Pre-Season Friendlies

[nick harper]

it's time this under performing myth was put to bed - the usual suspects have under performed under a succession of different managers and coaches, which says to me that they are not up to the job.

This. Westwood, Bacuna, Cissoko, Westwood, Gestede all not good enough

Even two Westwoods aren't good enough. 0+0 = 0.

I think it's quite possible RDM has looked at his players on the training ground, and at the friendlies, and thought 'all is not lost with this bunch'. He's probably told them the slate has been wiped clean and 'we go again'. But until yesterday he hadn't seen them play at Villa Park.

All those players who took us down last season might be capable of better performances, but perhaps, once they cross that white line at Villa Park, all the old demons come flooding back?

It was the scene of their most horrendous failures, after all, and I doubt whether most of them have the strength of character to move on from that. They are irretrievably lost. And no amount of gentle coaxing or shouting or slate wiping will get them back.

Somebody mentioned we still need a leader on the pitch. That's key. One or two big characters will not allow the house of cards to cave in as soon as we concede. The body language alone yesterday spoke volumes.

But more than anything, we just need decent players who aren't tainted with the stink of failure and hopelessness. It still lingers thick in the air at Villa Park.

Graham Taylor didn't exactly break the bank in his first season, but he made radical changes on the pitch. He knew exactly the type of personalities we needed. We need the same approach now.

The point about a leader is absolutely key. Collectively they just shrink when a game starts getting away from them. It's one of the reasons I was so disappointed it was decided Stan didn't have enough to earn a contract. We desperately need someone with his influence in the dressing room and on the pitch.

[trevor fisher]

watching the friendly against middlesborough gave few clues to how Villa will play this season. I agree with the Mail reporter that the old faults of giving the ball away to allow the opposition to attack the final third, heads going down when a goal against is conceded, and too many Villa players off the pace were obvious. Though I don't agree Ayew was the star, he wasn't playing the same game as the rest.

But the most worrying thing was the lack of strikes on goal and the easy time the boro goalie had. It was impossible to see Gestede scoring as he never had service. He needs the ball in the air, and Villa don't get crosses in. This for me highlights the big weakness tactically since Marc Albrighton was mystifyingly transferred, Villa don't do wing play and there is no width.

Boro got the message by half time and attacked ceaselessly after the break. While midfield was neat but never dominated the opposition, the main fault was defending too deep and with the other faults, boro had an easy second half. Di Matteo has to get the tactics right. The mistakes hopefully he can eliminate so we don't give the ball away. But a team that doesn't put the opposition goalie under consistent pressure is going to struggle.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Was quite positive coming in to this game, but disappointed as soon as I saw the team...Bacuna, Westwood, Gestede....
...and so it proved. Gestede is a complete waste of a shirt - shows no movement at all, no desire to get in front of or behind his marker, makes no runs to open up gaps for others. How is this bloke a footballer? Where was Hepburn-Murphy? He's played well in other friendlies. Davis? Toner?
Bacuna just seemed to be wandering around the pitch with no sense of urgency at any time...had a little bet that Westwood's first pass would be backwards - I won!
I rate Ayew  - he looked good in the first half, but in the second half he looked completely lacking in energy/interest and his two f*ck ups led to losing possession from which they scored.
As Brian Green said, the body language after conceding speaks bloody volumes about this lot!

Desperately needed - a leader, a creative midfielder, a striker. Minimum.

[Matt Collins]

It was a friendly so you don't tend to get the same intensity

I think we could have scored three in the first half quite easily and that was with gestede doing an impression of a 100 year old oak tree

After 60 mins I was reasonably happy w the tactics. We looked to have more defensive shape. Ayew and grealish were the two most creative players on the pitch. And you could see that, with a proper striker, proper wide player, Amavi at left back and more dynamism centrally (Tishbola?) we could be one of the better teams in this league. IF we make the right signings

The last 30 mins showed that the mentality and organisation has got a long way to go tho. And that might mean clearing more out than RDM had envisaged

[dave shelley]

One of the many things Tony Morley said yesterday that was true was: even when Villa break and are in position to deliver a telling ball/cross, Gestede isn't up with play to make the most of it.  As has been said, a very decent human being, a very poor footballer.

[brian green]

My profound disappointment with yesterday was made all the more painful by the hope that the Cambridge game provided.  We beat Cambridge without breaking sweat, but the team contained Lyden, Toner, Green, Bennett, Okore and Hepburn-Murphy.  They were enough to freshen the side and play with pace and enthusiasm.  When we had played an hour yesterday, the team started to look unfit, the tempo of the game dropped and there was only ever going to be another defeat to endure.
What really bothers me is that RDM is going down exactly the same path as Garde and Black and putting his trust in the hands of the likes of Hutton, Sissoko, Bacuna, Westwood and Gestede. As I posted a couple of days ago, they are failures and they do what now comes naturally to them. They fail.  The young players may not be world beaters but at least they want to win.

[JUAN PABLO]

i just dont understand that all these managers we have had think Bacuna and Westwood are the answer in midfielder.

When I saw them in the team yesterday i just thought dont these so called experts ever learn.

[sirlordbaltimore]

Whilst knowing it was only a meaningless friendly, i still can't believe how bloody awful we were in the second half yesterday. It was turgid, and RDM not changing things for so long made it all the more baffling.

If I never see Hutton, Cissokho, Bacuna or Gestede in a Villa shirt again it'll still be too soon.

God help us if we're going into the Sheff Weds game with that lot in the starting eleven.

[ktvillan]

Same old wasn't it.  Looking comfortable without really creating much then make a mistake and implode.  To be fair to Gestede he was being held back or down on every set piece - at least two clear penalty offences against him.  Grealish continues to look pretty while delivering absolutely zero end product in terms of shots, crosses and incisive passes.  Massively over rated.  The midfield needs three new players at least, it's pedestrian in the extreme, and we need to replace the full backs.   The keeper looked decent but the one thing I mentioned about his you tube highlights when we signed him was his tendency to knock the ball back into the danger area when making saves - and it costs us a goal yesterday.   Can't say I fancy our chances after yesterday unles we get 3-4 new players as a minimum.

[AV5nobs]

Typical Villa imploding after a goal totally gifted to them.

Westwood, Cissokho and Bacuna desperately need replacing.

Roll on Sunday 4,500 Villa, can't wait.

[Clampy]

i just dont understand that all these managers we have had think Bacuna and Westwood are the answer in midfielder.

When I saw them in the team yesterday i just thought dont these so called experts ever learn.

In Bacuna's defence yesterday, he was playing on the left side of midfield which was a bit odd. As for Westwood, he's a very lucky fella to keep being picked.

[oswald funkletrumpet]

rdm has a massive job on his hands and will hopefully get the right players in

the only question i would ask at this stage is if you watched the game yesterday was the performance any different to watching a mcleish/lambert/sherwood/garde/black side?

[Toronto Villa]

As much as it is easy to concentrate on the way we folded like a cheap tent it's also important to note that we dominated the game in the first half. We should have led by 2 or even 3 before they scored and everything changed. If only we had a proper striker or two who could create space and keep the momentum of our attacks. Because what we have now only serves to slow it down. Additionally our midfielders have to get into the box more and take shots themselves. We started to do it more when Sherwood took over that got us out of trouble but we just don't support our forwards from midfield at all.

[JJ-AV]

Anyone who was there notice any changes in squad numbers?

From the pictures on the OS it looked like Grealish was wearing 30

[Toronto Villa]

Anyone who was there notice any changes in squad numbers?

From the pictures on the OS it looked like Grealish was wearing 30

I don't think the new squad numbers have been given out have they?