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

CSF

Shameful performance. Would never have deserved the win.

circadian

Wow, that old familiar feeling of getting robbed in the last seconds.

sc86

Hopefully last time we see barkley , send him back

Esse85

I didn't think McGinn did enough to get out and stop the cross.
We didn't deserve that win.

Pathetic from Watkins and Barkley.

Feel sorry for Konsa and Targett who have been brilliant all season.

While this season overall has been good, I'm looking forward to it being over. Its fizzling out fast now.

Esse85

circadian wrote: »

Wow, that old familiar feeling of getting robbed in the last seconds.

That's not true this season.

Esse85

rebelomar wrote: »

Watkins and Barkely should be shot! Watkins in particular cost us tonight. What was he doing when Carroll tackled him. No awareness.

Game management was non existent.

McGinn's "attempt" to stop the cross was a disgrace.

Mings was a shambles all through the game.

So many lads need to look in the mirror after that performance. Honestly...its not good enough.

Smith needs to buck up his ideas too.

This 100%

CSF

Very much concur with the never wanting to see Barkley again sentiment. He is a disgrace of a professional footballer.

sc86

Since the covid outbreak we have been sh1te
Couple of jammy wins
10th position looms

circadian

Esse85 wrote: »

That's not true this season.

That's my point, it's an old, but familiar feeling. It's been a while.

artanevilla

People will point to Grealish being out but it was bad before that. We've been getting away with it but there is serious work to be done over the summer.

Easy Rod

I’d love if Villa made a statement right now and announced a deal to sign someone like Michael Olise (for example) at the end of the season. Would show the ambition is still there, give the supporters a bit of an injection and a kick up the hole for some of the many many under performers recently.

Patser

Hourihane scoring again for Swansea, 5 goals in 12 now

Patser

https://twitter.com/bigwesmoraes/status/1370498813761355776

CSF

The mad thing is, Hourihane would be starting for the team right now if fit. We all know his weaknesses but with no Jack there is basically in any of the midfield/wide positions with any end product to speak of. Conor has that.

Corholio

It would be swapping playing poorly for playing poorly. His end product from free kicks possibly, but even that is often very overstated, but his output from open play was often very minimal. Hourihane got better the more he didn't play. I think end of season we'll need to look past both. Fair play to Conor for doing it in the Championship though.

CSF

Corholio wrote: »

It would be swapping playing poorly for playing poorly. His end product from free kicks possibly, but even that is often very overstated, but his output from open play was often very minimal. Hourihane got better the more he didn't play. I think end of season we'll need to look past both. Fair play to Conor for doing it in the Championship though.

I don’t think Conor is any better now than I thought he was in January. Him being in the team makes the team overall less effective than it is without him, but I think he is more likely to make something happen in terms of goals than any of our midfielders with the exception of Jack.

In Jack’s absence, I’d probably be willing to sacrifice what Ramsey and definitely Barkley bring to the team, in the hope that Hourihane could find a way to help us score more than 1 goal a game, something we’ve only done twice in 2021 (both before Jack got injured).

Easy Rod

Curiosity finally got the better of me and I watched the highlights back. That breakaway in the last few mins was criminal. We’ve literally got a 4 v 1 break and McGinn tries to force a through ball from inside his own half? All he had to do was work the ball up the pitch! Kind of sums McGinn up, all hustle and bustle but lacking in that bit of nous you need at times. Big hammer, small nail.

Patser

Corholio wrote: »

It would be swapping playing poorly for playing poorly. His end product from free kicks possibly, but even that is often very overstated, but his output from open play was often very minimal. Hourihane got better the more he didn't play. I think end of season we'll need to look past both. Fair play to Conor for doing it in the Championship though.

Hourihane has same amount of assists as Barkley for Villa this season, and almost same number of goals. Whatever about Hourihane's limitations he was an honest player on the pitch, and would make a far better impact sub than Barkley has been. He's also shown for Swansea that given a more forward role he can score.

Yes, the Championship is more his level but I'd still rather have him on the bench than Barkley at the moment, or Sanson (who's also shown little other than ability to pick up needless yellow cards)

Corholio

Patser wrote: »

Whatever about Hourihane's limitations he was an honest player on the pitch, and would make a far better impact sub than Barkley has been. He's also shown for Swansea that given a more forward role he can score.

Thats in the Championship though. He has come on plenty of times for Villa and done zilch, that's just the harsh truth. I've no love for Barkley either, I thought he may have picked up a bit by now but hasn't worked and would not be signing him of course, but the 'Hourihane would be better' thing doesn't hold ground for me, they are both players who wouldn't improve the team.

Wouldn't be judging Sanson yet either imo.

Patser

I'm not going to be hard on Sandon, he's new, looks fast and as he gets used to Premier League could be v good.

Great to see Ramsey getting his chance to develop too.

But I stand by my idea Hourihane would be better in the squad than Barkley. OK, a lot of that is based on hindsight, but Conor has been the consummate professional and has on occasions come through for us, he was great in 1st game of season. Barkley had become a pouting, sulking presence around the squad offering incredibly little on the pitch, without his buddy Grealish to play off of

CSF

Corholio wrote: »

Thats in the Championship though. He has come on plenty of times for Villa and done zilch, that's just the harsh truth. I've no love for Barkley either, I thought he may have picked up a bit by now but hasn't worked and would not be signing him of course, but the 'Hourihane would be better' thing doesn't hold ground for me, they are both players who wouldn't improve the team.

Wouldn't be judging Sanson yet either imo.

Hourihane has 4 goals and 6 assists in 31 Premier League appearances for Villa (a lot of his appearances are sub appearances also)

Neither of them are what we need for the team or even close to it, but if Barkley had Hourihane’s goal involvement, he probably wouldn’t have become Public Enemy Number 1 at the club in spite of his otherwise poor performances.

CucaFace

So it turns out we have paid Chelsea 11 million to take Barkley on loan :

https://www.footballinsider247.com/sources-purslow-spearheading-permanent-barkley-move-to-aston-villa/

If thats true it must be one of the worst pieces of business this club has ever done (which is saying something).

matrim

CucaFace wrote: »

So it turns out we have paid Chelsea 11 million to take Barkley on loan :

https://www.footballinsider247.com/sources-purslow-spearheading-permanent-barkley-move-to-aston-villa/

If thats true it must be one of the worst pieces of business this club has ever done (which is saying something).

Depends on if that includes wages or if it's just a loan fee. If it's just a loan fee it was a very risky bit of business which in hindsight has turned out poor.

Panrich

In either case, it is not good to have the CEO making footballing decisions. That will never end well.

CSF

We’ve had a great transfer window. 100% success rate would have been great, but alas, not to be. At least the one that failed isn’t under contract next year.

kilburn

Can't believe he still wants to sign him permanently madness

CSF

kilburn wrote: »

Can't believe he still wants to sign him permanently madness

I don’t believe that to be true. Barring a huge turnaround he won’t be a Villa player next year.

kilburn

CSF wrote:

I don’t believe that to be true. Barring a huge turnaround he won’t be a Villa player next year.

Hopefully so, think he has to be up there with our list of worst ever signings whether permanently or on loan

JPA

CucaFace wrote: »

So it turns out we have paid Chelsea 11 million to take Barkley on loan :

https://www.footballinsider247.com/sources-purslow-spearheading-permanent-barkley-move-to-aston-villa/

If thats true it must be one of the worst pieces of business this club has ever done (which is saying something).

That fee does not surprise me one bit. Chelsea make a fortune off loan deals

Panrich

JPA wrote: »

That fee does not surprise me one bit. Chelsea make a fortune off loan deals

They certainly saw Purslow coming.

gaffmaster

Thought he started at the club quite well. Injected a lot of impotus the midfield. Most people thought he was a big improvement on Hourihane. He was key against Liverpool and got that late winner against Leicester. Perhaps, if we're speculating, maybe hasn't been 100% since he (possibly/likely) had covid. His reaction to his own poor form is disappointing, but I don't know what's going on behind the scenes.

Considering how quickly fan-opinion flipped on him, I wouldn't be surprised if it flipped back the other way again before the deal is over.

CSF

gaffmaster wrote: »

Thought he started at the club quite well. Injected a lot of impotus the midfield. Most people thought he was a big improvement on Hourihane. He was key against Liverpool and got that late winner against Leicester. Perhaps, if we're speculating, maybe hasn't been 100% since he (possibly/likely) had covid. His reaction to his own poor form is disappointing, but I don't know what's going on behind the scenes.

Considering how quickly fan-opinion flipped on him, I wouldn't be surprised if it flipped back the other way again before the deal is over.

Can you think of any games other than Leicester (not sure we’d even include this one if he hadn’t scored), Arsenal and Liverpool where he played well?

He’s played 16 games for Villa.

Esse85

I don't believe that article to be true.

The last 2 Ross's we've signed have been terrible, let's not sign another Ross again.

CSF

Esse85 wrote: »

I don't believe that article to be true.

The last 2 Ross's we've signed have been terrible, let's not sign another Ross again.

McCormack and?

Esse85

CSF wrote: »

McCormack and?

Barkley

Brian201888

Watkins gets an England callup, no place for Jack so presumably still not ready to come back

OneColdHand

No Barkley?! Strange!

Esse85

This spurs result and the extra time is the best outcome for us playing them Sunday.

sc86

Hard to believe konsa is not in squad , mings isnt even villas best cb.

Surprised at watkins , wasnt expecting that

CSF

sc86 wrote: »

Hard to believe konsa is not in squad , mings isnt even villas best cb.

Surprised at watkins , wasnt expecting that

Think Mings' big advantage is that he is a naturally left sided centre back. Those are not as easy to come by. To me there is no question that Konsa is the better player and should have been in there ahead of Dier, who Mings is better than also.

LeBash

Is his name Erzik O'nza and they just messed it up on the jersey by any chance?

JPA

Whut?

Patser

JPA wrote: »

Whut?

I'd say he's stretching in hope of Irish heritage, just like O'Bama

Would be a nice change to nick and England U21 rather than the other way around

CSF

Guessing I wasn’t the only one who watched that Brighton v Newcastle game and felt even worse about our current predicament?

Esse85

I hope Smith is watching the West Ham game.

There's a lesson here in terms of tactics and attitude against a team who played Europa Cup Thursday night.

eagle eye

There might be a bit of unhappiness in the Spurs camp as well after the loss. Lots of papers reporting Harry Kane wants to leave.

sc86

Id take a draw v suprs the way we are playing

Patser

sc86 wrote: »

Id take a draw v suprs the way we are playing

They are probably saying the same after Thursday

Esse85

Patser wrote: »

They are probably saying the same after Thursday

Would expect lots of changes to their side.

What sort of midfield are we expecting will start

I'd like to see Nakamba brought in.

GHOST MGG

The only way we will beat them tonight is if we go at them from the start and stop them from playing out from the back.

If we sit back and try to hit them on the break kane and vinicius will murder us