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

Patser

VAR on our side still, best signing we made after restart last season

listermint

Tbf. You can't hang out of a player one on one with the keeper. Should have been going for the ball not the man.

Card is correct

Patser

And a keeper that can claim under pressure, strange things happening at Villa

Patser

Sheff Utd players doing their best to score, 3 close efforts at o.gs

artanevilla

So many men back and still give away a pen.

If they score they will just sit back now.

Three points thrown away.

listermint

Angles are terrible on those replays

artanevilla

Martinez bae.

matrim

He's on the way down before any contact

artanevilla

matrim wrote: »

He's on the way down before any contact

There is contact though, clear pen.

eagle eye

Great start for Martinez at his new club.

CucaFace

The 3 new signings all look like upgrades.

Unfortunately we needed about 6 upgrades from starting side of last year.

Any midfield that contains Trezguet and Horihane will struggle at this level. Miles off this level.

Target is also a huge weakness (even though i thought Mings was really lazy in his defending that lead to the Pen)

McGinn also is someone who perhaps needs to get upgraded as he has been miles off since his injury.

A proper CM would really help Grealish as he has to everything creative himself.

JPA

Playing ****, Grealish not quite on it, everyone else anonymous.

Panrich

Well we look very pedestrian up front so far. Sheffield United are defending their box very comfortably.
Grealish taking an extra touch too many times and players seem to be passing the responsibility. All very tippy tappy.
Targett is a defensive liability.
New guys all doing well.

listermint

7 shots 8 corners 76 percent possession.
Chilled with the outrage lads.. something will land. Pedestrian in finishing but the game has been in their half.

Esse85

Stocky JM needs games or he carries weight and hasn't the pace to get around the pitch as much, he was just about getting up to speed the last 2 games last season.

Grealish admitted last season it was 7 or 8 games before he was fully fit and up to speed.

You'd of said at their ages, they'd be the fitter guys in the squad.

As we've all regularly said in here, the more we see of Conor, AEG and Trez etc the lower down the league we'll finish.

Patser

Trez off Davis on 60th minute I guess. Against an organised defence like SU we need men in the box, especially since we're relying on crosses. Trez can't cross and won't get into box.

So Trez off, Davis and Watkins in centre, Grealish pushed left a bit with Targett both crossing, Cash on right. McGinn, Luiz and Hourihane to loiter centre and be told to be nit afraid to shoot to keep them guessing

artanevilla

It's very easy to defend against Villa.

LeBash

Just in the right spot!!!

artanevilla

Okay take Davis back off.

Patser

Finally!!!

Konsa

Patser

artanevilla wrote: »

Okay take Davis back off.

I'm can't prove it but I'm sure he was instrumental in that - unappreciated genius

OneColdHand

Patser wrote: »

I'm can't prove it but I'm sure he was instrumental in that - unappreciated genius

Yeah, sheff United relaxed once they saw him coming on!

LeBash

Run everything at Lundstrum and get him off the pitch, kill off the game.

circadian

Watkins looking like a decent player.

LeBash

Is McGinn finished? He looks less mobile than my grandmother.

JPA

3 points, nice start but that was dire!

artanevilla

Not great.

Panrich

That was very poor but it's the first game and the other two that missed last weekend both lost.

CSF

Not our finest performance, but 3 points on the board.

Brian201888

Hopefully we're a completely different proposition when we add Rashica and Traore to the wings. Still 3 points and we kept them generally quiet

rebelomar

3 points and was always gonna be a struggle to break down such an organised team when they sit in with 10 men but even still the performance was underwhelming.

Very slow passing and outside of Jack no creativity again. Out of possession a couple of players very sluggish in closing down.

Targett is awful. Too slow and weak and not the bravest in any aspect of the game.

Trez despite last season's late heroics still isn't good enough and McGinn had lost some legs for sure since his injury.

Positives are Cash looks like he can play ball and has good delivery and Martinez looks incredibly confident in goal. Watkins looks a massive improvement on last season's strikers but if we can't create chances for him that's not worth anything to us.

Corholio

Scrappy performance but you'd expect a bit of it really with half a pre season and 3 new players straight in. Lot of rust with some players, McGinn, Trez and Jack at times. Will be good to see Traore challenge Trez for that spot because he was the more often, frustrating Trez tonight. Cash looked fine, comfortable on the ball. Martinez already looks assured there, very comfortable with ball at his feet. Watkins will have games with more space for sure, but did well too. Still as very unconvinced about Hourihane as always been.

A 10 man Sheff Utd is about the grindiest game you could have in the league, so it was good to get the 3 points

CucaFace

Good result.

Poor enough performance i think though and im worried about the team.

We have one good CM at the whole club. Luiz. The rest are not up to it and i have to include McGinn now in this. He was woeful tonight. This will have a huge influence on this side over the season. This is hugely hindering Grealish.

Also Dean Smith still has a huge flaw in him. He made one sub in that game. One. So many players were shocking and should have been withdrawn. And our manager just can't do anything to change things.

If Trezeguet (honestly a totally brutal footballer) had been withdrawn and replaced with Elmo we would have beaten them by 2 or 3. How Dean Smith left Trezeguet on for the whole game is just a shocking indication of Smiths biggest flaw as a manager.

LeBash

Panrich wrote: »

That was very poor but it's the first game and the other two that missed last weekend both lost.

It was dire, SU were brilliant in the 2 banks, they left no space to get between defence and midfield.

Thats a huge result imo, I couldn't see us getting anything tonight before the game.

Good to see 10 of the 11 finish that started. Thought Hourihane was unlucky to get the hook, McGinn looked very poor out there and Hourihane had a couple of nice crosses, couple of through balls that were just a touch off. Hopefully its just rust on McGinn because that midfield could really do with him at his best.

listermint

Sheffield are a bloody good side.

Pleased with the win. New signings should add to the squad.

eagle eye

You'd wonder if McGinn has gotten over that injury. Hasn't looked the same player since.

Corholio

I think that's a game where would have invited way more pressure last season, especially last 20 minutes but did a good job of that I thought.

Easy Rod

People forget that McGinn was struggling with performances pre-injury too. I’m just not sure he’s as an effective player as he was in the championship. Thrives in the hustle & bustle but might not have the technique or patience required to be a top level premier league player.

Corholio

Easy Rod wrote: »

People forget that McGinn was struggling with performances pre-injury too. I’m just not sure he’s as an effective player as he was in the championship. Thrives in the hustle & bustle but might not have the technique or patience required to be a top level premier league player.

Quite possible definitely. I think tonight against 10 men wasn't really type of game though, trying to break down 10 men. He's usually much better breaking into space, linking up when playing through midfield etc. His form is a reason that the squad could do with another midfielder, the other options including Hourihane won't cut it imo.

Panrich

eagle eye wrote: »

You'd wonder if McGinn has gotten over that injury. Hasn't looked the same player since.

I'd have taken him off before Hourihane tonight.

artanevilla

That wasn't the game for McGinn, more often then not we'll be counter attacking and chasing things so his dynamism will be huge in those cases.

Jack I felt slowed the game down everytime he recieved the ball, he needs to move it quicker.

sc86

Did anybody notice the posts from sammatta fans on posts on facebook and twitter , not just one or two , but loads saying they hope we get relegated and how dare we treat him like this !

LeBash

I'd start McGinn against Bristol and run the legs out of him. He might get his mojo back if he has an 8 out of 10 then leave him out of Fulham on Monday and see if he will pick up if he feels under pressure.

He has to be over the injury at this stage, he's had 10 games and a preseason.

On his day he's as effective as Grealish albeit in a different way.

artanevilla

sc86 wrote: »

Did anybody notice the posts from sammatta fans on posts on facebook and twitter , not just one or two , but loads saying they hope we get relegated and how dare we treat him like this !

African fans are very passionate and protective of their players.

sc86

Surprised at negativity after win today , wasnt perfect but its 3 points

Panrich

sc86 wrote: »

Surprised at negativity after win today , wasnt perfect but its 3 points

We're the only team yet to concede a goal this season as well.

Patser

Panrich wrote: »

We're the only team yet to concede a goal this season as well.

Champions League form.

I think it was a great start. We've had 2 competitive games that both ended up as high intensity training matches - beating Burton with a 2nd string team, and having to break down a Sheff Utd team renowned for their organisation and then down to 10 men, so dug in better than anything at the Somme.

So 2 wins, from 1st games while settling in new players and still building up fitness, all good.

JPA

LeBash wrote: »

I'd start McGinn against Bristol and run the legs out of him. He might get his mojo back if he has an 8 out of 10 then leave him out of Fulham on Monday and see if he will pick up if he feels under pressure.

He has to be over the injury at this stage, he's had 10 games and a preseason.

On his day he's as effective as Grealish albeit in a different way.

He's lacking sharpness, and match fitness. I think as you said he needs to push hard, and get as fit and sharp as possible.

Few times today where the team attacked and he was slow getting to the box whereas before he would have been sprinting ready for the ball into the box.
He needs to work, and I'm sure he is, to get back where he was.

Corholio

Smith said Traore will be involved against Bristol City on Thursday. Also said looking at 'getting some more in' regarding players.

OneColdHand

How did Watkins do toady? Didn't see the game.