Dodgyknees Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 He is such a class player..the ball is always so close to his feet..i cant believe i didnt rate him before he came here.. I think lots of people outside Villa still don't rate him and think that he lacks pace, creativity and determination. Oh how wrong they are... No, they are right!!! Crap player, not good enough for any team in the top 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PIW Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 When he plays well he plays very well. But he does go missing too often for me. I'd like us to have 1 winger and focus on playing through the centre of midfield more. if Albrighton does progress as he seems able to do so then I see the argument for selling Downing and Ash and reinvesting elsewhere. This is O'Neill's team and his shape also. Any manager - a new one or otherwise - will want to play to their favoured system and shape and I think Downing/Ash/Albrighton is starting to look slightly anachronistic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFC-Prideofbrum Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 When he plays well he plays very well. But he does go missing too often for me. I'd like us to have 1 winger and focus on playing through the centre of midfield more. if Albrighton does progress as he seems able to do so then I see the argument for selling Downing and Ash and reinvesting elsewhere. This is O'Neill's team and his shape also. Any manager - a new one or otherwise - will want to play to their favoured system and shape and I think Downing/Ash/Albrighton is starting to look slightly anachronistic. There is no way any time soon Albrighton will take over Downing IMO. I don't think he goes missing, even yesterday, little was happening, he was the players trying to actually move around the pitch and get things going but when you are on the wing, it's hard to sort of control the game. The thought of selling Downing is embarrassing. He was our best player this season and by some way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barry'sboots Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 When he plays well he plays very well. But he does go missing too often for me. I'd like us to have 1 winger and focus on playing through the centre of midfield more. if Albrighton does progress as he seems able to do so then I see the argument for selling Downing and Ash and reinvesting elsewhere. This is O'Neill's team and his shape also. Any manager - a new one or otherwise - will want to play to their favoured system and shape and I think Downing/Ash/Albrighton is starting to look slightly anachronistic. Martin Are you back? I remember that first season when we had just Ash and had to play a CM'er (Petrov or Gardner) out wide. Horrible. I hope to never see that again. 4-3-3 is the way forward for me and get the wide players - hopefully DJ and the Zog - to alternate and get in and around Bent. Get the full backs to overlap and use the space created by the wide players cutting in knowing that there are two sitting CM'ers protecting the CB's and covering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PIW Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Its not that he will take over from Downing but that the focus of the team, the style we play, needs to change. we tried something under O'Neill, it hasn't work and the players are going one by one. Time to start again. The better teams pass their way through the middle of teams more than we do and as that's a position we need to fill with quality then that's where we should spend our money. Downing, yeah, he's had a good season but Albrighton may be able to do us a job. I'm not saying he's at the Downing level just yet - but neither is he a million miles away. do you actually know what embarrassed means? Why are you embarrassed at the thought of selling Downing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PIW Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 When he plays well he plays very well. But he does go missing too often for me. I'd like us to have 1 winger and focus on playing through the centre of midfield more. if Albrighton does progress as he seems able to do so then I see the argument for selling Downing and Ash and reinvesting elsewhere. This is O'Neill's team and his shape also. Any manager - a new one or otherwise - will want to play to their favoured system and shape and I think Downing/Ash/Albrighton is starting to look slightly anachronistic. Martin Are you back? I remember that first season when we had just Ash and had to play a CM'er (Petrov or Gardner) out wide. Horrible. I hope to never see that again. 4-3-3 is the way forward for me and get the wide players - hopefully DJ and the Zog - to alternate and get in and around Bent. Get the full backs to overlap and use the space created by the wide players cutting in knowing that there are two sitting CM'ers protecting the CB's and covering. Nothing wrong with 4-3-3, but it doesn't need two wingers. Which other top side plays with two wingers? Or even which side has been successful with two wingers? N'Zogbia would be great for us but he's not a winger. Who's DJ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barry'sboots Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Its not that he will take over from Downing but that the focus of the team, the style we play, needs to change. we tried something under O'Neill, it hasn't work and the players are going one by one. Time to start again. The better teams pass their way through the middle