The Pre-season thread

Aston Villa's under 23 squad took an emphatic victory over Tamworth in yesterday evening's fixture.


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This afternoon Villa played out a scoreless draw with Watford in the inaugural Graham Taylor Trophy.


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Gabby won't score goals. Hogan will if he gets service. Elham Andy is a bargain , whelan is solid , landsbury is slower than jedi , hutton is fucking shit , bacuna can jog on , samba is a beast , green has to start, Terry is all gold and will be priceless.
 
At risk of going against perceived wisdom I don't think Hutton is shit. I think he's limited in what he can do so it's down to the management to use him to his best ability. He ain't a winger so I don't expect him to deliver pinpoint crosses. If Bree can do that then, fair enough play him instead. I think Hutton gives his all and if he falls short of the excellence that we expect of a Championship player and, if Bree can't do better then, buy the player who is an improvement on him, How about Trippier, Walker, Bellerin or Valencia. Or, if we're looking for a Premier League right back, how about Lowton from Burnley? Ah! but he wasn't good enough for us was he?
So we don't want Hutton because he's shit. Who do we want?
As far as I'm concerned when he's on the pitch in a Villa shirt he gets my support.
 
Didn't think Hutton did too badly today, though he wasn't exactly tested. I'd prefer Bree to start though. We spent 3m on him and he had been 1st choice in a team that when we signed him were having a better season than us. Why have him unless he's going to replace Hutton who isn't going to be there next season? There's no point loaning him out as we already know he can do well at this level as its the reason we signed him. Hutton will do what he does and will always make the same mistakes whilst always giving 110%. We need to give the likes of Bree, Green, and RHM a chance.
 
I know fans have favourite players and for some reason our fan base seem to take against some of our own players.
Hutton is a prime example, he is hated by a vocal section of our fans and I for one cannot understand why. He gives everything he's got, every game, unlike some others we have and have had over the last few seasons. Some fans complain that he'll make a lungbursting 80 yard run and then doesn't sprint back, leaving a hole in the defence. Well I'm sorry but, that's what a defensive midfielder is supposed to do, cover for defenders that get forward.
Give Hutton a break, the man gives his all for this club. He's been nothing but professional, even when he was exiled to the bomb squad, he didn't throw the toys out of the pram, he knuckled down and got himself fighting fit and fought his way back into the team, where he has consistently been one of the best players.
As for the complaints that his crosses aren't any good. Have any of you who constantly complain, ever thought that a forward needs to do more than just stand still and hope the ball lands on his head?
A good cross is one hit into space for the forward to run onto.

I could pick holes in the performance levels of practically every player in the squad, especially some of those favourites that can do no wrong in the eyes of the fans.
The thing is, it should be about the team performance as a unit, not about individual performance.
 
It can't all be bad. We could have been Sunderland who got beat 5-0 at home by Celtic on Saturday.

All this happened against the backdrop of Darron Gibson accusing some of the players of not giving a s***.

Sounds a happy camp up there.
 
Had a great weekend in Dusseldorf bumped into a few good old lads too.Surprising enough the mini tournament was actually very enjoyable Jonny Depp was a class act too and the big guy who got on the pitch to sing with him was quality.All in all it was great weekend well worth the trip also after a hard days drinking along the Rhine we ended up prancing about in a gay bar for two hours before we realised i just thought the locals were very friendly good crack though pardon the pun. :19:
 
Final update post Watford -

Green - 352 mins
Bjarnasson - 324
Lansbury - 321
Hutton - 301
Chester - 283
Hourihane - 281
Taylor - 279
Amavi - 269
Bree - 269
Gabby - 257
Hogan - 253
Terry - 250
Samba - 241
Johnstone - 180
Steer - 180
McCormack - 159
Davis - 127
Elmohamady - 119
Whelan - 119
O'Hare - 109
Gardner - 104
Richards - 104
Doyle-Hayes - 95
Sarkic - 90
Bunn - 90
McKirdy - 71
Grealish - 71
Bacuna - 64
Adomah - 25
Lyden - 16
De Laet - 0
Elphick - 0
Jedinak - 0
Kodjia - 0
Hepburn-Murphy - 0
 
So what can we assume from the above?

Green will be the 1st name on the team sheet?

Bjarnasson and Lansbury seem to be Brucey favourites?

Hutton, Chester, Terry and Taylor is our first choice back 4?

Steer seems to have ousted Bunn as 2nd choice keeper.

Gabby is our no.1 striker? :23:


Based on the above I predict this for the Hull game -

Johnstone

Hutton
Chester
Terry
Taylor

Green
Whelan
Bjarnasson
Lansbury
Elmohamady

Gabby


That's a pretty 'functional' team but lacks any real excitment or goal threat.

I think when Jedi and Kodjia are fit they come in for Bjarnasson and Gabby but other than that, I think thats it.

And we're favourites for promotion?!?! Just don't see it with that lineup. :23:
 
Good question Col, and i really don't have an answer.

I'm praying to god he goes with Hogan and not Gabby. I can't see us creating many chances so when we do we need them to be taken.

But there doesn't seem to be many goals in that midfield either does there.

Shocking.
 
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