StanBalaban

I think either Pau or Tyrone will be playing as a 'centre' back out on the left, rather than as a full back.

Trouble is it's difficult for our scouting team and coaches to assess how good some of these potentially available players are, as they rarely get a competitive game. Dealing with the pressure of the match is a key component for a good keeper. Emery knows what he has with Olsen and hopefully, with his backing, he can find some confidence and form if called upon.

That's fair, but maybe now that Unai has had time to work with him, he's happy enough that he's adequate as cover. I'll say again that it's not an easy position to fill. A keeper good enough to slot in when needed, but simultaneously happy to sit on the bench. Not many to choose from, which explains Heaton and Carson being at top teams.

He's not top notch, and the drop off to Emi is sizeable, but I think many are expecting some mythical keeper to come that doesn't have notable weaknesses to their game, and be content to rarely play. We don't watch any of the other reserve keepers play, mainly because a lot of them at other teams haven't played a competitive game in ages. Anyone called upon to play after sitting on the sidelines for months is going to be rusty. At least Olsen has had a good amount of time and a pre season with Unai and the coaches. I think people simply think "anyone but Olsen" is the solution.

You said it would be simple to replace him, but what top quality keeper wants to come and be second choice? Would anyone that did actually be better than Olsen? Why do you think Man U have a 37 year old that hasn't played in years as their backup?

I think this is the key bit here. They all have notable weaknesses in their game. Otherwise they'd be a #1 somewhere. Any player that gets practically zero competitive match time for months will look rusty when they eventually do play. I'd say Olsen is about the level of other reserve keepers at the top teams.

You're asking to prove a negative here. You're comparing Olsen to the first-pick keeper in Heaton, that played the last of his 20 games for us 3 years ago and not the 37 year old keeper that never plays after a very serious injury. I honestly think some are expecting to get David Raya in as back up. It's not an easy position to fill, otherwise why would May U not have better than a shot-out 37 year old. I'll say again - Man City still employ Scott Carson.

Have any of us seen Heaton play since he got his injury with us?

Assuming John Townley is right, if it's not difficult to find a better keeper why wouldn't Unai do it?

The 'problem' with having such a dominant #1 is that any player willing to be back up to him is going to have weaknesses in their game. Most, if not all reserve keepers have flaws in their play otherwise they'd be challenging for a regular start. No one comes here with the genuine belief of challenging a fit Emi - therefore we'd be replacing a player that we know and can try to work upon, with another player that the coaches need to learn from scratch. With regard to Heaton, have any of us seen him play since his injury with us? Who knows if he's still the same player.

I can't say I know too much about other team's second keeper. Which teams do you think have better reserve keepers than Olsen?

Ultimately Unai will be working with a squad where everyone has something to offer. Players won't be getting any game time if they don't impress the Don.

Yeah, went on to Nike by You. I used the US online store as it's not available locally here in Dubai, but available locally in the UK. Not all the styles have the colours I wanted, but the Blazer 77 range carries both claret and blue.

I think that's the nature of a backup keeper, otherwise they would be challenging for the top spot somewhere. From a distance, Olsen looks fine on paper and ticks a lot of boxes, but it's only seeing him upfront that we get to see the weaknesses in his game. The next guy that looks okay from a distance will also have his own weaknesses - we just haven't watched him regularly and can only see what's he's like on paper too. Hopefully Unai and his team believe some of those weaknesses in Olsen's game can be improved upon.

Unless we're bringing in a keeper to challenge Emi for the #1 spot (which would take a huge investment), there is always going to be a drop off in quality. The cost of bringing a new reserve keeper in wouldn't be massive though, so I'm confident that the finances aren't stopping him bringing someone new in. Unai obviously thinks that Olsen can improve and adapt to his playing style. Being honest, how many keepers that would come here to play second fiddle do we actually watch on a regular basis? If Nyland was still here and we were replacing him with Olsen, we'd be delighted, but we wouldn't know much about his regular game other than the odd game and his CV. Pick any viable name, and we'd know as much about their strengths and weaknesses as we did about Olsen when we signed him. Emery knows Olsen, sees him every day, and it appears he believes he can do the job of a reserve when called upon. It's not an easy position to fill - Man City still have Scott Carson on their books.

Off the top of my head, Man City are the only team that really has a full, first-team squad. By that I mean that there are multiple permutations of a starting XI without any noticeable drop off in quality. Us Villa fans are barely used to the idea of having 2 good players in one position (see LB for example). Fans would want to sell one and bring in 'cover'. That doesn't build a squad, that builds an XI with contingencies. Get it right and there should be plenty of games for people to stake a claim to start. We need to be able to tailor the team to beat the opposition in front of us. If we know what the team will be, the opposing coaches certainly will. Tyrone has welcomed the idea of competition for places. It's how we'll keep improving.

You'd have Diaby, Bailey, Philogene and Doku as your wide options. Lots of games to rotate for injuries, form, suspensions, fatigue, etc.

Not exactly relating to the Villa kit of this year, but these arrived yesterday...

I really hope he's not going to be a sitting duck running a wet setup should it be a dry race. The McLaren is quick through the corners but that rear wing kills their top speed. Hopefully he can hold onto Max early on, and have the RBR tow him away from the chasing pack.

I think it's a decent effort. With this and some of the training gear, I'll be buying up some shiz!

Having seen a footballer's contract I can tell you that they are full of tiny details, all outlining what the consequence of breaching would be. Normally they pertain to commercial arrangements, personal endorsements, brand association, permitted extra-curricular activity (e.g. dangerous sports, etc), political activity, charity work, and so on. And this is a two-way street where red lines are drawn by both sides. This is why many "done deals" can take an age to become official. It will be clearly outlined what subject matter Jordan Henderson can and cannot discuss in the public realm before he breaches his contract - which could come with huge financial penalties in addition to forgoing future income.

Humidity was 98%. I think they were actually soaking wet.

I don't know if it's a uniquely Villa thing, but we're a oddly conditioned bunch. We're a big team and want to win things, but we get fixated on having a first XI, or get nervous when paying bigger wages. I mentioned it before but Digne's (and Coutinho's) wages wouldn't put them in the top 10 at Liverpool, Man Ure or Chelsea. I can imagine similar at Arsenal, Man City too. That's practically a whole team at each club that would earn more than him. If we're going to play in the big boys pool as a big club, it is unfortunately part of the game now. Digne will be a very important part of the squad this season, especially with Moreno injured. To add: he also seems a decent character, and took on the challenge of Unai bringing his own man in to the extent that the left-backs were sharing game time successfully.

Let's not forget that the January window comes around pretty quickly. Will be interested to see who takes their chance and who gets shuffled in the new year.