Winter transfer window 2020/1

[Herman22]

48 minutes ago, paul514 said:

Don't you think that may be because there is a gulf in quality behind the first 11?

This is so true. The drop in level between Mings/ Konsa to Hause/ Engels is huge. Same for McGinn/ Barkley to Hourihane and Luiz to Marv. And again from Watkins to Davis. 

The next big step we need to take is to get players on the bench that are capable of filling in at the same level as those they are replacing. I hope this comes from youth players making the step up and some shrewd signings. 

[villalad21]

10 minutes ago, Herman22 said:

The next big step we need to take is to get players on the bench that are capable of filling in at the same level as those they are replacing.

Easier said than done.

If we found someone better than Mings then Mings would want first team football somewhere else

[paul514]

51 minutes ago, sharkyvilla said:

Definitely, we could have gone the other way and rather than sign 3 or 4 first team players, try and repeat last year's method of getting 8 or 9 squad players for the same price and you end up having to replace them again next summer which is really a waste of time and money.  I think they've accepted that it's a bit of a gamble not filling out the squad, as long as we are lucky with injuries then we should win more games with a settled, quality first XI but accept that an up-and-down mid-table season is progress and something to build upon again in the summer.  I'm glad they reversed the loan policy to get Barkley in as well as I thought that was like tying one arm behind our back last season and we had to gamble on loaning Drinkwater and Reina in January anyway.

As for Axel a loan-to-buy would be perfect really, I guess Utd would prefer an obligation to buy whereas we would probably want to have a look at his fitness before committing to buying him.  He really needs to move on and we would be the perfect environment for him I reckon.

His fitness is fine, I posted a link to his injury record in an earlier post.

[paul514]

22 minutes ago, Herman22 said:

This is so true. The drop in level between Mings/ Konsa to Hause/ Engels is huge. Same for McGinn/ Barkley to Hourihane and Luiz to Marv. And again from Watkins to Davis. 

The next big step we need to take is to get players on the bench that are capable of filling in at the same level as those they are replacing. I hope this comes from youth players making the step up and some shrewd signings. 

Indeed, a couple of signings apart they should be of the same level as the first team.

Realistically we can’t expect everyone who comes in to be head and shoulders above the players who occupy those first team places.

[Dave-R]

16 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

Easier said than done.

If we found someone better than Mings then Mings would want first team football somewhere else

I think some of these first eleven need to remember that they are not irreplaceable and if someone threatens there place it is upto them to make a challenge back. That is how competition at a club goes and just because they were once a first team performer and then moved to second place for there spot, doesnt mean they have to start looking at moving on from the club. Let's face it I'd have more respect for anyone staying at fighting for there place than saying I'm going else where all because I lost my place to someone playing better than I currently am.

Mings would just have to deal with it and suck it up and fight for his place back. I'm sorry as well but if we could find a CB who hasn't got a blunder a game in him, we should totally being them in if it upgrades us. Problem with Mings is when he first came to us he was concentrating on his football, now he spends abit to much time having his mouth and mind into everything else these days.

 

[villalad21]

49 minutes ago, Dave-R said:

I think some of these first eleven need to remember that they are not irreplaceable and if someone threatens there place it is upto them to make a challenge back. That is how competition at a club goes and just because they were once a first team performer and then moved to second place for there spot, doesnt mean they have to start looking at moving on from the club. Let's face it I'd have more respect for anyone staying at fighting for there place than saying I'm going else where all because I lost my place to someone playing better than I currently am.

Mings would just have to deal with it and suck it up and fight for his place back. I'm sorry as well but if we could find a CB who hasn't got a blunder a game in him, we should totally being them in if it upgrades us. Problem with Mings is when he first came to us he was concentrating on his football, now he spends abit to much time having his mouth and mind into everything else these days.

 

But reality is most players will want to move if they don't get regular gametime. It's a short career

[Dave-R]

2 hours ago, villalad21 said:

But reality is most players will want to move if they don't get regular gametime. It's a short career

I cant agree VillaLad sorry. It is a shore career yes but they also become contracted and are required to fulfill there contract. I think alot of players will remember where they were before they came to Villa, many were forgotten men at other clubs or first teamers in a foreign league that isnt at the prem level or near it.

Alot of those players were lucky to get the opportunity last season to be at Villa. If we had of had the choice of better players last season we would of, but we had to go for quantity over quality. To say that the likes of Mings wouldn't settle for second place behind someone else is something no one knows to be fair, the only thing we can say is they either play and try win there places back or they drift into Limbo until contract is up.

I dont know many a player who dont fight for there places, of course there are some and weve had our fair share. You get all sorts that dont try get there places back who behave like kids, get injured, happy to pick up the wage, play there face. I dont think Mings would fall into those categories, I think hed be a good rotational player anyhow and eventually he will because we will at some point find a better CB. 

Looking at the first eleven and apart from Grealish, if we found better I do not think we'd have anyone in that first eleven who wouldn't be happy to stay and would throw the Hissy fit and want to move on. In fact somewhere last season at the start of the season I'm sure Mings wasn't playing every game, that Konsa and Engles were seeing some time together. Taylor was a regular to wasnt he instead of Target. To be honest many were being rotated alot last season and the only person who was having a Guarenteed place was Grealish, so it does say alot about this subject. Players know that sometimes they will be put behind others and that most do accept that sometimes they will miss out so other players can see games.

[OxfordVillan]

I think Emerson at Chelsea might be a very decent player to give Targett some serious competition at Left Back. I think he’d be obtainable in January, isn’t going to play much at Chelsea, and could be tempted to come to Villa and join a couple of his Brazilian compatriots. 18 months left on his current deal. 

