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

Patser

Sooo poor. So little strength and fight in midfield. IMO that's our biggest weakness - McGinn, Ramsey, Bailey, Buendia (Coutinho) are all too light. Great with space and ball, but there's no one there to scrap for a ball. Kamara is good but can't do it all alone.

Instead we've a load of lightweight magician, winger style players all running around and passing to each others feet before being bullied off ball as Palace drive right through. Luiz in for McGinn, Nakamba for Ramsey. Let Nakamba and Kamara hold centre, Luiz drive through middle with Buendia/Bailey/Coutinho looking for space

Patser

It's why we do better against bigger teams that come attacking us, allowing our light players space in the counter, but are woeful against organised, defensive teams up for a scrap

CSF

It’s just a matter of when. Although it won’t be now.

OneColdHand

Thats a disgraceful result. Going ahead, away from home is perfect. With the pace of Watkins and Bailey, we should have been been sitting deep and hitting them on the break. But the first Palace goal was a counter attack, with Konsa out of position, and Cash unable to deal with Zaha. Awful to watch. We shouldnt have been allowing that much space behind for Zaha to run into.

Esse85

Looks like Sarr from Watford could be signed. Seems a fee has been agreed.

remoteboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119498654#Comment_119498654

Decent player but he’ll only go backwards at this club.

Esse85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119498755#Comment_119498755

Agreed, just seems random as hell.

Other positions need more reinforcement.

Gerrard seems like a child running to his rich parents everytime he needs a handout rather than working hard on the training pitch. The club is like Everton the last few years regards signings and managers.

CSF

Who has watched us this season and thought that an exciting forward was what we were missing? When Gerrard goes, Purslow and Lange need to go with.

Panrich

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119498860#Comment_119498860

I can only hope that we have plan B in place and Sarr is part of that. If we have another manager lined up in the wings that plays with wingers, then this might make sense. I got the impression last summer that the club was holding back spending because they were unsure of Smith and I think the same might be the case now.

The timing of this getting out an hour after an horrific defeat is interesting.

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119498926#Comment_119498926

I dunno man. I find it tricky to believe that the club is masterminding signings for a new manager.

I was expecting us to go panic signing like United after today, and I think that’s what this is.

JPA

If we played with Luiz and Kamara I feel like it would since so many problems.

Mcginn had been out of position since we got back to the PL.

I don't know if Gerrard views that as a negative setup but the league is full of teams playing 2 in a pivot and they are not boring teams.

ps Sarr is excellent but where does he fit in??

Esse85

The timing sounds exactly like when Danny Ings was signed straight after the Grealish exit. Deflection, take the sting out of the harsh reality of the situation.

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119499193#Comment_119499193

Weirdly enough though, Palace are still the clear favourites on the betting sites to sign him.

JPA

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119499193#Comment_119499193

Well it was obviously lined up if true, but yes maybe it was leaked early.

Esse85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119499200#Comment_119499200

Would Eze and Zaha not be a bottleneck to Sarr? Can see the appeal of wanting to stay in London with Palace.

I fear this guy will be another N'Zogbia, Bailey, Traore, these guys never work out at villa.

sc86

Time to sack him but sadly it will be 12 or 14 games in before it happens and season will be over

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119499200#Comment_119499200

This is no longer the case btw, if this means anything. We’re now huge favourites to sign him.

OneColdHand

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119499256#Comment_119499256

I think we are in a tricky spot. We almost have to give him 8-10 games. If we sack him after 3 games, any prospective manager is going to look at that sand say 'no thanks, I won't be given time at that club.

LeBash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119499447#Comment_119499447

Surely any prospective manager will know the results have been crap for a while and he was still backed with money and big wages for players in a window to turn it around.

sc86

Have u looked at our next 3 games?

remoteboy

They need to be putting the deal together now, knowing he’s a lame duck.

Bounty Hunter

The longer Gerrard does not start Luiz the better he becomes in my mind. He has never been a DM but now that Kamara is there, you would think they would be able to form a solid Center mid partnership. If he isn't going to play I really hope another CM is signed who can do this role because honestly they have been setting them up terribly (and the Carlos injury is a huge set back) but the pieces are in place for a quality team if they can just stop being overrun in the middle and actually get possession for the players we have.

These players should not be bottom half

Panrich

Things are looking very bad right now. The heat maps for the games yesterday and Bournemouth show that we have abandoned the centre of the pitch entirely with Gerrards idiotic tactics.

Now we are signing another right winger with worse PL stats than Traore who didn’t fit our system for big money.

Its a shitshow. Losing Carlos was a blow but does anyone think he would have saved us yesterday? Palace just lobbed long balls into the space vacated by our wandering full backs and Gerrard hadn’t a clue how to stop them.

chases0102

SG out of his dept. Distinct lack of unity displayed. Should no be so outplayed by Palace (admittedly a good side mind you). In other times it would seem alarmist to be looking for a change but when you consider our fixture list and the fact that he has a worse record than the much maligned Neville at Valencia, it’s hard to feel anyway optimistic. Even the potential of Sarr seems random and directionless - like what is SGs style of play?

