Aston Villa Banter Archive May 30 2015

30 May 2015 21:51:17
So, after that fairly tragic display Sherwood made it sound like he already has a good idea of who is getting the chop in the summer in his post match interview. It is refreshing to hear the manager come out and say its not good enough rather than the Paul Lambert spiel 'I couldn't have asked any more of the lads' even though we got smashed.

With this in mind, who should go in the summer and who would you replace them with?

Alternatively, which players deserve to wear the shirt next season?

31 May 2015 08:26:13
Whole of the back 5 needs to go. I'd have butland
Richards brooks Shawcross Enrique
Cleverly Gardner Delph
Grealish
Austin Robinson

Keep gabby for bench along with sinclair gil baker burke plus a few more new squad players need to be flexible with more formations using sinclair and gil in the right games. This is also taking benteke will be off which I think he will and lerner backing. If a new owner comes in with bigger budget my choices would be different hence another proven cf to partner Austin and couple more big names.

31 May 2015 16:49:36
I'm not sure about playing a diamond midfield with no width every week. We only really have one winger at the club (Sinclair) and I'm tired of not having the option of playing 442, 433, 4231 to match teams playing different styles. When we have gone wide we have to shove Agbonlahor, Weimann (ST's) Grealish, N'zogbia (CAM's)out there, and Gil seems ignored and Richardson and Bacuna who are not defensively solid enough play in defence. This lack of options put so much pressure on the outside midfielders to constantly run up and down and press and create and we have seen Delph and Cleverleys performances dip towards the end of the season because of it. It doesn't help that the back four is sub par as well.

With that in mind we need to ship a lot of the 'wingers' and LBs/RBs we have on the books and find some decent replacements. N'zogbia needs to go, he's never looked comfortable in a Villa shirt. Joe Bennett, Luna, et al need to go. Richardson should stay, he's a great utility player and really has saved us on a number of occasions this season and can play virtually any position in a pinch.

I'd look at Trippier from Burnley and push Bacuna forwards as he's not good enough defensively (He played as a CAM/Wing Forward for Gronigen) but can score, cross and has a wicked dead ball.

Its also been a fact that the side under PL was in dire need of a goal scoring and goal providing CAM. As much as I love Grealish, he hasn't got goals in his game yet and its unfair to lump too much pressure on him too soon, and he rarely seems to last over 70 minutes. Cole is too injury prone and Gil seems to be forgotten entirely so we need someone more experienced to supplement Grealish and help him develop. Maybe Mo Diame from Hull if he gets fit again.

We also need a midfield general, a destroyer to sit in front of the back 4 and help them out, like Matic or Wanyama. PL tried with Yacuba Sylla (another one who needs to go), but Leroy Fer from QPR might be a shout. Joey Barton wouldn't surprise me either, he seems like he'd be Sherwoods sort of player.

30 May 2015 19:32:27
Another pathetic show, men against boys another record broken well done you useless bunch, 58 years since we last won and they play like that

30 May 2015 20:25:35
embarrassing. can't think of a better word, if this was the game that sherwood was hoping would make up bentekes mind i think it worked. bye bye ben

30 May 2015 21:30:20
I think its safe to say the Sherwood honeymoon period is over after 3 consecutive losses, 11 goals conceded only 2 scored. The tactics have been all wrong for weeks now and he seems so reluctant to change tactics during matches or simply just doesn't see it. I'm beginning to see what the Spuds meant by Tactics Tim.

As good as Grealish is, he's not quick and struggled all game against Bellarin until gabby came on and he went more central. Sinclair should have been on from the start with the aim of hitting them on the counter attack. we tried to pass the ball far to much and we were comprehensively outplayed.

I honestly feared the worst when I saw the team sheets and we looked like a Paul Lambert side again. Hopefully we have a decent summer transfer window and Tim can mould a side of his own making where he has more players he's confident of switching in and out to adapt the formation. If not - its another relegation scrap, which we WILL lose without Benteke.

30 May 2015 22:58:20
What a load of rubbish.
'Tactics tim' came in and steadied the ship, with out of which we would now be a championship team.

His mistake today was to much respect for the arsenal. Not his fault they couldn't play. The players are to blame for not being up for an FA cup final.

If the right deal is done, and Big Ben goes, as long as it's early we will be fine. He has been great for ten, maybe 15 games this season. Perfect, except the season is nearly 40.
Charlie Austin, Ricky lambert, perhaps kozak could fill that roll. If he wants out, get the money, invest it and let him go.
Don't blame sherwood for playing the players at his disposal when he has had no say in who is in. This is not his team- yet.
How can you condemn us to relegation when the fixtures not even drawn.
Attitude like that why should we even turn up, let's throw the white towel in now, and save our money.
Ffs. All these fans come out the wood work because we reach a final, and then just find fault in everything.
Would rather we kept the hard core, and our dignity and belief.

