What to do with Andi Weimann?
Andreas Weimann has been speaking, and has made it clear that he wants to stay a part of the first team set-up at Villa Park, with the ultimate aim of earning a full international cap for his native Austria. He’s performed well for the under 21′s previously, and scored in their latest match against Scotland. I also remember his wonder goal against the same opposition ironically enough, which shows exactly what the striker is capable of (first goal in the clip):
Here is what the player had to say, in a piece that appeared in the Birmingham Mail:
“It’s more important to play for your club first because if I play well for my club I will get the call up for the national team,”
“If I’m not playing here I’m not going to play for the national team. If I can play international football it can definitely help to improve my game and hopefully I can do that. It’s something I’d love to be involved in.”
Now regular visitors to this fair blog will know I’m a big fan of Weimann, and have been for a while. Some of our much hyped youngsters flatter to deceive, but I think Andi has as good a chance of any of this group of making it at Villa Park. He’s already scored some crucial goals in his Villa career, and that goal against Fulham was one of the highlights of a pretty diabolical season. His goal against Stoke, which I believe was voted Villa goal of the season, like the goal above shows the quality he clearly possesses.
At the moment we have five main strikers at the club, and they are Darren Bent, Agbonlahor, Benteke, Bowery and Weimann. Gabby has just come out today and said he wants to play centrally and expects to fight for his place. I agree that he should be played up top and in the middle, because I think he does most of his damage there. I’ve written previously I’d be more than happy to use Gabby as an ‘impact sub’ as against Newcastle. Whether the player himself would be is a different matter.
Of those five I’d start Bent every week, and then go with one of the four next to him. Bent has his critics, and the player has been discussed a ridiculous amount. The bottom line is though is that there is no-one else in our ranks who has proven they can grab goals in the Premiership on a consistent basis.
That leaves Benteke, Bowery, Gabby and Weimann fighting for one place. I think Lambert will rotate Benteke and Bowery like he did Holt and Morison at Norwich (although I expect Benteke to feature a lot more than Bowery for a while) which maybe leaves Gabby and Weimann competing for the other position. I guess things will change, and Lambert is well known for changing formations, and mixing things up depending on the opposition.
I’m not sure if Benteke will start with Bent this weekend, given he has had little time at the club, but this is the partnership I expect to see most games barring fitness.
I hope that Weimann isn’t frozen out, and I don’t think he will be either. It’s quite novel having real competition for places at the Villa, and it’s certainly no bad thing, but I do think Weimann has the talent to make an impact.
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Just because we both share an admiration for Weimann, its results, in his case goals and assists that count! In the big boys league now! Strikers strike, we have enough like Ireland that promise the earth unfotunately for us he “dont”deliver one in how many?
Yes Weimannn can make it but we cant wait for him indefinitely, we dont have that luxury. Score a few, do a Gary Shaw he will never be dropped!
I can see Andi being picked ahead of Bowery. PL has been on record saying Bowery is more one for the future but if he shines PL will throw him in. I don’t really see that happening yet. Andi is of more quality right now, so I would guess he’s ahead in the pecking order as well.
What a great problem we have to finally say we have some depth at the striker position after crying for it till the cows came home
I certainly cannot argue that Bent, Agbonlahor, Benteke, have a longer pedigree; but since joining the team, Weimann has shown more flair and more ‘attack-mindedness’ than either Gabby or Bent. Last season and this, Bent has 9 goals in 24 starts; Weimann has 2 goals in 6 starts — but two of Bent’s 9 were on PKs. It’s hard to watch Bent on TV here in the States and see how he may be positioning himself for feeds, but Weimann clearly knows how to move to open spaces ahead of the ball. While Bent has squandered some wide-open opportunities, Weimann has created opportunities. Like almost all Villa fans, I root for Gabby, but with injuries and somewhat of a slowdown, he doesn’t create opportunities like he did in the past. In total EPL playing time of about 7 full matches, Weimann has created excitement and turned neutral positions into attacking ones. Bent has the CV; Gabby, the fan base — but I would like to see more minutes on the pitch for Weimann. That N’Zogbia to Holman to Weimann bit, that allowed Weimann to rattle the post late in the Everton loss, was the most aggressive attack from Villa (other than Robbie Keane) in the last 40 matches. Please, please, please, play him enough to keep him interested in being a Villan.
Top post mate.
Great post – you nailed it for me. This post should be appended onto the main article. Both really good reading.
I think there will be a good deal of rotation under PL this year. So I’m sure that all players will get a go if they impress in training. Andi definetely has the attitude that PL likes so I do think he will get the chances and it is up to him to take them.
Weimann is a good player but he isn’t ahead of bent or gabby yet but it’s good 2 have options for a change in the striker department!!!
Weimann’s movement is far superior to any of our other strikers at present. His intelligent runs offer space and options for out midfield playmakers. N’Zogbia, Ireland and Bannan all have their critics (and in some cases rightly so) but sometimes there is simply no ball to play when we have Bent on the pitch. Bent relies on ball into the 18 yard box, so when building play from deep Bent makes no movement to receive the ball early on. Weimann on the other hand will move on to the defenders shoulder and make a darting run across the back line, as he did against Everton when he hit the post. Allowing Holman and N’Zogbia to find him. In my opinion Bent should not be a guaranteed starter, he should have to fight for his place like everyone else. Weimann should be looking at atleast 20 games this season.
Can only agree with the thoughts of everyone who sees the strengths of AW he is a talent with a better range of attacking skills and range of movement than either Bent , or Gabby he is not one for the future he is a now man and must surely be given oppoprtunities to show his obvious worth to the side.
What we should do with Weimann is start him every single game. Weimann is the best natural goalscorer our academy has ever produced, but hes also a very intelligent and skillful striker and he sets opportunities too. He makes these brilliant runs throughout games that our midfielders dont pick up on half the time, but with regular starts will come complete understanding between him and the other players. Eventually our midfielders will know exactly where hes going to be and what runs hes going to make. They’ll make the most of his talent and we’ll see a more consistent flow of goals for him. Weimann would be the first striker on my team sheet every week. He has the poaching skills of Bent along with the technical ability of Bannan. He could be the new Shevchenko if his talent is nurtured correctly.