Pre-season Friendly v Walsall

[N'ZMAV]

Albrighton was disappointing last night.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Special Needs M'Lud, Special Needs.

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[SoccerHQ]

Heskey played wide left of a 4-3-3 with Albrighton on the right.
Ireland played more advanced of Petrov and Makoun.
I like Makoun. He likes short, first-time passes, the other players around him don't always seem to be on his wave-length though.

I'm pleased with that formation, it's what I want to see and the formation I believe we'll get the best out of Ireland from.

Petrov or Clark holding infront of the back 4, Makoun playing a little more advanced to move the ball onto Ireland to get it through to the strikers. All the more reason to gety N'zogbia who'd fit nicely into that formation.

[Dave Cooper please]

Just out of interest, did Makoun make any tackles last night or was he preferring to shadow his opponents?

As is the way in most PSF's, there was hardly any tackling!

[garyfouroaks]

Pretty encouraging overall- but depressing to think that Petrov is still around.

[Concrete John]

Pretty encouraging overall- but depressing to think that Petrov is still around.

Why?  He's a good player and a solid professional that the young lads could do a lot worse than learn from.  He does have a stamina issue for 90 minutes of PL football, but contributes until his legs start to go.  What we need to do is use him intelligently and once he starts to struggle make a change.   

[PaulTheVillan]

Petrov was one of our best players in the last 10 games of last season.

[Shrek]

I think that Delfouneso looked quality last night apart from his finishing.

He is more skillfull than Bent, Gabby and Albrighton.

I think if we were to sign NZogbia a front 3 of Fonz Bent NZogbia would be good, Albrighton looked like he did the last few months of last season which hopefully is just temporary.

[UsualSuspect]

Pretty encouraging overall- but depressing to think that Petrov is still around.

Why?  He's a good player and a solid professional that the young lads could do a lot worse than learn from.  He does have a stamina issue for 90 minutes of PL football, but contributes until his legs start to go.  What we need to do is use him intelligently and once he starts to struggle make a change.   

Which other team in the PL has a captain who after an hour can't run and breathes out of his backside?

I want a captain who is a leader for 90 minutes not 50 or 60

[VillaAlways]

I think that Delfouneso looked quality last night apart from his finishing.

He is more skillfull than Bent, Gabby and Albrighton.

I think if we were to sign NZogbia a front 3 of Fonz Bent NZogbia would be good, Albrighton looked like he did the last few months of last season which hopefully is just temporary.

Big Eck agrees


Darren Bent once again showed his ability as a world-class finisher but it was youngster Nathan Delfouneso who caught McLeish’s eye – albeit for the wrong reasons.

McLeish said: “Nathan came on and could have scored four in the second-half but he is a young player who is getting experience from the Darren Bent’s of this world.

“I think that he could have had a hat-trick, at least, but the positions he got himself into were tremendous and he was really lively.

“I told him he might only get one chance and he must learn to take it so that was an education for him because he is someone who looks like he has a bright future.”



Read more: http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/2011/07/22/analysis-of-walsall-1-villa-3/#ixzz1SpgJlPhS

[Merv]

Interesting... I think a 4-3-3 kind of formation will be the one that suits us best this season, as things stand. Three midfield players makes us solid - we haven't got the strength there to go with two central midfielders - and three forward players could work well for us. Again, we haven't got any wingers, other than Albrighton, but we have a couple of strikers who are comfortable playing slightly wide: Gabby and Delfouneso. If we did get N'Zogbia, he'd slot in perfectly on the left of a front three.

Two other things:

1. Can anyone tell me more about Burke? Getting the odd rave review here, don't know much about him.
2. That clip of the Walsall fan has depressed me.

[Hookeysmith]

Special Needs M'Lud, Special Needs.

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Was that from last night?

If so what fucking state is their pitch for the start of the season?

[Dave Cooper please]

No, and the pitch looked fine last night.

[Mazrim]

Graham Burke. Let's see.
Young Irish lad (we have a few of them). Quick, skillful, eye for a goal. 17 years old.
Plays as a striker or a winger. Or rather he was a winger who is used increasingly as a striker in academy/reserves.
He's coming through the ranks strongly and could be an outside bet for a squad number this season.

[Merv]

Thanks Maz.

A winger, you say? Thank f*** for that!

Room in our squad for a promising young wide player.