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Right then, so this mornin’ I woke up dead set on figuring out Aston Villa’s best shot against Arsenal this weekend. We all know how tricky that Arsenal lot can be, yeah? Needed a plan.
First things first, I grabbed a cuppa tea – essential for thinking – and booted up my laptop. Started by just staring at Villa’s squad list on one screen and Arsenal’s likely starting eleven on another. My head was buzzing with all the what-ifs.
- Scoured the news sites: Checked who’s fit and who’s nursing a knock. Heard Watkins is sharp, which is grand. Martinez solid in goal, obviously.
- Dug into past games: Looked back at Villa tapes playing teams that move the ball quick like Arsenal do. Saw where we’d gotten caught out before.
- Focused on their big guns: You know, Saka buzzing down that wing, Odegaard picking passes. Need a plan for them specifically, can’t just hope they have an off day.
Next bit was messy. Grabbed pen and paper, started scribbling formations. Started simple with our usual 4-4-2, but then got nervous about that midfield battle.
Thought about packing the middle more. Maybe a 4-3-3?
- Back four picks itself mostly: Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne.
- Midfield headache: McGinn and Luiz gotta start for energy and bite. Third spot? Had Tielemans for passing, but Ramsey feels faster for transitions. Debated this forever.
- Up front: Watkins central, no question. Diaby and Bailey wide? Pace to hit them on the break.
Felt like being cautious, maybe dropping Bailey for an extra midfielder? Like Dendoncker, just to clog it up? But then worried we wouldn’t have enough threat.
Time for testing. Fired up Football Manager – yeah, not perfect, but gives a rough idea. Simmed that 4-3-3 with Ramsey against Arsenal. First sim? Absolute horror show. Got ripped apart down our right. Cash was exposed badly.
Tweaked it. Told McGinn to stay wider, tuck in more defensively. Switched Bailey to that side to track back more. Simmed again. Better, managed a scrappy 1-1. Watkins nicked one! Felt okay ish.
Had another cuppa, pondering. The problem? Playing against Odegaard in these sims. He was finding pockets everywhere. So, changed tactic – told Luiz to literally just follow him everywhere he went. Like glue. Forget build-up play, just stop Odegaard.
Sim number three… actually looked decent! McGinn bundled one in after a corner. Sat back deep after that, frustrated them. Another 1-1, but felt more solid. My game crashed after that – typical!
Then my missus yelled upstairs dinner was ready. Honestly, timed that for when I was deep in it! Had to down tools.
After eating, felt restless. Back to it. Kept flipping between that sturdy 4-3-3 and wondering if we should just go for it at home with two up top. But then looking at Arsenal’s quick counters… scared me off a bit. Might leave gaps.
Final thought? Gotta be solid first. Stop Saka, stop Odegaard, then unleash Watkins and Diaby’s pace when we pinch the ball. My best shout:
- Martinez
- Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne
- McGinn, Luiz (man-marking Odegaard!), Ramsey
- Diaby, Watkins, Bailey
Tell the midfield to really battle. Tell the wingers to track back deep. Ask Watkins to run channels.
Honestly, spent hours on this! Got stacks of paper covered in scribbles, half-finished cups of tea gone cold. Felt good finally having a plan. But who knows? Come Saturday, Emery might do something totally different and prove me an idiot. That’s football! Point is, I tried to think it through step by step, getting stuck, trying something else. That’s the practice.