Well, it’s now bindingly obvious as to what Emery wants.
The intention is to play, play, play short range passing at fast pace, even when we’re under pressure at the back.
I don’t like it normally, especially when it involves Konsa and Mings, but I felt it actually worked today and the players are starting to be able to do it.
Don’t get me wrong. It scares the proverbial out of me, but there were times around the hour mark, where I thought our rapid one touch football was outstanding.
Given that we’ve seen signs of it being tried over the last year or so, I’m wondering what we’re doing different now that makes us look at least a bit better than totally useless at it.
It was interesting to read comments not just here, but also elsewhere about how poor we were for the first half. While our early goal aside (which massively helped us) we were conceding all the decent play to Leeds, I was loving it just for the much improved pace in our game.
We knew Leeds would play fast and we at least stepped it up to match it, in my opinion.
While I didn’t think it was particularly good, I was happy.
Play poorly and slow and you’re bound to lose, I thought.
I have to give a mention first to Gnonto. I thought he was outstanding for them and a serious threat every time he got the ball.
But sod him. Ash Young did a superb job of stifling and even winding him up. Matty Cash would have had his proverbial well and truly kicked today.
Moreno looked as bad as you’d expect given his lack of Premier league experience when he came on for Digne, who has a dislocated shoulder by the looks of it, but he soon got into it and made a very good debut.
Kamara looks excellent and his eye for a pass is superb.
I know it was not an ideal performance overall, but I thought Mings and Konsa didn’t look too out of place either. Yes, there are the usual faux pas and Mings slipping looked like it could be costly, but ultimately it came to nothing.
I’m still not convinced by Bailey, but can’t deny when it’s on his left foot he can be good.
No doubt I’ve forgotten someone, but it’s academic.
I’ve a feeling many will say we were abysmal tonight. And they’ll probably be right.
But I massively enjoyed that game, as it represented more about what the game is supposed to be, in playing with intent.
Which is quite strange, given that I spent much of the game complaining about how we were passing it back too much.
I said in the preview that I could maybe have taken a defeat as long as I felt entertained.
I suppose the moral of all this is that if we play fast, keep passing back, yet still win, I can live with it and be happy.
But if we do all the above and lose, I’ll hate it.
I suspect we might have to get used to this type of performance as my understanding is that it’s this type of play that got Emery results.
Frederic Guilbert joins Strasbourg on free transfer
Aston Villa’s forgotten man Frederic Guilbert has joined Strasbourg on a free transfer.
The full-back had fallen out of favour at Villa Park and has today left the club six months before his contract was due to expire.
In a statement issued to Villa supporters, Guilbert said: “After more than three years spent here, it is with many shared feelings that I leave Aston Villa by mutual agreement.
“I would like to address you, supporters, to thank you for all the moments we have been able to share. Thank you for the support, thank you for your many messages, thank you for welcoming my family beautifully.
“Finally, I would also like to thank the people who have accompanied me during the last six months, especially all the young U23s as well as all the staff members. I wish the Aston Villa Football Club and all the teams a nice continuation for the future.”
Guilbert spent the second half of last season on loan at the Ligue 1 club who, this season, are fighting relegation.
I wish him well Bill.
Changes on the Duran transfer.
It seems the South American U20 competition does not fall under the control of FIFA and therefore clubs can recall their players – which Chicago Fire have done so Duran is now travelling to England for a medical and to complete all the legal paperwork for his Visa etc,
There is no obligation on Villa to release him for the U20 competition so he may well stay at BMH.
On balance I hope they don’t release him but start to work with him here; we don’t need him in SA risking injury on a low value tournament.
I simply don’t understand the Guilbert saga. The few games he was given, early on, he seemed to do nothing wrong at all – can’t say that he was any ‘worse’ than Cash.
And since then he seems to have behaved himself (at least in public), despite the rather harsh treatment of being demoted to the U21’s, etc.
Maybe there’s something we haven’t been told, but he seems to have been given rather a bad time at Villa Park – so I do wish him well.
It is a bit weird the Guilbert fiasco. Wonder what went on…Hope he can resurrect his career.
Au revior Monseiur!
Villa are also being linked with a trio of players from his former side Villarreal, in the form of Dani Parejo, Arnaut Danjuma and Nicolas Jackson. Marseille’s Matteo Guendouzi is another whose name is continually linked with a move to Villa Park, having played under Unai Emry at Arsena
Could this be the start of a clear out..?
Bill, Villa being linked with loads of players in Spain, France and Italy including (in addition to your list) Ounahi, Henrique, Merino and McKennie. Villa are allegedly prepared to meet the €57m release clause for Merino and, it’s alleged that, Juventus are trying to persuade Mckennie to leave. However other reports are saying that neither McKennie nor Merino want to leave their clubs this month and neither ‘fancy’ Villa either but want to wait for a bigger club (splash the cash Chelsea?) in the summer. Similarly Guendouzi is reported as being ‘happy’ at Marseilles although they would also like to sell him – it seems that a number of European clubs are short of cash.
