Right…don’t have much to add to everything that will have been said. The Hammers are a bit of a bogey for us of late, having taken all the points the last three times out. They lost a tight Europa league match against Sevilla Thursday.
So. Good time to play them? You never know.
Villa will want to keep on winning. West Ham sit fifth and certainly want to stay in touch with Arsenal and their haul of games in hand.
For Villa, everyone but Marv is available. West Ham will be missing Coufal, Ogbonna, and Yarmalenko. Bowen limped off in the Sevilla loss.
For all that it’ll be a tough one, and we’ll see a little more of what Villa are made of. Will Gerrard change anything up? We’ll find out soon enough.
Over to you.
The Author
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 137
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Come on the villa boys. Good luck
I’m leaning toward a draw today but if we can continue the high XG chances coming we might just beat wet spam who are in a mini slump and missing a key player. On the other hand its those set piece problems that always surface against them not open play.
I’d start Konsa today because he’s quick. Antonio will cause Chambers huge problems
But I’d start Chambers at DM over Luiz. Chambers will actually offer more than what Luiz does he doesn’t really do anything ever.
Also chambers atg DM to go defend set plays because west ham are a huge side
If not we could seriously struggle at defending set plays today
West ham have 4 very good in the air with rice, souchek, dswosn and zouma
We need to get chambers in DM
Or else we have no height to mark them apart from Mings
Watkins also needs to hold the ball up so much better today
Current record against the top 8
Played 10 won 1 drawn 1 lost 8
Next 5 are against teams in top 8
Your task sg is to improve that if we want top half or Europe next season
Let’s go
Mark
Yeah I’m feeling a draw. 1-1
Very Intersting to see how we do. Hammers are our Achilles heel. Simply out muscle us, win those second balls and scare us at set pieces! Basically bully us.
Would of made 2 changes but that age old debate do you change a winning team
Frem- if your DM appears to be doing nothing then he is actually doing his job and the others are helping, if you see him bailing us out constantly somethings wrong. He’s actually done ok for last two three games since the switch.
Anyway I see SG has played all his favourites again 😉
It would be brilliant to get a result today. If not, then I guess the emotional pendulum will start to swing back into the ‘we’re shit and the whole squad needs changing’ zone again.
As H&V pointed out we’ve not yet proven we can perform against the better sides so today will be a genuine test of whether we truly are seeing the start of something good
Mark, you’re right that Douglas Luiz has been doing ok lately. . . . . well at least if you pay any attention to the player ratings. Twitter and other social media always seem to need a villain and DL has been fulfilling the role lately.
Not happy. Don’t like the blue kit.
Ffs digne. Massive blow.
Is this ref a hammer, dear god
Yeah agree luiz has been doing ok. Stepping up massively not playing in his best position
Jdb
Cause we’ve never win in that kit!
But luiz in the 6 role is nowhere near good enough I may add. Hasn’t got the mobility or physicality which ain’t he’s game.
Luiz is absolutely dreadful. An absolutely useless DM. Can’t tackle anyone
Everything is to narrow
Full backs aren’t providing any width, they hardly going forward
Ings and Watkins as usual have done nothing so far
Ramsey gives the ball away to often in final 3rd.. Get sanson on and get Bailey on for Watkins 433
Watkins really struggles to control a football
West ham really suffocating Ings and Watkins and know to keep them narrow because we won’t have anyone out wide
“Ings and Watkins as usual have done nothing so far”
. . . . this isn’t the Ings and Watkins with 3 goals and 3 assists between them in the last 3 games is it?
It’s a battle,in which we are holding our own,unfortunately had to use young already as a sub,will take a no score draw now
I hate that kit
JG, agreed on both counts. It’s asking a lot for Young to last a whole game although the full backs are not being asked to dash forward quite as much as they were a few games ago when we were being left so exposed all the time.
The kit just. . . . .isn’t a Villa kit!
Is everyone’s view on the boot to Luiz’s face as predictable as I would imagine?
Red for me,Antonio’s tackle studs up should have been a booking too
Damn shame the hammers keep losing players not
Wet Spam are such a solid competant side that we can’t go gung ho. Our fullbacks don’t have much chance to attack ‘cos we are pushed onto the back foot too much.
