Pau Torres

[Marka Ragnos]

24 minutes ago, tinker said:

He was caught out because we lost the ball in their half and never cut the ball over the top out or even closed them down to stop it.

We only play a highline when we are in possession of the ball, if we then lose it cheaply and don't react to close the ball out down then we are going to end up in a foot race back, forwards are always going to be favourite to win.

Precisely. Forwards without the ball have to play a huge role as pests, too. Ollie seemed a little lack in aggression Saturday, overall. Can't let those over-the-tops just germinate unchallenged.

[duke313]

27 minutes ago, tinker said:

He was caught out because we lost the ball in their half and never cut the ball over the top out or even closed them down to stop it.

We only play a highline when we are in possession of the ball, if we then lose it cheaply and don't react to close the ball out down then we are going to end up in a foot race back, forwards are always going to be favourite to win.

Emery wants to keep possession, if it's difficult then we need to play it back to the defense and start again, stretching the opposition. We can pass it out if we have a mobile midfield, wingers and or forwards, on Sunday we didn't have that. 

Torres will be our best defender, I have no doubt about that,  he needs a few games to settle. 

The Football Weekly pod mentioned this briefly, we played and extremely high line and didn’t press. Was asking for trouble.

If we’re going to play that high a line we need to press all over the front when ball is lost. Something we will lose with Buendia out.

[tinker]

1 hour ago, duke313 said:

The Football Weekly pod mentioned this briefly, we played and extremely high line and didn’t press. Was asking for trouble.

If we’re going to play that high a line we need to press all over the front when ball is lost. Something we will lose with Buendia out.

Its not just the forwards,  the midfield have to play their part in it as well. Newcastle closed us down with seconds, we needed to replicate that but we didn't we lost the chance to compete at that point.

Emery will know what happened,  he was coaching Kamara from the side of the pitch all the way through the game. Beundia is a big miss for his defensive part of the game in our final third. 

[duke313]

18 minutes ago, tinker said:

Its not just the forwards,  the midfield have to play their part in it as well. Newcastle closed us down with seconds, we needed to replicate that but we didn't we lost the chance to compete at that point.

Emery will know what happened,  he was coaching Kamara from the side of the pitch all the way through the game. Beundia is a big miss for his defensive part of the game in our final third. 

Last season we had good pressing players, Watkins, Buendia, Ramsey and McGinn all pressing. As talented as Diaby and Zaniolo are, I do wonder if our pressing will be affected when they both play, if it is the high line is suicide.

[alreadyexists]

Interesting article with an interview with that dreamboat called Pau, from The Athletic

Quote

Pau Torres offers to carry a chair across the astroturf and towards the corner of the indoor pitch at Bodymoor Heath.

The translator is yet to arrive, due to being involved in another interview, but Torres is determined to test his new grasp of the English language.

The Athletic and the 26-year-old Spaniard sit waiting, watching Aston Villa’s youngsters warm up on the 3G surface.

 

Torres is relaxed and light-hearted. He jokes about the recent improvement in the Birmingham weather and how he has found the adjustment to life in England, having never lived anywhere other than his hometown Villarreal itself, or the eastern part of Spain — aside from the 2018-19 season spent on loan at Malaga, 700km (over 400 miles) further south.

He settled into his new home, 15 minutes away from the training ground, last week.

Torres is already an established part of Villa’s Spanish-speaking contingent of players — there’s also Emiliano Buendia, Alex Moreno, Diego Carlos, Philippe Coutinho and Emiliano Martinez — who all socialise away from football. “We are the Latinos,” he laughs.

After getting married over the summer, Torres’ family are comfortable. So is he, although he does not give himself the credit he should for more than holding his own in a conversation in English.

“I’m really happy and excited to be here,” he says. Two years ago, the Spain international spent Christmas in London with his partner, Paula, with eventually moving to the UK in mind. “The weather is different, no? But I only think about my job. And I’m playing football. Football here is the most important thing and that’s all.

“It’s my first year in the Premier League and it’s the best league in the world. So many of my team-mates at Villarreal have played here and they told me it is very difficult every match. But I’m just so excited for the challenge — happy and excited… I can’t wait to start.”

---

The translator is now here, but Torres speaks for the entirety of the interview in English. He turns to the translator now and again to check his answers are clear which, invariably, they are.

Torres symbolises Villa’s profound belief in Unai Emery, their Spanish head coach. Emery is the figurehead of the club following his appointment last October, with only the owners, naturally, in a greater position of power. Signing Torres was ambitious, given the now 23-cap Spain international has been one of Europe’s most coveted defenders in recent years. Yet his acquisition was indicative of Emery elevating standards and expectations at Villa. Torres was his unequivocal first-choice target.

