HKP90 Posted September 17, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted September 17, 2021 Our first team (if we even know what that is yet) desperately need minutes together. We absolutely will not see what this team is capable of for a while yet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villalad21 Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 2 hours ago, hippo said: But I fear we are going spend a lot of time shoehorning players into the first 11. I think as well. Smith was stubborn with Barkley for a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 (edited) I’m interested to see how he plays Ings and Watkins in the same team together. If we don’t perform, I can see it being used as a stick to beat Smith with. Personally, the overhead kick aside, I actually think Ings has been very average in the matches he’s played for us where as Watkins has played once and I thought he looked excellent against Chelsea. I think we go 4-3-3 with Ings on the bench. (when all players fit/available). Edited September 17, 2021 by Delphinho123 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Griffin Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 9 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said: I’m interested to see how he plays Ings and Watkins in the same team together. If we don’t perform, I can see it being used as a stick to beat Smith with. Personally, the overhead kick aside, I actually think Ings has been very average in the matches he’s played for us where as Watkins has played once and I thought he looked excellent against Chelsea. I think we go 4-3-3 with Ings on the bench. (when all players fit/available). I agree with what you are saying and if DS plays Ings and Ollie together and can't get it to work then it would be a justified stick to beat him with. If they do not work together then one has to be dropped. Watkins is the better footballer but Ings the better finisher. Difficult decisions for DS. If I recall correctly did he say that he is going to play the two together and that you can't have the quality of the two of them and leave one on the bench (not intended as a quote but the jist of what he said) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avfc1982am Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 5 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said: I’m interested to see how he plays Ings and Watkins in the same team together. If we don’t perform, I can see it being used as a stick to beat Smith with. Personally, the overhead kick aside, I actually think Ings has been very average in the matches he’s played for us where as Watkins has played once and I thought he looked excellent against Chelsea. I think we go 4-3-3 with Ings on the bench. (when all players fit/available). I totally agree with this. Whilst the Ings signing was excellent, I think it has created a situation whereby if him and Ollie are continually played together it will unbalance us. I don't see how we can play 2 forwards in all honesty without it affecting the team as I don't see Ings in the 10 role. Also, if I'm honest, I want to see Buendia and Bailey and Traore together behind Ollie, or at least 2 of the 3. I really do not want to see us divert from the formation that served us so well last year. Options are good but not if they sway us from the upward trajectory we've been on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 We've played one game with Ings and Watkins and it's the best football we've played in a long time. I don't get the panic over this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jas10 Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jas10 Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avfc1982am Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 Smith's biggest problem this season is not having a lack of quality in the squad, it's finding the right combos and facilitating that quality. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBlack Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 1 minute ago, avfc1982am said: Smith's biggest problem this season is not having a lack of quality in the squad, it's finding the right combos and facilitating that quality. And yet thanks to injuries he probably still hasn't played his ideal first choice team. We've had so many injuries that the first choice team has practically picked itself so far. When everyone is fit, there will be a lot of positions up for debate, and only then can we really see if Dean is struggling with finding the right team. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KentVillan Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 1 minute ago, avfc1982am said: Smith's biggest problem this season is not having a lack of quality in the squad, it's finding the right combos and facilitating that quality. On top of that, we're clearly targeting attacking set pieces as a big area of improvement. The problem is our best 11 on set pieces isn't necessarily our best 11 in open play. So getting that right will be an interesting challenge for him. I think that's one of the reasons he'll keep trying to shoehorn Ings and Watkins into the side... Ings is so important to that setpiece threat, while Watkins contributes so much in open play. It's a bigger test of his tactical thinking than he's probably had in a while (maybe since the promotion season). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vive_La_Villa Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 3 minutes ago, MrBlack said: And yet thanks to injuries he probably still hasn't played his ideal first choice team. We've had so many injuries that the first choice team has practically picked itself so far. When everyone is fit, there will be a lot of positions up for debate, and only then can we really see if Dean is struggling with finding the right team. This would have been our midfield and attack last season against Brentford if we had same amount of injuries even with Jack available. Luiz Nakamba Hourihane El Ghazi Davis Grealish. I don’t think we would have had enough players to fill the bench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hippo Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 26 minutes ago, avfc1982am said: Smith's biggest problem this season is not having a lack of quality in the squad, it's finding the right combos and facilitating that quality. And then we he finds his optimal 11 - how good will that will be ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HKP90 Posted September 17, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted September 17, 2021 34 minutes ago, avfc1982am said: Smith's biggest problem this season is not having a lack of quality in the squad, it's finding the right combos and facilitating that quality. Smith’s biggest problem this season is Covid, injuries, and international tournaments. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avfc1982am Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 44 minutes ago, hippo said: And then we he finds his optimal 11 - how good will that will be ? Your talking about the unknown. How would I know? I've got golden balls, not crystal balls Seriously though time will tell....For all the bs JG situation we may actually become a better all round team once this has been established. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillanousOne Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 (edited) 6 hours ago, Peter Griffin said: Everton brought in 3 new first team players and have a new manager. We brought in 5 new players that could be considered 1st team, one of which played for us as a CB a couple of years ago and played alongside Mings at the back and Smith has been our manager for the last 3 years. Why would u think Everton have more synergy and it is wrong to think that half our team never played together and have barely trained together. If anything we should be hitting the ground running quicker than Everton. And Everton to my knowledge haven't had the injuries, covid issues, pre-season match cancellations. They didn't lose their captain - a player that we had built an entire team and tactics around, or their two main first team coaches - one days before the season started. Not saying they haven't had problems, all clubs do, but all clubs buy new players, as long as they train together and play together they at least start to learn how to work as a team. Ours haven't. Getting a new manager can be disruptive, but Benitez was announced end of June, so he had a full preseason to work with the players and bring in signings, not saying that is easy but you are comparing apples to oranges in order to create a stick to beat Dean with. Edited September 17, 2021 by VillanousOne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleedClaretAndBlue Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 Who wouldnt want this man as manager Tells it how it is, class press conference talks respectfully, knowledgeable and honestly and building our best teams every year . -<insert raywilkins>My word</raywilkins>what a guy UTV RIP Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hippo Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 3 minutes ago, VillanousOne said: And Everton to my knowledge haven't had the injuries, covid issues, pre-season match cancellations. They didn't lose their captain - a player that we had built an entire time and tactics around, or their two main first team coaches - one days before the season started. Not saying they haven't had problems, all clubs do, but all clubs buy new players, as long as they train together and play together they at least start to learn how to work as a team. Ours haven't. Getting a new manager can be disruptive, but Benitez was announced end of June, so he had a full preseason to work with the players and bring in signings, not saying that is easy but you are comparing apples to oranges in order to create a stick to beat Dean with. I think changing DS right now would be disastrous. That said Everton have recruited a top notch guy in Benitez. If/when we do replace DS I hope that's the calibre of guy we go for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Griffin Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 2 minutes ago, VillanousOne said: Getting a new manager can be disruptive, but Benitez was announced end of June, so he had a full preseason to work with the players and bring in signings, not saying that is easy but you are comparing apples to oranges in order to create a stick to beat Dean with. I am not trying to create a stick to beat DS with. I am just stating the facts. All too often people go to the extremes of Dean can't do any wrong or Dean is crap. He is at neither of these extremes. Everton have a lots of issues for this pre season. They had their equivalent of Jack (Richarlison) in South America and Japan with Dougie. They had 3 games in pre season, two of which were in Florida and they had a tough transfer window with a total spend of less than 2m which was late in the window too. Trying to say that Everton has more synergy than Villa is just trying to find a way to make excuses for Dean Smith rather than be objective Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleedClaretAndBlue Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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