Which player is flying?: Matty Cash. The one player that is playing above and beyond most fan’s expectations for him this season. He’s had some big moments in terms of goals and killer passes, along with tightening up the defensive side of his game.
Which player has disappointed and why?: Ollie Watkins. While he is a serial grafter and a big part of the team, as the only out-and-out striker in the squad, he will understandably be judged by his goal contributions. One goal and zero assists in the first 11 games is poor.
Tactically I think… Unai Emery has certainly tightened up as a team defensively. Initially it was compromising Villa’s attacking intent, but in recent weeks, the team have got the balance right and are mixing it up more going forward.
I want my manager to give… the team a bit more room for expression. Unai Emery knows best, but in the pursuit of honing the details of positional football, sometimes players are curbed of their instinct and expression (that entertains supporters). That said, according to Opta, Villa became the first team to score five successive Premier League goals from outside the box since Tottenham in 2011. A sign of player rebellion or of leeway granted within Emery’s quest for control?
Our fans seem obsessed with… the narrative that PSR is holding the team back, but they should be concerning themselves with what happens when Villa actually have spent money in recent windows.The latest summer transfer window was underwhelming to say the least. Probably Marco Bizot, Villa’s back-up keeper, has been the only success. Was the reported £30m+ spend on Evann Guessand a wise move? And currently, the jury is very much out on the high-profile loan moves for Harvey Elliot and Jadon Sancho.
My expectations for the season… was European qualification, with the Europa League perhaps the best shot at upgrading to Champions League football again. While it still remains the best chance of silverware, the inconsistency of other top Premier League teams opens up a realistic chance of Villa fulfilling the objective in the league by finishing top five.
Score for the season so far: 7/10
One sentence on how you’re feeling right now: I feel like the season is about to start for real and Villa’s starting grid position is pretty good, considering their early subpar qualifying laps.
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