Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Londonvilla on August 19, 2014, 10:07:09 PM
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Have we got a good squad?
I live in London and was asked at work, by a West Ham fan whether I thought, as he did, that we would have a squad which was good enough for the top half of the premiership. I replied no we have average players, who were capable of performing well against the big-money teams but played poorly against everybody else. He responded by saying he thought the Villa squad on paper looked solid, because it had a mix of youth and experience, and now had big hard men at the back, a hard tackling midfield player, and a big hard bloke upfront, whereas last season we had only one big hard man at the back, light weights in midfield, and a big bloke upfront.
Thinking about it and looking at the squad I find myself beginning to get a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. I recognise the feeling I think it’s what top doctors, scientists and philosophers call hope.
Let’s look at the squad.
Brad – is in the top five goalkeepers in the division
Alan Hutton – was probably one of the worst footballers I’ve ever seen, yet never moaned or slagged off the club and his performance in preseason was fantastic.
Philippe Senderock – when we signed him I nearly burst into tears, after his performance at Stoke I nearly burst into tears but this time, tears of joy. If he can perform at this level, most of the season I for one will be a happy man.
Ron Vlaar – concrete has enhanced his reputation due to his World Cup performances the issue is which club will come in for him before the transfer deadline window closes.
Jores Okore – just watched the highlights from the reserve game, this man is some player and will be better than concrete and Senderock. If Ron does go then we have a ready-made replacement.
Aly Cissokho – how rubbish was he for Liverpool, and how good was he against Stoke? His crosses from the left were fantastic
Ashley Westwood – we’ve seen glimpses of what Ashley is able to do, but now that he may get to play further forward his accurate passing will be something I will be looking forward to seeing.
Fabian Delph – I predict this man will be in the England team for the next European Championships. You heard it here first.
Kieran Richardson – I’m happy with his work rate, I’m happy with his crossing, he’s versatile and can fit into a number of positions. At the end of the day you can’t complain if a player gives you 100%.
Charles N’Zogbia – still looks a little chunky, but he has started to pass the ball to another player in a Villa shirt something he failed to do consistently when he was last in the side. If he can become a team player I will be more than happy to see him get a year’s extension of his contract.
Jack Grealish –OMG just watched the reserve team game and Jack was like young Ronaldo and Lionel Messi rolled into one (if you don’t believe me watch the highlights) please sign him up on a 10 year contract. Jack you were born in England and you can still play international football for England, please help us win the World Cup
Christian Benteke – if he had been playing against Stoke we would have won three nil. With the right support he will score 20+ goals this season.
Our backup and support players are not that bad:
Carlos Sánchez – La Roca could be the difference between turning losses into drawers and draws into wins if he plays anywhere near how he played in the World Cup.
Andreas, Gabby and Joe Cole all have an important role to play this season
Nathan and Ciaran both can’t be in the team at the same time but people forget that they’re still quite young for defenders.
Gary Gardner, Callum Robinson and Graham Burke are young but very very good players
Anyway I’m not going to go through all of the players but when you look at our first-team and some of the squad players you have to admit that you start to dream.
You must remember supporting Aston Villa is a privilege; however also remember it’s the hope that kills you.
Have we got a good squad? No but we are getting closer
Comments………..
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No.
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Thanks Olaftab...For putting so much effort into your reply. Your ability to express yourself in writing is a joy to behold, and worthy of Shakespeare, Emily Brontë, and JK Rowling.
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(http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss92/RobbieMoubert/Vic_Bob_Handbags.jpg)
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If we get in the 2 most rumoured, in Sinclair and Holtby to add to what we have, I reckon 12th should be the minimum expectation.
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The three you have mentioned wasted their life. I have no intention of doing that. :)
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If we get in the 2 most rumoured, in Sinclair and Holtby to add to what we have, I reckon 12th should be the minimum expectation.
But will they hold back Jack Grealish?
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Are the highlights for the reserve game on AVTV then?
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Definitely better than last season.
(And I'm trying not to get too carried away by Saturday's performance/result! Our new "solid" team did well against a "solid" team with little or no flair... I hope the players who did so well on Sat continue to do so, particularly the defence, but they will meet tougher, better opponents in September)
Ever the optimist!!???!!
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Are the highlights for the reserve game on AVTV then?
Yes.... watch them you will be very happy with the job that Sid is doing
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No.
But it's better than last year.
My only concern is who will score the goals we need?
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No.
But it's better than last year.
My only concern is who will score the goals we need?
Darren Bent???
fingers cross
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Solid squad. Not enough creativity though. We appear tougher physically and seem more capable of defending. More grown men in the squad, which is good. The last two signings need to be both hard working and creative. Personally, would like Holtby and Zaha as they would be an improvement on last season. Third year for Lambert. At last he seems to be cottoning on to what many people on here have been saying, experience,physicality, creativity.
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Solid squad. Not enough creativity though. We appear tougher physically and seem more capable of defending. More grown men in the squad, which is good. The last two signings need to be both hard working and creative. Personally, would like Holtby and Zaha as they would be an improvement on last season. Third year for Lambert. At last he seems to be cottoning on to what many people on here have been saying, experience,physicality, creativity.
Great post but experience,physicality, creativity equals £10-15 million, have we got it /will we spend it?
