nick76 Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 4 minutes ago, TRO said: I was only thinking after watching the Chelsea v Man City game.....when you spend north of 40 mill on a player, you undoubtedly buy talent, but do you get desire?.......and the pundits ably illustrated that you need it, to get to the top...players tracking back out of possession, getting their foot in, making it difficult fir opponents.....it becomes natural to the best. We can keep spending money, and we need to.....but we have to be sure, the players have the character to improve us, not just the talent. As a side note, I’m not convinced Lampard is a good manager. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest av1 Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 (edited) 7 minutes ago, TRO said: I was only thinking after watching the Chelsea v Man City game.....when you spend north of 40 mill on a player, you undoubtedly buy talent, but do you get desire?.......and the pundits ably illustrated that you need it, to get to the top...players tracking back out of possession, getting their foot in, making it difficult fir opponents.....it becomes natural to the best. We can keep spending money, and we need to.....but we have to be sure, the players have the character to improve us, not just the talent. Agreed, and maybe its a similar point but character also comes into it I think. Guys like Alexis Sanchez work incredibly hard on and off the pitch, but by all accounts his personality at UTD (and towards the end at Arsenal) didn't fit and that can sometimes become devisive. I think that is undoubtedly an area we have got spot on under Smith. Drinkwater aside, everyone that's come in seem like top blokes. Edited January 3, 2021 by av1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OLDVILLAIN Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 I thought the club hinted after the last window that the january window would be very quiet due to FFP restrictions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 2 minutes ago, nick76 said: As a side note, I’m not convinced Lampard is a good manager. The thing is nick, he is learning like Arteta and OGS, not to mention Dean...he needs to drive them like Biesla does, they were second to balls in the first half and failed to close Man City down....second half Man City dropped down a gear, just contained them.....job done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 5 hours ago, DaveAV1 said: Any idea why his career has stalled? He was a stroppy **** when he left Germany, PSG then went and bought mbappe and neymar... Plus also di Maria has has a resurgence, he did effectively end the need for lucas moura at psg though, talk of him not being great in training, not liking being played out of position and then obviously he injuries If he came to us and was healthy then everything would depend on his chemistry with grealish, put Jack left, draxler right and let them kind of do the same thing it would be one hell of a risk, his biggest problem would be how he reacts mentally to stepping down a level, mid table PL on £100k a week is where he'll end up, wouldn't be the automatic star attraction at villa with Jack here too, not sure how he'd react to that scenario, every danger he'd mope and rob a living 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 1 minute ago, OLDVILLAIN said: I thought the club hinted after the last window that the january window would be very quiet due to FFP restrictions? I am expecting that to be the case, plus foreign imports, will be more difficult, as i understand. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillanousOne Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 25 minutes ago, nick76 said: He doesn’t have to be deputy to Ollie. They could be alternatives to each other, we don’t have to have a set first XI and that’s it. We’ve put so much pressure on Ollie and he’s only just come to PL and only in his second season a striker. We need options as well as Ollie runs his socks off and with so many games an alternative would be great for freshness during games or even starting. Plus if the alternative ends up being better, then awesome, if not then still have a good player. We don’t have to be fixed with one player, to improve you need more quality and/or players than are better than the first XI. At the moment we need alternative for many reasons from form, suspensions, tiredness, change of requirements during the game and many more. We need another option as good as Ollie as a striker in the club. agreed, I just fear Dean thinks Traore could be that alternative. After all Traore wouldn't be playing currently if Trez wasn't injured, even if Barkley was fit Traore could be dropped now that AEG is back in form. We know he has played centrally before, although playing the lone striker role in a prem side is another thing entirely. Hopefully with Trez and Barkley's injuries Dean and the board have realised we are dangerously thin on quality and need another striker. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick76 Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, TRO said: The thing is nick, he is learning like Arteta and OGS, not to mention Dean...he needs to drive them like Biesla does, they were second to balls in the first half and failed to close Man City down....second half Man City dropped down a gear, just contained them.....job done. The thing I’m not convinced Arteta or OGS are that great either. I know they are young and learning. I also see that Man U are joint top but I’m not convinced. Great footballers don’t always make great managers/coaches. It’s a different skill, a different quality that you need and some have it like Pep. Clubs and their fans would always love some of their great players to be their great manager but just because you are good at one thing doesn’t mean you’d be good at another. Doesn’t work in our real world and doesn’t work in football. Lampard, OGS and Arteta have landed 3 of the biggest clubs in the PL. Without even doing anything they have the basis of a top 8 team, if they didn’t do much, with the players and staff they have they should be in the top 8. This season despite Lampard spending a fortune and having a talented squad has 7 wins in 17, a 41% win rate. Arteta also has a comparable win rate. Ahh you say but OGS is joint first....yes but I’d argue in a poor season, they have only 10 wins in 16 games, which isn’t bad but it’s generally not top of the table stuff. I think we all agree that despite Liverpool being top, they aren’t playing like