Aston Villa Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2019/2020

Corholio

Tough run of games coming up now too, that win as a slight cushion was important with chances of a few losses coming up.

Patser

Great 3 points. Takes is from 1 point off relegation to part of that huge big mob in the middle all within 5 points of each other.

JPA

rebelomar wrote: »

I won't write him off just yet but Wesley has a lot of improvements to make to justify his continued selection.

Unless you want to play Kodija there is nobody else.

CucaFace

Grealish is a world class footballer, he really is. If he had a good shot on him he would be worth 100m with todays fee's. He totally ran that game all night long.

But i would be worried after that second half performance. Newcastle were truly shocking tonight and had one of their chances gone in in that second half i really think we would have probably only drawn. I really love Smith for the football we play, but i just see a huge liability now in him with regards to not making needed changes at the right time.

The CM as usual disappeared (bar Grealish) in the second and no change made? We were crying out for a new CM to come on.

Also Wesley as poor again tonight im afraid.

Great 3 points. But im would still be worried about how our CM disappears in the second half's and we react far too late to rectify this.

JPA

artanevilla wrote: »

What really sticks out for me is the goal difference compared to teams around us. We are probably unlucky to be down so low.

We have been unlucky but also very naive.

I think we're great to watch most of the time because we are mad to get forward but if we were a bit more boring sometimes we might have a few more points.


Grealish an absolute class above, hope his love for the club will keep him for a couple more years but he could play for the best.

Esse85

CucaFace wrote: »

Grealish is a world class footballer, he really is. If he had a good shot on him he would be worth 100m with todays fee's. He totally ran that game all night long.

But i would be worried after that second half performance. Newcastle were truly shocking tonight and had one of their chances gone in in that second half i really think we would have probably only drawn. I really love Smith for the football we play, but i just see a huge liability now in him with regards to not making needed changes at the right time.

The CM as usual disappeared (bar Grealish) in the second and no change made? We were crying out for a new CM to come on.

Also Wesley as poor again tonight im afraid.

Great 3 points. But im would still be worried about how our CM disappears in the second half's and we react far too late to rectify this.

Really good post. Agree on all that.

Corholio

I don't think the changes were as much as a factor tonight if I'm honest. I mean, I'm surprised Trez and Nakamba didn't get run outs but not because Villa were under any real pressure, bar the first 10 min of the second half there wasn't that much from Newcastle and it surprisingly ended up comfortable, and indeed should have added more. I think sometimes when you bring on defensive players the team automatically switches defensive and invites pressure rather than trying to kill off the game, which should have been done in the 2nd half with the chances made.

Sometimes it will work and sometimes it won't. Picking the right games to do that will be key.

Easy Rod

Steve Bruce just said the free kick for Conor’s goal shouldn’t have been awarded. Gas.

CSF

Easy Rod wrote: »

Steve Bruce just said the free kick for Conor’s goal shouldn’t have been awarded. Gas.

Well it’s never been his fault has it..

Patser

CSF wrote: »

Well it’s never been his fault has it..

Watching Newcastle tonight was a flashback to the bad old days of Bruceball - packed defence, hoof it up to an isolated attacker and hope he did something magic, then back to conceding all possession and space

CSF

Reading that Pogba and McTominay are likely to miss Sunday aswell. If they can’t tweak tactically from what they did on Sunday, Grealish could do serious damage if they’re that open again.

JPA

CSF wrote: »

Reading that Pogba and McTominay are likely to miss Sunday aswell. If they can’t tweak tactically from what they did on Sunday, Grealish could do serious damage if they’re that open again.

Newly promoted Villa currently have a better midfield than United, fairly damning.

CSF

JPA wrote: »

Newly promoted Villa currently have a better midfield than United, fairly damning.

Unfortunately Rashford and Martial could still cause us problems. They were god awful throughout that game on Sunday but still came out with 3 goals out of nowhere.

artanevilla

I could be in midfield for United and they'll still beat the Villa.

LeBash

We always crap the bags when Man U are the opposition. I'm sure there are more but I can only remember the 3-1 first game of the season, Mark Draper on his debut, 1995 I think it was and 1-0 under MON and Gabby scored. Cant remember any other PL wins.

