I’m being facetious of course. I don’t think for one minute that this is going to be easy.
I took the trouble to listen to Dean Smith’s presser today.
I don’t normally bother, as for some reason I’ve always preferred the printed word. But whatever, I did find it interesting and very informative.
First, it is noticable that Smith has genuine respect for Brentford, it’s owner and it’s staff and especially Thomas Frank. Frank has done well in getting Brentford promoted and Smith sung his praises, saying he has a good exuberant character, as well as just being a good tactitian and a really good coach.
I’m certainly not going to take anything away from Frank, but I do wonder how much of their recent success is more down to the staff doing the hard work behind the scenes? After all, they barely seemed to miss Smith when he left and things carried on pretty much as normal.
You can’t be a poor manager/coach if your club gets promoted to the Premier league though, so I’ll just leave that there.
Smith saved me some work, in that he explained that Brentford haven’t changed in the way they play since being promoted. They’re defensively solid, well organised and carry plenty of threat with Ivan Toney in particular.
So they aren’t going to be a pushover and have started the season pretty well, having beaten Arsenal (which made me laugh) and got a very decent point at Palace.
I would however think things will balance out over the season and while I actually hope they don’t go down, I think they will struggle.
It’s early days though and we know we had a poor pre-season, so we’re basically still gaining fitness.
Smith said he expects us to improve, particularly with the players we have due to come back and he does have a point.
Which leads nicely to squad news, where Watkins was due to train today and if he was okay, he’d be available. He’ll only get minutes at best then, in my opinion.
Bailey and Traore won’t be available, but should be ok to be selected after the dreaded international break. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword this break, in that they’ll be able to gain fitness without missing games. I just hate international breaks.
Sanson is training, but he’s had no match time, so he’s apparently going to play a couple of games this week. But he won’t be anywhere near the first team, you’d have to assume. I actually wonder if Smith rates him and while the Frenchman has had a torrid time, I do remember an article that suggested he’s a troublemaker. So much so that two agents dropped him. We know the manager can seemingly take a strong dislike to certain players and my guess is that Sanson will be one of those. No doubt we’ll see.
Keinan Davis is having his brace off tomorrow, so he’s a month away from even starting training. I predict a January loan for him, given that Smith thinks we’re okay with Bailey and Traore being able to play up front, if needed.
Which leaves Wesley, who’s had a medical at Brugges. I’m not sure if there is a clause to buy there, but I suspect Smith will be hoping there is and the Belgians take the option.
Smith’s comments on the Barrow game were interesting too.
People have apparently been on the phone asking about Cameron Archer.
I saw an article last night, which suggested that Walsall should take the lad on loan. I think that’s a great idea, but having listened to a few of their games, they don’t sound a very good side and they might not be the right sort of place. Still, I’d be happy to help Walsall out, as would Smith, but he was very non-comittal and hinted that the striker would stay involved with the first team squad.
Smith spoke highly about El Ghazi’s goal contribution last year and while that seems to suggest he wants to keep the wingman, I wasn’t at all convinced that he wouldn’t let him go. If Roma are happy to cough up a rumoured £15 million, I’d snap their hands off, but I don’t believe that figure in the slightest, if they have any interest at all. If they’re only going to hand over say, £10 million, I’d rather keep him as a squad player.
Likewise with Weston McKennie. Smith sort of poured cold water on us having any interest in him, but he could easily have flat out denied that. He quite simply didn’t so I assume we do.
Prediction time then and I’m struggling to call it.
Part of me sees a few goals, because both sides know how to score. But then both sides are pretty good defensively too.
Brentford are pretty good at setpieces and that’s something we’ll have to be aware of. Austin Macphee, who I’m relieved to see has NOT left the club, as I wrongly stated previously, will be well aware of that though and hopefully have the lads well drilled. I’m already seriously appreciative of what he brings to the table.
I think we’ll have enough to beat Brentford on our own turf, with what should be another full house.
A 2-1 Villa win.
Up the Villa!
Martinez threw that in the air to kick. That should have been a goal to my mind, even if he was in control. It’s still in the bloody air!
