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

sc86

Why is young barry and some of the rest of the youth team getting a run now ? Season is over for us and going nowhere

JPA

sc86 wrote: »

Why is young barry and some of the rest of the youth team getting a run now ? Season is over for us and going nowhere

Because they're nowhere near ready.

There's a quarter of the season left, so to basically give up on it would be ludicrous.

Esse85

Targett my man of the match.

No positives to take other than that.

Consistent performance from the midfield and attacker, their usual bluntness.

Can't wait for the season to end.

Panrich

sc86 wrote: »

Why is young barry and some of the rest of the youth team getting a run now ? Season is over for us and going nowhere

Because we'd have fans saying they're dog**** after 20 minutes if they're brought into a team playing with zero confidence.

JPA

We could get a new lease of life when Grealish comes back. No doubt we are a one man team right now.

sc86

Id rather watch a young lad learn his trade than ross barkley walk around the pitch doing nothing

Patser

Mojo is completely gone from team, especially up front. Defensively we're still not that bad, a lot of the goals we concede are from silly mess ups rather than being tactically out played.

But midfield currently is offering little control of ball, and Watkins is just so alone up front. Trez and Traore go missing too often. We really do miss Grealish massively as he could hold up ball to bring others into the game, or try pick apart a defence. He also commanded so much opposition attention that others had space.

Instead Trez and El Ghazi can be pretty much ignored by opposition, as they run too slowly towards corner flag but can't cross, so El Ghazi especially, they'll just cut back inside and try shooting against a now well organised defence. Watkins can find space, but all alone he can't win a game alone

Patser

Fulham next in 2 weeks, so there is a chance to regroup and restart for that. Hopefully Grealish is back.

Brian201888

Wesley due to play a behind doors friendly this week, might start to be in contention for the bench in the next few weeks which would be nice

GHOST MGG

JPA wrote: »

Major clear out? Of who?

Trez and Aeg we need to replace them with footballing clever wingers

Taylor and elmo are gone also..so quality replacements required

hourihane and heaton will be gone in the summer

sell davis to league 2 or anywhere except villa

Questions marks for me on McGinn and Traore

I would be happy with another striker as well as i sure as hell dont want to rely on wesley.

so the guts of 7-8 quality players..its what grealish was promised and we have not delivered

Esse85

GHOST MGG wrote: »

Trez and Aeg we need to replace them with footballing clever wingers

Taylor and elmo are gone also..so quality replacements required

hourihane and heaton will be gone in the summer

sell davis to league 2 or anywhere except villa

Questions marks for me on McGinn and Traore

I would be happy with another striker as well as i sure as hell dont want to rely on wesley.

so the guts of 7-8 quality players..its what grealish was promised and we have not delivered

Samatta and Guilbert are still on our books too. Did you omit Engels?

GHOST MGG

samatta's deal was a loan with a obligation to buy..he is gone..5.5m rising to 6.5m with addons,he has already signed a 4 yr contract with fenerbache

Engels is rumoured to be back in the fold when taylor and elmo finish their contracts during the summer and probably guilbert too..i cant see strasbourg re signing him

Bounty Hunter

Guilbert to return and provide a decent 2nd choice RB with Cash starting 90% of games when fit anyway. It feels like Engels will move on given his complete lack of game time but that probably won't be seen as a priority position (even if I'd love another Konsa style bargain CB brought in in his stead).

The priority position has to be a top winger imo, a level above Traore. A creative player who can could step into the void left by Grealish in a situation like the current one where Jack has been injured or take a lot of the pressure off his shoulders when playing alongside him.

The thing is Villa are now in a position where after that necessity position you could argue every area is solid but also every area could be improved upon so it might come down to where a top level player is available and willing to come. If for example there is a top level creative midfielder that could be brought in instead of Barkley they might snap him up, similarly the likes of Edouard at Celtic will most likely move in the summer and we could do with another CF and at least sending David out on loan (Wesley will need time and Watkins could play from the wing on occasion).

After that a backup LB should be brought in with Taylor and Elmo gone and potentially a backup GK if Heaton does not want to be a sub. A backup winger might be needed too if both Trez and El Ghazi were moved on too or if there is no youth players looking to step up / a CF isn't signed so Watkins does not become an option there.

sc86

If we want to push for europe then if you take out back 5 as up the the standard needed which it is to be fair.
Watkins is decent but need to have more than one option , most have 3 in that area , and davies doesnt count.
Midfield is where money needs thrown at , bar grealish and on a good day luiz , rest not at that level.

The problem is can we keep grealish this summer , unless we can get some big names in then it doesnt look great , he can pick whatever club he wants if he wants to move on.

Brian201888

sc86 wrote: »

If we want to push for europe then if you take out back 5 as up the the standard needed which it is to be fair.
Watkins is decent but need to have more than one option , most have 3 in that area , and davies doesnt count.
Midfield is where money needs thrown at , bar grealish and on a good day luiz , rest not at that level.

The problem is can we keep grealish this summer , unless we can get some big names in then it doesnt look great , he can pick whatever club he wants if he wants to move on.

