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Author Topic: Should we experiment?  (Read 19451 times)

Offline BannedUserIAT

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Re: Should we experiment?
« Reply #30 on: April 29, 2011, 04:24:40 PM »
---------------------Seigrist-----------------
---Walker---Cuellar---Clark---Baker---
---------------Makoun---Delph------------
--Young---------Bannan------Downing--
---------------------Bent---------------------

Friedel, Collins, Bradley, Albrighton, Gardner, Petrov, Agbonlahor

That side would beat Wigan.

I like that. And why not? These lads are going to be our future. The pressure is largely off and they should be encouraged to enjoy their football and show what they can do.

If we end up a position or two lower than what we may have ended up (and you can argue that all you like without ever getting a definitive answer) then the couple of million lost will be money well spent when you look at the experience the lads will be getting.

Anyway, I don't think that squad would cause us to drop places. It's quality, that.

Offline TheSandman

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Re: Should we experiment?
« Reply #31 on: April 29, 2011, 04:45:52 PM »
I really think that some people are making our first team to be something they aren't. What difference does dropping some of them make? I have absolutely zero faith in so many of them. Anyone on here who doesn't shit themself every time the ball goes near Collins and Dunne must have nerves and bowels of steel. The only reason we haven't kept that many clean sheets this season is because those oafs have been playing and if they weren't it was a green youngster like Baker or Herd filling in. Look at Cuellar's performances this season and you won't find much cause to complain and Clark has impressed in spells and has a big future.  Anyone who doesn't see Petrov and NRC as deeply limited needs new glasses. I hate to be blunt and I do appreciate both players and their qualities but they are not the greatest players in the world. Makoun is better than Petrov and just needs the game time to get up to speed. With Bradley the jury is out because he has hardly played.

We are safe and we are not going down and I don't really care where we finish outside of that this season. Next season is more important and our performance then will be maximised by having a squad of players who have at least some experience of the game played at premier league speed and who know each others' games. We need to know if Bannan, Delph and Gardner are good enough to have an immediate impact. We could waste millions more than that we would lose in prize money bringing in new players we don't need.

As I say I have absolutely zero faith in many of our current players. I don't think we will beat West Brom with them and West Brom are no great shakes. It is a shocking indictment of how bad our first team are. My team was an extreme selection there is no reason why it wouldn't work with just two changes to give some different players a go?

Offline SashasGrandad

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Re: Should we experiment?
« Reply #32 on: April 29, 2011, 05:06:12 PM »
We may still need 2 more points let's not lose sight of that

We still need 6 more pts or 3 plus we draw with Wigan

Offline darren woolley

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Re: Should we experiment?
« Reply #33 on: April 29, 2011, 05:29:59 PM »
I would not wan't to make wholesale changes maybe bring Bannan and Gardner in i reckon they would improve the team so that is not a bad thing i would use Albrighton more than we are doing at the moment i really have a lot of faith in this kid i think finishing as high up the table as we can and getting a decent league placing is important after the season we have had because we wan't to attract the best players to Villa Park and our league position could be crucial to do that.   

Offline WikiVilla

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Re: Should we experiment?
« Reply #34 on: April 29, 2011, 05:57:02 PM »
We're unbeaten in 4 since we dropped Makoun and steadied the ship with the guile and experience of NRC & Petrov in the middle

Now is not the time to "fanny/tinker around", we need more points, starting with 3 tomorrow

Offline Rudy Can't Fail

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Re: Should we experiment?
« Reply #35 on: April 29, 2011, 06:00:27 PM »
Not much to argue with there Bentman and your team is certainly an option without too much risk, with the possible exception of Bradley, who if he's looking good at Bodymoor Heath should at least be on the bench instead of Pires, who let's face it, has no future here. I'd still like to see Gabby in the middle, especially tomorrow. Agree completely with Ashley Young but if his future really is undecided and there's a real chance he will stay, I'd play him. The thought of a new manager or GH finally telling him to play for the team and to his strengths is worth his inclusion. If not, drop him. He's been all fart and no shit (thanks Paulie) for far too long.

DW, Gardner, who I've only seen once this season against Chelsea and was completely invisible throughout the game, should if up to speed, be also on the bench.

We need to try and finish the season on an high. Apart from the additional money for our final position, a few wins between now and the end of the season will leave us with something to look forward to over the summer, not to mention have an impact it may have on those season ticket holders that are considering not renewing.

Offline KevinGage

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Re: Should we experiment?
« Reply #36 on: April 29, 2011, 07:20:35 PM »
Now that Bannan is back I'd like to see him involved -maybe even starting v Wigan.

Two in midfield behind him and instruct him to focus purely on weighting throughballs into DB, see how the pair of them link up. 

That would be about the height of my experimentation though. We already know what Marc Albrighton can bring to the side and he'll probably be a big player for us next season if either Ash or Downing (or both) are off.