[dubbs]

5 hours ago, villalad21 said:

But reality is most players will want to move if they don't get regular gametime. It's a short career

Don't see it myself.   It's a squad game,  and every shirt should have competition otherwise there is a noticeable drop in standards.   If you know there's someone ready to come in a take your place, you should automatically raise your game to keep the shirt.  Competition for every position should be our next goal as a club.

[VillaChris]

6 hours ago, villalad21 said:

But reality is most players will want to move if they don't get regular gametime. It's a short career

Will be interesting to see how Leicester juggle it all when all their CBs are fit, Evans and Soynucu were pretty rock solid last season but Fofana come in and had a storming start.

Of course they have europa to give them all games and they also play 3-5-2 on occasions.

Actually think McGinn is the best example of this, will he be upgraded in next 12 months and so he's not an automatic starter anymore. We all love SJM but not sure he'll be a regular starter if we get to level of qualifying for europe.

Don't think Mings-Konsa will be changed anytime soon though.

[Keyblade]

There seems to be an obsession with big/strong/tall defensively minded midfielders on here. I don't think we need one right now. Our midfield is fine as it is and appears to hold its own defensively. From memory, most of the goals we've conceded have been through the wide positions, where are fullbacks are always tucked in, and not any passing or running through midfield.

[AJ]

On 07/12/2020 at 06:17, Stratvillan said:

Who was our last commanding central midfielder? I'm genuinely struggling. 

Jedi, when he was switched on.

[AJ]

1 hour ago, Keyblade said:

There seems to be an obsession with big/strong/tall defensively minded midfielders on here. I don't think we need one right now. Our midfield is fine as it is and appears to hold its own defensively. From memory, most of the goals we've conceded have been through the wide positions, where are fullbacks are always tucked in, and not any passing or running through midfield.

I think we need someone to help defend against set pieces, rather than having someone like 5"3 John McGinn marking the other team's sasquatch.

[maqroll]

15 hours ago, MrBlack said:

Back on topic... if we have any money to spend, my signings in order of priority would be :

1. CDM

2. CB (we've got so lucky with no injuries at the back so far this season)

If we have more, which is unlikely,  then another option on the wing if the club aren't going to utilise Traoré would be a welcome addition.

Honestly though,  I'd be happy with just the first item in the above summary. A better Nakamba unlocks so many different midfield options for us. 

If Ollie goes down the day after the window shuts, we are left without a chair to sit in. A striker has to be on the shopping list.

[Keyblade]

30 minutes ago, AJ said:

I think we need someone to help defend against set pieces, rather than having someone like 5"3 John McGinn marking the other team's sasquatch.

Doesn't need to be a midfielder if that's the case.

Alternatively we could move away from zonal marking.

[AJ]

50 minutes ago, Keyblade said:

Doesn't need to be a midfielder if that's the case.

Alternatively we could move away from zonal marking.

It would then depend on who you would rather have on the bench, Konsa or McGinn. Or, you could have the new guy as an option off the bench.

[Dave-R]

9 hours ago, dubbs said:

Don't see it myself.   It's a squad game,  and every shirt should have competition otherwise there is a noticeable drop in standards.   If you know there's someone ready to come in a take your place, you should automatically raise your game to keep the shirt.  Competition for every position should be our next goal as a club.

I'd like to add to this that I'd also think if players started looking towards other clubs for first team football soon as there place was under threat or they lost it, that they were not feeling much love for the squad to begin with. If I were manager or coach I'd feel like those particular players who were saying they'd move on if they were to be replaced were trying to hold there services hostage and that is just wrong and that it would most likely be better selling them anyhow. 

[Dave-R]

4 hours ago, AJ said:

I think we need someone to help defend against set pieces, rather than having someone like 5"3 John McGinn marking the other team's sasquatch.

Yes it's a bit mad the way we put our midgets up against colossus freaks and expect them to behave like a Jedi would against a Wookie.

In the world of football Yoda doesnt win against a Wookie, in the world of star wars yes Yoda all day long, just not football.

[AJ]

9 minutes ago, Dave-R said:

Yes it's a bit mad the way we put our midgets up against colossus freaks and expect them to behave like a Jedi would against a Wookie.

In the world of football Yoda doesnt win against a Wookie, in the world of star wars yes Yoda all day long, just not football.

I know its not in the rules, but I think it would fall under sporting etiquette that players are not allowed to carry light sabres onto the pitch.

[Dave-R]

5 hours ago, Keyblade said:

There seems to be an obsession with big/strong/tall defensively minded midfielders on here. I don't think we need one right now. Our midfield is fine as it is and appears to hold its own defensively. From memory, most of the goals we've conceded have been through the wide positions, where are fullbacks are always tucked in, and not any passing or running through midfield.

We have lots of small guys who are great running around but we have no one to wear down opposition physically and mentally. So yes I can understand why some say we need abit of a brute starting in games just so he can make the opposition feel abit battered and bruised in games. When opposition come back out at half time you want as many opposition players who went up against the big Hulking Brute thinking, not this guy again for another whole half, it is a way of getting inside peoples heads because they legitimately find it tough to work a big, tall physicall and mentally draining guy. Look at Van dyke and how hes been such a force as a defender, sure hes injured at the moment but hes been a nightmare for strikers hasn't he. There is also nothing more frustrating to a player who is putting the moves on the field, then it's all put to an end by some simple looking manuvre that used abit of strength to take the ball off of them. Grealish absolutely loves and relishes playing against all sorts of built guys, yet the same cant be said for lots of other stars, there are certain framed stars that some just hate going against.

I do think one big defensive midfield dominating player would be up our street, have this CDM come on for Luiz to finish the job when were so much under strain at times towards end of matches.