Villa Game

[Monaco_Totty]

Gerrard plays the solid back four in defence with flying wing-backs, so most notably they're patiently always 'recycling the ball' around the defence & the base of midfield to start attacks - but now have Coutinho on loan so not sure how they'll use him in the 4-3-2-1 they use as 'Villa’s defensive shape' under Gerrard always has the team sit in a deep defensive block & engage with their first line of pressure around the halfway line, all the tactical reports I've read suggest they do this like clockwork.

Whoever plays up front will have to pull the Villa defenders apart constantly for sure & as ever every chance created must be taken in this game as it will become end to end stuff.

My brother was telling me that it appears Targett & Cash are instructed by Gerrard to provide the width & quickly put low crosses into the box for one of the front three to attack, so from a goalkeepers perspective a nightmare scenario & for our defence no silly rash challenges inside the box. Interesting to see who'll we have on our bench as the game progresses to conclusion.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Gerrard plays the solid back four in defence with flying wing-backs, so most notably they're patiently always 'recycling the ball' around the defence & the base of midfield to start attacks - but now have Coutinho on loan so not sure how they'll use him in the 4-3-2-1 they use as 'Villa’s defensive shape' under Gerrard always has the team sit in a deep defensive block & engage with their first line of pressure around the halfway line, all the tactical reports I've read suggest they do this like clockwork.

Whoever plays up front will have to pull the Villa defenders apart constantly for sure & as ever every chance created must be taken in this game as it will become end to end stuff.

My brother was telling me that it appears Targett & Cash are instructed by Gerrard to provide the width & quickly put low crosses into the box for one of the front three to attack, so from a goalkeepers perspective a nightmare scenario & for our defence no silly rash challenges inside the box. Interesting to see who'll we have on our bench as the game progresses to conclusion.

Gerrard’s teams work hard without the ball too which is why I am worried that they may win the ball back in bad places for us.

Getting the first goal and not going behind seems to be crucial for us

[joellufcprice]

Gerrard plays the solid back four in defence with flying wing-backs, so most notably they're patiently always 'recycling the ball' around the defence & the base of midfield to start attacks - but now have Coutinho on loan so not sure how they'll use him in the 4-3-2-1 they use as 'Villa’s defensive shape' under Gerrard always has the team sit in a deep defensive block & engage with their first line of pressure around the halfway line, all the tactical reports I've read suggest they do this like clockwork.

Whoever plays up front will have to pull the Villa defenders apart constantly for sure & as ever every chance created must be taken in this game as it will become end to end stuff.

My brother was telling me that it appears Targett & Cash are instructed by Gerrard to provide the width & quickly put low crosses into the box for one of the front three to attack, so from a goalkeepers perspective a nightmare scenario & for our defence no silly rash challenges inside the box. Interesting to see who'll we have on our bench as the game progresses to conclusion.

Targett will do well to do that from St James Park seen and given he barely played for Gerrard

[Monaco_Totty]

Targett will do well to do that from St James Park seen and given he barely played for Gerrard

Targett no mug, played in every game under Gerrard until Jan 10th, played 19 games in total 2021/22 season before Newcastle came sniffing & so they got Digne in sharpish, Digne made his Aston Villa debut on 15 January 2022.

Targett was the only outfield player to start all 2020/21 - 38 PL matches & was voted Villa's Players' Player of the Season by his teammates in 2020/21.
https://www.soccerbase.com/players/p...&season_id=146

Under Dean Smith Villa played 4-3-2-1 & full backs played same roles for him.
https://www.coachesvoice.com/cv/dean...lla-brentford/

Gerrard at Rangers used same 4-3-2-1 tactical formation to effect.
https://pythagorasinboots.com/steven...ical-analysis/

Younger brother often watches PL & world leagues Tv-games to study attacking formats & daily reads coaching tactical analysis for his job/career, so it gets passed on to me if I ask.