Believe what you will but the only certainty (if there is such a thing in football) is that Villa are looking for (at least) one midfielder and a winger in this window with Sanson and Nakamba on the way out.
Did Villa already have the Duran signing in the bag when they loaned out Archer?
“Did Villa already have the Duran signing in the bag when they loaned out Archer?” – maybe not actually in the bag, but I’d expect that any club would have potential in’s and out’s planned well in advance of when we see the announcements. If it wasn’t going to be Duran, then I imagine they had someone else firmly lined-up.
And what strikes me about the Duran signing is that as far as the rumour-mills are concerned, it came out of nowhere; don’t recall his name appearing on any of the sites I read (B’ham Live, BBC, Guardian, Independent, etc.) before the club announced that he’d been signed – which is why I think that many of the rumours linking us with dozens of players from Spain, France and Italy are simply noise.
Fair comment Ardent although in amongst all the noise they did pick up on the Moreno signing pretty early.
It’s sorting the wheat from the chaff that’s the challenge. Still makes for entertainment.
To be honest, I’d already forgotten about that one – happened so quickly!
Having done a bit of reading around I think the player I’m most like to see us sign is Danjuma from Villarreal.
He’s a natural striker who plays wide on the left (16 goals in 32 games last season under Emery) and also received very good reviews in the European Championship games.
Emery knows him well and it’s a position we need to fill that would definitely improve the team so ticks all the boxes Emery has listed.
It looks pretty definite he’s moving to to the Prem in this window and is rumoured to be in the UK talking to clubs so let’s wait and see.
Ings to West ham????
Looks a possibility Badger but surely not if Duran goes back to Columbia until the end of February leaving us short of striking options?
Ings cost £30m and signed a three year contract which has 18 months to run and has scored just 13 goals although that’s in only 30 starts. Not really sure we’ve ever played the type of football that suits his style but do West Spam?
A strange saga. I was pleased when we signed Ings although he functions best in a team which has players on both wings who can cross a ball in the air and on the ground accurately. Villa never attempted that style of play so we never got the best out of him. He was better without Watkins as the win a Brighton proved. When Watkins plays Ings does not see the ball enough.
Recently West Ham have played more like Villa with Bowen leading the line in the Watkins fashion – obviously not with success. They will need a revamp of tactics and the inclusion of Benrama, pushing Bowen to the right wing.
That seems a lot of changes in a panic.
We’ll it looks pretty certain Ings is off so maybe Moyes fancies the Everton job 🙂
Stupid decision to let him go this window! Why boost a team we are trying to get ahead of. With Archer sent on loan we are left with Watkins who isn’t a prolific scorer plus a Columbian kid who might prove a great signing eventually.
I hope Emery has a plan but it’s a concern to where goals are going to come from now.
It’s not so much ‘where goals are going to come from’ that bothers me (I reckon we must have someone lined-up apart from Duran); it’s more that I can see Ings scoring against us every time we play WHam!
Ings has been a model professional since he arrived. Unless we have a proven goal scorer on the way then this is barmy! Who do we have to come off the bench when Watkins is struggling? Watkins has also been getting little knocks in games recently if he’s injured who’s starting up top? The new kid looks decent and potentially a top player but that’s ifs and buts currently. I hope and presume Emery knows what he is doing! Likely to be brilliant business for West Ham IMO, Ings will probably keep them up now.
Holte do not worry. I severely doubt NSWE would go to all the trouble to get Emery in and then strategically have no striker options.
On the face of it, this seems a good bit of business.How many times before have Villa had older players on co tracts that meant no one would buy them. £10n with potential add in could make it up to £15m. Under depreciation terms, £15m of Ings transfer to Villa can be written off. With the sale price it looks like we just about broke even on signing Ings. Plus, I believe we paid over the top to buy him due to Grealish leaving. Part of Purslow’s master plan- need I say any more!
Even better, this strengthens our hand in relation to FFP. I am sure there is more to come. The beauty with Villa is the first we know about a transfer is when it is announced.
UTV
Pretty sure that we’ll see someone coming in before the weekend…
No worries Ardent – Brad Young has been recalled from his loan spell 🙂
Er – right, that makes me feel much better…
Correct Sid – he cost £25m (not £30m as I previously stated) on a 3 year contract so can write off just over £12m balanced by £12m for Ings – so good business for FFP.
Nonetheless it shows again that buying older players at top prices is not good business unless they can perform at the highest level for the length of their contract and beyond.
Perfect example of a great signing in that category is one Paul McGrath and Ashley Young is another but Villa have too many examples of poor decision making in their transfer history.
Another one to chalk up to Purslow methinks.
January is a month where you are held to ransom depending on clubs circumstances. West Ham are in a relegation battle and need someone like Ings who is an established premier league striker. £15m seems like loose change in todays market.
As for any club who’s door we knock on now for their striker, will be thinking we only have one established striker left, so we will pay even more through the nose after Ings sale.
Imo this is good business – £15m + add-ons for a 30 year old with history of serious injuries?
