Topic: ASTON VILLA - Mingy and Moaning Moobs

[DangerScouse]

Not going well for Stevie. Can't imagine there are too many still clamouring for him to take over from Jurgen when he leaves.

[Ravishing Rick Dude]

One step forward and two steps back. Strange ride for Stevie so far

[Crosby Nick]

One step forward and two steps back. Strange ride for Stevie so far

He and Villa came together cos opposites attract.

[El Lobo]

Not good at all unfortunately, it’s an expensive squad he’s got and he’s not doing great stuff with it.

[Red-Soldier]

He wont have much goodwill with the fans either.

[Red-Soldier]

He and Villa came together cos opposites attract.

Terrible, even by your standards 

[WhereAngelsPlay]

He wont have much goodwill with the fans either.

Bet they don't even throw him a party.

[Crosby Nick]

Terrible, even by your standards 

Shame on you for even getting the reference.

[Fromola]

I think he's done there. Only saw them last week but they were shocking against Ev despite the result. Looked badly coached.

Not really down to Gerrard as much but it's a poorly assembled side as well. Purslow special.

[Flaccido Dongingo]

He and Villa came together cos opposites attract.

That ain't fiction, it's a natural fact.

[Dim Glas]

I think he's done there. Only saw them last week but they were shocking against Ev despite the result. Looked badly coached.

Not really down to Gerrard as much but it's a poorly assembled side as well. Purslow special.

Oh it will very much will be down to gerrard and his staff.

That’s a squad that should be challening European spots and that is what their owners expect I would presume.

There is a good group there to work with in Countino, Ramsey, Martinez, Luiz, Cash, Watkins, Buendia, McGinn, Konsa, Ings.

They did have bad luck though losing Carlos to to a bad injury first week of the season.

[Fromola]

Oh it will very much will be down to gerrard and his staff.

That’s a squad that should be challening European spots and that is what their owners expect I would presume.

There is a good group there to work with in Countino, Ramsey, Martinez, Luiz, Cash, Watkins, Buendia, McGinn, Konsa, Ings.

They did have bad luck though losing Carlos to to a bad injury first week of the season.

It's still mostly Smith's team though. He's doing a poor job though to be honest. Blew the budget on Coutinho rather than sort them out defensively.

[Ghost Town]

Terrible, even by your standards 

That ain't no fiction...

Edit: Damn you Don Gingo

[Dim Glas]

It's still mostly Smith's team though. He's doing a poor job though to be honest. Blew the budget on Coutinho rather than sort them out defensively.

Hardly any manager will ever get the time it would take to build a whole new squad, and they’ve added some very good players in the last 2/3 years anyway, it isn’t a bunch of scrubs. So I don’t see that as being any sort of excuse not that I think Gerrard would use it!

There’s enough there for him to be building something, certainly a team who should compete for those lower Euro spots. We’ll see if the big bosses at Villa they think he can do it and give him that time this season.  For sure needs a quick turn around you’d think though.

[Ghost Town]

Hardly any manager will ever get the time it would take to build a whole new squad, and they’ve added some very good players in the last 2/3 years anyway, it isn’t a bunch of scrubs.

And Gerrard's no superman

[afc tukrish]

And Gerrard's no superman

And he can't do anything?

[G Richards]

Stevie did very well in Scotland and took a job in a much bigger pond. He started well enough at Villa last season, but then they sort of fizzled out. My expectation was that he would shape them in the summer and they would come out firing. So far it’s not working out like that.

Average for the side he has would be 10-12th. Threatening the lower Europa places would be overachieving. Getting dragged lower than say, 14th, would probably see him replaced. It’s still early days this season, but Villa need to kick on.

And at that point, what’s the sign that they will? Is there a clear pattern of play? Do the players look like they like him, and will work hard for him? On both those counts I’m not sure.

Everyone is an individual, but let’s compare to Graham Potter at Brighton. A much smaller club than Villa. But the recruitment looks spot on, and so does the coaching. The players look like they will fight with everything they have got for Potter.

For lower-mid managers, Potter looks to me like he will deserve a shot at a bigger job soon.

Stevie does not. At least yet.

[Lone Star Red]

I think he's done there. Only saw them last week but they were shocking against Ev despite the result. Looked badly coached.

Not really down to Gerrard as much but it's a poorly assembled side as well. Purslow special.

 

[Fromola]

I clearly meant that most of the players there aren't his signings.

I don't think he's up to the job though at this point.

