Aston Villa (A) 6/3/21 Build-Up & Match Thread

[Johnny75]

My preference (which won't happen):

Rui
Boly - Coady - Saiss
Semedo - Otasowie - RAN
Neves - Vitinha/Moutinho
Traore - Neto​

No striker?

 

[sycophantia]

My preference (which won't happen):

Rui
Boly - Coady - Saiss
Semedo - Otasowie - RAN
Neves - Vitinha/Moutinho
Traore - Neto​

think that would have been perfect for last night, but personally I'd be against not playing a striker against Villa, can't think of a single game when we've tried that and it ended well.

 

[Tredman]

No striker?

Not much point with the 2 we have.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

My preference (which won't happen):

Rui
Boly - Coady - Saiss
Semedo - Otasowie - RAN
Neves - Vitinha/Moutinho
Traore - Neto​

Wolves have always looked garbage playing without a recognised forward, doesn't work for them at all.

 

[Johnny75]

Not much point with the 2 we have.

This is the bit I don't get. Neto and Traore were both appalling last night without a striker on the pitch and it's never worked for us.
Having said that I don't get the clamour for Silva to come back in, he hasn't put on a stone of muscle and all of a sudden learned how to be physical. He's got all the physical presence of a ghost.

Jose is clearly a short term option, more physical and lets the other players play around him. Fabio just isn't ready physically (I'd send him on loan to the Championship next season personally).

 

[YoungWolf]

Unfortunately only Nuno and his staff know just how many minutes the usual suspects can play in each game, or how the younger lads have looked in training or whether he thinks they are ready for any particular game from day to day interactions.

Guessing who if any are going to be involved is a lottery. How many thought Hoever would start last night, or that we'd okay 5-4-1? No-one.

I predicted he'd play right wing back in a 5-4-1 tbf Just not with Semedo ahead of him, ha!

 

[Tredman]

This is the bit I don't get. Neto and Traore were both appalling last night without a striker on the pitch and it's never worked for us.
Having said that I don't get the clamour for Silva to come back in, he hasn't put on a stone of muscle and all of a sudden learned how to be physical. He's got all the physical presence of a ghost.

Jose is clearly a short term option, more physical and lets the other players play around him. Fabio just isn't ready physically (I'd send him on loan to the Championship next season personally).

I've been disappointed by Jose recently, but seeing Fabio getting totally owned by Mings will just be incredibly depressing. I don't think Neto & Traore will work well, but it won't be any worse than the other options.

 

[Johnny75]

I've been disappointed by Jose recently, but seeing Fabio getting totally owned by Mings will just be incredibly depressing. I don't think Neto & Traore will work well, but it won't be any worse than the other options.

I think it would be immensely worse.

 

[Tony Towner]

It won't be worse in terms of what you get from the forward play, it would be considerably worse imo with what you lose from the wider positions.

With the exception of a fit Boly I'd play the same side as against Newcastle, but totally overhaul the intent

 

[slink]

Yeah because Fabio got totally owned by Mings in the home game and he's already looked like he's improved a little since then. I don't want to over expose Fabio and that's why i'd still play Jose in most games but he could definitely play with the right approach. Just back to the home game, his movement was already very good which created his shot off the post and go and watch what he does to Mings for the Dendoncker volley in the second half, backed in to him got him out of the way but poor old Donk couldn't finish it.

As much as WJ has not looked like the player we thought we were signing and Fabio isn't quite a physical threat yet but that is improving we need to play with a striker and play in and around him to get the best out of these players. I think that's fairly obvious now.

 

[Throbber3]

You can only work with the squad we have and that means one of Jose or Fabio has to start. Traore and Neto were neither use nor ornament last night for the vast majority of the game. If Boly is back then why not try something a little different for Villa.

Rui
Semedo Boly Coady Jonny
Otasowie or Saiss or Dendonker
Moutinho Neves
Neto Jose Traore

I dont think we look a proper threat without an effective hold up man. Jose , for all the scathing comments about his movement, has at least shown he can bring both Neto and Traore into a game. The extra legs in midfield will also help Moutinho who is 34 going on 50 at the moment and looks like he is running in treacle, on occasions.

 

[The Bear]

I would go with Jose again, but the reason I put Silva in is he's played a lot of minutes recently. Maybe him coming off a bit earlier last night means he can start, but I wouldn't be flabbergasted if Fabio started instead.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Surely one of the reasons we look dreadful without a recognised centre forward is we play that way against the better teams - City and Liverpool spring to mind. The only exception I can think of is Burnley where we played with no intensity and were poor all over the pitch irrespective of the lack of forward

 

[YoungWolf]

We played without a recognised striker at Burnley too

Edit: Oh sorry, I think that is the point you are making!

 

[Wilf Wolf]

We played without a recognised striker at Burnley too

Edit: Oh sorry, I think that is the point you are making!

I think if you only try a tactic against better teams (Burnley excepted) it is perhaps not surprising the tactic doesn't work.

 

[YoungWolf]

I think if you only try a tactic against better teams (Burnley excepted) it is perhaps not surprising the tactic doesn't work.

Yeah definitely in agreement on that, and it is also a very small amount of games to judge by.

I think the way we have played under Nuno, has generally needed a focal point, especially since Raul joined. It's been invaluable to us having a forward of his calibre, so when Fabio had to step up, you see the difference. Nuno has tried to find ways around it to little effect, until we brought in Jose. Even though he has not been great and has some limitations, having a more physical presence has helped us for sure.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Yeah definitely in agreement on that, and it is also a very small amount of games to judge by.

I think the way we have played under Nuno, has generally needed a focal point, especially since Raul joined. It's been invaluable to us having a forward of his calibre, so when Fabio had to step up, you see the difference. Nuno has tried to find ways around it to little effect, until we brought in Jose. Even though he has not been great and has some limitations, having a more physical presence has helped us for sure.

Agreed. Traore and Neto need a focal point, but to link play not provide a target for speculative crosses. Watching City it quickly becomes apparent they don't just put crosses into the box, their wide players generally pass directly to a player or to a position where they know a teammate is likely to be. Whilst the players we have are unlikely to reach the same standard we would improve significantly if we adopted this general principle of directed passes rather than "sticking it in the mixer".

 

[YoungWolf]

Agreed. Traore and Neto need a focal point, but to link play not provide a target for speculative crosses. Watching City it quickly becomes apparent they don't just put crosses into the box, their wide players generally pass directly to a player or to a position where they know a teammate is likely to be. Whilst the players we have are unlikely to reach the same standard we would improve significantly if we adopted this general principle of directed passes rather than "sticking it in the mixer".

Traore especially has benefitted when podence has played as the ten for this reason also I think.

 

[Wolf of Ashford]

Playing without a "proper" centre forward only really works if you're a team that dominates possession and move the ball quickly in attacking areas. Man City can do it, Spain did it very well at times back when they were at their peak and we managed it at times with Costa, Cav & Jota in the Championship.

But unless you can dominate possession like that, then it just doesn't work.

 

[Parkins left foot]

If Boly was on the bench yesterday, I would hope that he is ready to be available.

Him, Coady & Saiss is probably the best we have at the moment - not sure I want to move to a 4 if Jonny isn't there, but happy to if he is (the other options are not ready to take up that defensive position yet).

We do need a focal point up front & would rather go with Fabio, despite his faults just now, rather than Jose (who really doesn't seem interested) - he does get into decent positions even if he doesn't have the capability/physicality to finish them off yet. We need him to learn & strengthen so that he can & he will get more of that by playing (though a lack of pace might stop him getting to the top level - he is the best we have just now)