collapse collapse

Please donate to help towards the costs of keeping this site going. Thank You.

Recent Topics

Champions League Contention by PaulWinch again
[Today at 12:16:20 PM]


NSWE Investment by Bad English
[Today at 12:15:40 PM]


Aston Villa vs Chelsea pre-match thread by PaulWinch again
[Today at 12:14:55 PM]


Peter McParland 90 today by Martyn Smith
[Today at 12:10:05 PM]


Other Games - 2023/24 by Duncan Shaw
[Today at 12:09:08 PM]


Chris Heck - President of Business Operations by Sexual Ealing
[Today at 12:01:43 PM]


150 celebrations by Dogtanian
[Today at 11:41:56 AM]


Unai Emery - our manager by Sexual Ealing
[Today at 11:24:30 AM]

Recent Posts

Follow us on...

Author Topic: Is the squad good enough for promotion ?  (Read 4228 times)

Offline robleflaneur

  • Member
  • Posts: 809
Is the squad good enough for promotion ?
« on: January 07, 2018, 02:31:52 PM »
Early this season I expressed the view that Adomah wasn't good enough for a promotion chasing team.Clearly I was wrong and I think in general we tend to be a bit too dismissive of the squad's quality.Hogg and Lowton were reserves in struggling Villa sides but both have gained promotion to the Premiership with their teams.Other reserves,Lichaj (Forest),Johnson and Robinson (Preston)are prospering in this league.Of our acquisitions in the
Championship,no one doubts the quality of Johnstone,Chester,Terry and Adomah ! Have to exclude Kodjia through injury.Of the others ,Elmo,Elphick,Taylor ,De Laet and Lansbury (twice ,with Norwich and West Ham)have also been players in teams getting promoted to the Premiership.And the rest,Onomah ,U21 international and has represented England at every age group,Bjarnason ,a member of succesful Iceland and Basel teams and has also played in Serie A.Hourihane..Barnsley's best player and winning accolades as one of the best midfielders in the league.Hogan,a better than 1 in 2 goal ratio at Brentford.Jedinak does what it says on the tin and captain of a WC qualifying team.Steer,excellent back up keeper and Bree as a teenager was a regular in the Championship.Whelan,back up for Jedinak.Add to that Hutton,Grealish and some promising youngsters.
Yes,we can rightly criticise individuals,count me in if you want to have a go at Taylor but this squad should be more than capable of achieving promotion.






Offline robleflaneur

  • Member
  • Posts: 809
Re: Is the squad good enough for promotion ?
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2018, 02:42:44 PM »
I forgot Snodgrass,another who gained promotion with his club.

Offline Legion

  • Moderator
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 58334
  • Age: 53
  • Location: With my son
  • Oh, it must be! And it is! Villa in the lead!
    • Personal Education Services
  • GM : 05.04.2019
Re: Is the squad good enough for promotion ?
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2018, 02:54:27 PM »
Individually, the players should be but collectively not due to the tactics, style and approach to management by all involved in the coaching role.

Offline Chris Smith

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 35677
  • Location: At home
  • GM : 08.01.2025
Re: Is the squad good enough for promotion ?
« Reply #3 on: January 07, 2018, 03:11:29 PM »
We won the last game 5-0 against promotion rivals and we had important players unavailable. The squad is easily good enough, they just have to believe it themselves.

Offline Nastylee

  • Member
  • Posts: 2322
  • Location: A village in Worcs
Re: Is the squad good enough for promotion ?
« Reply #4 on: January 07, 2018, 03:48:39 PM »
The squad is good enough. You don't usually swap it so much (ten players) so one or two coming in ought to be good enough.

Offline AlexAlexCropley

  • Member
  • Posts: 10232
  • Location: DY9
Re: Is the squad good enough for promotion ?
« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2018, 03:51:39 PM »
Hard to say without the right coaching/tactics

Online PaulWinch again

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 49491
  • Location: winchester
  • GM : 25.05.2024
Re: Is the squad good enough for promotion ?
« Reply #6 on: January 07, 2018, 03:53:53 PM »
The squad is plenty good enough.

Offline Boz

  • Member
  • Posts: 1924
Re: Is the squad good enough for promotion ?
« Reply #7 on: January 07, 2018, 04:04:59 PM »
The squad is plenty good enough.

Unfortunately the manager and coaching staff aren't

Offline Rudy Can't Fail

  • Member
  • Posts: 39094
  • Location: In the Shade
    • http://www.heroespredictions.co.uk/pl/
Re: Is the squad good enough for promotion ?
« Reply #8 on: January 07, 2018, 04:09:05 PM »
The squad is plenty good enough.

Unfortunately the manager and coaching staff aren't

This.

Offline Ads

  • Member
  • Posts: 39671
  • Location: The Breeze
  • GM : 17.04.2024
Re: Is the squad good enough for promotion ?
« Reply #9 on: January 07, 2018, 04:11:21 PM »
The squad is plenty good enough.

Unfortunately the manager and coaching staff aren't


You might need to qualify that, as he's got 4 to his name.

Online Toronto Villa

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 54306
  • Age: 51
  • Location: Toronto, Canada
  • GM : 22.07.2024
Re: Is the squad good enough for promotion ?
« Reply #10 on: January 07, 2018, 04:50:34 PM »
If Bruce is able to remove the shackles of his own conservatism, caution and sense of a martyr syndrome then he and the squad are more than good enough for promotion. He's shown it sporadically, but given the quality of the league isn't outstanding we have enough about us to get 2nd place. The challenge for Bruce will always be tactically bold, to let us play and be expressive. Something that long term will be his undoing.

Offline wittonwarrior

  • Member
  • Posts: 4610
  • Age: 63
  • Location: Knotty Ash (really)
Re: Is the squad good enough for promotion ?
« Reply #11 on: January 07, 2018, 05:16:47 PM »
I certainly would't have said his end of last season but yes depending on Adomah and Grealish.  Take these two out of the equation and I doubt it.

Offline Ads

  • Member
  • Posts: 39671
  • Location: The Breeze
  • GM : 17.04.2024
Re: Is the squad good enough for promotion ?
« Reply #12 on: January 07, 2018, 05:29:33 PM »
I'd say Hogan and the January loanee striker are the most critical.

If the new 4141 system with the pace we played it at against Bristol City is a sign of what's to come, then Hogan has a chance if getting 12-15 goals. If he does that, we will finish 2nd.

Offline Rigadon

  • Member
  • Posts: 7359
  • GM : Aug, 2014
Re: Is the squad good enough for promotion ?
« Reply #13 on: January 07, 2018, 05:41:12 PM »
Yes.

Offline eamonn

  • Member
  • Posts: 29996
  • Location: Down to Worthing...and work there
  • GM : 26.07.2020
Re: Is the squad good enough for promotion ?
« Reply #14 on: January 07, 2018, 05:47:28 PM »
The squad is plenty good enough.

Unfortunately the manager and coaching staff aren't


You might need to qualify that, as he's got 4 to his name.

Are you Bruce in again or still out? Not taking the piss, genuinely interested.

In response to the OP, we have the strongest squad in the league. Wolves have more individual flair but we really should be second place at worst by the end of the season. Anything less and Bruce hasn't done a good enough job.

 


SimplePortal 2.3.6 © 2008-2014, SimplePortal