 

Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester Unitedand Manchester City have all expressed interest in Torres at one point or another. Bayern Munich, only this summer, weighed up a move. Villa’s pursuit was entirely influenced by Emery and his pre-existing relationship with Torres from their two-plus seasons at Villarreal together from the summer of 2020.

“I know Unai Emery well,” Torres says. “I know his way to work and coach. He’s a leader. He knows how to bring out the best of every player and that includes me. So when he told me about the project (at Villa), I was really happy with it. 

“I felt it was another step in my career. Last season when he arrived, he changed the team. He made them improve, so they could now play in Europe (a play-off to reach the Europa Conference League group stage starts with an away game against Hibernian or FC Luzern next Thursday; the Scottish side lead 3-1 from the first leg going into the decider in Switzerland) — he made such a big step for Villa. 

“So our job this season is to improve on the last one. We want to be in Europe next season and, for this, we have to be competitive in the Premier League every game. I think our next step is to do better than last season — we finished seventh, so better than that.”

Leaving Spain had the potential to be a culture shock.

Torres was born and raised in Villarreal, a city near the Mediterranean coast and an hour’s drive north of Valencia, joining the youth system of its football club aged six — before they had ever played in the top flight — and spending the next two decades with them. He left with Villarreal having won the Europa League, beating Manchester United in the final in 2021, and having reached the Champions League semi-finals a year later, both under Emery.

“Mine and Unai’s relationship is good,” Torres says. “We won the first trophy in the history of Villarreal with the Europa League. In his career, he has four Europa Leagues. 

 

“He’s a leader, and he always knows the best way for the team. He knows how to bring the best out of me. He’s so important. With Unai, every player knows their job in detail in every game. So we prepare very well and it makes every player confident, whatever opposition.”

---

Torres makes the chair he is sitting in look rather small.

He has a 6ft 3in (191cm) frame, slender but broad-shouldered, and moves with an elegant gait. In some ways, his body shape has moulded his game, contributing to a highly progressive passing technique. He is a sanguine, languid defender, with piercing blue eyes and a flowing style. Defensively, his game centres on anticipation rather than reaction.

Emery’s desire to reunite with Torres was about driving Villa’s refinement in possession. Torres, in that respect, serves as an upgrade on any other defender at the club and is crucial to the team becoming more nuanced in their build-up structure.

A key takeaway from this year’s pre-season was Emery incorporating an additional centre-back, building in a back three shape in possession. This was to enable Torres to use his ball-progression ability higher up the pitch and solve the riddle of playing two left-footed centre-backs (the Spaniard and Tyrone Mings) together.

Torres rightly pushes back on the second point, though, insisting they will be able to play together once the England international makes a full return from the significant knee injury he suffered in Saturday’s opening league game of the season against Newcastle United. “I played with (the predominantly left-footed Aymeric) Laporte with the national team, so I don’t have problems,” he says. “I feel it’s the same when you play with two right-footed centre-backs.”

Torres’ easing-in period will have to be fast-tracked because of Mings’ absence. Plans to stick with Ezri Konsa and Mings, so dominant at the end of last season, dissolved less than half an hour into Villa’s season, with Torres coming on in the England international’s place. And while events at St James’ Park provided some harsh lessons for the debutant, there is confidence he will quickly settle.

 

“This is how we build up,” Torres says. “We train (to do) this every day. So when the match arrives, you have all the confidence to build up and play like this in the games. I think (ball progression) is my biggest strength. I love having the ball, playing forward and supporting team-mates with passes from my zone.”

When Villa were out of possession in those warm-up matches, Torres was tasked with shifting across to left-back and found himself, atypically, defending in wide areas.

“I’m fine just playing,” he says, when asked if he minds playing at full-back. “The most important thing is to help the team, so I’m happy in every position, if that’s at left-back or centre-back. Pre-season is for trying new things and maybe, one day, we will do it during the year. The team needs other skills and more options than normal. So we have to be prepared and pre-season is for doing just that.

“Also, we have very good players in every position but especially at centre-back, with Ty (Mings), Ez (Konsa) and Diego (Carlos). I’m so happy to be their team-mate. I feel like one of us always helps the other one.”

Torres is in line to make his home debut on Sunday against Everton. If his progress is as swift on the pitch as it has been in learning the language, then supporters will take to him in no time.

“I played with Villarreal in Europe every season, so I know English football,” says Torres. “I have played against Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal, so I know the level here in England and I’m ready. 

“The part I’m most looking forward to is playing my first game at Villa Park with our fans. It will be special.”

