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Author Topic: Mediocrity.  (Read 15141 times)

Offline Goldie.7

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Re: Mediocrity.
« Reply #30 on: May 19, 2022, 11:12:21 PM »
Newcastle are going to finish above us this season despite being in the relegation zone from September to mid February. Targett significantly improved their defence.

What a shambles of a season.

Offline SoccerHQ

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Re: Mediocrity.
« Reply #31 on: May 19, 2022, 11:16:14 PM »
There are a lot of international players in the squad, so not too sure the mediocre ones are.

Martinez, Mings, Digne,Coutinho, Luiz, Ings, Watkins all have played at the highest level and for highly ranked nations.

Add Cash, McGinn, Ramsey (England U21) Olsen, Traore etc for lesser nations in the FIFA Rankings or U21, and I don’t see too many poor quality players.

Getting them to gel and play consistently together seems to be the issue rather than individual player quality.

So how much longer will you give them. Bang average most of them. I love Oli but he isn’t international quality

Just bench them more.

McGinn has practically played every single minute under Gerrard when he's started yet bar the odd good pass he's miles off dominating games at this level. He can still do a job for selected games but need to get beyond this thinking he has to start every week as he's simply not that good anymore.

Same for Oli. Not a terrible goal return this season but I just don't see him having that ruthless air the very best strikers at this level have so would be surprised if he tops last season's form.

They can still be very good squad players for us....if they want to.

Luiz will be the one cashed in on you'd suspect.

Offline Brazilian Villain

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Re: Mediocrity.
« Reply #32 on: May 19, 2022, 11:18:38 PM »
Same for Oli.

Can we stick to calling him 'Ollie', just in case he gets mistaken for Mr. McBurnie? :)

Offline ASHTONVILLA

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Re: Mediocrity.
« Reply #33 on: May 19, 2022, 11:19:03 PM »
Too many ordinary players. Watkins, McGinn, Luiz, nowhere near good enough.

If we get offered stupid money for those, I'd let all three go.

Me too, although I like McGinn and Watkins they are being linked with moves for fees way above their value. Luiz I do not rate, and would take the money and run if anyone offered to buy him.

Think the real challenge is in shifting on Wesley (surely our worst ever big money signing), Trez, El Ghazi, Traore, Sanson and other fringe players that are unlikely to see much gametime next season.

Offline SoccerHQ

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Re: Mediocrity.
« Reply #34 on: May 19, 2022, 11:37:41 PM »
Too many ordinary players. Watkins, McGinn, Luiz, nowhere near good enough.

If we get offered stupid money for those, I'd let all three go.

Me too, although I like McGinn and Watkins they are being linked with moves for fees way above their value. Luiz I do not rate, and would take the money and run if anyone offered to buy him.

Think the real challenge is in shifting on Wesley (surely our worst ever big money signing), Trez, El Ghazi, Traore, Sanson and other fringe players that are unlikely to see much gametime next season.

Doug only has one year left on his deal so he'll be sold anyway.


Offline tomd2103

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Re: Mediocrity.
« Reply #35 on: May 20, 2022, 12:16:54 AM »
If we end up finishing 14th, then I think it would have gone from being mediocre to a poor season really.  Just feels like a disjointed season, where we have never really got going over a consistent period of time and we just seem to produce exactly the same lacklustre performance that has haunted us for the past decade, particularly at home.  We have changed every aspect of the club multiple times in that period, but we still just can't seem to shake that malaise off.

We're now looking at another major overhaul in the summer and Steven Gerrard has got to get it right, because he can't really afford a poor start next season. 

Offline SoccerHQ

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Re: Mediocrity.
« Reply #36 on: May 20, 2022, 12:20:49 AM »
If we end up finishing 14th, then I think it would have gone from being mediocre to a poor season really.  Just feels like a disjointed season, where we have never really got going over a consistent period of time and we just seem to produce exactly the same lacklustre performance that has haunted us for the past decade, particularly at home.  We have changed every aspect of the club multiple times in that period, but we still just can't seem to shake that malaise off.

We're now looking at another major overhaul in the summer and Steven Gerrard has got to get it right, because he can't really afford a poor start next season. 


I don't think it will be major overhaul at all. Yes culling of some squad players but pretty much every club from 3rd downwards will be doing that.

Keeper and most of backline don't need replacing given we've just signed a full back for 25m and other has new 5 year deal.

The key is to stop messing around with the DM position and sign someone with the profile we desperately need there and try to use pre season to work out a consistent forward line up as not convinced Gerrard has worked it out bar deciding Coutinho/Buendia can't really function on pitch at same time.

