So we stand on the threshold of a new Premier League season having lost our talisman and captain but £100m richer. We’ve also lost JT and the gravitas that he brings to the club but we always knew he would move on at some point. Austin MacPhee has joined as set-piece coach and may be JT’s ‘replacement’.
As usual I’m full of optimism that this will be the season where we break into the top six and Europe but also with nagging doubts given the performance statistics over the last four seasons when Grealish was absent from the team.
NSWE have once again put their hands deep into their pockets and backed Smith to the tune of around £100m (it’s been reported that we paid a £5m loan fee for Tuanzebe) with possibly more signings to come. Buendia and Ings were a master class in transfer dealings and both will improve Villa’s attacking options. Add to that the signing of Bailey, although a bit of an unknown in Premier League terms, and the shrewd addition of Young and there’s no doubt the squad has been strengthened despite the outgoing(s)!
Although I didn’t see the friendly against Salernitana reports suggest that we played a less intricate more direct style of football adopting a 4-2-2-2 style of play with Nakamba and McGinn the two defensive midfielders and Ings and Watkins up top.
Contrary to most expectations it seems Ings ‘drifted’ and Watkins continued to play a more central attacking role on the defender’s shoulders.
The other interesting observation from Sunday’s game is the impact that MacPhee is already making in terms of more variety at set pieces and throw-ins.
Injuries though are already a major concern.
Watkins (thigh), Buendia (hip), Sanson (knee), Guilbert (unknown) are all likely to miss the Watford game. Bailey is completing his quarantine and Luiz is likely to be absent for two to three weeks following his goal medal at the Olympics. Trezeguet is a long term absentee and Davis is out injured – again.
It’s likely we will be fielding a ‘weakened’ side with possibly both Ramsey and Philogene-Bodace starting. It seems to me that we can ill afford to offload El Ghazi or Hourihane at present with the number of senior players unavailable.
Watford, as you might expect, have bought in a lot of new players including Danny Rose and Joshua King who bring experience to the side. They have a class winger in Sarr and our old nemesis Troy Deeney up front who delights in scoring against us – far too often.
Under Xisco Munoz they are likely to employ a very open attacking style of play and will surprise a few sides, particularly at home, but it remains to be seen whether a philosophy of scoring one more goal than the opposition will work. Our own experiences in the EPL suggests not.
Villa have only played Watford 18 times and results between the teams are pretty even. We’ve only managed to win once away from home (L5 D3) conceding an average of 2.11 goals per game. We last played them in our awful relegation season of 2015/2016 losing both games.
if we have aspirations of a top six finish then these are the games we need to win; but playing a promoted side on their own ground on the opening day of the season is notoriously difficult to call. With the return of crowds and the likelihood we’ll be missing some key players then this is a tough opening fixture.
A draw for me.
Ramsey not the answer! I k ow that much!!! Oh god the frustration already
Weren’t we supposed to buy Ismaila Sarr? (slaps forehead)
Ramsey on for targett?
Wtf?
He must have pictures of Smith or something.
I don’t understand the lovefest there at all, as while i know a lot of people rave about him, he’s offered very little, in my mind.
lol
I’m guessing Young will go left back, Badger
Midfield 3 of El Ghazi, Young and Buendia, Hitch? No McGinn?? So three wingers against a notoriously tough nut to crack at home. Smith got this one badly wrong. Is Nakamba injured. Should’ve purchased Sarr before his price doubled today.
McGinn and Naka are the holders, BFR.
And both have been crap 🙁
Ah OK, fair enough. We’ve said a lot about McGinn in the last third of last season. The guys is not a holder; he’s a threat in the final third with shots and assists. But Smith perseveres in wasting a great player. Which brick wall to bang one’s head on…
And then he scores. I rest my case.
i agree mate. Wasted as a holder.
This is painful to watch.
Villa half asleep and massively lacking the desire Watford have got.
El Ghazi off for Bailey?
I honestly didn’t know he was playing.
Same as Ramsey, up to now.
59% possession, 4 shots and not a single one on target. So we’re clearly creating absolute zilch.
Warlord 10 shots and 5 on target.
