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

CSF

I don't look at anyone we signed in January individually and think that they were a mistake. Signing both Lansbury and Hourihane instead of maybe a midfielder that plays a bit deeper instead, may have helped the balance of our team but it's difficult to not go after players of that quality when they're available so cheap.

With the exception of a sitting midfielder who can pass (and a competent keeper) we have all the ingredients now. The problem is that Bruce has been so obsessed with playing formations that he has had success with elsewhere, that he has neglected really to make the best with the players he has at his disposal, a large percentage of whom he signed.

The biggest failing of Bruce in January has to be that he was pretty much allowed sign whoever he wanted within reason, in January, and he still had no clear plan as to how he was going to play them. Have we played the same formation once since? Do we even know what the plan is? That is truly abysmal. Why wasn't Bruce building to something clear with his January signings? That is woeful management and still people are talking about how it will come good or that he needs time but all of this defies logic. Why should anyone trust that he's going to spend the pre-season developing a clear plan rather than persisting with his bizarre haphazard approach.

That combined with his willingness to continue to give poor performers repeated chances in the team (frequently at the expense of those who do perform), screams out to me a manager who does not deal well with difficult situations. And that has been just as much a staple of Bruce's CV as the promotions he has achieved. For what has been referred to as a proven, successful manager, he has moved clubs on average every 2 years.

Corholio

Percy reporting that Christopher Samba is training with the club.

Haven't seen what he's been like last 2 or 3 years but some cover is needed there for sure, and more than cover with the form of the centre backs.

CSF

According to wiki he has only made 6 appearances over the last 2 seasons so that is a worry.

Anything that gets the walking mistake Elphick out of the team is fine by me, but who am I kidding, Elphick ain't going nowhere.

artanevilla

He was a good solid centre half in his day.

Still no update on Hogan, expected today.

matrim

Corholio wrote: »

Percy reporting that Christopher Samba is training with the club.

Haven't seen what he's been like last 2 or 3 years but some cover is needed there for sure, and more than cover with the form of the centre backs.

I can see that being another Richards or Lescott type signing

OneColdHand

matrim wrote: »

I can see that being another Richards or Lescott type signing

Definitely.

I seem to remember him going back to QPR a few years ago and him being pretty bad, and being shipped out again fairly quickly.

Interested to know what his wages is. Apparently he was on £100,000 at QPR.

artanevilla

OneColdHand wrote: »

Definitely.

I seem to remember him going back to QPR a few years ago and him being pretty bad, and being shipped out again fairly quickly.

Interested to know what his wages is. Apparently he was on £100,000 at QPR.

QPR were throwing around silly money at that stage.

LeBash

Samba is done years. That would be a terrible signing. Since he left for the big pay day, playing in that standard for a year or 2 would distroy a player. I'd say the big money ruined his appetite for the game.

I remember the stint at QPR and he's no Elphick and that's saying a lot.

Corholio

Early talk is that the Hogan injury isn't as bad as first feared, may be 4-5 weeks out.

CSF

The more I think about it, you guys are probably right about Samba. The last thing we need is another player to come in and be happy to just pick up a big wage.

Corholio

Interesting stat that the last time Bruce played the same team in successive matches, Villa won both. Against QPR and Burton Albion.

On Samba, I don't know what he's been like really but I'm willing to give any player a chance when the current positions there are extremely under performing. The one thing I would say is aerially he would be stronger in that regard. Chester does ok there but Elphick gets beaten very often in the air and because of his awful turning pace he gets caught out quite a lot. He might be ok, he might be shocking, I don't know really. Worth looking into it I guess though.

CSF

I dunno, I wouldn't be for letting Bruce sign anyone else until he has gotten us out of this mess. I thought the whole problem people were talking about was that we'd signed too many too quickly. So the solution now is......sign another player?

LeBash

Let's just leave it at Samba the wrong man period.

If we want a centre back why wouldn't we just recall Toner. He looked alright in the Premiership. Can't be any worse than the record at the back currently is. Don't know why Baker was dropped. Don't remember much that was his fault. Plus he has height that Elphick and Chester don't have.