Offline tomd2103

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Re: Mediocrity.
« Reply #37 on: May 20, 2022, 12:27:35 AM »
If we end up finishing 14th, then I think it would have gone from being mediocre to a poor season really.  Just feels like a disjointed season, where we have never really got going over a consistent period of time and we just seem to produce exactly the same lacklustre performance that has haunted us for the past decade, particularly at home.  We have changed every aspect of the club multiple times in that period, but we still just can't seem to shake that malaise off.

We're now looking at another major overhaul in the summer and Steven Gerrard has got to get it right, because he can't really afford a poor start next season. 


I don't think it will be major overhaul at all. Yes culling of some squad players but pretty much every club from 3rd downwards will be doing that.

Keeper and most of backline don't need replacing given we've just signed a full back for 25m and other has new 5 year deal.

The key is to stop messing around with the DM position and sign someone with the profile we desperately need there and try to use pre season to work out a consistent forward line up as not convinced Gerrard has worked it out bar deciding Coutinho/Buendia can't really function on pitch at same time.

Agree about the DM position.  I think he needs to sort the midfield out properly, as I just don't think the shape he plays in there is working.  Coutinho and Buendia are dropping too deep and he needs to work out a way to set the team up so they can get in the ball in the final third and hurt teams.

Offline Ads

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Re: Mediocrity.
« Reply #38 on: May 20, 2022, 01:48:54 AM »
This is our 2nd season of mediocrity in a decade.

Online Rory

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Re: Mediocrity.
« Reply #39 on: May 20, 2022, 02:20:49 AM »
This is our 2nd season of mediocrity in a decade.

Beautifully concise and entirely accurate. If anything, the first half of last season was against the trend. Like it or not, we're still re-establishing ourselves in the top division.

After Gerrard's initial success, some people were posting that they expected a top 8 finish. It's not been three years since the PO final. We have made huge progress.

Offline Hillbilly

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Re: Mediocrity.
« Reply #40 on: May 20, 2022, 02:34:40 AM »
This is our 2nd season of mediocrity in a decade.
A good point. We've spent a few years aspiring to mediocrity and now we've achieved it.

Think of the stress that fans of Burnley, Leeds, Forest and Huddersfield are going through, think back to what it was like, take a deep breath and relax. Bathe in warm puddle that is mediocrity and focus on future improvements. Picture yourself running through a sea of claret and blue flags. See the confetti cannons explode in a mass of claret and blue. Imagine the trauma for Baggies and Bluenoses. Villa are good. Life is good. This is our future.

Offline adrenachrome

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Re: Mediocrity.
« Reply #41 on: May 20, 2022, 02:49:44 AM »
This is our 2nd season of mediocrity in a decade.
A good point. We've spent a few years aspiring to mediocrity and now we've achieved it.

Think of the stress that fans of Burnley, Leeds, Forest and Huddersfield are going through, think back to what it was like, take a deep breath and relax. Bathe in warm puddle that is mediocrity and focus on future improvements. Picture yourself running through a sea of claret and blue flags. See the confetti cannons explode in a mass of claret and blue. Imagine the trauma for Baggies and Bluenoses. Villa are good. Life is good. This is our future.

Stuff and nonsense

We want blood and thunder, Sturm und Drang, Larwood aiming at Bradman's Adam's Apple with a leg side field.

Or just some fast bowlers that are not injured, or some strikers that score more goals.

And a DCM if poss. 

Offline ldavfc4eva

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Re: Mediocrity.
« Reply #42 on: May 20, 2022, 06:53:01 AM »
As SoccerHQ says, bench more players more often, rotate the squad better.

Add to the group a quality CB to play with Tyrone, a quality DFM and another option up front ad we have all the makings of a top 8 team, if Gerrard makes those buys and spends a fortune in doing so though, next season we must be in a European place at this point next season.

My point was, the overall players we have are international class, so must be far from mediocre, how they are used though and how often is another matter.

Offline sid1964

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Re: Mediocrity.
« Reply #43 on: May 20, 2022, 07:01:14 AM »
Listening to Garry Thompson on WM last night on the way back from the ""bore fest" he said that for Villa to progress they need a whole new spine of the team, Centre Halves, DM and a striker - that is going to cost a lot of money

The players we have now are okay for mid table to 15th in the league, if we are to really have a go at getting into a European competition in the next 2 seasons (5 year plan) we do need far better quality than we have.

Hopefully the owners will back the manager in the transfer market.


Offline ChicagoLion

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  • Literally
Re: Mediocrity.
« Reply #44 on: May 20, 2022, 07:21:11 AM »
Listening to Garry Thompson on WM last night on the way back from the ""bore fest" he said that for Villa to progress they need a whole new spine of the team, Centre Halves, DM and a striker

Hopefully the owners will back the manager in the transfer market.
Gary Thompson is completely right.
We are deficient in those 3 key positions.

 


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