Sounds like we’re repeating old bad habits of assuming this is an easy game to win.
Arsenal lost, yes, but they were missing several first team players!
love Warlord, Hitch. Are we playing the Taliban? 🙂
🙂 – not far off the truth though although more like playing the kindergarten
Bailey coming on El Garzi off .
Two home games after this are going to be huge. It could be an excellent start to the season or a horrific one. Smith and his team need to get the right balance in the team and the fitness levels should improve by next week.
Why hasn’t Bert featured today btw???
Furious
It was inevitable, Tom. Grealish leaving will take some digesting. Terry and O’Kelly leaving would have had an impact. It’s been a shit pres-season for so many reasons. They need to give their heads a shake, get match fit, and get on with it. Move on.
Sod it missed the goal by Mcginn . 3-1
Traori on ..
Rightly so Tom.
3-1 now and McGinn scores a nice goal.
But it was our first shot on target and that isn’t good enough.
It’s been frankly embarassing and other club’s fans will be pissing themselves at this scoreline.
Villa fans have a lot of practice at being embarrassed 🙂
Just to confirm, is the first goalscorer Emmanuel Bonaventure? Sounds like a dodgy movie!
lol.
Otherwise, even Watford’s gameplay is a league above ours.
Pen to us, but it doesn’t matter.
Ings nets convincingly, but I don’t think Watford will be worried.
3-2.
And now wer’re actually having a go.
Colour me bloody annoyed at that load of crap!
Least we’re not bottom LOL
On BBC site, Bailey has top score at a massive 4.96!
Well that was terrible to watch. We missed Watkins big time up top, ings will get goals but Ollie will stretch teams. Every team we play against seems to know how they want to play and create chances most attacks yet with Villa it just feels like they don’t know what they’re doing, we play the ball in to dead ends all the time and really don’t create much at all. Shame, hopefully this gives the lads a massive kick up the are and there’s still time to bring more players in.
A shocking first half gave us an uphill task. Their 3rd goal finished us off. They looked up for it and sadly we were off the pace and chasing shadows. Bailey and Traore gave us a lift but it was too late for a complete comeback. In the premier league you can sometimes afford one or two players to be below par but unfortunately today nearly all of them were poor.
All the best teams have a slow start – how’s that for being positive.
Wish we were playing Arsenal next 🙂
Nobody identified the reason yet!! , Targett the main reason , he was vile , he couldn’t handle Sarr on the left. Two of them goals was down to him with no pace, being caught out with balls over the top, my money was on him being the main factor. Ok hard lines on the rebound but Targgett had a bad, bad day in the office. Young shored up that problem when Targgett was replaced.
Agreed Bill. It was Targett who cost us the game. Young definitely did better against Sarr. Cash wasn’t too convincing either. Nakamba had a poor game after I had been praising him pre season. McGinn as a DM is a waste as BFR mentioned. When he was pushed forward he looks a different animal. Smith needs to gel a team quickly. Getting Watkins back will be a boost. And we definitely need to play Traore instead of El Ghazi who was terrible today.
Two comments in defence of Smith.
Traore isn’t fully fit having had a groin operation in the summer and, just now, there are limited options at defensive mid field with Sanson injured and Luiz absent.
Hitch, Traore did more in 10 minutes than El Ghazi! This is why El Ghazi can’t be a first team starter. He might be okay as an impact substitute but he lacks consistency. Traore now he has got over his injury could surprise a few this season.
Targett was hung out to dry, as he is nowhere near fit.
I blame Smith and the player himself for that, as the latter should have put his hands up.
Traore and AEG are not good enough, simple.
And how on earth is a 36 yo getting a game, unless it’s an emergency situation?
What we are massively missing is a Roy Keane type.
I remember saying Ellis should have outbid Man U when they paid a measly few mill for him.
We should bust our balls and go and get one, whatever it costs.
We have the attack and the defence, but no-one to provide that back to front engine.
I really thought McGinn was the answer to that, but Smith plays him as a holder.
After that crap today, Smith has until Christmas and if we don’t look markedly better, he’ll be gone, imo.
Nothing to do with the owners either, as many seem to think; it’ll be down to Purslow.