Popular Post DCJonah Posted August 27, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted August 27, 2021 3 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said: If we don’t sign a decent defensive midfielder, I can’t see any way we can play a 4-2-3-1 this season without being sliced open by teams - see Watford match. This means it’s highly likely we’ll see more of the 4-3-3 formation with Luiz/Nakamba (shudder) at the base and two 8’s playing in front - McGinn/Sanson/Ramsey. With this being the case, how the hell do you fit Watkins, Ings, Buendia, Bailey and Traore into the side and with the obvious answer being, ‘you can’t’, who the hell do you play? Would be extremely frustrating seeing Traore and Watkins on the bench when the likes of McGinn and Luiz/Nakamba are playing. Who starts in our best XI? Did we get sliced open last season? If I remember correctly we equalled our premier league record for clean sheets. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 I really don’t buy into this idea that ‘the players we wanted didn’t become available’, almost as if we had a list of 10 players and if none became available, there is no way we could possibly improve the side. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of players across Europe and the world that could improve us in any position. The club have decided to not spend any more money this summer. I don’t know the reason why - there could be a million reasons - but I don’t think it’s because they thought only a handful of players could improve us and there are no alternatives. Everybody knows my view on this window. As it stands, it’s probably a 4/10 and will just about see us stand still in the league. Personally, the person I’m most worried about is Dean Smith. I hope he has a plan with those midfield options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Silvers Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 2 minutes ago, DCJonah said: Did we get sliced open last season? If I remember correctly we equalled our premier league record for clean sheets. DC at the back post. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_Afro Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 2 minutes ago, DCJonah said: Did we get sliced open last season? If I remember correctly we equalled our premier league record for clean sheets. We did but look at the stats. We had a very high number of saves made by Emi and last ditch blocks by our defenders. It was not controlled defending. We got carved open lots but the last gasp efforts of some key players saved us. That’s unsustainable in my view. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KMitch Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 1 minute ago, Keener window-cleaner said: Isn't 4-2-3-1 to be regarded as more defensive than 4-3-3? Having two sitting midfielders who protect the back four? I thought us changing to 4-2-3-1 at the start of last season was a way to rectify that we let in to many goals in our first season. In my view bringing in a strong DM would allow us to play 4-3-3. 433 requires a fantastic passer at the back of the midfield 3 and two number 8s who have high work rates to get back and help defend. Brendan Rodgers has a clip on YouTube somewhere that I'll have to dig up when I get home where he explains the difference between the two formations, the key attributes of each midfield position, and the philosophy of each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 6 minutes ago, DCJonah said: Did we get sliced open last season? If I remember correctly we equalled our premier league record for clean sheets. How many shots did our keeper save? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Silvers Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 A big advantage we have in our assault on the elite is that Purslow wrote the book on ffp, Edens is a 9th Dan financial genius, Nas and Wes are fthy rich, we have one of our own managing the team, he will bleed before we start going backwards ever again and we have a serial killer dealing with our player recruitment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 18 minutes ago, KMitch said: I don't agree with the narrative that our biggest need is a specialist defensive midfielder. Smith has never played with this kind of player before at Villa or Brentford. I do think we need another strong number 8 to allow us to stick to a 433 (JWP, McKennie, etc.), which is our best formation under Smith's tactics, or to buy a quality number 10 (ESR, etc.) to replace Barkley, who was a disappointment last season with both his offensive and defensive contribution to the midfield. McKennie you call a number 8, such is his versatility, he can play in numerous positions....one which is put forward as his best, is defensive midfield, he has even played centre back. I think we are crossing our wires here....someone has to stop the marauding raiders breaching our midfield, Weston McKennie, should be ideal for such a role in helping us do that.....and the fact he can play a bit (attacking) is all to the good. I hope the links are true and he decides to change his mind and join us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 4 minutes ago, M_Afro said: We did but look at the stats. We had a very high number of saves made by Emi and last ditch blocks by our defenders. It was not controlled defending. We got carved open lots but the last gasp efforts of some key players saved us. That’s unsustainable in my view. Isn't that why you buy a top keeper and good defenders. Yes we faced shots, could that not also be part of the way we defend. I don't remember too many games where teams had great chance after great chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 2 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said: How