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

pavb2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118479571#Comment_118479571

Big opportunity for Sanson, he really needs to start performing and repaying Villa’s faith in him

Esse85

Digne starts, Coutinho on bench.

JPA

They need to target Maguire, have Buendia and Watkins running at him.

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118480552#Comment_118480552

Maguire isn't playing?

artanevilla

Grim.

circadian

What the **** was that?

Esse85

Enckleman moment there from Martinez.

Shocking goalkeeping.

Doubtful it was a free kick to begin with.

JPA

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118480561#Comment_118480561

Ah,thought he was back. He's on the bench I see.

JPA

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118480584#Comment_118480584

Uncharacteristic.

sc86

Of all people to let us down

Esse85

Dreadful first 15 mins. No positives so far.

circadian

Digne doesn't look ready for joining the team yet, seems very nervous.

Esse85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118480720#Comment_118480720

I'd be nervous playing next to Mings and having Watkins and Ings ahead of me who still look like complete strangers to each other.

Esse85

Buendia is so talented, our most dangerous player again. Everything good coming through him.

Esse85

Garbage performance, really poor.

JPA

Barely got started in that one. Gerrard will be furious in the dressing room.

Konsa probably gone for the second half.

sc86

If this was under smith there would be murder

Patser

Poor.

Utd have us sussed, and are well organised in defence so completely snuffing us out. Our team just seems too lightweight physically. Buendia (has been good), Ramsey, Sanson, Ings are all lovely and skillful but are just being outmuscled all the time and Ings especially has been anonymous. our team is screaming for the likes of an Ian Taylor or Carew - someone no nonsense but that can bully their centre.

Emi's mistake has gifted Utd the lead, that they are more than happy to defend.

artanevilla

System isn't really working, Sanson and Ramsey forced wide, then get the ball, cut inside, give ball to full backs, no support for full backs as midfield now tucked in, none of the front three going wide to support, full back either hits and hopes or passes backwards for a repeat.

Esse85

Time for Coutinho, take off Ings.

Patser

We do it to ourselves. Always do it to ourselves

We need 110% effort to score, but concede in weakest ways possible

Esse85

Mings should of committed.

Poor from Sanson.

The root cause is no DCM for me. Luiz is just wasted there.

How are Watkins and Ings both still playing?

Ramsey has been really bad too.

Patser

But when we do score it's lovely.

Delighted for Ramsey, great by Mings. Game on

Patser

2-2 COUTINHO!!!!!!!!

Ramsey set it up for him

circadian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118481176#Comment_118481176

You can say that again.

Patser

Coutinho assisted Ramsey, Ramsey assists Coutinho ---- the beginning of a beautiful realtionship?

Patser

Ok a draw - delighted after what was looking likely 10 mins ago but still......the goals we conceded....

Why can't we just consistently play like we did in 2nd half. Buendia absolutely killed himself out there with effor (sometimes a bit astray) but chased, harried, looked for ball, always thrying to set people loose.

We really need to sort Watkins out. He should be playing like Greenwood was, being set loose to run in on goal. Instead its all hold up, and a target man. That's not his strength. Use his speed

FintanMcluskey

Outrageous comeback regardless.

2 down and turned it around against United.

Very impressed with that

Esse85

The minute the Ings/Watkins partnership was cut, we get the first, the second soon followed. Both of them are not the answer. Ings is like a knackered car, and Watkins apart from working hard, doesn't have the intelligence or quality required.

Was really impressed with Chukwuemeka.

Thought Sanson did well other than the short back pass at the end.

Patser

Sanson looked really fired up all game - every time there was a break in play he seemed to be trying to explain a tactic to his team mates, telling them what to do.

Also really angry with himself, being subbed out immediately after gifting them the second

JPA

First Villa Park goal and an assist.

Well done Jacob Ramsey!

matrim

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118481414#Comment_118481414

Watkins has shown some nice link up play when he's the main striker in the last few games. He had a good few nice one touch exchanges last game. This week they didn't work as well be he was much better when Ings went off. I think he can show much more when it's him as the main striker with the Gerard system

Easy Rod

Buendia is so enjoyable to watch, he can be a bit of liability because everything he attempts is ambitious but I love watching him.

Realky like Sanson too, unfortunate his error that lead to the goal but really think he offers a bit of class. Probably Chuk’s best cameo so far, hopefully some more game time and we can sort a contract. Love that Gerrard had the confidence to keep Ramsey on because he deserved to be hooked after 1st half. Great response.

if Newcastle came in and offered £30m for Ings, I’d take it. It’s not working.

rebelomar

Glad of the point after being 2-0 down. It showed a bit of character and belief at least.

As Gerrard said, we played quite well after the opening 30 mins. We were very very poor before that.