[El Lobo]

As with our young players, managers develop at different speeds. It might need this sort of thing as a bit of a wake up call, because he did a tremendous job at Rangers but obviously that’s a big fish in a sink. It’s an odd job really, they always seem to spend a lot of money and quite often seem to buy highly rated players (Buendia, Bailey, Coutinho, Luiz etc) but constantly under achieve. And that’s not just a Stevie problem.

[BigJimFinn]

A new "big data" article on the Athletic about the recruitment age profiles of PL clubs over a 10 year sample.
Liverpool has the clearly lowest average age of incoming players at 23y4m, and only 4 players over 30.
League average is just around 25. Lower midtable clubs are typically a bit over the average at 25 and change.

Relevance to this thread? Under Gerrard, Villa's average age of signed players has increased by 3 full years,
up to 28y7m, which is 2 years higher than any PL club over the 10 years.
This is the biggest jump of any manager in the comparison. Small sample, yeah, but he has made 9 signings.
I see this as another worrying sign for Stevie's prospects of ever taking over at Liverpool.
A new manager looking to stabilize a team and guarantee safety has to look for veterans, you might say.
Under Patrick Vieira, Palace average age of incomings has dropped by more than 3 years to 22y9m.

[Fromola]

A new "big data" article on the Athletic about the recruitment age profiles of PL clubs over a 10 year sample.
Liverpool has the clearly lowest average age of incoming players at 23y4m, and only 4 players over 30.
League average is just around 25. Lower midtable clubs are typically a bit over the average at 25 and change.

Relevance to this thread? Under Gerrard, Villa's average age of signed players has increased by 3 full years,
up to 28y7m, which is 2 years higher than any PL club over the 10 years.
This is the biggest jump of any manager in the comparison. Small sample, yeah, but he has made 9 signings.
I see this as another worrying sign for Stevie's prospects of ever taking over at Liverpool.
A new manager looking to stabilize a team and guarantee safety has to look for veterans, you might say.
Under Patrick Vieira, Palace average age of incomings has dropped by more than 3 years to 22y9m.

This was referenced in a season preview I read. The conclusion was Gerrard didn't plan to stick around long so just bought experienced players.

Purslow is ultimately in charge of recruitment which will never go well. A sensible club will target more younger players.

[12C]

It’s a terrible injury.  Look at what it did for John Barnes.

It’s going to be a problem for a centre back, as I’d imagine you use your Achilles quite a bit for explosive jumping…

Hate to see serious injuries to players to be honest

Mark Lawrenson was the first Achilles injury I really remember hearing about. I recall the shock when he announced his retirement saying he no longer felt he had his pace, and so wasn’t able to compete..

[The North Bank]

Mark Lawrenson was the first Achilles injury I really remember hearing about. I recall the shock when he announced his retirement saying he no longer felt he had his pace, and so wasn’t able to compete..

Surely modern medicine means players can get over these injuries now

[Fromola]

The Carlos injury a big blow for Gerrard because he was relying on him to shore up the defence and stripped Mings of the captaincy because he wanted to ultimately phase him out the team (because he's shite).  Now he has to rely on Mings to start but he's took the captaincy off him.

A big problem for Gerrard is he seems to have lost the fans there, who he's never really built a rapport with. Compare with Lampard who has the Evertonians eating out of his top hat.

[Vinay]

The team selection yesterday was bizzare. I was there at Selhurst Park and could not tell, in all honesty, whether Palace were better, or Villa were worse. Maybe Palace were better and more solid, woth theever impressive Eze.
There are certainly good players in the team, but I did not understand why Ings did not start. And can both Buendia and Coutinho start together? Watkins is clearly a championship level player, in my opinion, despite his goal yesterday. Cash and Ramsey are good.

[12C]

Surely modern medicine means players can get over these injuries now

Like all injuries they take their toll. Some more than others. Barnes was unbelievable prior to his injury. Was never quite the same again. Lawro obviously felt he wasn’t able to compete at the highest level. Knee injuries used to the main cause of career ending injuries, thankfully modern medical science means players can now expect to come back. But, look at Ox, he looked like realising the potential you saw in him and then he messed his knee up. Never the same player despite medical assurances he was fit. Maybe it’s a mental issue nagging away at the player, worrying if it will recur?

[Red-Soldier]

Shame on you for even getting the reference.

I've still got that Paula Abdul CD somewhere 

[Red-Soldier]

Surely modern medicine means players can get over these injuries now

It ruined Benteke too.

[Caligula?]

I don't think he'll last past this season. If he even lasts the season.

