Adam2003

Ha not even close for my money. I’m a fan of the player, and I believe there is a chance we are interested, but I don’t think we have even put a bid in yet (the story itself just says we are preparing to do so).

If we are targeting him we are also after leaders which is a model I like - Grealish is our captain, Mings is a great leader, McGinn has captained Scotland… but I like bringing in captains. JWP as well as Southampton captain of course was Grealish’s captain for the England U21s - including winning the Toulon tournament. Think they only played 7 games together but still good that they’ve had a decent amount of experience of each other’s game.

And yet on the first and third of these any time we are linked with a player where we already have a solid first teamer people ask “where will (for example) Ward-Prowse play when we already have McGinn, DL and Sanson?” I agree with you Smith needs to build a wider squad he has more faith in - but so let’s not assume a player is done for if we sign someone else in their position (not saying you’re doing that here, it just seems a common theme in the transfer thread).

You know I also thought that on first read but on review the opening sentence is very clear that we plan to put a bid in. And Doyle of all journos (as in my biased opinion the best Villa match report writer - doesn’t mean he has the best contacts of course and transfer rumours are not his thing, but he is at every game) has very little reason to just make it up. I think the rest of his article (to your post above) is saying “if it’s not JWP they want someone like that” but it’s a confident opening from a ‘real’ journalist not a rumourmonger. But I agree with many of the posters on here that I can’t see it happening, I don’t think we will pay what they would want so our ‘set to make a bid’ will likely quickly become ‘have had a bid rejected’. As will happen with a number of targets we don’t even hear the original rumour about I’d guess.

My beef with Southgate was that he didn’t see Grealish in the top 23-26 players in the country (and it was a decision based largely on personality). That was nuts. However, much as I personally think Grealish should start every England game, I don’t mind if Southgate prefers a different starting XI line up. Ultimately that’s his call. I am sure Jack will get minutes off the bench and then needs to play his way into the team - like Platty in 1990. He ended up England captain of course…

It was Elmo and Taylor

Within the final 35-40 yards from their goal they will think twice if we can get a great set piece taker into the team - whether JWP or another. Or they won’t, and then that’s a chance not just a free kick shanked.

While I’d love fans of other teams whining that this is all we do… the concept that excites me more is how good Jack could be if teams were trying NOT to foul him…

Do you know I was going to say his ability to do so is an asset given Elmo’s leaving… except for all that I rate him as a midfielder, I do think we ripped him apart when he played RB vs us…

Suddenly interested to see how he and Jack link up for England today… (and at the Euros as I think he’ll be Trent’s replacement and I think he’ll get some minutes…)

It’s going to be good when Jack wins us the Euros and Emi Martinez saves the winning penalty in the Copa America final…

Haven’t read the piece but if it was about the YOUNG midfielders that makes sense. Those you mention are all 5-8 years younger than him.

These five plus Ramsey is hardly an overload of depth between 3 midfield positions if we are playing 4-3-3, and any two of them work in a 4-2-3-1. I think we would be fine without JWP because I rate our existing central midfielders but I can see the logic behind signing him. Would suggest we won’t sign another winger though and will have Grealish, Buendia, Traore, AEG as our wide options. Then Carney and JPB pushing for minutes and a place on the bench. That’s a good place to be for us as a squad.

Honestly it’s positive either way. I mean not selling Jack, that’s awful, but IF we are selling him I’d rather have all our replacements in up front. We have to accept that we don’t want him to leave but at some point he might have an absurdly high price. The stronger our squad, the more likely we are to keep him AND the better prepared we would be if he left (which I don’t think he will).

Good comparison for him actually.

You know, I still don’t think there’s anything to this… BUT Grealish made those free kick comments to the Guardian. It’s not crazy that their would have been a “are you after anyone to remedy that?”, “well I’ve heard we are after JWP but don’t print it for a couple of days” chat. That happens more than fans realise - players give a lot of “XYZ might happen but don’t print it until this point and don’t link it to me...” But then also journos make stuff up. But not Paul Doyle I don’t think - it might be a nonsense rumour but it’s one someone at the club has told him.

Yeah agreed, they aren’t particularly reliable on transfers. Weird one for Paul Doyle to make up as a very credible and respected writer but I still don’t put too much credence on this one. Doesn’t mean it’s made up, could have just been fed a line for some reason.

This article feels like it’s based on a post I made the other day saying basically “we should sign JWP because…” haha. I have always thought he’s a lovely player and must watch a different game to those who say his only value is set pieces. However much as I like him I I can’t believe this position would be a key focus for us to drop £40m on unless we are planning on spending a massive amount this summer.

This made me feel great when I read it!

You’re mixing cause and effect.. zWith Grealish and Buendia in the side we will have 80-90%

Two or three different parts of this made me laugh out loud.

I get it. From their perspective it’s kind of like if Wolves or Southampton had signed Grealish when we came up. We would have been livid. We are going places I think.

He’ll do exactly that but I think he’ll be the most forward of those three. Call it a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-5-1 I think that’s the starting line up. Of course we may not be done in the market yet!

I’ve been watching a lot of Buendia clips today (like most I guess…) and I think it’s a stretch to say RW just because of his style of play. He’s wherever he wants to be. I’d imagine our first choice as it stands is Grealish - Buendia - Traore but I think the amazing thing is we could very easily play a number of different ways with one or two tweaks.

Haha of all the countries we pick for that it would be the one with the regularly collapsing currency and that’s currently utterly devastated by the pandemic. But me I like it. Messi next as cover for Ollie.