 

[Dante_Lockhart]

Pau and Paula. Excellent.

[JPJCB]

50 minutes ago, alreadyexists said:

Interesting article with an interview with that dreamboat called Pau, from The Athletic

 

Comes across really well and impressive that his English is so good already 

[villan-scott]

Quote

He has a 6ft 3in (191cm) frame, slender but broad-shouldered, and moves with an elegant gait. In some ways, his body shape has moulded his game, contributing to a highly progressive passing technique. He is a sanguine, languid defender, with piercing blue eyes and a flowing style.

[Tomaszk]

Big game for him tomorrow IMO.

Playing in the position of the guy we've tended to fall apart without.

Against a side that will play solely to his weaknesses.

Up the Pau.

[bobzy]

He’s in my FPL side.

Sorry everyone  

[lexicon]

30 minutes ago, bobzy said:

He’s in my FPL side.

Sorry everyone  

FFS Bobzy

[Anything11]

2 hours ago, bobzy said:

He’s in my FPL side.

Sorry everyone  

that makes no sense 

[Made In Aston]

Torres is similar to David Luiz, in that he is more of a midfielder playing as a defender, and doesn't have possess the same defensive attributes as others in his position. The benefit is that he has the passing ability, which most defenders don't have, and is an advantage in certain systems. 

I think we need to bring in someone who will provide the traditional defensive qualities to pay alongside him, in Mings's absence, as konza is not that guy. 

Edited August 19, 2023 by Made In Aston

[villan95]

1 minute ago, Made In Aston said:

Torres is similar to David Luiz, in that he is more of a midfielder playing as a defender, and doesn't have possess the same defensive attributes as others in his position. The benefit is that he has the passing ability which most defenders don't have and is an advantage in certain systems. 

I bloody hope not

[Made In Aston]

3 minutes ago, villan95 said:

I bloody hope not

This isn't a thread about Luiz, but of course we don't want anyone similar to someone with 50+ caps for Brazil and played for Chelsea, Arsenal and PSG!

Edited August 19, 2023 by Made In Aston

[Tomaszk]

5 minutes ago, Made In Aston said:

Torres is similar to David Luiz, in that he is more of a midfielder playing as a defender, and doesn't have possess the same defensive attributes as others in his position. The benefit is that he has the passing ability, which most defenders don't have, and is an advantage in certain systems. 

I think we need to bring in someone who will provide the traditional defensive qualities to pay alongside him, in Mings's absence, as konza is not that guy. 

If we have to sign another CB to play alongside our new £30m one, he wasn't the right purchase.

[Made In Aston]

5 minutes ago, Tomaszk said:

If we have to sign another CB to play alongside our new £30m one, he wasn't the right purchase.

I don't agree. He was signed to play alongside Mings I think. There was also Carlos as backup, but he is still getting used to the league. We are now in a situation where the two players with the most complimentary combination of skills, are both new to the PL, and one is only just back from a serious knee Injury. There isn't anyone else with the strong defensive skills, so we need to bring in another player. 

Edited August 19, 2023 by Made In Aston

[villan95]

Just now, Made In Aston said:

This isn't a thread about Luiz, but of course we don't want anyone similar to someone with 50+ caps for Brazil and played for Chelsea, Arsenal and PSG!

It was more in jest. Of course Luiz was an excellent footballer but renowned for having bad mistakes in him. I just hope Pau is a better defender tbh and from what I've seen/know, he is.

[Condimentalist]

8 minutes ago, Made In Aston said:

Torres is similar to David Luiz, in that he is more of a midfielder playing as a defender, and doesn't have possess the same defensive attributes as others in his position. The benefit is that he has the passing ability, which most defenders don't have, and is an advantage in certain systems. 

I think we need to bring in someone who will provide the traditional defensive qualities to pay alongside him, in Mings's absence, as konza is not that guy. 

I think Carlos is that guy. Cost £30m himself. We'll need to give him a few games to get up to speed and not get on his back as he's rusty, and effectively still getting used a new league, new manager and new defensive partner. However, from what I've seen of him he looks fit, fast, strong and aggressive so we need him to step up. 

Clean sheet tomorrow would be lovely - I doubt we'll have many over the next few weeks. 

[villan95]

I have a good feeling about a Pau - Carlos partnership. I think they will really compliment each other with Carlos being the aggressor and Pau tidying up. But they are both really good footballers too, able to bring the ball out of defence and pick a pass. Them being Spanish speaking could help too, along with Emi and whoever plays LB.

The Mings - Konsa partnership was good and nobody wanted it to be broken up the way it was, but if this clicks it could be something that takes us up another level I feel.