Fuck the gods must be with us
Phil just not enough to impress against this lot the way jack did.
That’s a wrestling move
Time for Bailey, a bit of pace on the break
Buggerbums – it was just written.
Had to be why is it always us that people get a pick me up
,our midfield is too weak no strength
Well now we’ll see what we’re made of
Moyes very good at closing out games though
Another awful ref,rice elbowed Phil no booking,Chambers got more or less punched no card,
Time for beundi to show why we paid so much for
Yeah ten minutes in a game where Phil’s done next to nothing you’d expect Beundia to save us
Don’t want to play anymore. SULK!
Aaaah done again by. West spam. Just can’t match the grind of a west spam, Burnley type team.
We go again
8 games West ham unbeaten against us ,Jack must have been really good
The ref was insanely bad.
Noooooo Norwich. Did not need that
Toffees are in big big troubles
Frem is not far wrong about Watkins and luis
Ramsay scored must be 6 mins of injury time to come
Sadly I don’t think SG and his sidekick have the tactical nous against the top managers, smith did very well in that department at times, we have never looked like scoring today and only look decent against the lower sides.
And there goes Beundia setting up a goal for Ramsey 🙂
Whou, hang on a bit…………….
Sg can only work with smiths players as yet
When jacked played against these at least we looked like scoring, they won against the run of play mostly, we haven’t been in this for most the game
JG Lol you don’t think the likes of Lange etc have had a say then?
Twice now in injury time beundi gives the ball so cheaply
We were very pretty and dinky but were just overpowered in the end.
Damn. Just not quite enough. They are solid, West Ham, quality wasn’t quite there today.
Oh well we’re back to we will be ok when we have an entirely new team with non of the smith players except the really good ones lol
Another damp squib under SG against one of the better sides.
Gerrard got it wrong today
We have a good squad so use it
Sanson should have started over Ramsey. Sanson can actually keep the ball
Coutinho hasn’t got the legs to play 2 games in 4 days.
He should have came of much earlier
Luiz is just again useless as a DM
And I don’t care what anyone says Ings and Watkins just don’t work together and Watkins is just absolutely awful this season
I just want the summer transfer window.. Sell Luiz and Watkins and buy a a DM and maybe guve Davis and archer a chance
This 4312 is just way to narrow and teams will figure it out
Like west ham did
Ings and Watkins might have the odd fluke link up but more often than not don’t do anything
sg couldn’t quite pull off the tactical masterclass of coming from 2 down against top club man Utd but fair result. West Ham better then us and going for top 4.
Give us rice we don’t loose that.
John
Yeah bit of a drop off from last 3 games. Should of made more changes after Thursday? But I wanted Ramsey rested and he was our best mf and scored so what do I know!
Let’s burn the third shirt and never play West Ham again
Now PC is on the edge of the f-bomb squad.
It’s Watkins I can’t believe how poor he is this season. Just every part of his game this season has been so bad
Luiz can’t keep getting away with being absolutely pathetic in DM either.
I really would love Davis in this 2 up front though if that’s the future
He will actually hold the ball up and cause problems in behind unlike Watkins
Wasn’t a bad performance, showed us what we are lacking a strong defensive midfielder, a centre forward that can hold up the ball Watkins just can’t manage it,his best attributes is running onto through balls which are not happening, also in tight matches the combination of Watkins and ings doesn’t work.back 4 done little wrong hammers hadn’t many good chances,but midfield apart from ramsay mcginn or Luis can’t drive us forward
Frem
The window and that number 6 will come.
Is just what it is today. Lost to a better side than us at there place.
I’m all for a meltdown and I wanted blood after toon and Watford but the table never lies. We are a ok mid table ish team 10th to 14th. To get anything from the top sides need a lot of 9 out of 10 performances
James
Yes it was an ok ish bit tired performance. But Ings scores first could of been different. Fine margins. Going a goal behind against moyes is usually difficult.
And this formation won’t be any good against teams as good as west ham are defensively
You need to open west ham up. You won’t beat West ham down the center
It’s OK against Leeds Southampton etc but against the better sides we need to go 433
Like against arsenal
Most the time Phillipe ons and Watkins are so close together it hinders usb
Then mcginn Ramsey and Luiz the same
And cash and young not wide enough or far enough forward
We played right intk rice and souchek
I agree Frem on the width against better sides, it can’t come from full backs that you can’t advance, that is down to tactics. Sometimes you can’t play a winning side in this league if its the wrong shape.
Games like these won’t persuade Phil to stay either unless he’s lost all ambition.
Will that six improve us that much? he will have to be some player. Lots of team have sixs like Brighton and they still struggle.
Aaah
Sg
What I’ve found today is we need more profile stature. Ie a midfield shithouse
Get me on your books Steve could of told you that.
Rice the difference. We ain’t tooooo far away. But then again the prem is just so hard. If you ain’t on it its competitive as hell. Can easily have a bad season like foxes
Frem
Yeah it’s tough man. As soon as Antony went off your thinking yeah but then see 2 cdms a a mid 4 in front of them…..break that down! Surprised we pulled a goal back!
And like we all know there bullies….kicked the shit out of us
A number 6 in this team would be like night and day…..doesn’t have to be amazing either! Just look how we were with nakamba. So so much better. Mcguinn doesn’t have to worry about helping luiz, full backs can roam knowing there’s cover.
It’s a complete game changer.
Bookmark this and watch us next season with one
Martinez again by the way. What a save that was. Didn’t think I’d ever like anyone more then bosnich but I do! Just world class
Hurt hope digne injury not too bad. We rely on the full backs
“There was not much in the game. It was decided on a few moments only. What I’ve found out from today is that we need more stature and more profile in the team.”
It was obvious in January Steven
We are such a small side
Luiz shouldn’t be anywhere near a DM role
Chambers should have started there
We should have signed a 6ft 4 DM in January and didn’t
Apparently the club only realised today we are pathetic in midfield
Watkins getting slaughtered again on twitter for just not having any interest in playing
Funny that, we play one of the tallest sides most physical sides in the prem and bingo we are small.
H&V all the good sides have very good DM’s not that many are 6’4″
Yeah don’t have to be giants to be a good cdm! Although it helps, see Fabinho, Rubén. Although we do lack height. Just that physicality and athletism. Poor Dougie is trying but isn’t mobile, quick or hard enough.
It’s no secret we’ve known it for 2 year!
We are small
We are no threat to any team in the air. We offer nothing from attacking set plays and always dodgy defending them
Dswosn should have scored from a corner they won both headers in a matter of 2 seconds
We are very easy to dominate
Luiz especially is just horrible
Got walked past a few times that nearly let to west ham goals
As Gerrard finally realised today we need a good DM
A physical DM.
Also arsenal will smash us if we play this formation against them
Gutted. The ‘Aammers have done us again. I expected to get something from the game today, but all we got was disappointment.
Not a lot between the sides. Agree that Rice was the difference. We have some tough matches coming up. After which, we will have a good idea how the land lies. Didn’t close Yarmalenko down fast enough. But Ramsey can hit a shot.
Good effort from our lads imo
We are a working progress but I defiantly see progress
Yes Kante would be nice in the middle but Rome wasn’t built in a day and buying Bissouma for silly money in January is not the right thing to do ,,, funny how things change Phillips could be up for grabs in the summer now
SG has not changed his formation by the way as if he plays 2 strikers one will drop deep into one of the 2 ten roles
Jack is not as good as courts never has and never will be , saying that Jack would have been a lot more effective SG’s system than he currently is under pep though he will shine at Citeh eventually
Arsenal even better than the hammers its going to be a very tough game
Very happy we are sticking to non hoof football keep doing what we are doing the fluidity and correct playing staff in all positions will follow
looking back maybe we should of settled for a point and not gone for a win. sanson or chuck on to sure the mid up instead of bringing bailey on?
no dramas though, we are safe and sg can use this time scoping out the squad.
would like to see a bit of rotation though tbh.
give chuck and sanson game time even tim at cdm
Watched the full game on Sky last night and could not believe how much we struggled in getting the ball out from defence with far too much tippy tappy, and again when we were forward how many times w went backwards. Free kicks not being used to our advantage, pushing forward, still just tapping sideways. It was like w have gone backwards again.
There was some good play and we were still even at half time. Too much perhaps, trying to play through Coutinho, rather than pushing on forward. Watkins was very poor, struggling with the formation.
Bailey, not a good substitution, and the second goal was a direct result of him losing the ball, why did Chuky not get the chance instead. He would have been a far better choice. Bailey still has a long way to go, and only saw one nice touch from him.
Ramsey did very little wrong, scored a cracking goal, and always looks strong.
Chambers would have been better as a CDM, with Hause in the back four, always capable of good headed clearances.
A reasonable game, but one with a bit more forward drive that Villa could and should have won.
god villa tweeted digne youll come back stronger.
jesus chirst. nothing iritates me more than key injuries
PP,
“Watched the full game on Sky last night and could not believe how much we struggled in getting the ball out from defence”
Yeah, we have been struggling playing it out. Some fine margins in why, but the end result is that someone keeps getting trapped and has to just lump it.
runtings,
Think the big difference with JG is that he’d bring it up and out, which Rice was doing well for WH. Just doesn’t require as much passing. Then you either get the foul, or you’re pushing on.
Phil was dropping pretty deep to get onto the ball and away from Rice & Soucek.
JG,
Agree. Watkins isn’t a hold-up player. I’d try to be working with him on body position, weight/balance, etc. That’s how he seems to lose out. But it’s not his natural game. Situations where he can run onto the ball are much more promising.
And yeah, we could use more drive from the second three.
Frem,
No idea whether we stick with both Ings and Ollie over the summer. Archer I can see making a case for himself, as he’s that small striker we haven’t had in a while and does know how to find the net.
Davis…Seems to me the club aren’t buying it. He obviously had a tough run with injuries, and maybe a healthy, successful run with Forest could change things round. But I don’t think there’s any interest in Archer/Davis being a pairing (vs Ollie–Ings) in the PL.
Why do we jeep getting new or poor refs
High foot on Luis,
Antonio studs up challenge
Rice elbow into Phil head
Dawson forearm smash on Chambers
Rice was finally booked but proceeded to kick throw ball away nothing g said
Can’t remember who crossed the ball and West ham defender for me fouled Watkins in conceding a corner
JG, After a bad spell, I think we’ve had a couple of reasonable refs recently, but yesterday’s was atrocious. How rearranging Luiz’s face with a boot doesn’t warrant a sending off I really don’t know.
JC, Watkins certainly hasn’t been holding the ball up well lately, but I’m sure I remember that being one of his strong points a year ago. . . . . . am I completely mis-remembering?
JC, Keinan Davis is a tricky one. You ‘feel’ that there’s a good player in there. He has the strength and does generally hold the ball up well, but just hasn’t yet proven that he can score goals in the premier league.
Watkins, scored 17 goals last season which is the 4th highest number of goals by a Villa player in the last 30 years! Even this year, when he’s been going through a lean spell he’s our top scorer despite the poor service he has been receiving for much of the season.
I suspect if we let him go to Arsenal we’ll live to regret it and I very very much doubt that Keinan Davis will do better. As for Archer. . . .. . the signs are promising but it feels too soon to me.
Runtings bud its just another version of 433, Watkins definitely ends up more central than Ings who is doing what he did at Southampton dropping deep and out wide while Phil plays anywhere centrally and drops much deeper than the other two. So it has changed drastically from the tight three across the front that moved up and down together or the two tens with phil left and beundia right behind Watkins.
Then the FB’s are no longer both pushed up high, Ramsey and Mcginn are no longer covering them as much, so tactically its like chalk and cheese and not really the formation he used at Rangers and tried here. More like 4312.
Jack runs at players more while phil is hard to get the ball off even while stood still, I do think though that in Big matches jack had more individual impact. As yet the team are not able to step up to phils level in these games and he ends up a bit isolated.
I definitely thought we looked better when we stopped looking for Phil all the time and Ramsey ran at Wet spam. He is a very good attacking player and can make things happen but is being cast as something else as present because Phil commands the ball. When Ramsey took responsibility we looked more threatening. McGinn is also wasted sat back. We have a lot of attacking players because that’s how Smith played.
Rice is a very classy player and will be offski come the summer, if we find something similar in Iroegbunam we will be very lucky indeed. Rice above all is a captain, similar to how Jack Led us.
Watkins no longer gets out left so much where he held the ball up, he’s stuck central and is getting clobbered by CB’s.
Mark. . . . .I think you may have the answer there
Lots of good points there MK, concerning Phil and JJ, and as Moyes has said their plan was to nullify Phil, which is exactly what they did, and Rice was the main man for ensuring that, and he was outstanding in his role, driving Wet Spam forward.
Davies is actually getting playing time with Forest, enjoying his football, and coming on leaps and bounds, and like Targett is happy to move on permanently.
Impressed with Conor Gallagher tonight for Palace. Never stopped running, and fought for every ball.
Very close at the top now.
Davis has missed a lot of football in his career and you cannot blame him for wanting to play. Money wise he’s not on a lot in football terms so makes sense for him to move as chances are he’s not going to be 1st choice at Villa. Maybe SG has other thoughts and he will be looked over in the summer.
PP, yes it is close at the top now. I do hope that Liverpool win tonight to keep it that way. . . . . .and give Arsenal a reeeeeeeeally tough game in the process!
My Christmas present to the whole family was a hospitality day at Villa park and this Saturday is it! I’m trying to tell myself that it’s the whole occasion that matters, but there’s a part of me saying it’ll turn out to be my worst present ever if we don’t have a great game. Let’s get that glass half full again. . . . . it’s going to be the best present ever if we have a great game!
A friend said to me that Pep has done amazingly well to get City where they are this season without a recognised striker. I pointed out that any other team in the division would have been delighted to have £100m available to pay up front and £300k a week wages available to buy a striker. . . but no . . .Pep chose not to buy a striker and have Grealish instead.
My business sponsors a project in Ghana and I met with the founder of the charity on Saturday. He invited me out there to see the project first hand later this year. The village isn’t ‘that’ far from the village where the amazing Ghana Lions supporter club is based. Cant help feeling the atmosphere to watch a game with them would be the best ever!
Robbo well gel Ghana is on my hit list and is a very interesting place .. it sits in the top 5 most peaceful places to live for a major country and despite being one of the poorest countries it has more people per head of population that go to uni than middle class Europe
robbo
re striker
does seem to be a theme. 2 best teams in the world pool and city dont play with a striker! they value work rate, pressing as much as goals.
those ghana lions are class
runtings. . . those are great stats. Have to say I’m hugely looking forward to it. Have only been to South Africa and a few of the North African countries bordering the med so I can’t wait to see something of the more central Africa. For someone who grew up addicted to nature programmes, and studying biology it’s going to be a case of better late than never!
H&V. . . .don’t you think that Pep would prefer to play with a striker but just wasn’t prepared to compromise?
a bit like us and our defensive mid
robbo
yeah i guess. think there going to get haaland.
decent clips of mings who hosted a charity thing last night. know its been said but he does speak so well. saying how weve managed to become a mid table team now. now for the next step….roll on the summer.
it is mad if you zoom out how far we have come in a short space of time. boy nswe have saved our asses
H&V, absolutely agree about how NSWE have transformed us. Still a way to go but what a start!
Yes, I saw bits of that Mings event. It’s so sad that some people still see the colour of his skin rather than the other 90% of the person beneath.
A comment on the situation at Chelski. I DO NOT feel sorry for them one iota. They’ve had the benefit of an uneven playing field for 20 odd years and they can now suffer. Their request to have all Boro fans locked out of this weekend’s cup game at the Riverside because they are unable to sell any tickets to their own fans, is chucking toys out of the pram. They quote the reason as “maintaining the integrity of the game”. FFS. You can’t make this shit up.
If I had my way, I’d stop them from playing the game and award the tie to Boro. And then tell them to go and try join some European exclusive league that doesn’t know the meaning of integrity, like they did last summer.
RObbO, hope you and the family enjoy your corporate day out next weekend. It will beat sitting in the Holte End (unless we score – the pandemonium on the Holte is indescribable).
Thanks Plug. I’ve experienced all four stands including upper and lower Holte and yes, for atmosphere it has to be the place to be. I’ve never tried a hospitality day at Villa park before (have been taken to a few at other grounds) so I’m really looking forward to it. At the end of the day though, it doesn’t matter how comfy your seat is or how good the lunch was, it’s only the game which determines whether you come away having had a good day or not!
