The best news is Cooper staying.
Last Game Overview: Started well, faded quickly. Same old defensive mistakes.
The Good: Danilo and Mangala working well. Felipe and an improving Niakhate. Toffolo. Dennis passing the ball (improving with a run of games).
The Bad: Navas, Williams, Freuler, MGW, Johnson.
The Ugly: Williams. He's currently not good enough.
Special Mention: Cooper. Questionable substitions. Sticking with Williams. Ayew?
Overall Record:
Currently we stand at W38 D31 L60
Injuries / Signings:
Boly, Henderson, McKenna and Wood are all out for this one.
Aurier, Dennis, McKenna and Yates - all facing late fitness tests.
Cash, Coutinho and (possibly) Kamara out for them.
Form:
Villa Home Form - W3 D1 L2 GF11 GA10
Forest Away Form - W1 D1 L4 GF4 GA12
Forest are 0.7 PPG over the last ten games. Villa are 1.9 PPG.
Since the 28th August, Villa have only lost once to a team involved in the nine way relegation battle.
Watkins has scored eight in his last ten.
Team:
Navas
Aurier Niakhate Felipe Lodi
Mangala Danilo Yates
Scarpa Awoniyi Johnson
MGW didn't do well the other night and although Scarpa looked slow on the wing, I think he would do a job in AM. Especially with Danilo in the squad.
Hopefully Yates recovers
Prediction:
Well, we have harmony for now. Cooper staying, public backing and a mini-run coming up? You've got to have hope right!
If Aurier and Yates are back then we have a chance.
2-2.
COYRs!!!
Aston Villa v Forest - Match Thread
posted on 8/4/23
We’re going to be so deep in relegation after next few games. Others will move away because when we had the chance to get some points we messed it up. Bournemouth have a nice few games coming up.
posted on 8/4/23
Frustrated that I mostly have to rely on the radio, but I wonder why we've gone on such a bad run after looking to have secured safety.
Injuries have been a big factor, but there's a mental weakness when you keep dropping points by conceding late in the half (or today, early in the half!)
Defensive lapses wouldn't be so bad if we actually created a few chances and scored more goals. Danilo adds something going forward but sounds like he needs to calm down when he gets to the edge of the box and find a pass.
Worrall sounded good - if he can step up it'll help a lot. If Yates comes back, even more so.
posted on 8/4/23
comment by caniggiaforforest (U6917)
posted 2 hours, 29 minutes ago
Yeah it’s over now for me. Next 4 games we will get 0 points and others are picking them up. Guess we have to plan for next season now. Midfield of Danilo, O’Brien and Shelvey could be good. But we’ll struggle to keep Johno, Mangala, Freuler, MGW???
Henderson won’t join a Champ side. Defenders may stick around as they are champ quality mostly.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Midfield of Yates, Danilo, O’Brien would be better.
posted on 8/4/23
comment by caniggiaforforest (U6917)
posted 1 hour, 58 minutes ago
Shelvey isn’t going to get a Prem club though is he? Yates definitely should be first name on team sheet. If we can keep Awoniyi then we’ll be strong. Just wonder how different the squad might look next season if we go down
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Horvath
Worrall. Niakhate. McKenna
Williams. Yates. Danilo. O’Brien. Toffolo
Awoniyi. Surridge
posted on 8/4/23
comment by Redfor60yrs (U2973)
posted 8 minutes ago
comment by caniggiaforforest (U6917)
posted 1 hour, 58 minutes ago
Shelvey isn’t going to get a Prem club though is he? Yates definitely should be first name on team sheet. If we can keep Awoniyi then we’ll be strong. Just wonder how different the squad might look next season if we go down
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Horvath
Worrall. Niakhate. McKenna
Williams. Yates. Danilo. O’Brien. Toffolo
Awoniyi. Surridge
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Not bad. Will we be as lucky as Burnley this year with quality of division?
posted on 8/4/23
Add Felipe to that defence poss for McKenna and we have a good starting xi.
posted on 9/4/23
comment by Redfor60yrs (U2973)
posted 5 hours, 29 minutes ago
comment by caniggiaforforest (U6917)
posted 1 hour, 58 minutes ago
Shelvey isn’t going to get a Prem club though is he? Yates definitely should be first name on team sheet. If we can keep Awoniyi then we’ll be strong. Just wonder how different the squad might look next season if we go down
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Horvath
Worrall. Niakhate. McKenna
Williams. Yates. Danilo. O’Brien. Toffolo
Awoniyi. Surridge
----------------------------------------------------------------------
New Goalie
Boly Niakhate Felipe
Williams Danilo Mangala Yates Richards
Bowler Awoniyi
Horvath, Toffolo, McKenna, Worrall, Kouyate, O’Brien, Scarpa, Surridge.
If we offload / release; Ayew, Colback, Cook, Drager, Freuler, Hwang, Shelvey and Wood. Say £20m.
Resigned to losing; Henderson, Navas, Aurier, Lodi,
Dennis, MGW and Johnson. Say £80m.
That would net us a good £100m in sales. Plus the Parachute payments to bounce straight back up.
———-
Unfortunately…we’re staying up.
posted on 9/4/23
Yes that’s not a bad squad but I can’t see Felipe playing in the Champ. I’m not convinced Richards exists and Niakhate looks to be a sick note. Mangala also won’t stay if we go down. Midfield doesn’t have much creativity and we’ve basically relied on pace of Johnno to get us where we are so we’d need to replace that somehow
posted on 9/4/23
comment by caniggiaforforest (U6917)
posted 11 hours, 41 minutes ago
Yes that’s not a bad squad but I can’t see Felipe playing in the Champ. I’m not convinced Richards exists and Niakhate looks to be a sick note. Mangala also won’t stay if we go down. Midfield doesn’t have much creativity and we’ve basically relied on pace of Johnno to get us where we are so we’d need to replace that somehow
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Niakhate has only had one long-term injury in his career. Other than this season he averages 30 games a season. If he is a sick note, then it started this season.
My point in all of this, is that if we go down, then we’ll have money in the bank OR a stronger squad for challenging for promotion.
posted on 10/4/23
That’s why I said “looks to be a sick note” which based on his time at Forest seems fair. But then everyone who joins this club seems to become one 😣
We get less cash if relegated after one season and we’ve spent a lot so whether we’ll have loads is debatable. Hopefully will have a good squad but I think we’d miss Johnson hugely. We’d also need a creative midfielder badly. Unless we’re not going to lump it up to Wood which could work