Lucas Digne

[Kiwivillan]

1 hour ago, KevinRichardsonsMoustache said:

Forget about Lange's smile, the size of his hands is alarming. The diameter of his wedding ring is the same as most family hatchbacks.

This is a man who is used to handling firearms and assumes that he has one on his belt at all times. 

You know what they say. Big hands... warm heart

[OutByEaster?]

1 hour ago, wsag said:

Rafa would prefer Targett.  He wants his winger to wing, and his defender to defend.

Just to pick up on this bit, to a large extent, Gerrard want's his left back to wing more than he wants him to defend.

It won't be a matter of Coutinho and Digne forming a partnership on the left hand side - we play a 4-3-2-1 with the width coming from the full backs, Coutinho will stay narrow and when Digne is ahead of the midfield, McGinn will shuffle over to cover. It's a system that needs full backs that can attack well and by the sound of things he'll fit it like a glove.

 

[Vive_La_Villa]

7 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

Just to pick up on this bit, to a large extent, Gerrard want's his left back to wing more than he wants him to defend.

It won't be a matter of Coutinho and Digne forming a partnership on the left hand side - we play a 4-3-2-1 with the width coming from the full backs, Coutinho will stay narrow and when Digne is ahead of the midfield, McGinn will shuffle over to cover. It's a system that needs full backs that can attack well and by the sound of things he'll fit it like a glove.

 

I like this style but it does leave you open at the back against counter attacking teams and that’s something Man U are very good at. It’s why it’s crucial we keep the ball a lot better at times and also not go behind and left chasing the game again.  We were lucky at times Man U didn’t punish us on the break.
 

Agree Digne should thrive in this system. 

[chrisvilla4]

2 hours ago, StanBalaban said:

Fixed.

2 proud parents with their son and his attempt at a grown up hairstyle. 

[chrisvilla4]

21 minutes ago, Kiwivillan said:

You know what they say. Big hands... warm part

Fixed. 

[Vive_La_Villa]

He seems very confident borderline arrogant. Is it a French thing ?

Edited January 14, 2022 by Vive_La_Villa

[zab6359]

1 hour ago, wsag said:

Everton fan here. I have read bits of this thread and thought I would offer you my thoughts.  

I am in a minority of Everton fans who don't mind Benitez. I think he is still a really good manager.  A lot of the fans on forums will pile into any and everything if they think it puts a negative spin on the manager. My take is that the sorcerer has seen the apprentice coming from several miles off.  This is a not bad deal for Villa, but a very good one for Everton.  Let me explain the context. We. can't spend any money, owing the the previous clowns who have spent over half a billion on the worst trash you've ever seen. So if Rafa wants to do anything with our two bit squad, he has to sell to do it. And getting these millionaires to shift from the pot of gold we've stuck under them is the devil's own job.  In my view the 'row' with Digne is strictly business. Digne may detest Benitez now, but I don't think Rafa cares at all. He just had to get him out. Why? Cos doing that frees up FIFTY million quid we couldn't otherwise spend. 25 transfer fee, 25 wages. But he took a terrible gamble, he got in the replacement before he'd sold Lucas.  Maybe just to underline to him that he wasn't going to kick a ball til the World Cup. and the big problem we had is his wages. You lot (and you are now loaded in a way that Everton never were) will now be paying your chap £150,000 a week as he enters his thirtieth year, and for the next four years after that. Why? cos that is the idiotic contract we had given him last year. 

So it is in this context that I am judging the deal  By rights Digne should be on. about £75g a week cos he is a good player. The fact you're paying him double means that in the real world you've paid £40m for him if you were paying him realistic wages. In that light, I think it's too much. But he is good, just not that good.  One thing that will not happen though, he will not form a flank with Coutinho. Maybe for a handful of games, no more.  Your whole flank would be targeted systematically if that happened (like what happened with us and James). Those two are just too weak defensively.  Lucas flourished when he was in a defensive set up, and so he had lots more time to pick his passes cos he was getting major defensive support from the midfielders and wingers. If you are going to be an offensive minded team, he have a hand in some great goals (no question) but he will also be a liability defensively. For whatever reason, when he makes a mistake, it's normally costly perhaps cos he flies in trying to compensate for a basic lack of strength. And he doesn't like tracking back once he's headed upfield. He is freakish good in the air mind for such a little chap.  And a truly tremendous crosser.  If Watkins is good in the air, this could be good. But he's not the messiah.  I really do think that this time next year your fanbase could be split on which is the better left back. Cos, no. question, Rafa would prefer Targett.  He wants his winger to wing, and his defender to defend.

