Aston Villa Discussion

[Reluctant Striker]

Bit of gossip going around as to what formation Villa may go with.

They did chop & change from 4-3-3 to wing backs & back again to 4-3-3 over the last few seasons. Perhaps Southgate style, whatever seemed best option at that time against those opponents.

Recently questioned on that topic, Dean Smith has been quoted as saying Ollie Watkins hasn't played out wide for a few seasons & that he didn't bring him to the club to play out left.

I have seen suggestion of a 4-2-2-2 as I've seen it described. McGinn & 1 other sitting quite deep. 2 wider players roaming & supporting both Ings & Watkins. A proper old fashioned striker partnership?

Will be very interesting to see what they go with for the opener & how it takes shape as the season proceeds.

[Ploughendplonker]

Is Jacob Ramsey set to be involved much with Villa this season? Only gone for him as a bit of an outside pick for my fantasy team line-up. 

[Batard]

I think Villa will under deliver against expectations. Smith is experimenting with a 4-4-2 formation so he can play both Ings and Watkins, a two man midfield of McGinn and Douglas Luiz is going to leave that defence exposed, unless he's planning on then switching to a 3-5-2 

[Reluctant Striker]

21 hours ago, Ploughendplonker said:

Is Jacob Ramsey set to be involved much with Villa this season? Only gone for him as a bit of an outside pick for my fantasy team line-up. 

Perhaps not as a starter in many games. John McGinn & Douglas Luiz will be tough to displace from the side.

But Douglas Luiz may be given a few weeks considering the Olympics followed the Copa America.

But then there is Marvelous Nakamba. The most defensive midfielder they have. They have got Morgan Sanson, who was a fair few million. Not really had a proper run of matches yet.

Conor Hourihane was loaned out last season.

Ramsey could end up in the side, if nobody else is brought in & they do go with 3 midfielders. Not a number 10 behind a front 3, or a 4-4-2.

20 hours ago, Batard said:

I think Villa will under deliver against expectations. Smith is experimenting with a 4-4-2 formation so he can play both Ings and Watkins, a two man midfield of McGinn and Douglas Luiz is going to leave that defence exposed, unless he's planning on then switching to a 3-5-2 

It could easily go that way. Plenty of talk that all the new guys will actually improve the side/squad. But they finished 11th last season after winning 3-0 at the Emirates & the famous 7-2 demolition job. Finishing with a win over Chelsea too. As that suggests, there were equally numerous times it looked like it was all going very, very wrong.

I'd estimate anything from 6th to 14th is entirely possible. They should have enough goals & defensive solidity for that to be worst case scenario.

[Danny]

21 hours ago, Batard said:

I think Villa will under deliver against expectations. Smith is experimenting with a 4-4-2 formation so he can play both Ings and Watkins, a two man midfield of McGinn and Douglas Luiz is going to leave that defence exposed, unless he's planning on then switching to a 3-5-2 

Smith has always been a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 man happy to move to a back 3 if needed, if he has been playing around with a 4-4-2 I doubt it'll be as old school as a 4-4-2 suggests.

Edited August 13, 2021 by Danny

[Reluctant Striker]

Villa team news:

Watkins dropped!

Mings new captain!

Buendia at 10!

Ashley Young left wing!

No Bailey as yet!

[Reluctant Striker]

Could be Watkins injured!

[Reluctant Striker]

Not sure what to make of Philippe Coutinho arriving on loan.

He's probably got every chance to look a bit special in Villa's side at the moment.

Kind of assuming Coutinho will be used as a wide man in a front 3 rather than a Number 10 behind a front 3. Especially as the later hasn't worked too well with Buendia. Or even further back Grealish.

Trezeguet & El Ghazi are probably nearing the end of their time at Villa. Buendia & Bailey not producing week in, week out as yet.

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by Reluctant Striker

[Waylander]

1 hour ago, Reluctant Striker said:

Not sure what to make of Philippe Coutinho arriving on loan.

He's probably got every chance to look a bit special in Villa's side at the moment.

