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He's looking more and more comfortable there each game, I was very impressed with him today.
For sure. It means that Vertonghen is able to play in his preferred position - he really does look classy at centre-back. Although, I think work still needs to be done between him in Gallas in terms of their defensive line and playing for offsides.
That work can be dropping Gallas. Job done
Sigurdsson looked good once again as a substitute. Much more comfortable. Seems to be settling in. Who would have thought that a young player in only his second year of PL experience and first time playing for a big club might have needed to a little time to figure things out? Shocking developments really.
He's was poor a few gams ago but I think he did well today. To be fair - he's part of a defensive uni (and team) that's kept four clean sheets out of the last five games!
I just feel like I can't make a worthwhile judgement on Siggy while he's still performing as a late-game sub.
I don't disagree with this. However, he just looks way more confident in his passing, movement, and general body language than he did early in the season. That means something to me.
:gallas:
I really like Lambert as a manager (let's forget how he treated Norwich for a while) and I can see what he is doing at Villa. He really is trying to build from the off just like with Norwich and is building a team rather than tinkering with individual players.
He chooses new players with potential to gel from how they suit the team. Some guy at soccernet mentioned, that he is playing allrounders rather than specialists, e.g. Clarke, Guzan, Delph/Weimann over Given, Dunne and Bent. That is somehow sympathetic to me.
Still, Villa is not Norwich. Despite being regular relegation flirts the board just cannot allow many more performances of this sort.
His second problem is the quality of the squad. Apart from Benteke many of hos XI from today simply are not PL regulars yet, they don't have the quality game after game. That in its own right makes it problematic to leave Richard Dunne on the bench, when you bleed 12 goals in 2 matches, and Bent so much more, when you have been relying on counterattacking for same 2 games and scored 0 goals.
Third, this formation of a back three (or 5) is deeply problematic, because it will always struggle against teams in 4-3-3 and/or with big profiles on the wings. Seriously what was he thinking playing like that against first Hazard/Moses and then Bale/Lennon? He can't win, no matter what he does, if the wingbacks stay attacking minded their defence will be 3 on 3 (or on 4, when we play 2 strikers) and if they stay defensive, they will be 3-on-3 in midfield against players of vastly superior class.
I am sure the formation can work at times, but it is very demanding of the defenders and in particular the wingbacks. And Villa don't have the quality for that.
He chooses new players with potential to gel from how they suit the team. Some guy at soccernet mentioned, that he is playing allrounders rather than specialists, e.g. Clarke, Guzan, Delph/Weimann over Given, Dunne and Bent. That is somehow sympathetic to me.
Still, Villa is not Norwich. Despite being regular relegation flirts the board just cannot allow many more performances of this sort.
His second problem is the quality of the squad. Apart from Benteke many of hos XI from today simply are not PL regulars yet, they don't have the quality game after game. That in its own right makes it problematic to leave Richard Dunne on the bench, when you bleed 12 goals in 2 matches, and Bent so much more, when you have been relying on counterattacking for same 2 games and scored 0 goals.
Third, this formation of a back three (or 5) is deeply problematic, because it will always struggle against teams in 4-3-3 and/or with big profiles on the wings. Seriously what was he thinking playing like that against first Hazard/Moses and then Bale/Lennon? He can't win, no matter what he does, if the wingbacks stay attacking minded their defence will be 3 on 3 (or on 4, when we play 2 strikers) and if they stay defensive, they will be 3-on-3 in midfield against players of vastly superior class.
I am sure the formation can work at times, but it is very demanding of the defenders and in particular the wingbacks. And Villa don't have the quality for that.
Right, back to Spurs.
Probably our best performance of the season today in many ways. Or our level of control due to the lack of opposition deludes me, who the hell knows.
Again the much maligned Defoe looked like the masterkey. Whenever he went deep we struggled. Whenever he tried to play the centreforward buzzing around in the space between and ahead of the centrebacks we struggles. But as soon as he made his probably first run on the outside of the back 3, he got a killer pass and he buried it. Great pass, great control and great goal.
Lesson to be learned there, Jermain.
Also, there were some great runs from Bale, Lennon and Sigurdsson in the 2nd half too. Many people are happy with the passing, but I am particular proud of the all the off the ball stuff. The moving part of pass-and-move.
Probably our best performance of the season today in many ways. Or our level of control due to the lack of opposition deludes me, who the hell knows.
Again the much maligned Defoe looked like the masterkey. Whenever he went deep we struggled. Whenever he tried to play the centreforward buzzing around in the space between and ahead of the centrebacks we struggles. But as soon as he made his probably first run on the outside of the back 3, he got a killer pass and he buried it. Great pass, great control and great goal.
Lesson to be learned there, Jermain.
Also, there were some great runs from Bale, Lennon and Sigurdsson in the 2nd half too. Many people are happy with the passing, but I am particular proud of the all the off the ball stuff. The moving part of pass-and-move.
Its really time.............
Enough of Bale on the LM isolated at times and not in front of the goal
Such a clinical finisher......can score w/ both feet and his head. Can create in possession and set up others........
A far superior option vs Adebayor in that spot..........Move Ade up and he can rotate w/ Defoe
Who plays on the LM ? Dempsey/Siggy rotation in the short term and bring in a legit option in January.
Enough of Bale on the LM isolated at times and not in front of the goal
Such a clinical finisher......can score w/ both feet and his head. Can create in possession and set up others........
A far superior option vs Adebayor in that spot..........Move Ade up and he can rotate w/ Defoe
Who plays on the LM ? Dempsey/Siggy rotation in the short term and bring in a legit option in January.
He scores a hat-trick and you want to move him out of position?
What the fuck is wrong with people
Gallas had a pretty sub-par game ........
Limited chances for AV and Gallas seemed out of sorts on too many occasions........His mobility is a real detriment and Caulker or Dawson seem like the much smarter choice at this point.
:avbfacepalm: :avbfacepalm: :avbfacepalm: :avbfacepalm: :avbfacepalm: :avbfacepalm: :avbfacepalm: :avbfacepalm: :avbfacepalm: :avbfacepalm:
Agreed
Naughton is a fine option vs any minnow who wont push the Backline
Vs Quality , he doesn't belong out there
Either way, fine coverage to have