duke313 Posted November 28, 2023 Share Posted November 28, 2023 7 minutes ago, KentVillan said: I think we've had a *relatively* easy run of fixtures, with a bit of luck in our timing facing Spurs. The next 6 games will be more of a litmus test of where we are as a team: Bournemouth AWAY Man City HOME Arsenal HOME Brentford AWAY Shef Utd HOME Man Utd AWAY Bournemouth and Brentford are pretty useful at home, so it's only really the Shef Utd home game that looks like one we'd be clear favourites to win. I think Emery will keep working his magic, but it'll be tough to stay in the top 4, and will depend on injuries and a bit of luck. The Brentford away game last season was really tough, I remember us being really lucky getting anything from it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post duke313 Posted November 28, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted November 28, 2023 7 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said: If we had 6 starters out which included 2 centre halves, our best DM and our best play maker I don’t think we’re getting anything from the Spurs game. But that’s football. I’m sure we will have these kind of problems at some stage too during a very long season. I think teams like Newcastle, Spurs and Brighton will always struggle with injuries due to the high intensity football they play, was the same with Bielsa's Leeds, injuries will rack up when you play like that. We play low intensity football, and have very few injuries because of it, apart from two freak ACL, a hamstring last season, and a player injured on international duty. None of them are due to our style of play. It's a marathon, not a sprint. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted November 28, 2023 Share Posted November 28, 2023 8 hours ago, Pinebro said: Hilarious how we are made out to be the villains because we occupy the 4th spot. Media can' stop going on about how lucky we are with the high line and that teams will figure us out or we can't cope with it because of Europe. Feels like most are against us. We need to create a siege mentality. Us against them. Nobody likes a new kid on the block, albeit periods on Sunday, wasn't going to win new friends....we must all be able to see that, without being critical. Periods of that game plays in to the hands of the doubters...and the result will be seen as fortunate....something we have to live with. Personally, I think the Forest game, showed more concern, but much of the same ilk....We have to be more confident/committed in stopping plucky opponents, by trying to be first to the ball. At least at Spurs, we fought back and took control of the initiative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KentVillan Posted November 28, 2023 Share Posted November 28, 2023 51 minutes ago, duke313 said: The Brentford away game last season was really tough, I remember us being really lucky getting anything from it. They only lost 2 games at home last season. This season they've already lost 2 at home, but I still think they're a tough prospect at their place. This is where Emery's meticulous preparation for each game will start to come through hopefully. There are a lot of banana skin teams in this league, but they also have weaknesses that can be exploited. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Albrighton Posted November 28, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted November 28, 2023 Things change over the season of course. But look at Brentford’s home results so far this season. 2-2 Spurs 1-1 Palace 2-2 Bournemouth (93rd minute equaliser for the bees) 1-3 Everton 3-0 Burnley 3-2 West Ham 0-1 Arsenal So 9 points from 7. I’ll add the benefit of doubt that I don’t know the extenuating circumstances for those games, whether those results are a true reflection of their performances at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted November 28, 2023 Share Posted November 28, 2023 1 hour ago, TRO said: Nobody likes a new kid on the block, albeit periods on Sunday, wasn't going to win new friends....we must all be able to see that, without being critical. Periods of that game plays in to the hands of the doubters...and the result will be seen as fortunate....something we have to live with. Personally, I think the Forest game, showed more concern, but much of the same ilk....We have to be more confident/committed in stopping plucky opponents, by trying to be first to the ball. At least at Spurs, we fought back and took control of the initiative. That last sentence sounds a bit grudging. I think we did a bit more than “at least” taking the initiative in the second half. I’m pretty sure Emery, Edens and Sawiris won’t give a tinker’s cuss about the “doubters” and won’t see their main preoccupation as winning them over. We just need to go on accumulating points in the way we have been so far this season and the players need to keep working at mastering the way Emery wants them to play. They have been getting better progressively since October 2022. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted November 28, 2023 Share Posted November 28, 2023 1 hour ago, Mark Albrighton said: Things change over the season of course. But look at Brentford’s home results so far this season. 2-2 Spurs 1-1 Palace 2-2 Bournemouth (93rd minute equaliser for the bees) 1-3 Everton 3-0 Burnley 3-2 West Ham 0-1 Arsenal So 9 points from 7. I’ll add the benefit of doubt that I don’t know the extenuating circumstances for those games, whether those results are a true reflection of their performances at home. Similar picture for Bournemouth: 1-1 West Ham 0-2 Spurs Chelsea 0-0 Arsenal 0-4 Wolves 1-2 Burnley 2-1 Liverpool 1-2 Newcastle 2-0 So 8 points from 8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyblade Posted November 28, 2023 Share Posted November 28, 2023 4 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said: If we had 6 starters out which included 2 centre halves, our best DM and our best play maker I don’t think we’re getting anything from the Spurs game. But that’s football. I’m sure we will have these kind of problems at some stage too during a very long season. They just have a poor squad. We've had 4 of our best players from last season out all season pretty much and we haven't missed a beat really because our squad is simply better. We're better equipped for a top 4 challenge than them, but because they're Sky 6 darlings, they were being hyped up despite the fact that their squad is thinner than Oscar Proud turning sideways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted November 28, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted November 28, 2023 21 hours ago, mjmooney said: Jenas: EXACTLY the same performance from Man Ewe or Liverpool and it would be all about how good teams find a way to win even when they don't play well and the manager would be lauded as a genius for the second half performance. And that big players win big games etc etc etc. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted November 28, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted November 28, 2023 7 hours ago, oishiiniku_uk said: Exactly. If an established big 6 side makes changes in a game where they're being outplayed and finds a way to win = 'that's what good teams do'. When it is us though, we just got lucky and our good fortune will soon run out etc. Jenas is a dullard with the beigest of opinions though, so I'm happy to disregard his 'analysis'. 5 minutes ago, sidcow said: EXACTLY the same performance from Man Ewe or Liverpool and it would be all about how good teams find a way to win even when they don't play well and the manager would be lauded as a genius for the second half performance. And that big players win big games etc etc etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post JPJCB Posted November 28, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted November 28, 2023 22 hours ago, mjmooney said: Jenas: Jermaine Jenas is one of those people who, without exception, you should think the opposite of what they say and you’ll be closer to the truth. Let’s test it: “Everyone is looking at his team now and thinking 'this is Spurs', because they aren’t so depleted - and I am not confident about their chances of making the top four when they get their players fit. I certainly don’t think they will finish above Villa, who I thought were impressive on Sunday - they played against a second-string Spurs side and ensured they got over the line.“ Yep- makes much more sense. We can call this the Jenas test 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
It's Your Round Posted November 28, 2023 Share Posted November 28, 2023 The most interesting thing about Jermaine Jenas is that people didn’t know which way to pronounce his surname when he first broke through hahahahhahaha! What a ledge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted November 28, 2023 Share Posted November 28, 2023 7 hours ago, KentVillan said: They only lost 2 games at home last season. This season they've already lost 2 at home, but I still think they're a tough prospect at their place. This is where Emery's meticulous preparation for each game will start to come through hopefully. There are a lot of banana skin teams in this league, but they also have weaknesses that can be exploited. We could really do with the europa game beforehand being a complete dead rubber and giving guys like Watkins, Luiz, SJM all complete breathers as will be 8 days between Arsenal and Brentford. We have opportunity to win the group on Thursday so let's settle it there and then rather than having to fly our team out to Bosnia to get a point. Brentford are a very awkward team. Low block and Mbuemo will give us issues on the counter. Could easily go like Forest did tbh if they score first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted November 29, 2023 Share Posted November 29, 2023 We need at least one of Newcastle or United to get through to the knock out stages of CL or at least both get into Europa League by coming 3rd in their groups. We need them having midweek games and we need the UEFA ranking points for the PL and the 5th CL place. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvfcRigo82 Posted November 29, 2023 Share Posted November 29, 2023 (edited) On 27/11/2023 at 22:12, mjmooney said: Jenas: It's one of the reasons when watching Match of the Day, I watch it on iplayer and 15 minutes after it's started! That way (after each game) you can just zip past bullshit like this and straight onto the next game. Edited November 29, 2023 by AvfcRigo82 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duke313 Posted November 29, 2023 Share Posted November 29, 2023 1 hour ago, CVByrne said: We need at least one of Newcastle or United to get through to the knock out stages of CL or at least both get into Europa League by coming 3rd in their groups. We need them having midweek games and we need the UEFA ranking points for the PL and the 5th CL place. Newcastle should make 3rd, United need to get something tonight or they could end up 4th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zhan_Zhuang Posted November 29, 2023 Share Posted November 29, 2023 11 hours ago, It's Your Round said: The most interesting thing about Jermaine Jenas is that people didn’t know which way to pronounce his surname when he first broke through hahahahhahaha! What a ledge! Also rhymes with Penis which is something he always has to live with! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fightoffyour Posted November 29, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted November 29, 2023 17 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said: If we had 6 starters out which included 2 centre halves, our best DM and our best play maker I don’t think we’re getting anything from the Spurs game. But that’s football. I’m sure we will have these kind of problems at some stage too during a very long season. Like being without our best centre half and 3 of our best play makers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwivillan Posted November 29, 2023 Share Posted November 29, 2023 2 hours ago, CVByrne said: We need at least one of Newcastle or United to get through to the knock out stages of CL or at least both get into Europa League by coming 3rd in their groups. We need them having midweek games and we need the UEFA ranking points for the PL and the 5th CL place. We're going to win the league so it doesn't matter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pongo Waring Posted November 29, 2023 Share Posted November 29, 2023 2 hours ago, CVByrne said: We need at least one of Newcastle or United to get through to the knock out stages of CL or at least both get into Europa League by coming 3rd in their groups. We need them having midweek games and we need the UEFA ranking points for the PL and the 5th CL place. Doesn't matter because we're getting 4th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts