brookfox

Was a pretty rough watch with two teams locking confidence played in pretty bizarre conditions. At kick off the team selection looked ok to me. Three main concerns during the match. I struggle to describe our style of play and we don’t look like we have a cohesive plan for how to attack. There were some dreadful individual decisions/moments across the team. Then most of all the f-fun subs! We equalise, Everton confidence shaken so the obvious is to turn the screw and attack. Get Fatawu, Eduoard and Skipp on! Don’t wait till the 88th min to bring Fatawu on then replace Mavididi! Cooper definitely comes across as a manager who wants to not lose more than he wants to win.

Overall pretty happy with the team tbh. You can argue for a couple of changes but all said it’s a decent line up with a strong bench. Okoli vs DCL should be a good old fashioned battle.

We might win 4-0. We might lose 4-0. Or it could be anything in between. One thing we’re not is predictable! Think we can all agree Cooper isn’t a world class manager, I’m hoping today that he proves to be a lucky one.

At least Rosie is coming across as being fun which in itself is endearing. Seen her do stand up and on various shows and TM has made me warm to her. Jack Dee and his “I’m hating this” just isn’t entertaining after the first 5 mins and Babayawnde isn’t bringing anything. Favourite is the guy in the cricket outfit (can’t be bothered to find out who he is!) and the Inspector Gadget girl is also good.

Oh well, it paid Niclas Füllkrugs wages for a week.

Assuming he stays this is going one of two ways. Either he’ll now feel settled here, get his head straight and play his way into the squad/team. Or he’ll lose interest, put on weight and we’ll never hear from him again. Hoping for the former, probably expecting the latter.

It’s almost like premier league experience might actually be important! 😆

The comparison with an Enzo team is interesting as we saw second half of last season the way to beat us was sit deep, frustrate and counter. Feels like an unchanged team to Villa to me! Keep it tight early and take the handbrake off a little second half if needed.

Based on very little more than blind optimism, I reckon he’s going to be amazing for us and we’ll be desperate to sign him on a perm at the end of the season!

Feel like players like this need an early goal. Get the crowd behind you, rebuild confidence and hopefully hit some form. Go 3-5 games with no goal and maybe a couple of missed chances and it’s tough.

Wonder how many bottom half clubs have checked their accounting period this morning!

I love that he called out his junior team. Always think humility is one of the most underrated qualities in a leader.

Interesting to see this morning how close Villa came to breaking PSR in their push to break the Top4. Just emphasises the rules are in place to keep the rich rich and the poor grateful. With hindsight part of me wishes the Super League had taken off.

I must have missed the Prem statement where they were “surprised and disappointed” they were not able to penalise Chelsea for avoiding PSR sanctions for selling hotels and essentially trafficking young footballers.

It was more a reference to his lackadaisical playing style than actual drug advice.

Some speed might help!

The lack of progress on the ground was one of the things that griped me the most about relegation. It would have given us a much firmer foothold and moved the club forward as an established club, as it was we dithered and lost. In both the short and medium/long term potentially.

Well I remember it differently but could be wrong. Subs were getting ready from 60mins in my mind.

He was looking to bring them on around the 60min mark, which with the added time was 37mins left, nearly double the 20 you quoted.

I’m sorry but feels like most have decided the Cooper narrative already and are just looking for proof points. Keeping it tight early doors vs Top6 teams is sensible. Yesterday we were bringing on the attacking players just before Villa got their second. Against Spurs I’m sure we’d have won of it wasn’t for the injury. He’s been saying for weeks he wants more attacking players but he only got some of them very late in the window. On the whole our signings have strengthened the squad bar maybe Cordova Reid and even he’s a versatile squad player. Not wearing my blue tinted specs but he’s got us competitive, has a squad and will hopefully take the handbrake off vs the bottom half teams.

Wouldn’t mind seeing Ayew on the right and Mavididi starting on the left next game.

Was clearly played as a 10 to try and win the ball higher up the pitch and disrupt the likes of Tielemans. Thought he did ok at this and Villa never had a grip of the midfield imo. The downside is he’s very limited there from a creativity or goal threat perspective.

#fearful

I’m looking forward to following this thread more than the match day threads to be fair! Some decent looking loans. Thanks in advance for all the effort @moore_94 👍🏻

Given where we are I think it’s a cracking signing. Good age, getting on for 100 prem games, pre-Palace shows he can be a goal scorer, 6’2” which is a new option for us. Hope is he’s just lost his way a bit at Palace and a move and confidence boost will reinvigorate him.