dudevillaisnice Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 (edited) 1 minute ago, Delphinho123 said: Central midfield is a real area of concern for us at the moment. Southampton and West Ham have played right through us in the last two games. I know some won’t like to hear it, but if we want to continue on this trajectory of improving each year, McGinn and Luiz will need to be replaced this Summer. Theyre good for a 8th-12th place finish but no better I fear. You don’t replace them you bring in better quality players to hopefully push them and push the club to that next level. Our squad depth compared to West Ham was telling. We need a squad and players with that type of quality on the bench. Edited February 3, 2021 by dudevillaisnice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stockport_Villain Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 I think Smith is the best manager we’ve had since Saunders. However, he is still learning and I think the lack of subs has caught up with us. Subs give you fresh legs but also allow the players coming in to get some match sharpness. He will learn and will improve and as the squad gets stronger will trust the players. However, teams will also do a job on Grealish. When they do the other players need to take up the responsibility of being creative and step up to the mark. Onwards and upwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillanousOne Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 2 minutes ago, Michelsen said: These games will happen. They will happen again. That changes nothing regarding the absolutely incredible job being done by Dean Smith and his staff. We’re a very, very good football team that had an off night. Let’s not spend the next week second guessing and blaming the manager. The picture is so much bigger than the one game. it's a villa forum, this is the Dean Smith thread, what are we supposed to discuss, cheese? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomav84 Posted February 3, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted February 3, 2021 1 minute ago, Delphinho123 said: Central midfield is a real area of concern for us at the moment. Southampton and West Ham have played right through us in the last two games. I know some won’t like to hear it, but if we want to continue on this trajectory of improving each year, McGinn and Luiz will need to be replaced this Summer. Theyre good for a 8th-12th place finish but no better I fear. last 2 or 3 luiz has looked like pre-covid luiz. not writing him off but definitely having a bad patch i think mcginn is a good enough squad player certainly for the next few seasons, there are other positions that need strenghening more urgently. lack of quality on the wings after jack and traore is a concern. barkley will have an asking price of more than he's worth i'd wager. chelsea will want 25-30m i reckon and he's not showing that sort of value at the moment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwivillan Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 1 minute ago, Villan_of_oz said: Geez, I wonder why our players looked tired tonight no idea, I just can't work it out Why didn't West Ham look tired. Only looked back 6 games and 7 of their outfield have started last 6. Antonio last 5 back from injury. Maybe it's because we had Covid outbreak 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoMkali Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 7 minutes ago, lexicon said: The only explanation I have for this post is that you live in an entirely different dimension to me. He was absolutely terrible today. Smith subbed him at half time. Smith. At half time. He was bad. But I think that can be attributed to McGinn and Barkley not offering any support. When he got the ball it was him vs Cresswell and a midfielder and cash being marked by benrahma. He isn't grealish he isn't beating 2 men from a standing start. Especially not when his back is turned to them to receive the ball. What can he do here? Besides he was only our 3rd worst player in the first half besides mcginn and barkley and Smith played one of them 90 minutes and the other didn't track back properly for the goals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoMkali Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 2 minutes ago, tomav84 said: last 2 or 3 luiz has looked like pre-covid luiz. not writing him off but definitely having a bad patch i think mcginn is a good enough squad player certainly for the next few seasons, there are other positions that need strenghening more urgently. lack of quality on the wings after jack and traore is a concern. barkley will have an asking price of more than he's worth i'd wager. chelsea will want 25-30m i reckon and he's not showing that sort of value at the moment What is Luiz supposed to do when in a one man midfield? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 6 minutes ago, Villan_of_oz said: Geez, I wonder why our players looked tired tonight no idea, I just can't work it out Hope someone can figure it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick76 Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 6 minutes ago, Farlz said: Just poor tonight, I'll never understand the El Ghazi decision that should've been a sign of things to come. Not great at all the past two games. Performances have definitely dropped over the last few, I didn't think we were that impressive against Newcastle while we had that super first half against Burnley and then just completely lost it in the 2nd. Maybe the Covid break has hit us? I don't know but unfortunately performances have definitely dipped. We're still having a good season, all I wanted was no relegation worries and midtable which we will but just being so close to European positions raised my expectations probably a little high. We're not consistent enough for a real push yet. Or have the depth in squad. People talk about rotation but not many can come in...Trez, El Ghazi, Engels, Davis, Elmo....we don’t have rich pickings out of them. Now we have Sanson so we’ve started. But El Ghazi started and was non-existent. A few quality signings in the summer and we’ll be better prepared for next season but we still can