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--------------Guzan
--------------Given
Hutton----Vlaar----Senderos-----Cissokho
Lowton----Okore----Clark---------Bennett
---------Delph-------Sanchez
---------Westwood---Richardson
Gabby------------------------N'Zogbia
Bacuna--------------------------Cole
---------Benteke-----Weimann
---------Bent---------Kozak
Plenty of versatile and on their day quality players there & El Ahmadhi, Baker on the fringes
and two very good up and comers in Grealish & Gardner
I'm full of enthusiasm at the moment, add another one or two new signings and we'll soon see why we were right to stick with Lambert
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--------------Guzan
--------------Given
Hutton----Vlaar----Senderos-----Cissokho
Lowton----Okore----Clark---------Bennett
---------Delph-------Sanchez
---------Westwood---Richardson
Gabby------------------------N'Zogbia
Bacuna--------------------------Cole
---------Benteke-----Weimann
---------Bent---------Kozak
Plenty of versatile and on their day quality players there & El Ahmadhi, Baker on the fringes
and two very good up and comers in Grealish & Gardner
I'm full of enthusiasm at the moment, add another one or two new signings and we'll soon see why we were right to stick with Lambert
I was also meant to say - on top of the new signings we've made.. N'Zogbia, Bemt and Okore could count as transfers in this summer due to them being unavailable all last season. Okore was suppose to be the next big thing and Zog is class on his day, and Bent's still got a 25 in 64(ish) scoring record for us.. it's all good
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Ask us after 10 games, not you but typical Villa fans getting carried away again after one excellent win. The squad looked good this time around last year so how people can say it's better is beyond me, lets wait and see.
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Ask us after 10 games, not you but typical Villa fans getting carried away again after one excellent win. The squad looked good this time around last year so how people can say it's better is beyond me, lets wait and see.
Come on cheer up..... The cup is half full.... New players in with premiership experience.... Two players in who played in the World Cup..... Injured players back..... and players that were previously ostracise, back playing in the first team..... Were not going to win the league, but there are clearly reasons to be optimistic....... you must have a little bit of hope in your soul?
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Ask us after 10 games, not you but typical Villa fans getting carried away again after one excellent win. The squad looked good this time around last year so how people can say it's better is beyond me, lets wait and see.
Heaven forbid we should be looking on the bright side about the team we support.
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I'm a half full guy but I think we're worse this year. Not due to the players but the lack or leadership.
Randy - wants out > Lambert - one year left > captain - one year left etc. It will not take much for the whole thing to collapse and inter-arguinng to take hold (Cole/Richardson etc couldn't give a shit about the club, they've just extended their pay day).
I obviously hope that is not the case but I think that is more likely than the squad remaining a cohesive/committed unit. If they do, then Lambert deserves huge credit.
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Ask us after 10 games, not you but typical Villa fans getting carried away again after one excellent win. The squad looked good this time around last year so how people can say it's better is beyond me, lets wait and see.
Heaven forbid we should be looking on the bright side about the team we support.
If we lose 0-2 on Sat people will soon change their tune and that bright side won't be very bright anymore.
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It's only been one game. The last few seasons have taught us that looking on the bright side tends to lead us to squint until our eyes are shut. Fan confidence or optimism are one thing but I've had enough of following the gourd and will wait until more shoes are taken off until I'm convinced that we're on the up.
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It's only been one game. The last few seasons have taught us that looking on the bright side tends to lead us to squint until our eyes are shut. Fan confidence or optimism are one thing but I've had enough of following the gourd and will wait until more shoes are taken off until I'm convinced that we're on the up.
Makes sense to me, we all want us to do well this season.
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Ask us after 38 games.
Let's wait and see.
Sorry, F**k that. Like a few thousand others I'm gonna be at as many games as I can, supporting my team being as positive/hopeful as I can and sharing the experience.
Waiting and seeing maybe wise but it's a crap way to support your team!
UTV!
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Loads of potential. Shit manager.
I'd have loved to have seen what a half decent manager could have done with our squad.
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Ask us after 10 games, not you but typical Villa fans getting carried away again after one excellent win. The squad looked good this time around last year so how people can say it's better is beyond me, lets wait and see.
Heaven forbid we should be looking on the bright side about the team we support.
If we lose 0-2 on Sat people will soon change their tune and that bright side won't be very bright anymore.
Goldie.7.....don't worry be happy....you sound like you want us to lose......
It's good that you're being realistic, and it's fair to point out deficiencies in our performances especially at home, but there's no need to rain on the parade, if people want to celebrate a victory away at Stoke, taking into consideration what they did to us last season both home and away, let them celebrate. Football has changed and the clubs that pay the biggest wages, and the biggest transfer fees, get the best players and win the trophies. For the rest of us football is about having great "moments", as it's unlikely that anyone other than the big spending teams will have a great season. So I would urge you to enjoy the "moments", whenever they come along, as that's all you're likely to get, until football wakes up and becomes more of a level playing ground and the Villa can start competing again at the top of the pyramid.
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Ask us after 38 games.
Let's wait and see.
Sorry, F**k that. Like a few thousand others I'm gonna be at as many games as I can, supporting my team being as positive/hopeful as I can and sharing the experience.
Waiting and seeing maybe wise but it's a crap way to support your team!
UTV!
We're not boycotting, most of us will still go to as many games as we can. Shouting C'mon Villa from the Holte has nothing to do with the topic... Have we got a good squad?
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Ask us after 38 games.
Let's wait and see.
