Your selection for Aston Villa (M) Strongest 11 this season.

[Risso]

I'd seriously consider this as a starting 11 now:

                        Martinez

Cash          Chambers        Carlos         Digne

                Kamara        Luiz

Bailey              Coutinho             Buendia

                       Archer

Chambers for Mings with Carlos moving across is definitely a real prospect. Chambers has looked very good when he’s had the chances and Carlos is going to start as well, given the level he’s been playing at and the transfer fee.
I think that midfield is weak though personally and I wouldn’t play Luiz. We need another signing still.
Buendia has looked good but I think he’ll start the season as understudy to Coutinho, who seems to be getting one or two grumbles already in here. Coutinho is the most talented player in the squad and can have the same level of impact Grealish had, maybe even a bit more if we get him at his absolute best. He has to start the season but I agree that if other players outshine him continually in the position he can’t expect to keep playing.
No to Archer being first choice either. Very, very promising and I think I’d sooner keep him around now than send him on loan but it’s a big ask for the lad to be anything but an impact sub initially.

I think you could play either McGinn or Luiz next to Kamara. You get more of a physical presence and tackling from McGinn, you get better passing and ball retention from Luiz. Or perhaps Sanson is going to surprise us all?

[Beard82]

I think that is probably our best line up - though think we need a new holding midfielder if we are to play that.

Its a shame that Gerrards statement signing plays in the same position as our recording signing - as it still feels like we have an unbalanced team - and to get them both in we may have to push out JJ, who is a real talent if used right.

Not complaining out Coutinho, hes a great player and it would be stupid not too - but we need a Forward and midfielder more.

I wonder if we were expecting to move more players on - as I was expecting more business based on what was said around the end of the summer.

[Hookeysmith]

Based on what I have seen / heard /  read  during this pre season I would start on 6th the following:


                               Martinez

  Cash       Chambers        Carlos          Digne

                        Luiz            Kamara

          Bailey         Buendia            Coutiniho

                              Watkins

Then our real strength is a bench with many options

[Richard]

Based on the Oz trip and gut feelings I suspect the following are soon to be surplus to requirements:

Hause
Guilbert
Nakamba
Chuck
El Ghazi
Philogene-Bidace
Traore

We could get rid of these and bring in one more midfielder and 1 more striker, then we are done.

[nigel]

                  Martinez
Cash.   Carlos.       Mings.      Digne

                  Kamara.
    Ramsey.                Luiz.

      Buendia.           Coutinho.

                 Watkins

I’m still edging towards my original line up above.
But, if I was to tweak it slightly, given what I’ve heard and read so far, I probably move Carlos across (as he played on the left for Saville) and bring in Chambers, who has always impressed when played.

I can’t see us lining up without Ramsey, so Bailey to start on the bench

[ASHTONVILLA]

                       

                        Martinez

Cash       Chambers     Carlos        Digne

    Ramsey       Kamara       McGinn

         Buendia         Coutinho

                    Archer


Second best 11


                           Olsen

Guilbert     Konsa      Mings      Augustinsson

       Sanson   Nakamba   Irogbunam

         Bailey     Ings      Watkins


Both of those teams look OK, and there is still Hause, Davis, Kessler Hayden, Philogene Bidace, Chukwuemeka, Chrisene, Feeney etc available as well. Think we are in for a good season.

Both of those teams look OK, and there is still Hause, Davis, Kessler Hayden, Philogene Bidace, Chukwuemeka, Chrisene, Feeney etc available as well. Think we are in for a good season.

After the pre-season games thus far I am revising this to

                       Martinez

KKH       Chambers     Carlos        Digne

    Sanson       Kamara       Ramsey

         Buendia         Bailey

                    Archer


Second best 11


                           Olsen

Cash     Konsa      Mings      Augustinsson

       Luiz    Iroegbunam McGinn

         Coutinho     Ings      Watkins

I'd now have KKH in ahead of Cash, and Bailey in ahead of either Coutinho or Buendia (tough call which). I wouldn't have had Luiz in the second 11, but have been pleasantly surprised with his effort considering the uncertainty over him staying. I'd have Sanson in the first 11 ahead of McGinn on the pre-season efforts thus far too.

We look much better, with good competition across the whole pitch.

[cdbearsfan]

I don't get the Sanson love-in that so many on here seem to have. Can't remember him ever doing anything vaguely noteworthy in between his injuries. Hopefully he proves me wrong.

[nigel]

I don't get the Sanson love-in that so many on here seem to have. Can't remember him ever doing anything vaguely noteworthy in between his injuries. Hopefully he proves me wrong.

I think Sanson is a bit like Bailey, in regards he never really got going last season.

Showed flashes of what he was capable of then got injured again.
Another who will benefit from a full pre season and a run of games

[Nii Lamptey]

I don't get the Sanson love-in that so many on here seem to have. Can't remember him ever doing anything vaguely noteworthy in between his injuries. Hopefully he proves me wrong.

I think Sanson is a bit like Bailey, in regards he never really got going last season.

Showed flashes of what he was capable of then got injured again.
Another who will benefit from a full pre season and a run of games

Absolutely agree. Given an injury free run, I think we could have some player on our hands - Best player on the pitch against Chelsea. Seems to have bulked up a bit over the summer too.

