Aston Villa 2021-22

[Dante]

If Spurs get one of these threads, Villa deserve one too. I think they're a midfielder away from being a dangerous team.

Martinez

Cash/El Mohamedy
Mings/Hause
Konsa/Tuanzebe
Targett/Young

Luiz/Nakamba
McGinn

Watkins/Trezeguet
Buendia/El Ghazi
Bailey/Taore

Ings

Grealish will be a big miss. But the Ings, Bailey and Buendia transfers should soften the blow. What do we reckon?

 

[Dante]

Okay. So, I might have jumped the gun a bit.

What went wrong @Winzaghi

 

[tomaldinho1]

Okay. So, I might have jumped the gun a bit.

What went wrong @Winzaghi

Haha it’s first few games so really means nothing but I thought they’d look better than they did. Have them finishing around 7th this season.

 

[FootballHQ]

Looked like a team of strangers for first 70 minutes. Scoreline pretty flattering in the end.

Buendia was really poor, Ings did a good Darren Bent impression of scoring but barely touching the ball all game and just waiting for ball to come to him and Targett got destroyed by Ismaila Sarr.

Must do better next week with full week's of training.

 

[Winzaghi]

Okay. So, I might have jumped the gun a bit.

What went wrong @Winzaghi

Wouldn't read too much into today. First few games I always consider an extension of pre-season, of which ours was extremely disjointed. Had some matches cancelled and key players either injured or on leave after a tournament. Oh and Ismaila Sarr making Matt Targett his son

I'll give it a few weeks for the side to gel and players to come back in. Buendia's debut was definitely one to forget for example but he's a great player and it'll click soon. If you had us top 6, I think we might disappoint. I'd be happy with 8th to be honest.

 

[Number32]

Their defense was shocking. All of these 3 goals were their back four's fault.

Some people really think Tuanzebe has no chance to start in this team? At this rate, he will be Villa's best defender of this season.

 

[SilentWitness]

Looked like a team of strangers for first 70 minutes. Scoreline pretty flattering in the end.

Buendia was really poor, Ings did a good Darren Bent impression of scoring but barely touching the ball all game and just waiting for ball to come to him and Targett got destroyed by Ismaila Sarr.

Must do better next week with full week's of training.

I’m surprised that so many have rated you lot to challenge for top 6. The loss of Grealish is absolutely huge despite replacing him with a few quality players. I don’t think his influence on your side can be as underestimated as it is being.

 

[FootballHQ]

I’m surprised that so many have rated you lot to challenge for top 6. The loss of Grealish is absolutely huge despite replacing him with a few quality players. I don’t think his influence on your side can be as underestimated as it is being.

Yeah top 6 is way too optimistic at this moment, I'd just be happy with top 10 as we should've finished 9th or 10th last season so would be improvement and hopefully by then likes of Bailey and Buendia will be important creative sources in our team so can kick on for the next season.

 

[adexkola]

I’m surprised that so many have rated you lot to challenge for top 6. The loss of Grealish is absolutely huge despite replacing him with a few quality players. I don’t think his influence on your side can be as underestimated as it is being.

FM mentality.

 

[Yagami]

Have to say that Jacob Ramsey has looked very impressive so far this season. @FootballHQ & @Winzaghi , what do you make of him?

 

[FootballHQ]

Have to say that Jacob Ramsey has looked very impressive so far this season. @FootballHQ & @Winzaghi , what do you make of him?

Yes been excellent. Quick feet on the ball and very good carrying it. Was best player v Newcastle and had good games v Chelsea and Everton.

Probably a good example of how to bring through a young player. Was regular in our 18 last season then got his first start in December and after that got regular sub cameos with odd start thrown in. Last season I always felt he struggled to impose himself on games when he did start, no such problem this season.

In the England under 21 squad aswell. His brother is also an exciting prospect and making our bench regularly now.

 

[Winzaghi]

Have to say that Jacob Ramsey has looked very impressive so far this season. @FootballHQ & @Winzaghi , what do you make of him?

He's been superb. Have to agree with @FootballHQ , I think it's been a masterstroke from Smith in terms of bringing him through. Carefully chosen minutes and starts throughout last season, and while he didn't really impress me, he was holding his own and getting used to the speed of the top flight men's game which helped him kick on this season. He filled the void left by the ghost of October 2020 Ross Barkley, for free. I'm hoping for something similar for Carney Chukwuemeka and Jaden Philogene-Bidace this year.

 

[ti vu]

Just watched the highlight, and realized Ashley Young pretty much replicated his failed penalty against Italy in this shoot-out

 

[horsechoker]

They actually came to OT to win and won. Few teams outside the top 6 do that.

 

[Bobski]

Impressive, pushed forward all game, committed numbers throughout and didn't blink.

Thought McGinn was by far the best player on the pitch today.

 

[Yagami]

Thanks for the replies, @FootballHQ & @Winzaghi !

Can't say I noticed him much in our game as I was busy being so disgusted with our performance

Congrats on the win. You played us off the park.

 

[Bastian]

Having a pretty poor season so far, bar that United game. I thought Buendia would be an instant success for them. What's the situation there? Ings is a good player, but I wonder if having two of their best players being strikers, if that kind of forces them to shoehorn them both into the team to the detriment of the collective.

 

[FootballHQ]

Having a pretty poor season so far, bar that United game. I thought Buendia would be an instant success for them. What's the situation there? Ings is a good player, but I wonder if having two of their best players being strikers, if that kind of forces them to shoehorn them both into the team to the detriment of the collective.

