Moussa Diaby

[MrBlack]

Just now, PaulMcGrath_5 said:

I like naughty.

 

 

[troon_villan]

9 minutes ago, MrBlack said:

Played more than any other player? That's a naughty way to put it.

He appeared more times yes, but 8 other players had more minutes than him (most of the team), and 5 of those had over 1000 minutes more than him.

The general naughtiness of the post grabbed my attention too

[Rolta]

2 hours ago, PaulMcGrath_5 said:

 

For all the people ingoring the huge dip in Diaby's form last season and how he looked like a weak link this is the article for you. A nice bit of analysis, some revealing stats, and Emery quotes. 

[Vive_La_Villa]

In Unai's first season I actually thought Bailey got better as the season wore on  and it would have been a mistake to sell him.

Almost feels like Diaby regressed a bit. As mentioned before, clearly a good player but if we can get big money for him and he wants to move on it probably suits all.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

Not sure why it never clicked to me earlier that Philogene is probably the Diaby replacement, and Iling Jr the Zaniolo replacement.

Our big incoming money will go to other areas and on a more central player as others have pointed out.

When you think about it, outstanding business.

[sidcow]

12 hours ago, villarule123 said:

People really do forget that Bailey was dead and buried here this time last season. We needed to sign Diaby because of that.

Now Bailey has transformed himself here, we can sell Diaby and strengthen elsewhere.

 

7 minutes ago, duke313 said:

Yep, the Bailey thread this time last year is a carbon copy of the Diaby thread now 

As I keep saying though. Baily had been playing under Gerrard prior to that. Diaby has played exclusively under the coaching of Emery.  I don't think the Baily comparison stacks up.

[Vive_La_Villa]

17 minutes ago, R.Bear said:

How are they throwing away their careers? They're getting paid a lot of money to do their job. With less pressure. You could argue they're actually playing the game better than anyone.

Looks like in certain cases they still get called up to international duty too and if Laporte / Kante are anything to go by probably looked fresher for playing in Saudi.

[duke313]

2 minutes ago, sidcow said:

 

As I keep saying though. Baily had been playing under Gerrard prior to that. Diaby has played exclusively under the coaching of Emery.  I don't think the Baily comparison stacks up.

Bailey had 6 months under Emery, and hadn't really shown the progression that other players like Luiz, Ramsey, Watkins etc were showing when Emery took over.  Bailey was much worse in that November to May period in Emery's first season than Diaby was last season.

[sidcow]

For what it's worth I don't think Diaby has been poor by any stretch.  Just a bit disappointing for the money and probably doesn't impose himself enough on games for where we want to be.  I'm sure Emery would be fighting tooth and nail to keep him if he felt he could contribute as he wishes him to in the next season.  He's seeing a bigger picture.

[rodders0223]

He's a good player, but we'd make good money and likely won't miss him and he won't miss him. No grudges.

No idea why everyone is getting bent out of shape 

[thunderball]

21 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

Depends where he plays. Last season he played central but also times when he was coming from the right where he was more effective.

Who do we have to slot in on the right if Bailey picks up a knock as will happen, basically last season it was Diaby or moving Tielemans or SJM there.

Nah, they are the same as me and you, you look for life security first and foremeost - its a life win, beyond any dreams. In a single contract at 24 y.o. he will earn €2.5m signing on and €15m tax free a year (not sure the length of contract). He has a young family and is a devout Muslim. He and his family will find the cultural shift easier than most in Saudi.

It has rained here since October too, which is likely a big factor.... 

[sidcow]

1 minute ago, duke313 said:

Bailey had 6 months under Emery, and hadn't really shown the progression that other players like Luiz, Ramsey, Watkins etc were showing when Emery took over.  Bailey was much worse in that November to May period in Emery's first season than Diaby was last season.

As per my post above.  I'll trust Emery on this.  We don't seem to be trying to block this.

[JPAngel]

The NY Times article:

Quote

LINK

Moussa Diaby initially impressed – so why are Aston Villa open to selling him?