Plug, I get why you have no sympathy for Chelski fans as their success has almost certainly been bought with dirty money for the last 20 years. However . . . . . . amongst their fans will be proper long term fans who’ve supported them through thick and thin and I do feel a bit sorry for them.
Yes r0bb0,
I am looking forward to spending Friday in Birmingham , and going to the game on Saturday morning, but the game is the one that will bring the joy!!
Agree r0bb0 about the genuine ordinary fan, but outside the game, no one gives a fig. We only need to look at clubs that have suffered already, It is time in this country, that clubs receive the same protection, as in Germany.
Last time I graced a box it was a Sunday and we got beat 3-0 by chelski, nice steak dinner but I’m not sure they appreciated me shouting at the glass.
chucky linked to dortmund. looks like he is holding out for germany. shame but there you go, what can you do,
linked to enzo fernandez. looks decent
If he can get himself signed by Dortmund then you can at least see the logic and understand why he’s holding off signing a new Villa contract. It could be a good move for him. Just about anywhere else feels hard to justify from ‘his’ perspective. He’s had more game time with us than any other player in the premiership of his age so it’s not as if he’s being held back, but Dortmund is the one ‘top’ club where we ‘may’ get more playing time.
At Villa he is gaining playing time, he’s being coached by one of the best midfielders this country has ever created and he could be hailed as the next ‘one of our own’. . . .he has seen how Ramsey has developed so he knows it’s possible.
If he goes to any club other than Dortmund then he really needs to question whether his agent really has his best interests at heart.
These stats don’t mean a great deal, but I did wonder if there may be something in the fact that outside the top 6 teams, 3 of the top 6 ‘most progressive yards carried’ last weekend were from Villa players: Coutinho, Ramsey and Mings. Mings certainly seems to have given greater license to drive forwards and it does at least break the cycle of tip tap, back and forth across the backline.
Chuck is 18 years old. I was that age once, and for sure, I knew very little in the work place. I relied heavily on any advice I could get. It’s safe to assume he’s following advice right now. Which puts his agent under the spotlight. In who’s interest is his agent imparting advice?
The paths open to Chuck are several and varied. Each should be explained in full to him with the pros and cons. He could sign a 2 year extension which in reality puts off the big decision for 2 years when he’ll be 20 years old. Matters should be clearer to him then and he’ll also be a bit more mature.
He could sign a longer deal with someone like Dortmund as mentioned above and he may turn out to be unhappy in Germany. It’s a risk. Or he can sign what Villa have put on the table and then concentrate on breaking into the starting line up. The least risky of all. But of course, his agent won’t like that option.
I wish the lad well and would love to see him in an England shirt. I would love it even more if he was a Villa player when that happens. So…..what do you reckon Chuck?
Not just Chuck’s agent. What about his parents? Are they swayed by the agent too? They should be able to give him some advise as they’ve been on this planet at least 20 years longer.
Me? I have given up on him. I wouldn’t play him, there are others who could use those minutes to better themselves and Villa.
I love the comments on Chukwuemeka and his agent. None of us have any knowledge of what Villa have offered, length of contract, amount of wages, bonuses, etc.
It may only be a two year contract that does not offer a lot, or it may be a five contract that ties him down too much. We just need to wait until there is more information, and no one needs to agree anything before the summer, when he still has another twelve months of his existing contract to run, and Gerrard has made it clear that he will be at Villa Park until it runs out!
Chucks stuck in no man’s land, wants to play and believes in himself, to good for the stiffs and has multi million pound investments in his way with more likely to turn up this summer. That path to the 1st team is evaporating is the way it looks.
Mark,
You may have thought the same about Ramsey, but he’s shown he has what it takes to compete with the best and earn his place. Maybe Chuck (or his agent) don’t believe he has what it takes to compete with the talent now at Villa so he needs to take a step down to where there’s less competition for places.
not sure villa can do a lot more. like you say robbo hes been given a path and has had more minutes than anyone of that age in the prem, hes only just turned 18.
just think he has seen the bellingham/sancho effect in germany.
a fair few times gerrard has brought chuck on instead of sanson, young but think hes annoyed he aint signed now!
Good perspectives on Chuk.
You’re never going to keep everyone happy. With Villa’s commitments atm, doesn’t seem like there’s a clear starting path in the short term.
He’s a hot commodity at his level/age, and it’s good he backs himself. No idea on the advice he’s receiving. See Joe Grealish. At 18, though, it’s easy to overestimate yourself. Likewise, if he can maximize his returns this early, he’ll be encouraged. Good for him long term?
I imagine that if he were truly forcing his way into the side, there’d be more appearances and minutes. Fits the model, etc. And though it’s tough to come on and make an impact when you’re young, I’ve not exactly seen him take anything over. Some nice flashes, but it’s taken JJ a long time, and he still has real ups and downs in terms of influence and total contribution.
SG’s not going to be forced, and there could well be lots of change during the summer that may or may not benefit him.
Robbo no I didn’t think that about Ramsey as he came in at a time when we were pushing the youth angle and adding many kids for big money to the stiffs, he was the standout for the U23’s. There then started to be a bit of a blockage and many started to look at the door, in fact many were got rid of too. Purslow I think then made a big thing about there being a path while Smith was still here but we went out and bought big again.
So I can see why He would feel that with two expensive tens in the team his times limited with more incoming. Sanson can’t even get a start so as we did sod all in the cups how can he prove himself? Training is very different to proper matches, some are fantastic in training and come matchday shrink seen it many times.
Hey you seen the stats that come out for all players outside the ‘top 6’ clubs? I’m afraid I’m a bit of a sucker for them.
Anyway, the latest one shows the players that have created the most goal scoring opportunities per 90 minutes, and top of the list is Buendia. I’m sure Gerrard would like to find a way of fitting both him and Coutinho into the starting 11 and suggestions are that he’s been trying again in training.
Looking forward to seeing on Saturday if he manages to pull it off.
booom digne not bad at all and will prob play for France. awesome news.
Nakamba getting closer too. full training soon. lets go.
i do however admitedly have a few toes on the beach. my relegation worries after watford have gone. going to finish mid table ish whatever.
bring on the summer transfer window
booom tim signs a deal. least he sees s pathway at the villa.
take note chucky
5 and a 1/2 year deal that sees him as part of the 1st team.
lots of worries about the youth which i dont understand as its been the strongest ive seen in decades.
some proper talent and lots of it too. lets go
Timely sg comments today re youth.
I’m a academy product, I know what it’s like having a pathway and I’m not focused on age. If your training well and out performing others you’ll get a chance.
Relax. If your good enough you’ll play.
Relax, H&V?
What if I’m not good enough?
For one Tims a DM and we have none except Marv and two as I pointed out that attacking mid/ 10 slots in SG’s system is super catered for. Phil, Buendia, Ramsey, Aaron Ramsey, Bailey, Ings, McGinn, Luis, Sanson. We have as they say a plethora of attacking talent and I haven’t mentioned them all.
Training and matches are not the same, playing against your own team every day is not the same, anyone think Ramsey would be anywhere near the team if he hadn’t been given minutes? I certainly don’t. What it comes down to is we have invested a lot of money and we would have to sell many soon after buying to give him match time without the cups and Europe.
Maybe the Brentford B team approach would help that as you get to play any team that wants a game, that includes Barca etc. Still not competitive games but you get to show up against class players rather than your mates.
I would say also that he backs himself, as we have seen with players that go out on loan and get to play they get a taste for being part of something rather than being on the outside looking in. That camaraderie can be very strong as we are pack animals and shouldn’t be underestimated. If you personally see yourself as better than some team mates and don’t get a look in while getting further down the list it breeds contempt and isolation, this is where the manager earns his salt with man management skills.
Big Chance today with the quick turnaround and Arses loss to pool, well as good as it gets. We have all thought we stand a good chance here and come a cropper. I think Arsenal have the players to cause us problems lets hope they come out as that will suit us.
Too true, MK.
Fresh page up.
UTV
1 last thought, He will be talking to the players that have gone out and are playing, compared to him who has been kept in the squad they are gaining experience he is not so I understand his frustration.
SG mentions in his presser how many players he has that are all fighting for a place due to injury’s sustained for their countries. None of that will give him much hope he can see pitch time.