they can. Man City have been poor, although played well tonight and nobody else is putting up a fight. Man U also concede 1.5 goals a game....and OGS has been around a few seasons. Arteta has just been poor, looked lost on the sidelines and generally his team has looked uninterested. Will that change, who knows.....not good half way through the season though. As for Lampard, it just seems a bunch of expensive, talented players thrown together on the pitch with no game plan apart from “go and play”, that’s not coaching/managing. I agree it’s too early really to judge but I don’t see a Klopp, Mourinho, Ferguson or Pep in any of these three.......time will tell though. As for Dean, I can see growth on a regular basis. It sometimes takes longer than I would like but then something clicks and he moves up a level. He’s better than he was six months ago, and then better than the six months before that and then again six months before that. That’s the difference for me over the others, and that’s why I believed in through the bad times and I’m sure in the future bad times. Obviously it’s easy why we are playing so well at the moment to believe... Edited January 3, 2021 by nick76 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest av1 Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 Demari Gray (sp?) Seems like he'll be off in January. Maybe worth a shot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick76 Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 Dan James (Man U) almost left in the summer for Leeds. Always liked him, has tremendous pace and could do a different type of job for us down the right wing. Seems to get less game time at Man U but would be the right sort of age and work rate ethic we have at the club. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaVilla Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 9 minutes ago, nick76 said: Dan James (Man U) almost left in the summer for Leeds. Always liked him, has tremendous pace and could do a different type of job for us down the right wing. Seems to get less game time at Man U but would be the right sort of age and work rate ethic we have at the club. i would take a punt on Dan James, his pace alone would be useful for when we need to play on the break. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommo_b Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 58 minutes ago, VillanousOne said: agreed, I just fear Dean thinks Traore could be that alternative. After all Traore wouldn't be playing currently if Trez wasn't injured, even if Barkley was fit Traore could be dropped now that AEG is back in form. We know he has played centrally before, although playing the lone striker role in a prem side is another thing entirely. Hopefully with Trez and Barkley's injuries Dean and the board have realised we are dangerously thin on quality and need another striker. I think Dean would be rotating Troare, Aeg and Trez. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommo_b Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 17 minutes ago, nick76 said: Dan James (Man U) almost left in the summer for Leeds. Always liked him, has tremendous pace and could do a different type of job for us down the right wing. Seems to get less game time at Man U but would be the right sort of age and work rate ethic we have at the club. Talk of him going out of loan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 2 hours ago, villa4europe said: He was a stroppy **** when he left Germany, PSG then went and bought mbappe and neymar... Plus also di Maria has has a resurgence, he did effectively end the need for lucas moura at psg though, talk of him not being great in training, not liking being played out of position and then obviously he injuries If he came to us and was healthy then everything would depend on his chemistry with grealish, put Jack left, draxler right and let them kind of do the same thing it would be one hell of a risk, his biggest problem would be how he reacts mentally to stepping down a level, mid table PL on £100k a week is where he'll end up, wouldn't be the automatic star attraction at villa with Jack here too, not sure how he'd react to that scenario, every danger he'd mope and rob a living We don't want players like that......character has to be as important as talent. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam2003 Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 3 hours ago, nick76 said: As a side note, I’m not convinced Lampard is a good manager. What gave it away? The continued lack of achievement in every role he has had so far? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul514 Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 You only take players outside of the ideal of young, hungry, something to prove and potential when it’s a sure thing to make a big difference. Those older names cost more as a whole package and have little to no sell on value. Zaha would be an example of that, I’m not advocating for him but it’s an example of a big fee and wages for a 5 year period where he would make a big difference Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vive_La_Villa Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 2 hours ago, Tommo_b said: Talk of him going out of loan. Leeds will be the favourites if he is allowed to leave on loan. Apparently they tried to loan him in the summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vive_La_Villa Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 4 hours ago, nick76 said: As a side note, I’m not convinced Lampard is a good manager. Stealing a living as Chelsea manager just because he was a great player at the club. Similar to OGS as Man U manager although they do seem to be improving. Still surprised both of them have lasted so long. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeyAnty Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 3 hours ago, nick76 said: Dan James (Man U) almost left in the summer for Leeds. Always liked him, has tremendous pace and could do a different type of job for us down the right wing. Seems to get less game time at Man U but would be the right sort of age and work rate ethic we have at the club. So out of his depth at utd. He’s an average premiership player imo. He seems to have a good attitude though, which Dean might be able to use to get him playing to the best of his ability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 James would probably have to take a pay cut if he moved to Villa. Can't see that happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts