Emery's Villa vs. O'Neill's Villa

[aldridgeboy]

I remember his song more than the player.

[rob_bridge]

Emery’s team would win. He would focus on MON’s plan A and nullify it. Game over.

Indeed even if O Neill got the first 6 picks

[algy]

No competition. As it stands I'd be confident that Emery's Villa would beat Brazil 1970. O'Neill's Villa would get absolutely trounced.

[London Villan]

It's a tough call - player for player I don't think there is a lot in. We're much more adaptable now, but still are a little soft at the back (at times, but not this week obviously.)

[Somniloquism]

There were more weak links in the O'Neill sides, but the best of them - Young, Barry, Milner, Laursen, Mellberg would have all have been incredible if they were playing under Emery.

We pretty much have Barry and Milner already on the pitch in the form of McGinn. Engine to go all day everyday, but the range of passing, and especially the arse of Barry.

[WarszaVillan]

It's a tough call - player for player I don't think there is a lot in. We're much more adaptable now, but still are a little soft at the back (at times, but not this week obviously.)

One of the most satisfying things about this week was the clean sheets. If we could take this into our away games things would greatly improve

[Rigadon]

Peak MON villa would give most teams a game, but never dominated against the top sides like this team does.  It was all counter attacking and physicality back then - very effective and exciting though it was. This team is just better all round and I think will actually win something and break the glass ceiling of the modern era (CL qualification). 

[itbrvilla]

To fit our current style of play I'd take Petrov, Barry, Young and Milner, as much as I love Laursen and Olaf, I'm not how they would cope with tight passing in front of goal.

[LeeB]

We’d smash them, especially at home. 6 or 7 nil.

They're both "we" :

Self-funeral scenario.

How would we handle the SCORCHIIIIIIOOOOOOOs?

ExcelDawg with spreadsheets to explain the disparity in the wage bill between both teams.

[pablo_picasso]

I think we would dick ourselves.

An Emery team would dismantle an O'Neil team with ease.

Don't get me wrong, the O'Neill years were great, but O'Neils teams were always lacking in the "final' push from being good to being great.

And thats because there is only so far a manager can take a team when all he is relying upon is his ability to man manage players.

Because tactically, O'Neil was limited.

Especially in the final 20-30 mins of a game.

And especially in the final third of a season as players were winding down after the sugar rush.

I forget how many times I said to the people around me that as soon as he started sitting us deep that we would concede.

Emery is so far advanced regarding tactics compared to O'Neil, they might as well be playing a different game.

I hate that "chequers v 3D chess" bollocks saying from American politics, but it's probably the best way to describe the two in terms of management ability...

[Legion]

Emery > Judas Pubehead.

[brontebilly]

O’Neil signed Marlon Harewood. I don’t think he deserves to be spoken of in the same breath as Emery. We finished 6th because a lot of other teams were shite.

That's ridiculous and I'm not a MON fan! 3 x 6th placed finishes is a row suggests a very competitive team. Blew a CL spot definitely one of those seasons, the disastrous signing of Heskey and unbalancing the midfield to accommodate the donkey did for us. Emery hasn't yet but he will make a terrible signing or two!

I know there's a lot of whinging about Phil Dowd in that league cup final but from memory that wasn't a regular Man United X1 we played on the day. Bar that good start we kind of flopped if I recall correctly. MON's odious personality detracts from an objective assessment of his reign imo.

[brontebilly]

To fit our current style of play I'd take Petrov, Barry, Young and Milner, as much as I love Laursen and Olaf, I'm not how they would cope with tight passing in front of goal.

Think Luiz is already a better player for us than Petrov was at his best. McGinn by the end of this season probably makes the best Villa X1 of last 25-30 years if he continues his form. Better than GB though? That's a tough one. Ramsey still has a big contribution to make this season too.

[Rory]

Not wanting to be glib, but the game has changed so much I think our current crop would beat most of that era of PL teams, let alone our former selves.

Fielding theoretically the strongest possible MON side, with Barry, Milner, Young, Carew, Laursen, I think they'd definitely score, because there was a lot of danger in that side. But the current boys would utterly dominate the midfield and, tactically, Unai would have MON on toast.

4-1 to the 2023 vintage would be my guess, with about 75% possession.

[olaftab]

Pointless comparison.
Whilst not a fan of O’Neill his team sustained a consistent achievement in League positions and a cup final and semi final, Unai has not delivered anything as yet other than we have won many games and a lot of promise. We can look at this at the end of the season.