When Rudy Gestede scored his first goal for Aston Villa, in the first game against Bournemouth. It seemed as though we may have found a replacement with Benteke, after scoring a towering header. 5 games and that statement couldn’t be any further away from the truth. Gestede arrived at Aston Villa for a fee of £6 million from Blackburn. Since then, he hasn’t really done much for Aston Villa.
For such a big player, he struggles to outmuscle opposition defenders nor does he actually win too many headers in the air. The tactic of hoofing the ball to Gestede is something I’m not a fan off, but can’t understand why Sherwood keeps utilising. Neither Agbonlahor or Gestede are really winning the ball, and that style of play isn’t what the fans call attractive either. We have creative players this year with Gil, Grealish, Sinclair and Traore. We need to change our style of football.
When it comes to protecting the ball, Gestede doesn’t fair much better. Agbonlahor knows how to use his body more affectively, and did win a few freekicks for Villa. Gestede on the other hand, looks rather invisible whenever he plays.
The worrying thing is that, whilst I feel it’s time to give either Ayew or Kozak more game time it seems as though Sherwood is convinced that Gestede can step up.
‘We looked a little bit more threatening in the second period when Rudy came on and we loaded the box up with more bodies.’
‘On Saturday I don’t think they got an awful lot of service to feed off so I couldn’t be critical of them and they worked very hard’
‘We’re hoping it’ll just click and something will fall for them in front of goal’ – Tim Sherwood
It appears Sherwood is hoping for lady luck to turn Gestede’s form around. But as thing stand, other forwards are more deserving of a chance rather than Gestede. If this form continues, it seems very likely that Gestede will not be at the club next season.
It’s very early days yet, Adam, but I have to concede that Gestede hasn’t looked very good up to now.
That said, you make a good point in saying that he hasn’t really had much service.
I think many of us agree that Kozak should get a chance and tomorrow would possibly have been his chance, but given the importance of the game, I can’t see it.
It’s still early, but I’m just baffled that Kozak really hasn’t been given a chance. Gestede hasn’t really been too threatening either and we just played (lets be honest) easier teams in the League.
Hopefully he’ll turn it around, but so far he hasn’t looked like that kind of player that can make an impact for us
Nether do I , Sherwood showing lack of mentality in the team to me, holding players saying their not ready, why take them on in the first place, I’m beginning to think he’s at a lost and out of his dept of what to do, its no good saying give him time, the signs are there now that he’s struggling as what to do, I’ll give him another few weeks after that I’m getting at him, 29 years worst performance come on see the sign’s tomorrow is crucial to all Villa fans.
marvelous, bury your heads in excuses, let’s talk about what he should be doing, it’s a managers job to put it right lads, and let me tell you he’s not doing just that is he.Your saying Kozak should be playing and our central midfield is inadequate, we all know that’s the case why doesn’t he.
Erm…u ain’t Bill…
Trouble is I am . just cannot take what’s going on.
I think Bill that Sherwood is being an asshole where Kozak is concerned he is not giving him the chance not his player and I don’t think he ever will I’m afraid Kazak is out of the picture another arrogant manager who ain’t for turning and Wilkins is a muppet who I doubt has any input in squad selections have to wonder why he actually is at the villa to be honest
don’t think its the players so much its more the formation. for years we have been crying out for a genuine attacking midfielder now we have two but we are not good enough to play with both, they leave a huge no mans land for the opposition to exploit it matters not who you have as defence when they are doubling up you have no chance, think one of them should be benched when gana is fit leave westy and sanchez to spoil the opposition play from there you either play with a big centre forward or quick and nimble depends on who you are playing .plan a & b without too many changes.
Bowery looked better than Gestede and he is woeful.
If you look at Benteke his weakness is off ball movement but if the ball was delievered to him he was a beast.
Then another striker we had Holt was a great off ball footballer who was awful on the ball.
Gestede has nothing and just looks lost off the ball as well as on it.
My worry about Gestede is that he may be a one season wonder, and we were the fools that fell for it! His ex-team mate Jordan Rhodes was scoring goals for 2-3 seasons before Gestede’s arrival at Blackburn, he’s still scoring goals now but no team has ever taken the plunge to take him from Blackburn. I’m not pushing the panic button yet, but did we take the wrong Blackburn striker? Maybe we should’ve stuck with Nicklas Helenius, I know he had his problems, mental and otherwise, but the brief glimpses I had of him he looked a much better player than Gestede, and would’ve saved us £6 million!!
By the way, I’m not adverse to giving Kozak a run in the team, but he really is a classic case of becoming a better player the longer he goes without playing! From what I saw of him, he was okay, not a bad hold up player, quite a good finisher but about as slow as my Gran, and she’s been dead 20 years!
Sorry to hear about yr Gran, Dave. Hang on, yr not the pigs head loving PM are you? (We don’t even need to say ‘allegedly’ if Lord Ashcroft has published a book about it!).
See Gabby’s scored three times this week on the front page of The Scum today? Wish he was as prolific in front of goal…
On a purely footballing front, I haven’t got a bloody clue what’s going on with the club. Seems we needed to KEEP Benteke and INVEST the £50m we spent in the summer. We lack a convincing front line. Get Veretout in there too…(on the pitch, not up front).
Was never going too happen, doesn’t happen at any club like that. You either sell your players for big money and reinvest or you invest 10-15m like a 99.9% of clubs do.
We were in a bind like Liverpool. They sold Suarez and invested in the entire squad, we did the same with Benteke’s money, problem is, like them, they never adequately replaced his goals (until they got Benteke if he starts scoring for them), like we didn’t with Benteke. Hopefully we’ll get that number 10 filled in January.
Statements like that from Sherwood make me wonder what planet he is on! What is it that he is seeing that I’m not?! Give Kozak a chance!
I watched Kozak at the Saddlers last week against Brighton he was absolutly shocking, he had about 20-25 chances and never finished one of them, he lacked any movement off the ball, and gave it away more than he used it, I am not defending Sherwood cause I think at the moment he is a bit clueless.
Gabby needs to be dropped for tomorrows game, I dont care how up for it he is, we need to chnage the game plan, Tarore is not fit enough yet and we need him for the pool game the weekend.
I would give a couple of the unknowns a game tomorrow to throw a spanner in the works, I see us getting beaten, this will then put so much pressure on Sherwood saturdys performance will be the turning point with the fans I am sure of this.
Oh dear! I thought Kozak was our last hope!!
Think what worries me is that Sherwood never watched Gestede, but based it on the stats that we cross the ball more-so than 75% of teams and Gestede was good in the air last season. Don’t think he realized Benteke was actually good all around either.
We’re not in a position to let him suck it up any more either, Ayew has to play as our CF. Has too. Enough of this 2 up front too, it doesn’t work for us. Think a 4-3-3 would work pretty well. Or a 4-3-2-1.
I would play 3-5-1-1 and play sinclair just behind Ayew or Gestede with Richards, Clarke, and Lesscot the back three and have Amavi and Bacuna as wing backs Sanchez just in front of the 3 then Grelish and Gill floating.
Big problem we have is a comanding goal keeper, or the lack of one…
Leaving Sanchez alone would kill us. Even with 3 CB’s behind him.
For what it’s worth, I think we will 100% spank them tomorrow, after reading TS’s comments about Kozac today it’s clear he ain’t playing, so start with Gestede and let him shut us all up, and perhaps put Sinclair back in the position where he started the season, back out wide, co’s prior to moving him, he was actually banging them in.
A good win tomorrow, backed up with a draw on Saturday, both of which we are capable of, and this knee jerk to Saturday can stop and we can all move on.
UTV,
I think Gestede is completely out of his depth in the premier league. Just like A few others, I’m afraid. The annoying thing is Gestede + Ayew would have pretty much been 1 Charlie Austin.
I was full of confidence going into the new season, but that confidence has been sapped. Tim Sherwood may be the manager but on Saturdays showing it may as well have been Paul Lambert in the dugout.
I know it’s still early and players need to find their feet etc, but looking at the next handful of fixtures, I’m struggling to see where we are going to pick up any points at all. It would not surprise me if we dont pick up another point over the course of September and October, which will probably leave us rock bottom going into the winter period. And this time, we have no player like Benteke to drag us out of the mire.
As for the game tomorrow night, I’m absolutely dreading it. They will come at us full throttle, and we will again collapse at the back. I have even backed them at 4/1 to win. Here’s hoping I lose my £20 stake, and lose it convincingly too.
Pray god I’m not sat next to you tomorrow……except you won’t be there will you, you have a pop at the team, then the manager and then confirm you’ve bet against us. Disgrace, absolute disgrace, words genuinely fail me.
There’s no disgrace in being a realist.
Save for Amavi, Gana, Gil and Traore, We have 2 has beens as centre backs, defensive midfielders who either/or give the ball away too often or pass sideways/backwards, and a set of strikers who couldnt hit the backside of a cow with a banjo.
And absolutely, I wont be there. I would rather spend my money on other entertainment rather than paying to watch a bunch of overpaid millionaires who are a shower of shit anyway.
Keep pulling the wool over your eyes mate.
Difference between being a realist and a pessimist. Do you even watch our games? Richards has been very good since his awful first game. Sanchez has been one of, if not our best player and doesn’t give the ball away half as often as claimed, neither does Westwood. We’ve played 1 striker, 1 out and out striker, not a set of strikers, 1, in Gestede. Until Ayew and Kozak are played as strikers, you can’t claim we have a set of strikers who couldn’t hit the backside of a cow with a banjo.
You’ve rumbled me Bum Bum, I’m ok with being the leader of the Country but being a Villa fan just stressed me out too much and pushed me over the edge. Putting my privates in a dead pigs mouth seemed the logical thing to do!!
You’re right about Gabby, can’t stop scoring off the pitch, wish he could score on it!
Oh dear Gana off to France about his hamstring.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/34318358
Are we going to end up with more crocks than fit players again?
Sounds like you guys need some more optimistic news. Here is a list of our next six games: Liverpool (A) – Stoke (H) – Chelsea (A) – Swansea (H) – Tottenham (A) – Man City (H)
Our form my improve, but getting results may be near impossible. Realistically I see us picking up 4-5 pts at best.
That looks like us being in the bottom three after ten games!
You’re right of course – Gestede is not a replacement for Benteke but neither is Kozac nor Charlie Austin nor anyone else available during the transfer window. It’s not up front where the problem lies but in midfield which has been the case for some years. Take the best forward on the planet and starve him of service and what do you end up with ………….zip. That’s not to say that Gestede is the answer either.
The side looks unbalanced – weak on the right side and lacking solidity in the middle of the park when Gana isn’t playing (and it’s beginning to look like he’s out for some time). We just aren’t good enough to be able to play Gil and Grealish together which is a bl***y shame because it’s an exciting prospect. Then there’s Vertout and Traore…………
Maybe TS will solve the puzzle and get the balance right and then again………?
In the meantime don’t assume too much ahead of the game against Blues – sadly (no tragically) they might just add insult to a week of injury!
I really hope I’m wrong.
H60 I hope you’re wrong too!
We surely must be able to beat the noses yet I’ll be watching the game tonight from behind the settee with a Plan B to disappear to the pub if it all goes pear shaped.
Luckily live 120 miles away from B’ham so not subject to the post-match banter.
Anyway let’s hope we’re rubbing their noses in it tonight!
UTV