Sergi Canos goal, when he nicked the ball off Emiliano Buendia, was correctly ruled out by officials.
FA rules say an indirect free-kick given if: “A player prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from the hands or kicks or attempts to kick the ball when the goalkeeper is in the process of releasing it.”
Probably to stop some of those goals where the attacker blatantly pinched it, years ago.
Hi boot springs to mind Badger, hey what’s this fowl after fowl and waved on ,
I get the impression that Brentford seem the more likely.
Whilst applauding Smith in giving Chukwuemeka his chance, it’s a lot to ask of him to step up and, effectively, take McGinn’s place. I would have thought it more sensible to start with either Hourihane or Nakamba?
I think Brentford shaded it and we were lucky with their disallowed goal IMO. Chukwuemeka is struggling with the pace of the game but it is a great education for him. We clearly miss McGinn for his high octane energy and Smith might need to make a change.
TGVilla have, I think answered that although I didn’t see it.
You can’t have forwards standing next to the GK trying to kick the ball as the GK releases it to kick downfield. That way lunacy lies.
I don’t understand what the gameplan is at all. They’re looking very likely to me.
Perhaps the idea is to try and confuse the opposition by not having one LOL
Chuky off for Naka.
Hourihane is definitely finished if he doesn’t get on today, imo.
We need to get Watkins on too, just to give them more to think about.
We’ve offered nothing in this half and will concede if this carries on.
Ash off for Watkins.
Smith must be happy with Targett who’s been a lot better today.
4-4-2!
So, so defensively poor.
We’re not picking them up at all and the space is ridiculous.
I’ll take a point now.
Hause on for Konsa, who I can see having a couple of games out.
That’s not a worry for me, as he’s a decent defender and more than decent backup.
Is Konsa injured Badger?
Good cross in from AEG to Watkins.
The wideman’s been much better today.
Getting stuck in too. Playing for his move?
FT.
I’m quite disappointed with that.
We need to be winning at home, but I don’t think we were quite good enough today.
Brentford just pressed us to death and that’s not good enough.
That said, Brentford were very organised and will do ok this season.
Whereas we looked devoid of any plan whatsoever, except hoof it long to the left hand corner.
That Badger the way I seen it ,, we had no plan to use only hoof the ball up the left, we was lucky in getting a point, I don’t watching that performance see us as a major threat to most teams in the premiership to be honest. on that game I see us struggle to be in the league at the end , two points lost today and injuries to boot, never mind hey!! It’s only a football game .
Early days Bill, early days.
It looks like we’re still playing catchup to me.
Badger
I would not be too despondent, it is early days. Today we missed a fully fit and able to play 90 minutes
Mings
McGinn
Watkins
Bailey
Traore
We will not do too much when El Ghazi and Young start in forward / midfield positions.
On the positive side the last 3 matches have shown:
* Ramsey is looking like he will make it at Premier level
* Chukwuemeka now knows he is going to have to step up a level again. If he is good as they say, then today should have acted as an eye opener.
* Targett knows he now has real pressure on him to perform from Young.
Once those players mentioned in the first section returnI expect us to come alive.
At the start of the season before a ball was kicked and with our full team out I expected 9 points for the first 3 games. But with injuries and now coupled to covid 4 points is OK. It’s a shame that the full team could not have these 3 matches together before the tough fixtures coming our way after the break.
I’m normally a bit negative when it comes to predicting the Villa 🙂
Last season we started with our best XI fully fit and match prepared. We had no injuries and were able to field the same team for the first four or five games (from memory).
This season we’ve had a disrupted pre season, suffered with injuries and now Covid which hasn’t helped.
We have a really difficult run if fixtures which may well define our season but hopefully we’ll have a full contingent of players to select from in those games.
My biggest concern is whether our lack of good fortune will continue – that’s proved to be difficult to manage for the best of teams / squads and just demonstrates the depth of squad necessary for the EPL.
I still think NSWE have to look at further strengthening before the window closes.
