Following a depressing 0-1 setback against Sheffield midweek, Dean Smith has made three changes, giving Morgan Sanson his full debut, Trezeguet his first start since November, and a return for Douglas Luiz after a two-game layoff.

For me, I don’t know that there’s much to be said that hasn’t been already. I figured rotation was on the cards after a midweek game, but Sanson’s inclusion also says that Smith didn’t see enough from Jacob Ramsey against the Blades. I’m also going to assume that Luiz will have more energy than we’d seen before he made way for Marvelous Nakamba. Nakamba hasn’t done much wrong, but when in form, Luiz does offer more going forward in transition.

Trez? We know he’ll work his socks off. We’ll just have to see what else he offers on the day. Notable again is Ross Barkley riding the bench for a third consecutive match.

So, naturally, all eyes will be on Sanson. A bit of a mystery buy without many meaningful minutes, he’ll be asked to do a lot today. I’d guess that he and McGinn will trade off defending and attacking, but it may well be that SJM stays upfield more in the #10 spot, with Sanson taking on more defensive responsibility.

Would be nice to pick up some more points while Jack is out, but as we’ve seen, no game is easy, and Wolves are certainly a far better side than Sheffield, even without Jimenez. The game could be more stretched, and I’d imagine Dean will have Villa coming out looking to force the issue and get that early goal that seems to determine our fortunes. But Wolves also like to press and play the counter, so it could be a cagey affair.

I’ve got a commitment, so won’t be watching along with you live…I’m hoping that’s good luck.

Over to you.

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John Clark
John is co-owner of AVL, and has followed the Villa since the '70s. A journalist by trade, he is, by most accounts, a very nice person. You can follow me on Twitter @JClarkKohoutek. It's an astonishing experience. Or a complete waste of time.

Comments 129

  1. Frem

    SHOOT WATKINS

    YOU HAVE TO SHOOT FUCKING HELL

    See Trezeguet is still wank. Passing it out for a goal kick.. He’s got absolutely zero composure

  2. Frem

    Why is Watkins passing it there absolutely shocking decision making and once again no quality in the final 3rd

    Now trezeguet has just let the ball run out for a wolves goal kick

  14. Frem

    As usual absolutely no idea in the final 3rd

    Is this all Smith can do? Wolves have 3 centre backs and er think just putting crosses into Watkins will work? And absolutely awful crosses to

    Try and actually come up with something Smith different

  15. Mark King

    Fuck me frem, what has Nuno done? How many shots on target have wolves had? You said he would easily work us out, your just talking tripe bud.

  18. Haggis

    FFS give it a rest. Was you never told if you can’t say anything nice then don’t say anything at all. You have ruined this site.

  22. Paul Pears

    A very good first half, and unlucky not to be in front, with Sanson and Trezeguet giving good account of themselves.

    The only negative was Sanson getting an unnecessary yellow. Impressed with how well Elmo is dealing with Traore, and Bert making sure he is helping out.
    We look comfortable enough, we just need to step up and get that all important first goal!

  24. Plug

    We started off brightly but then the game has settled into pretty uneventful. Can’t help feeling we need the crowds back to lift the players.

  36. Frem

    Still keeping the same formation that wolves have walked over second half.. Won’t go 2 uo front just keeps same system with Watkins wide

    Absolutely wank Smith

  37. Frem

    This is no different to Big Sam football. Absolutely dreadful. Hoofing it no idea how to retain possession or create chances

  38. Frem

    Grealish ain’t even watching the game that says it all

    Smith is not good enough

    His only tactic is Jack Grealish

    This football is absolutely shambolic

  46. Villalore

    Back on AVL after a bit, looks like Frem is back with the verbal diarrhea

    Poor second half, though the ref didn’t help with giving soft fouls. Luckily their finishing was sh!te or we would have 2 down. Unfortunately we are unable to create without Grealish, doesn’t bode well

  47. Haggis

    Mark. Of course he is not happy, we didn’t lose. Have a good weekend lads, I am really not in the mood for the tsunami if abuse towards villa about to come (as if there wasn’t enough already).

  48. Mark King

    Villalore it wasn’t good with Jack recently we just need a break can’t believe Watkins has hit the woodwork 8 times.

    Haggis enjoy mate

  49. Paul Pears

    We live to fight another day. Just hope we do not have any serious injuries…
    Was it a point gained or two lost…..

    Football is a game where you never know the outcome…

  50. Villalore

    MK – I agree, we have been flat and really owe it to the defense and Martinez for keeping us in the points. Having said that, no one seems to be playing consistently except City, and possibly Chelsea. 40 points, 12 games to go. Hoping we go on a run and have a strong finish.

  51. Plug

    Looking for the positives…..we have 40 points after 26 games. We’ve collected another clean sheet (just – how did Saiss miss?)

    On the negative tab, we have starting finding goal scoring difficult when not so long ago we were prolific. A poor second half performance.

  54. Heroes-and-Villans

    Right line up [should of been against blades] right subs. Just a classic game of 2 halves. Well happy with the first half and should of been a head. Second half went to shit. Really bad. But that’s what wolves do to every team it seems! Love a second half!

  55. Heroes-and-Villans

    Haha dear frem. Man you need to just calm Your tits. It’s mind boggling how upset you are in our best season in 10 years! You’re a mad man! But just calm with your opinions as I agree with a lot you say. I’m confident quality will be added

  56. Heroes-and-Villans

    Positives

    Ollie Watkins. That man is absolutely class. Work rate is just insane. So unlucky with his shot but should of shot instead of passing to Toure.
    Sanson looked classy. And the back 4 [ everyone apart from elmo] quality.
    And we are on 40 points already. Would not of believed this at start of season.

  57. Heroes-and-Villans

    Negatives. Playing Elmo instead of Kessler. Pointless. Toure was useless again and worrying how we just stopped second half. No pressure no urgency and ball a hot potato arrrrgghhh

  58. jbd656

    Any chance of a software tweak where F!*m could make his comments but anyone else could have the choice of blocking them. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t see or take notice of anyone else and just uses the site to vent his psychological problems.

  60. Haggis

    John. You’re a legend. I always want a win and especially against wolves but we got 4 points off them this seasons compared to none last season. I thought Trez was great today and really think with more game time will come even better. I would prefer him on the right wing and maybe Bert in a 10 role as again I didn’t think Barkley played himself back into the squad. Best positive about is that I don’t have to read 400 negative posts.

  61. r0bb0

    Shame I missed the first half (I was finishing planting 1500 trees . . . to help save the planet Mark ) Apparently we played much better in the first half than the second.
    The half that I saw wasn’t great and it was particularly sad to me that Douglas Luis just didn’t seem to be finding the spaces and wasn’t eager for the ball in the way he was at the start of the season. . . . was he better in the first half?
    Others have praised Ollie and I just love him. Martinez was superb again and I thought that McGinn and Targett also showed great energy.
    Oh . . . . and what a superb goal line clearance by Romain Saiss towards the end of the game. That one looked a nailed on goal till he intervened.

  62. r0bb0

    As Mark mentioned, Ollie’s 8 shots off the woodwork is astonishing. . . such fine margins that could have had him on 20 goals already this season.

  63. r0bb0

    If you’d said to me at the start of the season that we’d be on 40 points with 5 games to spare I’d have happily taken it. To be there with 12 games left is fantastic.
    The fact that the manager and players are disappointed and are still driving for a European place is even better.

  64. Haggis

    Hello Robbo. How’s the vegan diet doing. I think I’m the only person to become vegan and gain 3 stone. So much variety out there now. The Pukka vegan chicken and mushroom and minced beef are amazing.

  65. r0bb0

    Haggis, we were vegan for the whole of January but do at least one day a week for the rest of the year. Have cut out all beef but still eating pork from a pig raised on an organic nursery where they were used to clear the ground in readiness for planting.

    Putting on 3 stone from a vegan diet is impressive! ( I lost a couple of pound in January despite eating more than usual!) You’re right about there being so many good vegan options these days. Have you tried ‘This is’ chicken? It’s a bit pricey (although probably cheaper than chicken breast fillets ) and really tasty. We actually use it in preference to chicken in stir fries, curries. etc.
    One downside of the vegan diet . . . I find all that fibre makes me a little . . . errr. . . anti-social in the evenings ☺️

  66. Mark King

    Robbo- I hope your planet saving went well although you might have to chop them down in the near future to keep warm 🙂

    Lads, The Vegan made up diet? I will pray for you when I’m eating my Steak later.

  68. Mark King

    The last 8 games tell a story, 4 with jack and 4 without, two wins 1 draw 1 loss with jack, and 1 win 1 draw 2 losses without. Jack got two assists one against Southampton in a 1-0 win and one in the 3-1 loss to wet spam.

    In many of those games he was marked out of the game and not at his best. Most of the games we were under the cosh and its really Martinez and the defence that has given us points with or without him as we all know the midfield and attack isn’t operating as we’d like and the chances have dried up recently.

    That points yet again to the covid enforced lay off as the catalyst, I hope we can get some sort of form back to upset the big guns coming up . Might just be a dip in form which happens to the best, if it is then we have still taken 11 points in 8 games where as the likes of Southampton and Wolves both good sides with good defences have 4 points and 12 , wolves being on a good run.

    Interesting that Wolves are trying to implement a passing game to get further up the table this season, it hasn’t born fruit for them yet but they are without their top striker. Just shows you that its not like turning a switch on.

  69. Haggis

    Robbo I’ve basically been veggie all my life so the transition was easier for me and in all honesty milk chocolate has been the hardest but there are loads out there now you just pay a lot more for them. It’s not chicken and it’s not bacon are both really nice so are the Richmond meat free sausages.

    Mark everyone to their own. At least I can say no meat passes my lips 🙂

    Feels great not having to trail through several negative comments this morning, I feel the day is going to be better already

  70. Haggis

    Robbo I’ve basically been veggie all my life so the transition was easier for me and in all honesty milk chocolate was the hardest to give up, there are a few good alternatives but are very pricey. It’s not chicken and it’s not bacon are great and so are the Richmond meat free sausages.

    Mark, everyone to their own. It least I can say no meat passes my lips 🙂

  71. r0bb0

    Haggis, yes, it’s nice not to have to trawl through the negative comments. I really don’t like censorship or the exclusion culture, but sadly there are times when it becomes the only way to avoid anarchy.
    Recently it’s felt as if a much-loved friend has brought along their infant that’s going through the ‘terrible twos’ stage of development. You look forward to the time when the toddler grows up a bit and starts acting a bit more responsibly, but in the meantime, it’s best to just leave the room and avoid the frustration.

  72. r0bb0

    Mark, you’re right, we’ve not hit the heights in recent games, but as far as results go, they are decided on such small margins. The result of the Sheffield game probably hinged on us not being given a penalty when Ollie was taken down in the box. Had we gone one up I’d have put money on us retaining or increasing the lead.
    If Ollie or Konsa had scored in the first half yesterday, again, we’d probably have gone on to win (of course they could just have easily snatched the extra point in the second half!)
    It’s hard to draw too many conclusions from results in just a few games but I think we can all see that we’re missing Jack’s ability to create something from nothing at the moment.
    Let’s not forget that we’re without Matty Cash too, and soon (hopefully) we’ll have Wesley back and yesterday we also missed El Ghazi who on his day can come up with a surprise or two.

  73. r0bb0

    Going back to Ollie not being awarded a really clear penalty . . . . he is such an honest player who never complains . . . . the opposite end of the spectrum from a twat like Bamford, which makes it even more tragic when referees fail to recognise this. It’s referees who are forcing players to become drama queens (did you see Lacazette yesterday) because they realise that it does increase their chances of getting free kicks and penalties, and getting opposing players sent off.
    It’s ironic that Bielsa was praised for his fair play ethic when he made them give back that goal against us because he will use every trick in the book to bend the rules to breaking point when it suits him and encourages his players to do the same.

  74. r0bb0

    Mark, if the gulf stream switches off then yes, we’ll be grateful for our new woodland!
    Mind you, although it’s about 15% weaker than it has been, it doesn’t look likely to switch off during my lifetime . 🙂

  76. Mark King

    Robbo I guess global warmings not what it used to be 🙂

    Haggis mate 3 stone?? that’s because you will be eating refined carbs and seed oil combinations made to make you want to eat them then, a one way trip to diabetes and bone loss, be careful my friend 🙂

    Considering government health advice has done more to destroy health than anything in known history I would not be following advice from corporations selling man made stuff from cheap ingredients for huge profits.

    Looking more and more like the countries hit worst by Covid are those with the worst Obesity and oldest population, surprise surprise.

    I have been offered the Jab, not sure if I will have it yet considering most of the NHS have refused. Lots of states in Germany have also refused, its a bit worrying. The mrs just had her second and is feeling tired, the whole of her nursing home staff are the same and worse.

  77. VillaMD

    I’m watching WBA vs Toon. Yeah, Villa is in a good place. Can’t even keep track of all the loan players.

    We were extremely unlucky yesterday. Sanson still has to find his feet. Jack back for next match. I’d play Barkley at #10, even 9. I actually think Barkley is a striker and would work great with Watkins .

    Konsa rated at -£50m by Liverpool. Thanks, but no thanks. We don’t need ur money

  81. Heroes-and-Villans

    It does show how far we have come when there’s some upset about drawing with Wolves. A team we have got 4 points off and above them with games in hand. Not long ago we were looking at Wolves like there out of reach from us

  83. Mark King

    Funny that because Luis posted really good defensive stats yesterday as did Trez, passing by Luis was not quite up to standard but he’s improved from lately.

    By the way the kid Rednapp was bigging up our bench was Bidace, apparently his friend has said you have to watch this kid play, great news as he is a quick and tricky winger. Add Barry and a few of the kids we saw against Liverpool we have a great crop coming through.

  84. John Clark

    Yeah, it’s all about perspective. You’d think we’d had enough disappointment over the years to be sat ninth (as I write) after 26 matches and be able to enjoy it. But the minute Europe looked ‘possible’, so many expectations went through the roof.

    We were always going to struggle at some point. And right now, struggling is no worse than treading water. If we were sat at the bottom of the table, I might well feel crushed by a 0-0 draw.

    Right now? It’s nice that we can hang on for a point when luck didn’t go our way in the first half.

    Just seeing Liverpool go 0-1 down to a better Fulham. When you play in the world’s toughest league, you’re going to have some disappointing days.

  85. Mark King

    JC- Clearly Klopp is inflexible and left his subs to late and Parker? what does he think he is doing using one sub in the 67th min and two in 85th? amateur hour. Meanwhile Man city unbeaten in 500 matches are one down to Utd in 6 mins! pep out.

  86. Plug

    The Wai Ayes have gone into meltdown following Fulham’s win. Their fans have gone rabid. They’re there for the taking on Friday. COYVB, we can get Spud pensioned off Friday night, if it doesn’t happen sooner.

    It’s great watching the panic, calamity, fear and anger amongst the bottom six when we ain’t one of them.

  88. r0bb0

    Mark,
    I used to think that there was no way that pro-biotics could find their way through the stomach acid but have been convinced that they can although it does seem that those in hydrated form do so better than the dried versions. As a result I do now eat probiotic yoghurts, kefir, kimchi etc.
    Even the NHS now recognise the benefits and as more research is conducted so the benefits seem to become even more pronounced. I reckon part of my problem with suddenly switching to a full vegan diet could be that my gut biome isn’t well enough primed for the change in diet.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4s0XkHq0HxZhjd5V2lQ2LRm/do-probiotics-do-any-good

  90. proxopera

    Wow. Just read about Villas two fingered salute to the Nazis in Stuttgart ‘38. Had never heard that story before.What a proud history our club has ? Absolutely chuffed !