Sorry, F**k that. Like a few thousand others I'm gonna be at as many games as I can, supporting my team being as positive/hopeful as I can and sharing the experience.
Waiting and seeing maybe wise but it's a crap way to support your team!
UTV!
Top post
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Ask us after 38 games.
Let's wait and see.
Sorry, F**k that. Like a few thousand others I'm gonna be at as many games as I can, supporting my team being as positive/hopeful as I can and sharing the experience.
Waiting and seeing maybe wise but it's a crap way to support your team!
UTV!
We're not boycotting, most of us will still go to as many games as we can. Shouting C'mon Villa from the Holte has nothing to do with the topic... Have we got a good squad?
Better than last season.
As I posted earlier.
The reaction of the players on Saturday at the end of the game showed that they care - even if it was only against Stoke!!!
But it was a game most on here predicted we would lose and we didn't. We were the better team and should've scored more.
I'm not saying it's the new revolution, just that we've got off to as good a start as we could've hoped for, the players look up for it (surprisingly?) and so should we. As always.
UTV!
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Ask us after 10 games, not you but typical Villa fans getting carried away again after one excellent win. The squad looked good this time around last year so how people can say it's better is beyond me, lets wait and see.
Heaven forbid we should be looking on the bright side about the team we support.
If we lose 0-2 on Sat people will soon change their tune and that bright side won't be very bright anymore.
Goldie.7.....don't worry be happy....you sound like you want us to lose......
Why on earth would i want my own team to lose, on the flip side though, if we win 2-0 i think we'd all be happy and the optimism will grow.
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This is the best squad we've had for at least 3 years, and the amount of youth in the side should see it only improve. I think we're definitely top 10 - and this is me trying to tone down my optimism.
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It would be great to put one over on the Stripy Frenchmen on Sat.
We've got a crap record against them over the last few seasons.
Our "better" squad (imho) have a better chance of doing that than we did last season. And the season before.
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Ask us after 10 games, not you but typical Villa fans getting carried away again after one excellent win. The squad looked good this time around last year so how people can say it's better is beyond me, lets wait and see.
Heaven forbid we should be looking on the bright side about the team we support.
If we lose 0-2 on Sat people will soon change their tune and that bright side won't be very bright anymore.
Goldie.7.....don't worry be happy....you sound like you want us to lose......
Why on earth would i want my own team to lose, on the flip side though, if we win 2-0 i think we'd all be happy and the optimism will grow.
But if we lose 2-0 as you put in your post will the sky fall in .....will you stop going.....will you start supporting Man city?
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Good opening post and I do agree, written down we suddenly look fair to middling rather than average to crap.
You are however marked down for the OMG and suggestion you nick Jack off Eire.
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This is the best squad we've had for at least 3 years, and the amount of youth in the side should see it only improve. I think we're definitely top 10 - and this is me trying to tone down my optimism.
and we still have time to add 1 or 2 more players
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Ask us after 10 games, not you but typical Villa fans getting carried away again after one excellent win. The squad looked good this time around last year so how people can say it's better is beyond me, lets wait and see.
Heaven forbid we should be looking on the bright side about the team we support.
If we lose 0-2 on Sat people will soon change their tune and that bright side won't be very bright anymore.
Goldie.7.....don't worry be happy....you sound like you want us to lose......
Why on earth would i want my own team to lose, on the flip side though, if we win 2-0 i think we'd all be happy and the optimism will grow.
But if we lose 2-0 as you put in your post will the sky fall in .....will you stop going.....will you start supporting Man city?
.......?
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Good opening post and I do agree, written down we suddenly look fair to middling rather than average to crap.
You are however marked down for the OMG and suggestion you nick Jack off Eire.
The Mail is saying Calum Chambers is ready for England... I would love us to nick Jack off Eire, if Calum Chambers is ready for England so is Jack
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If our better squad (imho!) can help turn around the home form, which Lambert has acknowledged is unacceptable, then this season can only be better than the last 2/3.
I would love to think we will not be losing, almost inevitably, at home to the likes of Palace and Fulham and making Stoke look like Barcefukinlona!
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...and West Ham! What the f**k happened there?
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If the injury Gods are kind to us we should be comfortable mid table, with anything from 8th down up for grabs this season. Not because we are suddenly great, but because we are improved as a squad and there is nothing outside the probably 7 obvious clubs that is much better than what we have when fully fit. And we are long overdue a good season on the injury front.
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I think we have enough now, once the injured players come back. Let's see how we go til Jan. We can strengthen then if required.
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It's only been one game. The last few seasons have taught us that looking on the bright side tends to lead us to squint until our eyes are shut. Fan confidence or optimism are one thing but I've had enough of following the gourd and will wait until more shoes are taken off until I'm convinced that we're on the up.
Makes sense to me, we all want us to do well this season.
I think you've both kind of missed the point of the thread. The chap asked if we had a better squad than last season. No-one's talking about getting carried away with one result.
We've got Okore to come back, Joe Cole yet to play, Sanchez to come in and Benteke and Kozak nearing fitness, the likes of Hutton, Bent and N'Zogbia back in the fold, Grealish as an option and also a possible two more to come in, so overall i think it's looking a lot healthier than last year.
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It's better than last year, but we still need a creative force in the midfield.
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Also we need an attacking wide player.
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It's improved.
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I think there's still a few twists and turns in this squad to be had before the window closes. If Lambert's looking at bringing 2 more players in, then he must also be looking to move a couple out. But who?