many shots did our keeper save? Is this a negative? Signing a top class keeper who saves shots is now being used to moan about our midfield. I give up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sulberto21 Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 1 hour ago, Mat Kendrick's Dentist said: Not sure where you got this from. On his last visit to Villa Park he scored 2 fantastic goals and Federico Macheda sent us home crying He got subbed off and as he was leaving the pitch by the tunnel he started having a barney with us. Might have been the game before. It was regardless of his on pitch performance. They were in the white kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_Afro Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 1 minute ago, DCJonah said: Isn't that why you buy a top keeper and good defenders. Yes we faced shots, could that not also be part of the way we defend. I don't remember too many games where teams had great chance after great chance. Like I said. Look at the stats. Plus, if we ever lose Emi we are in big trouble. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Delphinho123 Posted August 27, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted August 27, 2021 Just now, DCJonah said: Is this a negative? Signing a top class keeper who saves shots is now being used to moan about our midfield. I give up. Lol. Signing a top class keeper has nothing to do with it. Martinez is great. Martinez faced 135 shots last season (from what I can find online), that puts us 17th in that regard. You can dismiss it all you like, but just because we have a world class keeper, doesn’t mean we can rely on him to make a ridiculous amount of saves every match. A large part of the reason his goal is peppered is because teams cut through us. Surely you see this? We haven’t addressed that with our transfer activity and it could come back to bite us. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 13 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said: If we don’t sign a decent defensive midfielder, I can’t see any way we can play a 4-2-3-1 this season without being sliced open by teams - see Watford match. This means it’s highly likely we’ll see more of the 4-3-3 formation with Luiz/Nakamba (shudder) at the base and two 8’s playing in front - McGinn/Sanson/Ramsey. With this being the case, how the hell do you fit Watkins, Ings, Buendia, Bailey and Traore into the side and with the obvious answer being, ‘you can’t’, who the hell do you play? Would be extremely frustrating seeing Traore and Watkins on the bench when the likes of McGinn and Luiz/Nakamba are playing. Who starts in our best XI? I'm told Dean Smith doesn't play with a defensive midfielder, never has done.....so are we barking up the wrong tree? The fact he has talked about " rest defence" would suggest he is well aware of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sulberto21 Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 12 minutes ago, DCJonah said: Did we get sliced open last season? If I remember correctly we equalled our premier league record for clean sheets. We did - BUT after a covid outbreak at the club and since then our all round game was poor. Before that we were tighter than a duck's proverbial. Top 4 or 5 for least amount of shots faced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 1 minute ago, Delphinho123 said: Lol. Signing a top class keeper has nothing to do with it. Martinez is great. Martinez faced 135 shots last season (from what I can find online), that puts us 17th in that regard. You can dismiss it all you like, but just because we have a world class keeper, doesn’t mean we can rely on him to make a ridiculous amount of saves every match. A large part of the reason his goal is peppered is because teams cut through us. Surely you see this? We haven’t addressed that with our transfer activity and it could come back to bite us. Its clear, many of us are divided on this.....but FWIW I agree with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 2 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said: Lol. Signing a top class keeper has nothing to do with it. Martinez is great. Martinez faced 135 shots last season (from what I can find online), that puts us 17th in that regard. You can dismiss it all you like, but just because we have a world class keeper, doesn’t mean we can rely on him to make a ridiculous amount of saves every match. A large part of the reason his goal is peppered is because teams cut through us. Surely you see this? We haven’t addressed that with our transfer activity and it could come back to bite us. There's no context to it though. Facing a shot doesn't meant a team sliced us open at will. What games last season did the opposition slice us apart and create great chance after great chance? It really didn't happen that often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 2 minutes ago, TRO said: I'm told Dean Smith doesn't play with a defensive midfielder, never has done.....so are we barking up the wrong tree? The fact he has talked about " rest defence" would suggest he is well aware of it. That’s fine. If he doesn’t want to play one, that’s his prerogative. However, I can see it costing him his job, I really can. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Silvers Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 If this is true we need another Keeper for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awol Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 5 minutes ago, M_Afro said: Like I said. Look at the stats. Plus, if we ever lose Emi we are in big trouble. The unwillingness to acknowledge this is so strange, I just don’t get it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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