Ramos - master tactician?

[sim0n]

Regardless of whether he plays a 4 or 5 man midfield, just play Bentley on the right side and dos Santos on the left. Dawson should not start, isn't that why they bought Corluka? Gunter can obviously handle RD, or at least he survived the Chelsea match. $hit, they'd be better off with Jenas at RD and Corluka at CD just to keep Dawson out of the starting 11. JJ out of position alone is better than 4 others scrambled around the pitch...
It's killing me to watch these players struggle because they're playing out of position. Bentley is a RM/RW full stop. He's a waste in the middle of the park. Corluka should play CD when Ledders can't go, NOT Dawson. When Ledders starts, then put Corluka on the right. When Hutton returns it might be a bit clearer... Both dos Santos and Lennon can play LM/LW, just not at the same time please. Let's just make the line up simple and let the lads play naturally.

:bang: COYS!!!

 

[hellava_tough]

NO NO NO!

That would not kick arse! That would get dominated in centre midfield JUST as it did last night! We havent got the players to play 4-4-2-once we establish that we can start making some progress and move up the bloody table!

I think it would kick arse - we're not playing 1970s football anymore!

Anyway, my main point was play players in their favoured positions

It's not too much to ask

PS Perhaps Corluka in the centre mid could be good?

 

[themanwhofellasleep]

It also struck me last night that Martin O'Neill had turned Villa into a very strong team without doing anything spectacular. He played a traditional 4-4-2 with two pacy wide players that doubled up with the full back when they defended and broke with pace. Their two strikers consisted of the tried and tested comination of one to hold the ball up and one to look to run into the space behind. Their central midfield had the sort of balance we have been lacking since Carrick left, mainly due to Barry putting in the sort of performance that shows exactly what we are lacking.

And having lost both of their full backs over the summer (Mellberg and Bouma), their summer signings (Young and Shorey) had actually been made with the intention of replacing them! It's not rocket science, yet O'Neill seems to be capable of getting it right and our confusing continental structure seems to be failing.

You've hit the nail on the head. I just wish we could do the basics right. We buy a luxury player like Modric but don't have the basics in place to accomodate him.

 

[DEFchenkOE]

If Modric was at Villa, he would play in place of Petrov and have the support of Barry and Reo-Coker behind him. Allowing him freedom to pick out Agb and A Young. Here so far we haven't really given him that platform, apart from Chelsea game. I feel that if we don't play him in a midfield 3 we shouldn't play him at all at the moment.

 

[Mornstar]

what i'm most concerned about is the way our team is playing. They look so incredibly disjoint on the pitch that it makes you wonder what they do in training! You get the impression that they don't really know their roles or the team strategy as a whole.

I've seen the likes of fulham, stoke and bolton play more cohesive football than us. Regardless of the lack of quality in those sides, they play to a system and you can appreciate what they're trying to do and how they've been set out (in stoke's case, replicate the playing style of the crazy gang in mid 90's).

 

[van_Pommel]

It also struck me last night that Martin O'Neill had turned Villa into a very strong team without doing anything spectacular. He played a traditional 4-4-2 with two pacy wide players that doubled up with the full back when they defended and broke with pace. Their two strikers consisted of the tried and tested comination of one to hold the ball up and one to look to run into the space behind. Their central midfield had the sort of balance we have been lacking since Carrick left, mainly due to Barry putting in the sort of performance that shows exactly what we are lacking.

And having lost both of their full backs over the summer (Mellberg and Bouma), their summer signings (Young and Shorey) had actually been made with the intention of replacing them! It's not rocket science, yet O'Neill seems to be capable of getting it right and our confusing continental structure seems to be failing.

Ummm........

Setanta had Villa lined up as a 442 with Reo Coker on the right. If Reo Coker's pacey then so is Huddlestone!

If you referring to Agbonlahor being a winger, then who was the other forward?

They play the same formation every week. 3 central midfielders, Barry, Reo Coker and Petrov, Carew up top, and Young and Agbonlahor cutting in from the wings.

We have the personnel to play this way as well. Gio and Bentley can play Young and Gabys roles and Modric, JJ and Zokora the 3 CMs. Villa make it look so simple as well, every player has a role and the stick to it.

 

[DEFchenkOE]

what i'm most concerned about is the way our team is playing. They look so incredibly disjoint on the pitch that it makes you wonder what they do in training! You get the impression that they don't really know their roles or the team strategy as a whole.

I've seen the likes of fulham, stoke and bolton play more cohesive football than us. Regardless of the lack of quality in those sides, they play to a system and you can appreciate what they're trying to do and how they've been set out (in stoke's case, replicate the playing style of the crazy gang in mid 90's).

Add to that I watched Southampton play QPR on Sunday and both teams seemed to pass the ball better than we do, which is alarming to say the least.

 

[onlyonekeano]

Ummm........

Setanta had Villa lined up as a 442 with Reo Coker on the right. If Reo Coker's pacey then so is Huddlestone!

If you referring to Agbonlahor being a winger, then who was the other forward?

They play the same formation every week. 3 central midfielders, Barry, Reo Coker and Petrov, Carew up top, and Young and Agbonlahor cutting in from the wings.

We have the personnel to play this way as well. Gio and Bentley can play Young and Gabys roles and Modric, JJ and Zokora the 3 CMs. Villa make it look so simple as well, every player has a role and the stick to it.

I actually thought that last night it was more of a 4-4-2 for Villa, although I guess that's up for debate. For all his brilliance in attack last night, Young actually helped out in defence a lot as well, whereas Agbonlahor seemed more to me to be playing as an out-an-out striker.

Ok maybe Reo-Coker isn't the quickest or a natural winger, but at least he stuck to the role he was given on the right, which was to double up on Bale whenever he had the ball and get forward to support in attack when he could.

The bottom line is that they played a simple system and set out to play a specific style, with everyone knowing exactly what their role was. I'm not saying this is because O'Neill is a better coach than Ramos, but more the fact that O'Neill knows who is best 11 players are and plays in them in their most effective positions, week in week out.

 

[van_Pommel]

I actually thought that last night it was more of a 4-4-2 for Villa, although I guess that's up for debate. For all his brilliance in attack last night, Young actually helped out in defence a lot as well, whereas Agbonlahor seemed more to me to be playing as an out-an-out striker.

Ok maybe Reo-Coker isn't the quickest or a natural winger, but at least he stuck to the role he was given on the right, which was to double up on Bale whenever he had the ball and get forward to support in attack when he could.

The bottom line is that they played a simple system and set out to play a specific style, with everyone knowing exactly what their role was. I'm not saying this is because O'Neill is a better coach than Ramos, but more the fact that O'Neill knows who is best 11 players are and plays in them in their most effective positions, week in week out.

Exactly. Our problem is that ever since Carrick left we havent known our best midfield. Last season the defence and forwards picked themselves. This season(once Pav settles in) it will be the same. The problem is that no-one knows our best midfield. we have 5 CMs all with different qualities but none who are the complete package. Individually Modric and JJ are probably the best but there are question marks over whether they can play together. I think we need to set up similar to Villa, if Reo Coker can play well on the right for them then Modric can play well on the left for us.

 

[scottRFC]

hey guys hows it going

well first things first that was another bad result but i knew it was going to be hard as villa just seem to be getting better for two teams who have bought in plenty new faces they look like they have settled better

i took a night off work for this game thinking its going to be a cracker but an early goal can be worse than a late goal i seem to find onto the mamager i thought this guy was going to be stand out and show his player spotting skills i know its early yet in the season

but i just dont see the teams rythem last night middle to front and set pieces were not very good all those corners and nothing but thank god for your keeper at least with those stops that should have got the team going

i cant beleive with the squad of players thats here yous are sitting bottom anyway onto europe i see yous winning that game and beating the poles by a few to spare and that should set yous up for the league again and i reckon yous should win all four or five league games coming up

 

[badajozjim]

I think the main difference is that Villa new what they were doing and are playying the same system as last year, where we also have new players but choosing to play different systems every game. I'm also worried about the dressing room, how must Bentley, Modric and Gio feel now that Berbatov has left and we are bottom of the league without a win. Even Bale must be cursing his luck for not joining United.
On this community we have cried out for cb a lw and def cm, yet Comolli has failed to deliver, three positions which have needed to be filled for two years now. That isn't acceptable!