Lucas Digne

[Zatman]

4 hours ago, AntrimBlack said:

Bloody hell. West Ham are a dirtier team than I thought.

They were like an advanced version of Burnley. Scum team

[Sulberto21]

4 hours ago, Zatman said:

They were like an advanced version of Burnley. Scum team

The worst was Dawson’s forearm smash not to mention the Kick to Luiz’s face. Although if dougie has lost his ability to smooch I’m willing to step in and keep Alisha Lehmann company. 

[Spoony]

4 hours ago, TRO said:

Robust, combatitive, competitive........Dirty, not so sure......in such cases you have to give it back, meet fire with fire.

Problem is, our squad is not designed for such activity and gets easily negated by it.

by design, I mean having a few players, who relish the battle to bring in for certain games.....a young Jedinak, for example.

Kind of agree with this. Didn’t really think West Ham were that ‘dirty’. They certainly let us know they were there but they weren’t Ben Mee levels of actively trying to cripple players. 

[Zatman]

33 minutes ago, Spoony said:

Kind of agree with this. Didn’t really think West Ham were that ‘dirty’. They certainly let us know they were there but they weren’t Ben Mee levels of actively trying to cripple players. 

We have 2 players doubts for next weekend with facial injuries after that game. Rice had somebody with a sly elbow to the side of the head as well

it was more thuggery than football and anybody who wants to follow this style is not a football fan 

[Aston_Villan4]

1 hour ago, Zatman said:

We have 2 players doubts for next weekend with facial injuries after that game. Rice had somebody with a sly elbow to the side of the head as well

it was more thuggery than football and anybody who wants to follow this style is not a football fan 

Wasn’t it also Luiz that Rice “ran into?”

[VillanousOne]

35 minutes ago, Davkaus said:

This one is a worry. £25m on a player that so far seems a downgrade to the Targett at Newcastle (though he wasn't doing it here). Digne needs more time, obviously, but it looks nowhere near the upgrade it should be on paper.

I'm not sure I'm willing to say he doesn't fit the system yet, but if we have 2 in a row well regarded leftbacks who can do it elsewhere but not in this system, maybe it isn't the players' fault.

I don't think he's a bad signing or a bad player, I think if we had another wide player supporting him on the overlap he would be more effective, he just seems more like a natural left back than a wing back as he doesn't seem quick enough to play as a wing back, but he's shown some flashes of promise.

Ironically Cash has the pace to be a wing back, just lacks the composure when it counts, something he can learn maybe.
 

[hippo]

1 hour ago, Davkaus said:

This one is a worry. £25m on a player that so far seems a downgrade to the Targett at Newcastle (though he wasn't doing it here). Digne needs more time, obviously, but it looks nowhere near the upgrade it should be on paper.

I'm not sure I'm willing to say he doesn't fit the system yet, but if we have 2 in a row well regarded leftbacks who can do it elsewhere but not in this system, maybe it isn't the players' fault.

It's a major worry if a player purchased for £25m to play in a system - doesn't fit the system.

Doesn't bode well for the summer rebuild does it ?

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

13 hours ago, Davkaus said:

This one is a worry. £25m on a player that so far seems a downgrade to the Targett at Newcastle (though he wasn't doing it here). Digne needs more time, obviously, but it looks nowhere near the upgrade it should be on paper.

I'm not sure I'm willing to say he doesn't fit the system yet, but if we have 2 in a row well regarded leftbacks who can do it elsewhere but not in this system, maybe it isn't the players' fault.

Not sure if I'd go as far as saying he's a " downgrade " , but yeah, I'm not sure if he has lived up to the price tag yet.

Having said that, even before moving to Everton he had a very good reputation. Let's hope after a season of settling, he can really come on.

His attacking ceiling is obviously higher than Targetts, it's the defence which is questionable. Which is obviously, am issue, for well, a defender. Lol

Either way, as I've said many times, I would have kept Targett will end of season regardless.

 

Edited March 21, 2022 by JAMAICAN-VILLAN

[VillaChris]

17 hours ago, hippo said:

It's a major worry if a player purchased for £25m to play in a system - doesn't fit the system.