Nearly puked the time we had the foot on their neck when Hogg and some other young lad were the 2 in midfield and they scored 2 super late goals by some striker who was never heard of before or again.

artanevilla

We went 2-0 up against them in the 2nd half of a game a few years ago. I was wathcing with some United supporting friend and they asked my why I wasn't celebrating. "Just wait" I said. Beaten 2-3.

LeBash

artanevilla wrote: »

We went 2-0 up against them in the 2nd half of a game a few years ago. I was wathcing with some United supporting friend and they asked my why I wasn't celebrating. "Just wait" I said. Beaten 2-3.

Same game as I was talking about. Macheda Hatrick if I remember correctly?

Esse85

LeBash wrote: »

Same game as I was talking about. Macheda Hatrick if I remember correctly?

Ronaldo scored that day.

Hard to think Macheda is still only 28

Anyway the record against Utd is horrendous, great chance to go level on points with them on Sunday.

Patser

LeBash wrote: »

Same game as I was talking about. Macheda Hatrick if I remember correctly?

Nah Macheda the unknown with a screamer on his debut - after Gabby was blatantly fouled on half way line

Corholio

I haven't got over Vidic not being sent off in the 2010 Carling Cup final :P.

Will be a very tough game though. I'm not sure any relation can be made to previous games. A win would be great but would take a draw.

LeBash

Corholio wrote: »

I haven't got over Vidic not being sent off in the 2010 Carling Cup final :P.

Will be a very tough game though. I'm not sure any relation can be made to previous games. A win would be great but would take a draw.

With our record, a draw would be a super result despite how they are playing their results and us at home.

The intensity that Sheffield played with is something that we wont and that's how they got the goals.

Patser

Only ever been to Old Trafford once, and was brought by a pair of Utd fan friends who just wanted to slag me.

Gabby 1-0, that had the keep reminding me to stop smiling, especially in pub afterwards

pavb2

Saw this on twitter had a quick check and it seems correct

Since 1996, Aston Villa have played Manchester United forty-one times in the Premier League, winning one, drawing ten and losing thirty times.

https://www.worldfootball.net/teams/manchester-united/aston-villa/11/

LeBash

pavb2 wrote: »

Saw this on twitter had a quick check and it seems correct

Since 1996, Aston Villa have played Manchester United forty-one times in the Premier League, winning one, drawing ten and losing thirty times.

https://www.worldfootball.net/teams/manchester-united/aston-villa/11/

3 wins since the PL started. I honestly dont even remember a draw. That's white flag stuff

Esse85

https://youtu.be/HFB7hqe_5Ks

Juan Pablo Angel documentary.
Enjoyable watch.

If only we had him in the team now, 16 league goals in 33 games in 2003/4 season.

LeBash

Tifo put up a video about John McGinn if anyone is interested.

CSF

Smith signs a new 4 year contract. That is a statement of trust from a club still in relegation trouble, but could also be just the stability required to keep the players minds at the tasks.

Too often you see teams down tools knowing their manager could be 2/3 games away from the sack.

Esse85

Good decision, well played the club.

If we do go down, I want DS in charge, I'd be hoping he'd learn lessons from current campaign but I don't think it'll come to that.

JPA

I wonder how much of an influence John Terry has. I can see him getting job offers soon based on his high profile.

Esse85

JPA wrote: »

I wonder how much of an influence John Terry has. I can see him getting job offers soon based on his high profile.

TBH he comes in under the radar completely, I'd even forget he's there which isn't a bad thing.

Wonder what the players past and present think of him.

LeBash

Esse85 wrote: »

Good decision, well played the club.

If we do go down, I want DS in charge, I'd be hoping he'd learn lessons from current campaign but I don't think it'll come to that.

Couldn't agree more. Smith has been brilliant and the football is decent. Weve been seriously unlucky in a few games and seem to get punished for almost every mistake. I dont think we will go down, I'd say we will be comfortable with 3 or 4 games to go but if it does happen, Smith needs to stay in charge. Even his signings have been brilliant, Konsa, Engles, Mings (I still think we paid over the odds for his position at Bournemouth), Nakamba and a couple of others are now worth multiples of what we paid for them.

Bruce wasnt a fraction of what Smith has been and I defended him quite a bit. Still think Bruce had a tough job clearing deadwood on/off the pitch and he brought in players like McGinn, Hourihane, Axel, Taylor, Elmo etc. , got Grealish tons of game time which were really good building blocks for Smith but Smith turned the potential into results.