Kind of assuming Coutinho will be used as a wide man in a front 3 rather than a Number 10 behind a front 3. Especially as the later hasn't worked too well with Buendia. Or even further back Grealish.

Trezeguet & El Ghazi are probably nearing the end of their time at Villa. Buendia & Bailey not producing week in, week out as yet.

Agree, I think he will be good for you and reminds me of Fabregas moving to Chelsea.

Though still logically a gamble.

[The Artful Dodger]

Coutinho was one of my favourite players to watch in the Premier League when he was at Liverpool. A better player than Grealish for my money, only issue is whether he's now on a downward trajectory. He also needed a very hardworking midfield around him at Liverpool, do Villa have that?

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by The Artful Dodger

[JoshBRFC+]

5 hours ago, Reluctant Striker said:

Not sure what to make of Philippe Coutinho arriving on loan.

 

GTFO .

He will instantly improve the morale of the dressing room. He's a class act and Gerrard will get an extra few % out of him, guaranteed.

[Rick]

4 hours ago, The Artful Dodger said:

Coutinho was one of my favourite players to watch in the Premier League when he was at Liverpool. A better player than Grealish for my money, only issue is whether he's now on a downward trajectory. He also needed a very hardworking midfield around him at Liverpool, do Villa have that?

 

McGinn & Luiz will do plenty of the hard graft for him. It’s a very good signing for Villa.  

[Waylander]

Looking forward to see how Villa do the rest of the season.

Think Gerard will be the best English manger of his generation.

Neither Digne or Coutinho are top drawer signings yet do have ability and should strengthen the side.

[Lucas]

1 hour ago, Waylander said:

Looking forward to see how Villa do the rest of the season.

Think Gerard will be the best English manger of his generation.

Neither Digne or Coutinho are top drawer signings yet do have ability and should strengthen the side.

For them though, they are two very good signings, enough to push them on.

Villa have no excuses for me now, they should be finishing 8th with what they have invested into personnel the last three seasons.

Forget Grealish and £100m they recouped for a minute.

£140m the first season up, £90m the second season and now currently this season, they have spent £116m.

So we are talking best part of a £350m rebuild. Ok, Grealish has paid for £100m of that but factor in wages also and they really, really should be pushing on now and pushing past your Wolves, Brighton's etc.

Edited January 13, 2022 by Lucas

[Danny]

2 hours ago, Lucas said:

For them though, they are two very good signings, enough to push them on.

Villa have no excuses for me now, they should be finishing 8th with what they have invested into personnel the last three seasons.

Forget Grealish and £100m they recouped for a minute.

£140m the first season up, £90m the second season and now currently this season, they have spent £116m.

So we are talking best part of a £350m rebuild. Ok, Grealish has paid for £100m of that but factor in wages also and they really, really should be pushing on now and pushing past your Wolves, Brighton's etc.

First season spending is different to a lot of clubs though, when Villa went up they lost a large chunk of their team to loans/end of contract/retirement. It was a massive rebuild job just to get a squad together, let alone Prem standard, sides like Wolves and Brighton had already put together a core of their team that would keep them in the Prem.

Agree with the rest though and especially this seasons signings, they should be looking to break the top 6 over the next year or two in the same way Leicester have done.

[Fairy In Boots]

10 hours ago, Lucas said:

For them though, they are two very good signings, enough to push them on.

Villa have no excuses for me now, they should be finishing 8th with what they have invested into personnel the last three seasons.

Forget Grealish and £100m they recouped for a minute.

£140m the first season up, £90m the second season and now currently this season, they have spent £116m.

So we are talking best part of a £350m rebuild. Ok, Grealish has paid for £100m of that but factor in wages also and they really, really should be pushing on now and pushing past your Wolves, Brighton's etc.

I think there will be no excuse end of next season should Gerrard not deliver European football.  In terms of resources More will go in, in the summer, I think a bit of pride was hurt by Jack being a duplicitous little shit that he is so the owners have put there foot on the gas a bit 

[Dave]

 

I have no idea what Aston Villa's finances are like, but to persuade a successful Championship manager to give up his managerial aspirations to become an Assistant Manager suggests to me they're paying a pretty high rate regardless of the link between Gerrard and Crtichley from Liverpool.

