nick76

Re my last comment, maybe it suggests Luiz is close to signing a new contract. Also a very big difference between a kid doing it and one of your main players doing it. It wouldn’t surprise me if we hear Dougie signing a contract in the next few weeks.

If it’s not enough then he isn’t going to be staying so it is that simple really because it doesn’t look like we’ll be upping our offer.

Yeah maybe he’s indicated he won’t be signing again with Villa to Gerrard. Maybe we have tried the carrot for the last six months and Gerrard and co may feel that the stick may work better. Anyway for an 18 year old, reasonably talented player to try and hold so much power, Gerrard and co probably aren’t using it as punishment, they are just bored of it from a kid and moved on with players that want to be here who are actually main parts of the senior squad. Preseason is about bonding as much as anything else and so focus on that group. It also may suggest move positive things contract wise re Luiz…maybe, maybe not.

Or…you’re with us or not with us. Why include somebody whose not first team ready for material time if he’s going to leave. If he’s going to stay then sign the contract. It’s not punishment, just focusing on the players that want to be here.

Just read the bible to find the answer, I couldn’t find it the slavery pages, the genocide pages, the sexism pages…even the talking trees have no answer so I put the book back in the fantasy collection.

I agree and I think the same with the strikers

I hate Gregg but Gerrard said on the interview from the official website today that Chuck isn’t in Australia because he hasn’t signed the contract so I’m not seeing the difference?

We had a pretty poor second half of the season as well during several long patches that matched the start of the season.

Yeah all the positivity is great but as you say we are a fair way off a European place challenge. A great start to the window in transfers with Kamara coming into midfield. Carlos gives us additional great competition in defence but aside from that, so far, we are the same team as the end of last season that lacked quality in a number of areas and lacked both physical and mental strength. Gerrard can work on the other problems of cohesion, style and fitness but all in all, at the moment, it’ll be a good season of pushing for that top 10 position.

Yep I agree, it think it’s more finely balanced than normal circumstances given that both sides have a cause or two to get behind and turn out to vote.

Yes please I assume we convinced Kamara based mainly on money and I’m ok with that.

and that was the Encyclopedia interview as well

Footballers read?

Why? Did you say that about Kamara? Digne? Coutinho? I’d argue at least one or two are a bigger deal than he is and they came to us.

Yep it’s all risk. He could turn out to be one of the best players in the world or he could be forgotten about in a couple of years and talked about in years to come as one of those kids we thought would make it but never did and we have a raft of those over my forty years. Yes he looks exceptional but many of them did down the years. We seem to have done everything we could contract wise, he’s had some game time. If he wants to stay great, if he doesn’t he doesn’t. Good luck to him! Let’s focus on people that want to be here, I hope that includes him, if not…ah well no probs! But no way should we forsake a key first team player for him. If the kid proves himself on the training pitch he’ll get game time just like Grealish did and just like JJ does.

In a years time after a glorious season leading the line for Aston Villa

Don’t ruin my fun! He’s already said he wants to stay in Europe.

To be honest I thought that about Kamara, Digne and Coutinho but they are here. Not saying he would either but we never know individuals motivations. I’m also sure there are players that weren’t good enough that turned us down ie Rashica. So depends on the players motivation, perception of Villa, how we sell it to him, his other options and a number of other factors but to date we have gotten players recently that twelve months ago I wouldn’t have thought possible.

Try looking at it on another screen, maybe it’s your picture settings on your device?

Yep Elmo wearing

Yep just you mate! Compare to the green ‘Ships Free’ tag on it, definitely grey grey! Not green grey!

We still were 14th, we still only got 45 points, we were still poor in most areas of the pitch last season. To only add one guaranteed starter, in Kamara, to that mix is a little scary isn’t it? Carlos will fight it out with Konsa and Mings for a starting berth. I think the if and maybes in the last part but those are the fine margins that we also got some points. Over the course of the season it’s hard to argue we deserved any better than 14th. While 7th highest scorers, we know our strikers were poor last season, had many issues and not sure they fitted any system in the end. The midfielder as you say was our biggest issue but our defence had bumbling mistakes in them per game. Literally our season was saved because of 9 games in my head. The first six game under Gerrard which we flew, battled and got 12 points and we never saw that team again. Then that three game winning streak I think around Feb. Those 21 points in 9 games saved us because aside from the odd game like at Old Trafford we were poor all season.