KEA or Sylla?

[Gregorys Boy]

KEA has not had the best start to the season, and Sylla does give us a bit more bite and is a good technical player so I think its time to give him a bigger role.

3 good displays and one bad constitutes a bad start?

Not sure how you think that wins the argument, clearly I don't think he has had three good displays otherwise I wouldn't have posted what I did.  He goes missing in games too much for me, plus Sylla gives us something extra so I think should be playing more than not.

[Isa]

KEA has not had the best start to the season, and Sylla does give us a bit more bite and is a good technical player so I think its time to give him a bigger role.

3 good displays and one bad constitutes a bad start?

Not sure how you think that wins the argument, clearly I don't think he has had three good displays otherwise I wouldn't have posted what I did.  He goes missing in games too much for me, plus Sylla gives us something extra so I think should be playing more than not.

Just don't see how his performances against Arsenal, Chelsea or Rotherham can be criticised. Arsenal was probably his best performance since he has been here, against Chelsea he was our most comfortable player in possession and worked hard off the ball and against Rotherham he was involved in most of our play. Also, I agree about Sylla, I don't any Villa fan disagrees he should be back in the team. I just think there is someone more worthy of being dropped for him then KEA.

[Matt Collins]

I think what people are saying is that we need to think about who's going to play where. Sylla's biggest strength is his ability to get around the pitch. So if you play him in the central, sitting role, do you lose that and do you also mean that he's the one receiving the ball from the centre backs. Is he good enough to do that and help us keep the ball?

If you play him on the right, who do you play in that central position? KEA was hopeless there. So it has to be Westwood doesn't it?

We could play more of a 4231. And then I can see Delph and sylla sharing the job. But we might see some of the problems above still

[Tom_Mc9?]

De de, de de, de de de de de de. De de, de de, de de de de de de for me.

[rob_bridge]

Assuming no change to the formation surely at the moment it should be Delph + Sylla + 1 from Westwood/KEA

[john e]

don't mind Sylla playing but still cant see why KEA should be dropped after another good performance today

[PaulWinch again]

KEA did very well today, I'd have Sylla in for Tonev next week.

[Monty]

don't mind Sylla playing but still cant see why KEA should be dropped after another good performance today

Yep, one of him and Westwood had to drop to the bench as there was no point in having both. However, bringing in Tonev instead of Sylla for Westwood looked pretty good at stages in the first half. Good to see we can make varieties of changes depending on the situation.

And KEA was great today, especially when tackling in midfield.

[Lastfootstamper]

It seems synonymous with our Doctor Jeckyl and Doctor Jeckyl home-away performances. Away from VP, a deep-lying "ratter" sat in front of the back four is what we need. At home, we need something more. The reviews of KEA's performances this season appear to back this up; excellent away, verging on pointless at home. So perhaps a case for Sylla at home, and KEA on our travels.
However, as others have mentioned, given that Westwood  is struggling to recapture last season's form (albeit still early days), the debate has moved on from simply being one-from-these-two to two-from-three. Personally, I'd like to see Sylla play regularly. I think the upturn in results, and performances, with him in the side at the latter part of last season has to be more than coincidence.

[Isa]

don't mind Sylla playing but still cant see why KEA should be dropped after another good performance today

Because the argument should never had been 'KEA or Sylla', it should have been KEA or Westwood.

[SoccerHQ]

KEA has played three very good away games imo but obviously the Newcastle performance was poor.

I like how he's always the first central midfield who presses the ball when the opposition has it, that's a strength of his.

What I'd like to see is maybe go back to what we did against Liverpool and have Sylla instead of Bacuna as a wide midfielder, who can tuck in and also support the full back, that would still give us three attack minded players on the pitch but will hopefully mean the opposition are less likely to break and run through us.

I would expect Sylla to start one of our next two especially if Gabby and Benteke are out.

[OCD]

Everyone was poor against Newcastle, I don't see why that should be hung around one man's neck.

[john e]

Everyone was poor against Newcastle, I don't see why that should be hung around one man's neck.

because he's the new scapegoat now that Bannan's left

[Gregorys Boy]

Everyone was poor against Newcastle, I don't see why that should be hung around one man's neck.

because he's the new scapegoat now that Bannan's left

No, he isn't just because some people don't rate him as highly as you doesn't mean he's a scapegoat.  Besides what do we need a scapegoat for? We've had a promising start to the season.

Back on topic I think Sylla would be better in the centre, just think he is the sort to break up play and then spread the ball around effectively.  Delph has a bit more pace and is gaining confidence so I too see him as his partner but maybe floating around more.  Westwood looked promising last season, but we need to bring him on slowly.  The wide players are yet to be decided depending on form, but I don't really see KEA as a wide man. 

[john e]

Everyone was poor against Newcastle, I don't see why that should be hung around one man's neck.

because he's the new scapegoat now that Bannan's left

No, he isn't just because some people don't rate him as highly as you doesn't mean he's a scapegoat.  Besides what do we need a scapegoat for? We've had a promising start to the season.

Back on topic I think Sylla would be better in the centre, just think he is the sort to break up play and then spread the ball around effectively.  Delph has a bit more pace and is gaining confidence so I too see him as his partner but maybe floating around more.  Westwood looked promising last season, but we need to bring him on slowly.  The wide players are yet to be decided depending on form, but I don't really see KEA as a wide man. 

I don't rate him massively highly although I do think he is a capable player and plays well along side Delph
what I would say if a player you don't rate has a good game then you must give them credit which you fail to do,
 you said in a post above you don't he's played well in the first 3 games,
well i'm sorry to break it you but for instance against Chelsea in the second half he along side Delph dominated the Chelsea midfield for long periods I think that means he's having a good game against one of the best midfields in the country
same against Arsenal,
 but because you don't like him or rate him you say even though he's been one of our better players in the first 3 games that he's not played well, which is a classic case of him being a  scapegoat

as soon as he has his first poor game in most other peoples opinion , he's no good and needs to be dropped, even though no player covered themselves in glory, its KEA who gets the chop as far as your concerned, why , because he's your scapegoat for a bad performance

he is exactly a scapegoat type player to fans like you, who as soon as the first bad performance goes in your all over him like a ton of bricks, even denying any good displays that may have gone before like you did above

to be honest if you don't consider he has played well in the 5 out of 6 games so far this season then you either arnt watching the matches, don't know sweet FA about the game or have made your mind up about the player before he starts and nothing that he does will change your opinion of him,

which means he is, as I said a scapegoat