Which Players are Good Enough for 'The Next Level'?

[SoccerHQ]

Way I see it is if we ever stop battling relegation year in year out and have a crack at the top 6 again then I'd say only 4-5 of our current squad would be good enough to be regulars in our first 11.

Guzan in goal, Benteke are certs and you could make good cases for Weimann and Gabby being squad players at the very least.

Of the others, I actually think with the right midfield partner alongside him Westwood is going to be a top central midfield. Same for Lowton with more experience of the league and better quality alongside him in defence.

I'd be amazed if Bennett ever develops into a top quality left back like Baines, he may have a chance as a left sided midfield as he can cross the ball.

[brontebilly]

1.Good enough to play for a Top 4 team?

Guzan, Benteke, Weimann

2. Good enough to play for a Top 7 team?

Vlaar, Lowton, Westwood ,N'Zogbia, Delph



3. Not good enough at all for the Premiership?

Ireland, Bennett, Stephens, Herd, Bowery,

Weimann is more in the second category.

Nzogbia cant make a regular place in our bottom 5 side so not sure how we is good enough to "step up". Delph and Westwood have come on a lot this season so are on the verge of holding their own I would suggest. Vlaar, not likely. If we go down there wont be any top 10 sides going for him I reckon. Lowton cant defend to save himself and is possibly the worst defender in the squad (quite the statement). Tidy on the ball but incredibly poor defensively and has been at fault for a host of goals this season.

Good enough: Guzan, Benteke and at a stretch Weimann, Westwood, Gabby and Delph (we are forgetting how poor Gabby and Delph have been for most of the season).

Maybe: Bent, Nzogbia, Given, Vlaar

Squad players/worth persevering with: Lowton, Bennett, Baker or Clark (one of them should go), Gardner, Sylla

Get rid/not good enough: Lichaj, Dunne, Stevens, Holman, Kea, Bannan, Albrighton, Delfouneso, Bowery, Ireland, Hutton

The first 3 in the maybe category are on big wages and competing for positions in which we are strong already. We probably need to move the 3 of them on in the summer if possible and there wouldnt be too many tears shed if Vlaar joined them to be honest.

Most of our first team squad arent good enough for surviving in the EPL not to mention thriving in it. This is the main reason we have been fighting the drop for 3 years.

Even if we stay up, Lambert has a huge job on his hands to improve that squad.

[Ads]

I think we can do better for cheaper than CNZ.

[Risso]

None of the defence are even close to being good enough. Two young full backs who can't defend and two centre backs who are a shambles.

[kippaxvilla2]

Vlaar is certainly pretty poor in my opinion.  For a bloke of his frame, he is remarkably lightweight.

[Risso]

Vlaar is certainly pretty poor in my opinion.  For a bloke of his frame, he is remarkably lightweight.

Watching his bemused face as the ball rattled in for their third was like watching a cat trying to keep track of a ping pong ball.  As our captain and oldest defender he really does set a terrible example with his poor play.

[Clampy]

None of the defence are even close to being good enough. Two young full backs who can't defend and two centre backs who are a shambles.

Bennett's been a bit hit and miss but Lowton has been good considering he's had to play every game. I can't think of too many times i've come away from a match thinking he's had a bad game.

[Concrete John]

Vlaar hasn't been as good as we've needed, seeing as he's had basically a youth team around him, but he's decent.  We paid £3.75m for an established 27 year old international at a CL club.  He was hardly an unknown quantity and as such is more of a 'you get what you pay for' player than some hidden gem.

Our problem is that collectively the defence look so poor.  A new CB is undoubtedly needed, so he needs to be an organiser and/or we should look at the defensive coaching situation. 

[paul_e]

Vlaar hasn't been as good as we've needed, seeing as he's had basically a youth team around him, but he's decent.  We paid £3.75m for an established 27 year old international at a CL club.  He was hardly an unknown quantity and as such is more of a 'you get what you pay for' player than some hidden gem.

Our problem is that collectively the defence look so poor.  A new CB is undoubtedly needed, so he needs to be an organiser and/or we should look at the defensive coaching situation. 

I decided last night (and backed it up watching footage from other matches) that our biggest issue is that we defend far too high up the pitch for the defenders we have.

They're not experienced enough to play the arsenal style offside trap and they're not quick enough to get back at their man if he runs into space.  10yards deeper last night and they'd have had a lot less joy with the long passes in behind us.  We've had 5-6 teams exploit that space to great effect agianst us in the last few months.

[eastie]

Vlaar hasn't been as good as we've needed, seeing as he's had basically a youth team around him, but he's decent.  We paid £3.75m for an established 27 year old international at a CL club.  He was hardly an unknown quantity and as such is more of a 'you get what you pay for' player than some hidden gem.

Our problem is that collectively the defence look so poor.  A new CB is undoubtedly needed, so he needs to be an organiser and/or we should look at the defensive coaching situation. 

I decided last night (and backed it up watching footage from other matches) that our biggest issue is that we defend far too high up the pitch for the defenders we have.

They're not experienced enough to play the arsenal style offside trap and they're not quick enough to get back at their man if he runs into space.  10yards deeper last night and they'd have had a lot less joy with the long passes in behind us.  We've had 5-6 teams exploit that space to great effect agianst us in the last few months.

Fair comment.

[kippaxvilla2]

And the other thing is we still try and play like Cruyff at the back when the far more sensible option is to hoof it into row z - that is annoying at times.

[saunders_heroes]

Guzan, Gabby, Weimann, Benteke, Bent and perhaps N'zogbia when he can be bothered. The rest aren't good enough for the PL, and that's why we're in this mess. Our defence stats speaks for itself.

[PaulWinch again]

Our defensive line is too high, that's clear. Saunders' I find it hard to understand how you can think that Westwood isn't good enough for the Premier League, he's been good this year in his first year at this level.

[saunders_heroes]

Our defensive line is too high, that's clear. Saunders' I find it hard to understand how you can think that Westwood isn't good enough for the Premier League, he's been good this year in his first year at this level.

He's never stood out in any game for me. I don't see why so many fans on here have him down as being so special. The only young player who has done anything of note this season is Weimann, and even he has been poor for the last month or two. I've said it before, for me this is the worst Villa team I've ever seen, and most of the players aren't fit to wear a Villa shirt, Westwood included.

[PaulWinch again]

Well we'll have to disagree on that, but fair enough. I do agree that on the defensive of things we've been atrocious and that must be addressed regardless of what happens at the end of the season. However we look quite good going forward, and I think Delph and Westwood have helped in that regard.