It’s becoming increasingly difficult to comment about games, because no matter how much I might think we are going to win, we more often than not, don’t.
I found myself fuming after the Brighton game, because draws at home are quite simply not good enough, particularly when they’re against clubs that you believe are most likely inferior and at best pretty much on levels terms with the Villa.
I know you can’t expect to win ’em all, but failing to win the games you really think you ought is only going to mean one thing and it’s a failure to qualify for the champion’s League, which I believe is more important than anything we might achieve this season, winning the cup apart, of course. It’s essential that we keep qualifying to keep income up, our profile raised and everything else that entails.
That will mean we’ve really reached the next level and to me, is more important than reaching, say, a semi final, this year. But, of course I accept that Unai Emery may have other ideas, as may the players, because our game seems to be lifted when we play the bigger clubs.
Our biggest failings are, as we all know, the defence and particularly at Right Back. The opposition seems to be able to carve us open at will and the annoying part is that it’s often the first serious attack that lads to us conceding, meaning we’re up against it straightaway. You can’t keep playing games at a goal down, but we seem to not be able to avoid it.
I personally think there’s something intrinsically wrong with the way we play. If you watched Brighton, they were able to defend in better numbers than us, but still managed to press us to death, something we know we don’t cope with very well. Yet still we didn’t play a slightly deeper defensive line, which with our chronic defence is something you might think you’d want to do. Don’t get me wrong, we also seriously threatened them too, but Watkins couldn’t hit a cow’s backside with a banjo at the moment and even his penalty was poor, in my opinion, because it bounced on it’s way in.
Duran’s clinical finishing is already being missed.
Anyway, squad news and it’s not great.
Pau has broken his metatarsal and will be out for at least a couple of months. While I like him for his vision and passing ability, I’m not so convinced about his defensive abilty. He seems a bit too feeble to me for a defender and I’d prefer him more in a sweeper type position. It’ll be interesting to see how we get on without him.
Morgan Rogers is suspended for hitting five bookings in the first half of the season, as is Duran, for a red card, that upon reflection, was somewhat unlucky. It seemed to me he was unstable on his left foot and the right was uncontrollable, but it’s done and it is what it is.
In other news, Matty Cash is back and while that’s good because we should see Konsa back in by far his best position, I can’t say I’m especially pleased. We all know I feel he’s the biggest weakness in our side, but I suppose he is at least a proper right back, albeit he was originally a right winger, another position I’m not convinced by him in either. He’s not good enough defending or attacking, I think, but he’s all we’ve got. Why do I keep getting a sneaky feeling he won’t be improved upon in this window? Couple our weakness at RB with Bailey’s poor form and we look even weaker, which is a concern. It does at least look like we’re going to try to address the right wing issue, which makes sense, because Emery definitely strikes me as being far more concerned about the attack side of things.
Diego Carlos has been ruled out and I’m not sure if that’s a big loss or not. He’s another player I like, but his passing can be atrocious at times and he gives the ball away far too much. And finally Jaden Philogene is also ruled out. Again, I’m not sure if that’s a loss or not, either. Emery seems really keen on him, but I’m not so sure and personally don’t think he will make the grade. Certainly, he’s done nothing up to now, but hopefully he can come good.
As for Leicester, they have bigger problems than us. First choice goalkeeper Mads Hermansen is out and Jakub Stolarczyk will replace him. Wout Faes is doubtful. They also have Odsonne Edouard, Fatawu Issahaku, Ricardo Pereira, Kasey McAteer and Wilfred Ndidi all out for various reasons.
What to think then? It’s easy. We’ll win comfortably. It’s Villa at home versus a team that without a doubt is going down at the end of the season.
Except it’s not easy is it? Because we don’t do “easy” anymore. I’m tempted to say we’ll win this 3-1 at a canter, because that’s simply how I feel it ought to go. But the trouble is, as much as our last few games might not show it, I still believe we’re playing with relegation-type form ourselves and any result is likely, because we’re frankly a poor side, totally out of form all round.
I think I’m going to go for a 1-1 draw, but still expect the win.
UTV!
I’m fairly sure reds count for all competitions.
I think Yellows don’t.
Ah that would explain why the yellow cards in the Arsenal / Barcodes game were shown on the TV without any numbers on them.
Red cards in the Premier League spill over to all domestic competitions, namely the Carabao Cup and FA Cup.
https://x.com/SkySportsPL/status/1876923228691566993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1876923228691566993%7Ctwgr%5E25d801c104cf11261c597d2b3426a43da943d094%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fourfourtwo.com%2Fnews%2Fnew-var-audio-emerges-from-jhon-durans-boxing-day-red-card-against-newcastle
Still don’t think it was red.
The only person who thought it was a red was ‘look at me I’m so great’ Taylor.
Canadian Pete was scathing about the decision and Taylor’s lack of reffing skills.
He did however make the point that Emery is getting huffy about these poor decisions going against Villa whereas he normally accepts them with good grace. As CP says the FA don’t like criticism, particularly where it concerns ‘star man’ Taylor so Villa are at risk of painting a big bullseye on their backs. Mind you he thinks the standard of refereeing (including VAR) in the EPL is scandalously poor.
Can only agree with his assessment.
On Forest’s 3-0 away win at Wolves on Monday: 11 shots, 3 on target, 3 goals. Only 39% possession, far less passes and far less passing accuracy. This highlights why they’re second and Villa aren’t. 3 shots, 3 goals, combined with a superb defence, and you have an extremely efficient, well-oiled ‘machine’ that keeps banking 3 points, week after week. It’s a simple game. Clean sheets + take your chances = success. Villa aren’t doing either and it’s a minor miracle we’re 4 points off 4th.
The big question is: can Forest keep winning with stats like those and will Villa become more clinical in the second half of the season?
Fascinating analysis of Newcastle’s attacking play, lately. Worth a watch. Why can’t Villa do this?
https://www.premierleague.com/video/single/4220146
Potter appointed by West Spam – will we suffer the new manager bounce – wouldn’t bet against it 🙂
They will pass us to death with this guy in charge. Just get the ball and ‘go for the throat’…
Reported Philogene to Ipswich on a permanent for £20m plus add ons – medical tomorrow.
I presume this helps to fund the Malen deal although it’s complex given this is Philogene’s third move in a year!
I suspect Philogene coming back here was a deal done with the player to jack his fee and wages up and help us out with this PSR rubbish. I’m reading £21 mill, which is decent business, imo.
Meanwhile, there’s talk of a £150k a week, 3 year contract for Malen.
Still talk of Luiz coming back too. I’m shocked that he’s hardly had a game this season.
Express & Star talking £23m but that could be including ‘add ons’.
One German paper now reporting Newcastle are trying to muscle in on the Malen transfer.
After deducting our sell on fee, Philogene cost us £13.5m to buy back which represents a profit on the sale to Hull. We make a further £8m on the sale to Ipswich which funds the amortise first year of the Malen transfer (assuming no more than £24m and a three year contract)
Good business indeed
Excellent business.
Looked the dogs at Hull but I have no idea whether Unai style of play didn’t suite him or the step up was too much but he didn’t look comfortable.
Rumoured we’ve been offered Milan Skriniar by PSG.
CB with an impressive CV, captain of Slovakia. Reported he has the attributes – hard tackler, good in the air with long passing ability – that Emery would be looking for. There might be something in this with rumours that Carlosis off to Turkey for £10m
One in, one out but, if true, I’d like to see another CB come in on loan to see us through to the end of the season with Torres possibly out for more than two months given the potential problems with a broken metatarsal injury as we’ve seen with Ramsey.
‘Carlosis’: a medical condition whereby the afflicted is unable to stop making (often risky and wayward) sideways or backwards passes, inviting pressure from the opposition and sometimes resulting in the concession of a goal. There is no known treatment other than to sell the player as soon as practically possible.
🙂
Conditio Periculosum Latus Retrorsum?
Apparently, untreatable.
😃
317k a week!
I would imagine that soon put an end to that one. Even if PSG paid half, I’m not sure we’d go that high, would we?
I read £200 per week Badger which, if PSG contribute would be workable – who knows?
£200 PER WEEK?
Go get him.
Dyche leaves Everton – great that’s two new manager bounces in succession!
While I think that West Ham might get a bounce as they have some decent players, I think it might go the other way with Everton. The squad is not good enough for the PL and it was only Dyche that kept their head above water. Might have a flutter on them going down this year.
They blinked too soon. Now, they’ll be playing Championship football in their sparkly new stadium. Dyche was one of the very few who could keep them up. I hope I’m wrong as they are a ‘proper’ club, whatever that means.
Get your piggy banks out……
Aston Villa will continue the club’s 150th anniversary celebrations at Friday night’s FA Cup third-round tie against West Ham United.
It promises to be a special occasion for everyone asscociated with the club and our local communities, with various matchday items also priced at £1.50 to honour our 150-year history.
Additionally, matchday entertainment will create an electric environment for friends and families alike to come together at Villa Park.
£1.50 on draught Carlsberg
£1.50 on bottled Carlsberg in areas that don’t offer draught Carlsberg
£1.50 on all pies and sausage rolls (including PieTanics)
£1.50 on all soft drinks and water, including bottles where draught is not available
Selected scarfs, beanies and caps will be priced at £1.50 in the Villa Store
Shuttle buses from Birmingham city centre to Villa Park will operate at a fare of £1.50
People steaming on 1.50 beers will also contribute significantly to the ‘electric atmosphere’…
Gerry went to the game and what I thought happened, was you couldn’t get near a bar for the queues. And to be honest I was too bleeding cold anyway. I think that will be the last time I go to a game as the football was crap. My only highlight was seeing the Villa fan’s abusive comments to Westham fans.
Fourth round draw we are at home to Tottenham
Done deal we ha ve Donyell Malen 4-1/2 year contract