Team shape, tactics and personnel

[MaVilla]

16 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Damning.

 

i just find this picture akin to watching a car crash in slow motion, you dont really want to look but you just cant help yourself, and you cant help looking again and again.

I just keep looking at it, almost expecting to see something different, because i cant believe professional coaches, and professionally coached players can do whats in this picture, its just totally mind bogglingly next level amateur stuff.

You could literally drive 3 or 4 buses side by side through that space.

i cant convey how shocking i find this picture.

[Jas10]

Tactics? Tactics?! Under SG?

 

 

[Jas10]

 

 

[duke313]

2 minutes ago, Jas10 said:

 

McGinn being out of position all game just re-enforces the fact he shouldn't be playing as an #8 in this system.  He'd be much better suited to playing as one of the two #10s, I'd actually like to see him and Buendia playing as #10s and Watkins as #9.  IMO that would be quite an effective pressing front three as they all have boundless energy.

[TomC]

7 hours ago, Delphinho123 said:

I think this picture says it all with regards to Gerrards tactics - or lack of them.
Where the f*** is our midfield? We can't just play with Kamara and then two no.8's who bomb on - especially as the fullbacks push so far forward.

Honestly, tactically, we're a mess. Kamara is going to be hung out to dry this season unless we tweak the way we're playing or sign another defensive midfielder. We're an absolute mess in the middle of the park. Teams are just going to run through us.

Wakey wakey, Villa. 

Well, on the positive side, the forwards are all where they should be, ready to make a run.

Contrary to the myth that SG always has the wide midfielders drop back to cover for the fullbacks, that's certainly not the case here, and really, he dropped that tactic before the end of last season. You can see Ramsey making a run and McGinn in a position to do so.

The real problem here is that Booboo is running backwards to take up a position in the back line. Not only does it obviously leave the centre of midfield open, but it also leaves Cash with no passing options other than to hoof it forward, or go backwards to Konsa. Booboo is going backwards, Ramsey is going forwards...no horizontal option. No wonder Bournemouth had such an easy time pinning us against the sidelines.

If SG isn't comfortable leaving only two men in the back, then he shouldn't be pushing both fullbacks forward at the same time.

The Kamara-retreating-to-the-backline clearly didn't work. Let's hope he drops that like he finally dropped the retreating wide midfielders last year.

EDIT/ADDITION: The whole point of attacking fullbacks is to give you more men in attack and more options. Pulling a midfielder back just means you're swapping positions, not adding more to the attack. Why bother?

 

 

Edited August 12, 2022 by TomC

[Laughable Chimp]

4 minutes ago, TomC said:

Well, on the positive side, the forwards are all where they should be, ready to make a run.

Contrary to the myth that SG always has the wide midfielders drop back to cover for the fullbacks, that's certainly not the case here, and really, he dropped that tactic before the end of last season. You can see Ramsey making a run and McGinn in a position to do so.

The real problem here is that Booboo is running backwards to take up a position in the back line. Not only does it obviously leave the centre of midfield open, but it also leaves Cash with no passing options other than to hoof it forward, or go backwards to Konsa. Booboo is going backwards, Ramsey is going forwards...no horizontal option. No wonder Bournemouth had such an easy time pinning us against the sidelines.

If SG isn't comfortable leaving only two men in the back, then he shouldn't be pushing both fullbacks forward at the same time.

The Kamara-retreating-to-the-backline clearly didn't work. Let's hope he drops that like he finally dropped the retreating wide midfielders last year.

EDIT/ADDITION: The whole point of attacking fullbacks is to give you more men in attack and more options. Pulling a midfielder back just means you're swapping positions, not adding more to the attack. Why bother?

 

 

Please stop calling him Booboo

[NeilS]

30 minutes ago, MaVilla said:

 

i just find this picture akin to watching a car crash in slow motion, you dont really want to look but you just cant help yourself, and you cant help looking again and again.

I just keep looking at it, almost expecting to see something different, because i cant believe professional coaches, and professionally coached players can do whats in this picture, its just totally mind bogglingly next level amateur stuff.

You could literally drive 3 or 4 buses side by side through that space.

i cant convey how shocking i find this picture.

Yeah that is mad, Kamara needs to be ten yards further forward in that space just behind where their number 21 and the referee is standing.

Edited August 12, 2022 by NeilS

[Jas10]

43 minutes ago, Mantis said:

We'll have had our own people who would've undoubtedly picked this up. Be interesting to see how we line up against Everton and the shape of the team. Gerrard has to show that he can learn from stuff like this.

But why wasn’t it addressed at any point during the game? Worrying…

[MaVilla]

22 minutes ago, NeilS said:

Yeah that is mad, Kamara needs to be ten yards further forward in that space just behind where their number 21 and the referee is standing.

yeah i agree, nut he must have been told to split the defenders like that, so its a tactical mess thingy.

[Zhan_Zhuang]

1 hour ago, rodders0223 said:

Good read. Basically Mcginn our captain running away from the ball when we have it at the back for 90 minutes. But he's such a warrior.

He's been doing that for about two and a half seasons, LOL.