31 May 2015 00:35:43
I assume you are referring to me when you say 'All these fans come out the wood work because we reach a final, and then just find fault in everything'.

If you can genuinely find any positive to take away from that match other than we managed to get to the final in the first place then I am all ears. I mean no disrespect to Sherwood and the job he did keeping us up but other managers could have done it too, and we've seen it time and time again when teams sack managers the replacements bring a short term boost to the side just like we've seen this season.

Why did he continue with that suicidal high line against Southampton after the first 15 minutes where we were battered black and blue and realise the danger. All us none 'hard core' fans could see it coming. And then to not change anything until we're 5-1 down. Crazy.

Same with the cup final, some of the players didn't have their best games, yet he did nothing to change it until it was too late. Grealish was useless out wide and dramatically improved when he played centrally in the closing stages. Hector Bellarin is the fastest player in the league so surely the pace of Sinclair would have been more appropriate? Nzogbia was totally ineffective, so why not bring Agbonlahor on sooner, or give Gil a chance?

I wasn't expecting us to win, but to put up a good fight. We had ZERO shots! Doesn't that sound familiar? Paul Lambert's team in the first half of the season - the very core of why he was sacked. Sherwood's choice of players is obviously limited but he should at least make use of everyone at his disposal even if they are not his type of player until he can rebuild the squad to his liking.

And if you seriously think Rickie Lambert is a suitable replacement for Benteke your deluded, why not push the boat out and get Soldado as well.

31 May 2015 09:35:13
I don't think rickie lambert is technically half the player Big Ben is no, but, if he doesn't want to stay at villa, and the pool are willing to pay 20-25 million for him, with lambert in that deal then I say go for it. He would still score 15-20 goals in our team.

And last night I was angry, tired and slightly worse for wear. Reading my comments back, was a little harsh and showed no respect, and where rude and unfounded. I apologise.

But my main sentiment stands. If any of them don't want to be here let them go. No one, no one is irreplaceable.

My anger for that display yesterday is that we didn't do our selves justice.
Can live with losing. As long as we try to win. Try being the operative word.

Any way Andy. I am sorry!

31 May 2015 16:28:43
Apology accepted Flackie, we all know how you feel!

If any of them don't want to stay then we should let them go and more over if Sherwood deems them not good enough they should go as well, its painfully obvious that some of Lamberts enforced bargain buys are not cut out for the Prem.

Sherwood should be given the chance to rebuild the team in his image, remember that he has never had a transfer window to create a team of his own as he came in mid season at Spurs and was canned in the summer. I'm genuinely looking forward to what he can produce - I think his seeming unwillingness to really change things around in games stems from a lack of confidence in the playing staff he's had at both clubs. At the very least we will have a side with a stronger mentality, players who will run their guts out for the cause week in week out.

Despite his age Sherwood has less than a season of management under his belt so still has a lot to learn but underpinning this is a wealth of experience in coaching and development which other managers don't have, and this might come through in the signings he makes.

I just think its slightly unfair to pin all the blame on the players for that Arsenal match, when Sherwood could have changed a few things around. I'm not saying we would have won and he that cost us the cup, not by a long shot, but it wasn't the perfect tactical plan. A big factor in Sherwood keeping us up is that for weeks Delph and Cleverly ran their guts out for the team for 90 minutes week in week out and that's got to be draining for a player and not a sustainable way of playing. Now imagine after all that trying to press Arsenals midfield 5 with their passing range and pressing with N'zogbia and Grealish as two of our 5. No wonder it looked like they weren't trying. let's not forget that we were up against a full strength Arsenal side who probably played their best game of the season, and that Sanchez strike was unstoppable.

At the end of the day the main thing is that we are still in the Premiership and have another shot next season, and I'm excited to see what Sherwood can do to the squad.

31 May 2015 18:41:13
Kind of see your point, and although I do agree that arsenal where on fire yesterday, we had in my opinion our worst team effort of the season. And in a cup final, that is unacceptable.
The effort of the playing staff falls totally at their own feet. Not the managers. Tactics, formation, even team selection totally agree, fully tims fault. But I think selection wise he was restricted, gabbys performance against burnley ruled him out, was never going to start. And Sinclair has been struggling to get fit since his knock.
I do think bacuna was really unlucky.
But. To not be able to rise in the FA cup final? That is down to the 11 on the pitch.
The occasion got to them. Showed to much respect to the opposition. And got swept aside.