3-5-2 looked good for a couple of games but we need to go 4-3-3 next week and get Bailey finally starting some games.

Just going to be a middling season for us really. 4-5 games when we look a decent top half team and then throw in 3 defeats in a row where we look terrible which has been how last two months have panned out.

Get the feeling Dean Smith won't last the season though, certainly won't if we're around 14-16th soon. Just don't get how he can watch how we started for first 10 minutes, change nothing we then go 1 down and he talks to the coaches and still does nothing and seems to just gamble on going in 1 down and it's over when we concede the penalty.

We then make changes and look a bit better second half.

I actually think we're a bit like Leicester City were 17-19 period. Check where they were in the table in Feb 2019 when Claude Puel got sacked.

 

[Bastian]

3-5-2 looked good for a couple of games but we need to go 4-3-3 next week and get Bailey finally starting some games.

Just going to be a middling season for us really. 4-5 games when we look a decent top half team and then throw in 3 defeats in a row where we look terrible which has been how last two months have panned out.

Get the feeling Dean Smith won't last the season though, certainly won't if we're around 14-16th soon. Just don't get how he can watch how we started for first 10 minutes, change nothing we then go 1 down and he talks to the coaches and still does nothing and seems to just gamble on going in 1 down and it's over when we concede the penalty.

We then make changes and look a bit better second half.

I actually think we're a bit like Leicester City were 17-19 period. Check where they were in the table in Feb 2019 when Claude Puel got sacked.

Yeah, to someone who doesn't really see all Villa's matches, the quick (lazy) assumption is that you are trying to shoehorn two players in there, when you'd be better off with your tried and trusted formation, and that last season you probably overachieved?

Smith-Rowe instead of Ings would have made things quite interesting for you. Shame it didn't come off.

 

[FootballHQ]

Yeah, to someone who doesn't really see all Villa's matches, the quick (lazy) assumption is that you are trying to shoehorn two players in there, when you'd be better off with your tried and trusted formation, and that last season you probably overachieved?

Smith-Rowe instead of Ings would have made things quite interesting for you. Shame it didn't come off.

Last season we finished 11th after a poor run from Feb.

I'd be looking for 9th or 10th this season. Looks way optimistic currently but it's a long season and we do have some good players in midfield and final third when everyone is fully fit. Bailey has played about 90 minutes all season and he'll make big difference when he has run of starts as he showed v Everton.

 

[Bastian]

Last season we finished 11th after a poor run from Feb.

I'd be looking for 9th or 10th this season. Looks way optimistic currently but it's a long season and we do have some good players in midfield and final third when everyone is fully fit. Bailey has played about 90 minutes all season and he'll make big difference when he has run of starts as he showed v Everton.

I somehow thought you'd finished higher last season (my mind was going 8th or thereabouts). You think when Bailey (feel like one of the posters who refuse to correctly spell Bailly now) finds his fitness, you'll start Watkins again up top with Ings as backup? Isn't Buendia's best role just behind the striker?

I'm not sold on your back 4, but the rest of your potential first XI looks very tidy. And that fecking keeper (it was hilarious in fairness) was seriously underrated by Arsenal.

 

[FootyGirl88]

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[SambaBoy]

I think he will be one of the next managers to be sacked.

Villa haven't started the season too well considering the investment there. Dean Smith is hardly a big name, and I think the owners will go for a bigger name after a few more bad results.

 

[GoonerBear]

The Wolves game was the killer. Next 4 games you would imagine will go a long way to defining their season, games vs West Ham, Southampton, Brighton & Palace, teams you expect them to compete well against that might be in & around where they expect to be.

 

[FootyGirl88]

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[FootballHQ]

Good luck to him. I have Polish ancestry so will be watching him with interest. He waited until they played England twice before declaring.

 

[Skills]

5th loss on the trot since beating us at Old Trafford.

They're in trouble

 

[11101]

They looked like a Championship team against a very average Southampton. Couldn't get near them in midfield.

Matt Cash the only one who looked half decent.

 

[FootballHQ]

Said it for weeks, Dean Smith taken us as far as he can. That last 10 minutes v Wolves at home ended his tenure here.

We're just playing with no confidence at all. Not just the five losses but we've been terrible in four of those games.

 

[PoTMS]

How did they look so good against us? I mean surely we weren't that bad.

 

[Bastian]

How did they look so good against us? I mean surely we weren't that bad.

Dominated midfield.

 

[DavidDeSchmikes]

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[Nero]

Dining out on that win against United. Standard.

 

[SER19]

Classic pathetic capitulation after their cup final. Hopefully they go down

 

[Maluco]

I just don’t think he is very good. Tyrone Mings clipping long balls forward and a very limited attacking style.

I would be moving to replace him because they have far more about them than some of the other teams in and around them.

 

[WeePat]

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Those 18 defeats is the joint worst record in the league this calendar year.

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[duffer]

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[Chairman Steve]

They need to give Smith until the end of the season. People need to calm down, knee jerk reaction sacking is not going to help, Smith has a long term plan and a vision and the players are playing with more passion, commitment and character since Smith has taken over.

He has his team of Buendia, Bailey and Ings now. Smith should have that chance and if they get relegated then Villa will politely ask him to go. I’m sure their fans will hate having to ask Smith to do that.

…Uhhh and Villa DNA!

 

[DavidDeSchmikes]

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[Annihilate Now!]

Another football club with accountability and standards I see.