Austin MacPhee

[allani]

2 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

29.

I missed the bit about from set pieces.  Surely 20 of the 29 goals in those competitions aren't from set pieces?

[OutByEaster?]

26 minutes ago, allani said:

I missed the bit about from set pieces.  Surely 20 of the 29 goals in those competitions aren't from set pieces?

Definitely not!

 

[TRO]

On 19/03/2024 at 19:04, DJBOB said:

Eh - as we've discussed before - it's just down to personnel.

Last year with Mings, we were 5th in GA in 7th in xgA and that's even starting with Gerrard's fraudster matches.

After the Arsenal match, we allowed only 8 goals in 15 matches. Of those 8 goals, only one of them were scored from a corner (Wolves away).

We allow the 4th fewest touches in the final third, the 4th fewest touches in the penalty area, the 4th fewest shots, and 0 penalties conceded.

For as incomplete and injured as our back line has been - that's not too bad.

But we are, expectantly around 4th - a decent defensive team outside of the 18 and preventing opponents from getting a lot of touches in our penalty area, but susceptible to aerial bombardment.

It's an issue insomuch in that it is a weakness, but unless you're a title contender, all teams will have a weakness - even the City/Arsenal/Liverpool's of the world.

Yeah....but their progress, is limiting the weaknesses.....That's a future target for us.

We have seen how much Rice, has protected Arsenals back line, this season...and in contrast West ham have conceded more after 32 games compared with last season.

To me, it indicates the value of the CDM....having only one in Kamara, needs to be rectified.....as we miss him dearly.

Edited April 13 by TRO

[DJBOB]

2 minutes ago, TRO said:

Yeah....but their progress, is limiting them.....That's a future target for us.

We have seen how much Rice, has protected Arsenals back line...and West ham have conceded more after 32 games compared with last season.

To me, it indicates the value of the CDM....having one in Kamara, needs to be rectified.....as we miss him dearly.

Well I think being able to afford one of the best CDM’s in the world would improve the side. 
 
We agree on that. 

[TRO]

On 12/04/2024 at 15:36, allani said:

Mings and Buendia seemed to clear an awful lot of set pieces last year.  Either Mings would clear at the near post or the ball was way to high and much easier for Martinez to deal with.  Then I'm sure that if Mings just missed the header than Buendia mopped a lot up (despite his size) - although maybe that was more at the other end?  Either way I do think that this is a solveable issue rather than an Achilles Heel that will compromise us season after season.

Its fixable for sure.

[TRO]

6 minutes ago, DJBOB said:

Well I think being able to afford one of the best CDM’s in the world would improve the side. 
 
We agree on that. 

Ah....but that's the aim.

We can't always compete financially, but we can get as close, as possible to the best.

When we won the league and the European cup....we did not have the best individual players.....Ipswich, Liverpool, Arsenal had some fine players, as did West Brom and Southampton....

We was largely ignored by The England National team, just a few token caps, dished out.....

What that team had, was balance, togetherness, belief and resilience.....the cornerstone of that team, was "Hard to beat"

Its different times for sure....but the principles and mental approach, was clear...Ron Saunders was no elite coach.....but he had hard and fast principles, he adhered to....110% effort, was scoffed at, in some quarters, even in them days, Ipswich was the media darlings....but we won the prizes.

.....so my overall point is, we don't need £100 mill players, if we get the balance right.....we already have 9 players in McGinn, Tielemans, Kamara, Luiz, Martinez, Rogers, Cash, Moreno, Duran, playing around our first team, who have cost sub 20 mill.....and look where they have taken us.

I think we need to concentrate on getting our team, more rounded, with an ability, to attack and defend with equal aplomb, to take the game to opponents, or shut the game down, in tough away games.....relying on a few forte's is not enough...we need more qualities.

Which makes this season so far unbelievable, with what we have done.

 

[allani]

4 hours ago, TRO said:

Ah....but that's the aim.

We can't always compete financially, but we can get as close, as possible to the best.

When we won the league and the European cup....we did not have the best individual players.....Ipswich, Liverpool, Arsenal had some fine players, as did West Brom and Southampton....

We was largely ignored by The England National team, just a few token caps, dished out.....

What that team had, was balance, togetherness, belief and resilience.....the cornerstone of that team, was "Hard to beat"

Its different times for sure....but the principles and mental approach, was clear...Ron Saunders was no elite coach.....but he had hard and fast principles, he adhered to....110% effort, was scoffed at, in some quarters, even in them days, Ipswich was the media darlings....but we won the prizes.

.....so my overall point is, we don't need £100 mill players, if we get the balance right.....we already have 9 players in McGinn, Tielemans, Kamara, Luiz, Martinez, Rogers, Cash, Moreno, Duran, playing around our first team, who have cost sub 20 mill.....and look where they have taken us.

I think we need to concentrate on getting our team, more rounded, with an ability, to attack and defend with equal aplomb, to take the game to opponents, or shut the game down, in tough away games.....relying on a few forte's is not enough...we need more qualities.

Which makes this season so far unbelievable, with what we have done.

 

I agree with almost all of what you say bar a slight exception to the part in bold (although mainly I am nit-picking on the term "team").  I do think that our first choice (starting) team does all / most of that - we've just not been able to play it very often this season.  So, with the possible exception of RB (although I think that Konsa / Kosta will be our options next season), it's not necessarily about improving the team but about improving the options on the bench.  Attacking wise I think we are getting close (although the impact of a major injury to Ollie is still worrying) especially if Buendia and JJ are fitting fit and on form next season.  Another CM with good defensive and transitional stats gives us the cover for Kamara and Luiz (whilst allowing Tim time to grow into the first team squad) and gives us options to shut out games or to try and subdue a dangerous opponent.  A CB who can dominate in both boxes aerially whilst being comfortable playing the ball out the way we want to would be a great addition too (as cover / eventual replacement for Mings).  It feels like we are tinkering rather than overhauling.  Which is a very nice position to be in.

[TRO]

On 13/04/2024 at 16:58, TRO said:

Ah....but that's the aim.

We can't always compete financially, but we can get as close, as possible to the best.

When we won the league and the European cup....we did not have the best individual players.....Ipswich, Liverpool, Arsenal had some fine players, as did West Brom and Southampton....

We was largely ignored by The England National team, just a few token caps, dished out.....

What that team had, was balance, togetherness, belief and resilience.....the cornerstone of that team, was "Hard to beat"

Its different times for sure....but the principles and mental approach, was clear...Ron Saunders was no elite coach.....but he had hard and fast principles, he adhered to....110% effort, was scoffed at, in some quarters, even in them days, Ipswich was the media darlings....but we won the prizes.

.....so my overall point is, we don't need £100 mill players, if we get the balance right.....we already have 9 players in McGinn, Tielemans, Kamara, Luiz, Martinez, Rogers, Cash, Moreno, Duran, playing around our first team, who have cost sub 20 mill.....and look where they have taken us.

I think we need to concentrate on getting our team, more rounded, with an ability, to attack and defend with equal aplomb, to take the game to opponents, or shut the game down, in tough away games.....relying on a few forte's is not enough...we need more qualities.

Which makes this season so far unbelievable, with what we have done.

 

I saw all that on display yesterday....They were bang at it.

Bravo, to all concerned on delivering a show stopper performance.

[villa4europe]

not sure if it was tielemans or we'd identified something with arsenal's defending but we seemed to aim near post for more or less every corner yesterday

probably the hardest and most frustrating delivery possible

[Milfner]

3 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

not sure if it was tielemans or we'd identified something with arsenal's defending but we seemed to aim near post for more or less every corner yesterday

probably the hardest and most frustrating delivery possible

Noticed it too, think we only went short from one corner. It does bother me when you're in the ground and you just hear "clear the first man!!!!" Well yes, but if you get it spot on at the near post it's a huge opportunity for a flick on. 

[villa4europe]

17 minutes ago, Milfner said:

Noticed it too, think we only went short from one corner. It does bother me when you're in the ground and you just hear "clear the first man!!!!" Well yes, but if you get it spot on at the near post it's a huge opportunity for a flick on. 

i could only guess that watching the tape macphee thinks arsenal struggle with it but to get the ball to dip in the right way there is crazy hard and im sure only 1 or 2 caused any real problem and none of them created a chance apart from the ball being cleared back out to tielemans when he hit the bar (? was that a cleared corner?)

[CarryOnVilla]

Rare picture of Austin conjuring up his set piece plans 

[DJBOB]

4 hours ago, villa4europe said:

not sure if it was tielemans or we'd identified something with arsenal's defending but we seemed to aim near post for more or less every corner yesterday

probably the hardest and most frustrating delivery possible

Arsenal are both a tall side and Raya I think has the most cross claims in the league so we likely wanted to keep it away from Raya if at all possible and cause a scrum at the near post. 
 
In fairness, Pau did an excellent job coming across Gabriel at the near post that led to Bailey’s goal. 

Edited April 15 by DJBOB

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

Does he play his part in the Penalties training, if so deserves credit although the majority will still go to Emi.

[villa4europe]

1 hour ago, Kuwabatake Sanjuro said:

Does he play his part in the Penalties training, if so deserves credit although the majority will still go to Emi.

the thing that was posted in the emi thread about the 2 lille players who missed theirs taking their penalty within a second of the whistle being blown whereas ollie took 5 seconds and i think twitter said luiz took 8 is definitely interesting

these players all had bullshit and mind games before their kick but villa players were seemingly successful in resetting their nerves whereas lille players rushed theirs