Aston Villa (H) 10/11 Build-Up & Match Thread

[Deutsch Wolf]

--------------------------Patricio----------------------

-------Dendoncker------Coady-------Saiss--------

Doherty------Moutinho-------Neves---------Jonny

------------Traore------Jimenez-----Jota--------------

Grealish was supposed to be back training for them yesterday, may or may not be available.

2019/20: L 1-2 (A, LC)
2017/18: W 2-0 (H), L 1-4 (A)
2016/17: W 1-0 (H), D 1-1 (A)
2011/12: L 2-3 (H), D 0-0 (A)
2010/11: L 1-2 (H), W 1-0 (A)
2009/10: D 1-1 (H), D 2-2 (A)
2003/4: L 0-4 (H), L 2-3 (A)
1995/6: L 0-1 (A, LC)

 

[Deano]

Think that team above picks itself.

Nervous about this game with the amount of Villa fans I know, they look a decent side from what I have seen of them, but we are also showing signs of getting back to performance levels of last season. Think this will be a close one, first goal important as ever.

 

[Deleted Cyber]

local derbies are often a draw. Villa are a tidy side. I would be happy with a win but I wont be surprised if its a draw. I dont think they come to park the bus though and that may be a positive. If we start as brightly against villa as we did against arsenal and Bratislava then we will cause them serious problems. High tempo high pressure.

We are so due a really good win at home.

 

[YoungWolf]

I wouldn't be surprised if Nuno played 3-5-2 with Bennett back in and one of Traore/Doc at right back, but I definitely want the team Dan has put. Neves just looks like he is coming into form.

Grealish would be a big miss for them. Hoping we can stop McGinn from causing us issues as he is a pest without the ball and looked half decent for them attacking wise. If we can dominate the ball from the start I think that will help us.

 

[Norman Deeley]

Almost certain that Nuno will start 3-5-2 and I'd expect to see Adama on the bench. Really hope that Grealish is out as most people looking at the game objectively would see Grealish/McGinn as a better midfield pairing than Neves/Moutinho at the moment

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Grealish hasn't been playing in midfield (I definitely wouldn't agree with that either)

 

[Kenny]

Almost certain that Nuno will start 3-5-2 a

Just like he was going to at Arsenal and go ultra defensive at Man City?

Don't take this as a dig at you Normski but there seems to be a lot of fans who want to be overly negative and expect the worse at the moment. Not quite sure why.

 

[Deano]

It would make no sense to go 3-5-2, it's not worked well this season and our best performances have been while playing 3-4-3. Plus we need the Traore Raul Jota front 3 on the pitch.

 

[PuntsWolf]

If Nuno plays 3-5-2 then he’s a idiot. Tons of evidence to suggest how ineffective it is. To play it in a home game against a team in 16th would make me feel like he’s lost the plot.

3-4-3. Neil taylor is awful, probably worst full back in the league. He was awful in the championship too. Get Adama and Doc tearing him a new one. If Grealish (or El Ghazi actually) plays can’t see him doing the dirty work to any great effect back there either so should be an area to exploit.

 

[YoungWolf]

Really hope that Grealish is out as most people looking at the game objectively would see Grealish/McGinn as a better midfield pairing than Neves/Moutinho at the moment

:icon_lol:

 

[Kenny]

If Nuno plays 3-5-2 then he’s a idiot. Tons of evidence to suggest how ineffective it is.

Yet last season it was a formation that turned our season on its head.

At the moment 3-4-3 is the way we need to play but if we went to 3-5-2 it wouldn't mean Nuno has lost the plot or anything like that. Its a formation he built last season and we had lethal pairing up top, so it wouldn't be a crazy notion to try and get that back. I am more than happy to see a reverse of last season and Nuno's prefered formation is what puts us in the top half of the Prem.

 

[machin05]

Is it just down to the opposition devising ways to play against our 3-5-2? Same as they did against the 3-4-3 last season? Rinse and repeat...

 

[PuntsWolf]

Yet last season it was a formation that turned our season on its head.

At the moment 3-4-3 is the way we need to play but if we went to 3-5-2 it wouldn't mean Nuno has lost the plot or anything like that. Its a formation he built last season and we had lethal pairing up top, so it wouldn't be a crazy notion to try and get that back. I am more than happy to see a reverse of last season and Nuno's prefered formation is what puts us in the top half of the Prem.

I was saying it in jest. Last season it was fine but this season it has been awful. We haven’t been playing it the same either and people haven’t been playing against it the same.

If we play 3-5-2 against Villa I expect the same scenario as all the other times we’ve played it. Particularly against a team who are more than happy to go direct - exposed against the counter, long hoofs up to Doc and Donk, zero penetration or possession relyin exclusively on the counter.

 

[Kenny]

Is it just down to the opposition devising ways to play against our 3-5-2? Same as they did against the 3-4-3 last season? Rinse and repeat...

Would say a mix of that and a few players being out of form. Changed a few things tactically when we started to concede daft/shit goals so naturally we went to try and stop that and parked Neves about 1 foot in front of Coady and that strange couple of games where we went long a lot. Guess the 3-4-3 is working better as we have Traore being a geniune threat and he takes out 3 or 4 players out of a game at the moment and it has created space for Neves and co

 

[Tony Towner]

If Nuno plays 3-5-2 then he’s a idiot. Tons of evidence to suggest how ineffective it is. To play it in a home game against a team in 16th would make me feel like he’s lost the plot.

3-4-3. Neil taylor is awful, probably worst full back in the league. He was awful in the championship too. Get Adama and Doc tearing him a new one. If Grealish (or El Ghazi actually) plays can’t see him doing the dirty work to any great effect back there either so should be an area to exploit.

Targett is their left back

 

[PuntsWolf]

Targett is their left back

Meh. He still can’t stop Traore and the rest of my thoughts on the RHS still apply. He’s a threat gong forward so pin him back rather than giving him the freedom of Molineux like 3-5-2 does.

 

[White Wolf]

Definitely Dan's team for me. I want to see us with a front three going at Villa, really hope we don't go for the 3-5-2 on Sunday as if we do then I don't think we will break them down all that effectively.

 

[Tony Towner]

Almost certain that Nuno will start 3-5-2 and I'd expect to see Adama on the bench. Really hope that Grealish is out as most people looking at the game objectively would see Grealish/McGinn as a better midfield pairing than Neves/Moutinho at the moment

Villa have been playing with a midfield 3. McGinn, Nakamba and Hourihane / Soares. Grealish is playing in a freeish role from the left. So not only do I disagree with the premise, it's also not accurate

 

[lemonjelly]

Would say a mix of that and a few players being out of form. Changed a few things tactically when we started to concede daft/shit goals so naturally we went to try and stop that and parked Neves about 1 foot in front of Neves and that strange couple of games where we went long a lot. Guess the 3-4-3 is working better as we have Traore being a geniune threat and he takes out 3 or 4 players out of a game at the moment and it has created space for Neves and co

That's some tactic to have one single player in 2 different places on the pitch! :icon_wink:

I'm massively looking forward to this game/getting the piss taken out of me in the RL (delete as appropriate).

 

[Kenny]

That's some tactic to have one single player in 2 different places on the pitch! :icon_wink:

I'm massively looking forward to this game/getting the piss taken out of me in the RL (delete as appropriate).

In my defence I posted that a few mins after my Dog jumped up me and managed to push me back and smack my head of the furniture, so I am blaming concussion for this instance of me posting like housecoat.