The Villa Clearout

[nick harper]

I'd like to see mings and konsa with an actual DM in front of them

It will be interesting to see if the return of Nakamba coincides with an upturn in form, defensively at least, over the last seven games. It’s the one hope at the moment as there are no other changes that feel like they will make a difference.

[Clark W Griswold]

Didn’t we have a clearout in 2015, then promptly got relegated?

Sort of, but as pointed out the big loss was Benteke. It won't hurt to offload all of the senior players that are currently out on loan apart from maybe Targett and that would be a lot off the wage bill.
We also used some idiotic computer stats based system for recruitment that summer and topped up with a few well known has beens so hopefully things will be somewhat different this time. That said they need to not make a Leon Bailey type cock up this summer as a couple of those would hurt us badly.

[PaulWinch again]

I’d agree with everything in the OP, although I’d keep Konsa personally, as I think he’s been hampered by playing alongside an erratic Mings.

I can see Coutinho packing his bags (who could blame him), which would give Buendia his chance for a way back in.

There are two or three in that starting line up who I don’t even think will
play again this season after that shit show in the second half.

So I go the other way on the centre-half’s. I like Konsa, but I think he puts a lot of pressure on Mings - in that it’s all put on Mings to bring the ball out and take risks. I think Konsa isn’t taking enough responsibility, perhaps because he’s so woefully out of form.

[paul_e]

I’d agree with everything in the OP, although I’d keep Konsa personally, as I think he’s been hampered by playing alongside an erratic Mings.

I can see Coutinho packing his bags (who could blame him), which would give Buendia his chance for a way back in.

There are two or three in that starting line up who I don’t even think will
play again this season after that shit show in the second half.

So I go the other way on the centre-half’s. I like Konsa, but I think he puts a lot of pressure on Mings - in that it’s all put on Mings to bring the ball out and take risks. I think Konsa isn’t taking enough responsibility, perhaps because he’s so woefully out of form.

I agree, this year Mings has definitely been the stronger one of the 2, and I think the way Mings and Chambers have looked as a pair has underlined how much Konsa has been weighing him down. I really like Konsa but he's had a terrible season and I have no idea why, culminating in him barely looking like a professional footballer on saturday, it's the most disappointing performance I've sene from a Villa player in a long time.

[eamonn]

I thought Ezri was comfortable with the ball, having been a full-back previously and played for a progressive Championship side in Brentford. So it really annoys me that he doesn't take any responsibility for distribution from the back, squaring it to Mings whenver he can.

[paul_e]

I thought Ezri was comfortable with the ball, having been a full-back previously and played for a progressive Championship side in Brentford. So it really annoys me that he doesn't take any responsibility for distribution from the back, squaring it to Mings whenver he can.

This season he rarely passes to anyone other than Mings and Cash unless McGinn or Luiz run almost on top of him and then he'll give them the ball, he was much more willing to both carry the ball out of defence and look for positive passes last season.

[eamonn]

So what do we put that down to? Lack of confidence playing in front of spectators compared to behind closed doors?

[Dave P]

Any ‘clearout’ is hugely dependent on who we can get in and this is where I hope Lange and his team are already working on. For example, I didn’t mind Targett but Digne is better.

The exodus will start with El Ghazi, Trez, Targett and possibly Ings, Hause, Traore and Sanson, but players like Konsa, McGinn, Mings, Watkins will only go if we can get better replacements.

[algy]

Think of the defenders, Konsa is the most likely to be moved on. We'd probably get a decent fee for him - around the same as we'd get for Mings. As others have alluded to he doesn't seem as self-confident as Mings - regularly gives the ball to Ty to get rid of rather than do the job himself. We'll also be looking at far better candidates if it's for a regular spot in the first team rather than acting as a backup like Hause & Chambers are at the moment.

[Duncan Shaw]

I hope there isn't a clear out, because I don't trust Gerrard to manage it and the subsequent incomigs.

[AGRIPPA]

I’d agree with everything in the OP, although I’d keep Konsa personally, as I think he’s been hampered by playing alongside an erratic Mings.

I can see Coutinho packing his bags (who could blame him), which would give Buendia his chance for a way back in.

There are two or three in that starting line up who I don’t even think will
play again this season after that shit show in the second half.

I've said this to anyone who would listen for 12 months and even when they were both playing well!
Konsa is a great defender but is not a leader like Mings and doesn't like to play the ball...it nearly always goes back to Mings when he gets it who will then be under pressure because the opposition will know where its going.....

So I go the other way on the centre-half’s. I like Konsa, but I think he puts a lot of pressure on Mings - in that it’s all put on Mings to bring the ball out and take risks. I think Konsa isn’t taking enough responsibility, perhaps because he’s so woefully out of form.

[cdward]

I am a little worried about what type of player Gerrard will go for. Talk of Luis Suarez is interesting, but Cameron Archer is more interesting and less of a gamble.

Players that are taking a step up from lower leagues (Cash, Mings, Konsa, Buendia), or who are looking for first team football (Martinez, Chambers) seem to work out better than players looking for a last pay day (Ross Barkley, Ings)
I don't know, i just don't get the excited feeling that we are going to spend big and get it right. It's probably just all the years of getting my hopes up, to see it come to nothing much. Plus the thought that in a season or two Gerrard probably won't be here and we start all over again.

Win a few games and i will probably change my mind.

[Drummond]

Win a few games and i will probably change my mind.

There's a slight flaw in that plan.

[Risso]

Ross Barkley was 26 when he was on loan with us. He wasn't looking for a last pay day, he was trying to get his career back on track. He didn't of course, but there you go.

[itmustbe_it is!]

I think Martinez is over rated on here.

And presumably by his Copa America winning international manager