Delphinho123

I’ve got a horrible feeling Smith will be out of a job by Xmas. His team selection was all wrong last week and I don’t think he has the players to play the way he wants to. I really hope I’m wrong, because I love the bloke, but I fear for him without Grealish.

Yep. We don't have a decent defensive midfielder at the club.

Well, we will be doing as things stand. No way we finish in the top 10 with our current side. We’ll do well to stand still. For the first time in 3/4 years, i think we’ll go backwards after a transfer window.

How does El Ghazi keep getting a game. Honestly. If Smith is going to play him, send Bidace out on loan at least to get games. El Ghazi puts in miserable performance after miserable performance and still seems to play for the club. It's utterly bewildering.

As each press conference passes, I get more and more nervous about our transfer business and how well we’ll do this season. We’ve improved the squad, but I’m not sure our first XI is any better. We desperately need at least one more central midfielder. If they don’t bring anybody else in, I’ll have to question the wisdom of whoever thinks our midfield isn’t atrocious. Sleepwalking into a bit of a disaster.

Yeh, my bad!

Did he? Did he literally do that? Literally? Cheers mate.

Yeh, absolutely, it's great that Ings is here and can deputise. I just find it frustrating that he was touch and go for the Watford game and now he's out of this game too? The club doesn't owe the fans anything when it comes to injury news, it's just hugely frustrating we're told a player might be out for a couple of weeks and then misses 3 months.

Yep, that's him done for a while. Ings might have been brought in because they know Watkins injury is a problem... Either way, it's Villa, a place where even the most innocuous injury can sideline you for 12 months.

I’ll be very surprised if this guy is the answer to our issues in midfield.

I suppose it’s whether you define him as a back up or not. I’m sure there are plenty of people on here who think Nakamba is a more effective player than Luiz. Regardless of whether that’s true or not, going into the season with those two, along with McGinn and a crocked Sanson, is a terrible central midfield. We’ve got less than 2 weeks to sort it out.

Was Luiz at the Olympics at the back end of last season too?

If you’re asking if he’s back out on the grass then yes, yes he is.

Going into the season with Nakamba as a starting central defensive midfielder is really poor on behalf of the club really. I mean, he wasn’t a PL level player when we signed him and he still isn’t. It’s disappointing players like him and El Ghazi are still getting game time.

You post as if this is definitely what has happened. You have no evidence to back these claims up.

Firstly, be careful how loud you say this, you’ll be vilified if you so much as question the Sanson transfer. Secondly, I totally agree with what you’re saying re. the central midfield, Grealish and a top 10 finish. We needed two when Grealish was here, let alone now he isn’t. We have plenty of bodies in there but none of them are well rounded enough ability wise to help us push on to the next level. Your comment re. Bissouma is an interesting one too. Not because I desperately want us to sign him (I would still love us too) but if you watched him against us last season, you’d have noticed how he ran the show and dictated the pace of the entire game when he got on the ball. We don’t have anyone that can do that. We’re so rushed every time we get the ball in there because our players, sadly, aren’t good enough to dictate the tempo. Id still be very much hoping to spend 50/60m on two top midfielders and loaning out Chuk+Ramsey. As good as I think Carney will be, he probably isn’t quite there yet and 40 games in League 1/Championship will be much better for him than 5-10 games here. I’d try to move Nakamba on. Great post.

The Ian Taylor tweet I find interesting. He very rarely comments like that and the use of the ellipsis, to me, suggest that he was a pawn in our game rather than JWP using us. As you say, this idea that the club would be taken by surprise by the JWP deal is nonsense. They’d have known for a while and I like to think we’ve moved on to other targets. Personally, I’d like us to bring in 2 central midfielders and loan out Chuk+Ramsey and sell Nakamba. Time to level up.

It’s just dawned on me that we could get Koopmeiners, Sarr and Kamada for the cost of a JWP.. Come on Villa, let’s get moving!

I do, if he was a pawn in our game..

God knows tbh. I’ve been unimpressed with him when he has played and he clearly can’t get himself fit.

Those non penalty goals stats are an embarrassment. Steer clear.

And if we lose…?

Fair. Fair. Hopefully we can make it work.

Why would you sign a player in January for the following season? When you could just wait until Summer when loads more players are on the market? Not sure I buy into that.