I think Covid gives us another year, he can pick whatever club he wants but outside of City I don't see anyone spending that sort of money this summer and even they'll be focused on a striker instead

Esse85

sc86 wrote: »

If we want to push for europe then if you take out back 5 as up the the standard needed which it is to be fair.
Watkins is decent but need to have more than one option , most have 3 in that area , and davies doesnt count.
Midfield is where money needs thrown at , bar grealish and on a good day luiz , rest not at that level.

The problem is can we keep grealish this summer , unless we can get some big names in then it doesnt look great , he can pick whatever club he wants if he wants to move on.

I'm of the same opinion.

I want a physical midfielder, a Soucek type, big and strong and powerful in the air who'll play it simple.
I'd take Tammy back too. He's got a really good attitude.

As for Jack, we are ahead on progress, I know since the new year we've been poor but overall its been a big improvement on last year. I'm sure Jack wouldn't of been expecting European football this year but if we don't deliver next year, he will be gone and rightly so.

Panrich

Nice goal for Watkins on his English debut.

Esse85

McGinn scored for Scotland too.

artanevilla

Esse85 wrote: »

McGinn scored for Scotland too.

A bicycle kick no less.

Esse85

artanevilla wrote: »

A bicycle kick no less.

Yeah just watched it, beautiful overhead kick.

JPA

Panrich wrote: »

Nice goal for Watkins on his English debut.

An England appearance cost Villa a few quid!

artanevilla

JPA wrote: »

An England appearance cost Villa a few quid!

I'm sure they can afford it.

OneColdHand

JPA wrote: »

An England appearance cost Villa a few quid!

I'm sure the rise in his value due to be being an england international will cover it!

CucaFace

Fifa dropping the FFP this summer really could be a huge thing for Villa.

Hopefully it means we can speed up the improvement of the squad much faster now. It will be very interesting to see how much money our owners will be willing to put in now restrictions have been removed.

Esse85

Traore got the winner against Sudan tonight.

CSF

Grealish back in training. Poor Fulham.

Esse85

McGinn on the score sheet again.

Esse85

Esse85 wrote: »

McGinn on the score sheet again.

He scored twice tonight against Faroe Islands.

artanevilla

He is flying for Scotland. He is a good player, we've seen that, we're just not getting the best out of him.

LeBash

artanevilla wrote: »

He is flying for Scotland. He is a good player, we've seen that, we're just not getting the best out of him.

That deeper role isn't showing the best of him for sure.

Esse85

LeBash wrote: »

That deeper role isn't showing the best of him for sure.

Definitely not, Smith should really play Nakamba there and push McGinn forward.

His first was a lovely finish in the box, his second a well placed header.

Seemed to be bursting into the box regularly from the highlights I watched.

Smith needs to adjust this, a deep lying McGinn hasn't worked for a long time.

LeBash

Konsa, (well overdue) Heaton, Target, Luiz and Cash all getting offered new contracts in the next few weeks is being posted around Twitter.

I assume that means Steer will be leaving soon.

CSF

LeBash wrote: »

Konsa, (well overdue) Heaton, Target, Luiz and Cash all getting offered new contracts in the next few weeks is being posted around Twitter.

I assume that means Steer will be leaving soon.

Steer will always live positively in the memory for that run of form, culminating in that walk up to the penalty with Holgate.

Esse85

LeBash wrote: »

Konsa, (well overdue) Heaton, Target, Luiz and Cash all getting offered new contracts in the next few weeks is being posted around Twitter.

I assume that means Steer will be leaving soon.

I'll be surprised if Heaton is still there next season, at his age you'd imagine he's looking for first team action especially given he's missed so much action through injury.

sc86

Wesley injures same knee again in game today after 35 mins.
Youd have to wonder is he finished now

CSF

sc86 wrote: »

Wesley injures same knee again in game today after 35 mins.
Youd have to wonder is he finished now

By all accounts, it was just a knock so I think the above is a touch dramatic.

Young lad of 24, a good pre-season ahead of him and he will be a part of the first team squad to start next season.

sc86

I hope so , time will tell.

CSF

Konsa new contract until 2026. That is huge. He will be in the England squad before long.

Esse85

Jack not even in the squad

CSF

Esse85 wrote: »

Jack not even in the squad

Rumours Engel re-injured him in training. Just Twitter talk for now so could be anything.

remoteboy

Esse85 wrote: »

Jack not even in the squad

What is going on? Getting worried now.

JPA

FFS

Esse85

I was so looking forward to watching us today with Jack back, feel like I don't even wanna watch now, what a disappointment.

Corholio

Jack pulled up with discomfort after 10 min of training yesterday, not risked today.

rebelomar

You'd have to wonder about the competency of our medical team at this stage

LeBash

The gut says a win today.

Esse85

McGinn playing much higher up so far.

Patser

Yellow for Luiz probably deserved, but our fault for sloppiness.

Yellow for the Fulham player 2 mins later was v soft

Patser

Someone ring the Scottish team and ask them exactly what they've been giving McGinn, he's full of tricks abd trying to out Messi everyone out there

Esse85

Patser wrote: »

Yellow for Luiz probably deserved, but our fault for sloppiness.

Yellow for the Fulham player 2 mins later was v soft

El Gazhi got Luiz that card.
Can't wait to see the back of him, seems to constantly shoot when the shot isn't on.