Doesn't bode well for the summer rebuild does it ?

Digne's looked fine to me, genuinely which game has he had a shocker in since joining? Man. United, fine, Everton, fine, Leeds, Mings at fault for two of those goals, Newcastle he didn't offer much going forward but goal was a free kick from Chambers foul, Watford average and since then he's played well in our three wins.

I find this Targett worship all of a sudden a bit bizarre. Correct me if I'm wrong but he started all five of DS losing run that got him the sack so not like we'd magically start winning every game if he'd stayed. Gerrard gave him a run of 8 starts and concluded he wasn't going to be good enough in long run.

He's done alright at Newcastle so far so let's sell him for a profit then for once as we're not very good at doing that with fringe players and move on. I doubt he's going to be their starting LB in a few years if they have serious ambitions of finishing at least 7th as he's simply not that good.

 

[Aston_Villan4]

6 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

Digne's looked fine to me, genuinely which game has he had a shocker in since joining? Man. United, fine, Everton, fine, Leeds, Mings at fault for two of those goals, Newcastle he didn't offer much going forward but goal was a free kick from Chambers foul, Watford average and since then he's played well in our three wins.

I find this Targett worship all of a sudden a bit bizarre. Correct me if I'm wrong but he started all five of DS losing run that got him the sack so not like we'd magically start winning every game if he'd stayed. Gerrard gave him a run of 8 starts and concluded he wasn't going to be good enough in long run.

He's done alright at Newcastle so far so let's sell him for a profit then for once as we're not very good at doing that with fringe players and move on. I doubt he's going to be their starting LB in a few years if they have serious ambitions of finishing at least 7th as he's simply not that good.

 

[hippo]

5 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

Digne's looked fine to me, genuinely which game has he had a shocker in since joining? Man. United, fine, Everton, fine, Leeds, Mings at fault for two of those goals, Newcastle he didn't offer much going forward but goal was a free kick from Chambers foul, Watford average and since then he's played well in our three wins.

I find this Targett worship all of a sudden a bit bizarre. Correct me if I'm wrong but he started all five of DS losing run that got him the sack so not like we'd magically start winning every game if he'd stayed. Gerrard gave him a run of 8 starts and concluded he wasn't going to be good enough in long run.

He's done alright at Newcastle so far so let's sell him for a profit then for once as we're not very good at doing that with fringe players and move on. I doubt he's going to be their starting LB in a few years if they have serious ambitions of finishing at least 7th as he's simply not that good.

 

Slightly different point to which I was responding.

Another poster had said that Digne didn't fit the system Gerrard wants to play. I just said this was concerning as presumably Gerard himself made the decision to purchase Digne.

 

[sharkyvilla]

I just think it's nearly impossible for full backs to do their job both in the back 4 and be all the attacking width too, whether it's Digne or Targett.  We ask them to do 2 jobs, asked McGinn and Ramsey to do 2 jobs (be central midfielders and cover at full back too) but then have 2 number 10s doing one job further up the field.  It seems unbalanced when we set up with the Gerrard nipple system.  

[VillaChris]

7 hours ago, Aston_Villan4 said:

Well Mings certainly miskicked to Llorente for the 3rd goal. From what I remember of 1st he didn't get tight enough to James who turned him with ease but could be wrong on that. He's been pretty good since though.

[Tom13]

10 hours ago, VillaChris said:

Digne's looked fine to me, genuinely which game has he had a shocker in since joining? Man. United, fine, Everton, fine, Leeds, Mings at fault for two of those goals, Newcastle he didn't offer much going forward but goal was a free kick from Chambers foul, Watford average and since then he's played well in our three wins.

I find this Targett worship all of a sudden a bit bizarre. Correct me if I'm wrong but he started all five of DS losing run that got him the sack so not like we'd magically start winning every game if he'd stayed. Gerrard gave him a run of 8 starts and concluded he wasn't going to be good enough in long run.

