Hughes

Whatever. Watched most games last season but as you tell me I am wrong I must bow to your superior football knowledge. Apart from that I was not even referring to last season but this pre-season, but hey I am sure that is just an irrelevant detail to you anyway.

Oh so we did? 45 games? Really? Nonsense. Absolute tosh. And even if we did (which we did not) we have not been close to that in pre-season. You know, the period where we prepare for the new season.

Only at Aston Villa would you see 3-5-2 being played in pre-season, even having the club promoting it, for then to turn up at the first game of the season and play a 4-3-3 which they have NEVER PLAYED BEFORE. unbelievable.

Not officially confirmed yet, though. But surely just a matter of time.

Nyland is a Villa player... if his potential comes out we have a monster of a goalie for years. He needs some love and care though.... but my oh my, what an incredible athlete and talent.

You are being ironic, for sure?

Sorry but not correct. If the new owners invest 100 mill in new equity (and not new debt), they will receive new shares and Xia will not (as he is not investing). This leads to a dilution of Xia and hence a reduction of his ownership stake (i.e. it becomes significantly lower than the current 45%).

I am not a big Bruce fan. I mean, I think he is a genuine , honest and very nice guy who really wants the best for Aston Villa, not doubt. And I also believe he is working very hard to make this club successful. However, the way I see it, he has his limitations and is not at all a long term solution, although I can concede the point that he perhaps was the right guy to come in and "steady the ship" when we were basically sinking. So, no big fan but I still see the absolute rationale in keeping him in charge for now. 2 weeks to the season starts, and what this Club desperately needs is a bit of stability and sensibility. Bruce to me is the godfather of that - not exciting, maybe not even very successful, but still stable and sensible. That will do for now, and then if/when we are mid table come November the new owners will do what they have to do...? If we keep the current Squad and add a few, we will be competitive, I have not doubt. Bruce or no Bruce, Henry or no Henry.

Could very well be, e.g. in the form of a loan with high interest convertible into shares at the lender's option, or a loan at high interest coupled with a large number of warrants (rights to subscribe shares at a predetermined price) (both structures pretty similar). Such instruments give the lender the option to chose repayment (in case of no success) or shares (in case of success). Assuming, of course, no administration or bankruptcy of the debtor....

Good effort but unfortunately I think, yes, you are clutching at straws...

It is actually both... The owner of the corporate shopping mall and retail (not far away from Xia's primary focus) Group is the Al Futtaim Family headed by one Majid Al Futtaim, the second richest guy in the Middle East. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majid_Al_Futtaim So probably not true or if true, their interest is Villa Park and the sourrounding area just as Xia has been interested in. High level and complex real estate development in and around Birmingham will be a gold mine for the years to come.

Yeah that would be the argument but really? There is no need to showcase Grealish Kodija and Chester in a friendly against Walsall -any interested parties would not make a decision on today's game anyway.... and, BB and MJ are not involved despite of not confirmed sold. Surely that is because they are close to finalising a sale and the club does not want take any risks? Then again, this is Villa after all!

Probably nothing in it but today's line up to me is strange. Starting/ risking all three of Jack, Chester and Kodija from start. Why do that if they soon are on their way out? If selling Grealish is REQUIRED to SAVE THE CLUB starting him in a friendly at Walsall and risk him being injured for 12 months is just silly. Starting all three apparently being on the top of the sales list is just reckless. But that's probably it. Silly, I mean. Fits the MO.

IF 5.4 million is correct, obviously we have to snap their hands and drive him to Turkey. Now, I like him and he is giving his all every time but surely that is an offer which cannot be refused. Seeing how we are run as a club, I am confident we will...

So, applying this and taking into consideration that BB and MJ seem.to be leaving AND assuming that all of JG, Chester and Kodija will be leaving we could still have a starting 11 of Steer / Bunn - Elmo, Tuanzebe, Elphick, Hutton - Adomah, Hourihane, Lansbury, Whelan, Green - Davis/Hogan. Subs Bree, Taylor, RHM (IF he stays fit he could be sensational), O"Hare. While not creating an orgasm, and clearly lacking in depth (we will bring in one or two more loans?!) this is IMO far from a relegation team. Far from it.

Watching Jack go is, to me, far worse than all of Platt, Yorke, Barry and all the others the last 7-8 years. A true Villan who last season showed his true level. Jack is in my opinion good enough to play at the absolute best level as it is. Apparently PSG is paying 100 million for Kante FFS...

To me Lansbury is kind of an enigma. When we signed him I for one was very happy, we did not pay much and I had seen him many times for Forest. To me, he was one of the absolute best players in the CChip, often dominating games for a crap Forest, chipping in quite a lot of goals and he was clearly a leader. No doubt he has been used in a wrong position at Villa - only Villa would turn an attacking, goal scoring midfielder into a holding CM. Still only 27 or 28, could be important for us this season but needs to be utilised correctly to bring out the best in him.

Truly a Villan. Huge potential for a few, past years but wasting them with so- so attitude and being unlucky with shit managers and injuries. This season (and regardless of manager) he came back from a serious injurury as a completely new man, player and team mate. No doubt he has spent a lot of time in the fitness room, he has bulked up a lot and the result is he has become a much better player. For sure, he is not another Stefan Moore or Darren Byfield. Grealish is the biggest talent since, well for a long time, at the Villa and he no shit could have played for Liverpool at the Champions League final. I hope he never signs for that absolute bullshit club, though. He may be gone soon but he will always be a true Villan. One more year Jack, please!

Good to see you involved my friend!

Do you support two football (as in soccer) teams? Course not. Neither do you swap teams (or "franchises").

Amusing to me that Kirk Cousins may end up with Jets or even Browns. Good riddance, if expectations of him being the best paid player in NFL history becomes correct, clearly the Skins made the right call (although they should have made that call last year already). Smith may provide what we need; more consistency and proven ability to take your franchise to the playoffs (but I question the 5 year contract). HTTR!

James Maddison at Norwich. No shit, easily one of the best players in the Cchip and only 21. Sign him up Bruce.

Not if you sack him, that would be kicking him out with no pay. We should do that but we will not as it also means we will waive any possibility for a transfer fee.

Absolutely spot on and again you are the voice of reason.

Double post....