To finish, I think villa have been really interesting the last few months. I literally sat up when you played Chelsea, I couldn't believe how strong your team looked.  You've got some cracking players compared with when you first came up.  I do though think you are now on an absolute knife edge.  You are still playing well, but the wins are drying up.  A good side doesn't get beat these days at OT. You know it deep down.    If you get beat tomorrow. I think it could send you into a mini tail spin, and that will be SGs first real test.

, h

Thanks mate good to get the perspective of another teams supporter, but you are talking absolute bollocks Rafa was the worst appointment ever for a team like Everton 100 x worse than McLeish coming to Villa what on earth were the board thinking it was/is a disaster waiting to happen he'll be the next PL manager to get the sack, failing that surely he won't be there next year? Don't get me wrong Rafa is a quality manager and there was a time I would have liked to see him at Villa, but so wrong for Everton!

We have signed the player that replaced Leighton Baines at Everton and is in his absolute prime, who most Everton fans love, a world cup winner hungry to play for his national team in Qatar, what is not to like about that signing? Yes it's his last big pay day but so what that is how we progress. Despite your huge transfer fees over how many years? You finished just 4 points above a team in its second year back in the PL last season and it's highly likely we will finish above you this season and I really don't think a loss at Manure will send us into a tailspin! 

Fair play signing Anwar though he is good for some goals and I really like the guy.

[sparrow1988]

1 hour ago, KevinRichardsonsMoustache said:

Forget about Lange's smile, the size of his hands is alarming. The diameter of his wedding ring is the same as most family hatchbacks.

This is a man who is used to handling firearms and assumes that he has one on his belt at all times. 

Scandinavian innit? He's had to chop wood for the winter since before he could walk, the little tike.

[Indigo]

19 minutes ago, zab6359 said:

Thanks mate good to get the perspective of another teams supporter, but you are talking absolute bollocks

This post went left so quickly I nearly spat my tea out while reading it 

[Steero113]

2 hours ago, wsag said:

Everton fan here. I have read bits of this thread and thought I would offer you my thoughts.  

I am in a minority of Everton fans who don't mind Benitez. I think he is still a really good manager.  A lot of the fans on forums will pile into any and everything if they think it puts a negative spin on the manager. My take is that the sorcerer has seen the apprentice coming from several miles off.  This is a not bad deal for Villa, but a very good one for Everton.  Let me explain the context. We. can't spend any money, owing the the previous clowns who have spent over half a billion on the worst trash you've ever seen. So if Rafa wants to do anything with our two bit squad, he has to sell to do it. And getting these millionaires to shift from the pot of gold we've stuck under them is the devil's own job.  In my view the 'row' with Digne is strictly business. Digne may detest Benitez now, but I don't think Rafa cares at all. He just had to get him out. Why? Cos doing that frees up FIFTY million quid we couldn't otherwise spend. 25 transfer fee, 25 wages. But he took a terrible gamble, he got in the replacement before he'd sold Lucas.  Maybe just to underline to him that he wasn't going to kick a ball til the World Cup. and the big problem we had is his wages. You lot (and you are now loaded in a way that Everton never were) will now be paying your chap £150,000 a week as he enters his thirtieth year, and for the next four years after that. Why? cos that is the idiotic contract we had given him last year. 

So it is in this context that I am judging the deal  By rights Digne should be on. about £75g a week cos he is a good player. The fact you're paying him double means that in the real world you've paid £40m for him if you were paying him realistic wages. In that light, I think it's too much. But he is good, just not that good.  One thing that will not happen though, he will not form a flank with Coutinho. Maybe for a handful of games, no more.  Your whole flank would be targeted systematically if that happened (like what happened with us and James). Those two are just too weak defensively.  Lucas flourished when he was in a defensive set up, and so he had lots more time to pick his passes cos he was getting major defensive support from the midfielders and wingers. If you are going to be an offensive minded team, he have a hand in some great goals (no question) but he will also be a liability defensively. For whatever reason, when he makes a mistake, it's normally costly perhaps cos he flies in trying to compensate for a basic lack of strength. And he doesn't like tracking back once he's headed upfield. He is freakish good in the air mind for such a little chap.  And a truly tremendous crosser.  If Watkins is good in the air, this could be good. But he's not the messiah.  I really do think that this time next year your fanbase could be split on which is the better left back. Cos, no. question, Rafa would prefer Targett.  He wants his winger to wing, and his defender to defend.

To finish, I think villa have been really interesting the last few months. I literally sat up when you played Chelsea, I couldn't believe how strong your team looked.  You've got some cracking players compared with when you first came up.  I do though think you are now on an absolute knife edge.  You are still playing well, but the wins are drying up.  A good side doesn't get beat these days at OT. You know it deep down.    If you get beat tomorrow. I think it could send you into a mini tail spin, and that will be SGs first real test.

, h

What is it about Everton fans and the concept of the age of 28. He is not entering into his "thirtieth year" hes entering his prime. He is less than 28 and a half. 

Its like the Everton fan who argued for 15 pages on your forum about "rounding age up" if they're over 6 months into the year. Moronic. 

In addition, you had absolutely no idea what you were paying him, or what we are now paying him for that matter. 

[Vive_La_Villa]

I think it’s fair comments by the Everton fan and it wouldn’t surprise me if fans are split on Digne in a years team. However he is an upgrade on a current regular in a key position and that is very important to us. 

[zab6359]

14 minutes ago, Indigo said:

This post went left so quickly I nearly spat my tea out while reading it 

Keep it honest I say?

[gwi1890]

58 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

I like this style but it does leave you open at the back against counter attacking teams and that’s something Man U are very good at. It’s why it’s crucial we keep the ball a lot better at times and also not go behind and left chasing the game again.  We were lucky at times Man U didn’t punish us on the break.
 

Agree Digne should thrive in this system. 

Under Smith we often got caught out with central defenders out of position high up the pitch, if we can sort out the DM problem that would help.

[Phil Silvers]

1 minute ago, gwi1890 said:

Under Smith we often got caught out with central defenders out of position high up the pitch, if we can sort out the DM problem that would help.

It is the key to us.moving forward, I would invest heavily in this position.

[Vive_La_Villa]

2 minutes ago, Phil Silvers said:

It is the key to us.moving forward, I would invest heavily in this position.

Something tells me we really want Bissouma.

[nick76]

5 minutes ago, Phil Silvers said:

It is the key to us.moving forward, I would invest heavily in this position.

Thanks mate, saves using Villa’s cash if you’re willing to pay on our behalf.

[Phil Silvers]

2 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Something tells me we really want Bissouma.

Yeah, most often its agent/media drumming up business but this time I think there's real interest. If we sign him I'd love us to sign a typical DM, I see Bissouma as an all around CM, can do it all but put him alongside a better version of Marv, alongside SJM and we have a strong midfield.

[Phil Silvers]

1 minute ago, nick76 said:

Thanks mate, saves using Villa’s cash if you’re willing to pay on our behalf.

Nothin doin, Tories have sent me skint. 

[Zatman]

17 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

I think it’s fair comments by the Everton fan and it wouldn’t surprise me if fans are split on Digne in a years team. However he is an upgrade on a current regular in a key position and that is very important to us. 

I do think people are going to be disappointed. He is definitely not as fast or dynamic as some people think and his defensive ability is dodgy. 

On the ball he is an upgrade and his set pieces 

[Steero113]

5 minutes ago, Zatman said:

I do think people are going to be disappointed. He is definitely not as fast or dynamic as some people think and his defensive ability is dodgy. 

On the ball he is an upgrade and his set pieces 

It's unlike you to be pessimistic fella, everything OK?