For the rest of them, they have to earn the right. Quite a few of them have had decent opportunities this year and whilst most of them haven't badly let us down, they didn't particularly stand out either. Play so well in the reserves that they can't afford to be left out, that should be the challenge to them. Not being handed staring positions on a plate (with the double whammy of deliberately weakening the starting XI).

Offline Phil from the upper holte

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Re: Should we experiment?
« Reply #37 on: April 29, 2011, 07:26:49 PM »
Is bannan back? I would use players as subs only. With arsenal & liverpool last I'd like to see as many points on board as possible

Offline KevinGage

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Re: Should we experiment?
« Reply #38 on: April 29, 2011, 07:34:29 PM »
I really think that some people are making our first team to be something they aren't. What difference does dropping some of them make? I have absolutely zero faith in so many of them. Anyone on here who doesn't shit themself every time the ball goes near Collins and Dunne must have nerves and bowels of steel. The only reason we haven't kept that many clean sheets this season is because those oafs have been playing and if they weren't it was a green youngster like Baker or Herd filling in. Look at Cuellar's performances this season and you won't find much cause to complain and Clark has impressed in spells and has a big future.  Anyone who doesn't see Petrov and NRC as deeply limited needs new glasses. I hate to be blunt and I do appreciate both players and their qualities but they are not the greatest players in the world. Makoun is better than Petrov and just needs the game time to get up to speed. With Bradley the jury is out because he has hardly played.

We are safe and we are not going down and I don't really care where we finish outside of that this season. Next season is more important and our performance then will be maximised by having a squad of players who have at least some experience of the game played at premier league speed and who know each others' games. We need to know if Bannan, Delph and Gardner are good enough to have an immediate impact. We could waste millions more than that we would lose in prize money bringing in new players we don't need.

As I say I have absolutely zero faith in many of our current players. I don't think we will beat West Brom with them and West Brom are no great shakes. It is a shocking indictment of how bad our first team are. My team was an extreme selection there is no reason why it wouldn't work with just two changes to give some different players a go?

Don't buy most of that TBF Sandman.

Our recent upturn in form from the Everton game onwards has been due in no small part to the return of senior players like Petrov and Luke Young. They gave us a calmness and stability when we needed it most.

The other senior players have also contributed to this turnaround, so to completely skittle the wee bit of cohesion we have just built up again for the sake of it seems pointless to me -particularly when we're still not absolutely, mathematically safe.

Clark, Baker and a few of the others have all shown promise. But they've been caught out making some pretty basic errors that have cost us dearly too. Might come with the territory, them being so young. But as mentioned earlier, their form hasn't been so exceptional that they shouldn't be left out.

In this Black Dog of a season, I don't think we can cock a snook at local pride either. Generally the likes of the Rags and the Olbiyun shouldn't even be on our radar, save for four games per season (when they're in the same division, of course. Not always a given). You can tell always tell how bad a campaign it's been when they're not a million miles off us. Lets not make things any easier for the cants by deliberately fielding weakened teams and giving them the opportunity to finish above us.

Still plenty to play for.

Offline The Moose

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Re: Should we experiment?
« Reply #39 on: April 29, 2011, 07:53:15 PM »
Heskey for Bent, Walker for Cuellar. This is still largely last season's team, playing last season's football.
No surprise that we look better than earlier this season, but good as some of the kids are, the whole club was in turmoil, and it was unfair to ask them to perform week in, week out.
Where we go from here is the question. Do we rebuild the squad or just bring in a couple of "top" players?
Big, big decisions to be made. But who will make them?

Offline hartman_1982

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Re: Should we experiment?
« Reply #40 on: April 29, 2011, 07:55:31 PM »
Heskey for Bent, Walker for Cuellar. This is still largely last season's team, playing last season's football.
No surprise that we look better than earlier this season, but good as some of the kids are, the whole club was in turmoil, and it was unfair to ask them to perform week in, week out.
Where we go from here is the question. Do we rebuild the squad or just bring in a couple of "top" players?
Big, big decisions to be made. But who will make them?


Find out on next weeks episode!

Offline Chipsticks

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Re: Should we experiment?
« Reply #41 on: April 29, 2011, 08:09:35 PM »
No, we cannot afford to experiment yet, we are not safe by any means yet.

A win tomorrow, and we probably will be - in my eyes.

Offline WikiVilla

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Re: Should we experiment?
« Reply #42 on: April 29, 2011, 09:22:24 PM »
3 PTs tomorrow then maybe give delph or bannan a game v Wigan

Offline gervilla

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Re: Should we experiment?
« Reply #43 on: April 29, 2011, 09:35:05 PM »
Experimentation at this stage, while still not safe would be ridiculous and  points = money so experiment in pre season.


Offline hawkeye

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Re: Should we experiment?
« Reply #44 on: April 29, 2011, 11:13:37 PM »
We are safe, we should definately be giving some of the young players a go even if that means bringing them on for the odd half hour,

 


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