Today is a new day.
Onwards and upwards!

31 May 2015 19:49:18
I swear that ever since he came to the Premier League that Ozil is rubbish unless he's playing Villa where he seems to turn into the 40 million player they paid for.

But you are right, none of the players were at their best and you just have to look at what Hull did against them last season to see that any team has got a chance on the day if the players want it enough.

I think Sherwood is right when he says the players have a losing mentality, how often under PL when we conceded the first goal did we fall apart or never look like getting back into it. It looked like that again in the final and after that Sanchez goal went in those players believed they had lost it.

I'm interested to know which of the starting 11 you think are the worst offenders and need to be sold. I think Benteke, Grealish, Delph, Cleverly, Richardson, Vlaar, Okore, Given have all shown at points under Sherwood that they should be playing for us next season. I wonder about Hutton, he tends to get rash with his challenges when things aren't going our way. Westwood is a good metronomic passer in midfield but isn't physically strong enough defensively and provides little going forward. N'zogbia has never really done much in a Villa shirt.

Of the notable absentees, agbonlahor is a great club ambassador and should be used as a sub, Weimann isn't good enough.Sanchez hasn't really been the defensive rock we need, Clark works well with Okore, Vlaar works well with Baker, but other combos don't gel well. Cissokho is crap going forward but a reasonable defender. Kozak and Helenius are fairly untried so should be given the benefit of the doubt. Guzan is a beast and bar that one blip against City has saved us numerous times. Gil we've barely seen. Bacuna needs to be played in his proper position and Lowton obviously has some issue with the managerial staff to keep losing his place. I've probably missed a few but you get the idea.

Like I said I would be interested to know who you would get rid of.

01 Jun 2015 20:36:26
I did reply once mate, but seems not all posts are showing.
In short, not really sure I would get rid of to many. For simple reason our squad needs depth.
I totally agree re guzan.
And with a previous post about Barton. I can't stand the guy, but. Think he would bring something we desperately need.

So.

We need a new gk, I love given, but he is getting older, and we need competition
Both full backs, we play wingers there, says it all.
A ball playing defensive midfielder. Joey Barton. Perfect fit
Ball playing No10. I hoped gil. But Tim disagrees!
And poss. A striker. I say poss as if kozak can get fit, I think he is perfect!

Anyway!! Positive thoughts!!.

01 Jun 2015 21:27:14
A couple of my posts haven't made it up either.

I agree that the squad needs depth but we must surely have to operate on a roughly one in one out basis and there is a lot of dead wood which clearly have no future at the club which we must get off the books ASAP (Bent, Tonev, Luna, Joe Bennett spring to mind) so that should free up some space.

I kind of agree with your point on Barton - I'm not his biggest fan either but he seems to have calmed down a bit this season, although he is prone to relapses.

The top priority for me is getting the wing backs sorted out, we haven't had it right for years. This would allow Bacuna in particular to move forward into the midfield and I rate the guy when he doesn't have to defend.

Presumably when you talk about the strikers your assuming Benteke is staying.

If it was me and the funds were available, or raised through sales, I would get Charlie Austin up front (as a Benteke replacement if he leaves), Mo Diame, Barton, Keiron Trippier and Cleverly if the wages are right - and that's just for starters.

{Ed001's Note - if your posts aren't going up, and they weren't just insults or full of swearing or similar, then could you let us know which platform you are using? Window, iOS, Android etc, and what kind of device you use please so we can identify any problems.}

01 Jun 2015 22:49:38
I use windows on a laptop but I might be guilty of using some inappropriate language :)

{Ed001's Note - ah so it could have been deleted due to frustration then, understandable. I just wanted to check, as I know some posts were deleted that were just inappropriate after the cup final. Which is only to be expected, no one was repeatedly out of order or there would have been bans or accounts deleted, just a bit of frustration coming out.}

02 Jun 2015 01:09:34
My post that is missing May of been construed that way.
Fed up with pure negative post talking about our massive demise, from people who couldn't give a monkeys until we knocked the baggies out.

{Ed001's Note - ah ok mate, no worries, I know it gets frustrating at times.}

02 Jun 2015 08:57:58
We just like to keep you on your toes!.

{Ed001's Note - thanks mate, it is nice to know you are thinking of me!}

30 May 2015 11:47:41
Can I please be the first to say happy birthday to Steve Gerard

30 May 2015 14:53:14
Irrespective of who we support you can't deny he's been a fantastic servant for England and the premier league won't be the same without him. Brendan Rogers messed up letting him go - he should have finished his career with Liverpool. Shame that Stoke and Villa ruined the party for him :)