Herman22 Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 9 hours ago, alreadyexists said: I think with so many changes in the squad we’d be better starting with a more settled lineup that have played together more, so I think I’d go: Emi Cash Konsa Pau Digne Onana Youri Bailey McGinn Rogers Ollie I think this is the most likely starting 11. Unai doesn’t usually throw new singings into the starting 11. I think I’d prefer Maatsen at LB but happy for Digne to start. The bench looks so much stronger than last season. 9 of: Gauci, Ned, Maatsen, Moreno, Carlos, Bogarde, Donk, Barkley, Bidace, JJ, Iling, Buendia, Enzo, Duran, Archer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duke313 Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 9 minutes ago, Herman22 said: I think this is the most likely starting 11. Unai doesn’t usually throw new singings into the starting 11. I think I’d prefer Maatsen at LB but happy for Digne to start. The bench looks so much stronger than last season. 9 of: Gauci, Ned, Maatsen, Moreno, Carlos, Bogarde, Donk, Barkley, Bidace, JJ, Iling, Buendia, Enzo, Duran, Archer I agree regarding Emery not throwing new signings in straight away. Have to consider Maatsen would Be up against Bowen, Digne makes more sense for 60/70 mins. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubliner Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 A point would be a decent result but I'm backing us to get all three. If we were to lose I can imagine the doom and gloom on here if we then also lost to Arsenal. Would put a lot of pressure on us in the game against Leicester. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smg Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 3 hours ago, Herman22 said: I think this is the most likely starting 11. Unai doesn’t usually throw new singings into the starting 11. I think I’d prefer Maatsen at LB but happy for Digne to start. The bench looks so much stronger than last season. 9 of: Gauci, Ned, Maatsen, Moreno, Carlos, Bogarde, Donk, Barkley, Bidace, JJ, Iling, Buendia, Enzo, Duran, Archer The bench looks stronger ? Hardly any premier league experience for the majority just new names that hopefully are better than last years. We will see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duke313 Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 21 minutes ago, smg said: The bench looks stronger ? Hardly any premier league experience for the majority just new names that hopefully are better than last years. We will see. Chambers had loads of PL experience, we should have kept him then. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 8 hours ago, alreadyexists said: Going by a few of their fans on their forums they don’t know what’s likely to happen either, the general consensus though is that Antonio will start and the Fullkrug come on later in the game. They don’t seem to have much faith in Areola… I didn’t think he was that bad, but they mostly seem to agree he’ll make an error. General consensus is I think: Areola AWB Kilman Todibo Emerson Kudus Soucek Ward-Prowse Summerville Bowen Antonio Alvarez will surely start unless he's injured. Mexico went out very early in the Copa so won't be a fatigue issue. Also missed out Paqueta who'll seemingly play most of the season and then get banned right at the end like Toney did. Think Ward Prowse will be benched and could well be sold at the end of the window. Can certainly get at that defence as they haven't played at all as a unit in pre season with Wan-Bisaaka and Todibo only signing in last week, not sure Summerville will start either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smg Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 10 minutes ago, duke313 said: Chambers had loads of PL experience, we should have kept him then. Nice picture clearly backs up your point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 6 hours ago, OutByEaster? said: The big hope for me is Ollie. Fresh from a big summer, confident, rested and eager and with his natural fitness and running, he might just drop into the team like a bomb and make this game his. He scored a lovely header v them the other year, was from a Moreno cross IIRC. Then last season he cooked them at VP, gave Zouma a torrid time drifting in from the left so I do think they'll start AWB if he's fit just to be more defensively solid that side. However we really struggled down there last year first half to contain Coufal on the overlap getting crosses in, Rogers didn't have a clue where he was positionally at all so six months on we'll be much better prepared to stop the crosses. Lopetegui was a strange appointment considering they were all moaning about Moyes style whenever they hit a bad run. Lopetegui did a very good job at Wolves but it was still similar of sit deep and hit on the counter so interested how long they put up with that if they have a poor run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 36 minutes ago, smg said: The bench looks stronger ? Hardly any premier league experience for the majority just new names that hopefully are better than last years. We will see. Moreno is a decent option to put on for last half hour when fresh legs are required and game starts to open up. However Maatsen will surely be favoured instead. Also got Barkley who can get his foot on the ball and drive us to edge of the box. Buendia and Ramsey back from injury with over 200 games behind them. Duran if his head is screwed on can also impact games off the bench. We've had far worse. The bench might not be good enough to impact tough CL matches but it's good enough to influence an away game at West Ham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyblade Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 I just want Rogers to play behind Ollie and not on the left. I don't know if Ramsey is ready to start but we need Rogers in the 10 to pull those CBs and DMs out of position. Wan Bissaka would mark him out of the game otherwise you'd feel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 (edited) West Ham announced Bowen as new captain, not sure who held the role last season? Edited August 15 by VillaChris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troon_villan Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 2 hours ago, VillaChris said: West Ham announced Bowen as new captain, not sure who held the role last season? Zouma was it not? The Cat kicker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
It's Your Round Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 There’s a faint whiff of pessimism in the air ahead of the new season, lots of uncertainty of how our midfield will function and how our defence will shape up, all fair points. The downplaying of expectations is probably sensible because it may well take this team a while to hit form. You could also say similar about West Ham though, new manager, lots of new signings, will they be at their best? I think that we’ll see a different team from preseason. The intensity and effort will be there from the off, and those attacking patterns of play that served us so well last year will still be there. Watkins, Bailey, Rogers and Ramsey should be able to rip through the hopefully unfamiliar and unsteady West Ham defence. I would go for familiarity in our defence, if I was Emery. Martinez, Digne, Torres, Konsa and Cash, all know each others game well enough. We need to not do anything daft in the first 20 mins, keep calm and impose Unai’s control. With just Onana in from the start, it shouldn’t take long for them to find their stride. No rush to blood the rest of the new signings just yet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 Tough start. Think I'd be very happy with a point from this one. They have bought a lot of players and definitely in the mix for top 6. The midfield battle is key. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VILLAMARV Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 You'd think Emery would probably love to get one over Lopetegui here. Nice not to be playing one of the promoted teams first up for what seems like a change, Nice to get the fixture out of the way early I suppose. Be happy with a point. But I'd rather a goal apeice for Watkins, Bailey and Rogers so my fantasy team also gets off to a flyer. Never knew Jarrod Bowen was from Leominster. It's nice to be back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaParkAvenue Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 Tough game. I honestly expect to us get destroyed here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supermon Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 2-0 to Villa, Watkins and Rogers. Unai ball will be back!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jas10 Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villa87 Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 Fancy is to put in a statement performance and get the win to show last season wasn’t a one off. Emi Kosta Konsa Pau Digne McGinn Onana Tielemans Rogers Bailey Watkins Cash, Ramsey, Barkley, Philogene and Maatsen to freshen things up as we get up to speed! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinebro Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 This could get real ugly but I expect us to come good in a month or 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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