I don’t mean us or Leeds.
I mean which Villa team is going to turn up? Because I’ll say straight from the off that if it’s yet another dreary performance, played at a snail’s pace and totally lacking energy, I don’t think we stand a cat in hell’s chance of winning today.
I also see us struggling for the next few weeks too, with a seemingly reinvigorated Wolves away, Chelsea at home, followed by the dreaded Utd away.
But I shouldn’t get ahead of myself. The reason I see us struggling is simple. We totally lack energy.
I know we’ve had the heart of our midfield ripped out and it’s easy to say that’s why we’ve been so poor. That’s obviously true, but it’s not just that, in my opinion. I’m quite convinced that we wouldn’t need all of that midfield back to have us playing more like we have done for most of the season.
I’m sure just John McGinn alone coming back would give the team a big boost. Particularly in the energy and guile department. But any one of our injured mids independently would massively help.
It just goes to show how much those injuries have cost us.
And while it’s true that I’ve said a few times that many other teams have similar problems, they’re exacerbated purely because a fully fit Villa midfield is better than most other Premiership teams, in my opinion.
Just as a reminder, who are those injuries? Yes, I know we all know, but it’s as much for posterity as anything else.
John McGinn is due back sometime in March, Youri Tielemans is about a month away, from memory and Boubamar Kamara is out for the rest of the season.
Marco Bizot is suspended after his clown act last week (I know some think it wasn’t a red because he wasn’t the last man, but I’m pretty sure that violent conduct was the actual reason).
And then Harvey Elliot “is unavailable”, which is all we’re told by Unai Emery. Because he’s too near the appearance that forces us to buy him or injured or just downright can’t be bothered, we don’t know. It’s one of the only things I dislike about the manager; he quite often leaves us in the dark over some area or another.
And then perhaps some good news is that Matty Cash is “in contention to return from injury” according to the OS while the manager himself says “he’s coming back”.
As clear as mud then and it frankly annoys me. No doubt we’ll find out shortly before kick off.
As for Leeds, striker Noah Okafor is out for two to four weeks with a hamstring injury. That apart, it’s all good news for them, because Anton Stach, Pascal Struijk and Daniel James are all back in training and .available.
Reading the Leeds website has just reinforced what I was already fearing about this game, because Daniel Farke has said what I thought in that they’re a very physical side. In fact, he says that they have the second highest physical output in the Premier league.
And I think it’s exactly that which will probably be our undoing today. If we play our lacklustre game of late, we won’t be able to match them in the slightest and they’ll just have to much for us.
I can’t believe I’m saying that. They’re 15th in the table and have obviously struggled all season. Yet it says it all about how poor we’ve been of late, to the point that I’m fully convinced that the whites will beat us today.
Leeds. At home.
1-2 then and I’m not looking forward to it.
UTV!
The thing is Hitch, even I said I wouldn’t start Watkins and I’m sure 99% of fans agreed with me.
And I’d bet it’s nearer 100% wouldn’t have started Bailey. I’m not mad on Sancho, but he offers way more than Bailey, so why would you not start him?
And what happens? Bailey goes off and we look better straightaway. And Tammy scores exactly the sort of goal Ollie would have scored a couple of seasons back.
What’s the difference between the two strikers? Ollie is simply not an instinctive striker, whether it be because he’s just lost it or more likely is just badly out of form.
As has been said, you have to go with the players that are performing and as much as I’ve been Ollie’s biggest fan, he simply isn’t and hasn’t done for the majority of the season. And that’s not good enough.
I’ll say it again. He needs taking away from the side for his confidence as much as anything, imo.
As for Emery, I don’t think we’re anywhere near hearing the occasional ridiculous “Emery out” shouts we heard at the beginning of the season and the vast majority are incredibly appreciative of him, but it doesn’t mean he’s above criticism.
As you said yourself, he needs to sort some recurring issues out sharpish.
Playing your best/in form players generally helps and is a good place to start.
The team is weakened enough without the manager adding to our problems.
Wolves 2- Arsenal 2.
Football is a mystery. It’s infuriating but it’s not a science. It happens.
Last January, we signed Malen, Rashford and Asensio. This January, we sold Malen and bought Abraham. And the midfield’s been gutted. The January signings, or lack of compared to last year, are because we’re not competing in the Champions League. Last season’s shafting at Old Trafford is still very much in effect – and that’s what they wanted.
Meanwhile, 4 home games, 2 goals, NONE from open play. That has to change; it’s not sustainable for 11 games. Is it worth giving Allison a run, just for the unknown factor, like Morgan two years ago?
Which is why I keep banging the drum that CL qually is all-important. Ihad this debate last night where I was told that winning a cup is more important. As you say, we’ve seen the result that not making the top table gets you.
As for Alysson, given the way Emery has talked him up, I think that’s very much the plan, as let’s face it, he can’t possibly be worse than Bailey has, but for whatever reason, he hasn’t been available.
I think he just wasn’t fit at one point, but it’s all gone quiet now.
I just hope Emery hasn’t had a look at him and realized we’ve made another mistake, like it seems we have with Garcia.
Problem is BFR – Allyson is injured (again) and it appears he may have been injured when he joined us!
If Elliott has 5 PL games before we have to sign him then why not use him. Is this Emery being stubborn or just that he doesn’t see him adding anything to the team?
Emery confirmed Alysson ‘not available’ for Leeds game in his press conference – also having checked back it appears Elliott also unavailable (Emery press conference) so I have to withdraw my previous comment in that regard.
Sometimes it seems we aggregate our injuries in training as well as on the pitch!
Arsenal have Spurs and then Chelsea. City go to Leeds, which won’t be easy. There are definitely droppable points there. We just need to keep going and grind out results, regardless of how very ugly it is at the moment. A win at Wolves will be huge with 10 games to go…
I can see Spurs getting a result today.
Goal for Palace last min. Guessand. WHY does he not do that for us????!?!?!?!
Would he do better than Watkins? Maybe he’s not a winger. Like Malen. Strikers keep coming and going. Ollie continues toiling.
Because Villa did not play Guessand in the same position. In his previous club and at Palace he is playing the left-side striker. Both Watkins & Rogers prefer to play there so Guessand was shunted to our right wing – where he was poor.
Effing Liverpool.
Fuckin liverpool aaaagh can’t stand this and still 12 to go
At this rate I won’t see me next birthday haaa
I know what you mean!!!!
I completely agree with Badger and Hitchens regarding the lack of transparency from Emery. It’s frustrating how players like Allyson and Harvey Elliott seem to vanish into a “black hole” of availability. I was actually trying to dig into whether there are some registration or work permit residency issues behind the scenes that they aren’t telling us about, especially for the newer lads, and I came across this page https://e-residence.com/fr/ – do you think the club’s administrative delays with residency paperwork could be the real reason some of these “unavailable” players aren’t even making the bench lately, or am I just overthinking the conspiracy theories?
Another beautiful assist by Harry Wilson at the weekend with a burst from midfield and a sliderule pass. Left footer. About 3 years younger than McGinn. 29 is not the ideal age but on a free, surely Villa have to get this done?
When the hell are we getting at least 1 of the 3 midfields back?
I think it will be after the international break end of March before we see Tielemans and McGinn. So probably 4 more league games! The problem is if we bring them back before then, you can guarantee they will be called up and get injured again for pointless friendly games.
McGinn might be back before the IB according to some reports.
Please, God! Sorry, McGrath!
Toffees holding Utd. Watch the spawn bastards do a Liverpool…
“The maximum I was told I’d be out for was eight weeks, and it’s four weeks tomorrow since I had the surgery.
“I’m well on my way, and hopefully I’ll be back in two or three weeks”.
Cripes!!!!
Effing ManUre!!!
Said it for months, they will catch us.
As long as we don’t slip below 5th place…Two 6th place finishes by a whisker would be maddening. Especially if ManUre are involved.
I think we are fighting with Chelsea for 5th. Manure without any cup disruptions and Liverpool will eventually rein us in. I wouldn’t be surprised to see us drop to 6th because of our fatigued and decimated squad. Our remaining hope could be the Europa League which is going to be far from easy. After all, we didn’t win the easier Conference league.
Just read on the BBC, if an English club wins the CL, 6th place gets a slot in next years CL!!!!!
I bet we win the EL, and get top 4…Typical us!!!
Too many English teams qualifying now. It will just make it less prestigious for an English club to win it.
Well surely that won’t matter will it as we will qualify for the CL anyway..
Seen a few comments basically resigned to Man Utd catching us. Obviously a lot of English clubs have won trophies in the last five years e.g Man Utd, Spurs, Palace, West Ham etc
Genuinely makes me wonder if we’re going to waste Emery’s tenure and not win a trophy… people are really taking a lot of this for granted and if Emery were to leave right now I tell you now it wouldn’t be pretty… take a trophy and run IMO because Emery will be here probably for another 2-3 seasons maximum before he goes to Spain again.
There’s a lot in football but I really don’t think you have much of a stand point without a major trophy in your cabinet in recent times… love everything we’ve done but Spurs were a banter club for not winning a trinket since about 2008?? Where does that put us…
So Spurs won a pot. They’re still seen as a tin pot club, imo.
Even Arsenal and West Ham, of all clubs laugh at them.
It takes way more than one trophy to be counted.
You have to be there, at the top table, year in, year out.
THAT’S why the big clubs are classed as such.
So one minute Spurs get bantered for not winning a trophy, and when they win a trophy it goes to the league table.
Lol, football fans have some innovative coping mechanisms.
2-3 seasons? This summer is a real worry…
Yeah I said max. I agree with you BFR.
Emery has consistently said that staying on the top 5 would be a challenge and he’s right – squad size followed by critical injuries have created the scenario Emery has consistently painted.
We were never going to seriously challenge Arse or Citeh and the Cups were always going to be bottom of the priority pile. Yes, it would be nice to win one but not at the cost of not qualifying for Europe.
We have to stay ahead of one, not all three, of the chasing pack – I’ve deliberately ruled out any club below Pool.
Looking at the fixture list, Chelsea should be the ‘target’ club. Win our next two games and (assuming Arse beat them this week) we will have opened up a gap of 12 points.
Simple – beat Wolves and Chelsea in our next two games and it really doesn’t matter what Manure / Pool do!
Badger who cares what other clubs think? I’d take winning a trophy and being seen as a banter club. The reality of it is, is that it’s a coping mechanism – especially for West Ham, they know where they’re going and they know Spurs can probably buy their way out of it.
It’s a sad state of affairs that finishing 4th every season is deemed more important than winning a domestic trophy. The league cup gets nothing in terms of Europe but it’s a day at Wembley and silverware which will be forever part of our history. Will any of us care about finishing 4th – 6th over the last 50 years? I do remember being at Wembley in 1994 and 1996 though.
In modern football which is driven by money, the best chance of winning a trophy flows from being in the CL on a consistent basis.
Palace won last season but it was a rarity as the domestic cups have been dominated by the top 4 or 5 teams for years – they have (all) the money and the biggest and best squads!
Lest you forget we are still in the Europa League and winning that trophy is still possible.
We got Champions League and PSR / UEFA still decided we were financially on our knees, I really do not see where the benefit of consistent finishes comes from.
All I can say Alfie’s that the opposite will be much, much worse!