Aston Villa vs Sheffield Utd pre-match thread - June 17th 6pm

[RamboandBruno]

Agree largely with comments that season shouldn’t have restarted, but money talks. Also agree with money people seeing opportunities for the future, not a grand Bond villain plan to get rid of fans, but opportunities for example for games here at TV times That suit say the Far East, probably a long way in the future.

However, the season is re starting, I’ve defended Dean Smith all the way through, but before lockdown, cup final aside when I thought we did ok, I thought we looked like a team nailed on to go down and a manager who had lost his way and run out of ideas. If the enforced break has given Dean time to take stock and take drastic action on the things that weren’t working, e.g. the system, then maybe we have a chance. If it’s same again after a breather then we’ve got problems. I think El Ghazis the best of the wingers but none of them have really worked this season. I also think every striker has looked isolated on their own and the full backs are both average defenders at the moment but good going forward. I think deans got to be radical and play a 3-5-2 with two forwards rather than the system just after Xmas with jack supporting a lone striker.

I’d go

Nylond

Mings
Engels
Konsa

Targett
Nakamba
McGinn
Grealish
Guilbert

Davies
Samatta

They won’t be many tougher games that sheff Utd to start with and home advantage across Europe is proving negligible with no ones. Heart tells me an unlikely 3-1 win, head tells me something else

[Mister E]

Nyland

Mings
Engels
Konsa

Targett
Nakamba
McGinn
Grealish
Guilbert

Davies
Samatta

That's how I'd start the game.
As I said in an earlier post, we have to stop Horwood playing and ensure that their fullbacks do not maraude as they have done in many other games since their promotion.

[Footy-Vill]

Absolutely superb to see Premier League players to have 'Black Lives Matter' replacing names on shirts. That's what we want from football. Solidarity. And also good to hear the
Premier League will support players who take a knee before or during matches.

I would like to think Aston Villa football club will be having all the players supporting the cause by taking a knee in the first matches they play.

We've seen it with other clubs in bundesliga and it's good to hear the Premier league bringing about change .

I aware majority of here fully support the cause and only a minority who think it would be uneccesary to take away players names and have black lives matter slogan on back of shirts.

That's people's own views of course and we are nt here to argue but do realise there is a very good reason to why this movement is in place.

Up the villa !

[CT]

Nyland

Mings
Engels
Konsa

Targett
Nakamba
McGinn
Grealish
Guilbert

Davies
Samatta

That's how I'd start the game.
As I said in an earlier post, we have to stop Horwood playing and ensure that their fullbacks do not maraude as they have done in many other games since their promotion.

Yep, I like that too. I just wonder how many minutes SJM will have in him for his first game in such a long time.

[ez]

I've been daydreaming about a new villa emerging after the lockdown with McGinn and Grealish leading us to safety. Then I remember it's going to be the same defenders who have been making mistakes and shipping goals all season. I dont see how that's going to change unfortunately.

[Richard E]

I've been daydreaming about a new villa emerging after the lockdown with McGinn and Grealish leading us to safety. Then I remember it's going to be the same defenders who have been making mistakes and shipping goals all season. I dont see how that's going to change unfortunately.

We’re gonna win every game 5-4.

[ADVILLAFAN]

Are we still not allowed to pick Heaton? Seems a bit stupid if not.

[Gareth]

He isn’t fit

[eamonn]

His wife likes him.

[frank black]

Are we still not allowed to pick Heaton? Seems a bit stupid if not.

He’s not fit, but anyway the premier league decided not to allow teams to resubmit their squads of 25. So we’d have been knackered if he had been fit.

[ChicagoLion]

3 at the back is largely negated by teams playin one up front, particularly If you do not have a centre back that can join in the play. That also means the other 2 have to be comfortable. Mings our most likely is tooo often babysitting the other 2 and is capable of overplaying too deep.
The problem for the whole campaign has been the defensive midfield area and I don’t think we have anyone who can fulfil that role.
Going 3 at the back unless you are addressing the problem in deep midfield is not the answer.

[RamboandBruno]

Don't disagree with you 're the defensive midfield area, both nakamba and Luiz gave have had very good games, but largely struggled and the defence has largely struggled all season as well. However, this is not going to be sorted either in terms of those players getting better or us getting better players, until next season, or us being in a lower division where those players look better.

So, sticking to the same systems pre lockdown isn't going to achieve anything, unless mcginn makes that much difference.

I just think if the defensive frailities whether there caused by lack of a decent defensive midfielder or not, aren't going to be eradicated then we need to be offensively better to give the opposition more to think about.

[ChicagoLion]

It worked for a couple of games and then it got worked out and we went back to 4 at the back.
Agree we are not in a position to solve the fundamental problem unless of course Drinky and SJM can be deployed in such a way to help our abdication of the midfield.
It’s a tough one and why we are in the relegation zone.

[Villatillidie1982]

VAR is not being used as far as I am aware.

They started the season using VAR so surely they have to finish with it or is that another rule change to suit TV?

[CT]

VAR is not being used as far as I am aware.

They started the season using VAR so surely they have to finish with it or is that another rule change to suit TV?

Again, VAR is definitely being used. They named the VAR officials as well as the match officials last week.