CSF

Yeah I'd agree with that. Baker and Chester is the right partnership until the summer when I'd try get someone quality in to compete. A signing like Samba just stinks of desperation.

CantGetNoSleep

Samba would only be a good signing if he was on a deal where he has to play a certain amount of minutes to get extended beyond this summer.

Now get him signed up for the next 4 years - he'd be handy in League Two

CSF

I could live with a short term deal with no guarantees past the end of this season, but it still begs the question of what strategy was placed on our transfers in January. We signed what 7 players in January, and we're still making panic signings in February?

matrim

LeBash wrote: »

Let's just leave it at Samba the wrong man period.

If we want a centre back why wouldn't we just recall Toner. He looked alright in the Premiership. Can't be any worse than the record at the back currently is. Don't know why Baker was dropped. Don't remember much that was his fault. Plus he has height that Elphick and Chester don't have.

I've noticed him lose his man a few times from set pieces that have resulted in good chances / goals. But other than that he has been solid.

Savman

Ranieri would be nice

CSF

Savman wrote: »

Ranieri would be nice

As much as I'd love a Premier League winner at the club, he is meant to very lax with the players. Not sure that would be a great fit with the environment at our club.

Corholio

Baker's form has been really poor the last few months. So has Chester's but Chester was always the more consistent of the two. The communication between the central defenders has been really poor the last while. I remember the goal against Leeds where Roofe scored and there was no one taking control, been even more examples since.

CSF

It just makes me more and more sad that the manager of the Premier League champions gets sacked, yet Steve Bruce gets to continue his attempt to set the record for most formations a team has lost a game using in one season.

LeBash

CSF wrote: »

It just makes me more and more sad that the manager of the Premier League champions gets sacked, yet Steve Bruce gets to continue his attempt to set the record for most formations a team has lost a game using in one season.

Aul Claudio is known as the tinkerman, he's not great for leaving things from game to game

CantGetNoSleep

LeBash wrote: »

Aul Claudio is known as the tinkerman, he's not great for leaving things from game to game

He left things alone last year and turned into facking Gino Ginelli football genius

Patser

Good team out, looks 4-3-3

Johnstone
Hutton Chester Baker Taylor
Bacuna Jedinak Lansbury
Adamoh Kodjia Green



Hourihane completely missing, Bjarnason on bench along with Elphick and Grealish - Bree Gardner Amavi Bunn others.

CSF

Yeah it's been a rare day that I'm happy with the team, but with Hourihane injured aswell as Hogan, hard to argue with that lineup.

JPA

TBH I'd rather play Gardner over Bacuna, still get the impression Bacuna doesn't understand Central Midfield

Bounty Hunter

If things go to plan Lansbury Adamoh & Kodjia should all be allowed play the game they should ideally play in such a formation.

CSF

JPA wrote: »

TBH I'd rather play Gardner over Bacuna, still get the impression Bacuna doesn't understand Central Midfield

You could go that way alright, but I don't think it's a big thing.

rebelomar

Good to see Green and Adomah back. What they did to get dropped in the first place I'll never understand.

This should be the formation/team used all along. Put Hourihane in for Bacuna and it's a good balance.

Players playing in their preferred position's instead of being shoehorned in might actually work!

Bounty Hunter

Deby have had a bit too much easy possession but Chester makes it 1-0 and we are actually looking decent enough so far. The formation helps and hopefully the can improve as they get used to it.

Raven Runner

See Bruce on the touchline with 2 fingers shouting 1 more good to see hopefully we can push on now

JPA

All I know is it won't end 1-nil.

remoteboy

JPA wrote: »

All I know is it won't end 1-nil.

Please be wrong. A 1-0 would be amazing.

fullstop

Going up.

Bounty Hunter

3 pts from a game in 2017.

remoteboy

Delighted.

Panrich

CSF wrote: »

I genuinely don't get how he can last the night. Relegation is legitimately an overly scary possibility. Hard to see where the next points are coming from and I'm dreading my trip over this Saturday. Will be the last one I book this season under Bruce that much is for sure.

We'll have to start a fund to get you over to all the matches.

Savman

Well it was far from convincing but a win is a win.

CSF

Panrich wrote: »

CSF wrote: »

I genuinely don't get how he can last the night. Relegation is legitimately an overly scary possibility. Hard to see where the next points are coming from and I'm dreading my trip over this Saturday. Will be the last one I book this season under Bruce that much is for sure.

We'll have to start a fund to get you over to all the matches.

Yeah the 100% record stays intact. Delighted to get the win but it was an infuriating watch. We were doing ok, then Bruce takes off Green, Adomah and Kodjia for Amavi, Gardner and Bjarnason. Bacuna was our most advanced player and then sent off, leaving I think it was Gardner as our out ball. We were camped back in our box and blessed in the end.

3 points closer to safety which is number one priority but Steve Bruce is an absolute numpty.

pavb2

We were lucky to get away with that today no real attacking threat 2nd half presumably the plan at half time was to defend the one goal lead. Derby didn't really offer a lot but 3 ugly points all the same. I don't know what it means but game after game Hutton must consistently have the most possession of all our players

Corholio

Whatever about the other subs, had no problem with taking Kodjia off, he was dire today and doesn't do well enough as a central striker for me. He has zero awareness at times and missed plenty of passes today because he just didn't see them or want to pass it.

Raven Runner

I admire Hutton always gives 100%

JPA

pavb2 wrote: »

We were lucky to get away with that today no real attacking threat 2nd half presumably the plan at half time was to defend the one goal lead. Derby didn't really offer a lot but 3 ugly points all the same. I don't know what it means but game after game Hutton must consistently have the most possession of all our players

No team bothers marking him, not like he does anything with it.

CSF

JPA wrote: »

pavb2 wrote: »

We were lucky to get away with that today no real attacking threat 2nd half presumably the plan at half time was to defend the one goal lead. Derby didn't really offer a lot but 3 ugly points all the same. I don't know what it means but game after game Hutton must consistently have the most possession of all our players

No team bothers marking him, not like he does anything with it.

I think he is decent enough. A functional yet not very flashy squad player who can come in and do a job when called upon.

Corholio

I think he's constant running is sometimes mistaken for somehow playing well. He's been dire many a time, like a lot of the squad and for a guy who gets a lot of the ball in games mostly does very, very little with it. I appreciate he mostly gives his all, but football wise a lot of the time that's all you could say positive about many of his performances. Positionally yesterday at times he was quite poor he has a huge tendency to be dragged in on top of his centre back leaving wingers to cross balls in without opposition.

Sono

Absolutely massive win, delighted for the players and Bruce, still firmly believe he is the right man for the job and I'm glad we have stuck with him. UTV

Panrich

Sono wrote: »

Absolutely massive win, delighted for the players and Bruce, still firmly believe he is the right man for the job and I'm glad we have stuck with him. UTV

It was a much needed win but we've a long road ahead. 29% possession at home against Derby is not going to bring many fans along for the ride.

Bounty Hunter

In the next week we play 2 of the bottom 4 sides in the league. Results in those two games could not only build upon yesterdays result but also place Villa well away from a relegation fight.

I am also very happy that the win we have been waiting for came whist playing the formation that probably best fits the players at our disposal as he really should not look to change it up now on the back of that result. Hourihane will come in for suspended Bacuna after getting over the dead leg that kept him out yesterday but otherwise things should probably stay the same.

Sono

Panrich wrote: »

It was a much needed win but we've a long road ahead. 29% possession at home against Derby is not going to bring many fans along for the ride.

Didn't see the stats but that is very worrying, we haven't played well under Bruce bar the odd 45 min spell here and there which is very worrying too. I hope he can put it right and yesterday was the beginning of him doing so.

Bounty Hunter

I think we will improve as Jedinak gets fit and he and the other new midfielders get used to each other positionally. Jedinak was great some games and very shakey in other games before the injury but he was still getting used to the team too at that point. A defensive minded CM will be very important to us in terms of possession especially playing a 433 / 451 especially considering how forward thinking our other midfielders are.

Keep that formation and hopefully keep enough players fit to allow us to continue to play it and we will hopefully improve with time and if we can get points on the board in our upcoming games against teams lower down the table then they will be given more time. Building confidence through positive performances and getting a settled side that only needs one or two additions in the summer has to be the way forward now if we can build on the 3pts.