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claretspice

I disagree with this. He makes a lot of moves where our midfield decide to play a safe pass back instead of playing forward. We don’t have the quality in the centre of the pitch to play the ball forward often enough. The amount of times he pulls of his marker and getting into small pockets and isn’...

claretspice

I think if you’re criticising a number 10 type player for not running around like a headless chicken and making the same runs in behind as our striker Foster you’re not quite understanding the role of a number 10. Go watch Mesut Ozil, David Silva, James Rodriguez, Martin Odegaard play football. The...

claretspice

Barkley was absolutely superb last night and Rob Edwards deserves huge credit for getting hold of him, rehabilitating him and then playing him as a 6. He was exceptional as a deep lying playmaker but he did the ugly stuff too, breaking up play. Interesting because in England we have a habit of pigeo...

claretspice

It’s a bit unfair to call him lazy or not working hard. I personally think 1. It’s playing to instructions not to just chase after everything and drop off a bit 2. Not adapted to the intensity yet (he’s shattered at 65 minutes every match) 3. He was playing with 2 broken fingers last night I believ...

claretspice

Belgianclaret wrote: ↑
Sat Jan 13, 2024 11:12 am
One of our best players - great workrate and gets into good positions - knows how to finish and will get even better

Those who don't see this are probably the same who were slating Defour when we bought him

This is simply not true.

claretspice

Or maybe Foster, Odobert/ Koleosho etc are the runners in behind and he’s the player who needs to drop and link play? You’re not going to get too much out of a 10 if you’re remotely asking him to track left wingers back into deep positions. He should be doing more across the front line in pressing,...

claretspice

Special mention for the outstanding Ross Barkley - the best player on the pitch today by a distance. Whilst we were chasing rainbows last summer, Luton were doing what we used to do and finding and rehabilitating a player who needed a second chance. Oh to have had his range of passing in our midfield.

claretspice

In the minority it seems but I felt the 5 at the back switch worked quite well, stopped their diagonals (main threat) to the wing backs and meant we could have 3 cb’s in the middle for their crosses. We defended resolutely and absolutely fine. Unfortunately we got robbed by the ref. The 5 at the ba...

claretspice

Gudmundsson has had better nights on the ball, but he protected Vitinho really well. Amdouni used the ball quite well s couple of times but he also butchered 3 counter attacks that I saw by trying to be too ambitious. His movement was also lamentable - against a team playing 3 centre backs and 2 hol...

claretspice

Trafford - 7 - thought he had a very commendable night up until the goal and commanded his area well. He is fouled for the goal but ironically given the general clamour for keepers to come, I think he may reflect that given it was a floaty cross, we had 3 centre halves in there with 2 big forwards a...

claretspice

I singled out his ambling defending as being a major cause of Villa's late winner and I'm afraid that same lack of willingness to scrap and give everything was evident tonight in his short cameo. The goal came about precisely because he coughed up possession for that reason and it wasn't the only ti...

claretspice

I don’t disagree with most of the comments made by posters re playing Beyer at right back or that he has played in that position previously for other clubs and his country. But I still don’t see why Kompany would start to play him at right back when he has shown zero inclination to do so up until n...

claretspice

I must be watching a different season unfold because (bar the obvious couple of errors) I think Beyer is doing very well this season. I think he’s looked our most assured defender bar maybe Charlie. I think defence has vastly improved since we changed system and gave it more protection and stopped ...

claretspice

The thought of playing Beyer at right back is that he has a transferable skill set to play there (can carry the ball, composed when under pressure, has played there before, has been a slightly weak link at cb in recent months, would add extra physicality to our team) and if we are adding yet anothe...

claretspice

For someone who has barely played since May, he was fine. A bit rusty at times, and probably a bit uncertain in his positioning at times, but basically fine. He's got weaknesses, especially defensively, but I don't think that explains why he's been marginally to the extent he has this season and his...

claretspice

That the club takes a pragmatic view that puts us on the best possible footing for potential relegation and to bounce back first time. That doesn't mean we shouldn't sign anyone to stiffen the team now, but it does mean being sensible. We can't go chasing rainbows given how unlikely it is we will su...