He's done alright at Newcastle so far so let's sell him for a profit then for once as we're not very good at doing that with fringe players and move on. I doubt he's going to be their starting LB in a few years if they have serious ambitions of finishing at least 7th as he's simply not that good.

Digne had a shocker against Newcastle IMO. Passing to teammates to knee height from 8 yards away.

[Zatman]

10 hours ago, VillaChris said:

Digne's looked fine to me, genuinely which game has he had a shocker in since joining? Man. United, fine, Everton, fine, Leeds, Mings at fault for two of those goals, Newcastle he didn't offer much going forward but goal was a free kick from Chambers foul, Watford average and since then he's played well in our three wins.

I find this Targett worship all of a sudden a bit bizarre. Correct me if I'm wrong but he started all five of DS losing run that got him the sack so not like we'd magically start winning every game if he'd stayed. Gerrard gave him a run of 8 starts and concluded he wasn't going to be good enough in long run.

He's done alright at Newcastle so far so let's sell him for a profit then for once as we're not very good at doing that with fringe players and move on. I doubt he's going to be their starting LB in a few years if they have serious ambitions of finishing at least 7th as he's simply not that good.

 

Digne has been dreadful, for an attacking left back he had had at least 3 games below 70% pass accuracy and his crossing has been even worse

Some games it felt like he was trying to kill the opposition right back with his crossing as kept hitting him. Like a French Hutton 

[VillaChris]

Not v Leeds, hit an excellent one in and thought Ollie had a decent shout for a pen but we scored so didn't matter.

I honestly don't get the vibe when he's in final third like I did with Targett who'd hit 9 out of 10 crosses during a game low and straight at the nearest defender.

Digne has also played 8 games for us and we've only conceded more than one goal in two of them (and Man. United game Emi chucked one in) so also part of improved defensive unit.

I don't see him as waste of money at all. Key though is we sign younger LB in the summer who can take over in about 18 months.

[Zatman]

4 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

Not v Leeds, hit an excellent one in and thought Ollie had a decent shout for a pen but we scored so didn't matter.

I honestly don't get the vibe when he's in final third like I did with Targett who'd hit 9 out of 10 crosses during a game low and straight at the nearest defender.

Digne has also played 8 games for us and we've only conceded more than one goal in two of them (and Man. United game Emi chucked one in) so also part of improved defensive unit.

I don't see him as waste of money at all. Key though is we sign younger LB in the summer who can take over in about 18 months.

We gave Digne a 4 year deal on 125k a week. We are stuck with him

Nobody is saying Targett is better but he is far from the upgrade qe expected and also if Targett had of fought for his place and won. How stupid would Gerrard feel with a 25 million left back he bought in the bomb squad so any new left back has no chance

[VillaChris]

7 minutes ago, Zatman said:

We gave Digne a 4 year deal on 125k a week. We are stuck with him

Nobody is saying Targett is better but he is far from the upgrade qe expected and also if Targett had of fought for his place and won. How stupid would Gerrard feel with a 25 million left back he bought in the bomb squad so any new left back has no chance

Surely 3 and a half year deal? Four and a half would be very excessive for late 20s LB, I'd agree on that. We'll probably get two solid seasons out of him and then he'll go back to France or something.

Certainly never seen Digne look as bad as Targett did on the opening day v Watford, that was like a schoolkid playing v senior pros way Sarr ripped him to shreds that first first half.

[Zatman]

3 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

Surely 3 and a half year deal? Four and a half would be very excessive for late 20s LB, I'd agree on that. We'll probably get two solid seasons out of him and then he'll go back to France or something.

Certainly never seen Digne look as bad as Targett did on the opening day v Watford, that was like a schoolkid playing v senior pros way Sarr ripped him to shreds that first first half.

2026 his contract ends at Villa and I said before Digne has been ok defensively but really poor in attack which was supposed to be his strength. I am very unimpressed so far, his positioning is all over the place 

Targett vs Watford he had played no pre season games because of Covid. That was on Deano but has been a stick against Targett all season 

[Zatman]

On the bench for France