Esse85

It's like developing a house, having no electricity yet calling the plumber in to fix the leaking tap.

CSF

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a time where everyone on here agreed on something this big.

Patser

There is an element of it's early yet. Last season Arsenal were terrible at the start, looking almost relegation candidates but Arteta finally got the pieces in place and had a great season.

Villa look to have the pieces, just they haven't clicked. Maybe Gerrard will get it right. Meanwhile look at current bottom 3..... do you think they are all screaming sack the manager, but much higher perches they've fallen from.

But still Gerrard needs to sort something out...... the lack of fight, of a reaction is shocking on the pitch

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119501923#Comment_119501923

Arteta was bringing the age bracket of the squad down for future success. Gerrard has been increasing ours, only increasing the need to be successful now.

Esse85

Read that it was only Mings that came over and thanked the fans yesterday, no sign of Gerrard or our 'captain' doing it. Have we heard or seen any examples of leadership from McGinn yet?

Arsenal and City are 2 of the 3 next league games.

Is Gerrard like Keane at management? Lacks people skills and the ability to get through to players. Shouting and beating his chest doesn't work in this league.

Esse85

Sarr medical passed, 4 year contract expected to be completed tomorrow.

chases0102

Sounds like Sarr might be falling through

Esse85

Sarr deal has fallen through, failure to agree personal terms with the player.

Esse85

Traore gone out on loan for the season.

CSF

All is not well at Aston Villa.

Esse85

I'm not disappointed this signing doesn't happen. Seemed bizarre to begin with. It's the whole randomness of it that makes me worried. Who's calling the shots, why a winger, why now, what's the opportunity cost has that €30m went on Sarr. Where's the priority etc

gaffmaster

Gerard has lost 14 games out of 30 now I think. I just read that's worse than McLeish's record of 14 out of 38.

You'd wonder what impact losing Michael Beale has had - if any.

Very concerning times. I think he'll have until mid September to turn it around.

Panrich

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119504273#Comment_119504273

It's looking like we'd have made a great subject for 'All or Nothing'.

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119504633#Comment_119504633

Oh no. I’m not donating any additional hours listening to that egotistical pr*ck. I might dislike this guy more than Bruce (he may still end up being a better manager, but impossible to like)

Esse85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119504604#Comment_119504604

Beale is only absent for the last 3 league games, we were terribly in most of 2022 too with Beale. That excuse doesn't wash with me at all, he's the manager, the responsibility lies with him.

sc86

Hause gone on loan to Watford but yet we are in market for cb on loan , very strange.

Gerrard met sarr and didn't like him is on twitter , others claim it was over personal terms. I'm not to disappointed

artanevilla

So we are down two CBs and failing to sign a striker.

Bounty Hunter

The club are obviously happy to spend to sign someone who isn't a CB (Sarr makes this evident but hopefully it ends up being a CM) and with Hause gone the club no doubt will also be signing a CB. So there should be at least 2 signings before the window shuts.

Esse85

Would expect us to highly overpay on the CB given how publicly desperate we are to fill the position.

Panrich

I've looked back on here a year to remind myself of the feelings around the time that Smith left. It's fair to say that most felt that he had come to the end of the road at Villa and a new manager was required.

Interestingly, the feeling was that players like Mings, Konsa, Targett, McGinn, Luiz and Watkins had all regressed and that a new manager might get a tune out of them.

It was argued by some (me included) that a big part of this regression traced back to Grealish leaving. Grealish was always an out ball and kept the opposition honest. We were able to beat a high press using this out ball. One of the abiding memories of Jack is of him bringing 60 yard balls under instant control. Smiths team always struggled for results when Jack was out.

We have never replaced that and now struggle badly to play though pressure because that's not Mings, Konsa, Ramsey or McGinns strong suit. I really think if we want to see the best of our current squad, we need to sign a genuine focal point who can at least get consistently on the end of long balls.

Esse85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119507146#Comment_119507146

Common sense suggests that if Smith couldn't get a performance out of them anymore, and Gerrard hasn't been able to either, then maybe they should be shipped out.

If they were stocks, they have all peaked at previous times and appear at their lowest now.

I'd keep Luiz and Mings but the other two have more than outstayed their welcome for me and are living off past performances.

Bounty Hunter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119507003#Comment_119507003

Would not be shocked if this lead into why we might be a bit disappointed with the CB brought in and it being seen as more of a Hause upgrade than a Carlos replacement. Meanwhile actual investment might be made in the midfield. Chalobah from Chelsea on loan for example has been linked should their Fofana deal go through.

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119507782#Comment_119507782

I think there’s an argument that Gerrard’s tactical setup has been so poor that there needs to be some level of free pass towards individuals in the team.

Esse85

Very strong starting XI tonight.

remoteboy

Not taking any chances. Let’s hope for a comfortable win and no injuries.

artanevilla

I do not expect to enjoy this game.