achieve a lot this season. We hopefully should get a top 10 position but we still have a shot at Europe because they’ll be longer breaks between games shortly and we’ll play better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexicon Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 Just now, MotoMkali said: He was bad. But I think that can be attributed to McGinn and Barkley not offering any support. When he got the ball it was him vs Cresswell and a midfielder and cash being marked by benrahma. He isn't grealish he isn't beating 2 men from a standing start. Especially not when his back is turned to them to receive the ball. What can he do here? Besides he was only our 3rd worst player in the first half besides mcginn and barkley and Smith played one of them 90 minutes and the other didn't track back properly for the goals. He never offered an option, he didn't make any decent runs to try and split the defence, he completed 50% of his 14 passes... You can't blame others for his inaction. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 3 minutes ago, Kiwivillan said: Why didn't West Ham look tired. Only looked back 6 games and 7 of their outfield have started last 6. Antonio last 5 back from injury. Maybe it's because we had Covid outbreak Sure that's part of it. Also think us relying heavily on 9 players who have played almost every minute they've been available is part of it. We still have a weak squad. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomaszk Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 5 minutes ago, Villan_of_oz said: Geez, I wonder why our players looked tired tonight no idea, I just can't work it out I know, I know. Everyone has just had coronavirus and we've had five games in 15 days. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoMkali Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 Call me old fashioned but I like it when we have more than one midfielder on the pitch. Really I prefer it when we have more than 9 players on the pitch but Smith thought that waiting until they scored 2 to bring on a 10th man was a good idea. But he didn't bring on an 11th. Terrible Managing by Smith here. Our team is has been run ragged by Smith not rotating or making subs in our last 2 games and it shows. Lost 6-3 in them. And if we include Newcastle and City in that run as well our last 5 games we have lost 8-5. With Barkley in the team. Of course in the previous run of games with Barkley out of the team say from when el ghazi started playing LW. We only conceded 3 goals. And we played united and Chelsea in that period so we weren't exactly playing scrubs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post DCJonah Posted February 3, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted February 3, 2021 Just now, sne said: Sure that's part of it. Also think us relying heavily on 9 players who have played almost every minute they've been available is part of it. We still have a weak squad. Yep. This seems to go unnoticed with calls for rotation and changes. How many top half teams would have Engels, Elmo and Davis on the bench? Because of FFP we are still a season or two away from having the sort of squad where we can rotate and still win games. Our approach so far has meant relegation is not a worry and we can continue to build. That's success this year. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick76 Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 3 minutes ago, MotoMkali said: He was bad. But I think that can be attributed to McGinn and Barkley not offering any support. When he got the ball it was him vs Cresswell and a midfielder and cash being marked by benrahma. He isn't grealish he isn't beating 2 men from a standing start. Especially not when his back is turned to them to receive the ball. What can he do here? Besides he was only our 3rd worst player in the first half besides mcginn and barkley and Smith played one of them 90 minutes and the other didn't track back properly for the goals. You have been bonkers for the last 5 days and now you are defending El Ghazi’s first half because it was McGinn and Barkley’s fault. 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 I do like the idea that we're so good, we can rest our best players and still win lots of games. We survived by 1 pt last season. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hippo Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 Rotating the squad is something DS and his players need to do Not easy now, with a few players in poor form, the first 11 is selected on a least worst basis. I'd be thinking of Trez for his industry - and getting back to basics ...... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoMkali Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 4 minutes ago, lexicon said: He never offered an option, he didn't make any decent runs to try and split the defence, he completed 50% of his 14 passes... You can't blame others for his inaction. Counted 3 passes straight at mcginn where he let it run or didn't challenge for it. He wasn't good and was our 3rd worst player. But I blame both mcginn and barkley not even stepping onto the pitch today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Zen Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 4 minutes ago, VillanousOne said: it's a villa forum, this is the Dean Smith thread, what are we supposed to discuss, cheese? How dairy you? Nah, discussion is fair, and my opinion is that it would be unfair to be overly critical of the manager after tonight, as crap a performance as it was. Which is an equally valid opinion, no? Just, brie nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villarocker Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 19 minutes ago, DCJonah said: If teams start doing that, then we need to move him central quickly. I'll be honest, I'd like to see him there against arsenal He should have moved centrally or wide right after 20 to 30 minutes of tonight's game. It was clear for all to see what was happening. Barkley was having a stinker and should have been hooked at half time and maybe given El Ghazi a bit of time to see how he did at left wing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts