Aston Villa 0-1 Wolves - Saturday 27th June, 2020

[Stan]

Kick-off 12.30pm

Live on BT Sport

     VS     

Head to Head
Aston Villa - 55
Draws - 32
Wolves - 40

Reverse Fixture
Wolves 2-1 Aston Villa

[Chaaay AFC]

That Nyland throw out was hilarious, Jota should've buried that. 

[Chaaay AFC]

What a goal by Wolves, superbly finished by Dendoncker. Jiminez brilliant in the build up, what a season he has had right up there with any striker this season. 

[Guest]

Just now, Chaaay AFC said:

What a goal by Wolves, superbly finished by Dendoncker. Jiminez brilliant in the build up, what a season he has had right up there with any striker this season. 

They were just saying about how well their manager develops players. We really need him at arsenal when arteta gets fired. I think he needs time but I don't think he will last long 

[Dan+]

It's all going wrong for us.

[Chaaay AFC]

8 minutes ago, Gunnersauraus said:

They were just saying about how well their manager develops players. We really need him at arsenal when arteta gets fired. I think he needs time but I don't think he will last long 

Nuno was apparently an option for us when Emery went and a lot of Arsenal fans turned their noses up at him. I actually think his style of play and man managerial style would be perfect for us right now. 

What he has done with Adama Traore is incredible, if he continues on his current trajectory he is going to be a top player. His athletic abilities are arguably the best in world football. 

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Chaaay AFC said:

Nuno was apparently an option for us when Emery went and a lot of Arsenal fans turned their noses up at him. I actually think his style of play and man managerial style would be perfect for us right now. 

What he has done with Adama Traore is incredible, if he continues on his current trajectory he is going to be a top player. His athletic abilities are arguably the best in world football. 

I looked at his record. From what I remember he was good in Portugal but nothing amazing. I could be wrong though. My only concern was that wolves were just an exceptionally well run club and it wasn't so much him. I think wolves are a well run club but he is definitely a good manager.

[Dan+]

Wolves are hard to judge, I don't think you can really judge them against most newly promoted teams but they were effectively given players that a club of their stature (at the time) had absolutely no business getting their hands on. That said they are doing well again and I'd back them to finish above us at this point.

[Guest]

18 minutes ago, Dan said:

Wolves are hard to judge, I don't think you can really judge them against most newly promoted teams but they were effectively given players that a club of their stature (at the time) had absolutely no business getting their hands on. That said they are doing well again and I'd back them to finish above us at this point.

Yeah I mean most teams in the championship have mainly British players. Most don't even sent scouts abroad I don't think.  But yeah still a great club. Wolves and Leicester are my favourite clubs other than arsenal in the premier League just because of how well run they are.

[Lucas]

Hate to feel like I'm constantly having a go at Villa but thats now 3 games I've seen them since the restart and I just don't get what they think they are trying to achieve by not going for wins.

They played for a point today, at home, whilst they are in the relegation zone. No real ambition. At least have a go. I don't think they had one noteworthy chance all game.

It would sicken me as a Villa fan to see my team look so inept. Dean Smith is massively out of his depth at this level if that's all he can muster.

[Dan+]

4 minutes ago, Gunnersauraus said:

Yeah I mean most teams in the championship have mainly British players. Most don't even sent scouts abroad I don't think.  But yeah still a great club. Wolves and Leicester are my favourite clubs other than arsenal in the premier League just because of how well run they are.

It isn't even so much the scouting it's the fact they jumped into bed with a super agent in Jorge Mendes and it's lifted them right up to here - Nuno's career in Spain & Portugal was fairly ordinary but he was still higher than the calibre you would be able to attract as a middling Championship side, and don't get me started on Ruben Neves, he could've joined a top club but due to the Mendes links somehow pitched up at Wolves in the Championship. I'm not knocking them as a team, they are good, and whatever they have done has worked, although I'd be lying if I said I found the whole thing particularly impressive - though their ability to take points off the top teams definitely does impress me and it's something I'm massively envious of. When you see the shite we served up against Liverpool & Man City compared to what they did it's on another level.

I don't even dislike Wolves really, there's something quite likeable about their mentality, but they have been incredibly fortunate to get some of those players - although fair play for making it work. I think what we've done is more impressive personally.

[Dr. Gonzo]

I think Wolves have incredible potential because of their dodgy relationship with Mendes, though. If they somehow make the CL this season (I don’t think they will), they’ll be able to build on this season while having some of Mendes’ higher profile clients come in.

[DeadLinesman]

Far bigger and better clubs out there than Wolves, but they got lucky because Mendes is laundering his money there.

[Dan+]

See also Famalicao in Portugal, that's the latest one, expect to see their name in Europe sometime soon in similar circumstances.

It's tricky really because Wolves aren't going to complain while they continue to benefit from it and I don't see any reason they'll stop either.

It's not just those either - players like Moutinho and Jimenez joining a newly promoted side for fuck sake. They're the type of buys I'd expect from Tottenham & Arsenal.

[Chaaay AFC]

Everyone makes really valid points on Wolves here, they just don't really offend me though. This sort of thing will only go away if super agents start getting eliminated from football. 

[Dan+]

They don't really offend me either - I see far bigger evils in the game than them, even if it isn't quite the fairytale some would have you think.

[Rick]

I’m not that bothered about Wolves tbh. I can stomach the shit City, Chelsea & PSG have and continue to do so I can accept them. What helps is them having a likeable, good manager and some excellent players who play as a team and not as high price individuals. I like watching them. 

[Chaaay AFC]

Yeah it's a weird one, a bit like the Red Bull teams. There is clearly an unfair advantage, but the way they conduct themselves also deserves credit because they could be a lot worse I suppose.

