Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: ExclDawg on September 21, 2020, 05:05:29 PM
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I always liked making these threads at the start of a new season to get a feel of how everyone felt of new summer signings and the state of the team in general going into the year. I know the transfer windows is still open, but with our first game upon us, I'm curious who everyone thinks is our best eleven.
So, what do you think. Pick our best formation and our best eleven. Who should we be starting for most games and why?
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Last yrs starting XI for the opening game against Spurs...
Heaton
El Mo Engels Mings Taylor
El Ghazi McGinn Hourihane Grealish Trézéguet
Wesley
Subs
Steer
Konsa
Targett
Douglas Luiz
Lansbury
Jota
Kodjia
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2020/21 opening line up...
Martínez
Cash Konsa Mings Targett
Trézéguet Hourihane Luiz McGinn Grealish
Watkins
Subs
Steer
El Mohamady
Taylor
Hause
Nakamba
El Ghazi
Davis
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2020/21 Preferred from who's in the squad at the moment.
Martinez (although, when fit, I think that Heaton is about the same)
Fred (I thought he looked OK and am surprised that he seems to be in a mini-bomb squad)
Mings
Konza
Targett (best of a poor selection)
Doug
SJM
Hourihane (by default)
Jack
Watkins
Bert
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No takers for Traore? I was expecting more people to put him out on the wings.
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I'd go with something slightly different. I think Watkins needs more support through the middle. I also think Grealish could play more centrally. So, how about 4 at the back. 3 in the middle of the park. Grealish in behind two forwards. The central forwards drop deeper to help cover the flanks when we don't have the ball. Which makes sense to me, as that would leave Grealish spare; he's usually the out-ball from the back anyway.
Martinez
Cash
Konsa
Mings
Targett
Nakamba
D Luiz
McGinn
Grealish
Watkins
Traore
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A midfield of McGinn and Nakamba is a one way ticket to Bottom-of-the-table-at-xmasville.
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A midfield of McGinn and Nakamba is a one way ticket to Bottom-of-the-table-at-xmasville.
not much more choice is there? :D
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If everyone's fit, for me it's
Martinez
Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett
McGinn, Dougie, Barkley
Watkins with Grealish and Trez wide
Subs: Heaton, AEH, Hause, Sanson, Ramsay, El Ghazi, Traore, Wesley, Davis
I think Trez's workrate gives us a good balance that at the moment Bertie doesn't, and I really like the understanding that Barkley and Jack have.
It also means we've hit the stage where weaker players like Nakamba, Taylor and of course Lansbury wouldn't even be getting onto the bench. Good times.
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If everyone's fit, for me it's
Martinez
Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett
McGinn, Dougie, Barkley
Watkins with Grealish and Trez wide
Subs: Heaton, AEH, Hause, Sanson, Ramsay, El Ghazi, Traore, Wesley, Davis
I think Trez's workrate gives us a good balance that at the moment Bertie doesn't, and I really like the understanding that Barkley and Jack have.
It also means we've hit the stage where weaker players like Nakamba, Taylor and of course Lansbury wouldn't even be getting onto the bench. Good times.
Exactly that, with everybody fit the first choice team picks itself at the moment.
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If everyone's fit, for me it's
Martinez
Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett
McGinn, Dougie, Barkley
Watkins with Grealish and Trez wide
Subs: Heaton, AEH, Hause, Sanson, Ramsay, El Ghazi, Traore, Wesley, Davis
I think Trez's workrate gives us a good balance that at the moment Bertie doesn't, and I really like the understanding that Barkley and Jack have.
It also means we've hit the stage where weaker players like Nakamba, Taylor and of course Lansbury wouldn't even be getting onto the bench. Good times.
If Sanson is similar in quality to McGinn, I'd have him ahead of Barkley, meaning we can have AEG instead of Trez.
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Trez just pips Traore and El Ghazi for me - purely by work rate - all three have inconsistent end product, but can be very useful on their day.
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I'd agree, I don't think there's much in it between Trez, AEG and Bertie but the latter 2 are more likely to come off the bench and punish tired defenders.
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I'd agree, I don't think there's much in it between Trez, AEG and Bertie but the latter 2 are more likely to come off the bench and punish tired defenders.
Guess it depends how the game is going though- tireless running and tracking back is also pretty useful later in the game as well.
Leaving El Ghazi (and Traore to a lesser extent) out for Trezeguet straight away concerns me about the message it sends to the squad. There's really nothing more that he could done - it the guy whose place he took walks straight back in, it sends the message that you're not playing for your place, you're just there as back-up, regardless of what you actually do while you're there.
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I'd agree, I don't think there's much in it between Trez, AEG and Bertie but the latter 2 are more likely to come off the bench and punish tired defenders.
Guess it depends how the game is going though- tireless running and tracking back is also pretty useful later in the game as well.
Leaving El Ghazi (and Traore to a lesser extent) out for Trezeguet straight away concerns me about the message it sends to the squad. There's really nothing more that he could done - it the guy whose place he took walks straight back in, it sends the message that you're not playing for your place, you're just there as back-up, regardless of what you actually do while you're there.
Of course, but I generally prefer the bench to be players who can come in and open things up if needed, if you're making changes to tighten things up it often leads to the backs to the wall defending that we've seen far too often.
Aside from that I'm not saying this should be the team any time soon, just that if everything was equal it's probably the way I'd line up in most games.