[Fromola]

The team selection yesterday was bizzare. I was there at Selhurst Park and could not tell, in all honesty, whether Palace were better, or Villa were worse. Maybe Palace were better and more solid, woth theever impressive Eze.
There are certainly good players in the team, but I did not understand why Ings did not start. And can both Buendia and Coutinho start together? Watkins is clearly a championship level player, in my opinion, despite his goal yesterday. Cash and Ramsey are good.

Coutinho and Buendia can't really play in the same side, Ings and Watkins the same. A lot of older signings for big money (Ings/Coutinho/Digne). It's a really poorly assembled squad for what they've spent. Similar to Everton, really.

[GBF]

Another defeat and Stevie G is going to start counting his days at Villa. 

[Drinks Sangria]

I think it’s already unravelled to the point of no return. I’d be surprised if Stevie is still there by the World Cup.

It was always a strange move and while he might get turn it around, the early signs aren’t promising. Coutinho was always an unnecessary buy. You can say he raises the level of that squad but he’s a shadow of his best self and not likely to ever return to that level consistently. Too often he’s peripheral in games. Contrast that with Buendia, who is a consistent sub under Gerrard but typically Villa’s best attacker and most productive player whenever he is on the pitch. Couple that with a slavish insistence that Watkins always starts and pure bad luck with the injury record of some decent-sounding signings such as Bailey and Carlos and it doesn’t look great for Stevie.

I think what stands out to me is that they don’t look coached or like there’s any adaptability beyond the established game plan. Back to the drawing board I think because a lot needs to change. Love Stevie but this was always a strange union that I never felt suited him to begin with.

[Ravishing Rick Dude]

If he gets them relegated I'd say he has done a fantastic job

[Red-Soldier]

If he gets them relegated I'd say he has done a fantastic job

 

[Fromola]

I think it’s already unravelled to the point of no return. I’d be surprised if Stevie is still there by the World Cup.

It was always a strange move and while he might get turn it around, the early signs aren’t promising. Coutinho was always an unnecessary buy. You can say he raises the level of that squad but he’s a shadow of his best self and not likely to ever return to that level consistently. Too often he’s peripheral in games. Contrast that with Buendia, who is a consistent sub under Gerrard but typically Villa’s best attacker and most productive player whenever he is on the pitch. Couple that with a slavish insistence that Watkins always starts and pure bad luck with the injury record of some decent-sounding signings such as Bailey and Carlos and it doesn’t look great for Stevie.

I think what stands out to me is that they don’t look coached or like there’s any adaptability beyond the established game plan. Back to the drawing board I think because a lot needs to change. Love Stevie but this was always a strange union that I never felt suited him to begin with.

It was well known that Mick Beale did the tactical work at Rangers and Villa and he fucked off to QPR in the summer, the writing was on the wall then because they were a management team. Without him they've looked a mess tactically from what i've seen of them this season.  I don't think Gerrard or Lampard have much tactical acumen themselves.

The Coutinho signing will likely be his undoing. A total luxury buy for a luxury player that's passed his best. All well and good signing him on loan as a bit of a vanity purchase but not on a long term deal when you've already got Buendia. Needed to sort the defence and attack out and the main defender who came in is now crocked.

[newterp]

It was well known that Mick Beale did the tactical work at Rangers and Villa and he fucked off to QPR in the summer, the writing was on the wall then because they were a management team. Without him they've looked a mess tactically from what i've seen of them this season.  I don't think Gerrard or Lampard have much tactical acumen themselves.

The Coutinho signing will likely be his undoing. A total luxury buy for a luxury player that's passed his best. All well and good signing him on loan as a bit of a vanity purchase but not on a long term deal when you've already got Buendia. Needed to sort the defence and attack out and the main defender who came in is now crocked.

The sheer number of people that wanted us to bring him back was pretty funny too.

[bird_lfc]

West Ham at home next game, followed by Arsenal away and City at home

1 point or less from them 3 fixtures and he’s first gone in my opinion, considering their form from end of last season

Southampton, Leeds and forest after that so would be timely for a new manager bounce

[OOS]

Coutinho and Buendia can't really play in the same side, Ings and Watkins the same. A lot of older signings for big money (Ings/Coutinho/Digne). It's a really poorly assembled squad for what they've spent. Similar to Everton, really.

I actually think Matt Targett is an alright left back, better than Digne. Didn't really understand that transfer.

Coutinho is stinking the gaff out, Buendia definitely been the better player this calender year.

Jacob Ramsey looks a player, I'd have him here. He will join a top four club within two years.

[Ghost Town]

Purslow is ultimately in charge of recruitment which will never go well. A sensible club will target more younger players.

A sensible club would get rid of cock piss Purslow