On the face of things, Moussa Diaby had a solid debut campaign at Aston Villa.

The initial fanfare that came with his arrival — following two goals and an assist in his first three games — plateaued, but Diaby still registered 10 goals and nine assists across all competitions and with 54 appearances, played more than any other player.

Early projections christened him the signing of last summer. While such claims were premature, Diaby carried enough verve to warrant excitement. In the early days at Villa Park, The Holte End would serenade him to the tune of ABBA’s Voulez-Vous.

Unai Emery had repackaged Diaby into a second centre-forward, transforming the 25-year-old from a winger at Bayer Leverkusen into an incisive attacker and utilising his ball-carrying skills centrally. Diaby ranks in the top five per cent of attackers from Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries (3.89 per 90 minutes) in the past 12 months.

This was a clear indication of Emery’s coaching ability, having the foresight to transform a player who concerned other suitors he would be predictably one-footed and viewed through a similar lens to Manchester United’s Antony or Nicolas Pepe when he was at Arsenal. Dating back to his short and unsuccessful loan at Italian side Crotone in 2018, coaches solely regarded Diaby as a traditional wide-man in a 4-3-3.

Emery set about sculpting Diaby into a well-rounded attacking player, starting in the pre-season to the United States. The France international arrived later than his new team-mates but immediately held talks with Emery and his soon-to-be strike partner, Ollie Watkins.

First impressions are everything and in the case of Diaby, they were galvanising. His speed, dribbling and dovetailing with Watkins were key to Villa’s transitional-based attacking style, driving forward and ruthlessly punishing the space left by opposition defences.

 

Diaby impressed in the early parts of last season (James Gill/Getty Images)

“At the beginning, the thinking was for him to be close to Watkins,” Emery said. “Being a threat going behind the opponent with his quality.”

The £34.2million ($43.9m) plus add-ons Villa paid for Diaby felt a disproportionate price given the going rate for other high-end forwards.

So why, less than a year on, are Diaby and Villa now open to parting ways? Saudi Arabian clubs have retained their interest from last summer. Crucially, this time, it is Al Ittihad who are the most keen, working on a lucrative financial package which would offer Villa a significant profit.

Contrary to reports, Diaby was not Emery’s top target. That was instead Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams, the 22-year-old Spain forward who starred at Euro 2024. Joao Felix is a continued option, with Emery considering him before his loan at Barcelona last season.

Williams and Diaby were of a similar profile; able to play off either flank, Emery designed a plan for either to dovetail with Watkins in the No 10 role. Diaby being lower down the list of priorities, though, was gradually shown up in Emery’s use of him.

His stock fell sharply, going from an integral creative hub to a peripheral starter before being left out of December’s home double-header against Manchester City and Arsenal.

Diaby did not take the omission well. The day after being left out of Villa’s win against Man City, an interview arranged with Diaby for a foreign broadcaster, who had flown to Birmingham, was shelved at the last minute. He is a player who is strong-willed and can rile against criticism.

“He was a teenager but I remember saying to myself, ‘This is already a man, he has a great personality’,” Crotone’s president, Raffaele Vrenna, tells The Athletic. “It all transpired from his serious gaze. But he is a golden boy — respectful, polite and with values.

“I was certain of his potential. You could see a mile away what he was capable of doing and his room for improvement. But in Italy, there is a little more fear than abroad in trusting young players. It’s a shame.”

Emery attempted to wrestle Diaby’s form and confidence back, but those words appeared hollow given Villa were moving in a tactically different direction, with a preference for control over Diaby’s directness. Villa’s manager remained steadfast in his public backing of Diaby.

“I’m happy with him,” Emery said. “His performances are not consistent, but I can understand because he’s in the process of understanding everything and adapting. It’s difficult.”

When considering the dwindling credit in Diaby’s bank and having never been the primary target, it is little surprise both parties are amenable to hearing offers from elsewhere.