Shots to shots on target ratio comparison to Man City:
City: 25:10
Villa: 7:5
That should improve when the players Sid mentioned return. But the gap is vast. They need to be getting double figures in both categories, minimum, in my view, especially at home! Lots to work on.
A draw was probably a fair result but 4 points from the first 3 games isn’t good enough if we want to push on from last season. The upcoming games will be really tough, even if we do get players back fit. I hope Konsa hasn’t suffered a long term injury because that will be a massive blow. At least Targett looked better as the game went on. Tuanzebe too grew into the game and Cash was one of our better players.
We still look well short of being a team that can get into the top 6. Losing Grealish, JT and ROK might mean we will do well to match last season’s points tally. Smith will have his biggest challenge this season because our owners won’t be happy if continued progress isn’t achieved.
I really think top 6 is a step too far. I see this season as one of consolidation and woukd be happy with somewhere around 8th.
It takes time to build a side capable of a serious European challenge which should be our aim next season.
Having said that, I’m not suggesting we shouldn’t go all out for top 6 and have it as an aim but neither should we be unrealistic about the outcome.
The problem for us is that the opposition do not have to worry about any of our wide men in the same way as they did with JG. He made space for the rest of our players by attracting 2-3 defenders to him. We will improve when Bailey and Traore are fit as El Ghazi is too inconsistent. Maybe eventually we will have a fully fit best eleven playing. At the moment it is either unlucky or poor preparation why we have so many injuries with a lot of them happening during training.
The question is however, what would we the supporters and the owners consider an acceptable league position come the end of the season? I think 8th should be the minimum and also getting more points than before.
Sorry but we wanted to make a team stronger and yet, Mcginn, Bailey, Mings and god knows whoever else is not F***ing fit!!! I’m fed up with this! I seriously hope non of our squad is buggering off for international duties, they’ve all just come back for god sake. To much football now and I can’t totally understand why these managers moan about it. 1 game a week is plenty and if you want quality in the league then you give them that whole week to recover and practice specifics for the next match.
Today is simply not a good enough result. If 4 points in 3 games is what we can muster then for the love of god Dean and the rest of the managing team/owners, do not mention Europe again this season.
1 point taking against 2 newly promoted teams is an absolute joke. A win against Newcastle who today have registered their first point. I hope villa get their act together during this mini break!
I have to admit that I was quick to criticise Smith’s tactical awareness and team selection,immediately after the game. However,having had time to reflect,the absence of a number of key players was a major factor in, what was an unsatisfactory performance.I will say though, that Smith’s decisions on substitutions, whether it is the timing of them or the personnel he chooses to swap, is seriously questionable. Watkins should have come on a lot earlier, and in place of El Ghazi, who was in danger of getting himself sent off, after a stupid booking, which he had the audacity to question. It does make me laugh when there is a sudden rise in excitement, in the crowd, whenever El Ghazi gets the ball. Heis such a frustrating player and I personally think that our left side, which is where, annoyingly most of the play was yesterday, is our weakest link. Both Targett and El Ghazi were poor.
I feel that Buendia and Carney were playing out of position and Ings was totally isolated. Philogene-Bidace has been impressive, whenever I have seen him and, for me, deserves a chance.
What I saw from Brentford was exactly what I expected from them.They were quick off the mark and our slack defending led to a well taken goal by Toney.
Having then allowed us back in to the game quickly, they then reverted to what I thought would happen. They were irritating in their play,time wasting and, of course, the inevitable constant moaning to the referee of, who I believe is the most obnoxious of footballers in the history of the game, Pontus Jansson.
His fellow Swede, Seb Larsson is the only other player who is just as obnoxious.
Finally, a really poor refereeing performance from Peter Banks only added to the frustration.
I am certain we have nothing to worry about, especially with relegation. I wouldlike to see at least one more signing before the window closes.
This is an interesting article, where Roy Keane says 2 Villa players were the worst pros he’s ever come across.
He also suggests they’re in the media.
Richards definitely springs to mind;
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/roy-keane-aston-villa-stars-24862363