Worried about who Dean Smith is going to start for this one, that is.
If I see Lansbury or Hourihane start, I think I’ll have totally given up with the manager.
I’m also worried about how this game is going to go too, as I fear it’s going to be a case of men against boys, with Burnley bullying us all over the pitch.
The problem is then who comes in?
Well, if we need to move from powder-puff, flair players in the middle, we probably need to go with Nakamba and Luiz. The trouble is, they’ve been tried together and it really didn’t work.
Am I the only one who wishes Whelan and Hutton were still here? I know they weren’t the future, but at least you knew they’d get stuck in and dish some stick out, just to make the opposition think, which is what we’re sorely lacking.
Anyway, squad news and on our part, Kienan Davis and Tyrone Mings are back in contention.
Matt Targett is suffering a hamstring problem and the extent of it isn’t known yet, but I don’t think he’s much of a loss anyway, as he’s been awful of late.
As for Burnley, defender Ben Gibson and Aaron Lennon are back in contention. Johann Berg Gudmundsson will be pushing for more game time after making his second consecutive substitute appearance.
I have a connundrum.
If we’re not going to go gung-ho, surely this is a game where we should go 3-5-2?
Or more accurately 5-3-2, which I think is what the formation more often reflects.
To be honest, I don’t think formations are as solid as they used to be years ago, as they’re more fluid these days, with players moving well out of position and more following the play (which explains why our RB in particular is so often caught out of position), but we definitely line up with four at the back when defending under the current system.
Ideally Targett would have been available for the system to work at it’s best going forward, but he can’t defend for toffee anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.
The point is, we add another defender to beef things up.
Either way, Elmohamady starts for me.
Or does Dean stick with the more flairy side of things and go for it?
We’re on a hiding to nothing, in my opinion.
But regardless, we cannot keep playing Jack Grealish on the left, as he has been sussed out in that position and teams just double or triple up on him, safe in the knowledge that there’s very little threat from the rest of the team.
He simply has to play in the middle, where he might well drift left, but the defenders can’t track him so easily.
The player himself has said out on the left is not his favoured position (but added that he’s happy to do the job, to keep Smith happy), after all.
And he has to play further forward, just behind a or the striker(s).
How long will it be before Smith sees that he’s wasted playing in our third of the pitch, as much as he’s probably more effective at tracking back recently than Targett is?
Okay, I hold my hands up in saying that I don’t have a clue as to how we can possibly win this game, but if Dean Smith sticks with his philosophy of being gung-ho, I think we’re going to be beaten easily.
I don’t see a big scoreline, because Sean Dyche is a canny manager and knows that he doesn’t need to win big.
I’m going for a very straightfoward 2-0 win for Burnley, although I hope, probably in vain that we can get something out of it.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what I think.
Smith will go his own way, which is admirable, but I suspect will end up costing us.
Remind me someone, if we sign a player tomorrow, how long before he can play?
I think if it’s Wednesday, he can play Saturday?
Not that I’m expecting anyone to come in that quick, but my god, we need some players in sharpish.
How about this for a stat – or stats.
We haven’t won at Turf Moor in 22 games – the last tine we won there was in September 1929 – yep 1929! And we haven’t won in 11 games (home and away) – last win 2006.
We have the worst away record in the division and haven’t kept a clean sheet on the road (in the Prem) since January 2016.
Anybody think that’s going to change?
Ooh, you like stats Hitch?
Here’s another one.
We haven’t scored from a header or a corner this season, apparently.
Shocking, just shocking and almost unbelievable, if true, regardless of what anyone thinks of the manager.
I think it depends whether Mings is fit to start so hard to call it but if Mings is fit then we might see Hause at LB with Engels coming back in to partner Mings.
I suppose Elmo should play but why not play him in front of Guilbert rather than Trezeguet?
We have a problem wide left as I don’t think Smith will fancy El Ghazi to start – hence the temptation to play Grealish out there.
Either Marvelous or Luiz but I agree with you Badger, they don’t seem to work playing together.
Oh, and yes – Hutton but I certainly think we missed a trick by not keeping Whelan for another year – think how much Marvelous and Luiz could have learned from him.
I’ll go completely mad 1-1.
*not Hutton
Mings might be available, but will he up to speed?
And will Smith throw him straight back in?
If he isn’t 100% he shouldn’t start, imo, as much as some of us see him as vitally important.
Concentrate on offering a threat to the opposition should be the priority, imo.
As this is the biggest problem, I reckon.
I haven’t predicted for along time Hitch, Badger, but I will today. We will get stuffed and both have said why, we don’t score with heads because of the crosses and hopelessness of a forward line .3-1 Burnley.
I think Smith’s lost it, I mean why doesn’t he play Jack where he’s going to be most effective or even give him a free role. As for the rest(apart from McGinn, who’s obviously sidelined, and Heaton), I haven’t a clue, as they’re such a mish-mash of mediocrity. Another defeat and deeper in the mire is all I can forecast.
I can only hope I’m wrong!
I have that sinking feeling in my stomach today. It means we will be beaten.
Although we have two players for each position, normally neither are Premiership quality. with McGinn and Mings out that only leaves Heaton and Grealish as our remaining quality players.
It is imperative new additions are brought in. Until this change occurs we will be the Premier’s whipping boys.
i am also feeling bad about today, mine own feelings are down to way too much beer last night, my head still is not right. i am just glad that its not me going to run around today trying to play football.
if i were smith and i am also glad that i am not. i would stop changing the team so much. i understand the thinking about why hes changing so much lately. players are all having bad games and all getting injured together.
we lacked the knowledge last time at watford. the leadership was poor throughout the team. its not jack fault he tried to inspire them but he was flogging a dead horse ( like me today)
i would bring into the team today if mings fails to recover chester. it essential we have somebody who carry pick up the players on the pitch. they are looking so vulnerable / lost individuals. best word i can describe they is rudderless. its not the leadership off field. its the moments it goes wrong for them on the field.
against burnley we need fighters and then earn the right to play our stuff. the players all need to look at themselves. because not only they are letting the club down with the recent performances, but they are most importantly letting themselves down. they are nothing close to their full potential. they are like a rabbit in the headlight frozen to the spot. it is a time for one of them to come of age and become a leader and tie another bow to their skills. i really believe in this squad. i didn’t think we win the league, but i thought we had enough to finish strong finish above the relegation without missing a heartbeat.
i would pick heaton
elmo chester hause taylor
grealish luiz hourihane
el ghazi wesley trez
that side has more experience and should do a job today. burnley will go for our throats from the first to last whistle. you can expect high balls to be pumped into our box at every possible opportunity. burnley are not playing great themselves. we should stop feeling sorry for ourselves and enjoy the fact we are in the premiership and test your game on the best around
1 2 villa win
Agree with much of what you say Nath.
For me if Mings isn’t fit then Chester or Engels. We forget Engels is a more experienced player albeit in the Belgian League but he’s also played in the. Champions League with Bruges.
My other change would be to play Guilbert at RB with Elmo in front of him instead of El Ghazi who provides no cover. As some wag recently put it El Ghazi has now gone into winter hibernation mode!
i just think if chester is anywhere near full fitness he should play. solely down to experience. against watford it was very evident we lacked leadership. other games it was only a thought we were missing mings leadership. but agaisnt watford you could see this when they went to ten men.
our players knew what they had to do, they switched things up, but without a real organiser / leader it was disastrous. we simply sent men forward and wide. but forgot to do the basics on defending. this was all down to lack of organisation and no confidence to express. to build your game to express you first need a solid platform. this where we lost that game
guilbert has looked bad he had a mare against soton, but this was partly down to el ghazi and namkamba both hanging him out to dry, engels i think might be carrying a injury. i put taylor in cause what look like a hamstring injury to the left back targett
lastly i know both the wingers i picked are playing bad but we have no options. without them we have no pace what so. no width we carrying no dangers to the opposition and that means they can maximise on hurting us without the fear.
I think Elmo could do a job on the right and he would make us more solid rather El Ghazi who is hopeless defensively – and we can’t afford luxury players at the moment. Tbf to Trezeguet he does put in a shift and contribute through tracking back – all you can ask of any player – do your best.
my mate just txt me said the games on bt sports 12.30 this that correct ??
yeah el ghazi and trez are hopeless bad at defending part and at the moment attacking. but i think teams look at us and see we carry no dangers especially down the sides. so they are loading up on our full backs. playing trez and el ghazi hopefully will give us a outlet. i think the players are giving their best they are being hit by lack self confidence/ belief. i hoped the norwich win would restore this
Happy New Year to everyone.
May 2020 be a good one and one in which Villa avoid relegation.
Happy new year to everyone.
Not looking forward to today’s game. I think Burnley will be very similar to Watford and bully the Villa nice boys.
My team would be 4-1-3-2
Heaton
Elmo Chester Hause Taylor
Nakamba
Guilbert Luiz Trezeguet
Kodja Grealish
Prediction wise I’m going for 2-0 to Burnley. Please prove me wrong!
damn it is a 12. 30 ko i was relaxing here trying to shift the hangover. now dashing around not good for my head. we better win if i start drinking again today on top of my hangover.
p/s teams will be out in 20 minutes
352 or 532 lovers will have their wishes formation change for today
Looks like it Nath
BFR will be happy. He has read your posts and decided his formation was pants! 🙂
Still only 10 men though. Wesley starts…..Again!
I don’t think formation will make any difference today, but I do believe it’s the way to go.
Will we see some fight today?
Not losing yet 🙂 🙂
Yes! Jack!
First headed goal this season!
F*** VAR. Seriously a joke!
VAR says no.
That’s a total joke.
Supposed to be clear and obvious when using VAR. Clearly that’s not the case.
Joke of a decision that given how our season has gone will screw us over and Burnley will go on to win its almost guaranteed!
That’s the part that annoys me Holte.
0-1 and even VAR can’t screw us over. I knew playing Wesley was genius. 🙄