On a side note I'm a massive fan of John McGinn, wonder how much Villa would want if they went down. Good age and I just feel his profile as a player will always succeed at this level. Would take him at Arsenal in a heartbeat. 

[Danny]

3 hours ago, Lucas said:

Hate to feel like I'm constantly having a go at Villa but thats now 3 games I've seen them since the restart and I just don't get what they think they are trying to achieve by not going for wins.

They played for a point today, at home, whilst they are in the relegation zone. No real ambition. At least have a go. I don't think they had one noteworthy chance all game.

It would sicken me as a Villa fan to see my team look so inept. Dean Smith is massively out of his depth at this level if that's all he can muster.

I’m probably bias towards Smith as he steadied our ship in the Championship and  helped make us consistent threats. But I’ve not seen the football we played at Villa, and I’m aware our set up is far superior to not just Villa but most clubs in the country & Smith would have benefitted from that, but how Villa have gone up has not helped them. Maybe there are managers out there who could take this side and do a better job with them but I think the overwhelming fact is that Villa never had a squad to stay up with and they’re paying that price. Short termism, big money loans/transfers and relying on Grealish. Dean Smith is a project manager.

Villa were not a great team last season but benefitted from having the best player in the division there, he carried them. Their football was not amazing and neither was the squad  as a whole but Grealish carried them. Teams have now found out if you can quiet Grealish then you’ve silenced Villa on the pitch.

The Villa team that went up had 8 players on loan, at least 6 of them key players. They also had no squad depth, just Jack Grealish FC. Their squad was also made up of a lot of solidly Championship players who were sold off, Kodjia, Hogan, De Laet, Elphick, Adomah, Whelan...Jedinak retired. Neil Taylor was kept but was the left back...never good enough.

They had to spend £65m on building a defence, bringing Mings in permanently, couldn’t sign Tuanzebe so signed Konsa/Engels, had to bring Heaton in as they didn’t have a Prem level keeper.

Brought in Luiz and Nakamba to replace Carroll and Jedinak.

Then they lost Abraham who has smashed it for Chelsea, had to try and replace him with Wesley and Samatta.

Personally I think whilst Smith has to take some responsibility, he walked into his boyhood club and won a play-off final, the planning before he took over has been utter gash and meant that Villa needed to essentially buy a new eleven plus subs. The club was never set up to stay up and whilst people point out how much they spent, at that point I dont think they had any other choice, they barely had a first 11 let alone a squad.

Villa need consistency and planning and I think they should keep Smith whatever happens. If he keeps them up he’s performed a miracle imo, if they go down they will need someone who had Championship experience, knows how to build a squad and also knows how to get promoted. Unless they can bring in someone Bielsa-esque I think sacking Smith would be a very bad choice in terms of long term planning. He could take them back up and keep them up if he gets a chance to consistently build a squad. If they sack him it will most likely be more of the same poorly planned efforts at promotion 

[Guest]

I'm not sure if wolves can be compared to Man city and PSG. I mean there are similarities but those two have unlimited funds so not quite the same for me 

[Lucas]

10 minutes ago, Gunnersauraus said:

I'm not sure if wolves can be compared to Man city and PSG. I mean there are similarities but those two have unlimited funds so not quite the same for me 

You have read @Rick's post but got the wrong end of the stick I think. 

He means the method they have used to get to where they are now as it has been publically scrutinised in the past, not having limitless funds.

[Dan+]

Aston Villa are one of those clubs who consistently get it wrong. One of those who think spend spend spend is the answer to every problem. If it wasn't for Grealish they'd probably never have gotten back up in the first place. I know everyone makes the point about them having a load of loanees and needing to spend to replace them but the fact they had to rely on a load of loanees in the first place says a lot, and they've blatantly wasted a load more money this season - I think Grealish and McGinn are the only real differences between them and last year's Fulham side. Villa just strike me as never having much of a plan in place, instead just constantly resorting to quick fixes that eventually comes tumbling down on them - it's why they went down in the first place, why they didn't come back up straight away, and why they're probably going to go down again this year - although still weirdly got this feeling they may be the ones to survive as Bournemouth & West Ham look no better.

Norwich on the flip side to Aston Villa are just plain tightarses.

[Rick]

35 minutes ago, Gunnersauraus said:

I'm not sure if wolves can be compared to Man city and PSG. I mean there are similarities but those two have unlimited funds so not quite the same for me 

Yeah, as @Lucas said, I wasnt saying that Wolves had the resources of those other clubs. My point is that their approach is "manufactured" like those other clubs.

[Dr. Gonzo]

23 hours ago, Chaaay AFC said:

Yeah it's a weird one, a bit like the Red Bull teams. There is clearly an unfair advantage, but the way they conduct themselves also deserves credit because they could be a lot worse I suppose.

On a side note I'm a massive fan of John McGinn, wonder how much Villa would want if they went down. Good age and I just feel his profile as a player will always succeed at this level. Would take him at Arsenal in a heartbeat. 

I agree with this take. I think one thing that I think is pretty unique about what Wolves did was getting a manager in that was above the championship level... but again not really all that proven for a club where Wolves are at now. And he sort of grew as a manager as Wolves grew as a club, from promotion to where they’re at now - as Wolves keep progressing, so has his managerial career.

You don’t typically see shite like that at other “project” clubs that have some sort of setup that gives them an advantage over other clubs (whether it’s just having a lot of money, a lot of money + a network of clubs to use as a conveyer belt of talent like the RB clubs, or a relationship with a super agent).

I wonder if when they get a new manager, if it’ll be another of Mendes’ clients that he’s looking to showcase. Because he’s definitely raised Nuno Espirito Santo’s