Here's my Bournemouth starting eleven. And if Coutinho doesn't perform 1st half, hook him for McGinn/Ramsey and push Buendia further forward:

                          Martinez
    Cash    Chambers    Diego Carlos    Digne
                         Kamara
                  Sanson     Buendia
    Bailey            Watkins           Coutinho

[Risso]

It'll be very interesting to see the starting lineup aginst Rennes, as that will almost certainly be the team that starts against Bournemouth you'd think.

[Drummond]

                        Martinez
Cash    Carlos              Mings      Digne
                      Kamara   
          Buendia            Ramsey
Bailey           Watkins         Coutinho

[Clark W Griswold]

It seems quite a few of us now have Mings out. I think i'd stick my neck out too and go with Chambers/Carlos with Mings to come back in if either of those aren't performing. It's a good position to be in that's for sure. I'd still have the likes of KKH, Archer, Buendia and Sanson on the bench initally though but again, based on what they've shown pre season we'll look strong on the bench. Just need that slight brute of a signing in midfield. If we're not getting the performances from the strikers we could try to address in January with a signing there.

[boozey182]

If we were going to base it purely on the pre-season games so far, I think our team would be:

Matinez

KKH
Chambers
Carlos
Digne

Kamara
Iroegbunam/Luiz
McGinn/Sanson/Ramsey (I don't think any of these have done much of note from what I've seen)

Bailey
Buendia

Archer

I don't think he will leave out all of Cash, Mings, McGinn, Ramsey, Coutinho, Watkins and Ings, but I'm not sure any of them have shown much so far, with the obvious caveat that this is just pre-season and so does it really matter. What would be more concerning, though, is that a lot of the issues with these players have carried on from last season (other than Cash who was very good last year) - Mings makes mistakes, the midfield don't get a grip of the game and the forwards aren't dangerous enough.

We need to have flexibility in our first team. I hope we can see Emi, Leon and Phil in the team together, but I also want to see what McGinn and Ramsey can do in front of Kamara. I am hoping that the changes that we are making during pre-season is a sign that we are working to have a few different set-ups at our disposal, rather than that we don't know what our best team is. We've surely learned a few things -

Two up front doesn't work
Bailey offers us something things no one else in the team can - pace and decent set piece delivery
Archer is our most natural goal scorer
KKH isn't far off being ready for the first team

I genuinely have no idea how we will line up for our first game, which is quite exciting. You could make a reasonable argument for quite a few different formations and combinations of players, which will hopefully make it more difficult for the opposition. Two years ago it was a case of "stop our best player and you'll get something out of the game" - now I don't even know who our best player is.

A good manager would do wonders with this squad, particularly with a couple of extra additions. We're about to find out if we have a good manager or not.

[Clark W Griswold]

Mings makes mistakes, the midfield don't get a grip of the game and the forwards aren't dangerous enough.



A good manager would do wonders with this squad, particularly with a couple of extra additions. We're about to find out if we have a good manager or not.

Yep i think the 3 things you mention were the main issue, the midfield being the biggest problem and Mings being the least, but we've definitely addressed that one, Chambers and Carlos likely to be good enough to be a new pairing. We've gone some way towards addressing the midfield situation with Kamara but need to do more. Forwards wise, my hope is that we get more consistency from Coutinho, that Bailey will finally get his act together and be a big player for us and that an improved Beundia will be there in the background as well. This should mean more opportunities for the strikers, we now have Archer involved and hopefully at least one of the three will prove to be a real goal threat in every match.

Good point about Gerrard too, a big season for him. Even with what we have there should be some improvement on 14th, with one or two more you'd hope we'd be well inside the top half.

[boozey182]

Mings makes mistakes, the midfield don't get a grip of the game and the forwards aren't dangerous enough.



A good manager would do wonders with this squad, particularly with a couple of extra additions. We're about to find out if we have a good manager or not.

Yep i think the 3 things you mention were the main issue, the midfield being the biggest problem and Mings being the least, but we've definitely addressed that one, Chambers and Carlos likely to be good enough to be a new pairing. We've gone some way towards addressing the midfield situation with Kamara but need to do more. Forwards wise, my hope is that we get more consistency from Coutinho, that Bailey will finally get his act together and be a big player for us and that an improved Beundia will be there in the background as well. This should mean more opportunities for the strikers, we now have Archer involved and hopefully at least one of the three will prove to be a real goal threat in every match.

Good point about Gerrard too, a big season for him. Even with what we have there should be some improvement on 14th, with one or two more you'd hope we'd be well inside the top half.

Yeah, I really hope Mings can iron out the few issues he has. There isn't much wrong with his game, but the things that are wrong can be incredibly damaging. If he could cut out the mistakes, and if he has easier outlets when he's playing it out from the back then he could become one of the best defenders in the league - if he carries on as he is, though, he can be a liability. Very fine margins.

I think he has been a victim of having to take too much responsibility in the past. He can over commit because he thinks "If I don't win it, who will?". Plus playing it out from the back has been difficult with our lack of DM. Playing with Carlos and Kamara may be the making of him, but he hasn't shown enough sign of that so far in pre-season. Important to remember that he has only been playing Centre Back for a few years - there is hope that he can improve.

As it is, though, Carlos and Chambers are probably our best pairing. It's nice having options - hopefully Tyrone and Ezri can keep them on their toes and take their chances when they get them. It's great having a proper squad!