Below surface level, Diaby’s struggles are discernible. An expected goals (xG) rate of 0.29 per 90 minutes ranked in the bottom 14 per cent of attackers. Emery expressed the necessity of finding solutions to break down low blocks and Villa found themselves congested in central areas. Diaby was inhibited, limited to fewer touches and a reduced impact.

Leon Bailey’s form did little to help matters. Diaby was the summer bloomer, but Bailey became the reliable winter coat, scoring goals and making telling contributions. It convinced Emery he no longer needed the pace of two left-footers operating in similar pockets. The pair only started in the league together six times in the opening eight months.

Subtly, Emery changed Villa’s in-possession shape. Bailey replaced and replicated Diaby’s out-to-in runs, as Villa moved to a boxed midfield shape, similar to the season before.

Emery traded in the candour of the Diaby and Bailey axis for self-restraint, with a midfield consisting of four central midfielders; safer on the ball and playing in pockets of space. This was demonstrated in the 5-0 win away to Sheffield United where Youri Tielemans, a different profile of player, was in the position Diaby played.

Note the similarities in Tielemans’ position to Diaby:

Diaby spent the rest of the campaign fighting for a return to his early form. He remained impactful sporadically, providing in-swinging crosses for late goals away to Bournemouth and Luton Town and scoring against Olympiacos in the UEFA Conference League semi-final.

However, game time was aided by injuries to team-mates and the inescapable sense stayed of Diaby being badly in need of fine-tuning. He was even recalled to the France setup earlier this year, with coach Didier Deschamps preferring the softly-softly touch in a bid to precipitate his return to form.

“He hasn’t lost his qualities, he’s capable of being decisive,” Deschamps said. “This is his chance to make the most of this gathering.”

In April, Emery was asked for his assessment of Diaby’s first season. “For different players, the adaptation of the Premier League and within our idea and demands is sometimes difficult,” said the Spaniard. “Diaby is getting better and can play wider or as a No 10. I am very happy with his progression. He needs to be calm in moments he hasn’t been. I am being very demanding with him and he is completely involved in our structure.”

Now, though, Diaby’s involvement at Villa is in question.

 

[duke313]

6 minutes ago, sidcow said:

As per my post above.  I'll trust Emery on this.  We don't seem to be trying to block this.

Same.  I think we'd let him go because of the money involved not because we don;t rate him, the money quoted it's too good to turn down.  But if he stays, i've no doubt he'll improve on last season.  So either way, we either get a bucket of cash and bring in someone better, or we keep him and he continues improving.

[lexicon]

I think the plan is very simple:

Diaby out for an amount that pays for Onana and Joao Felix (if he agrees to come).

That for me is an absolute no-brainer. 

[duke313]

1 minute ago, lexicon said:

I think the plan is very simple:

Diaby out for an amount that pays for Onana and Joao Felix (if he agrees to come).

That for me is an absolute no-brainer. 

Yep, it's hard to say no to that.

[macandally]

1 hour ago, sidcow said:

Can't tell if joking or not?  45 minutes in the first pre season friendly?  You're surely having a laugh?

I don’t read much into pre-season, it’s what it is, minutes in legs. 

However, when Bailey came in 2-3 years ago, he beat himself more often than not, last night he was doing it again.  Am I worried no, but Unai needs to get him back to doing the right things in the right areas. 

Take that as you will (plus noting this is the Diaby thread!)

[Mr.Messy]

24 minutes ago, lexicon said:

I think the plan is very simple:

Diaby out for an amount that pays for Onana and Joao Felix (if he agrees to come).

That for me is an absolute no-brainer. 

Onana and Philogene-Bidace for me. Bank the change (if there is any) so we're not on the cusp of PSR again.

Edited July 18 by Mr.Messy

[The_Steve]

Philogene was always coming back. I don’t think the plan was to sell Moussa. It helps the books sure, but it strikes me as he’s wanting the move more than our desire to sell - hence why we haven’t accepted the first offer. 

[nick76]

11 minutes ago, macandally said:

However, when Bailey came in 2-3 years ago, he beat himself more often than not, last night he was doing it again.