The first Match Thread - Home to Villa, 17th Aug - 17:30

Expat_Hammer

Here we go folks, the new season is upon us.

Televised by Sky

COYI

alderz

How many of the new lads do we expect to play?

As of now, I’d assume: Areola; Coufal Todibo Kilman Emerson; Rodriguez Ward-Prowse Paqueta; Bowen Fullkrug Kudus

But I wouldn’t be at all shocked to see Antonio start, nor to see AWB come straight in

Lukerz

You have to assume yesterday’s side is the closest 11 to what JL wants. So with the exception of Wan-Bissaka who may instantly come in for Coufal, it’s going to be that team. Not sure how sensible it is to throw Todibo in for a debut with one week with us.

EXETERHAMMER

Looking forward to this season. Hope we gel quickly.

I do however worry that Watkins will terrorise our defence.

alderz

He’s chased Todibo all summer, and we’ve been pretty bad in defence in preseason. I think he’ll go for it. I also can’t see Soucek starting over JWP.

EXETERHAMMER

Also, all of our signings will get used to being in London seeing as all of our matches are in the city until October.

steve

Be great to get up and running with a win .However do think it will take time to gel .So going for a draw .Really looking forward to seeing this lot .Going to be a fun ride I hope

ASLEFshrugged

First "deep dive" of the season and first question; where is Ollie Watkins?

While Ezri Konsa and Emiliano Martinez both made their first appearances since returning from international duty in a friendly against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday Watkins wasn't even on the bench and hasn't played a minute of pre-season. Whether he's fit enough to start on Saturday is anybody's guess but Emery doesn't have a lot of options.

Unsurprisingly Jhon Duran hasn't been involved in the pre-season either and Villa's only other striker is 22yo Cameron Archer who returned after a season with Sheff Utd on a relegation buyback clause. Bournemouth are apparently interested in Archer as Solanke's replacement although maybe not so interested after he missed a sitter against Dortmund.

In midfield Villa has lost two key players, CM Douglas Luiz (Juventus £42.4m) and AM/FW Moussa Diaby (Al-Ittihad £60m). Youri Tielemans has stepped into Luiz's boots which apparently was the plan when they signed him last summer.

Villa were hoping to sign Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix to replace Diaby but as yet they’ve been unable to finalise a deal and captain John McGinn - who seems to be able to play anywhere - has been playing "in the hole" during friendlies

In addition CM/DM Boubacar Kamara is still recovering from the ACL injury he suffered in February so Villa's big summer signing Amadou Onana (Everton £50m) has formed an all-Belgian midfield partnership with Tielemans

Other signings in midfield are Villa academy graduate ML/MR Jadon Philogene (Hull £18m), 23yo DM/CM Enzo Barrenechea (Juventus £6.7m) and Ross Barkley (Luton.£5m).

Leon Dendonncker has returned from loan at Napoli after failing to secure a permanent deal and Philippe Coutinho is still on the books but he’s gone on loan to Vasco da Gama, the club where he started his career.

At the back Tyrone Mings has been out for a year and is not expected to be fit until September at the earliest while 4th choice CB Diego Carlos is the subject of transfer rumours and hasn’t featured in the last three friendlies.

Ian Maatsen (Chelsea £37.5m) was expected to be first choice LB and the addition of 20yo Samuel Iling-Junior (Juventus £11.8m) was taken as a sign that Lucas Digne might be on the way out. However Digne rejected a move to Galatasaray, has played at 45-60 minutes in all seven friendlies and has started the last two

Matt Cash was another absentee from Saturday's friendly despite playing in all the others but there have been transfer rumours. Options at RB are 18yo Serbian Kosta Nedeljkovic or moving Konsa from the centre which could give a Premier League debut to 20yo Dutchman Lamare Bogarde who has been filling in for Konsa while he was away

Emery's press conference should offer a bit more info

Best guess

Martinez
Nedeljkovic Konsa Torres Digne
Onana Tielemans
Bailey McGinn (C) Ramsey
Archer

Lukerz

Does that mean Duran to start & score the winner?

Lukerz

Aslef - I imagine Morgan Rogers will start out wide & would expect Duran/Watkins over Archer.

Lukerz

I expect we’ll see…

Areola
Coufal - Mavropanos - Kilman - Emerson
Souček - Rodríguez - Paquetá
Bowen (c) - Kudus
Antonio

The debates really are…
Mavropanos or Aguerd
Souček or JWP

I don’t expect Todibo, AWB (if he signs), Summerville or Füllkrug to start.

ASLEFshrugged

Watkins could start but as he's not played in any friendlies I doubt if he'd last a full 90 minutes.

I think its unlikely Duran will ever be seen in a Villa shirt, he was available for all the friendlies and wasn't even on the bench

Rogers, Bailey and Ramsey have had playing time split pretty evenly between them so you could pick any two from those three

Bad news for Villa, looks like Joao Felix is going back to Chelsea

Good new, Diego Carlos in talks with Fulham which could open up a bid for Feyenoord's Lutsharel Geertruida

Ravel49

I think Villa will struggle this season.
With first team departures and champions league football added (also that’s 8 games now instead of 6). Not a top four side finish for me.

buffybegood

Lukerz said:

I expect we’ll see…

Areola
Coufal - Mavropanos - Kilman - Emerson
Souček - Rodríguez - Paquetá
Bowen (c) - Kudus
Antonio

The debates really are…
Mavropanos or Aguerd
Souček or JWP

I don’t expect Todibo, AWB (if he signs), Summerville or Füllkrug to start.

I think Todibo starts (instead of Mavropanos) if he's had any sort of pre-season at Nice, and JWP defo starts ahead of Soucek.

alderz

I think he's going to want Todibo and Kilman playing together as quickly as he can have them

Lukerz

Yes I’d say maybe Todibo is the one who may push into the side but I’d have thought he’d have started JWP on Saturday if he was going to start him against Villa.

alderz

Lukerz said:

Yes I’d say maybe Todibo is the one who may push into the side but I’d have thought he’d have started JWP on Saturday if he was going to start him against Villa.

He gave them both 45 minutes though, so whichever one started doesn't matter too much, I'd have thought?

ASLEFshrugged

Whoops

Jhon Duran didn't play in any of Villa's friendlies cos he was at the Copa America

Colombia reached the final on 15th July, lost to Argentina 1-0 AET. Duran was on the bench for every game and only played 15 minutes at the end of group game against Costa Rica 23rd June

ASLEFshrugged

Athletic reporting Cameron Archer may be off to Saints for £15m plus £2m add ons

It looks possible that Ollie Watkins will be the only first team striker available tomorrow and he's not kicked a ball in anger since 14 July

IronHerb

Well rested then. 😱

thornburyiron

Villa have signed more new players than we have. 9 to our 8. Potentially two totally unrecognisable teams from the last time we met

Lukerz

I think I would go:

Areola
Coufal - Kilman - Aguerd - Emerson
Ward-Prowse - Rodríguez - Paquetá
Bowen - Antonio - Kudus

Fabiański, Mavropanos, Todibo, Wan-Bissaka, Cresswell, Souček, Guilherme, Summerville, Füllkrug

I understand there will be clamour for Todibo & AWB but I think throwing them in all at once against a cohesive & established Villa attack is a risk.

1-1

buffybegood

I think you could be right with that team Lukerz, although if Todibo had any sort of pre-season at Nice I could see him coming in for Aguerd. Tbh I'd also much prefer Füllkrug to start over Antonio too. It might be too soon for AWB, although he has had a full pre-season with Man Utd, and his pace over Coufal would be an asset against Villa's pacy forwards.

EXETERHAMMER

I would not be surprised to see Soucek on instead of Rodriguez

buffybegood

EXETERHAMMER said:

I would not be surprised to see Soucek on instead of Rodriguez

Personally I'd be very surprised if Rodriguez doesn't start.

ASLEFshrugged

thornburyiron said:

Villa have signed more new players than we have. 9 to our 8. Potentially two totally unrecognisable teams from the last time we met

All those players are aged 20-23 apart from Ross Barkley and only Onana and Maatsen are likely to make the starting XI

Emery singled out Morgan Rogers in his press conference so guess he's got a good chance of starting

Kuchinghammer

I think all of those suggested will get minutes, if Lope uses subs. I'm looking forward to seeing it. CoYI!

IronHerb

I can see AWB, Todibo and Fullkrug starting. He's chased AWB and Todibo all summer and Fullkrug isn't some green kid. We'll see.

jay_in_cpt

IronHerb said:

I can see AWB, Todibo and Fullkrug starting. He's chased AWB and Todibo all summer and Fullkrug isn't some green kid. We'll see.

Green kid = Hulk's son.....?!

IronHerb

Let's hope so.

MIAHammer

What are the odds of Dhuran coming on as a sub and scoring?