Aston Villa v Leicester City Match Thread

[Melon Donkey]

Perhaps we've ignored the "third match in a week" syndrome. We always look a bit knackered when that happens. The PL is tough, and maybe players are just getting used to it.

We'd better play the reserves against Liverpool.

Not having that. No excuse .

Same for everyone McP.

 

[Melon Donkey]

If Grealish got a long term injury we are screwed.
He is the one bit of quality And class we've got

Worryingly there maybe some truth to this.

 

[BodyButter]

Ahem, Heaton.

I've seen a few fans talk about how amazing Heaton is but I haven't seen it yet. He's a decent keeper but he hasn't a patch on Bozzie, Schmiechel or Big Brad.

 

[danvilla2]

I've seen a few fans talk about how amazing Heaton is but I haven't seen it yet. He's a decent keeper but he hasn't a patch on Bozzie, Schmiechel or Big Brad.

I think recently he’s proving his class BB. He’s made some unbelievable saves, at full stretch getting fingers to it. My memory of saves which do not result in goals conceded isn’t great, but against the Geordies (I think) he made a quality double save where he got back on his feet and on another late on got finger tips to a shot which diverted it onto the post. Newcastle was a stroll but we still needed a keeper to make us comfortable because it could quite easily have been 2-2 from two attempts.

Against Chelsea he made an unbelievable save from a free kick with his finger tips, I was waiting for the net to ripple which may have also been a double save.

Not just shot stopping, I can’t recall a cross he has dropped, he’s very confident picking the ball out of the air with big players around him. His distribution is good and he often makes the sensible call whether to play out from the back or launch it

I don’t think he had the best of starts such as the gaff against Bournemouth but he’s head and shoulders an improvement on what we’ve had over the past few seasons. I’d say he’s the best keeper we’ve had since Friedel, but he has the potential with age on his side to be even better than Friedel.

 

[mike_field]

Sunday afternoon didn’t turn into a great day for Aston Villa fans as Leicester City pretty comfortably put us to the sword with a 4-1 scoreline at Villa Park, and probably expectedly given their form this year, there were few positives to take from the tie.
https://astonvilla.vitalfootball.co...t-get-their-wish-given-latest-injury-concern/

 

[Wicked Messenger]

As hopeless as Wesley was he was not alone. I felt sorry for Jack who must wonder if he has to do everything himself. How Dean can pick Elmo who is glaringly obviously a championship player, over Fredric is beyond me. Dean himself looks to be wavering a bit in his self belief and in his post match interview spoke nonsense for the first time trying to convince himself we were actually in the game. (Other than in the first ten minutes). He started the season with 2 wide men and Jack in midfield and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him going back to that primary belief as all the other midfielders seem to be in decline rather than progressing forward.

 

[Villan57]

As hopeless as Wesley was he was not alone. I felt sorry for Jack who must wonder if he has to do everything himself. How Dean can pick Elmo who is glaringly obviously a championship player, over Fredric is beyond me. Dean himself looks to be wavering a bit in his self belief and in his post match interview spoke nonsense for the first time trying to convince himself we were actually in the game. (Other than in the first ten minutes). He started the season with 2 wide men and Jack in midfield and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him going back to that primary belief as all the other midfielders seem to be in decline rather than progressing forward.

Yes I wondered with the Elmo thing and Engels who are half of what is considered by 99% of the fans our best back four. They are both fit and available and he leaves them on the bench. Massive Mistake.
Jack has been pushed out wide before by Bruce and he got almighty stick for it. He's not as effective there. He's such a talent he could play left-back and be the star player but his best position is central running at the middle of the back 4.
If it means Mcginn goes wider so be it . Personally they seem so in love I'd play them side by side in the centre
For me, we should be playing a back 6 and a front 4 with a license to interchange across the front 4.
2 holding midfielders is essential as we are not as good as we all thought and there are only 3 teams below us and one of those has picked up lately.
We are not good enough to go all gung hoe .

 

[Wicked Messenger]

Yes I wondered with the Elmo thing and Engels who are half of what is considered by 99% of the fans our best back four.
2 holding midfielders is essential as we are not as good as we all thought and there are only 3 teams below us and one of those has picked up lately.
We are not good enough to go all gung hoe .

I wish I had your confidence about Engels. The more I see of our centre halves the better the ones who aren’t playing become, give Hause a go.
I wanted Nakamba and Luiz to play together against Leicester - spectacular failure. If Dean starts to change his attacking philosophy I believe we could be doomed. If he buckles so will the team.

 

[Villan57]

I wish I had your confidence about Engels. The more I see of our centre halves the better the ones who aren’t playing become, give Hause a go.
I wanted Nakamba and Luiz to play together against Leicester - spectacular failure. If Dean starts to change his attacking philosophy I believe we could be doomed. If he buckles so will the team.

Assuming Mings is out surely Dean will bring in Hause .

 

[ldgavfc]

Yes, I was thinking that on the way home on Sunday, he really is a different level to all the others, even on an off day he's still the best player on the field for us

To be fair more often than not he's the best player of the 22. Very underrated midfielder.