Bennett- seems to have fallen below Stevens in the pecking order. Loan back to the Championship?
Lowton - I'd keep him, but he won;t be happy if he's not even making the bench when everyone's fit. Hutton is bound to get suspended and/or injured and I'd prefer Lowton at RB to Bacuna.
Herd - not likely to start many games but his versatility might make him worth keeping around?
Baker - We all know his limitations, but I don't trust any of our centre-backs not avoid injury for a whole season so another that may be worth a place in the squad.
Bent - a useful bench option at present, but if Kozak and Benteke are both going to be fit in a few weeks we'd be mad not to let him go if someone came in for him.
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It would be great to put one over on the Stripy Frenchmen on Sat.
We've got a crap record against them over the last few seasons.
Our "better" squad (imho) have a better chance of doing that than we did last season. And the season before.
I agree. I also think getting off to a winning start at home would have a massive effect for our home form for the rest of the season.
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There isn't enough creativity, but we actually appear to be good at the style we're trying to play, however limited that is. Long way to go yet, and we need something from Newcastle because our run of fixtures after that is kind of unbelievable, but I'm much more hopeful than I was at 2.59pm on Saturday. With a bit of luck, we can make ourselves look a stable Premier League club in no imminent danger of catastrophe and attract a good new owner (it's possible that prospective buyers this summer were worried about doing a 'Fulham' after our crap performances).
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Brad Guzan is not one of the best 5 GK's in the league. De Gea, Cech, Courtios, Lloris, Hart, Krul, Howard, Begovic, Vorm.... are all better.
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Guzan has been very consistent for a long period of time. I would disagree with your view, as I expect many others will.
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An okay squad. With everyone fit and playing most of the season, we should be looking at mid-table to be honest. Somewhere between 9th-13th. Solid and comfortable, not good enough to kick on that little bit further. I think we've thus far done just about enough to edge us over the bottom feeders. We're in the middle pile of teams like Stoke, the Toon, Southampton etc who are probably too good for the drop, but need to stay clear of injuries just to make sure.
I think we're better than the likes of Leicester, Burnley, Palace, West Brom etc. Last season you couldn't have said that (replace current promoted clubs with last years promoted sides).
I think we'll do alright. I think we'll perform better in games against the clubs around and below us on the whole. We won't have to survive on 2-3 spectacular results against the big boys.
I think we'll safely pass the 40 point mark. Possibly get close to the 50 region.
1-2 more signings will make that just a little easier too.
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Brad Guzan is not one of the best 5 GK's in the league. De Gea, Cech, Courtios, Lloris, Hart, Krul, Howard, Begovic, Vorm.... are all better.
I think De Gea is vastly overrated. Hart has been off the boil for a couple of years too. Guzan and Howard are about on a par. Vorm hasn't been as good as his debut Prem season.
The Goose is up there.
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Guzan is easily one of the best keepers in the league and fairly unique in that he can actually come for a cross.
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Guzan is good enough for our current level. :)
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I think we have a good squad............. whether it's good enough or strong enough is another matter, seems like it's the strongest squad we've had under Lambert
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Brad Guzan is not one of the best 5 GK's in the league. De Gea, Cech, Courtios, Lloris, Hart, Krul, Howard, Begovic, Vorm.... are all better.
No they're not.
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The squad needs more creativity in the central and wide areas. If we can pick up a couple of good quality players who fit that bill, then we will have a good chance of finishing in the top half.
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Brad Guzan is not one of the best 5 GK's in the league. De Gea, Cech, Courtios, Lloris, Hart, Krul, Howard, Begovic, Vorm.... are all better.
I wouldn't take Begovic or Vorm over Guzan, and would say that he's probably on a par with Krul. The others I'd agree with though. That said, I think Guzan's been on an upward curve since claiming the number one spot, and I fully expect him to improve further this season, especially given he'll have much more dependable defence in front of him.
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I remember how horrible Newcastle at home was last season so I'm not holding out any hope. But Stoke was a nice surprise.
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To look at it purely objectively let's imagine this squad belongs to lets say for arguments sake, Swansea. For me it's not the worst squad in the league but it will be an achievement if that squad are safe from relegation by mid April.
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I've said this before I'm sure but I think there's a clear top 7 and then below that a fairly competitive league for 8th-20th, I think we have a squad capable of being near the top of that league and the likes of Leicester and Burnley look likely to be near the bottom of it, but it all depends on momentum, get a few good results and some confidence in any of the sides down there and they could pull themselves into the midtable spots.
If we can add some real flair out wide to scare teams I'd be very confident of us being 8-11th because we've got a better main striker than anyone we're competing against except possibly Swansea, I expect they'll be in a similar position if they can keep Bony (the rumours of him going do seem to have stopped so they may well do) and keep him fit.
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It is definitely an improvement to last season's squad.
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I've said this before I'm sure but I think there's a clear top 7 and then below that a fairly competitive league for 8th-20th, I think we have a squad capable of being near the top of that league and the likes of Leicester and Burnley look likely to be near the bottom of it, but it all depends on momentum, get a few good results and some confidence in any of the sides down there and they could pull themselves into the midtable spots.
If we can add some real flair out wide to scare teams I'd be very confident of us being 8-11th because we've got a better main striker than anyone we're competing against except possibly Swansea, I expect they'll be in a similar position if they can keep Bony (the rumours of him going do seem to have stopped so they may well do) and keep him fit.