[VillaParkAvenue]

51 minutes ago, Laughable Chimp said:

Please stop calling him Booboo

It’s Boobs

[ejs1111]

I saw this stat on Twitter:

playing the diamond everyone here hates Villa averaged 1.54ppg last season.  Frankly that is currently our best formation still.  Especially now that we have a better CB and DM.  SG wants to play narrow anyway.  

 

-------------------------------------------Martinez---------------------------------------------

Cash----------------Chambers-------------------Carlos----------------------Digne

------------------------------------------Kamara----------------------------------------------

-----------------Luiz----------------------------------------------SJM------------------------

----------------------------------------Buendia-----------------------------------------------

-----------------Bailey----------------------------------Watkins---------------------------

 

This is our best lineup imo.  One can argue JJ over SJM sure, but stats don't lie.  SJM progressive carries are superior.  Bailey and Watkins give us pace up top and pressing ability.  Chambers is slow, but an excellent passer and more physical than Konsa.  One could argue Mings and Carlos as a CB pair against burly opponents of course.  We definitely need another no8 CM to challenge the 1st11.  What we have in front of Kamara is struggling.

[Zhan_Zhuang]

54 minutes ago, Laughable Chimp said:

Please stop calling him Booboo

I agree...

2 minutes ago, VillaParkAvenue said:

It’s Boobs

Players call him Bouba.

[Zatman]

1 hour ago, Mantis said:

We'll have had our own people who would've undoubtedly picked this up. Be interesting to see how we line up against Everton and the shape of the team. Gerrard has to show that he can learn from stuff like this.

Exactly how we played vs Watford last season and wasn't changed

[ejs1111]

7 minutes ago, Zhan_Zhuang said:

I agree...

Players call him Bouba.

I prefer boobs.

[VillaParkAvenue]

19 minutes ago, ejs1111 said:

I saw this stat on Twitter:

playing the diamond everyone here hates Villa averaged 1.54ppg last season.  Frankly that is currently our best formation still.  Especially now that we have a better CB and DM.  SG wants to play narrow anyway.  

 

-------------------------------------------Martinez---------------------------------------------

Cash----------------Chambers-------------------Carlos----------------------Digne

------------------------------------------Kamara----------------------------------------------

-----------------Luiz----------------------------------------------SJM------------------------

----------------------------------------Buendia-----------------------------------------------

-----------------Bailey----------------------------------Watkins---------------------------

 

This is our best lineup imo.  One can argue JJ over SJM sure, but stats don't lie.  SJM progressive carries are superior.  Bailey and Watkins give us pace up top and pressing ability.  Chambers is slow, but an excellent passer and more physical than Konsa.  One could argue Mings and Carlos as a CB pair against burly opponents of course.  We definitely need another no8 CM to challenge the 1st11.  What we have in front of Kamara is struggling.

Thank you, 100% agree with this.

Chambers for Konsa seems obvious.

The two 10s still hasn’t worked, when it’s Coutinho and Buendia they have the same playmaker role and it just doesn’t function. But the diamond — one of them with two strikers to aim for — has been Villa’s only successful attacking setup in recent memory.

Also agree Buendia should be the 10 on current form, and Watkins/Bailey should be up top instead of Ings because of pace.

[Paul33]

3 hours ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

Not sure if serious, but somewhere within the vast swathes of the pitch where the block isn’t, maybe? 

But that's how a low block works, there are no vast swathes in the opposition half unless you turn round and head backwards !

Edited August 12, 2022 by Paul33

[dont_do_it_doug.]

4 hours ago, Paul33 said:

But that's how a low block works, there are no vast swathes in the opposition half unless you turn round and head backwards !

The vast swathes of open grass in the middle of the pitch? You’ve got Coutinho on the pitch. Buendia on the bench. Put them to work. 

[Tomaszk]

5 minutes ago, jim said:

You said he’s had hundreds of millions to spend which isn’t true.

I can retract that and say at least £160m if you want. One more signing will push it over though. Wages now, across the board, are absolutely broken and insane. They must be taken into account.

3 minutes ago, jim said:

You claim Arsenal weren’t a shambles yet their fans thought the opposite after 3 games as per the quotes above. 

Yes I did, because they weren't. Arsenal fans were wrong. They'd won the FA cup with him playing good football. You were wrong if you think they were a shambles as well.

The fact the style he demanded is now reaping rewards would show they weren't a shambles IMO.

We are showing nothing like that under Gerrard. There is no style. There are no performances. There are no results.

Let's change that tomorrow.

[Zatman]

8 hours ago, duke313 said:

McGinn being out of position all game just re-enforces the fact he shouldn't be playing as an #8 in this system.  He'd be much better suited to playing as one of the two #10s, I'd actually like to see him and Buendia playing as #10s and Watkins as #9.  IMO that would be quite an effective pressing front three as they all have boundless energy.

Then it means McGinn starts over Coutinho/Buendia he is a million miles from that level. He isnt good enough for that position, CC was a better option if honest

McGinn out of the starting team is best for the whole team....I like the guy but he should be just an impact sub now we have 5 subs