesn't hold the ball up well with his back to goal.

I know Bruce got stick for playing our top scorer out wide, but I actually think that's his best position.

Rudy, for all his faults, would probably be a better choice for games like yesterday. He's better at bringing others in to the game.

I agree with all that

I think they favour him in the Thierry Henry role....rather than a central leader of the line. not saying he is as good as Thierry Henry by the way.

I like you like him and think we will see the best of him when the team is better balanced i.e strengthen midfield.

Edited December 11, 2016 by TRO

[TrentVilla]

He would benefit from a better midfield behind him and a better central focal point in place of Gestede.

[Craigy1874]

Yeah agree with this.  if he is going to be used out wide, we need someone better in the middle.

And that means a new striker.

[dn1982]

On 11/12/2016 at 12:23, Stevo985 said:

I like Kodjia, he's very talented.

But I don't think he's very good at being a lone striker in a game like yesterday's. He doesn't get many flick ons and doesn't hold the ball up well with his back to goal.

I know Bruce got stick for playing our top scorer out wide, but I actually think that's his best position.

Rudy, for all his faults, would probably be a better choice for games like yesterday. He's better at bringing others in to the game.

Rudy offers nothing up front. To say he holds the ball up better is laughable. What we need to do is get used to playing Kodija through the middle. Swapping a static striker in Rudy for him changes the way we play. Getting a better CM will help but also getting used to a pattern of play. We should start every game with Kodija through the middle and we need to work harder playing balls to him that suit him not just knocking them long. Grealish came deeper and deeper against Wigan which left him isolated but he's our best striker by a long way. If it doesn't work then you can change as the game goes on but starting Rudy for me is a bad option. 

[Stevo985]

2 hours ago, dn1982 said:

Rudy offers nothing up front. To say he holds the ball up better is laughable. What we need to do is get used to playing Kodija through the middle. Swapping a static striker in Rudy for him changes the way we play. Getting a better CM will help but also getting used to a pattern of play. We should start every game with Kodija through the middle and we need to work harder playing balls to him that suit him not just knocking them long. Grealish came deeper and deeper against Wigan which left him isolated but he's our best striker by a long way. If it doesn't work then you can change as the game goes on but starting Rudy for me is a bad option. 

You should read my post properly before replying  

I said he holds the ball up better WITH HIS BACK TO GOAL. Not in general.

I was specifically talking about a game like the Wigan game where Kodjia was receiving lots of long balls in the air or receiving the ball with his back to goal.

In games where Kodjia can run in behind or run the channels from central he is by far the better choice.

But Saturday wasn't like that and it rendered Kodjia ineffective. I think Rudy would have been better at that specific job.
I'd have still had Kodjia on the pitch. but I'd have had him out wide where he can try and run in behind more and use his excellent feet cutting inside and getting shots away.

On Saturday he just didn't get the ball enough in positions that complimented his strengths.

[dn1982]

33 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

You should read my post properly before replying  

I said he holds the ball up better WITH HIS BACK TO GOAL. Not in general.

I was specifically talking about a game like the Wigan game where Kodjia was receiving lots of long balls in the air or receiving the ball with his back to goal.

In games where Kodjia can run in behind or run the channels from central he is by far the better choice.

But Saturday wasn't like that and it rendered Kodjia ineffective. I think Rudy would have been better at that specific job.
I'd have still had Kodjia on the pitch. but I'd have had him out wide where he can try and run in behind more and use his excellent feet cutting inside and getting shots away.

On Saturday he just didn't get the ball enough in positions that complimented his strengths.

I did read it correctly but I disagree that Rudy holds the ball up better at anytime he's on the pitch. It seems you never read mine. Kodija and Rudy are chalk and cheese so changing them affects the way we play. On Saturday we kept hitting him high but if you get it to his feet he'll hold the ball a lot better than Rudy. That's why I said you have to work harder against teams that sit deeper to do it. Rudy showed against Leeds he can't hold the ball up and fir me it was one of the reasons we were penned back so much. We never had an out ball. There was space behind the fullbacks at times on Saturday but we never really used it and I think that's because we move Kodija from CF too much. If we had a better alternative I'd agree to move him but we don't so for me he has to play there a simple he's our best option. 

[Stevo985]

2 hours ago, dn1982 said:

I did read it correctly but I disagree that Rudy holds the ball up better at anytime he's on the pitch. It seems you never read mine. Kodija and Rudy are chalk and cheese so changing them affects the way we play. On Saturday we kept hitting him high but if you get it to his feet he'll hold the ball a lot better than Rudy. That's why I said you have to work harder against teams that sit deeper to do it. Rudy showed against Leeds he can't hold the ball up and fir me it was one of the reasons we were penned back so much. We never had an out ball. There was space behind the fullbacks at times on Saturday but we never really used it and I think that's because we move Kodija from CF too much. If we had a better alternative I'd agree to move him but we don't so for me he has to play there a simple he's our best option. 

So what you're saying is Kodjia is better if you get the ball to his feet or play him in behind the fullbacks, NEITHER of which we were able to do on Saturday.

Aren't you basically agreeing with me? That was exactly my point

[dont_do_it_doug.]

10 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

So what you're saying is Kodjia is better if you get the ball to his feet or play him in behind the fullbacks, NEITHER of which we were able to do on Saturday.

Aren't you basically agreeing with me? That was exactly my point

I could also be misunderstanding the point but I don't think holding the ball up was not our problem on Saturday. I don't see what positive impact starting Rudy would have had on our performance?

In any event I disagree with both of you (I think!) in that we didn't keep hitting it long. Kodjia saw plenty of the ball to feet. 

[Woodytom]

The problem on Saturday was that our play was ridiculously predictable. slow passing and too many players running head down trying to take on the whole team. kodjia was one of them. 

Him and ayew... I've no idea what they were trying to do at times but we have far too many players who think they are Lionel Messi. 

Keep it simple and we will walk this abysmal league.

[Stevo985]

1 hour ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

I could also be misunderstanding the point but I don't think holding the ball up was not our problem on Saturday. I don't see what positive impact starting Rudy would have had on our performance?

In any event I disagree with both of you (I think!) in that we didn't keep hitting it long. Kodjia saw plenty of the ball to feet. 

Kodjia saw the ball either in the air, or to his feet when he was being harried by a defender and had his back to goal.

I don't think he's very good in either situation.

He's good at getting behind or turning and taking on defenders, or at least occupying them to bring others into the game.

 

I don't think Rudy is very good. But in a game like the Wigan one where you have an isolated lone striker getting the ball in the air or constantly being harried by defenders when they do get it to feet, I think he'd have done better in that role.

 

I need to keep reiterating that this in no way means I think Rudy is a better player. Far from it. I just think he's better in the air and better at holding the ball up in those situations.

[Woodytom]

On 11/12/2016 at 14:22, HanoiVillan said:

I utterly disagree. We were in total control, and simply struggled to break down a dire team who set up 11 behind the ball. It happens. 

Thought it was pretty even attempt wise tbh. kodjia had the best couple of chances but they hit a volley that just missed like amavi and another shot that just went wide and another over.

We controlled the ball no doubt but we struggled to break them down mainly because we very quickly run out of ideas imo and have done for years.

There was a moment when kodjia had the ball at the left side of the box. He beat a man, then went back so that he had to beat him again. If we passed the ball as a team instead of dribbling down blind alleys we would have broken them down quite comfortably.