I hope i'm wrong but I don't hold out a lot of hope of seeing Benteke playing many games this season. Players who spend 6 months plus out tend to pick up niggling injuries. I'll be surprised if he is playing regularly before February. I'm looking at the season without him, but obviously with him in,and fully fit we'll be closer to 8th spot than we will 18th. I'm hoping that there is no long term effects of the achilles, his ability in the air is key to both his and our game.
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...If we can add some real flair out wide to scare teams
Unfortunately Lambert doesn't like width nor goes for flair, but still a better squad, at least from a defensive perspective, than the last few seasons.
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I think it is a much deeper squad with a lot more experience and players who will understand the requirements of competing at this level. We might not get many highs, but we certainly won't get the lows of the past couple of seasons. There will be a more consistent approach to things that should stabilize the club which is critical right now. It should also allow younger players to develop and come through over the course of the season as opposed to being thrown in.
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Yes we have a good squad, another 2 in and I think we'll be comfortably top half.
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The goals were always going to be an issue until the return of Kozak/Benteke. I am sure the manager would agree with that. Squad wise we look more solid than we have for a few years and shouldn't be troubling the relegation scrap.
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We don't have a very good squad according to the extremely balanced view of this bookie, who doesn't appear to hate Villa at all.
http://news.ladbrokes.com/en-gb/football/premier-league/sack-inducing-run-aston-villas-beleaguered-boss-faces_208328.html
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We don't have a very good squad according to the extremely balanced view of this bookie, who doesn't appear to hate Villa at all.
http://news.ladbrokes.com/en-gb/football/premier-league/sack-inducing-run-aston-villas-beleaguered-boss-faces_208328.html
He seems to be altering the facts to meet his conclusion.
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He's either a blue nose or Robbie Savage.
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Good idea not to put your name to such junk...
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He's either a blue nose or Robbie Savage.
The gist of it seems to be "Villa haven't bought very good players this summer and have got a run of really difficult games in September". That's not massively out of step to a lot of the views on here this summer.
It's a pretty poorly written piece, but he's not being particularly controversial.
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More than one on here has said we'll be bottom of the league by December.
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Alex Fortune must be a made up name and the ghost writer's job is to get money for Ladbrokes, for instance by persuading the gullible non-fans to bet against Villa or the gullible piqued fans to vote for Villa. So, not in any way a sensible nor objective article.
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That's the biggest claret and blue glasses I think I've seen. Fair play to be wildly optimistic, but this is Villa we're talking about!
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Have we got a good squad?
I live in London and was asked at work, by a West Ham fan whether I thought, as he did, that we would have a squad which was good enough for the top half of the premiership. I replied no we have average players, who were capable of performing well against the big-money teams but played poorly against everybody else. He responded by saying he thought the Villa squad on paper looked solid, because it had a mix of youth and experience, and now had big hard men at the back, a hard tackling midfield player, and a big hard bloke upfront, whereas last season we had only one big hard man at the back, light weights in midfield, and a big bloke upfront.
Thinking about it and looking at the squad I find myself beginning to get a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. I recognise the feeling I think it’s what top doctors, scientists and philosophers call hope.
Let’s look at the squad.
Brad – is in the top five goalkeepers in the division
Alan Hutton – was probably one of the worst footballers I’ve ever seen, yet never moaned or slagged off the club and his performance in preseason was fantastic.
Philippe Senderock – when we signed him I nearly burst into tears, after his performance at Stoke I nearly burst into tears but this time, tears of joy. If he can perform at this level, most of the season I for one will be a happy man.
Ron Vlaar – concrete has enhanced his reputation due to his World Cup performances the issue is which club will come in for him before the transfer deadline window closes.
Jores Okore – just watched the highlights from the reserve game, this man is some player and will be better than concrete and Senderock. If Ron does go then we have a ready-made replacement.
Aly Cissokho – how rubbish was he for Liverpool, and how good was he against Stoke? His crosses from the left were fantastic
Ashley Westwood – we’ve seen glimpses of what Ashley is able to do, but now that he may get to play further forward his accurate passing will be something I will be looking forward to seeing.
Fabian Delph – I predict this man will be in the England team for the next European Championships. You heard it here first.
Kieran Richardson – I’m happy with his work rate, I’m happy with his crossing, he’s versatile and can fit into a number of positions. At the end of the day you can’t complain if a player gives you 100%.
Charles N’Zogbia – still looks a little chunky, but he has started to pass the ball to another player in a Villa shirt something he failed to do consistently when he was last in the side. If he can become a team player I will be more than happy to see him get a year’s extension of his contract.
Jack Grealish –OMG just watched the reserve team game and Jack was like young Ronaldo and Lionel Messi rolled into one (if you don’t believe me watch the highlights) please sign him up on a 10 year contract. Jack you were born in England and you can still play international football for England, please help us win the World Cup
Christian Benteke – if he had been playing against Stoke we would have won three nil. With the right support he will score 20+ goals this season.
Our backup and support players are not that bad:
Carlos Sánchez – La Roca could be the difference between turning losses into drawers and draws into wins if he plays anywhere near how he played in the World Cup.
Andreas, Gabby and Joe Cole all have an important role to play this season
Nathan and Ciaran both can’t be in the team at the same time but people forget that they’re still quite young for defenders.
Gary Gardner, Callum Robinson and Graham Burke are young but very very good players
Anyway I’m not going to go through all of the players but when you look at our first-team and some of the squad players you have to admit that you start to dream.
You must remember supporting Aston Villa is a privilege; however also remember it’s the hope that kills you.
Have we got a good squad? No but we are getting closer
Comments………..
A very positive post, well done.
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Not really, but at this point in time I am just concerned weather we have one good enough to finish above the bottom three, and I would say yes to that.
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Not really, but at this point in time I am just concerned weather we have one good enough to finish above the bottom three, and I would say yes to that.
Three key factors for me will determine where we finish this season:
* The coaching staff find a way of playing at home that gets us results. Our home record over the last couple of seasons has been terrible and a similar return this season will inevitably see us struggle.
* We remain pretty injury free. We've had awful luck with injuries for a few seasons now and they always seem to come at the worst possible time as well (not that there is ever a good time). We really need the spine of the team to remain intact for most of the season and not having on the likes of Herd, Baker and Clark to play for extended periods.
* Christian Benteke returns and recaptures his first season form. He really makes that much of a difference when he is on form and that kind of player is invaluable. It would be nice if Gabby, Weimann and Bent could find patches of form through the season and contribute goals as well.
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The first team is better, largely due to having some grown ups in defence. How we'd manage if Vlaar left or got injured would test the squad - I haven't seen anywhere near enough of Okore to know if he's any good or not). A 10 game stretch of Lowton, Baker or Clark would likely lead to a lower points tally.
The squad lacks creativity and a bit of firepower at the moment, as others have said. Cole could provide the former if he remains injury free and still has 'it' at this level and getting Benteke back fit is crucial I'd say.
The jury is out, but things are looking a little less daunting than they were. Newcastle (at home) will be a good test as the pressure will be on to perform in much the same way it was last season when they came to our place after we'd impressed in an away game right before.
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"Carlos Sánchez – La Roca could be the difference between turning losses into drawers"
I have been doing that for the last 4 seasons and now my chest is HUGE.
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We look stronger than last year to me in defence and central midfield
The glaring weaknesses are in attack
We don't have a single player who's been a good attacking midfielder in the last three years
Until benteke and kozak are back we don't don't have a single striker who's scored goals in the last three years
I'd have thought we should be trying to get two players in these positions, even if only on loan. Or the football isn't going to bet much better than last season
Most teams play 4231 now and we may now be solid enough to play it regularly, giving more width. But the options for the 3 are pretty depressing:
Gabby and Weimann not technically great - play one of them maybe to give us thrust but not both, especially at home
Cole is well past it
N'zogbia is frustrating
Richardson is average
Grealish is very young and untested
Delph could maybe play there but it's not really his position
A proper winger who will cross it and a player who will thread passes would be my priority
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Brad Guzan is not one of the best 5 GK's in the league. De Gea, Cech, Courtios, Lloris, Hart, Krul, Howard, Begovic, Vorm.... are all better.
I think De Gea is vastly overrated. Hart has been off the boil for a couple of years too. Guzan and Howard are about on a par. Vorm hasn't been as good as his debut Prem season.
The Goose is up there.
I'm actually slightly concerned about his form. Just have a feeling he's going to chuck a couple in shortly
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Brad Guzan is not one of the best 5 GK's in the league. De Gea, Cech, Courtios, Lloris, Hart, Krul, Howard, Begovic, Vorm.... are all better.
I think De Gea is vastly overrated. Hart has been off the boil for a couple of years too. Guzan and Howard are about on a par. Vorm hasn't been as good as his debut Prem season.
The Goose is up there.
I'm actually slightly concerned about his form. Just have a feeling he's going to chuck a couple in shortly
Unfair on Brad, most of those play behind far better defences than Guzan does, and as for De Gea, is that the same De Gea who was Pillioried at the start of last season for his mistakes???....
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If everyone was fit/on form and on message, better than we think, Hmmm, - we`ll see.
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"Carlos Sánchez – La Roca could be the difference between turning losses into drawers"
I have been doing that for the last 4 seasons and now my chest is HUGE.
very good, Paul! This made me titter quietly to myself.
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The short answer is No.
We have 4 definite first teamers who are in Guzan, Vlaar, Delph and Benteke.
We then have Sanchez, Okore & Kozak who I am confident can reach the standard on a consistent basis.
Westwood, Lowton, Weiman and Bacuna have the next few months to prove whether they belong at this level or whether in the case of the former 3 it was just a very good 3months for them back in spring 2013.
Senderos, Cissoko and Richardson remain to be seen whether they can offer depth and consistency or here for a payday. Initial signs are promising but then again Stainrod, Six and Bertrand looked great on their debuts.
Gabby, Shay, Bent, Cole all strike me as (well) past their best and all are injury prone. And they really don't come cheap.
Baker and Clark are IMO hopeless at this level. Too many mistakes - most of them avoidable.
Bennett, Tonev, Helenius and Luna have been passed off for a while. Doubt they will be missed.
CNZ - I don't know. A sad inditement after £9 in wages received.
Grealish - I don't know. Yet
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I'm not surprised for just £9.
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I'm not surprised for just £9.
I missed off the subsequent 6 Zeros.
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"Carlos Sánchez – La Roca could be the difference between turning losses into drawers"
I have been doing that for the last 4 seasons and now my chest is HUGE.
very good, Paul! This made me titter quietly to myself.