[Reluctant Striker]

11 hours ago, The Palace Fan said:

 

I have no idea what Aston Villa's finances are like, but to persuade a successful Championship manager to give up his managerial aspirations to become an Assistant Manager suggests to me they're paying a pretty high rate regardless of the link between Gerrard and Crtichley from Liverpool.

I'm not sure how competitive Villa's finances are exactly right now. Just know it's the most that's been splashed around since 2008-ish. And the most potentially competitive on the field they've been since then.

It does seem a slightly strange set of goings on with the assistants. Michael Beale off to QPR to be the manager. Yet Neil Critchley making the opposite choice.

[ScoRoss]

Aston Villa seem to be signing up a lot of young Scottish players recently, and Steven Gerrard endears himself further to half of Glasgow by taking their best young player.

Adding him to Dundee United’s Kerr Smith and Ewan Simpson from Hearts, as other players signed from Scotland this summer.

[Reluctant Striker]

John McGinn has been named as 1st team captain for the 2022/23 season. Emi Martinez vice captain. And Ashley Young as 'club' captain.

Tyrone Mings had been captain. So perhaps a significant sign he'll be behind Diego Carlos & Calum Chambers next season.

[Stan]

Eek. Bad news for Villa... 

 

 

[Reluctant Striker]

Not sure how to post any links or images, but there is an opinion poll going on right now to decide Aston Villa's new badge.

I genuinely had no idea any such plans were ongoing, but my current profile pic may accurately suggest I'm not a fan of the present 1.

There are 2 choices. Both mainly claret & blue. Only club name in yellow. 1 is a modified version of the present badge. Lion blue  & facing other direction. On a claret shield shape. Thin blue trim of the shield. 2nd option is a round 1, based on what would have been an early 80's design. Thick claret outer with blue centre. Claret lion. Again, facing other way. Both have club name in full, in yellow text. Only the round 1 has year established.

Think I may have preferred a reimaging of the 90's (my stripped thing) but either option on offer would be some improvement on what has seemed a terribly designed badge.

I've not seen any release date, but I assume it's for next season.

Edited November 8, 2022 by Reluctant Striker

[Stan]

41 minutes ago, Reluctant Striker said:

Not sure how to post any links or images, but there is an opinion poll going on right now to decide Aston Villa's new badge.

I genuinely had no idea any such plans were ongoing, but my current profile pic may accurately suggest I'm not a fan of the present 1.

There are 2 choices. Both mainly claret & blue. Only club name in yellow. 1 is a modified version of the present badge. Lion blue  & facing other direction. On a claret shield shape. Thin blue trim of the shield. 2nd option is a round 1, based on what would have been an early 80's design. Thick claret outer with blue centre. Claret lion. Again, facing other way. Both have club name in full, in yellow text. Only the round 1 has year established.

Think I may have preferred a reimaging of the 90's (my stripped thing) but either option on offer would be some improvement on what has seemed a terribly designed badge.

I've not seen any release date, but I assume it's for next season.

I saw it the other day. Considering some badge changes have been absolute nightmares, the two options for Villa aren't all that bad. I think I prefer the rounder one. 

[Rick]

Don’t mind the round one, but I think the shield design is excellent. 

[Reluctant Striker]

Alex Moreno from Real Betis for £12.5m is first signing of January 23.

A left back. With Digne, Augustinsson & Young to cover the spot, perhaps not the most predicted position to add to. At 29, he's the same rather seasoned age as Digne.

Midfielders to perhaps upgrade the likes of backup squad players; Nakamba, Sanson & Dendoncker have been anticipated.

Adding a proper wing-attacker to compliment the frustrating/frustrated Bailey, perhaps with more pace than the more finesse style options of Coutinho & Buendia also highly rumoured.

A 29 year old left back really seems quite an unexpected addition this window. Perhaps he can play left midfield - wing. Supposedly Moreno had very good stats in 2022. But I am kind of hoping the next signing feels a bit more sexy tbh..