Summer 2022 Transfer Thread

[ozzjim]

When you sit down and try and pick a Villa team atm it's really tough,  because we have 2 glaring issues.  We lack physicality they the team,  and pace. Sarr bought height and pace so he was a logical target on paper.  If I was Gerrard I'd be on at Lange every 5 minutes to find me 3 starters that give that physical edge we badly lack at the moment.  Even Pep with all his midfielders, buys some big buggers from time to time.

There was nothing logical about signing Sarr as the coach doesn't want to play with wingers. I also think we would have the same issue we had with Traore in that Cash would be left exposed far too often. With our mess of a formation at the weekend, I'd expect Bailey should have been helping a bit more when Zaha was going to town on Cash. McGinn tried to get over there but then midfield got all stretched.

Kamara was meant to be that physical midfield addition. But in our two defeats this season he has been bullied physically.

And left pretty much alone in there.  Away from home,  I just don't see a way you can play this style and formation and expect to not concede a lot. 

[Drummond]

Yeah Eze wanted London was the story at the time. He looks levels above Palace.  United could do a lot worse than getting him into their side, although villa giving him space and space in behind to pick passes into probably helped make him look prime 1970 Brazilian.

More I reflect on yesterday,  more I think the selection was just bog awful yesterday.  We have all watched Palace. I said 2 days ago Zaha will have a blinder in the space behind our full backs.  It wasn't hard to see it coming. So the same team,  formation. Mad.

It makes me even more reluctant to want us to give him more money, unless they are now Lange signings and if Gerrard can't get a tune we will find someone that can.

The players were fine, it's the set-up that's all to cock.

[aj2k77]

The players aren't fine. There still needs to be a desire to not concede and throw yourself in to it and the firing line. The focus doesn't need appear to be there right now, the sharpness and the switched on mentality that from the get go they are ready to combat the opposition.

[SoccerHQ]

In January we wanted Bentancur. He chose Spurs. Fair enough and now there he plays in double pivot with Hojiberg who's the 6 for them. That's the template we were obviously looking at.

Gerrard then confirmed after window closed we put in a decent bid for Yves Bissouma. Again same principle, a defensive minded 8 which is where he played at Brighton. Spurs also signed him and now he's warming the bench so they have three high quality defensive midfielders with two world class strikers upfront so yet again they'll  finish 20-25 points ahead of us.

What I don't get is we had those targets in mind, just missed out on them and have pretty much given up now.

Kamara was surely more of a replacement for Nakamba and Luiz and that's how it's played out so far with selection.

I thought the optics of giving McGinn the captaincy was all wrong. I'm far from the biggest McGinn critic on here but majority know he really shouldn't be starting week in week out for us anymore and needed to be replaced by someone better. That won't happen now.

If we sign Tielemans in next 10 days I'll take it all back but that is the calibre of signing we need to get me invested again in a Gerrard team and I just can't see us making it, we've taken the easy route out again.

[pauliewalnuts]

The players aren't fine. There still needs to be a desire to not concede and throw yourself in to it and the firing line. The focus doesn't need appear to be there right now, the sharpness and the switched on mentality that from the get go they are ready to combat the opposition.

Yeah, I sort of agree. That needs to come from the manager - look at Newcastle yesterday, that's not a brilliantly talented team, but the manager had the tactics right AND he had them working their bollocks off closing down Man City.

I watched that and was thinking, fuck, they are showing ten times the application we do. It's not because our players are shit, they're not, it's about how they are being set up and the seeming total lack of motivation.

I think there is something not-right behind the scenes in terms of the manager's relationship with his squad.

[LeeB]

I don't think the players believe in the system they're playing.

[ozzjim]

I agree.  I watched ASM for Newcastle and thought Howe had done brilliantly to recognise how to get him into space and this Newcastle up the pitch.  We have no one that does that for us at all.  But in defence and midfield,  there was encouragement of each other,  comradery etc that watching Villa on  Sat just wasn't there.  We have a decent group, but I think we lack some leadership on the pitch,  and masses of tactical nouse off it

[Villan82]

In January we wanted Bentancur. He chose Spurs. Fair enough and now there he plays in double pivot with Hojiberg who's the 6 for them. That's the template we were obviously looking at.

Gerrard then confirmed after window closed we put in a decent bid for Yves Bissouma. Again same principle, a defensive minded 8 which is where he played at Brighton. Spurs also signed him and now he's warming the bench so they have three high quality defensive midfielders with two world class strikers upfront so yet again they'll  finish 20-25 points ahead of us.

What I don't get is we had those targets in mind, just missed out on them and have pretty much given up now.

Kamara was surely more of a replacement for Nakamba and Luiz and that's how it's played out so far with selection.

I thought the optics of giving McGinn the captaincy was all wrong. I'm far from the biggest McGinn critic on here but majority know he really shouldn't be starting week in week out for us anymore and needed to be replaced by someone better. That won't happen now.

