thunderball Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 No reason to think we should win this other than being at home and needing a response. I think it’s a draw. I also think Dean needs to speed up his player acclimation so we are closer to how he intends to play and get it all out the way now while we are stuttering. We looked good in pre-season but seem to be shying away from playing Targett, Guilbert and Jota, why get them in early for pre-season if they are now rested? I think EG needs to be benched, let’s get our best midfield players out there and see what works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
useless Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 I think this is a must not lose game, can't lose our first three game, then go into an away fixture against Palace. Need something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Stevo985 Posted August 19, 2019 VT Supporter Popular Post Share Posted August 19, 2019 Grealish should be running our team. He needs to play centrally. Fit everyone else around him. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vive_La_Villa Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 I’d take a point. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAuthority Posted August 19, 2019 Author VT Supporter Share Posted August 19, 2019 8 hours ago, BOF said: I will find you. @BOF ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KMitch Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 Another tough one... I wouldn't be surprised if we lose this one too. Sigurdsson is absolute class and Bernard is starting to look like the player they hoped they had bought. Would bite your hand off for a point right now. We need something, but I wouldn't expect it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zab6359 Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said: I’d take a point. Me too and I reckon that is what we will get, good team Everton. Team I'd like to see ---------------------Heaton------------------- Elmo--Engels-----Mings----Taylor -------------Luiz--------Conor------------- Trez-----------McGinn--------Grealish --------------------Wes----------------------- Edited August 20, 2019 by zab6359 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenjiOgiwara Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 I don't think rotating and mixing it up too much is the answer here. It's a team learning to know each other. We just need patience and let them gel over the next few months. The only change I'd probably do is bringing on Guilbert and Targett mid-game. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashingqwerty Posted August 20, 2019 VT Supporter Share Posted August 20, 2019 I'd like to see: ---------------------Heaton--------------------- Guilbert---Engels---Mings---Targett ---------------------Nakamba------------------ --------------McGinn---Luiz------------------- ------------------------Jack------------------------ ---------------Wesley---Trez------------------- Still, in theory, 4-3-3, but very narrow with the full backs providing the width 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashingqwerty Posted August 20, 2019 VT Supporter Share Posted August 20, 2019 Still think we will lose 3-1 though. Another tough lesson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raver50032 Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 13 hours ago, KHV said: We need to start getting points on the board. No points from 3 games, two of which are at home would be poor to say the least MaVilla - the OP asked a good question. Depends on how 'alpha' or 'beta' one is and the expectations carried into the season. At full time against Everton, we will have played just over 10% of our home games (I'm crap at maths)... Even in our relegation season, I would have imagined that before the season started, Sherwood and us as fans would have confidence in the target of beating Bournemouth at home (we won away there) and would look to earn a point at Goodison and maybe a win at Villa Park in the respective Toffee fixtures. Some have said we have a better squad now... a better, more positive team... (even though football has moved on in the following years) So it is arguable that it wouldn't be unreasonable to suggest that, with the wave of positivity that we have surfed as Playoff Promotion Winners that we could have/should have/would have anywhere between 1 and 4 points after three games with the teams we will have played. Some seem to think we will be winless/pointless for ages this season - which could be damaging for player morale and some of the fanbase. I'm sure the players would have expected better from themselves. I look at Smith and Grealish's post match interviews. Looked like they were disappointed. So they should be... but still lots to play for. It's been the narrative of the club, we're not here to make up the numbers. At the moment though, that is kind of exactly what has happened... we've been 'plucky,' and kind of 'had a go.' Ultimately however, we're winless and pointless. And could still be after Everton at home. And that explains (I guess) some of the comments we've seen about disappointment and writing off players after two games. As others have said, its going to be hard. It will require patience. But being all 'beta' about it is only going to last for so long. At some point, the honeymoon ends, and we may well have to face facts that we just aren't going to be good enough. C'est la vie. I expect nothing anymore, any point is a bonus. If we go down, we go down. If we stay up, we stay up. I'm sure the 'give your head a wobble' comments will follow either way after Friday's games and the 'what on earth were you expecting' rhetoric to prevail. We're very much a split fanbase at the moment with regards to our hopes for the season. A bit like the Star Wars fanbase after The Last Jedi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morley_crosses_to_Withe Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Only Man City have kept more clean sheets in 2019 than Everton. I’m expecting a loss to nil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villalad21 Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Everton will be top of the table if they beat us. Just adds to the motivation for them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugeley Villa Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 2.0 to Everton. I think we will struggle to breach their defence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted August 20, 2019 Moderator Share Posted August 20, 2019 We win this. As tight as Everton have been, they've really struggled to score goals. I think our lads will feel they didn't get what they deserved over the balance of play against Bournemouth, and we do have the tools to unlock defences. You can't legislate for individual howlers, but on the hopeful assumption that we don't give out yet more free gifts, I see this as a 2-0 to us. Come at me. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WakefieldVillan Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 I'd take a point too if I was offered it right now - I just think it is vital to get a point on the board because otherwise any confidence will take a real hit. I was hoping for 4 points from this and the Bournemouth game but even then I wasn't taking anything for granted, it's a tough league and we may need a few weeks to get used it. I have a feeling we will lose 1-2 but I really hope I am wrong, whatever happens we need to cut out the individual mistakes and at least let the Toffees earn the victory. I'd consider Jota for El Ghazi and Targett for Taylor, but failing that I don't think we need to start changing formations just yet (and I am a fan of a 4-2-3-1), also Grealish stays centrally for me, more chance of influencing the game and he's our key man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
useless Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 If we can't hope to beat a mid table team like Everton, then who can we hope to beat? They're of a similar standard to most teams in the Premier league outside of the top six. Whilst it will be a difficult game, if we're dismissing our chances of beating them in an home game at VIlla Park then something really has gone wrong, we're in the Premier league now, at some point we're going to have to beat good sides being as though we'll be playing one pretty much every week. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villalad21 Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 13 minutes ago, useless said: If we can't hope to beat a mid table team like Everton, then who can we hope to beat? They're of a similar standard to most teams in the Premier league outside of the top six. Whilst it will be a difficult game, if we're dismissing our chances of beating them in an home game at VIlla Park then something really has gone wrong, we're in the Premier league now, at some point we're going to have to beat good sides being as though we'll be playing one pretty much every week. We are a newly promoted side. Everton finished 8th last season. Everton are massively favorites for this game and rightly so. We can hope to beat them but it's not realistic. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
useless Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Everton will be favorites, but I wouldn't call them massive favorites, they really aren't that much better than most teams in the Premier league, everyone outside the top six is much of a muchness, all capable of beating the other on their day. If beating them at Villa Park isn't 'realistic', then we might as well just give up now, most teams outside of the top six are of a very similar level, even the so-called best of the rest teams like Everton, Wolves, and Leicester could very easily finished half way or more down the table this season. Not saying we should expect to win of course, but us having a chance of winning at VIlla Park against anyone outside of the six at Villa Park, should be a realisitic expectation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villalad21 Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Villa against Everton is the most played fixture between 2 teams in English history. On friday it will be the 203rd game between the clubs. All the games has been played in the top division. Villa have won 73 times, Everton have won 76 times. Pretty special game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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