Leon Bailey

[Ger Regan]

If bailey can turn it around from where he was, even as recently as the start of this season, then diaby absolutely can. I'm struggling to think of a player who has won back the crowd to the same extent as Bailey has

[Rudy Can't Fail]

He's been excellent this season and seems to have a great attitude starting from the bench so often. 

I've just read the following; 'This season, just 1,015 league minutes have brought Bailey seven goals and six assists'. That would be equivalent to eleven games.

[Monty]

When he was bad it looked like all the different bits of his body were being controlled by different remotes. Now it's all one coherent fluid motion. The ways he finds to spin and run out of trouble in our right back area...we haven't had someone do that this well since Grealish.

[Chico Hamilton III]

When he was bad it looked like all the different bits of his body were being controlled by different remotes. Now it's all one coherent fluid motion. The ways he finds to spin and run out of trouble in our right back area...we haven't had someone do that this well since Grealish.

Trying to explain to my son that there have been a few Villa players down the years who, whenever they receive the ball, the crowd start to take notice and get excited. For me it was Walters, Daley and Grealish but I reckon Bailey could well be up there.

That’s probably the kiss of death….

[chrisw1]

When he was bad it looked like all the different bits of his body were being controlled by different remotes. Now it's all one coherent fluid motion. The ways he finds to spin and run out of trouble in our right back area...we haven't had someone do that this well since Grealish.

Trying to explain to my son that there have been a few Villa players down the years who, whenever they receive the ball, the crowd start to take notice and get excited. For me it was Walters, Daley and Grealish but I reckon Bailey could well be up there.

That’s probably the kiss of death….

You're right.  The intake of breath as Daley gets the ball...

[dave shelley]

I see Tony Morley waving trying to get a mention.  When he received the ball and his head went down...

[Drummond]

When he was bad it looked like all the different bits of his body were being controlled by different remotes. Now it's all one coherent fluid motion. The ways he finds to spin and run out of trouble in our right back area...we haven't had someone do that this well since Grealish.

Trying to explain to my son that there have been a few Villa players down the years who, whenever they receive the ball, the crowd start to take notice and get excited. For me it was Walters, Daley and Grealish but I reckon Bailey could well be up there.

That’s probably the kiss of death….

You're right.  The intake of breath as Daley gets the ball...

Yep Tony Daley was the one for me that really stood out. Just really exciting to watch; I think in part because you knew it could go spectacularly right or wrong.

[Keeno]

Someone put one of those compilation videos on Twitter of Eric Dier looking like he was running the show for Bayern.  Eric Dier! If nothing else, it shows me how much harder the Premier League is and why we've had to be patient with him.  See also Diaby.

Yeah bang on - unless you're a very specific type of player the adaptation is always tricky.

Bailey serves as a perfect example of why we have to be patient with Diaby, who by all accounts has equally as good an attitude.

Bailey - Tielemans - McGinn behind Watkins is our most balanced, effective forward-line right now. Fantastic combination of great pressing, passing range, and ability to win 1v1.

Those three can create any type of chance for Ollie from the wide areas or down the middle, must be a dream to play with as a striker.

[Drummond]

When Bailey first came, and was full of the confidence a move to a big club can give you, he was brilliant to watch. Then he was worked out a bit, went off the boil, had a shit manager with shit tactics in charge. Emery and team know what to do, and Bailey is the perfect showcase for that.

[Brend'Watkins]

He has become the player we all thought or hoped he would become and now in really good, exciting form.  Mind you, it does help when defenders allow him to shift the ball to his left foot.  Same again in the next two games and we'll be very happy.

[OCD]

When he was bad it looked like all the different bits of his body were being controlled by different remotes. Now it's all one coherent fluid motion. The ways he finds to spin and run out of trouble in our right back area...we haven't had someone do that this well since Grealish.

Trying to explain to my son that there have been a few Villa players down the years who, whenever they receive the ball, the crowd start to take notice and get excited. For me it was Walters, Daley and Grealish but I reckon Bailey could well be up there.

That’s probably the kiss of death….

I'd add Ashley Young mk I to that. There was a sense that something would happen when we got the ball to him.

[Dogtanian]

He comes out with a lot of credit this season. Diaby came in and we were all fawning over him, but instead of sulking Bailey's worked hard, got his place in the team, and now he's the one getting all the plaudits.

Hopefully Diaby does exactly the same and works with the coaching staff to get up this level consistently himself.

[paul_e]

When Bailey first came, and was full of the confidence a move to a big club can give you, he was brilliant to watch. Then he was worked out a bit, went off the boil, had a shit manager with shit tactics in charge. Emery and team know what to do, and Bailey is the perfect showcase for that.

I don't think it was that he was worked out as such, I think he had 3 big problems.

Firstly he arrived on the back of an injury and then whilst still not fully fit from that he picked up another injury and for a long time he seemed nervous to really push himself as if he didn't trust his body not to let him down.
Then he had to play under Gerrard who, in my opinion, had no idea how to use him and that created the final problem...
He refused to take his man on the outside, either not trusting his right foot or operating on instruction to come narrow and create space out wide for Cash but either way it made him too predictable.

Over the summer they seem to have got him fitter than ever and that has dealt with the first issue but they've also got him going on the outside a lot more often and defenders are finding him much more difficult to handle as a result.

[LeeB]

He's unplayable now, an absolute joy to watch

[brontebilly]

Someone put one of those compilation videos on Twitter of Eric Dier looking like he was running the show for Bayern.  Eric Dier! If nothing else, it shows me how much harder the Premier League is and why we've had to be patient with him.  See also Diaby.

There's clips in Germany showing Haaland and Son destroying PL defences!

Diaby needs space and we aren't getting much of it in recent weeks. He has the quality, we just need to be patient with him. Bailey and Tielemans offer something different. Watkins isn't the easiest player to play up front with either, ask Danny Ings!