flashingqwerty Posted February 5, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted February 5, 2021 6 hours ago, BleedClaretAndBlue said: Watkins has look isolated again lately. Trezeguet adds that second layer of pressing to back him up and can get back to help defensively too. Think we’ve missed that in recent weeks. For all his lack of quality, he’s very important to the way we were playing. Wish I could like this more than once - spot on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntrimBlack Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 We will need to up our game from the last couple of matches to get anything from this one. Changes are needed to add a bit of energy. But not too many, which Smith won't do anyway. Sanson in for McGinn. Keep Luiz in for continuity. Traore in for El Ghazi. Barkley - who knows? He is so inconsistent; he might well play a blinder against Arsenal. I would keep him in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 Not looking forward to this after the Spammers debacle, even though Le Arse are cack. At least it'll be out the way early. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodders Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 If we have the same starting eleven of dead men on their feet we'll lose heavily and easily. Up to you Dean. Will you learn? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zhan_Zhuang Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 Villa have to change the midfield, it's a weakness! We are too lightweight and tired. Burnley and West Ham bullied us in the middle and we weren't that good against Southampton either. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troon_villan Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 One of Barkley/McGinn will be dropped to the bench for this one. Hate to say it because I love McGinn but I would keep Barkley in, I feel more confident of him producing a winner that John. Obviously Ghazi will be dropped and everything points to Traore coming in but I wouldn't mind seeing Trez, at least we know he'll put a shift in. On Arsenal, I haven't a clue who their back four will be but hopefully we can expose their nerves playing in front of an unknown keeper. Xhaka to get booked for 18 fouls on Grealish. 1-1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romavillan Posted February 5, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted February 5, 2021 2 hours ago, Zhan_Zhuang said: Villa have to change the midfield, it's a weakness! We are too lightweight and tired. Burnley and West Ham bullied us in the middle and we weren't that good against Southampton either. McGinn has been off the boil, Barkley was against West Ham too. Smith was pretty damning in the post match so you'd think they've had an earful and in training Smith will have been looking for solutions. If we play as flat as we did against West Ham, then I can't see past an Arsenal win. If we get back to our usual pressing and yards covered then we'll be competitive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smg Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 49 minutes ago, troon_villan said: One of Barkley/McGinn will be dropped to the bench for this one. Hate to say it because I love McGinn but I would keep Barkley in, I feel more confident of him producing a winner that John. Obviously Ghazi will be dropped and everything points to Traore coming in but I wouldn't mind seeing Trez, at least we know he'll put a shift in. On Arsenal, I haven't a clue who their back four will be but hopefully we can expose their nerves playing in front of an unknown keeper. Xhaka to get booked for 18 fouls on Grealish. 1-1 I can see Barkley is more likely to score however given his defensive frailties I can see Arsenal more likely to score than if McGinn plays. I also think that Barkley’s inclusion has a negative effect on McGinns performances so would go for McGinn over Barkley and bring Trez in to up the work rate and give Cash a little more protection down the right hand side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handsworthvilla Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 I think its very unlikely that McGinn will be dropped. Smith probably thinks that his overall solid record over the past couple of seasons gives him a bit of grace when it comes to a bad performance or two. Barkley is a tricky one. Big name, big wages, marquee player. Probably received some form of assurances around playing time when he joined (whether contractual or not). Would be a big call to leave him on the bench. Personally I'd be inclined to leave Barkley out for this one, he has looked rusty since he came back and his feet seem a bit slower, he keeps losing the ball and his touch doesn't look right. Although saying that, the player I'd bring in to replace him (Sanson) I've never seen play before other than the youtube clips and the 15 mins against West Ham …. so I'm not really qualified enough to say he should start over anyone (as he could be useless for all I know) The other CM options (Nakamba, Ramsay) I wouldn't bother with unless there was an injury or a cup game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 I expect a different type of game to Wednesdays.....one that might suit us more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 51 minutes ago, handsworthvilla said: I think its very unlikely that McGinn will be dropped. Smith probably thinks that his overall solid record over the past couple of seasons gives him a bit of grace when it comes to a bad performance or two. Barkley is a tricky one. Big name, big wages, marquee player. Probably received some form of assurances around playing time when he joined (whether contractual or not). Would be a big call to leave him on the bench. Personally I'd be inclined to leave Barkley out for this one, he has looked rusty since he came back and his feet seem a bit slower, he keeps losing the ball and his touch doesn't look right. Although saying that, the player I'd bring in to replace him (Sanson) I've never seen play before other than the youtube clips and the 15 mins against West Ham …. so I'm not really qualified enough to say he should start over anyone (as he could be useless for all I know) The other CM options (Nakamba, Ramsay) I wouldn't bother with unless there was an injury or a cup game some of the issues we saw on Wednesday, I am not expecting tomorrow....I think that could influence, playing the same team, if they think like me....with Sanson on the Bench. Barkley has to play his way back in to form, what better team to do it against...a team that lets you play. I don't see the same aggression, being employed to get us off the ball, like West Ham did.... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handsworthvilla Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 25 minutes ago, TRO said: some of the issues we saw on Wednesday, I am not expecting tomorrow....I think that could influence, playing the same team, if they think like me....with Sanson on the Bench. Barkley has to play his way back in to form, what better team to do it against...a team that lets you play. I don't see the same aggression, being employed to get us off the ball, like West Ham did.... Agree, I think its unlikely he'll drop either McGinn or Barkley for this game. If I had to bet on it I'd say there will be one change and that will be El Ghazi replaced by Traore And agree regarding West Ham's aggression. Whilst I was watching the game I thought you don't usually see teams pressing so hard at every opportunity. Even when balls were being played in midfield they were pressing right up to our centre mids and not allowing them to look up. I remember Grealish dropping deep to get the ball at one point and they pressed him as if he were on the edge of their area 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post The Fun Factory Posted February 5, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted February 5, 2021 Lawro has predicted a Villa win. We are screwed. 2 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indigo Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 (edited) Don't have a great feeling for this one. As much stick as Arsenal get and as bad as they were earlier in the season they seem to have found a rhythm now with this formation and some younger personnel. They were brilliant the other night until their self-destruction, so hopefully that will knock them and we'll be able to bounce back from the disappointment against West Ham as well as take some advantage of their goalkeeping dilemma, but on the whole they're much improved from when we last faced them. Traore back in is a no-brainer (or at least El Ghazi coming out), I'd be surprised to see any other changes made although can see the argument both ways for either Barkley or McGinn dropping out for Sanson. We lost the game in that area of the pitch the other night and I'm sure that won't be lost on Smith, if nothing else I'd expect McGinn to be playing more rigid and right next to Luiz. Goes without saying that Jack is our main threat but I can see him absolutely rinsing Bellerin, definitely wouldn't be moving him off the left for this one. Edited February 5, 2021 by Indigo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
useless Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 We look like we think the hard work for the season has been done, can see them breezily running riot with cool nonchalant ease and taking us to pieces. Wouldn't take a draw now, but if it does end up a draw won't be disappointed with a point from this difficult fixture. Our early season form seems but a distant beautiful dream now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 12 minutes ago, useless said: We look like we think the hard work for the season has been done, can see them breezily running riot with cool nonchalant ease and taking us to pieces. Wouldn't take a draw now, but if it does end up a draw won't be disappointed with a point from this difficult fixture. Our early season form seems but a distant beautiful dream now. You mean are form about 6 weeks ago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
useless Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 (edited) I mean our form when we were getting decent results agaisnt decent teams, and playing well, and managing to put a couple of wins in a row together. We're fourteenth in the form guide over the last six games, only two more points than Albion over the same period, and one more point than a Wolves team that many have been dismissive of because of their form, well we haven't been much better in recent games. Not saying that we're doing badly overall, just not as good as we was, and if we play like we did against Southampton and West Ham against Arsenal then we'll likely be looking at another defeat, over the last eight or so games they've been one of the better teams in the league. Edited February 5, 2021 by useless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hornso Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 Ryan in goal for Arsenal apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyblade Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 7 minutes ago, Hornso said: Ryan in goal for Arsenal apparently. Shame. Would have liked to see Runnarsson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomaszk Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 Traore will surely play for his set-pieces more than anything else. Arsenal took the ball off Southampton so many times in their own box when they took a short GK, need to watch that. It's time for Sanson I think, give us something fresh. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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