Steven Gerrard

[nick76]

1 minute ago, Mantis said:

Indeed. Since summer 2019 we've improved massively up front, in attacking midfield, fullback and goalkeeper. At CB and CM we almost have the same core of players we did when we narrowly avoided relegation.

Who achieved I believe an incredible clean sheet record last season?

[Brumstopdogs]

We've missed out big time on an ideal replacement anyway..

 

[Made In Aston]

I heard Gerrard's post-match comments about having the game where he wanted it and completely disagree - unless he means he wanted to be giving the ball away at every opportunity, failing to win it from the opposition and putting in a flat, abject performance. 

[Mantis]

8 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Who achieved I believe an incredible clean sheet record last season?

At the end of the day we still finished 11th without seriously challenging for Europe, which is below where we want to be regardless of who the manager is. Mings and Konsa aren't terrible or even close to it but they're not good to both be regular starters if we want to be top 8.

[Lerner's Driver]

4 minutes ago, Made In Aston said:

I heard Gerrard's post-match comments about having the game where he wanted it and completely disagree - unless he means he wanted to be giving the ball away at every opportunity, failing to win it from the opposition and putting in a flat, abject performance. 

I expect he was referring to being 1-0 up with 8 minutes to go, but that when it came, it was undeserved. We were lucky not to lose today.

[Keyblade]

1 hour ago, abdomlahor said:

what happened to the football we were playing in his first few games? the high tempo one touch passing game through the middle? all we seem to do these days is hoof it down the channel to ollie.

It's so frustrating. If we were playing like this from the start that's one thing, but that period is always in the back of your mind. Where did it come from? I'm thinking we'll eventually get back to playing that way as the players get used to Gerrard, but it's been a good 4/5 months since then.

When you watch us it doesn't seem like we're working towards anything. We could lose every game (not literally) and as long as it seems like we're building something (kind of like Palace actually), it can be tolerated. Seems like our solution to this is to throw a bunch of money at it. 

[Demitri_C]

58 minutes ago, Zatman said:

Is 11 points against the top 10 really solid? 

The league table positioning and the points return by gerrard since has been here i would say he has been solid.

Like i said in the original point its not perfect and certainly one area of improvement is your point above.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

1 hour ago, DCJonah said:

League position wise? Probably can't expect much more. 

Personally I was hoping to see something that made me think, yes it was absolutely worth not giving Smith anymore time and this is the man to get us into that top 8 position. I've seen bits here and there but I've also seen a lot to make me think next year might be a struggle again. 

I know his points since coming in are top half but I'm not sure how much that means. It's like when people carry on form or statistics from a few games one season and then into the next. There are so many variables at play. 

I would also say he's working with the strongest squad we've had since MON. Our strength in depth at times, compared to the last two years, is unreal. 

Ultimately we will see what it looks like over next season. I'm absolutely in the Gerrard in camp and I'm excited to see the kind of talent we sign in the summer. I hope he's not just a name who can attract players though. 

I think there's way more positives than negatives but it hasn't blown me away at this point. 

Thing is mate, whether we like it or not, I think there is a bigger picture at play here ( From a commercial standpoint ).

If I'm honest, I don't think the board will have necessarily thought " Steven Gerrard is the best manager we can get ".

I think they thought it was an " opportunistic " move which would help to raise our profile as well as attract better players, for where we are/were at.

Don't get me wrong, they wouldn't hire him if they thought he was useless either 

I reckon in addition to the above they probably thought we needed a more stern character with what they might view as a higher ceiling. ( Jury still out on the last bit obviously )

I just view this as the next step in our progression. If he fails to achieve the objectives, we'll be left with a stronger squad and a higher profile IMO.

Until then, hrs got my support though, even though I too have my concerns.

Personally, I prefer Liverpool swashbuckling and expansive type football, over more reserved Chelsea/Atletico football for example.

However what I like even more than any style is winning football.

Edited May 15, 2022 by JAMAICAN-VILLAN

[nick76]

12 minutes ago, Made In Aston said:

Smith played a different system. Gerrard's relys heavily on attacking full backs and a possession based midfield with a quality DM. Its not hard to see why we are not performing well on a  regular basis. 

He shouldn’t play that until he has the tools to do it.  He should adapt to use the tools he has.  What if he doesn’t get the players in the summer he wants, do we try and play the way he wants to with the wrong players.  Maybe it’ll be like a hammer on a screw, it won’t be pretty but might work.

[DCJonah]

40 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Thing is mate, whether we like it or not, I think there is a bigger picture at play here ( From a commercial standpoint ).

If I'm honest, I don't think the board will have necessarily thought " Steven Gerrard is the best manager we can get ".

I think they thought it was an " opportunistic " move which would help to raise our profile as well as attract better players, for where we are/were at.

Don't get me wrong, they wouldn't hire him if they thought he was useless either 

I reckon in addition to the above they probably thought we needed a more stern character with what they might view as a higher ceiling. ( Jury still out on the last bit obviously )

I just view this as the next step in our progression. If he fails to achieve the objectives, we'll be left with a stronger squad and a higher profile IMO.

Until then, hrs got my support though, even though I too have my concerns.

Personally, I prefer Liverpool swashbuckling and expansive type football, over more reserved Chelsea/Atletico football for example.