  91. Mark King

    Robbo- some pro biotics are good most pointless, I think eating stuff they eat is better than most of them, You have the problem though of not knowing what your feeding what. That one I put the link to is in another league, Probiotics as spores work ok.

    Different foods will change your gut Biome in days and even hours, its certainly not set in stone.

  92. Mark King

    Prox I’ve never read that, bonus.

    Robbo- cooking spuds and rice then cooling them in the fridge over night produces resistant starch which your good bugs produce fatty acids from called Butyrate, or you could eat butter or animal fats 🙂

  93. proxopera

    Yep , apparently, the England national team gave the Nazi salute in Berlin the day before Villa refused to do so before beating a select German & Austrian XI 3-2 . In the follow up game in Stuttgart after Pressure from the German media and English the Villa team began the salute and turned it into a two finger salute. The German fans applauded not realising its significance!! Villa won again 1-0 .
    I really hope this story is true.

  94. r0bb0

    John,
    You’re so right about perspective. This time last year we were in 19th place, 4 points off the bottom and this year we’re in 9th place and just 5 points of a place in Europe.
    We’re not playing with the same verve that we did at the start of the season but we’re missing a few players and a few others are not hitting the heights that they did early on. Maybe it’s also down to a change in tactics which sees us playing slightly more conservatively. When we have Jack and Matty Cash back it would be good to see that we can still open up and play with the verve that we did early in the season but our ability to close down games shows a more mature approach to playing in the premier league which is also welcome.
    I suspect we all feel that over the next month or so we’re as likely to be looking over our shoulders as looking up the table, but putting it in perspective, my start of season wish for us to finish between 11th and 14th leaves me very happy with this season so far.
    I still feel gutted when we lose and it still takes a couple of days to stop regretting each bad result, but overall we’re still seeing the club advancing season on season. . . . . what a contrast with the past decade.

  95. Plug

    Prox, I believe the story is true but we really need JL our once resident historian here to confirm it for sure.

    MK, simmer down please.

  97. r0bb0

    Proxopera. . . . I’d never heard that story before but having read a few articles now, then yes. . . .would love it to be true!

  98. Ian

    R0bb0
    I was also hoping for a mid table finish to the year. All this talk of European football is wonderful but in reality not a feasible position to go for. Part of the problem is the media who, I think, extrapolate the performance of a few games and project a top 4 or top 6 finish. Everyone knows this isn’t going to happen but we fall for it every time. The true miracle was beating the drop last year. The next true miracle would be European fixtures next year. Expect that in the fall of 2022.

  99. Mark King

    You have to wonder whether Our players brush with Corona may of had more of a neurological effect and as such changed reaction times enough to knock a fair few off their game? Brain fog etc is known to happen even if you haven’t had it bad.

    Apparently the only animals the virus effects is basically Us and Lab Mice genetically engineered to have certain human like traits for testing purposes. Not at all suspicious for a Bat Virus that was chucked out of labs in America in 2015 only to end up in China at Wuhan . Normally Apes are effected by corona Virus but this one hasn’t touched them despite the Vaccine now being given to them in Zoo’s the poor sods. It isn’t a kill shot Virus as the demographic it effects are not Soldiers but whether it escaped or was put out there I don’t think we will ever know, to much muck to rake over, reputations and to many vested interests.

  100. John Clark

    Leaving virus origin theories alone, I do think the outbreak has certainly had an effect on Villa.
    Neurological? Certainly plausible, likewise simple fatigue or an inability to recover the same.

    Always possible to have a dip in form without any external factors, but there’s no way Luiz goes from where he was to where he is just on ‘form’ or loss thereof. It’s definitely something related to endurance, to my mind. Maybe even for Ross, as well. Trez finally reappeared for a full start.

