Aston Villa have already played 3 games of the Premier League season and won’t play again in the Premier League until September 14th, that’s a long time! So, I’m going to ask you guys the question, what are your expectations for this Premier League season?
I reckon Aston Villa are eyeing a mid-table finish, this could also see us fall into the top 10. I think Aston Villa have been playing well over the last few games, I think that playing 3 games in one week was the main reason why we lost to the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea. But despite our loss, we only lost by one odd goal and we always tried to score again, the team never gave up. I still believe Aston Villa are missing a smudge of creativity in the form of an attacking midfielder. Unless Lambert plans to switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation that would see either Helenius or Tonev playing behind Benteke.
What also increases my confidence of a higher finish is that some of the teams that massively strengthened aren’t playing all that well. The likes of Newcastle, West Brom, Norwich, Stoke and Sunderland aren’t playing nearly as well as I would’ve had expected. Obviously we have just begun the Premier League season so anything can happen, but the early signs are very positive for Aston Villa.
Im going to say it and I know I’ll probably get slated for it, but……Weimann for me has not done it in the last couple of games. Work rate decent yeah, as it always is, but some of his passing and definitely his finishing has been well below par. Bacuna looked out of his depth too, until he went right back where he looked pretty comfortable. I thought Okore was decent up against an in form quality striker and The Beast, although appeared to have a quiet game could still of had a couple if it weren’t for Mignolet.
We need to mix it up a bit because Saturday was all too predictable for Liverpool, if we can get that right, then I think a 10th-12th is easily achievable and if cup draws go our way, who knows……WEMBLEY
I actually agree with your Weimann statement, he hasn’t cut it it at all over the past 3 games. Little contribution and his finishing needs work, he should’ve scored from one of his two volley chances against Chelsea!
It just seemed that Benteke and Agbonlahor were the main attacking threats. I know many people will disagree, but I say put Albrighton or Tonev out wide, they can get crosses in and that’s something we haven’t done at all. Maybe play a 4-4-2 with Helenius and Benteke together!
Out of the new signings, only Okore has really played a good amount of game time so it’s difficult to judge.
Tenth and scoring 60 goals would be great..
Delph stays injury free and keeps performing. Okore becomes a beast. Benteke scores 20 goals this season.. Luna continues to improve.. One of Tonev Helenuis or Bacuna comes really good..
Not too much to ask IMO..
I predict a season of highs and lows, but I fancy us to hover and finish 11-12th. Maybe a cup run – final 4 would be great. Much of the team still needs to find it’s feet and due to our dependence on Benteke I still have questions on what the team looks like without him, ie. injury.
Two of our “bomb squad” leave on loan and we sign 1 new signing this window.
Bacuna due to his versatility will become an established starter. Both Tonev and Helenius will find their feet come Dec. and prove impressive substitutes. I’m eager to see more of Helenius. Vlaar will probably face another lengthy injury and Okore – Baker partnership will be born. Luna-Bennett will compete for LB depending on the opposition.
If Saturdays performance was anything to go by then my expectations are non to high.
This team has been assembled to counter attack, which is great away from home but when we have to go for it and dominate the opposition (as is expected at home) well this appears to beyond PL’s team.
This was said on another site ‘Liverpool did their homework’ and how true is that? And how many other teams will this season?
BWS – I fear that you’re right; Villa are very predictable in terms of tactics, and Saturday’s game was so typical of the dire home performances that I’ve sat through over recent years.
Away, we play that counter-attacking game that can be so good to watch, and may pay-off more and more often as the team gets better; but at VP we just don’t seem to have a clue, and something needs to change.
FWIW, I didn’t think Liverpool were much better, if at all ; on that performance their supporters in the media are just deluding themselves if they imagine CL football beckons!
Call me hopelessly optimistic or even naïve but I think that tenth or higher is well within our grasp. We pinned Liverpool back for much of the game on Saturday and had lady luck been on our side we could have won.
Delph is playing magnificently and Luna looks very sharp. Sometimes we threaded the ball through a top Liverpool side quite superbly and sometimes a pass went wayward but we are trying the right moves and each game we’ll improve. Remember that LFC’s defense is one of the best in the business, especially now they have Toure.
I am very excited.
Would be happy with top 10 finish this season. I think it’s achievable. We can kick on from there next season.
Long-term, I think we should be up there pressing for Champions League. I think we could get there in a few seasons.
If all our key players stay and that’s a big ask!
Lamberts doesn’t expect much movement in the way of transfers..
Gulp!
I think the left side is pretty much sorted and with Okore in the middle at the back, we’re going to be looking at Baker or Vlaar partnering him, maybe Clark if he can get back in there. Guzan needs to concentrate on where he sends the ball. I did notice Steer placed the ball superbly when he played in pre-season. Attack looks good, Helenius, Tonev and Bacuna look promising, even N’Zog might return from injury. I think we did well against Liverpool in the second half, had we started out like that instead of trying to absorb the pressure we would have been fine. Not a good tactical call there. I can see us between 9th and 12th.
Was expecting to see a team with more bite & the Arsenal game did give that impression the Chelsea game was down to bad refereeing Liverpool was down to expect more of the same as last season.So am expecting us to struggle we do not have a born leader & the one we have is a disaster both as a leader & defensively.Am now waiting for the excuses as we are a club still in transition.Verdict can;t see anyway the club is going to improve & will finish in bottom half no surprises there then.
A few links have cropped up. Most notably.