Plus 14 goals in 52 appearances ain’t really pulling up any trees.
Moussa Dembélé?
Anyone know anything about him?
Upgrade on Ings?
I’m sure that there are at least half a dozen players with the same name, many of them still playing. Not sure which one this is, although B’ham Live say “former Celtic, Fulham and Atletico Madrid forward” – although I still don’t know whether he was any good at any of those clubs…
Looks the business on YouTube but as we all know these “best of” clips can make the most mediocre of player look the absolute dogs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QQz-4PxKT4
According to the Oracle that’s Brum Live, Emery has been following (this) Dembele for a number of years – rates him – and tried to get him to PSG and to Villareal.
If he played for Celtic then this is the French (rather than Belgian) Dembele who’s 26.
We do love to keep trying with French players!
I crate the championship as a better level than the Scottish, MLS and French leagues if you took out 4-5 clubs. I will reserve judgment on any player from these leagues.
I still think letting Ings go in the current transfer window doesn’t make sense. I certainly don’t see it as great business so we will have to agree to disagree on that. If we lose £5m waiting till the summer then that’s hardly a big deal. The summer window would offer a better opportunity to get more for the money and have a pre season.
FWIW, if we kept Ings for the Southampton game you wouldn’t be surprised if he scored against his former side. Even as a bit part player he is still our leading scorer. Now we are hoping Watkins is fit and more importantly doesn’t aggravate his injury or worse. If anything happens to him where are the goals coming from?
Holte I think the writings on the wall for a fair few player down at VP, I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest to see Mings next out the door should the right offer come in.
One thing I reckon is a absolute given, this team we be totally unrecognisable in the none too distant future.
I’m fairly sure Ings will be gone because his all round game just doesn’t offer enough.
Scoring goals alone doesn’t cut it nowadays and more is expected.
It’s why Watkins is better rated even though many think he’s the poorer goalscorer.
I think it’s the right move getting rid, fwiw.
In other news, the Deloitte list is out again and I find it disappointing that Leeds’ turnover is 10% higher than ours.
I can’t work out why that would be?
Something not right there and shows we have room for improvement?
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jan/19/more-than-half-20-richest-clubs-in-world-premier-league-deloitte-report
Agree totally Badger he doesn’t offer a lot, yes Watkins shooting boots can be a bit off (probably an understatement 😁) but his all round game does offer more plus the fact this come out early ( Villa open to offers).
That says to me Emery isn’t overly impressed.
I had a look Badger at the report and we are 21st so just outside the top 20. In terms of the premier league teams on the list, that puts us 12th which is the reality of where we are as a club at the moment. Dreams of getting into Europe are way off at the moment and it could be years before we are close. That’s why i’m so disappointed about going out the cup competitions. If we had taken them more seriously then who knows what might have been.
Emery’s comments about a striker;
“It’s going to be very difficult to sign one striker to improve our team but we are going to try. Now or in the summer. I want to be patient.”
Surely we can’t be going forward with Watkins and the kid, can we?
We do tend to not be overly reliant on our strikers, but I find that a bit concerning, tbh.
Badger – reading between the lines he might be referring to Dembele who’s contract is up on the summer.
There has been some comment that Villa were hoping to sign a pre-contract agreement to get him for free in the summer but may now be prepared to pay a small fee (£4m rumoured) to get him now.
If that’s the case it would also underpin the reasons for taking £15m for Ings now.
At least it gives us something to chat about between games!
Just maybe the £120k per week had some influence on Unai’s decision?
Is that what he was earning?
According to the Claret & Blue podcast yes Hitch.
Blimey – that seems over the top.
If true yet another indication of Purslow’s poor judgement in transfer dealings.
Interesting comments by Emery – he’s basically said – Duran is not a replacement for Ings and Watkins has to accept responsibility for playing as a central striker.
No problems with any of that – the worry is Watkins getting injured so I really can’t see Villa not signing another striker in this window – even if it’s on a six month loan.
Keep watching the left field 🙂
Ings confirmed to West Spam.
14 goals and 8 assists in 52 appearances (I think only 30 starts). I read somewhere that his career stats suggest a goal every three games so (if that’s right) he did what was expected of him.
I wish him well at West Spam (but not against us!)
Shame Ings never got a proper run n the side. ThIngs could have turned out differently!
I think as long as we avoid the drop, which we pretty much have done already, that’s when most of our business will tale place. Logical really.
Nakamba is gone then;
https://bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-national-byo-227073.html
Blimey Emery is ruthless, it would seem.
It’s quite refreshing, I feel, although I’ll be sorry to see him go.
I’m getting the feeling there’s a bit of a cost cutting exercise going on here, as much as I wouldn’t have thought Naka was on top dollar.
I’m also getting the feeling we might see a major clearout in the summer.
Where on earth did you stumble upon that news site???!!!
No Saints preview Badger? An unusual 3pm KO for us today!
The ultimate source, Bum bum;
https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/Football/Premier+League/Aston+Villa
I suggest you bookmark it.
I’m just on the preview now :-).