However what I like even more than any style is winning football.

I disagree with this mate. 

I think Purslow thinks he's the next big thing and wanted to snap him up before others could. 

Agree with the rest though.

[MrBlack]

40 minutes ago, nick76 said:

He shouldn’t play that until he has the tools to do it.  He should adapt to use the tools he has.  What if he doesn’t get the players in the summer he wants, do we try and play the way he wants to with the wrong players.  Maybe it’ll be like a hammer on a screw, it won’t be pretty but might work.

Or maybe you get the players used to the formation and style so that when you replace the bits that don't work, the rest of the team aren't exposed to it for the first time?

Especially when we're virtually guaranteed safe and only playing for a few extra million in league places...what is more important?

 

That said, I don't think it's necessarily right that today's performance was the best we could expect from the players that were out there, and think Buendia should have started after consistently good performances. And for that, I can't find an excuse for Gerrard.

[hippo]

2 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

I disagree with this mate. 

I think Purslow thinks he's the next big thing and wanted to snap him up before others could. 

Agree with the rest though.

Agree.

The big money in football comes from TV money. 

Whilst recruiting Gerrard and signing PC may fleetingly give us a little more air time - sponsors aren't going suddenly treble the amount they pay villa.

I believe Purslow who was at Liverpool - is in someway trying to stock the club with Liverpool staff hoping to replicate their success. 

Anybody else with 3 seasons managing in Scotland wouldn't be anywhere near the villa job.

 

[Follyfoot]

No good will come of ‘Steven Gerrards’ Aston Villa.
I sincerely hope that this is not the case

We are giving Friar Tuck the keys to the truck shop

[nick76]

14 minutes ago, MrBlack said:

Especially when we're virtually guaranteed safe and only playing for a few extra million in league places...what is more important?

Arguably finishing top 10 will attract you better players than 13th.  For players, especially foreign with no affinity for Villa when they have options do you pick A.Madrid or 13th place Villa? If you are closer to Europe then the appeal of the PL might have got us across the line but now it’s likely to be money and the hope of the name pull of Gerrard and Coutinho.  It’s also makes it harder comparing to other PL teams because we are in the mix just below half way.  It’s all about perception to potential players.  Preseason you can work on new styles with current and new players.

[brommy]

2 minutes ago, Follyfoot said:

No good will come of ‘Steven Gerrards’ Aston Villa.
I sincerely hope that this is not the case

We are giving Friar Tuck the keys to the truck shop

Is your point that Friar Tuck hasn't got a driving licence?

[VillaParkAvenue]

1 hour ago, Mantis said:

At the end of the day we still finished 11th without seriously challenging for Europe, which is below where we want to be regardless of who the manager is. Mings and Konsa aren't terrible or even close to it but they're not good to both be regular starters if we want to be top 8.

I still don’t want to be 8th and not even qualify for the conference league.

[MrBlack]

15 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Arguably finishing top 10 will attract you better players than 13th.  For players, especially foreign with no affinity for Villa when they have options do you pick A.Madrid or 13th place Villa? If you are closer to Europe then the appeal of the PL might have got us across the line but now it’s likely to be money and the hope of the name pull of Gerrard and Coutinho.  It’s also makes it harder comparing to other PL teams because we are in the mix just below half way.  It’s all about perception to potential players.  Preseason you can work on new styles with current and new players.

True,  was just playing devil's advocate. I suspect he still thought they'd deliver a performance even if it wasn't a formation they're all fully comfortable with. It's all a bit meh at the moment, but plenty to be optimistic about. Let's see how the window goes, and how we start next season looking. 

Would be a mistake to abandon the philosophy and sack him before giving him that chance... not least because it would send a terrible message to whoever else we're potentially looking to hire.

[WHY]

1 hour ago, nick76 said:

It did happen.  I just picked up to the 15th game at random and we were 5th on 28 points. 18 months ago give or take we were 5th in the league, so I wasn’t making it up!

https://www.worldfootball.net/schedule/eng-premier-league-2020-2021-spieltag/15/

Thought you were referring to this season mate. Personally wouldn’t read much into last season given the Covid situation and lack of fans. Everton and Leeds both finished above us last season. We took 16 points from Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea that’s nearly 30% of last seasons points from teams currently in the top 5, no chance this happens in a non covid season imo. 

[briny_ear]

2 hours ago, Made In Aston said:

I heard Gerrard's post-match comments about having the game where he wanted it and completely disagree - unless he means he wanted to be giving the ball away at every opportunity, failing to win it from the opposition and putting in a flat, abject performance. 

Pretty amazing we managed to scrape a 1-1 draw if that is a true description of our performance. How shit must Palace have been to fail to capitalise on an abject performance?

[Sulberto21]

3 hours ago, nick76 said:

But the first half of last season, all that half we did so well.  That’s all forgotten.  Yes I believe our midfield is a major problem but and I mean but they did so well until Xmas that season.  

Anyway we move forward and need more but there needs to be more fixed than just buying new players will do.

From project restart until the covid issues at the club we played really solid. The first half of last season is some of the best Villa football I’ve seen in years. In fact up until the Man City game at the shit e had we conceded the third least chances. And were near the top for chances created.