Aston Villa v Juventus FC Pre Match

[Smirker]

3-2 Villa.

[Skerra]

Think the slower pace of Juve will suit us and I’m expecting us to win this one but, then probably get 1 point out of our next 2 league matches.

[eye digress]

Dougie not in their squad yesterday.

[Accent Guy]

Need a big performance here but that all depends on who is available. Our midfield is powder puff atm and is the reason we are conceding so many goals in my view.

That said, if we can start well for a change then we can get something here.

2-2 and qualification to the play offs secured with 3 games to spare.

[Demitri_C]

Dougie not in their squad yesterday.

It's really not working out for him there is it.

If we can get him back on loan id take him in a heart beat

[Drummond]

He wouldn't solve the problem. Kamara will.

[Monty]

I saw something (the Athletic? on here? from the Athletic on here?) about how, for all his excellence, Tielemans' much greater verticality of passing might be costing us. Doug was a lot more patient, a lot better at working the small spaces in the middle. Tielemans is so much better at actual creative passes, but he tries so many of them that we're losing the ball more often, either off the passes not working or the recipient being isolated and crowded out.

I still think, for now at least, we should put Tielemans in the 10 position he's basically playing already, put Rogers left to simplify his role and let him focus on his ball game (so to speak), and have a more simplistic but more solid midfield two behind YT to make us less blancmange-like on the counter.

[andyh]

Fucking dreading this. Coming at the most perfectly shit time for us to be playing these bastards. And it's my birthday next Saturday!There's absolutely no chance we're winning this.

Ha!
Its my birthday on the night. It’ll be a nice present if we can win.

[Accent Guy]

There's absolutely no chance we're winning this.

I wouldn't be so sure. I fancy a draw but it's not unwinnable. Even if we are out of sorts.

Villa Park under the lights has been the site of many a big occasion. This could be another one.

[Monty]

There's absolutely no chance we're winning this.

I wouldn't be so sure. I fancy a draw but it's not unwinnable. Even if we are out of sorts.

Villa Park under the lights has been the site of many a big occasion. This could be another one.

You misunderstand, you're trying to make rational arguments which I respect. But it would make me, Andy, Demitri and our fellow Sagis happy, and I've read our horoscope:

"This month, you will be challenged by potential disappointments. Be prepared to meet them with a level head. Also, the midfield cannot cope with defensive transitions and the attacking shape is out of balance, 0-2 Juventus."

[PaulWinch again]

He wouldn't solve the problem. Kamara will.

In part, he can’t do it alone. The combination of Doug and Kamara over an extended period was a combination that gave us pretty much perfect balance. It screened the defence and it linked the play through to attack. Clearly the former is gone, but we need to work out the combination that starts to make the midfield effective in its role again.

[PeterWithe]

I saw something (the Athletic? on here? from the Athletic on here?) about how, for all his excellence, Tielemans' much greater verticality of passing might be costing us. Doug was a lot more patient, a lot better at working the small spaces in the middle. Tielemans is so much better at actual creative passes, but he tries so many of them that we're losing the ball more often, either off the passes not working or the recipient being isolated and crowded out.

That sounds right and was what we were speaking of yesterday, the Youri-Rogers vertical ball is our main attacking weapon with Bailey off form. But teams know this and are crowding them both and, certainly yesterday, Rogers first touch looked off.

[PaulWinch again]

We need to massively up the intensity and start making it hard for teams again. We are so bloody easy to play against at the moment.

[Bobby Boy]

I saw something (the Athletic? on here? from the Athletic on here?) about how, for all his excellence, Tielemans' much greater verticality of passing might be costing us. Doug was a lot more patient, a lot better at working the small spaces in the middle. Tielemans is so much better at actual creative passes, but he tries so many of them that we're losing the ball more often, either off the passes not working or the recipient being isolated and crowded out.

I still think, for now at least, we should put Tielemans in the 10 position he's basically playing already, put Rogers left to simplify his role and let him focus on his ball game (so to speak), and have a more simplistic but more solid midfield two behind YT to make us less blancmange-like on the counter.

Tielemans is a clever player but he's got no pace or physicality so when we don't have a midfield with an enforcer we are likely to struggle in that area.

[Bobby Boy]

Depends who we can get back. Onana and / or Kamara back, I'd say 1-1, without them, 1-2.