claretspice

I’m also watching Fulham and their wingers (and it isn’t just Fulham) just trot back casually into position when Arsenal are attacking down the wing, Willian etc. Watched about 10 examples. Claretspice has spent a lot of time on this thread targeting Tresor but I’d argue his style of defensive cont...

claretspice

Our players are absolutely not to blame here. Could they have done better? Yes, probably but they're human beings and made honest mistakes so it's excusable. What is inexcusable and indefensible is cheating, and then not identifying and dealing with such blatant cheating. It needs calling out at ev...

claretspice

Seemed to me that Tresor was backing up Taylor and covering the inside. No idea why Taylor allowed so much space on the outside, it was very poor defending. I don't think Tresor does remotely enough to cover the chop inside and as a result Taylor cannot fully commit to dealing the possibility he go...

claretspice

That pen is nothing to do with Tresor, so no factor. If Ramsey’s first touch is a clearance out of the box it’s no issue. As for integrity of the ref I was at Fulham and saw how a game should be refereed with integrity by the lady in charge. There would be no discussion around integrity if every ga...

claretspice

The days of us tracking runners are long gone. Only yesterday Odobert, Brownhill, Trésor and Berge were all guilty of it. Maybe a few more. Ramsey certainly lacked the kind of urgency and sense of danger but again the whole team are now guilty of this when it comes to defending. In short, it's not ...

claretspice

Yes. We want the right decision, even if its against us. That has to be the aim and if we're going to persist with var that has to be the approach. Fair enough. We can agree to disagree on that. But sounds like we're also agreeing that there's a consistency of approach across the two incidents whic...

claretspice

But clear and obvious isn't a thing anymore. It may get trotted out every so often but it's not the reality. If they only adjudicated on clear and obvious errors there would be no need to wait for ages whilst multiple slow motion replays are reviewed. It's virtually impossible to reconcile clear an...

claretspice

Sorry spice, its 100% the epitome of a clear and obvious error. You can slightly excuse Attwell for giving it in real time (but not much given his positioning) but anyone who has ever played football knows, whether they admit it or not, that Duran has dived and simulated injury to win a penalty. Ev...

claretspice

If that pen is at the other end it doesn’t get given by Attwell and then VAR go with the onfield decision (no pen). If you support Luton and you clearly want Villa to win the game you give the onfield decision so that VAR have to go with it (pen). Same incident, 2 different outcomes depending on wh...

claretspice

If you look two posts above yours, you will see direction from Howard Webb that it doesn’t have to be clear and obvious for VAR to intervene when there is minimal contact. It’s no surprise to see you try your upmost best to defend an abysmal refereeing performance. You missed the bit when I said it...

claretspice

When we started signing players who do not match the intensity of their opponents - and tolerating that deficit: for all the furore over decisions, this was the story of Villa's second goal (Berge) and third (Tresor especially for a total absence of support to Taylor, but also Ramsey whose first tou...

claretspice

I don't think the penalty is a pen - it is extremely soft - but it's not a clear and obvious error once given. Those decisions can and do get given (it is very similar to the free kick for a foul on Taylor that prevented a Liverpool goal on boxing day, which went our way). The handball is very diffi...

claretspice

I disagree. Even this season his best game was Arsenal away where he played the central role. He wasn't effective wide last time we were in the premier league in my opinion. I like the guy and thought he was superb last season, but it's a sad inditement of our transfer activity if he's the best we ...

claretspice

Really don't see the point of having JBG wide at all. After establishing he's better central at his age and signing 100 wingers, he still ends up starting there. Crazy. I don't think we did establish he was better central, at least not in the Premier League when the onus is more on defending and tr...

claretspice

Amdouni is a very talented lad but we’d surely be better going with a slightly more conservative side and staying in the game etc. said it before but he’d be a great sub to bring on and ‘go for it’ if the scores are level etc. At some point he's going to do something memorable which will be conside...

claretspice

Ramsey never played a free role off a striker against United. He was one of the dual 8’s either side of Cullen. That was true in some respects but Ramsey had a lot more freedom to attack and Brownhill did a lot more sitting alongside Cullen, so not sure it is a distinction that makes a difference f...