CSF

Esse85 wrote: »

TBH he comes in under the radar completely, I'd even forget he's there which isn't a bad thing.

Wonder what the players past and present think of him.

I think the under the radar thing is to his benefit.

Bounty Hunter

Was only thinking a few days ago when someone in here mused if he might come under pressure if our next few fixtures were loses (might have been before Newcastle though given the run after) that Smith's position should not be coming under threat in anyway. Considering where we were when we parted ways with Bruce I don't think most expected promotion last season but he achieved it while also improving our style of play. He has also over seen a total overhaul of the playing staff who are almost all his signings now. They should be somewhat loyal to him and him getting a contract extension should be a good thing for those players. At the start of the season most reasonable fans expected a settling in time for the squad given just how many new players there were not only to Villa but also the league so tbh our league position is not too bad with that in mind especially seeing as most seem to agree Villa's play so far this term arguably warrants a better points return.

I too like how Terry is staying under the radar and seems to have a good relationship with Dean Smith & Richard O'Kelly in particular as (even though you would) he always seems to talk positively about how much he has learned from them both. He is not always talking about his managerial future which is good too despite the fact that he no doubt has one in mind. No doubt him having a stint as a player at Villa park has also helped him before taking on his role too. A lot of people had a negative image of Mr Chelsea possibly stemming from his Wayne Bridge stuff but he has always seemed to come across as a model pro since his arrival at Villa to me anyway both as a player and a coach.

CSF

Yeah, I’m a huge Dean Smith fan even though I feel we’ve dropped some points this season because of him. I feel the strengths massively outweigh the drawbacks.

It would take a lot for me personally to call for him to go (particularly this season), but I’m not naive enough to think he is immune to the usual 6 games without a win pressure that all Premier League managers come under.

You’d just have to feel like he is due a little bit more patience when that time comes around.

Esse85

West Ham, Newcastle, Palace and Southampton all picking up points today, we could do with something tomorrow.

Bounty Hunter

Esse85 wrote: »

West Ham, Newcastle, Palace and Southampton all picking up points today, we could do with something tomorrow.

googled predicted Utd lineup vs Villa and got this

as the top result. Some places are saying McTominey might be back but that Midfield is not something Villa should be worried about in the slightest and I am optimistic that something can be gotten from this game. Given Villa's history in this fixture expectations are not high so hopefully we get a nice surprise today.

The 2 lads always getting linked to Utd in recent times, McGinn & Grealish could do well against that midfield.

Be interesting to see if Konsa keeps his spot too, given Engels did very well with his games pre injury.

LeBash

De Gea has been unbelievable this season. Without him theyd be in real trouble. He had 4 or 5 super saves against Sheffield Utd and really they would have been out of sight before half time if Man U had an average keeper in goal.

artanevilla

Unchanged from Monday. Would have liked to see Nakamba in for Luiz.

CSF

artanevilla wrote: »

Unchanged from Monday. Would have liked to see Nakamba in for Luiz.

Tactically Hourihane would be the one to go out, but how could you do it after his contribution Monday.

Bounty Hunter

United going more attacking, switching to 4 at the back and bringing in Mata in midfield instead of the 3rd CB. Probably harder to handle but Villa struggled against Wolves wing backs and wingers so maybe them moving away from a similar system isn't too bad for us

LeBash

artanevilla wrote: »

Unchanged from Monday. Would have liked to see Nakamba in for Luiz.

Luiz imho is way too attacking to play that role. Think Nakamba has been really good and disciplined there.

matrim

Fantastic finish from grealish

Bounty Hunter

Sublime finish. Keep it going now

Patser

Just seen it, incredible.... and the attitude afterwards, the cool celebration as if this was just the norm

Bounty Hunter

Patser wrote: »

Just seen it, incredible.... and the attitude afterwards, the cool celebration as if this was just the norm

Villa fans have known about his quality for a while, others are now starting to see it. No doubt he will get called up for England soon enough too.

matrim

Don't think grealish was offside there

Bounty Hunter

Utd very lucky there. Play the whistle, thought VAR was going to overturn the offside

matrim

1-1 rashford header back off the post and off Heaton for an OG

LeBash

Really poor from Mings. For all he does well he still has a big mistake in him.

Bounty Hunter

Tom Heaton own goal apparently, harsh