Aston Villa vs Burnley Pre-Match Thread

[Monty]

I would have both Luiz and Nakamba in the side, with Luiz as something between a 6 and an 8 (football jargon is dumb - why is something between a 6 and an 8 not a 7?). It's fair enough to want him central - I definitely feel that's where he'll end up playing - but I just think that at the moment we need his incision more than we need his learning on the job playmaking. If you look at his touch maps he spends most of his time inside left anyway, this would just be a way to formalise that role for him.

[Brend'Watkins]

Me too.  Both good players with good engines.

[Luke8]

Yeah, I can see that and it’s a valid point. I certainly wouldn’t be too disappointed if it did happen. However, personally I just haven’t seen enough of Luiz to suggest that him playing further forward (or equally, as a few have mentioned, Hourihane slotting in there) would be a preferable option to Jack central and then El Ghazi/Jota wide - particularly in a game like Saturday where you would hope we would be on the front foot and looking to break them down.

I feel Grealish has shown enough the last two league games that he getting through the ‘learning on the job’ phase and is having a bigger impact on games and would be personally be happy for him to continue there.

As an aside, were Jack to play in an inside left position, I certainly think it would pretty much necessitate Targett playing over Taylor.

[Mister E]

I would have both Luiz and Nakamba in the side, with Luiz as something between a 6 and an 8 (football jargon is dumb - why is something between a 6 and an 8 not a 7?). It's fair enough to want him central - I definitely feel that's where he'll end up playing - but I just think that at the moment we need his incision more than we need his learning on the job playmaking. If you look at his touch maps he spends most of his time inside left anyway, this would just be a way to formalise that role for him.

Absolutely my thoughts too.
And a 7 is a winger! Surely you should all know that!

[Monty]

I would have both Luiz and Nakamba in the side, with Luiz as something between a 6 and an 8 (football jargon is dumb - why is something between a 6 and an 8 not a 7?). It's fair enough to want him central - I definitely feel that's where he'll end up playing - but I just think that at the moment we need his incision more than we need his learning on the job playmaking. If you look at his touch maps he spends most of his time inside left anyway, this would just be a way to formalise that role for him.

Absolutely my thoughts too.
And a 7 is a winger! Surely you should all know that!

That's what I mean, why is a 7 not a box to box midfielder, between a 6 and an 8? It makes no sense.

As to the Targett/Taylor debate, I agree it makes more sense going forward to play Targett, but as long as Taylor does the right things positionally we can still keep the pitch big with him looking to overlap, even if we don't actually use him and his horror crossing too much.

[KevinGage]

Surely Jack wide will happen at some point.

The player himself doesn't want it.

There was an interview with him recently where -apart from an injury of some description - he put his indifferent form in our relegation year down to playing out of position. 

That's not to say he can't pull wide and do the full-back over and over again if it's getting us joy in a particular match. But starting wide and staying there for the majority of the game would blunt his effectiveness.

Jack gets the ball in the centre of the park: the opposition get nervous and three to four bodies appear around him.

Jack gets the ball out wide: the opposition get nervous and three to four bodies appear around him.

We can do more damage with the gaps in the centre of the park.

[Pete3206]

We'll score early, then shit ourselves for the remainder of the match.

1-0 win

[Toronto Villa]

Jack's not a winger but I think he could play inside left. It would get him into more advanced positions and attack that space much like he did for the goals at Crewe and Arsenal

[levico]

Similar to the Bournemouth game. Many think we’ll brush them aside.
More PL calamity I fear.

[Ads]

Burnely and their 442 with Ashley Westwood in their midfield. Hmmmm.

I'd go with the following;

Heaton

Targett
Mings
Engels
Freddie

Nkamba
McGinn

Grealish

Trezuguet
Wesley
El Ghazi

[Luke8]

Bench could be important tomorrow, given that it is fairly likely that the game will be quite tight.

Presuming Smith sticks with the same line up, I would hope for Targett over Elmohamady and maybe worth trying to find space for Kodjia.

Interesting, given his goal threat, that Smith hasn’t brought Connor on in either home game that we were needing a goal. Easy to say with hindsight but certainly his finishing around the box might have been useful in both games against teams sitting deep.

[CT]

Gutted. Was missing the game tomorrow due to going to a gig that's been booked for months.

Now the gig has been cancelled by the band at the last minute and I've sold my ST's for tomorrow!!

No football. No gig.

[BoVillan esq]

2-0 Villa win, in the bag.

[Flamingo Lane]

I have a few minutes ago received my match day guide email from avfc.co.uk, informing me that the match kicks off tomorrow at 8pm.  WTF?

[Dazvillain]

Lots of permutations around for starting 11 but I hope 3 or 4 that started Wednesday will start.
Heaton
Targett Engels Mings FRED

I think wingers and Wes have not lived up to expectations so I’d like to see how we could fit Connor, luiz, marvellous, SJM and jack all in....they’ve all got a case to start I think so fit them in along with Keinan.
I’m not really sure of formation but I think it we be great from an attacking sense