I’m really not in the mood for writing about this game, because I’m disgusted and a bit worried that I might go over the top.
But I feel I want to put it down for posterity more than anything.
First off, I just want to congratulate Stevenage. They worked hard and quite simply deserved it.
Which is what I find so galling.
How can we play with such a seeming lack of effort and pace?
It’s not like it’s the first time I’ve thought it either. I’ve been saying it for quite a while.
We lack pace, movement and just general fight. It’s this lack of desire that led to me saying we need probably eight players clearing out, the other week and it’s something I stand by.
Emery will rightly be fuming at that rubbish and as I’ve hinted previously, I think he’s been playing some players to prove themselves either way.
And some will surely have signed their own death warrants when it comes to Aston Villa.
Coutinho was hopeless overall, but I said during the game that he was at least actually moving around. Everyone else was stood showing no desire whatsoever and even Dion Dublin mentioned it.
But he had nothing on Leon Bailey, who was abysmal. He will surely be gone at the first opportunity.
Dendonker? What was he thinking when he grabbed the Stevenage player’s shirt? This is supposed to be an experienced backup player. He’s just another who is quite simply a journeyman and not good enough if we want to progress as a club.
Olsen? I was willing to give him every chance and even said I’d be okay with him starting, but I regret that now. Another who isn’t even good enough for backup.
I could live with this result if we were in some way unlucky.
But we weren’t. We were the architects of our own downfall and I think it’s a mental thing, where we think we’re a lot better than we are, making us think we don’t need to try to hard.
I said in the previous post that if we lost, we’d deserve it.
Sadly, I was proven correct.
The clearout, although I know it won’t happen quickly, can’t come soon enough for me.
Good riddance to those deemed not good enough and here’s hoping we get some players in that are actually willing to work for a result.
Hitch
The question is will Emery’s approach be evolution or revolution?
Press reports (limited accuracy) expect 3 signings. All would have to go straight into 1st 11. When summer transfers occur, which I would guess could be 4/5 new 1st team players, then our team will be greatly different by August. The only players I would expect to escape the ensuing cull would be:
Martinez
Carlos
Kamara
Ramsey
Thereafter we have a number of players, who for once have a sell on value, allowing funds to buy better replacements, with expected NSWE cash injection based on promises to attract Emery in the first place.
Sid it’s good question and will, I guess, depend on the available budget. As you say this can be enhanced from sales income assuming the owners will allow all of it to be reinvested (in addition to any additional monies allocated).
I honestly think it will be evolution rather than wholesale revolution and I think we have more than four players that are good enough to contribute within a good quality EPL squad.
All about opinions – glad I’m not Emery.
This Moreno deal, why am I not excited?
Same here RSS. I feel a bit underwhelmed with the signing but I’ve not seen him play so I dont know why. Maybe because in this current climate £13m doesn’t usually indicate a top signing but maybe that’s because he’s 29 and likely to have only 2 to 3 good years left. Apparently he only just missed out on going to Qatar with Spain though so must be held in some regard over there I guess. I trust Emery to get the business right too so fingers crossed!
Underwhelming is about right Adam.
Not expecting us to sign Mbappé any time soon but a journey man 29 year old left back hardly sets pulses racing.
Gerard Deulofeu link is interesting but then again we could potentially be lumbered with another Coutinho
)-:
Moreno doesn’t make me want to put any bets on us winning anything although surely he is an upgrade on the other two LB’s. At nearly 30 years old though he isn’t going to be long term especially as wing backs probably need to be the fittest ones in the team.
As for Deulofeu, HELL NO. Another former Evertonian who has played for too many clubs for my liking and is nearly 29!
It is a results business for players and managers. The same has to apply to Directors of Football. The role itself is a slap in the face to a decent manager, because having a DoF implies the manager isn’t to be trusted to buy and sell players.
Johan Lange is the latest addition to my bomb squad. He has had long enough to grasp what is required, and he seems fixated on a player’s statistics while ignoring the mental aspect. Does a recruit have a winning mentality? Answer no if he has ever played for a relegated team. The idea of buying young players who can be improved and sold on is fanciful. The brutal truth is less than 10% of raw youngsters with potential actually make the grade in the EPL. If they are coming through the Academy this is not costing Villa much money, but if we are buying them the policy is unlikely to give a positive return – given the cash spent on 90% flops. Lange isn’t coming up with many proven winners. Now Emery is in place we can save Lange’s salary.
Now £11.9m for Real Mallorca’s Lee Kang-in?
All a bit moneyballish?
I’ll believe it when it happens.
