Crewe Alexandra v Aston Villa All-in-one Thread

[Matt C]

Pre-season results aren't important but... It's always nice to win a few.

[villan from luton]

Matt C, I know what you mean, but we didnt win a game pre-season 80-81 and won the league. The guys from the sty won he biggest trophy I have ever seen in pre-season 78-79 (I think) and then got relegated having not won a game for ages. It is all about fitness, especially early on

[eamonn]

Luna looks a better bet at LB than Bennett. I like the way he was given offside on the right hand side of Crewe's penalty are at one point.

Why?

[villan from luton]

Luna looks a better bet at LB than Bennett. I like the way he was given offside on the right hand side of Crewe's penalty are at one point.

Why?

I like his attitude and always wanting the ball

[Goldie.7]

Pre-season results aren't important but... It's always nice to win a few.

I disagree after yesterdays display confidence and moral will be high.

[villan from luton]

Goldie.7, do you agree that the players have been worked hard pre season and initially they will be lethargic in games? Heard someone on radio saying this and tend to agree. Villa played some superb football at Luton, but they never took control as you would expect. I just want the players to be ready for Arsenal, Tonev and Okore will be ready for Shamrock game hopefully and that is good news

[Goldie.7]

Goldie.7, do you agree that the players have been worked hard pre season and initially they will be lethargic in games? Heard someone on radio saying this and tend to agree. Villa played some superb football at Luton, but they never took control as you would expect. I just want the players to be ready for Arsenal, Tonev and Okore will be ready for Shamrock game hopefully and that is good news

I thought we were rubbish at Luton tbh. As the fitness picks up and the better players come back we'll hopefully continue where we left off yesterday. Málaga will be our toughest pre season test so far. Fingers crossed we put in a good performance taking us into the 7 day thriller.

[Goldie.7]

I see the spurs fans are fuming about not getting their our man

Benteke has scored more goals in 35 minutes than our team has in 4 games! ffs missed opportunity??? #THFC #COYS

[Steve R]

Luna looks a better bet at LB than Bennett. I like the way he was given offside on the right hand side of Crewe's penalty are at one point.

Why?

why what Eamonn? Luna looking a better full back or getting caught offside?

[Dave]

I assume that he means "why is getting caught offside evidence that he is a better full-back than Bennett?".

It's not as if Bennett didn't spend lots of his time attacking last season - it's just that his defending was a bit dodgy a lot of the time. I'm not sure we've seen enough of Luna to know how his defending is going to compare. I expect that it's easier to look comfortable against Crewe and Paderborn than it will be in the first two games of the season.

[Steve R]

ah. It's a bit misleading the way it was written. I thought he looked a better full back  than Bennett adn liked the way he still managed to get offside in such an unlikely position.

Defensively he seems to have better positional sense than Bennett. We do get exposed on the flanks at times, he seems better equipped to cope with that.

[dekko]

Not to mention a lot of Bennett's problems last season came from him being physically smaller and weaker than a lot of his opponents.

Tony Moon isn't a big dude by any means but I think he'll cope with the physicality of the game better.

[paulcomben]

BBC Aston Villa page shows our last game as Luton. Naturally, their Man United page is right up-to-date.

[supertom]

To be honest as things stand I'd have Luna over Bennett. He looks more imposing. I don't think he's as quick as Bennett but he's slightly more comfortable on the ball and obviously stronger. I've been impressed thus far. It'll be a good battle between those two next season.

[Clampy]

Enjoyed last night a lot. Weimann looked very sharp, Westie hardly gave the ball away and Benteke did what he does. Quite liked what I saw of Bacuna. It might take him a while to get fully into the swing of the Premier though.