Tempo - lack of

[Quiet Lion]

Very much agree with the OP here.

I am willing to give Tim a pass at the moment though as we look like a team trying to integrate a load of new players, many adapting to a new league.

[Legion]

An excellent summation of what has been an issue for quite a few years now.

[itbrvilla]

Tempo appears to of been a Villa issue to me since the late 90's.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

One thing I have noticed this season is how our midfielders when receiving the ball go backwards before going forward. Sherwood has said numerous times that he wants us to play "on the front foot", so I'd hope that it's something he'll urgently address. We're far too slow and allow teams to get organised so it's little surprise we struggle to create chances, nevermind score.

[CT]

I know TS has spoken about tempo a few times, but I do remember getting into VP a liitle too early before the Leicester Cup game last season and noticing something as the players warmed up instantly.

They were doing the "2 in the middle of the circle" drill, but the ones in the middle were right in the faces of those on the outside so the passing had to be quick and accurate. It looked really good.

Compare that to going to the VP open Training a few years ago. Players in a circle, John Carew (much as I loved him) ambled around in the middle until he gave up and just handed someone else the bib. Same in the 7-a-side at the end. Carew trotted around offering his midfield nothing while Emile Heskey put in 110%, hitting the channels, everything - his team won 4-1.

We'll get it right, just going to take some time. I'm far more confident than with either TSM1 or TSM2.

[Mister E]

I challenge a couple of points in an interesting OP.
1. Guzan's most obvious recent flaws have been when he has been trying to move the game on too quickly: at the Etihad last season; and, on Saturday. In the case of the latter, he could either have hacked the balll downfield to exploit Dann's positional walkabout; or he could have slowed it right down to ensure a point.
2. Westwood has looked more purposeful with the ball: against ManUre he played several first-time passes, as a example.

I'd certainly agree that Bacuna is not a RB and does not deal well with the ball thrown ourt to him. I liked someone else's comment on another thread about playing Hutton and Traore as a right-side combo.

[Holtemeister]

The great Man United teams and performances all had high intensity in their play.  You could tell from the first 15 minutes games they would struggle as it wasnt quite there.

Wave after wave of intensive pressure and it was no wonder they got so many penalties with the pressure they put team under in the box.  Summat had to give.

We just dont seem to have that intensity / tempo to our game ....Ashley Young had it and with the right midfield gabby could have been an excellent asset in raising our intensity but we have always struggled with supply line from midfield.

[silhillvilla]

What is tempo ? I think I had prawn tempo once

[olaftab]

What is tempo ? I think I had prawn tempo once

You mean tampon don't you?

[Matt Collins]

Back end of last season was the first time in ages that a villa team had played with real ten

[mattjpa]

I hear that TS is doing alot to try and improve the general fitness of the squad...if this is the case then we may well see long term benefits that are detrimental in the short term as players appear more tired and subsequently tempo of our attacking play will suffer.

Re Guzan, he has undoubted quality on shots and has great reactions but is an awful footballer. I dont think TS will put up with much more of his poor kicking. Gabby desperately needs a spark or a bit of luck...the time has come for Sinclair or Ayew to take his place for me...we are not good enough to miss one on one chances. I would give him Notts County to bag a couple of goals or bench him.

[Ads]

You can only play with a tempo if you know what your team mates are doing. Presently, the majority of what we may anticipate the first team midfield to be, have played collectively less than five games and most are some way short of match fitness.

[Pat McMahon]

To play with real tempo we need a drum.

[Virgil Caine]

Or to play with a real drum we need a tempo.