Fwiw OLL, I would think it’s Emery not Lange pushing for the Moreno deal – after all one would be entitled to assume Emery knows La Ligue pretty well.
You’re right Hitch, this k.d. lang thing is probably just click bait.
*OLL, apologies, I should have added – ‘which rather reinforces your point’
Adam…” Maybe because in this current climate £13m doesn’t usually indicate a top signing but maybe that’s because he’s 29 and likely to have only 2 to 3 good years left. “….
yes doesnt sound exciting and maybe hes not any better than what we have BUT I think Emery may be looking for players that show some energy……we were beaten by a League 2 club full of energetic players which shows what that can do…..the next match will be against more energetic players as well….help !!
Exactly right Villaaway. That’s why I trust Emery to bring in the right sort of players he needs, to play how he wants them to. It might not sound like a sensational signing but if it works then brilliant. Agree Energy and work rate is key and Leeds will be full of it. If they press us high we will make mistakes. We need to be at it from the off.
TalkSport are reporting that Villa are interested in Guendouzi from Marseille.
It is TalkSport but Emery took Guendouzi to Arsenal but he fell out with Arteta – their seems to have been disciplinary issues. Last two years he’s been playing for Marseilles and, according to reports, is a key part of their midfield. Emery reported as pushing for this one with a fee of around €26m being suggested
Bit of a funny one but it might have legs?
Just to add this is being reported in a number of different outlets and, it would seem, Guendouzi rates Emery as a coach.
Attacking midfielder so would strengthen that area and allow Villa to move on others.
Villa have reportedly made a formal approach to Marseille.
I thought Guendouzi was a hot-headed liability when with Arsenal. I hope he has matured with Marseille. He can (or could) do something we need and that is shoot hard and accurately from outside the box.
Again, Guendouzi not sensational (for me anyway) but Emery seems to be targeting players like he had at Villareal. Not worldies by any means but players that he feels will work as a team unit and execute the style of play and tactics he wants long term. It should be an exciting January and as long as we do enough to at least get a respectable position in the league, the hard work can carry on over the summer where I would expect wholesale changes.
I think we need a striker and winger as a priority. Unfortunately those type of players are difficult to get hold of in January.
And Sanson closing in on a loan move to Montpellier.
I think he did OK Sunday but he’s not the player Purslow ctrumpeted when he arrived.
I hope Purslow has been firmly told to stay out of transfers after all his failed vanity signings – including Gerrard and Coutinho in that,
‘Crumpeted’? I like the idea of that! Nice typo!
On not getting excited by these signings, was anyone excited when we got a cut price borderline alcoholic with 2 dodgy knees from ManU? Let’s wait and see.
I know the ‘In Emery we trust’ nonsense gets bandied about all the time, but we know the guy is top drawer. It’s gonna be great but will take a little time to assemble a squad with the right mentality. Dunno about you kids, but I’m looking forward to the Leeds game on Friday!!!!!!
Sky now picked up on the Guendouzi story but it seems some difference between the sides in value
We could throw in a trip ’round the Bull Ring for 6. That should do it!
Poland have approached former Rangers and Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard about becoming their new manager.
That’s a massive mistake, I feel.
In other news, Alex Moreno has been confirmed;
https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2023/january/11/villa-confirm–lex-moreno-signing/
I can’t say that inspires me much, mostly because of his age.
It seems to me a signing just for the sake of it.
I don’t rate Digne at all, but don’t think LB is a priority.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s up there, but it wouldn’t be my first concern.
As has been said though, it’s the wrong time of year for getting a decent attacking mid and striker.
I think I’d put another another centre mid above LB, tbh.
Badger, I think this says more about what Emery thinks about Dinge and whether he can play in the way Emery wants.
He will know Moreno from La Ligue and I can only assume he’s a player that Emery thinks will improve the squad. The price isn’t that high so not a great risk.
Assume Augustinnson’s loan will be cut short and he’ll return to Valencia – which may have been the case anyway given his injury.
After hearing Man City debacle lastnight I’m now bloody convinced it’s, I don’t want to play in cup matches, footballers get good money and get paid whether they play or don’t play ,it’s time to look at wages in a way that its pays to play that extra match. Cap wages in clubs because players are running the game now and not the managers or owners. I feel for fans that its life or death to them and spend money to see what we seen, and now other top clubs that have millionaires playing the game and money is nothing to them .
I’m slowly falling out of love of the game .
Bill, the Cups mean much more to lower league sides and, often, to EPL sides struggling in the League than those teams in Europe.
In some ways it’s unsurprising to see Southampton and Forest doing well in the Cup (note that four of the last eight are struggling in the EPL). Pressure’s off and each game is a ‘free hit’ and we’ve seen it in the past – teams winning Cups and being relegated in the same season.