Cheers! I once saw a sign outside a furniture shop in King's Heath advertising 'chester draws'...
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Chester Draws...wasn't he the poor sod whose wife Arthur Atkinson was 'aving it off with ("Oooh, where's me washboard?")
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Actually thought Brad was much less effective last season that the one before. His form dipped for me but most fans didn't seem to notice. Still a good player though.
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Why any Villa fan would want Grealish anywhere near the poisonous atmosphere of the England set-up is beyond me.
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Why any Villa fan would want Grealish anywhere near the poisonous atmosphere of the England set-up is beyond me.
Thing is at the end of the day it doesn't matter what we want. The player will want it, and I would much rather he achieved it with us than not irrespective of what those consequences might be. If Aston Villa makes itself into one of those clubs other players want to join through the international team then nobody is going to complain. And it's a bit naive to think that it is only when they get together for their country that these conversations take place. A lot of them share agents, they all see what is happening at other clubs. Communication is free and easy. If we are better players will be less likely to want to leave and others will want to join.
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EDIT: Nevermind.
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The dream scenario: All new players slot in well- Joe Cole proves an astute signing and adds the needed, creative impetus, Jack Grealish gets game time and shows that he is every bit as good as we are daring to hope, him Joe Cole, and N'Zogbia become a combined hive of creativity- putting them on a plate for a red-hot returning Benteke who then bangs them in for fun. Vlaar stays and our new look defence is rock solid, with Okore and Senderos both pushing hard for that slot alingside him... Everything clicks and we go on a real surge up the table.
Or, the nightmare scenario- we realise that Joe Cole is indeed past it at the top level and keeps getting sidelined with injuries, Gabby and Weimann continue to look bang average and lost/disinterested, refuses to drop westwood despite him not offering enough and terrible set pieces, Benteke returns looking off the pace then gets injured again, Vlaar leaves on deadline day for Man Utd and Senderos then starts to look as awful as predicted by some, Grealish struggles to make an impact, is then infuriatingly pushed down the pecking order in stubborn favour of El Ahmedi and we start to look every bit like a championship side in waiting, as terrible home form continues...
In reality, it will most likely be somwhere in between.
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EDIT: Nevermind.
This post was brought to you by the profound lyricist Kurt Cobain.
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Smells like team spirit.
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There just has to be a player or two we could bring in on loan to improve our creativity. It's just about feasible that cole grealish and n'zogbia will improve us from last year but we'd be so much better if we could bring in some quality on the ball. We might start to get more than 40% possession sometimes too
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The short answer is No.
We have 4 definite first teamers who are in Guzan, Vlaar, Delph and Benteke.
We then have Sanchez, Okore & Kozak who I am confident can reach the standard on a consistent basis.
Westwood, Lowton, Weiman and Bacuna have the next few months to prove whether they belong at this level or whether in the case of the former 3 it was just a very good 3months for them back in spring 2013.
Senderos, Cissoko and Richardson remain to be seen whether they can offer depth and consistency or here for a payday. Initial signs are promising but then again Stainrod, Six and Bertrand looked great on their debuts.
Gabby, Shay, Bent, Cole all strike me as (well) past their best and all are injury prone. And they really don't come cheap.
Baker and Clark are IMO hopeless at this level. Too many mistakes - most of them avoidable.
Bennett, Tonev, Helenius and Luna have been passed off for a while. Doubt they will be missed.
CNZ - I don't know. A sad inditement after £9 in wages received.
Grealish - I don't know. Yet
Great post.
If we could just add this creative midfielder we all know is required, then I'm content that we'll be ok until January.
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Yes. It's fairly simple really. We don't have enough players who are good on the ball, creatively, technically. Whether that's in central or wide areas
Villa have tended to have fewer of these players than we should have for a long as I've supported them. But the current squad is one of the weakest in that respect. Perhaps equalled by the GT mark two side
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I'd like a right-back who can overlap, a central-defender with a tad more pace, a creative central-midfielder, and a wide player with pace and who can pick a cross. £100m or so should find what I want.
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Swansea's midfield today: shelvey ki Routledge sigurdsson dyer
A bit depressing but any one of those players would add to our creativity massively. You have to say it reflects bad club management that this is the case
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Swansea's midfield today: shelvey ki Routledge sigurdsson dyer
A bit depressing but any one of those players would add to our creativity massively. You have to say it reflects bad club management that this is the case
I wouldn't be surprised if Lambert feels that now he has Richardson, N'Zogbia, Grealish and Cole as his creative options as opposed to just Tonev and Albrighton last season, that he feels that's enough options there. Bacuna also looks like he's earmarked to play further forward this year and having Sanchez means Delph could also play advanced. I'd imagine when Kozak and Benteke are fit, as we'd then have 5 frontline senior strikers we'll more often than not see 2 up front, rather than 1, meaning only a maximum of 2 creative/ wide players behind, possibly only 1 with Delph/Sanchez/Westwood in the middle.
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If think we can put out an X1 that will give at least half of tis league a good game.
Guzan,
Hutton Okore Vlaar Sissoko
Delph Sanchez Richardson Cole Westwood
Benteke with Senderos Grealish as back up. The rest are at best squad fillers.
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Five central midfielders seems a bit excessive
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Has anyone heard anything about Okore and why he hasn't made a matchday squad yet? Also, there are rumours that Benteke is ahead of Kozak in rehabilitation. Any news on what is happening with Kozak? Was a particularly bad break, as they don't normally take this long to heal do they?