of teams more than we do and as that's a position we need to fill with quality then that's where we should spend our money. Downing, yeah, he's had a good season but Albrighton may be able to do us a job. I'm not saying he's at the Downing level just yet - but neither is he a million miles away. do you actually know what embarrassed means? Why are you embarrassed at the thought of selling Downing? I don't disagree that we need to buy an ACM that will give us better control/quality through the middle but FFS lets not lose the quality wide players that we have as well if we can help it then we can have a threat from all over the pitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRS-T Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 When he plays well he plays very well. But he does go missing too often for me. I'd like us to have 1 winger and focus on playing through the centre of midfield more. if Albrighton does progress as he seems able to do so then I see the argument for selling Downing and Ash and reinvesting elsewhere. This is O'Neill's team and his shape also. Any manager - a new one or otherwise - will want to play to their favoured system and shape and I think Downing/Ash/Albrighton is starting to look slightly anachronistic. Martin Are you back? I remember that first season when we had just Ash and had to play a CM'er (Petrov or Gardner) out wide. Horrible. I hope to never see that again. 4-3-3 is the way forward for me and get the wide players - hopefully DJ and the Zog - to alternate and get in and around Bent. Get the full backs to overlap and use the space created by the wide players cutting in knowing that there are two sitting CM'ers protecting the CB's and covering. Nothing wrong with 4-3-3, but it doesn't need two wingers. Which other top side plays with two wingers? Or even which side has been successful with two wingers? N'Zogbia would be great for us but he's not a winger. Who's DJ? NZogbia is not a winger????????????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PIW Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 If we have downing then there's no room for Albrighton to be on the pitch at the same time. Unless we get a huge summer budget from randy we're going to have to generate a lot of cash to buy top quality to change our shape. 4-3-3 does seem the way forward but I don't see that we have the players to do it just yet. Downing and Ash or Van Der Vaert and Modric? Which combination do you think would see us further up the table? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barry'sboots Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Nothing wrong with 4-3-3, but it doesn't need two wingers. Which other top side plays with two wingers? Or even which side has been successful with two wingers? N'Zogbia would be great for us but he's not a winger. Who's DJ? Bale and Lennon. Utd play a type of 4-3-3 if you count Rooney as the ACM/No. 10 with Valencia/Nani/Park as the wide players. Chelski use Malouda, who is a winger, and Anelka who can play wide when they play their 4-3-3. Don't Madrid often play with Ronaldo and Di Maria? How can you say NZogbia is not a winger???? DJ is Downing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFC-Prideofbrum Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Its not that he will take over from Downing but that the focus of the team, the style we play, needs to change. we tried something under O'Neill, it hasn't work and the players are going one by one. Time to start again. The better teams pass their way through the middle of teams more than we do and as that's a position we need to fill with quality then that's where we should spend our money. Downing, yeah, he's had a good season but Albrighton may be able to do us a job. I'm not saying he's at the Downing level just yet - but neither is he a million miles away. do you actually know what embarrassed means? Why are you embarrassed at the thought of selling Downing? Yes, you need quality middle players, 100% agree but you also need quality wide men. What is even more surprising is that you talk about having players who can pass their way through teams and then someone how believe that Albrighton can do a job out wide - Arguably the most 'wingerish' player in our squad in terms of limited ability when it comes to decision making, awareness, possesion, but high in attributes at being able to get crosses into the box and get to the by line but say Downing should be sold when he is the most technically gifted player we have in the squad. He keeps the ball, he can open teams up with passes, great close control, can use both feet, can shoot, has vision. So your argument goes completely against yourself. Talking about needing quality through the middle, being able to pass through teams but you believe selling one of our best players when in possesion is the way forward to do it? if anything, we should be building around the likes of Downing and his quality in possesion. I'm embarrassed by the thought simply because he's the best footballer in the squad and there is a fan who wants to sell him. If you want to change the style into something more possesion based, full of quality players in possesion, Stuart Downing is the player you least want to sell at Aston Villa IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFC-Prideofbrum Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 If we have downing then there's no room for Albrighton to be on the pitch at the same time. Unless we get a huge summer budget from randy we're going to have to generate a lot of cash to buy top quality to change our shape. 4-3-3 does seem the way forward but I don't see that we have the players to do it just yet. Downing and Ash or Van Der Vaert and Modric? Which combination do you think would see us further up the table? Both don't regularly play wide. VDV plays off the front man, Modric through the middle. However at different points in the season, ONE has played wide to accomodate two up front. They have been most successful however when it's been Lennon Modric CM Bale VDV Crouch/Defoe/Pav. Which is what they have played mostly in the Champions League also. Also, United often play Nani and Valencia either flank or Park and Nani/Valencia. When Downing plays on the right flank, he cuts inside and allows full backs to bomb forward like Walker has since he's been here, it's worked brilliantly. All we need to do is replace A.Young when he leaves and bring in a midfielder who's going to be able to score goals and get forward from the midfield and hopefully link up further up the pitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barry'sboots Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 What is even more surprising is that you talk about having players who can pass their way through teams and then someone how believe that Albrighton can do a job out wide - Arguably the most 'wingerish' player in our squad in terms of limited ability when it comes to decision making, awareness, possesion, but high in attributes at being able to get crosses into the box and get to the by line but say Downing should be sold when he is the most technically gifted player we have in the squad. He keeps the ball, he can open teams up with passes, great close control, can use both feet, can shoot, has vision. Spot on. I think your point was really highlighted in one moment yesterday when DJ made a great run down the left and then sprayed a square ball the width of the pitch to Albrighton (retaining possession and opening up the other side) only to see Albrighton's head go down and put in a wasted cross. Not that I have anything against Albie and think he will develop into a very good player but he has miles to go to be at DJ's current level as far as I am concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonno_2004 Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 He made Flanagan look like a mug. Oozes class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billy_loes Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 When he plays well he plays very well. But he does go missing too often for me. I'd like us to have 1 winger and focus on playing through the centre of midfield more. if Albrighton does progress as he seems able to do so then I see the argument for selling Downing and Ash and reinvesting elsewhere. This is O'Neill's team and his shape also. Any manager - a new one or otherwise - will want to play to their favoured system and shape and I think Downing/Ash/Albrighton is starting to look slightly anachronistic. There is no way any time soon Albrighton will take over Downing IMO. I don't think he goes missing, even yesterday, little was happening, he was the players trying to actually move around the pitch and get things going but when you are on the wing, it's hard to sort of control the game. The thought of selling Downing is embarrassing. He was our best player this season and by some way. He spent half the game in the middle. NB He had a good game there too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich_D Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Whenever he has played in the centre, he has had a good game. A future CM? I'm not sure, certainly doesn't have the tenacity of Milner but has the technique, the vision, a decent long range shot and has a little bit of acceleration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barry'sboots Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Whenever he has played in the centre, he has had a good game. A future CM? I'm not sure, certainly doesn't have the tenacity of Milner but has the technique, the vision, a decent long range shot and has a little bit of acceleration. When he arrived I thought he would fill the gap left by Barry and JM would stay out wide. I think he has the technique, vision and shooting capability to play CM BUT he lacks the tenacity. I am also not sure he has the instinct to drive past Bent/get in the box which is what we need in an ACM so that would mean possibly playing as the playmaker and in Delph, Makoun and Bannan we have plenty of CM'ers that want that role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maradona10 Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 I think he could play CM if it was a 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billy_loes Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Nothing wrong with 4-3-3, but it doesn't need two wingers. Which other top side plays with two wingers? Or even which side has been successful with two wingers? N'Zogbia would be great for us but he's not a winger. Who's DJ? My thoughts exactly. (Downing= DJ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GasGasGas Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 He made Flanagan look like a mug. Oozes class. Rarely seen a player get owned so much in a game. He was beaten so many times by Downing it was embarrassing for him and he was left shaking his head. Just kick the ball past him and run on to it. Don't think only Downing did it to him, I remember Agbonlahor being successful with it once too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts