Popular Post WakefieldVillan Posted February 14, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted February 14, 2022 6 minutes ago, turvontour said: Why are they nailed on to score against us? They haven't scored in their last 4 games. Think you've answered your own question 3 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WakefieldVillan Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 Massive game, need to see a huge reaction from yesterday which was as bad as I have seen us in years, well months. Not convinced by our current formation but I don't think that's going to change any time soon so it will all be down to personnel and who gets the chop and let's be honest it could be anyone of 7! I'd stick with the back four who defensively at least weren't too bad, though we need the full backs to play so much better for this system to work. I was tempted to start Chuck instead of Luiz but I think that might be a bit too much of a gamble to drop Luiz and McGinn so the former gets a reprieve. Up front we have to go with Ings as Watkins has been stinking the place out all season and I am not sure Bailey is the answer either. Martinez Cash Chambers Mings Digne Sanson Luiz Ramsey Buendia Ings Coutinho Won't be easy despite their league position and current form, we have (on paper) the better players but we need to have the right mentality or this (the crowd) could turn ugly. I'd take a hard fought 1-0 or 2-1 right now. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PieFacE Posted February 14, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted February 14, 2022 I'd be starting Tim Iroegbunam instead of Luiz Sanson instead of McGinn Would keep Ramsey on 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 (edited) 59 minutes ago, turvontour said: Why are they nailed on to score against us? They haven't scored in their last 4 games. You answered your own question edit; damn, @WakefieldVillanbeat me to it Edited February 14, 2022 by rjw63 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoelVilla Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 All the positivity and optimism the signings of Coutinho and Digne brought will be long gone if we don't win this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleedClaretAndBlue Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 Villa Park you say. Ah, that will be the Ramsey & Coutinho show then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAZZAM Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 3 hours ago, WakefieldVillan said: Massive game, need to see a huge reaction from yesterday which was as bad as I have seen us in years, well months. Not convinced by our current formation but I don't think that's going to change any time soon so it will all be down to personnel and who gets the chop and let's be honest it could be anyone of 7! I'd stick with the back four who defensively at least weren't too bad, though we need the full backs to play so much better for this system to work. I was tempted to start Chuck instead of Luiz but I think that might be a bit too much of a gamble to drop Luiz and McGinn so the former gets a reprieve. Up front we have to go with Ings as Watkins has been stinking the place out all season and I am not sure Bailey is the answer either. Martinez Cash Chambers Mings Digne Sanson Luiz Ramsey Buendia Ings Coutinho Won't be easy despite their league position and current form, we have (on paper) the better players but we need to have the right mentality or this (the crowd) could turn ugly. I'd take a hard fought 1-0 or 2-1 right now. Probably what I would've picked too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ender4 Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 Hopefully a massive reaction to the shambles at Newcastle. For once, I’d just like to see a neat and tidy easily won game with a clean sheet. Even 1-0 is fine, but just without panic stations and being penned back. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted February 14, 2022 Moderator Share Posted February 14, 2022 This game comes with a big choice for Mr Gerrard.. The process or the personnel? The people or the plan? He definitely wants and perhaps needs to change something, but will he change the shape and adjust us tactically, or will he bring in some new faces and hope that what we do works better with a bit of a shake up? I think he'll give the 4-3-2-1 another go and add a couple of names - nothing too radical but enough to let a few know they're not performing. -------------------------Martinez----------------------- Cash------Chambers-----Mings-------Digne ---------Ramsey------Luiz-------Sanson-------- ---------------Buendia-----Coutinho-------------- ---------------------------Ings--------------------------- I'd love to see both full backs given a bit of a shake, but I don't think we have back ups of the quality that lets us do that, Young for Digne might be a possibility I guess and you could make a case for bringing in Hause and moving Chambers to right back - but I didn't see anything in Chambers that suggests he'll be the flying right winger we'd need. I'm sure lots of people would like to see Iroegbanum for Luiz, but I can't see it and I don't think Luiz is doing badly - he's the best passer of a ball we have and we pass the ball badly. I'd bring Sanson in and drop McGinn, although he might drop Luiz for one of those two. I think he'll go for Ings over Watkins as much to give Watkins a bolt as anything, but we really will need Ings to do a lot better than he has been, when he came on at Newcastle he looked a mile away from fit or sharp. If he were to change the shape it would open up opportunities for Bailey, but I can't see him dropping Buendia or Coutinho and there's no reason for me why we should. Shaking it up personnel wise is a bit difficult - we don't really have the strength at keeper or fullback to make changes, we have one quality player for the second row of midfield available in Sanson, we don't need to change the front row and we have one option up front - essentially we could bring in Hause, Sanson and Ings and anything else would leave us weaker. Changing the shape is also difficult - our threat is Coutinho, Buendia and Ramsey and it's tricky to see many other shapes that they could all be accommodated in - we could go 4-2-3-1 and try to get more width from Buendia and Ramsey to let the full backs stay back a bit, but I can't see him doing that. I'm pretty sure that making plan A work will be the focus of the coaching staff this week, the team need to prove that it can sooner rather than later. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerCollins29 Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 Incredible how some are happy to drop mcginn but keep luiz in. Mcginn deserves to be dropped but luiz is the first midfielder name taken out in my opinion. Emi Cash chambers mings digne Buendia sanson ramsey Bailey phil Ings 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilbertoAVFC Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 Iroegbunam is definitely not ready to start this level if you've watched any U23s. You'd be far better off moving Sanson to DM and playing Chukwuemeka CM in you are going to insist on dropping Luiz and McGinn. He won't drop both though - no way. I think Sanson comes in for Luiz, and Ings comes in for Watkins. Simply can't see it being any more than that. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
useless Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 I'm pretty confident that Sanson won't replace Luiz as the DM, he's only ever played as a 'DM' when he's had another DM next to him, he's not someone you'd play as the sole sitting midfielder, if we were to try that we'd be likely weaker in that position than we would be with Luiz, if he plays it will be instead of either Ramsey or McGinn. If Luiz is dropped the only other alternative I can see is Chambers, but of course that would mean moving him out of defence and starting Hause. I don't think there will be as many changes as people are expecting anyway, maybe two or three, we're not going to change the whole midfield, wouldn't be surprised to Luiz keep his place, if only for the fact that there isn't much in the way of alternatives. Iroegbunam best player this season for the U23s but doubt he's going to go from not having played a single minute of first team football to starting what has become an important game because we need to win it to bounce back from the Newcastle game. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoony Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 Knives will be sharpened if we don’t win this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chips'ngravy Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 Can't see there being more than a couple of changes. 4 or 5 would seem like a last throw of the dice from a man who doesn't know what to do next. When it doesn't work, then what? Bring back the ones you made scapegoats? It quickly unravels from there on in as Smith found out to his cost. Hause and a change in midfield would probably be my choice. I wonder if we might start to see Coutinho just playing the home games? Nothing against Everton or Newcastle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zhan_Zhuang Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 53 minutes ago, chips'ngravy said: Can't see there being more than a couple of changes. 4 or 5 would seem like a last throw of the dice from a man who doesn't know what to do next. When it doesn't work, then what? Bring back the ones you made scapegoats? It quickly unravels from there on in as Smith found out to his cost. Hause and a change in midfield would probably be my choice. I wonder if we might start to see Coutinho just playing the home games? Nothing against Everton or Newcastle Coutinho was much sharper against Newcastle, however it doesn't help when we were launching the ball up to him. Why we couldn't just pass him the ball to feet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alreadyexists Posted February 15, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted February 15, 2022 They need a huge performance against Watford to try and salvage this poor run… that Newcastle game is the poorest I’ve seen us for a while shockingly devoid of structure and style. If there was anything left to play for in regard to top 6/7 then I think that ship has sailed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alreadyexists Posted February 15, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted February 15, 2022 Leon Bailey was so far from match sharpness, maybe he needs a U23 game or two to get back to it? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleedClaretAndBlue Posted February 15, 2022 Share Posted February 15, 2022 I see Ismaila Sarr came back from injury off the bench in their last game so will probably be starting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted February 15, 2022 Share Posted February 15, 2022 13 hours ago, Spoony said: Knives will be sharpened and hurled at a cardboard cut-out of Steven Gerrard if we don’t win this. Indeed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterSw Posted February 15, 2022 Share Posted February 15, 2022 Wouldn't mind seeing Chambers in front of the back 4 but Dennis' pace up against Mings/Hause might stop Gerrard from doing this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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