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Maybe the result last night helps answer any questions about the depth of quality in our squad.
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Swansea's midfield today: shelvey ki Routledge sigurdsson dyer
A bit depressing but any one of those players would add to our creativity massively. You have to say it reflects bad club management that this is the case
I wouldn't be surprised if Lambert feels that now he has Richardson, N'Zogbia, Grealish and Cole as his creative options as opposed to just Tonev and Albrighton last season, that he feels that's enough options there. Bacuna also looks like he's earmarked to play further forward this year and having Sanchez means Delph could also play advanced. I'd imagine when Kozak and Benteke are fit, as we'd then have 5 frontline senior strikers we'll more often than not see 2 up front, rather than 1, meaning only a maximum of 2 creative/ wide players behind, possibly only 1 with Delph/Sanchez/Westwood in the middle.
Reading this again feels even more depressing now. We've got people in those roles, yes. But what have cole, bacuna, bent and to a slightly lesser extent Richardson, gabby and Weimann done in recent memory to suggest they can achieve this?
I repeat, in the current (fit) squad we don't have a single player who's been a reliable attacking resource in the last 18 months. That's a massive concern. We need one or two in urgently
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Our first XI ,when fully fit, is probably good enough for a mid table finish despite Lambert - outside of that it's utter gash.
Throw in our already key injuries and PL at the helm and we'll do well to stay clear of relegation.
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But what is our first eleven?
I suspect it's: Guzan - Hutton senderos vlaar cissokho - Westwood sanchez Delph - n'zogbia benteke gabby / Weimann
That looks ok. But we've still got the same problem whichever way you move the deckchairs a around. We don't have anyone who is good at getting on the ball, picking a pass, opening a team up. Maybe Westwood if he starts to play further up the pitch can add a bit to that
As I posted above, Swansea have five midfielders who would all be our most creative player by some margin
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Our squad isnt as bad as what we might think, my opinion is its the tactics they are getting told to play and the coaching they are recieving is clearly not good enough. Yeah i agree with some players they are just useless but this squad could be peforming better under a more positive manager imo.
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I refuse to believe - and I thought this last season - that regardless of how that squad stacks up against other Premier League sides, no one else couldn't do any better with this set of players. Its one thing to lose to teams in the same division but Leyton Orient..... there is simply no excuse.
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But what is our first eleven?
I suspect it's: Guzan - Hutton senderos vlaar cissokho - Westwood sanchez Delph - n'zogbia benteke gabby / Weimann
That looks ok. But we've still got the same problem whichever way you move the deckchairs a around. We don't have anyone who is good at getting on the ball, picking a pass, opening a team up. Maybe Westwood if he starts to play further up the pitch can add a bit to that
As I posted above, Swansea have five midfielders who would all be our most creative player by some margin
Agreed and that's why our glass ceiling with our first XI is mid table imo. Every team gets injuries (and by McGrath we seem to get more than most) and suddenly it sub standard to requirements right across the park.
I agree that a quality play maker is desperately required but as these usually cost decent money, wages and have some semblance of ambition it rules us out of the equation - and you end up with Joe Cole in the central role.
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What concerns me is who is waiting in the wings to take over should Lerner sack him, from one losing manager to another.
It is obvious that Lerner is only wanting to spend what he needs for survival until he can sell, at best we may get a decent loan signing apart from that, we won't pay the wages even if we could attract anyone decent. The defence has started well but all the new additions have chequered form for their previous clubs. I cannot see us scoring against Hull and i never thought i would ever have to say that, it's a bloody disgrace.
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What concerns me is who is waiting in the wings to take over should Lerner sack him, from one losing manager to another.
It is obvious that Lerner is only wanting to spend what he needs for survival until he can sell, at best we may get a decent loan signing apart from that, we won't pay the wages even if we could attract anyone decent. The defence has started well but all the new additions have chequered form for their previous clubs. I cannot see us scoring against Hull and i never thought i would ever have to say that, it's a bloody disgrace.
Well if Lambert goes, ASAP, hopefully, one huge bonus is we can't get Neil Warnock!
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It appears that our squad isn't as good as Leyton Orients.
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Our manager certainly isn't.
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What concerns me is who is waiting in the wings to take over should Lerner sack him, from one losing manager to another.
It is obvious that Lerner is only wanting to spend what he needs for survival until he can sell, at best we may get a decent loan signing apart from that, we won't pay the wages even if we could attract anyone decent. The defence has started well but all the new additions have chequered form for their previous clubs. I cannot see us scoring against Hull and i never thought i would ever have to say that, it's a bloody disgrace.
Well if Lambert goes, ASAP, hopefully, one huge bonus is we can't get Neil Warnock!
Oh I wouldn't bank on it.
Lerner record on hiring managers has been abject.
After all Warnock only has one relegation from the top division - Lerner hired someone who'd had 2.
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After the Liverpool game all I can say is Cilla Black, Paul McCartney, Kevin Keegan, , Kenny Dalglish, and Stan Boardman, - do we have a good squad?????????
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Much better than it was looking in June.
We have good options on the bench and Okore, Benteke and Kozak still to return.
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We definitely have a stronger (in numbers, experience and in physical strength) squad. As I have said before, we are also they only team in the Premier League who will be adding two top strikers worth about forty million quid to the squad before the January transfer window.
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I enjoyed reading that, Damo!