Those individual errors were so unlike both players. Martinez is so good and Sanson while it spectular always looks safe on the ball.

Ings unfortunately is physically diminished. He's like a statue at times and his legs and agility look gone. The injuries have caught up with him.

Hand him a chance like the Brentford game and he'll score...but you have to really lay him up now. It doesn't work with him and Watkins. Simple as that now. We've been stung on that transfer I'd guess.

I thought Beundia was outstanding. Ramsey powered into the game also. Digne had a good debut. He will get better.

Coutinho has a lot of work to do to regain match fitness but he showed his class at times. Delighted we've taken the punt on him. Class.

To be ultra greedy we need a qulaity DM and CB now to complete a very good transfer window. Luiz has been good there but hes better freed up.

Esse85

Buendia is similar to Grealish, has the courage to take the ball anywhere on the pitch, always wants it. His weight of pass with a through ball is excellent. He's a brilliant player in the making, can't understand the criticism he gets on here.

I'd take £20m for Ings. He looks knackered. Obviously a better natural finisher than Watkins but physically declining rapidly.

Southampton absolutely mugged us off.

Easy Rod

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118482061#Comment_118482061

Yeah you’re right £20m would be enough.

I feel bad for anyone who doesn’t rate Buendia, he’s the kind of player who makes you excited to watch Villa. He’s clearly not as good as Grealish (yet) but I thought it would take a longer time to find a player I enjoyed watching as much.

pavb2

No doubt Buendia was MOM but too many players put in average performances in the first half we really missed the bite and drive of John McGinn as Utd’s high line kept us penned back.

I would have took a draw at half time as there was no cutting edge up until that last 20 minutes. The Ings Watkins partnership is a dilemma I’d take a different view from others on here and play Ings up top on his own rather than with Ollie just give him more support from midfield his confidence is probably rock bottom at the moment.

all in all a great comeback and If ever a draw felt like a victory today was it.

sc86

Fans upset at rumours of suarez join on discounted wages.

I will never get our fanbase.

To have suarez in instead of davies and wesley and people are not happy

listermint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118497785#Comment_118497785

Who's disjointed.. If its some twitter fools. That's some twitter fools.

JPA

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118497785#Comment_118497785

He's a divisive figure to put it diplomatically. People are allowed react emotionally.

Bounty Hunter

Maybe I am being overly pessimistic but unless Villa have an unbelievable 2nd half of the season I really don't see getting better than max 8/9th. Therefore I would not necessarily blame people thinking that bringing in someone like Suarez might be a short term waste considering we probably would not be able to achieve much for the financial outlay it would cost. Aging and on absolutely massive wages (the below article could be wrong but it has him at a redonkulous wage) It would make more sense to be looking to the future with any signing and investing that money into signing a new DM, getting players like Luiz to sign up to a new contract etc While him seeing out his contract at Athletico and then heading to the MLS makes more sense for Suarez imo

https://www.marca.com/en/football/international-football/2021/08/31/612e3f93e2704ee36d8b463e.html

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118497785#Comment_118497785

For me, it would need to be really discounted wages. Not because I don’t rate him, but rather because it would hinder our ability to sort the need for fixing real problem areas like midfield (DM in particular), when we’re already in a situation where we have a top PL striker (Ings)in a situation where he’s a bit of a square peg behind Watkins.

If we signed Suarez tomorrow, do both Ings and Watkins become substitutes? We only need so much depth considering we’re in no cup competitions or Europe.

It would be a lovely luxury but I have serious doubts as to whether we’re as much of a position to take on those luxuries as we think. Look at Everton’s current FFP situation. Are we sure that can’t end up being us in spite of our owner’s wealth?

sc86

All reports say heavily discounted wages on loan till end of season.

Bounty Hunter

If it happens we may as well sell Ings to Newcastle

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118499762#Comment_118499762

I’d just like to see that as a figure, because I’d imagine he’s on about 300k, so even if he’s on 150k with us, I’d be seeing that as an unnecessary luxury, given how top heavy we are already. If we have those kind of funds I’d much rather it spent on our DM for the next 5 years. Especially as we’ve already gone quite short term on Coutinho and Digne.

sc86

He will score goals , our strikers are not exactly bursting the nets at present.

I see reported now that this deal is possibly in the summer on a free

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118500202#Comment_118500202

They’re not but I think we all have faith in Ollie leading the line for years to come, unless we’re unable to hold onto him.

listermint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118500642#Comment_118500642

I think you may be more likely to hold on to players like Ollie if they get to squad with names like Countinho and suarez though...

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118501417#Comment_118501417

Agree with the general idea of the point. Just ideally not ones that play in the same position as our absolute best players.

matrim

A couple of youngsters gone out to Championship teams. Philogene-Bidace gone to Stoke and Archer to Preston.