claretspice

Reckon if he's fit I'd play Ramsey off Foster and Odobert one side and JBG the other. Ramsey has hos limitations but when he played in a free role off a striker against United at home he gave us some running power and I'd like to see more of him in that role.

claretspice

A fair opinion even if I think its incorrect. Tresor completed 2 dribbles within the first 60 seconds and had more successful dribbles in the final third than anyone on the pitch apart from Odobert who played more minutes. Each time he had TAA beaten. Just couldn’t find the final ball, like all the...

claretspice

Needed to do miles more than he did tonight. Has a lovely touch and lovely balance but his end product wasn't there and he gave the ball away cheaply too often, too frequently in dangerous areas. And he didn't work hard enough to press Liverpool or make their lives difficult- far too passive without...

claretspice

Trafford- 9 - thought he had his best game for the club. Vitinho - 6- perhaps a bit passive for both goals but generally OK. Taylor - 7 steady enough afternoon and showed some real steel at times. Oshea - 8 - our best outfield player and dominant in both boxes when the chance allowed. Beyer - 6 - a ...

claretspice

That was poor. Yes, Liverpool are good. But the basics just aren't there. Second balls, tracking runners, pressing. Much has been said about how we play with the ball but we're worse without it in my opinion. Some lovely moments of possession without creating anything. Agree with all of this. Lack ...

claretspice

Appallingly easy. And after a fabulous opportunity, self created, from which Amdouni should have done loads better.

Got to show more intensity

claretspice

I'd love this team to work but I worry its a bit lacking defensive intensity in the front 4.

claretspice

RVclaret wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 23, 2023 7:32 pm
Also played a big part in the 1st goal with an excellent intercepting tackle.

Yes, all credit to him for that and long may it continue. Good to see.

claretspice

Commy wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 23, 2023 5:10 pm
He kicked the ball away,

Again? Ludicrous. Should be a fine coming for that sort of stupidity after the Sheff U game.

claretspice

-----------Trafford Beyer OShea Ekdal Taylor JBG Brownhill Berge Redmond --------------Odobert ‐------------Rodriguez Vitinho has done little wrong but this gives is extra height and physicality at the back and I'd bring him on the right wing against Liverpool so it's a but of rotation. Odobert can ...

claretspice

That’s another option if we were to go three at the back, not the biggest fan of that system but we definitely have ready made RCB/LCB in Beyer and Chaz I don't think it even needs that personally. Keep the 442, but with Vitinho deployed to press high and wide on the right. When he played there las...

claretspice

Agreed Spice. The only thing for me is that Vitinho has been playing well and rn we have our right back overlapping and staying high and wide - if we are to invert the fullback into midfield Beyer could be the man for it. It's a role I think he's played quite a bit before. That is a fair point abou...

claretspice

I think Beyer at this stage would be best deployed at right back. It requires a little less physicality and is a bit more forgiving defensively and would give him a platform for those marauding runs of his. I don't think he's done especially well at centre back although I absolutely think he's got p...

claretspice

Of course Foster would be a better focal point if fully firing than Jay. That might help Amdouni. But this argument Amdouni is being let down by Jay's lack of movement doesn't hold water. As others have observed, Jay isn't asked to stretch the game. He's asked to take the ball in with his back to go...

claretspice

Glad I'm not the only one rating him. He's also working very hard without the ball. Think he's a class act with the potential to become a real top player for a side like City or Liverpool. I am very sorry but Amdouni is not working very hard without the ball. He just isn't. He presses OK, intermitt...

claretspice

Very hard to understand so many people giving good ratings to a goalkeeper responsible for conceding two goals. I said he was not at fault for the first goal last night. Having seen it again, that was perhaps too definitive. He might have done more to compete as the MOTD analysis showed. However, h...

claretspice

The definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Trafford- 6 - unfairly maligned by others. One top class save cancelled out by a failure to push Keane's shot wide for the second goal, but otherwise I thought he was fine and stood up to aerial b...

claretspice

summitclaret wrote: ↑
Fri Dec 15, 2023 12:22 pm
It's more than that. He sets up others from set pieces. We need someone who can compete with him aerially and imo its only Ekdal.

Wouldn't be surprised to see Jay detailed to manage Tarkowski at set plays.

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