FROM EARLIER: Lambert has asked #thfc how much it would take to buy Tom Carroll #avfc
Levy probably be a (edit) about it thou.
P.s this boards been dead last few days.. What’s going on?
Terry, you are the ultimate swinger mate.
What was it you were saying a few weeks back?
You really do make me laugh and I mean that in a nice way.
No, for the first time Terry has a point, that impression past my mind at the match, Liverpool was and not the team they where afew years ago,also I did state before the game that Gerrard was the man to keep quiet in the game but we did not control that middle, the bite we had in the first two games was gone. Two strikers only played that day, you know who,a solid hard man is required to wake up a player that watching and not getting involved. IMO.
After watching on Saturday, if we approach every single game home and away playing counter attack I think we could be in for another difficult season lads. It will become all too predictable imo.
If at home we can dominate the games with our passing instead of playing long to Benteke (which I am not happy to see, especially at home) then we can easily finish top half. UTV
Oh and honestly, tonight is a brilliant opportunity to get a cricket score on the board, I expect nothing less than a very very comfortable home win, if we struggle I will not be a happy Villan later
Mate Rotherham have nothing to lose but everything to gain.So if we do struggle to win by a comfortable margin IMO we Villans will definately not be happy as we have been led to believe the club had real ambition to move forward and put the struggles of the past few seasons behind us and it looked that way at the start of the transfer window.But now the season as started for real after a great first game it seems as though the same frailties we had last season are rearing their ugly head again the mid-field and defense.
Liverpool last season in the same fixture had 13 shots on target, this time they had… 1. While yes that went in, I’d hardly say the “same” frailties that were shown have been shown. I mean come on, Villa’s had to change the CB position 3 times now due to injuries, the fact Villa conceded 4 goals compared to the 12 last season is huge.
I wouldn’t be disappointed if Villa didn’t win by a comfortable margin, as long as the performance is a good one with a few of the new players starting. A 1-0 would be good enough, obviously the more the merrier but a comfortable margin, guessing by say 3 goals, isn’t needed.
MD8
“if we approach every single game home and away playing counter attack ”
And what if the opposition come to VP and do an AMC and park the bus up for 90 minutes?
Where does that leave the suggested counter attacking strategy?
If tht happens mate, then we’ll have to force the game. The point I was making is that we have played all 3 games exactly the same, with quite a bit too much ‘long ball’ to Benteke for my liking. Newcastle will probably prepare themselves to come at us and be wary of the counter attack. This immediately puts us on the defensive. At home especially we should be the ones bringing the game to the opposition to mix it up a bit, and we can do that.
Totally agree with all of that mate can’t afford to become a one trick pony – the counter attack being our only style of play with no plan B. The onus is on us at home to press and dominate the opposition, to make VP a Fortress!
I don’t think it will be loads of goals but be seen to show we are in charge of the game, mdn8 I’m disappointed that we dominated two top clubs and throw it away with that Liverpool team,and yes your right we do have to change things around when at home and not play predictable football to give the opposition the way we play.
Andrew mate am not looking for a bucket full of goals but if the unthinkable was to happen and yet again our defense still continues to make silly mistakes then the same frailties are still there and no matter what league a team plays in they will know how exploit those frailties and this could mean the difference between the club showing real improvement or just standing still.Expectations for our club can never be to high but there are issues that need to be addressed before the fans expectations can be realised.
Anything from eighth to fourteenth. Chance of a cup run depends on the draw.
Hugely encouraged by the displays at Arsenal and Chelsea, that suggests to me that we will cause teams problems away from home.
Liverpool seemed disappointing, though chatting to a couple of their lot after, they thought we had been a better team than last season and had the best chances. Clinical finish from Sturridge was the difference.
We keep the ball well, we don’t use it particularly well, though the former will hopefully lead to the latter over time.
We need a flair player, someone who can create a chance, change a game in the middle. A Merson or Yorke type player if we are to have a really good season.
We keep the ball well??? What were the possession stats in the first half? something along the lines of 70-30 in Liverpools favour?
I didn’t see the statistics, it’s just an impression I have of the team after three games compared to how we’ve played previously.
We knock it around the back four and to Delph and Westwood quite nicely at times, but can’t seem to make anything happen from there.
It’s all relative, it’s not long since Dunne, Collins and Cuellar just hoofed it up to Heskey.
It must have been 70-30 in Villa’s favour second half. Can’t see what your point is on the statistics, shots and corners we look like we’ve hammered them. We didn’t.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23737183
Team for tonight..
Steer
Lowton Vlaar Okore Luna
K EA Delph Bacuna
Weimann Helenius Tonev
I would keep the same back four.. they need game time together and build an understanding.. if Luna is injured then Bennet would come in..
Oohah, Anon what the fuck is going on lads? Every time I post it disappears somewhere into to cyberspace!
It’s doing my nut in.
Billy, we really don’t know mate.
Giddy had the same problem, which we think was down to his old phone.
Even then we tried turning all the widgets and stuff that we thought might be causing it, off, but couldn’t find the answer.
I had a similar problem one night, but it’s been fine since.
Try clearing your cache and cookies. A google will tell you how.
Its from a PC Badger so it aint no phone issues, I’ll clear the cache and cookies as you advise. Cheers Mate
1-0 Andy Weimann!
BillPearson so sorry didn’t geT to meet up on Saturday didn’t get into brum till 4.30.next time im down ill meet up for a pint with you.