Aston Villa v Chelsea Pre-Match Thread

[markus209]

I'm taking my younger brother to this for only his 2nd game in his life. His 1st was the loss to Swansea earlier in the season so I'm hoping for a better performance this time round.

[Monty]

Read on the Bham Mail website that we're contemplating going 4-4-2 for this one. If so, we will probably be slaughtered in midfield if so and probably concede quite a few, though our counter-attacks may be more effective.

[paulcomben]

Eck says on official site that Weimann is 'champing at the door'.  The available English expressions are champing at the bit or knocking on the door. Not only is he a flawed football manager.....

[pedro25]

I'd rather see Gardner and Bannan come into the side for Heskey and Hutton, than Weimann and Lichaj, although I'd be tempted to have Weimann in ahead of Albrighton also.

[VILLA MOLE]

Eck says on official site that Weimann is 'champing at the door'.  The available English expressions are champing at the bit or knocking on the door. Not only is he a flawed football manager.....

well its 6 of 1 and 23000 of another as far as big eck is concerned

[Dave Summers]

I see he has also said that if Weimann plays then it maybe more of a 4-4-2 formation.

If Petrov is part of a two man midfield, against Chelsea's three, then that will be a disaster.   It will also by definition mean that Ireland will be played out wide, where he will be as much use as a chocolate fireguard, unless he drops him?.

The players we have, for me, fit a 4-2-3-1 system much better than they do 4-4-2.    I would be looking at something like :

Given

Lichaj
Collins
Cuellar
Stephens

Petrov
Herd
Ireland

Albrighton
Weimann
Gabby

It's with a heavy heart I pick Albrighton because I don't think he is anywhere near good enough for the Premier League, but he is the only winger we really have available.  I can't see him giving Carruthers a chance, as much as I would like him too.

0-1 defeat.

[Simon Ward]

Optimistically I have gone for a draw!

[Merv]

Read on the Bham Mail website that we're contemplating going 4-4-2 for this one. If so, we will probably be slaughtered in midfield if so and probably concede quite a few, though our counter-attacks may be more effective.

I don't know... normally I'd agree, but skip a few pages back and I've posted essentially a 4-4-2 suggestion which has a narrow four in midfield, rather than two wingers leaving two central midfielders exposed.

Given the players we won't have available, I figured this would at least enable us to get a grip on the game in midfield and field Gabby and Weimann together with the aim of actually threatening the opposition defence.

[Monty]

Read on the Bham Mail website that we're contemplating going 4-4-2 for this one. If so, we will probably be slaughtered in midfield if so and probably concede quite a few, though our counter-attacks may be more effective.

I don't know... normally I'd agree, but skip a few pages back and I've posted essentially a 4-4-2 suggestion which has a narrow four in midfield, rather than two wingers leaving two central midfielders exposed.

Given the players we won't have available, I figured this would at least enable us to get a grip on the game in midfield and field Gabby and Weimann together with the aim of actually threatening the opposition defence.

The problem with that system is that either we're so narrow in midfield that they're able to stretch the play to create two-on-ones with our full-backs, or we try and double-up out wide to compensate, leaving more space to exploit in the centre. The pitch at VP is particularly wide, which exacerbates the problem. It would work against a side with more defensive full-backs and a narrow approach to attacking, such as Fulham or Bolton, or width-dependent sides such as Norwich, but against teams who can do a bit of both it will create space somewhere.

[TheSandman]

And we know that any 4-4-2 will include Heskey as a striker, or even worse, a winger.

[Merv]

The Zogman - my 4-4-2 has Heskey nowhere near it!

Monty - I know, not perfect. But my idea was to have two good 'footballers' in the wider midfield roles rather than flying machines who more or less chase - Albrighton is better than that but playing poorly. Gardner and Bannan would have to be prepared to go in-out and back again to contest Chelsea's wide men. I'd have both our full-backs sitting defensively too, rather than tasked to drive forward.

I'm just looking at any kind of system that might help us with possession, and moves away from Gabby stranded out on the left and Heskey boiling away up top!

[Monty]

The Zogman - my 4-4-2 has Heskey nowhere near it!

Monty - I know, not perfect. But my idea was to have two good 'footballers' in the wider midfield roles rather than flying machines who more or less chase - Albrighton is better than that but playing poorly. Gardner and Bannan would have to be prepared to go in-out and back again to contest Chelsea's wide men. I'd have both our full-backs sitting defensively too, rather than tasked to drive forward.

I'm just looking at any kind of system that might help us with possession, and moves away from Gabby stranded out on the left and Heskey boiling away up top!

In my view, a three in midfield (with no obvious holding player - more fluid than that) with the mobility of Weimann, Gabby and A. N. Other in the forward positions would be better for that. Without the ball, the wide players could double-up more effectively, and in possession keeps the ball more effectively with options in the centre of the pitch. I go (probably optimistically!) for a midfield of Gardner, Ireland and Herd/Bannan, with Gabby and Albrighton/Bannan (Bannan has to start either way for me) wide of Weimann, though the movement and intelligence of these players should make it more fluid when we have the ball - which would be more often than we're used to.

[Merv]

I can live with that.

It's the blend of players that's important: neither of us have included Petrov or Heskey (but who would?) in our front six. I actually think, with Herd alongside him, that Ireland can do Petrov's role. Give him more responsibility. He's quicker (in mind and physically) than Petrov, and he's certainly fitter. Our distribution will be neater and sharper.

And yes, Bannan must start. With no CNZ, I'd play him wide left; we'll need his ball retention.

[Monty]

neither of us have included Petrov or Heskey (but who would?)

Sadly, McLeish, almost guaranteed!

I completely agree, midfielders of greater all-round ability are capable of moving into each other's positions and roles on the pitch more fluidly. If Herd were to burst forward or press high up the pitch, I trust Gardner to see that, adjust his position and play the role. Ireland and Bannan, similarly, are capable of operating between the lines and reading the game well enough to interchange at the right times - allied to their technical abilities, this helps us keep the ball.

Upsettingly, there seems little chance of McLeish seeing anything like this. I don't often think this, but I really feel many fans are more tactically aware than he is, or at least more tactically trusting.

[Chipsticks]

Here's an article from the OS that describes McLeish's tactical pondering.

http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~2697871,00.html

The basic outline is that he's considering going 4-4-2, and giving Weimann and Lichaj a go. The other key bit I took from it is that Petrov's not trained this week with a fever. Looks like it my be Herd and Gardner starting in the middle, which I don't actually think would be a catastrophe.