If we sign Tielemans in next 10 days I'll take it all back but that is the calibre of signing we need to get me invested again in a Gerrard team and I just can't see us making it, we've taken the easy route out again.

All feels very true.

We need to get some top midfielders in through the door asap.

[aj2k77]

I don't think Gerrard's hard man attitude goes down well. Picking a fight with Mings, the genuine leader of the football team, and making an example of a player who's only ever shown commitment and desire for us, was only going to cause unrest. He has a desire to throw the cat amongst the pigeons and get rid of any comfort in being Ok and to drive the players forward but I don't think this way was the best approach.

I think Gerrard's hard man routine will be the end of him and after the next 7 or so games, as the bad results flow and his frustrations are taken out on the players you'll see him very, very quickly lose the dressing room.

Mings is a Villa man, Gerrard is not.

[AlexAlexCropley]

I thought Bailey was going to be our ASM, but he puts in a tenth of the effort.

[aj2k77]

I thought Bailey was going to be our ASM, but he puts in a tenth of the effort.

A massive flat track bully. Half hearted friendlies and cup ties will be his friend. He doesn't have the fighting attitude to win the ball in tight situations and earn himself the space to let his talent flourish. He's kid who hangs around up front waiting for 3 on 1's and taking speculative 25 yarders all the time.

[SoccerHQ]

In January we wanted Bentancur. He chose Spurs. Fair enough and now there he plays in double pivot with Hojiberg who's the 6 for them. That's the template we were obviously looking at.

Gerrard then confirmed after window closed we put in a decent bid for Yves Bissouma. Again same principle, a defensive minded 8 which is where he played at Brighton. Spurs also signed him and now he's warming the bench so they have three high quality defensive midfielders with two world class strikers upfront so yet again they'll  finish 20-25 points ahead of us.

What I don't get is we had those targets in mind, just missed out on them and have pretty much given up now.

Kamara was surely more of a replacement for Nakamba and Luiz and that's how it's played out so far with selection.

I thought the optics of giving McGinn the captaincy was all wrong. I'm far from the biggest McGinn critic on here but majority know he really shouldn't be starting week in week out for us anymore and needed to be replaced by someone better. That won't happen now.

If we sign Tielemans in next 10 days I'll take it all back but that is the calibre of signing we need to get me invested again in a Gerrard team and I just can't see us making it, we've taken the easy route out again.

All feels very true.

We need to get some top midfielders in through the door asap.

It's not like there isn't space. Carney I presume was being trained up as long term McGinn replacement but won't happen now. Luiz is seemingly just coasting on the bench in last year of his deal so while short term I'd be starting him he won't be here in 12 months and Sanson could easily leave on loan in next week. As could Nakamba and no one would blink much.

Our central midfield is arguably weaker in depth and quality than it was 12 months ago due to how welded Gerrard is to starting McGinn and Ramsey every single week when the odd bench cameo wouldn't hurt either.

[Beard82]

I agree.  I watched ASM for Newcastle and thought Howe had done brilliantly to recognise how to get him into space and this Newcastle up the pitch.  We have no one that does that for us at all.  But in defence and midfield,  there was encouragement of each other,  comradery etc that watching Villa on  Sat just wasn't there.  We have a decent group, but I think we lack some leadership on the pitch,  and masses of tactical nouse off it

I thin this is the thing - we have Emi, Bailey and Phil - these are 3 really talented players - in the same league as Zaha and ASM - why cant they dominate games.

It feels the longer there in the team the worse we get.  Phil was unplayable when he first came in, now hes, well the other kind of unplayable

[brontebilly]

I agree.  I watched ASM for Newcastle and thought Howe had done brilliantly to recognise how to get him into space and this Newcastle up the pitch.  We have no one that does that for us at all.  But in defence and midfield,  there was encouragement of each other,  comradery etc that watching Villa on  Sat just wasn't there.  We have a decent group, but I think we lack some leadership on the pitch,  and masses of tactical nouse off it

I thin this is the thing - we have Emi, Bailey and Phil - these are 3 really talented players - in the same league as Zaha and ASM - why cant they dominate games.

It feels the longer there in the team the worse we get.  Phil was unplayable when he first came in, now hes, well the other kind of unplayable

Zaha and ASM are physically much stronger. Both seem to relish the hard tackles and rough stuff. More importantly their respective coaches seem to have figured out roles for them that suit them. Coutinho and Bailey both seem to want handy passes only at the moment. Maybe just a confidence thing.

[OCD]

Opposition seem to have worked out that we're exposed if they have quick transitions through direct/long passes so they can get at us before the defensive midfielders have filled in for the full-backs.

I don't think any of other Premier League sets up like how we're trying to set-up. There may be a reason for that. The players probably don't agree with those tactics.

If Gerrard persists with his philosophy I think we'll continue to struggle until the point that Gerrard's replaced and we bring in someone who has a philosophy that everyone can get on board with.