sne Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 2 minutes ago, Rightdm00 said: Rotation is overblown without European or deep cup run commitments. Most players on sides playing in Europe will easily start over 50 games a season. That's excluding any international competitions. If they can manage that workload without getting shattered then our first 11 should have no problem playing a couple games over 40. If you say so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foreveryoung Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 2 hours ago, villa89 said: Yes, barring injury or suspension. We wont be resting anyone because we dont have any decent replacements. So we are going to have a big problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brommy Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 29 minutes ago, foreveryoung said: So we are going to have a big problem. It’s a problem that could lead to our progress being limited to mid table this season but I think many of us expected that. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa89 Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 42 minutes ago, foreveryoung said: So we are going to have a big problem. Not really, we'll still stay up. It just means that anyone who has unrealistic expectations of us finishing in the top 8 will be disappointed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Wainy316 Posted November 22, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted November 22, 2020 Yep, it’s incremental improvement for me. We now have a good first eleven and a poor bench whereas last year we had an average first 11 and a terrible bench. It will take more than one transfer window to sort but we’re on an upwards trajectory. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brommy Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 (edited) Double post. Edited November 22, 2020 by brommy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romavillan Posted November 22, 2020 VT Supporter Share Posted November 22, 2020 19 minutes ago, Wainy316 said: Yep, it’s incremental improvement for me. We now have a good first eleven and a poor bench whereas last year we had an average first 11 and a terrible bench. It will take more than one transfer window to sort but we’re on an upwards trajectory. We could do with a couple coming through from the u23s to help the bench out. Jacob Ramsey looked good to me, we have Wes to come back too but I think the owners will get a couple in January. Dean has shown what he can do with the quality they've got to help him out now in the first XI, for us to be more consistent we need more depth desperately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post useless Posted November 22, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted November 22, 2020 From where we were last season a midtable finish this time would be a massive achievment, at the start of the season most had us down as one of the favorites to go down and it wasn't hard to see why. Nvrmnd top six, if we finish in the top half we will be over achieving. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 3 hours ago, villa89 said: Yes, barring injury or suspension. We wont be resting anyone because we dont have any decent replacements. Pretty sure the great escape happened with Hourihane starting? No one is saying likes of him should be starting 20 games like last year but I'm a bit bemused this idea things will just collapse if any of them come in for the odd start. Just to confirm we have just lost our last three at VP against mid table opposition with our best 11 out there. I take the point about many players managing 50 games but this isn't a normal season, hardly any pre season and so much midweek and ridiculous international breaks crammed in. This is actually the lightest part of the season. December has 7 games and we will also have to squeeze in Man. City away sometime in January by looks of it. I fear Barkley won't be last hamstring injury we get. Let's hope the injuries aren't on scale of last season's one at least. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 6 hours ago, Demitri_C said: Can you point out when anyone has said everyone expects to win every game as i cant see anyone has said that? Most are are expressing criticism at the poor form against teams we should be getting a return of points whther thats a win or drqw as opposed to zero? Well given we've won the other five and people are moaning at us losing to Southampton, Leeds and Brighton that suggest we should be winning every game. We've actually made a rod for our own back finally getting wins off top 8 teams. If we'd just lost v Liverpool, Leicester and Arsenal and had wins in the 3 we'd lost that would still be a very good start to the season and would be less criticism as it was expected we'd lose to Liverpool before the game kicked off. We are still doing more than o.k. This points ratio continued would have us on 60 points after 32 games which is way better than any MON season but I suspect yesterday was first sign of that levelling off. A 50 + point season is still realistic I think and that would be excellent. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 1 hour ago, villa89 said: Not really, we'll still stay up. It just means that anyone who has unrealistic expectations of us finishing in the top 8 will be disappointed. Grealish and McGinn who's been on record as saying he's desperate to be top Midlands team this year? Although Leicester looking very good again makes that look very unlikely but nothing wrong with that ambition. At start of season I'd have been happy with 14th but given impact of new signings and how we've looked in five of the games I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting a little higher now. We're more likely to keep someone like Luiz finishing 7th/8th than 14th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyblade Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 4 hours ago, foreveryoung said: I do still have my reserves over Smith as a few do, but I will support him while he is here, doesn't mean he gets a free pass though. Even though we can look amazing in some games, other games we look like a different team i.e Leeds, we were awful. I don't think he is going to be the man to take us to the dizzy heights of the Premier League, for me he is too inexperienced and nice, an with this brings mass inconsistancy something which will stop us having the success we desire . Inconsistency is the hallmark of a midtable side, which is what it looks like we are right now. That is a massive improvement over last season. We were hardly going to go from last-day survivors to European challengers in 1 season were we? So far under Smith it has been a steady progression. From Championship underachievers, to bottom 4 PL side, to (likely) midtable PL side in 3 seasons. It's a steady upwards trajectory, and with more investment we're just going to keep getting better. A little patience wouldn't go amiss. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sulberto21 Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 1 hour ago, Keyblade said: Inconsistency is the hallmark of a midtable side, which is what it looks like we are right now. That is a massive improvement over last season. We were hardly going to go from last-day survivors to European challengers in 1 season were we? So far under Smith it has been a steady progression. From Championship underachievers, to bottom 4 PL side, to (likely) midtable PL side in 3 seasons. It's a steady upwards trajectory, and with more investment we're just going to keep getting better. A little patience wouldn't go amiss. I think Leicester winning the league after barely staying up has inspired some to think we're going to win the league. Which we will. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rightdm00 Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 7 minutes ago, Sulberto21 said: I think Leicester winning the league after barely staying up has inspired some to think we're going to win the league. Which we will. 10 game win streak to chase down the leaders and finish top. The Dean Smith way. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 (edited) 5 hours ago, VillaChris said: Well given we've won the other five and people are moaning at us losing to Southampton, Leeds and Brighton that suggest we should be winning every game. We've actually made a rod for our own back finally getting wins off top 8 teams. If we'd just lost v Liverpool, Leicester and Arsenal and had wins in the 3 we'd lost that would still be a very good start to the season and would be less criticism as it was expected we'd lose to Liverpool before the game kicked off. We are still doing more than o.k. This points ratio continued would have us on 60 points after 32 games which is way better than any MON season but I suspect yesterday was first sign of that levelling off. A 50 + point season is still realistic I think and that would be excellent. No one is criticising the teams position and the wins against Liverpool, Leicester and Arsenal are beyond our wildest dreams......but the downsides against Southampton, Leeds and brighton are clear to me and very fixable....the traits of those losses are consistent deficiencies, sure if we won them all we would be top, but the worry is, we will not be able to keep getting results like we did against Liverpool, arsenal and Leicester.....we cannot keep relying on out scoring teams. We are simply shooting ourselves in the foot, by naivety in defending.....and the faults are fundamental, not sophisticated errors, basic faults. in 3 consecutive home games we have conceded 9 goals, we are obliged to be concerned.....Dean needs to tighten us up, we cannot keep scoring to cover that deficiency, its too much to ask. Its far more difficult to score than deny, and chances will be missed, we need to be more miserly in conceding, else all the good work will disipate. Brightons first goal was amateurish, with a DM failing to win a duel in getting to the ball first, sheer lack of aggression a totally passive response....the result is yet another breakaway goal for the opposition, with multiple players out of position. Edited November 23, 2020 by TRO 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 (edited) I think Newcastle up next at VP is exactly the sort we need....last season they came to VP and barely pressed or attacked and we comfortably won. Generally a Dean Smith team always matches up well to one led by Steve Bruce. Might be a 0-0 up to hour type of game but would be good to get a clean sheet from that one. And win it of course. Lose that and I will start to get concerned by what's happening. Edited November 23, 2020 by VillaChris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozvilla28 Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 Have to make villa park a fortress can't drop points one that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb_82 Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 I have to say firstly that I was pretty disappointed with the overall reaction on social media etc to Sunday, I know people don't like to lose but there needs to be a bit more perspective to things in my opinion. ''We should be beating teams like Brighton'' Why? We stunk the league out last season for pretty much all of it and stayed up on the last day, why do we suddenly think we should be beating them and when we don't throw our toys out calling players names? ''We should be beating mid table teams like Southampton'' Give me strength, the game its self was a tale of 3 free kicks and stupid decisions but Southampton have been pretty much the form team in the country since lockdown, again why have we got a divine right to beat them? Is Smith perfect? No Or the players perfect? No but the whole plan this year is to improve on last year eg be comfortable before buying another 4 good players in the summer to add depth and to move us forward, I would have bitten your hand off for 15 points and 7th position after 8 games and despite what people say as frustrating as its been to lose to the ''smaller'' names i have thoroughly enjoyed the Arsenal and Liverpool results We have a decent run of games coming up where if we can take another 10 points before the Chelsea 28th we will be pretty much there for this season and I think then we can look at pushing on (And maybe have a good FA Cup run!) unlike the excited few who think after a good start we are now pushing for the top 4 and lose complete realism when we lose in what was overall a 50-50 game. Final thing as well re Conor... He played the first two games of the season and we won them both, games like Newcastle/Burnley where its tight and they sit back are when he comes into his own with set pieces - people are talking about him coming in as its me they are starting!!! Keep the faith 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onmeedson Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 Most want to beat the teams around them, yes it's nice to beat the liverpools and arsenals but the brightons are more or less 6 Pointers and could make the difference at the end of the season. Survival is the aim and a mid table slot would be nice, but you have to target your rivals for that slot and that sort of game will always be a battle. Was that the new plan B saturday sub the sub? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb_82 Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 7 minutes ago, onmeedson said: Most want to beat the teams around them, yes it's nice to beat the liverpools and arsenals but the brightons are more or less 6 Pointers and could make the difference at the end of the season. Survival is the aim and a mid table slot would be nice, but you have to target your rivals for that slot and that sort of game will always be a battle. Was that the new plan B saturday sub the sub? I would not be surprised in the slightest if Southampton finish above Arsenal this season... On Saturday it wasn't our fluent best but I think the fact we had 7 internationals vs their 1 showed and we were mentally not as fresh as normal, that said we could easily have won the game with chances we had outside of the penalty and as for a plan B we tried several players in the hole and changed the wingers and CDM - Just one of those days 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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