    The other theories (teams have figured us out, Smith no Plan B, etc), again, are within the realm of possibility, but the correlation between the outbreak, the quarantine, and the slew of fixtures just seems too hard to ignore. Maybe not the whole story, but it’s certainly a factor. Especially if observers are saying teams are tired and struggling with injuries due to the compressed fixtures.

    Even before Jack was hurt, and he said he tested negative, he seemed a bit off his game, and the side in general haven’t been as quick and coherent. There’ve been moments and halves, etc., but the inconsistency, the lethargy, the slight change in tactics (to emphasize more sitting back)…They all seem worth considering in a wider context.

  101. Ian

    You could almost put it down one game specifically. The game against Burnley where
    Villa looked like Barcelona in their prime for the first half then went to bits the second and threw away two leads and finally lost. They haven’t been the same since.

  102. Heroes-and-Villans

    aaaaaaahh 12 games to go and on 40 points without a care in the world. Its sooo nice for my brain not looking at upcoming fixtures for villa and also our relegation teams. Sitting through say burnley v arsenal and cheering on arsenal like there villa.

  103. Heroes-and-Villans

    my thoughts are on the summer transfer window. Very very interested to see if Jackie stays on the left or we tweek it and go 2 eights.

    My dream is sand der berge. Main priority for me. Then Buendia and Olise and Eduardo.

  106. Canadian Villan

    Well I enjoyed the game against Wolves, hitting the woodwork a couple of times seems to be the requisite for us these days before we score. Thought we could of took the game quite easily if one of them had gone in off. same as the blades, Ollie gets hit from two sides and no call, it’s as if the ref’s have been told those Villan’s are getting above where we want them, peg ’em back a bit!!!
    Nice to see Frem get his yellows up enough for a suspension again, he ain’t a bad lad during the closed season, but boy does he get on your pip during the season. Time for straight reds now me thinks. Can’t see us going for Barkley now, he has dropped the ball for me, after the first few games I would have bitten off Chelsea’s hand to make it permanent, so glad it wasn’t on the cards now. For me I’m still not convinced on Traore, yes he has that bit of class but doesn’t put him self out there like the rest of the team. Trez reminds me of Frank Carrodus, up and down the line doing the jobs of two guys, no special skill set but boy takes a lot to cover him. We wouldn’t have got as far under Saunders with out Frank, you always need someone in the team to do all the dirty stuff, and that’s our Trez today, and I can say it with out Frem coming back to tell me I’m totally wrong and he’s schit.

  107. Heroes-and-Villans

    ideally troare will be a future super sub. And player that can play your cups games and cover injuries and bad form.

    When someone like him his on your bench you know you have a strong squad.

    Id imagine you know he will love it when fans are back, bit of a maverick

  108. John Clark

    Ha, Canadian.

    Yeah, there’s a lot of value in the work Trez does. And he gets in great positions, takes advantage of the focus on Jack, but just hasn’t been able to finish of late.

    Traoré’s a tough one. Definitely skillful and quick-thinking, but still trying to do too much, and as others point out, his over-reliance on his left foot makes him easier to defend. If he’s going to work out, he definitely needs the FB overlap for crosses to come in from that side and give defenders choices to make.

  110. jbd656

    Don’t know what the problem is with Guilbert but I hope he comes back next season and gets put out on the right flank with Cash. Sure Cash would love to do the right wing/right mid job. Don’t think many teams would get much joy down their left wing.

  111. Plug

    Yes 656, I would have thought it was worth a go with Freddie at RB and Cash RM in front of him. Youth, pace, energy and skill in spades. Think we’d be quite strong down that side. But Deano and Freddie are obviously not on the same page. We don’t know whether it would work until we see it in action. That’s not happened.

