Pre-Season Friendly Match Thread Compendium

[OCD]

Westwood looks like he has stepped up a level.
He seems to be thinking and playing the ball the ball a lot quicker.

Amazing what good coaching will do. With coaches like Wilkins, Sherwood, Cowans and Petrov at the club I'll be expecting a damn sight better from our midfield this year.

[Wiggz]

How come no Gill? I saw him and Kozak in Portugal and they were outstanding for movement and drive, as well as hold up play respectively.

[peter w]

injured

[Villan For Life]

As a Brummie living in Wolverhampton I went to the game with a Dingle-supporting mate. We were sat in the upper Stan Cullis, right by the Villa fans. Some of their fans need to remember that it was a friendly; every club has its share of dickheads but to see grown men with their wives and kids goading the Villa fans with choice language was startling. Christ knows what they're like when the game actually means something. It was a friendly!

A few other observations:

After 30 minutes there were still Villa fans coming into the ground which is amazing for a friendly

Kozak worked very hard and deserved his goals. He really put a shift in

The defence that started the game looked solid and Richards will marshall them well through the season. He has the potential to be our best centre half since Laursen

The midfield looks an improvement on last year but is still lacking something.

Gabby looks finished and he'd do well for a side like Wolves.

Robinson looks a real prospect and his work before our second was excellent.

Their second was awful and piss poor by Baker. Time to ship him out.

[JUAN PABLO]

Westwood looks like he has stepped up a level.
He seems to be thinking and playing the ball the ball a lot quicker.

Amazing what good coaching will do. With coaches like Wilkins, Sherwood, Cowans and Petrov at the club I'll be expecting a damn sight better from our midfield this year.

That would be a great midfield at their peak

[villadelph]

Any highlights yet?

[Somniloquism]

Kozak would be a BIG surprise to me. Didn't rate what I saw of him originally. The finish tonight and his general play was very encouraging. He could be the surprise of the pack.

In the few appearances I saw of him, I rated his finishing. People forget it was four goals in 14 so just shy of 1 in 4, nut how many starts did he have. I always thought he was a big miss just after CB picked up his injury.

[dave.woodhall]

Wolves supporters seem to agree that we'd have won if we'd have been all that bothered and the early Mail headline referred to us dropping two points but that's been changed now.

[Dave Cooper please]

Tamworth have confirmed on Twitter that Grealish is down to play 45 minutes in the friendly tomorrow, so that's a bit of good news about his injury.

[eamonn]

Hope he doesn't throw a Hendrie when the Tamworth lot give him some.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Any highlights yet?

They just put some up on AVTV. Not sure if its just the good bits they picked but my goodness this Amavi bloke looks really good. Not just his skill & vision but at one point a wolves defender did a full on scissor tackle on him and... bounced off... Amavi just ignored him and picked out a cross into the box.   

[Matt Collins]

There's clearly some selection bias in those highlights. They don't show baker's mistake and bacuna looks great

Is gabby now a doubt for next week?

Looking at the team I'm reminded that despite a transfer window the likes of which I've never seen at villa, there are still lots of Qs and weaknesses about who will line up against Bournemouth

You'd have thought we're edging close to the team that will play.

I guess the back 6 are settled.

[Legion]

Next up: Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa Saturday 1.8.15 KO 3pm City Ground

Initial allocation: 2,000 tickets
Prices: £15 [adult], £10 [O65], £5 [U16]
Disabled supporters tickets charged as above with a free Personal Assistant - 11 wheelchair bays
TODAY: On general sale

[SamTheMouse]

I think Kozak can do really well for us. Liked the look of him the first time I saw him, when he got the winner against Norwich. Showed a great bit of smart movement.

I think because he's so lanky, people assume he's going to be a physical player, but to me he looks more Lineker-esque. He'll score a few, if we put the ball in the right place.

[dave.woodhall]

There's clearly some selection bias in those highlights. They don't show baker's mistake and bacuna looks great

You mean the offical Villa channel are showing Villa players in a good light? There's a surprise.