Aston Villa Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours/Champions League Thread 2024/25

CSF

artanevilla wrote: »

I didn't call for his head FYI I just think he's reached his limit. I can't see him being able to push on for Europe and beyond with how things have gone the last month or so, his game management has been poor and he hasn't addressed the problems on a game to game basis.

To be honest, if his limit is where we are now, I can live with that for a few seasons. Like I said, grass not always greener.

sc86

I dont see city buying luiz on current form , he wouldnt get a kick for them

LeBash

CSF wrote: »

I think the Smith future conversation was only 1 person so are we maybe getting a bit hyperbolic with our dismissal of it by now?

The biggest thing that makes me positive for the future is that our back 5 is completely settled for next season, no doubts about it, and our striker.

Smith needs to get to grips with the other 4 spots in the team that aren’t Jack (especially if City come after Doug) but a) the likes of Traore and Sanson will surely improve in a 2nd season to become more important players in the team and b) it’s much better to have a couple of areas to concentrate our recruitment on than our last decade of constant overhauls.

Even this summer we desperately needed a goalkeeper, a RB, a number 10 and a striker, before even looking at strengthening the depth of the squad.

It's totally hyperbolic, but I didnt mention it once and wasn't referring to it.

Patser

Funny to see the club banning players from Fantasy Football as a possible (although unlikely) source of Grealish injury.

I suppose its possible especially as there was a Friday game, so updated teams would have been visible for a full day before Sundays game - so if friends of Villa players suddenly noticed Jack transferred out, they could put 2 and 2 together

https://twitter.com/martynziegler/status/1363899422220947456

Easy Rod

Patser wrote: »

Funny to see the club banning players from Fantasy Football as a possible (although unlikely) source of Grealish injury.

I suppose its possible especially as there was a Friday game, so updated teams would have been visible for a full day before Sundays game - so if friends of Villa players suddenly noticed Jack transferred out, they could put 2 and 2 together

https://twitter.com/martynziegler/status/1363899422220947456

I don’t think you realise how fanatical some people are about FPL, it was almost common knowledge that Targett, Conor Hourihane and Rob Price (physio) amongst others had transferred him out of their teams! Mad stuff. It does seem that there might have been another leak on top of this but still, all a bit embarrassing.

CSF

Easy Rod wrote: »

I don’t think you realise how fanatical some people are about FPL, it was almost common knowledge that Targett, Conor Hourihane and Rob Price (physio) amongst others had transferred him out of their teams! Mad stuff. It does seem that there might have been another leak on top of this but still, all a bit embarrassing.

It was known in advance. I got Grealish out of my FPL team before the FPL deadline also. Of course it wasn’t literally known til 1 PM on Sunday but you know yourself.

FPL didn’t actually break this, it just added further fuel to the fire.

listermint

Probably could do a job at villa .


https://mobile.twitter.com/BeWarmers/status/1364525226428612609

kilburn

Nah Messi all the way

artanevilla

Why not both?

kilburn

artanevilla wrote:

Why not both?

I like it dream big

Patser

artanevilla wrote: »

Why not both?

Think of the balance of the team, we'd have to drop McGinn to start Messi and Nakamba, and Watkins would have to move wide to allow Suarez in, and that means Ronaldo will have to play right wing, or drop to bench to let El Ghazi start

JPA

C'mon lads, you are thinking very short term here. It's all about Mbappe and Haaland

Patser

JPA wrote: »

C'mon lads, you are thinking very short term here. It's all about Mbappe and Haaland

It depends on who Pep wants when Smith moves to Director of Football

listermint

Loving the crack lads !

artanevilla

Grealish out for tomorrow confirmed. (By DS not Fantasy)

OneColdHand

artanevilla wrote: »

Grealish out for tomorrow confirmed. (By DS not Fantasy)

When DS transfers Grealish back into his fantasy team, we will know grealish is back!

Panrich

You got the impression that Smith was playing down the injury last week saying he felt a little something in training.

sc86

Barkley dropped , id love to be fly on the wall for that conversation

Corholio

Nakamba and Ramsey in for Barkley and Luiz. Hopefully Ramsey's energy will help in the midfield, he tends to be in good positions to take shots too.

Esse85

Sanson really being eased in.

Barkley can't have any complaints.

Patser

Strange to drop Luiz too though....

CSF

There are some slightly surprising decisions in the lineup. But I’m happy to see Dean at least trying to find a solution rather than just doing the same thing and expecting different results.

JPA

Smith is seeing something missing from Luiz lately, he's been subbed off a few times.

Hopefully that midfield will have plenty of energy, you need a ton of it against Leeds.

CSF

JPA wrote: »

Smith is seeing something missing from Luiz lately, he's been subbed off a few times.

Hopefully that midfield will have plenty of energy, you need a ton of it against Leeds.

Luiz has been way off his best. I think I’d still probably have played him today but he can’t feel too hard done by about it either.

Corholio

I think Barkley off form/getting back up to full speed has made other midfielders have to work more in quite a few games. Luiz was being dragged into the centre further forward more often than usual.

It'll be interesting to see what the pitch is like, same for both teams of course but it looked awful the last few games.

matrim

Hit his hand but would have been a harsh call.

Players slipping all over the place. The pitch looks poor

matrim

El Ghazi

sc86

El gahzi has great nack of getting goals

Esse85

Nice reaction AEG

Pitch looks like a rugby pitch, it's shocking.

Ramsey looking energetic.

matrim

sc86 wrote: »

El gahzi has great nack of getting goals

His finishing can sometimes be poor but he gets into the positions and was clinical that time

artanevilla

Football without fans is nothing. I'm finding myself very bored without hearing the ebb and flow of the crowd.

Esse85

artanevilla wrote: »

Football without fans is nothing. I'm finding myself very bored without hearing the ebb and flow of the crowd.

Totally.
Definitely far harder stay captivated.

Raphinha looking dangerous down Elmos side.

Patser

Is boards iffy for others too? Having trouble getting in, very slow.

So that's why I'm still wanting to say our goal was so strange, how was the box that empty from a corner??

artanevilla

All good here.

rebelomar

Traore is way off it so far.

Need to settle down a little bit. One or two passes will open Leeds up fairly easily imo.

Their pressing is good but with a bit of composure this game is here for the taking.

sc86

Midfielders passengers again

Esse85

Watkins goes down too easy for me.

Patser

El Ghazi, Bamford, Bielsa.... it's all so 2018

Easy Rod

Really good solid half. Tactics spot on so far, Leeds haven’t created much. I’d certainly be looking at giving Elmo more support with Trez on for Traore though.

Corholio

Handled that half pretty well I thought. Good work rate throughout, a few times a better final pass would have really opened up Leeds. Leeds looked a bit dangerous at times too, as they will usually be but defence stayed pretty solid.

Leeds usually better in second half so may need a 2nd goal.

sc86

If barkley had the first half el gazhi just had , sky would be wet themselves

Easy Rod

Yeah great half from El Ghazi. Nakamba’s role today very different to what Luiz would do, he’s just in there as a destroyer and it’s working well. His energy and closing down is exceptional and he’s not being asked to do as much on the ball as Luiz.

Patser

How high are Alioski's socks? Japanese schoolgirl look

Esse85

Traore has been useless so far.
How long do we persist with him?

matrim

Has to be a red for Roberts

Easy Rod

matrim wrote: »

Has to be a red for Roberts

Ah now, not much in that one. Little swipe of the leg rather than a kick out

Patser

Yep time for changes.

Traore just hasn't clicked today, and Luiz for McGinn I'd go for

matrim

Easy Rod wrote: »

Ah now, not much in that one. Little swipe of the leg rather than a kick out

I posted before seeing the replay but he was lucky. Swung his arm and if targett was closer and he caught him it would have been a red

rebelomar

Ramsey the only one in MF and DF trying to play football.

Its definitely tactical today. Play in their half against their press and this pitch.

It's appalling to watch though and inviting pressure.

Esse85

I'd bring on Trez for Traore now.
And Luiz for Ramsey