  112. runtings

    Re Trez

    I think Frem though grossly overstated has made valid points re his end product and decision making
    Someone on here said a while back that they think trez would make an excellent right back and I think his attributes do suit that type of position more

    out of all of this young group trez has maybe made the least progress in ter4ms of his game improving however this is Villa and we love a tryer , reminds me a bit of Scottish cafu with the determination he shows but also the execution in general

  117. John Clark

    H&V,

    Don’t disagree. There’s talent in both Ghazi and Trez, but we can certainly upgrade. Trez always seems very rushed, mentally. Ghazi just blows hot and cold, and it’s a little frustrating seeing how good he can be, especially when he’s driving into the channel.

    Not the end of the world, though, and if they hang around for depth, great.

  118. Mark King

    Trez is a puzzle, I think at this point he has a bee in his bonnet in front of goal. So far this season he could have 6-7 easily bar a bit of luck The one assist is low But from what I have seen in his vids over the years he is quite creative and can beat a man. still only 27 and the quickest by a mile in our Squad.

    last three seasons at other clubs Belgian 1st div 21 games 6 goals then Turkish 1st div 31 games 13 goals (19 in all competitions) 6 assists and 34 games 9 goals 10 assists.

    For us last season 7 goals in all competitions 2 assists which was not bad all things considered and what we were like. I think he lacks confidence and as JC said he rushes things. Biggest problem might well be his English or lack of.

  119. John Clark

    I don’t get to watch a lot of other leagues (time, basically), but I’m wondering whether FBs in the PL are just a higher standard across the board. As hard as teams work to get the extra MF player helping, as well…It’s not easy.

    Seems to me most sides try and capitalize on breaks, not just “counterattacking” teams. When talking patterns, etc., I see a lot of teams, including the top ones, cycle it the way we do when trying to work an opening. The big difference is the quality (which Ross brought initially) of the interplay.

    You see the big sides pinging it around when probing against a set defense, and again, that’s just down to quality. There’s no magic in the patterns, and they’ve got several players who can turn, beat a man, and really pull things out of shape.

    Anyway, a digression on Trez and the wide forwards facing really tough defenders every week: lots of speed, strength, very high work rates, and generally complemented by good players helping. It’s probably easier to accumulate good stats elsewhere, and very difficult to translate players’ performances in those leagues to the PL.

  120. runtings

    based on various accounts including many players I think its safe to say the prem in the most difficult league to perform in and its the hardest and most competitive league
    In terms of tactical approach I think the way Brighton, Leeds and Southampton play are the 2 most potent systems of play in our league and I believe if any of these sides had the quality of a citeh or spurs for example the would be racking up cricket scores , this is because the style of play opens up the opposition and creates a huge amount of attacking opportunities

  121. proxopera

    The reason why I always stick up for Trez is because I believe he is genuinely always trying his best . When the great escape was faltering last year , Trez scored two against Palace and one against Arsenal to give us the 6 points that saved us. This was at a time when no one only Konsa was scoring from corners.
    For me , Trez starts every time , runs the opposition FB into the ground and Traore comes on at 70 minutes . I bet Cash and Elmo would prefer to have Trez in front of them.

  122. runtings

    Prox I do like our trez as well
    Troure bangs in the goals which is a must for one of the attacking 3 but of course defensively he is not in trez lge though I can see that side of troure games improving
    Trez defiantly stepped up for us I think players and staff though will have to step up there levels if villa like I think they will show ruthless ambition or be in danger of being upgraded on

  123. Heroes-and-Villans

    yeah don’t get me wrong I like trez. He does crack me up. Pure emotion. Absoulte madman. He needs to let it go when he misses a chance or does anything bad. He gets close to tears! And like prox says he grafts well which always gets the fans onside

  125. Plug

    Guardiola having a whine. He reckons no-one ever gives them anything. Selective amnesia. His team were struggling to break us recently as the game moved towards its last knockings and they were given a penalty for free to help them get over the line. FFS.

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    The same guy that wants 5 substitutes. The same team that wants a European super league. They’ll be wanting to appoint their own referee’s next.

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    Think Deano should throw a curve ball at Spud tomorrow and pick Chuk or Bidace on the bench to run at them when legs start to tire. Spud loves over 30’s in his team.

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