In for a hard season- defensive duties anyone?

[FromTheDarkness]

We lost the next England captain center back, we enter the prem and we dont have anyone with a bloody clue or leader at the back, we bought a big defensive midfielder that's playing as a center forward.. honestly wtf is going on with these tactics today?

Vinny said he out works every other manager, well Vinney you where well and truly out worked today... simple! stop our wingers and simply run though the middle as our big crap central midfielder is up the top on the back line. We had no plan B they read us like a book.
Vinney I am disappointed you where out worked by the opposition manager, welcome to the world class managers of the premiership.

We are fine going forward, good infact at passing and moving in and around the box.

As soon as we loose possession it is chaotic, players running about yet are miles off, bumping into each other yet not them, acres of space gifted to them so they can pick a pass, every goal was like this, the amount of times they tuned our players seems like they have been training with Tovial and Dean

Our midfield personal and tactic are way way off.
Berg - crap.. what's he in there to actually do? He is just a poor version of Brownhill, but Brownhill gets back and defends and puts pressure on the ball and gets his foot in, I fail to see this lads game..
Cullen, I dont get it.. ball player, thats all he offers - his passes are not that good...?

Pluses - Foster looks great, couldn't have done more with limited service - played well
- All the subs looked better than the first choices - mainly due to experience, for example Redmond gave the ball away twice, but then chased it down and forced their error, opposed to allowing them to tovail and dean us and create a chance with all the time in the world.

Of all the things we should be **** hot at - defending - gifted to much time on the ball, chaotic as if we didn't know who to mark, what runners to pick up.. it was terrible.

Credit to Villa, and Emry they put the homework in and had a game plan that worked.

[Deadlydave]

Darkness my friend I don't disagree. I don't think we can play 4-4-2 in this league. We need a holding midfielder to pick up the ball and to close down the long shots etc. It's really a joke. If we do not sort this out we will be down. Hardly an advert in the last week of the window to come join Burnley was it? It's too easy for the opposition and yes It won't do. We need some Dyche steel actually.

[FromTheDarkness]

How is Al Dakhil a better replacement for Taylor Harwood Belis?
How is Berge a better replacment for BrownHill?

removing THB from the team requires more effort and defensive cover from midfield.
removing Brownhill who last year played as a box to box, his work rate, tracking down allowed more time and space for Cullen in the middle. Berge doesnt play as a Box to box, he was playing as a number 10(I dont even understand his role)

so on the transition we have 1 less defensive player in the middle and a weaker center back, without a leader back there and a new keeper....we need more cover not less. Ontop we are now in the Premiership.. it blows my mind that Vinny thinks it will ever work...

[The Bedlington Terrier]

For 20 minutes in the second half we were the better team.

4-2-4 never works against a well drilled elite football team playing 5-3-2 with two quality full backs who can run riot.

In fairness VK changed his tactics and matched Villa up in the second half.

Reasons to be cheerful I think.

[lancaster100]

Well what a shambles, men against little lads. I do not think there is one player that can say they played even reasonable. Not sure if any director, management or player ever looks at this forum but many questions need to asked. We seem to have spent many millions on players who are no where near the level required. Looking at the so called spine of the team (Goalkeeper, centre back and centre forward) none were good enough. Trafford looked like a startled rabbit seems unable to come and collect when necessary, The middle defence was weak to embarrassing and up front we were powder puff with Amdouni having terrible body language and out of his depth. Keeper should be dropped, we should get Harwood Bellis asap (£15m is being quoted) and I do not know if we are able to find a striker who will run through brick walls - a bit like Andy Lochead (he was our last hard man up front. This game showed all our weaknesses and VK will have to be able to turn this poor application around or we are already doomed - VK said after City that would be the worst we would play this season but he was wrong. If this level is not improved then I cannot see us winning any game at this level.

[wmdave_b]

Too early to be so negative imho

[sinkov]

Didn't see the game, but I did see Sheff Utd against City, they look a good bet to stay up to me.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Didn't see the game, but I did see Sheff Utd against City, they look a good bet to stay up to me.

Our trouble mon ami is VK does not trust the players that got us back up.

I still think we will stay up but it was self evident that JBG and Jay Rod should be starting.

I must also assume Josh Brownhill was caught shagging VK's missus. His omission is unfathomable bollox otherwise.

[FromTheDarkness]

Our trouble mon ami is VK does not trust the players that got us back up.

I still think we will stay up but it was self evident that JBG and Jay Rod should be starting.

I must also assume Josh Brownhill was caught shagging VK's missus. His omission is unfathomable bollox otherwise.

yes whats going on with Brownhill? he was captain for many games last season, wasn't he player of the season?
this Berge fellow cant dance in his footsteps!

[sinkov]

yes whats going on with Brownhill? he was captain for many games last season, wasn't he player of the season?
this Berge fellow cant dance in his footsteps!

I've heard he won't sign a new contract or an extension, whether this has anything to do with it, or even if it's true, I have no idea.