Tottenham v Aston Villa - Mon 2nd Nov - 20:00

[Whitechapel]

How Mike Dean is still a referee is beyond me. Clear and obvious leniency for Spurs and seen clearly celebrating them scoring for a second time. Disgrace.

 

[spireite]

Mike Dean is hilarious.

 

[joethegill]

Melberg and Laursen were tanks. Bouma however was a bag of shit.

I'm not really sure how you'd set up your side to get the best out of them. There are some decent players that should be starting games but they're a bit lightweight if you put them all on. Sinclair, Grealish and Gil all should start, but they're not the most combative midfield so you'd probably need 2 holding/defensive mids and then one striker. That then means one of Gil and Grealish need to move wider to give width or you'll end up lopsided and that isn't either players best position really. When it comes to strikers you've got slim pickings. Ayew is fucking doggo, I really couldn't believe you paid for him. Gestede though might warrant a run. Agbonlahor can't shoot for beans so is probably best used as a sub to attack tired defences.

Guzan
Bacuna - Richards - ? - Amavi
Gueye -AnyonebutSanchez
Grealish - Gil - Sinclair
Gestede​

The more I look at that the more I think it wouldn't make a bad Championship side!

As you say, the Villa striker options are shite, so why play one at all? Try a 'forward' three of Gil, Grealish and Sinclair, with Gueye, Westwood and another in midfield. Back four of Bacuna, Richards, Clark (shit, but better than Lescott) and Amavi. Nothing else has worked for Villa for ages, why not try something unexpected!

The midfield has been shite for years, since the Petrov/Barry/Milner/Young combo broke up, with only Delph since then who has looked anything other than Championship standard. Gueye looks like he could be a player, Sanchez is a disaster area, and Veretout is the latest in a succession of French-speaking misfits (Berson, Djemba-Djemba, Salifou).

 

[JimJams]

The only reason I'd say play a striker is that the midfielders haven't proven to be regular goal scorers yet that they can carry the burden. They all could potentially, but slickhead only has 1 goal doesn't he? Sinclair is capable but without looking into his pens vs open play goals I'd guess he's not had too many in his time. Gil again hasn't scored a pantload. Gestede would at least just be doing what he's always been expected to do for any side, and that's score. The responsibility to do it for the others might prove too much.

 

[JaseTheVillain]

For us, it'd probably be:

Guzan
Richards Okore Clark Amavi
Gueye Veretout*
Grealish Gil Sinclair
Ayew
*Not had a fair chance, and really not been that bloody bad when he's played, don't get the criticism of him.

Ayew and Gestede could be interchanged up front, however with the way that that team would play I believe Ayew will fit better, and he's been a lot better in the past few games than beforehand.

We need a replacement at right back. We have a good right back playing at CB. When Okore comes back, he's comfortably our best CB behind Richards, so direct replacement there. This team could give us a good chance of survival imo. We won't go the Allardyce route under Garde, so this is why Gestede isn't in the side. Thing is, Garde enjoyed a 4-4-2 at Lyon, so if he tries to recreate that at Villa, I'd hope he'd stick Grealish and Gil on the wings and Sinclair up top with Ayew, he's far more capable of scoring than bloody Gabby, and again, we come back to the unlikelihood of Gestede being majorly used as the bloke can't use his feet for shit.

 

[Whitechapel]

 

[El Guapo]

One Villa fan had this view last night...

 

[JaseTheVillain]

Probably the best view in the place with the shit on show.

 

[joethegill]

Pretty sure that's not a view from a seat, rather the walkway to the police control box....

 

[JimJams]

Yeah the copper is a villa fan.

 

[Blitzballer]

Melberg and Laursen were tanks. Bouma however was a bag of shit.

I'm not really sure how you'd set up your side to get the best out of them. There are some decent players that should be starting games but they're a bit lightweight if you put them all on. Sinclair, Grealish and Gil all should start, but they're not the most combative midfield so you'd probably need 2 holding/defensive mids and then one striker. That then means one of Gil and Grealish need to move wider to give width or you'll end up lopsided and that isn't either players best position really. When it comes to strikers you've got slim pickings. Ayew is fucking doggo, I really couldn't believe you paid for him. Gestede though might warrant a run. Agbonlahor can't shoot for beans so is probably best used as a sub to attack tired defences.

Guzan
Bacuna - Richards - ? - Amavi
Gueye -AnyonebutSanchez
Grealish - Gil - Sinclair
Gestede​

The more I look at that the more I think it wouldn't make a bad Championship side!

According to the Birmingham Mail, this is what supporters want to see. Kinda agree

 

[Blitzballer]

I know this sounds completely fucked, but Gareth Barry would thrive in that team as a holding DMF.

 

[JaseTheVillain]

With the exception of Sanchez... I agree.

And yeah, Blitzballer, I agree, he apparently had the chance to rejoin us before he signed for Everton but chose them over us. Shame, as I think he could have really helped rebuild his reputation here had he re-signed. Ah well.

 

[JimJams]

Totally forgot you had Traore. Not sure Richards wants to be a RB does he?

 

[JaseTheVillain]

Tough shit, we don't have a good one as it is, and he's barely played recently so I think he'd get over it if Garde told him he was playing there.