Dean Smith has already said that we’re going to play every game to win, with the attitude that if the opposition score three goals, we’ll score four.
I’ve never been able to get the basic aim of football out of my head;
To win a game you simply score more goals than the opposition.
And that is the bottom line.
But of course, we all know it’s not quite that simple and there are various ways of winning a game, whether it’s by a war of attrition or just a blatant outclassing or even trying to frustrate the opposition by parking the bus.
And we all know it’s equally easy to lose a game by having the wrong tactics and going all out to score against very good sides who will punish you if you leave yourselves open.
And it’s this latter part that concerns me.
While many of us are licking our lips at the thought of playing Spurs in their nice shiney ground on the first day of our season, how confident would we be of actually getting any kind of result if we go at them?
Not that I’m downbeat before we even play them.
Spurs play nice, fast paced footy and I’m expecting a cracking game, whatever the result.
But that’s for nearer the game, where incidently, I’ve had the editor of a Spurs website contact me, to see if we’re interested in an article offering a preview of the game from their side.
I’ve taken them up on this and they’ve said we can post an article on their site giving our prior thoughts on the game.
I’m interested in that too, but as it stands, I don’t have a clue what to think about how we’ll do against them.
If anyone feels they could offer an opinion and write an article nearer the game, feel free to let me know.
Anyway, going back to the point, I think Dean Smith is approaching things in the right way.
But what worries me, is that I can see cases where if we go all out, we might well get thrashed on more than a few occasions and us fans will become despondent.
Or do you think we will stick with Smith through thick and thin, as long as we see a plan coming together and the team improving?
I know the answers seem immediately obvious, in that “yes, we play entertaining attacking footy, win, lose or draw”.
But I want you to think a little more deeply and consider how you might think if we’ve lost 5,6 or 7 on the trot, we’re in the middle of winter and the squad has been depleted through injuries because we’ve worked them to death and things are looking bleak.
A worst case scenario, I know, but a serious possibility all the same.
I know. It’s far too pessimistic an approach to even consider before we’ve even started the season.
But I’m a realist and want your views on if we’re approaching things in the right way.
Hence the poll.
[polldaddy poll=10369350]
Penalty! Great shot 0-3 and two for Wesley
Walsall a bit lucky with the goal as it bobbled about in the box but Sinclair took his chance very well.
I get a sense of things coming together as I watch us play.
Did he use the elbow on Green, it very much look like it.
Sorry Bill but I was replenishing by beer supplies when that happened…
Jota again!!! Brilliant strike.
Jota and Wesley look so comfortable at this level.
This level being the important part.
They need a much better test, for me.
It will come Badger. You can only beat the team you’re playing.
True, true.
I do like the fact we play Shrewsbury and Walsall every season.
I’m all for adding to the coffers of our localish clubs.
A good first half. Attacking style of play. Especially impressed with Wesley, great first touch, intelligent distribution, creates space in the box and scored. Moreover, the perfect penalty.
Jack scores! 1-5
So both Wesley and Jota have two goals and one assist each so far…
Interesting that Smith hasn’t changed it up yet.
McGinn, O’Hare, Thor, RHM all coming on
Now the changes come.
It would seem the coaches have run the numbers and are happy fitness-wise.
A good, easy win.
Besides Jack and John and Tyrone who you take as a given played well, Jota and Wesley were immense. I thought that Jota and Guilbert might be a really potent combination on the right. Also honourable mentions for Lansbury, Engels, RHM and Conor.
So far, so good….
Only seen bits of friendlies – tried to watch tonight’s game on my phone on way back from watching a less than inspiring England cricket team at Lords!
Anyhow just wanted to say how good I thought Jota has been from what I’ve managed to see to date. Anybody notice how much he resembles Dennis Mortimer on the pitch – if he turns out to be half as good then we have ourselves a bargain.
Hitch, Yes I thought there was something familiar about him!
We relied so much on Jack for our creative moments last season that it heaped unfair pressure on him – which he coped with to give him his due. I think that Jota might be able to share some of the creative burden and this will allow Jack to be more adventurous. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him scoring a fair few goals this season.
Game tonight couldn’t have gone much better.
I liked what I saw last night. If I had to make a criticism it would be we do get drawn in to make a few bad decisions when comes to passing out the back. Apart from that I thought we played some really attractive football and was impressed how quickly they have got to where they were last night. Stand out players for me were Jota, Target, Mings , Grealish and Lansbury. If Lansbury continues this pre season form then Dean will have to consider him, what a lovely surprise that is. Grealish looks like he’s added some pace into his game a little bit.one more player to add to that list is Green. Looked powerful, direct and had a awesome effort come of the crossbar. To think Trez will be added to what I say yesterday is just brilliant. Engels and Mings look like they could become a brilliant partnership. I just worry that a not to clever keeper behind them makes the whole defence look weaker
I also started to panic last night. Why did we only give Jota a 2 year deal. If he is what he looks to be this time next seasons the vultures will come and he will be at a bargain price. I hope there’s a clause there to bolt on two years depending on performance?
Get Heaton in asap. 7 mil is peanuts for a quality goalie!
Tom, maybe Jota is playing so well because he’s only got a 2 year deal. It’s easy to get into the comfort zone, as we’ve seen with all the players who were on 4 years and recently left. I’m sure they’ll extend it if he deserves it…
Here it comes, who f is this player
Aston Villa have agreed a deal to sign midfielder Marvelous Nakamba from Club Brugge, reports in Belgium confirm.
The 25-year-old Zimbabwean international looks set to link up with former teammates Wesley Moraes and Bjorn Engels at Villa Park.
It was previously reported how Nakamba boycotted returning to Brugge after the African Cup of Nations in order to force a move to Villa. Brugge, meanwhile, have demanded a fee in the region of £12m, according to Belgian news outlet Het Laatste Nieuws
Bill, nothing on the AVFC site so not official as yet. The press have also said that deals have been agreed with other clubs in the last few weeks and nothing has come of it. Another centre mid-fielder? We’ll see.
Still waiting for Luiz to become official. That can’t happen soon enough for me.
Backup for Luiz. I hope he’s the new Ngolo Kante…
My only concern is that he essentially went on strike to get the move. Doesn’t sound like the type of character we should be bringing in. Time will tell.
The squad is now looking like it has the depth we need. The final pieces of the jigsaw are a proven PL keeper and a centre forward, with their counterparts leaving to balance things up. Probably O’Hare, Keinan and RHM going out on loan. Please, please NOT another unproven, foreign keeper. We should have learned that lesson!
This Pat is from 7500 website, another site that’s saying about him and Luis deals, hope its true.
According to numerous sources, both domestic and European, Aston Villa are set to sign Marvelous Nakamba in the coming days.
This news comes after sources close to the player confirmed to us last week that a move was underway.
Marvelous, a decent defensive midfielder, will arrive at Aston Villa following a spell at a Club Brugge team that he never really fit into. Disagreements with former coaches and rotation in his position caused this. Nakamba would later ‘go on strike’ to force a move away from Brugge after the Belgian side seemed to scupper talks with Aston Villa due to their fee demands but it appears that things have moved forward.
Nakamba will cost Villa upwards of £11 million and is set for a medical. Following this, he will be announced as a Villan, and the tenth signing of the summer.
The Douglas Luiz move is still pending, but club sources stated in Minnesota that the deal was done. It seems that Villa will bring in both Nakamba and Luiz to revamp the defensive midfield
Douglas Luiz announced subject to work permit (which is odd – given that it’s been rumbling on that was the hold up). Great signing – really great.
After watching the game to me, this was the one area in the field that I felt we were clearly lacking. If we’ve got a baller here, who can not only protect the back 4 (who again looked too casual for me) and spray passes forward then this is a very exciting signing for me.
Phew! As they’ve announced it officially I can’t see there being any real problems with the work permit.
Welcome to VP Douglas. Hope he plays on Saturday.
This won’t go down at all well with Sam Allardyce.
According to Big Sam we should have only signed three players so I assume he would have given new contracts to all those thirty something fringe players that we released or, perhaps we should have gone with a first team squad of 15?
I get that signing so many new players is a risk (as per our relegation season) but I would prefer the risk associated with the business we have done rather than the risks from a strategy as suggested by Allardyce.
Well worth watching Douglas Luiz’s interview –
https://www.avfc.co.uk/News/2019/07/25/club-tv-douglas-luiz
He sees himself as a leader and why not? He was captain of the Brazil U 23s who just won a tournament and he was named as player of the tournament. He seems very grounded and mature for his age.
Can’t help feeling that we might have got a real bargain there.
I seems like one of Smith’s criteria is leadership qualities. He said as much when he joined the club. Great stuff! A team full of leaders is like the title winning Arsenal of old, while the opposite is the powderpuff modern Arsenal. The results speak for themselves. So, young, technically talented, leaders, and hungry for success. That makes for some team. Now Smith and his team have to mould them and build that all important camaraderie. If this happens, we have to be aiming to win our league and finish 7th!
Marvelous Nakamba I personally hope we don’t sign for the same reason previously mentioned, that he could be a trouble maker if he doesn’t get his way.
Douglas Luiz certainly has the credentials to fit in with our current remit of young hungry players who should increase in value. My only concern is that Citeh can activate that clause the moment he looks class! Consolation that they will have to pay more than we paid for him.
Where does this leave Hourihane and Lansbury? Fringe players possibly who play cup games which will be harsh IMO. Lansbury has been on fire in pre season so far and deserves an opportunity. It’s possible that Bjarnasson and Lansbury could be sold before season starts.
Next two signings need to be a goalie and a forward. Offload either Hogan or Kodja and either Kalinic or Nyland and loan out the likes of O’Hare and Hepburn Murphy as long as it’s a minimum of championship football. Anything less would be pointless if we want to escalate them to first team.
It’s definitely the busiest transfer activity I can remember for Villa and still plenty more to happen before we kick off at Spurs! Poor Sam!
Agree about Nakama. Would rather keep Thor as back up to Luiz.
So Luiz is in the bag?
That’s the kid from Man City, yes?
If so that seems a great signing, as Pep rates him highly (if he hasn’t been cute and stitched us up).
I’ll have to look at the details of that deal, but the word was Blue Manc have a buy-back clause?
As for Marvellous, agreed, I don’t want an agitator down the Villa.
Unless he’s been told by us to push for a move.
I don’t believe for one minute we’d do that, hence he will not be coming, imo.
Oh, as for Allardyce, I actually think he’s right.
But only if you have the quality base to push on from.
As biased as I am, it’s plainly obvious that the overall quality of the squad was way too low to survive in the Prem and 3 players wouldn’t have been anywhere near enough.
If we can just survive this season, that’s when I would expect small numbers of serious quality to be added, year on year.
I’ve had quite a few conversations with other prem club’s fans over the last few days and the question is always “how do you think you’ll do?”
And the consensus answer is “just survive” on both sides.
As it happens, the Spurs fan boasted about us playing at a big ground (who didn’t know if it was home or away, although he does attend; go figure) and fully expects to whup our arse, because he’s abnormally confident about how they’ll do this season.
“It’s just like us to score 5 with 20 to go and then concede 6” was his quote, when I told him our aim is “you score 3, we’ll score 4”.
He totally conceded that anything might happen in the first game of the season.
It is indeed, a funny old game.
Which I suppose, is why we love it.
The Telegraph reports that – ‘Aston Villa are on the verge of making their 11th summer signing with the £11 million capture of Marvelous Nakamba, after completing a deal for Douglas Luiz.’
They’ve been pretty spot on so far so does this mean we’ve virtually bought an entire team? Still a goalie to go though.
I hope this isn’t the bad apple that spoils it all.
I’m a little concerned that we have bought another team in players, how many players are going to get games and by all accounts one player is known to be a rebble and worried over what’s going on in the dressing room. I see players knocking on the managers door for games. I trust Dean to act on any discontent that pops up!! It might be the backroom team are thinking of making a few quid in January.
I’d guess that players will be rotated. If we’re to survive in the Prem we need a good squad not just a good first eleven. I’d also guess that there’s some redundancy there and players who don’t hack it will be gotten rid of in the January window.
Like most of you I’d guess that I’m quite surprised by all the activity. However, we just have to trust that Dean, Jesus and Christian know what they’re doing.