It is about attitude – City expected to win just by turning up as Villa did against Wolves and Stevenage. Newcastle, Villa and now City have discovered that playing a ‘shadow’ side doesn’t work even with ‘big hitters’ on the bench it’s very difficult to significantly change the mind set on the pitch.
What I really don’t like is the disrespect of the Cups (and the opposition) shown by managers that change seven or eight players from their normal starting line up. Emery was wrong to make eight changes and we got what we deserved. Two or three – OK – to give other squad players game time; get the game won and then bring on other players later on the game.
I hope Emery has learnt a hard lesson – the FA Cup is not like the Copa de Rey – so if he wants to make good on his promise to win silverware he will need to field much stronger teams next season.
“I’m slowly falling out of love of the game”
I know that feeling Bill but lets face it the carabao / FA Cup’s don’t come with the rewards, endorsements or advertising opportunities of the so called ‘Champions League’ a very odd name considering very few of them are indeed champions?
So the the worth of these competitions that mean so much to us fans is slowly being eroded, after all our desires and dreams of glory and day out at Wembley obviously come a distant second today’s prima donnas potential revenue streams?
Polish manager? I cannot understand that, unless you mean back in the Boot-room with the Kiwi?
According to reports, our initial bid for Guendouzi has been rejected by Marseille.
There was an interesting comment made in that report; Sanson and Kamara moved to Villa from Marseille – the latter on a free transfer which did not sit well with the club. There is a suggestion that Marseille will ramp up Guendouzi’s price to try and compensate for the lack of fee for Kamara.
I do like the idea of reuniting Guendouzi with Kamara in mid field.
Good point holte
I thought we supposed to be in for Felix did we dodge a bullet there?
It looks like emery is going to use all of the squad with possibly making up to 5 subs during matches something Gerrard didn’t seem to know how to use subs.
Looks like kamara will be defensive mid with Louis and guendouzi alternating as the attacking players
What does everyone think of emery plans? Looks like he wants to make us hard to beat first then go out for wins?
Interesting report in Football Insider – yes, I know they aren’t the most reliable – but they’re saying Villa will listen to offers for Digne!
Probably them just adding 2+2 and getting 5 following Moreno’s transfer but I bet Moreno will start ahead of Digne as neither Emery nor the fans have been that impressed with him.
Interesting.
Does that mean douzi is to replace Louis or kamara?
Not sure about loosing either but maybe mcginn is going?
I don’t think he would replace either Roy. With Sanson and Nakamba likely to leave, it would be necessary to get reinforcements in. With a midfield consisting of Kamara, Luiz, McGinn, Ramsey, Dendonker and possibly Guendouzi, it would be a decent selection headache for Emery. Having said that, McGinn is injured so it would only take another injury to be down to bare bones. We need to have quality on the bench as well as the first eleven.
Roy, we have a very small game sample to work with so far but wins against United (at home after 27 years!), Brighton and Spurs and a rescue act against Wolves by using his subs well and decent performances in the Carabou Cup and Liverpool is encouraging.
But – the first half against Wolves and the shambles against Stevenage showed up all the old Villa problems. So one of his main jobs is to coach that out of the players and instil a winning mentality.
Leeds tonight is not going to be easy – they’re a decent side that don’t lose too many but draw a lot of games.
One major problem he has is the right side pairing of Cash and Bailey which isn’t working and was easily exploited by Stevenage for the offside ‘goal’ and their winner. Emery has very limited options here.
It seems Cash will be out so expect Young to start and Bailey – who really should be benched after his last two horror shows – will also start. I also think he’ll start with Ramsey on the left with McGinn also out and Watkins rather than Ings.
Against Stevenage Ings only had 16 touches in a game where we 80% of the ball in the first hour and did absolutely nothing with it – he didn’t even manage a shot in the game! Luiz had something like 139 touches in that game which is ludicrous and shows just how ineffective we were.
Draw tonight I think.
This is an interesting read and backs up OLL’s points about Lange.
Reading between the lines, it also seems our owners have instructed Purslow to stay out of the playing side / transfers.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11629331/Aston-Villa-Unai-Emery-total-control-hes-planning-big-changes.html
It is Friday 13th, it’s Leeds who score for fun at VP and it was to be my first visit to VP for the season (I rely on one of my 3 friends in the swanky seats to offer his seat). What could possibly go wrong?
Michael Oliver. I will save myself a 250 mile round trip – I suppose he may have reffed a Villa victory but I haven’t seen one.
That’s encouraging then OLL 🙂