Jump to content

Team shape, tactics and personnel


MaVilla

Recommended Posts

40 minutes ago, hippo said:

Seriously ? - all about opinions but I think we are playing quite a different format under Gerrard. Bailey looks like the only wide player we will use. With the attacking threat coming from wing backs (either existing or replacements).

Gerrard also said we have to be more compact when we have the lead. Where as Smith always wanted to push on , his famous quote "not only win the current match but put fear into the opposition for the next match"

We seem much more defensive under SG - no problem with that. You won't get anywhere conceding goals.

I can't agree the SG style is similar to DS though.

I think it’s a set up for the here and now, addressing our problem of conceding too many goals. If we develop into a more possession based team, which I think SG said was the aim going forwards, then whilst the need to defend well is always a constant, I think we will evolve into a less defensive style team  overall. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

I think it’s a set up for the here and now, addressing our problem of conceding too many goals. If we develop into a more possession based team, which I think SG said was the aim going forwards, then whilst the need to defend well is always a constant, I think we will evolve into a less defensive style team  overall. 

Agree on the goals conceding bit. Was nearly always a weakness under DS.

Possession is an overated in terms stats (you often lose with a bigger share of possession due to chasing the game) . 

I think Stevie G will have us as a defensive counter attacking team. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, hippo said:

I think Stevie G will have us as a defensive counter attacking team. 

He's said the opposite in interviews. He wants us to be a possession based team, probably like Brighton are. However the first job is to make us solid at the back, then he can work on midfield. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

46 minutes ago, hippo said:

Agree on the goals conceding bit. Was nearly always a weakness under DS.

Possession is an overated in terms stats (you often lose with a bigger share of possession due to chasing the game) . 

I think Stevie G will have us as a defensive counter attacking team. 

We had the sixth best defence in the league last year in terms of goals conceded - I wouldn't say that was a major weakness. We also conceded very few once Smith brought Mings in for the Championship run in. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

35 minutes ago, El-Reacho said:

We had the sixth best defence in the league last year in terms of goals conceded - I wouldn't say that was a major weakness. We also conceded very few once Smith brought Mings in for the Championship run in. 

Yet THIS season that all went out the window, we looked disjointed and tactically naive.

I like Dean Smith but a change needed to be made as I think he was too nice and a little inexperienced at the top level.

Anyway, the Vegas Villains sounds like a great idea. A potential feeder club for Villa, a safe place to nurture some of our academy and also expose Villa to the U.S market.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, villa89 said:

He's said the opposite in interviews. He wants us to be a possession based team, probably like Brighton are. However the first job is to make us solid at the back, then he can work on midfield. 

I agree. What we are now doesn’t mean that’s where he wants us to be. I think in more than one interview he has used the word “pragmatic”. I believe puts great store in being pragmatic and dealing with what is right there in front of you. He may well have plans, I’m sure he does, to change the way we play but it will take time for the players to evolve and quite likely require some changes at some point to the personnel. 
 

Football is a results industry, we have to win games now. Nobody is going to wait while we build our perfect team and style. He’s been very careful so far, not to make any extravagant promises, whilst recognising that his job is to drive the club forwards and be competitive against anyone at any time. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

I agree. What we are now doesn’t mean that’s where he wants us to be. I think in more than one interview he has used the word “pragmatic”. I believe puts great store in being pragmatic and dealing with what is right there in front of you. He may well have plans, I’m sure he does, to change the way we play but it will take time for the players to evolve and quite likely require some changes at some point to the personnel. 
 

Football is a results industry, we have to win games now. Nobody is going to wait while we build our perfect team and style. He’s been very careful so far, not to make any extravagant promises, whilst recognising that his job is to drive the club forwards and be competitive against anyone at any time. 

Great shout, Dave. Pragmatic = playing the hand you're dealt. 

Gerrard may want to play more like Man City/Liverpool but he has to put out the team and play using a style he thinks will get results NOW. After a couple of transfer windows, if there is no improvement in our style of play, then we can question him as a manager. 

The first thing he did when he came through the door is recognise we were too open in the middle of the pitch and stopped teams walking through our midfield. This may have come at the expense of possession but it's also meant we've won 3 games and pushed ourselves away from relegation. 

I'm sure we'll get better under Gerrard but for now, we need to win games and make sure we're nowhere near relegation because it would be a disaster if we were to go down. It might not be pretty at times but I bet it will be much better when he's had 12-18 months in charge. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lovely passing in the firsf half with loads of triangles and 1 2 s . His style of play is taking shape slowly but surely. Targett looks so much more comfortable than i ever imagined so far up the pitch. Harder games to come i know but its a system that is very difficult to nullify as there are so many passes on all of the time. And as we learn to pass quicker we will have even more options. Just a tad more composure when crossing the ball will turn us into a pretty high scoring team

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The two number 10 positions are absolutely wide open for anyone atm.

Ings and Watkins does not work. Just need one of them to play up top on their own.

Buendia whilst getting a bit better doesn't look anywhere near worth the money paid

Jury is still out on Bailey and hasn't exactly looked great so far in his limited time.

Wouldn't surprise me if we see Bertie cementing one of the number 10 positions. Think it would suit him well. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

59 minutes ago, PieFacE said:

The two number 10 positions are absolutely wide open for anyone atm.

Ings and Watkins does not work. Just need one of them to play up top on their own.

Buendia whilst getting a bit better doesn't look anywhere near worth the money paid

Jury is still out on Bailey and hasn't exactly looked great so far in his limited time.

Wouldn't surprise me if we see Bertie cementing one of the number 10 positions. Think it would suit him well. 

With Bertie off to Africa in a few weeks he could well miss his chance to nail down a place, especially if he comes back injured again. Once Bailey is fit he and Buendia seem the most likely to grab the two starting 10 spots, imo.

If Arsenal get top 4 then there’s a fair chance we’ll lose Ollie to them in the summer, too. God knows what the front three will look like next season! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Awol said:

With Bertie off to Africa in a few weeks he could well miss his chance to nail down a place, especially if he comes back injured again. Once Bailey is fit he and Buendia seem the most likely to grab the two starting 10 spots, imo.

If Arsenal get top 4 then there’s a fair chance we’ll lose Ollie to them in the summer, too. God knows what the front three will look like next season! 

Buendia-Haaland-Bailey

 

 

😉

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

44 minutes ago, Awol said:

With Bertie off to Africa in a few weeks he could well miss his chance to nail down a place, especially if he comes back injured again. Once Bailey is fit he and Buendia seem the most likely to grab the two starting 10 spots, imo.

If Arsenal get top 4 then there’s a fair chance we’ll lose Ollie to them in the summer, too. God knows what the front three will look like next season! 

Get swotting up on the Anfield reserves. !!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

53 minutes ago, sheepyvillian said:

I think it's very telling how the players are making the very same mistakes under Gerrard that they were making under Smith. 

They let down DS in a big way and that is now very clear to see. Maybe SG not being on the touchline last night did have an effect on the performance. So what does that say about these players ? They can't be trusted to motivate themselves for one. They lack focus and discipline at times when it is needed most. 

Without those ridiculous errors last night, we may have come away with all three points, and that isn't the only game where you could make the same point. 

At this level you just cannot be that error- prone. I don't see SG standing for that kind of thing too long, and rightly so. Maybe DS gave them too much slack. Now maybe it's time for some individuals to hear some home truths, either fix up or find a new club.

Are you suggesting there may be some bad eggs in this squad? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, sheepyvillian said:

I think it's very telling how the players are making the very same mistakes under Gerrard that they were making under Smith. 

They let down DS in a big way and that is now very clear to see. Maybe SG not being on the touchline last night did have an effect on the performance. So what does that say about these players ? They can't be trusted to motivate themselves for one. They lack focus and discipline at times when it is needed most. 

Without those ridiculous errors last night, we may have come away with all three points, and that isn't the only game where you could make the same point. 

At this level you just cannot be that error- prone. I don't see SG standing for that kind of thing too long, and rightly so. Maybe DS gave them too much slack. Now maybe it's time for some individuals to hear some home truths, either fix up or find a new club.

I think they were motivated. They ran around like mad things for 25 minutes - obviously they couldn't keep that up for 90 minutes. 

Whether we need a more astute approach to games - and whether we will get one remains to be seen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...
Â