Attended my first match this season on Saturday. First half Swansea were in a different class to us. All players had one touch control, could look up and pick out an accurate pass. We had one player who could do this: Idrissa Gana. The rest, apart from Richards, were not good enough to get in the Swansea team.
Second half was a little better as we were more adventurous. Gabby set up goal nicely, but earlier had missed a sitter. With all the time in the world he missed by a metre from 6 metres out.
We have 2 players who are just not premier league players - Lescott and Gestede. The former panicked most times that he had the ball and often gave it away. The latter has no better ball control than me. How on earth did we come to sign him?
Having said all this most, of the players should be good enough to keep us up - which is all we are after this season. Now Okore and Clark are coming back to fitness I hope we never see Lescott again in a Villa shirt. So the problem position is upfront. Unless we buy a proven premier league striker we will be relegated. Not doing this in the summer was Tim's biggest mistake. It is why we are bottom of the division and why Tim lost his job. Charlie Austin was apparently available in the summer. I know January transfers are difficult, but he is the obvious choice.
Apart from Gestede and Lescott, this squad of players are good enough to stay up. Get a decent striker and we will.
We also need a manager with proven premier league experience. David Moyes would be good. This French chap (Garde?) is a huge risk and would probably send us down
Swansea lessons
posted on 27/10/15
I agree with most of that.
Ayew is looking decent and needs to be played. But he needs a better partner up front that Gestede. Why not play Kozack? He may not be world class but he can hold the ball up better than Gestede. With Sinclair as standby.. that isnt such a bad forward line.
Someone said recently that Gestede would be ok for twenty minutes here or there. To get the odd goal. That would seem to make sense. Same with Agbonlahor. OK now and then. Why were these two being picked all the time?
Villas midfield has talent. With a calmer head on their shoulders the youngsters look decent.
But the likes of Bacuna and Westwood need to be kept for emergencies not played as first choice. There are better players to pick from than those two. Why were they being picked all the time???
And it seems obvious to everyone - except Sherwood - that Villas best back four would be Richards, Okore, Clark and Amavi. With Hutton as back-up.
Yet he kept picking Richardson and Lescott.. Why??
Strange team selections. Cost Villa points and righly cost Sherwood his job.
For what its worth, though Garde is inexperienced, he will likely play the youngsters once he sees what he has got. And the likes of Lescott etc.. will be relegated to the bench. Trouble is it may take him several games to realise that.
Moyes, by contrast, would likely play the old guard. But somehow get something better out of them than Sherwood did.
Either way, Garde or Moyes, you will be better off than Sherwood.
posted on 27/10/15
Lescott has actually be dreadful in every game since he signed totally agree Clark or Okore must come in to replace him. Who knows what sort of team the new manager will pick but i agree with Midland saying Moyes will pick the old guard. I really hope Garde does not get the job, i'm not saying he's a bad manager but it's such a huge risk regards our position. Pearson wont get it but i still think he would be a good regards what people think of his persona. Other than that we really should shell out for Moyes but would he really come to the club working under orders on transfers ?? Cant see it myself and this is the reason the board are going for Garde in my book. The fact is we are extremely likely to get relegated this season whoever gets the job, so we should look more to the long term when deciding an appointment !!
posted on 27/10/15
There's a risk with anyone we pick. But to me Garde is the best fit for what we've got, and the direction the club is going. Moyes would be a good shout in some ways but I can't see him being very comfortable with our squad, and so, as Tim ended up, I think he'd go for safety, which might result in players like Lescott who's past it getting played. I think we're more likely to survive playing to our strengths.
I still have hopes for Gestede. Give him a chance and he scores goals, and defenders don't like him. If you have Amavi and Hutton playing they will get some crosses in, which not only gives him chances, but puts pressure on defenders which allows the creative ones like Grealish and Gil opportunities to do something different.
Anyway, I'm more optimistic than the media. We've lost a lot of matches but only by a goal, except for Chelsea. We aren't a walk over. Yet. In general I think we bought well in the summer, and the players being "not good enough" is wrong; they have real potential.
posted on 27/10/15
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 27/10/15
comment by McParlandTheGreat (U6150)
posted 1 hour, 31 minutes ago
There's a risk with anyone we pick. But to me Garde is the best fit for what we've got, and the direction the club is going. Moyes would be a good shout in some ways but I can't see him being very comfortable with our squad, and so, as Tim ended up, I think he'd go for safety, which might result in players like Lescott who's past it getting played. I think we're more likely to survive playing to our strengths.
I still have hopes for Gestede. Give him a chance and he scores goals, and defenders don't like him. If you have Amavi and Hutton playing they will get some crosses in, which not only gives him chances, but puts pressure on defenders which allows the creative ones like Grealish and Gil opportunities to do something different.
Anyway, I'm more optimistic than the media. We've lost a lot of matches but only by a goal, except for Chelsea. We aren't a walk over. Yet. In general I think we bought well in the summer, and the players being "not good enough" is wrong; they have real potential.
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Unfortunately the 'direction we're going in' is downwards. Beyond this season Garde might be a good choice but we need someone who is going to win matches pretty quickly.
Who ever comes in, it should only take them one match to see that Lescott and Gestede are not any where near good enough. Gestede will score goals with his head but that's it. He can't do anything else a forward must do. The rest of the players are good enough to get us up the table, except perhaps Gabby, who should only start on the bench.
posted on 27/10/15
BRING BACK BIG RON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D
posted on 27/10/15
BRING BACK BIG RON