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Stoke City vs Aston Villa - 24.07.21 @15:00


MaVilla

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 I didn't see the game and I would guess the line up was very mixed, but I heard the second goal came right through midfield in to the heart of our defence, that happened many times last season.......but I will say it again, and again.

If we don't tighten up the centre of midfield, we are going nowhere of any significance.

Edited by TRO
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21 minutes ago, hippo said:

Grealish in the team last season got us 11th. Ok he got injured - great player though he is - he does always seem to miss a chunk of the season through injury.

Personally I don't think we will get Europe next season (whether we 'aim' for it not) 

We had fine seasons from Martinez, Grealish, Watkins last season - El Ghazi chipped in with goals when needed , Target , Konsa stepped up a level. - will all those factors that fall in our  favour next season ?  Will we get more injuries .

Lots went right last season. We still only got 11th.

 

 

Bit negative, as we have already signed Buendia who looks a player, I'm sure a few others will come in too before the end of the season. We're looking up with these new owners, not mid table mediocracy like the old days, have some faith chap!

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53 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

I don’t get these kind of posts (no offence). I’m well aware it’s a pre season game. I know it’s worth nothing if we win/lose/draw. I don’t care if we lose. I don’t even really care how we play as a team. 

But. I do care about individual performances as several of those players will be first team regulars this season or certainly pushing for a starting place and it just reinforces the fact we need two more signings this summer to really push on. 

We need a defensive midfielder and an attacking midfielder/wide forward. It will be negligent if we don’t sign two more first team players because we have a real opportunity to push Arsenal and Spurs out the way on our quest for the top 4.

We can play and win/lose another 50 pre season games and my opinion won’t change. We need two more first team players in midfield. 

I will stick my neck out and say, if we don't tighten up midfileld, no matter how we do it......we will end up much where we did last season.

Last season, we finished 11th giving the ball away too easily and cheaply and defending in some games too deep....if we can improve on that, we may move up the league, without those improvements, status quo.

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27 minutes ago, hippo said:

Another thing about Mcginn is he always needs a few games to get into the groove. He like has to play himself into form. 

That's a very good point, hopefully they've got the preparation right and he'll improve in games as we head toward the start of the season.

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33 minutes ago, TRO said:

I will stick my neck out and say, if we don't tighten up midfileld, no matter how we do it......we will end up much where we did last season.

Last season, we finished 11th giving the ball away too easily and cheaply and defending in some games too deep....if we can improve on that, we may move up the league, without those improvements, status quo.

Right so you think if we don't improve, we'll be where we were last year?

I think that's keeping your neck nice and safe, which is absolutely fine.

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1 hour ago, Awol said:

I like him as a player and a bloke, but think another week’s rest might have done no harm. I want Championship McGinn back, the all action ball of fizzing energy who runs so much he meets himself coming back. He’s been off his best (with glimpses here and there) for a long while, imo. Could see him losing his place this season and I don’t want that. 

You're getting championship McGinn though. The Premier League is too fast , strong and skilful for him. That's why we only see 1 good performance in about 7 games average.

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2 hours ago, villa4europe said:

QPR beat utd 4-2

Its not just us 

Still doesn't make it good.

Pre Season is supposed to prepare you for the season. This was not good preparation.

Team looked completely disjointed. No energy, no rhythm, no nothing really.

And I don't really get the "It's only pre season so who cares" idea.

So you're saying it's ok for the players to not give their all for the club just because it's pre season? How is that a good standard to set for the club? How will that bring winner mentality?

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6 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

Still doesn't make it good.

Pre Season is supposed to prepare you for the season. This was not good preparation.

Team looked completely disjointed. No energy, no rhythm, no nothing really.

And I don't really get the "It's only pre season so who cares" idea.

So you're saying it's ok for the players to not give their all for the club just because it's pre season? How is that a good standard to set for the club? How will that bring winner mentality?

Does seeing that we need new players count as preparation? 

Goes two ways, it can be for players to stand out and say I'm ready or unfortunately it can reinforce the opinion that they're not

There are some back up / squad players playing themselves out rather than in, Hourihane for example, Wes and keinan

The kids is more interesting, I'm sure their performances will be heavily analysed, the data analysts with the black bra things gets all that info to see if they are ready for the demands, looking at positioning, off the ball stuff, fitness levels, sprints and recovery, all kinds of things that we don't notice 

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13 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

Still doesn't make it good.

Pre Season is supposed to prepare you for the season. This was not good preparation.

Team looked completely disjointed. No energy, no rhythm, no nothing really.

And I don't really get the "It's only pre season so who cares" idea.

So you're saying it's ok for the players to not give their all for the club just because it's pre season? How is that a good standard to set for the club? How will that bring winner mentality?

A pre-season friendly is just that. A means of easing players back to fitness. Giving a range of players a bit of game time. 
Rarely is it an indicator of how the season will pan out.

Just  understand how people can get worked up and shit their pants over one pre-season game. Leave that to plastic fans of the Sky 6. 

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10 minutes ago, thunderball said:

As good as Buendia might be, he isnt anywhere near as good or influential as Jack. I think Jack is on a knife edge as to what happens and we could be set back by a couple of years if he does leave.

If he did go it would be a big test of the owners. Also wonder whether some of our targets are waiting to see if he commits to a new contract before agreeing to come. FWIW I think he’s invested in the project and will stay, they should offer him everything, including new signings, to keep him. 

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16 minutes ago, thunderball said:

As good as Buendia might be, he isnt anywhere near as good or influential as Jack. I think Jack is on a knife edge as to what happens and we could be set back by a couple of years if he does leave.

Imagine both of them in the team supplying Watkins, I can’t wait to see it

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41 minutes ago, Sulberto21 said:

You're getting championship McGinn though. The Premier League is too fast , strong and skilful for him. That's why we only see 1 good performance in about 7 games average.

I’m not sure that’s entirely fair, he was very good in our first season back up until breaking his ankle. It’s really since then that his form has suffered, imo. 

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Never really got to grips with Stoke's physicality, Fletcher in particular used his strength, height and experience to teach the defence a lesson, it wasn't really until Konsa came on and he got tired that he stopped bullying everyone. Joe Allen sitting on Buendia, (another experienced player who knows his job) made the lack of other creative outlet obvious although we still picked them apart everytime we upped the tempo.

The first 20 minutes they put the back four under a lot of pressure, Young struggled and Bogarde was getting ruined by Fletcher. AEG was appalling but that is the type of player he is.

What is encouraging is there is a clear identity to the team, hugely confident on the ball anywhere on the park. They made multiple mistakes trying to knock it around the back, these can be forgiven in games like today but they need to smarten up.

Carney was good when he came on, would like to see him be a bit more selfish but what a player he will become.

Less said about Wesley the better, all over the shop again and loses his head. I feel for the guy after what he has been through but crucial that there are no passengers.

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22 minutes ago, Awol said:

I’m not sure that’s entirely fair, he was very good in our first season back up until breaking his ankle. It’s really since then that his form has suffered, imo. 

I disagree, McGinn's form was poor way before the Southampton game (where he broke his ankle).

Fair enough he did start our first season well but seemed to struggle as the season developed. 

Don't get me wrong I like him but I just don't think he is athletic enough or consistent enough for a team with top six aspirations.

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2 hours ago, Delphinho123 said:

I don’t get these kind of posts (no offence). I’m well aware it’s a pre season game. I know it’s worth nothing if we win/lose/draw. I don’t care if we lose. I don’t even really care how we play as a team. 

But. I do care about individual performances as several of those players will be first team regulars this season or certainly pushing for a starting place and it just reinforces the fact we need two more signings this summer to really push on. 

We need a defensive midfielder and an attacking midfielder/wide forward. It will be negligent if we don’t sign two more first team players because we have a real opportunity to push Arsenal and Spurs out the way on our quest for the top 4.

We can play and win/lose another 50 pre season games and my opinion won’t change. We need two more first team players in midfield. 

My post more or less directly followed one along the lines of us being embarrassing/made to look stupid because of a defeat to Stoke in pre season, which was more so what I was getting at rather than actual reasoned critique of where the squad is at, the status of which isn't contingent on the performance today regardless tbh.

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