peterw

Not a fan of the black one. Just a bit dark and gloomy. love the claret sash one though. If I bought one I'd seriously consider doing a parade down the Shankhill rd. its that good.

I think the point is that when there is a major international tournament most of the transfer dealings are done afterwards rather than before. With that in mind I think that Percy is alluding to us sorting something out before mid-June because agents/players/managers will all be doing other things around the Euros.

I'm not so sure. i think the two warm-up games will be ideal for Jack to get fully up to speed in time for Croatia.

I think he is the type of player that is what keeps Academies alive. I don't think he'll make the top flight but we'll sell him on and he'll probably have a career in the lower leagues. But the money we get in for him and others of his ilk will pay for the Academy (around £5m per year) to the point it becomes self-sustainable. I think of the current batch only 1 or 2 will make it at villa and think we'll see transfer fees for Young, Philogene Bidace, Raikhy, Bogarde; Chrisene, Ramsey. maybe even Barry. The keeper at Ayr too that I don't remember Saisolo? Those together will bring in more than 5m and then we'll have the next crop of youngsters coming through.

I'm not sure the 'what if Ollie breaks his leg' really stands up. As correct as it is, you could argue that for almost every position - what If Jack breaks his leg? What if Tyrone or Konsa breaks his leg? What if cash breaks his leg? Targett? Martinez? and on and on. We do not have deep cover everywhere so you look at the most important positions. We have some good youngsters coming through but cannot go into a season relying on them so which one position is the most important - It would seem the attacking midfield position is the one where we are crying out for more quality. That should be number 1 and is where the team would improve instantly. The second would probably be CDM. I like Luiz but it has to be remembered that he too is still very young and will have games where he is completely off it, so a taller number 6 option for me is the next priority. after that its a wish list coupled with getting strength in depth. A left-back (although Guilbert if fancied by Smith can and has played at left-back so could cover), and a wing and attack option. But not at 40m, as that would be a player expecting to start. I wouldn't start Tammy over Ollie, nor would I shift Ollie wide to accommodate him. if a top quality left sided attacking player becomes available then I'd buy him and shift jack to the middle. Other than those two areas, the rest is filling in the blanks.

Yeah, I thought he played well, too.

Ha - to be fair, in the thread title it doesn't mention anywhere that I should bother myself with other people's opinions as I rate them most lowly, hence I skipped the opening post. But... £80m and 4

they could win a trophy every season for the next 5 seasons and they'd still be in our shadow. Have you seen those youtube videos where a little child is running away and petrified of their own shadow? That's them.

net - £65m

I like him. He annoys me but I like him. You know that a lot of the time what he does will not come off and it'll be rubbish, but those exciting moments where he looks dangerous are what fans love. I'd be more than happy to have him on the right next season as we look for a back-up and not necessarily a replacement. I'm guessing but haven't our two wingers scored something like 16 between them? That's pretty impressive.

Think they mentioned on commentary that he was/is actually a Tottenham fan.

I prefer the other Watkin's goal at Arsenal. Better technique all round.

The criticism of Mark walters at the time was that for every unbelievably brilliant game he had for us he'd have another 4 or 5 where he'd be anonymous. The mark Walters who went to play for Rangers when they were good and Liverpool. The Mark Walters who is still highly though of by Villa fans. Traore has been up and down and last night was frustrating as he dallied too long too often when the shooting opportunity presented itself. Still, I'd save judgement on him until next season. For me this season he gets a b-.

Not at all. Do you think that's the first time a team double up'd on Jack? It just happened that Coufal had a great game on the night. he's had that attention for most of the season and dealt with it. He hasn't suddenly been found out.

Wahoo! I win.

yeah, it's his eyes isn't it. I get lost in them too. that is what you mean, isn't it?

I think davis needs a run of games which he won't get here so would expect him to go out on loan. Which means bringing in another forward a necessity i guess, but I doubt we'd spend 30-40 million on one.

I remember seeing the fixture list at the start of the season and hoping we had points in the bag as we had a horrible run-in. I genuinely feared for us. Liverpool A Man U home Everton A Man City H Tottenham A Arsenal H Chelsea H Most sides facing that run of teams (in whichever order) would struggle. That we have been competitive in every game thus far - and taking points again for me shows we are moving in the right area, not that our form during that run of teams has suffered.

Depends on the circumstances. Bottom three - cut adrift- playing poorly. Then, yes, he'd be under real pressure. Bottom 3 = jack out/Martinez out/ Konsa out/Mings out./ Watkins out etc- then there's an exception to the curcisumatcnes similarly - bottom 3 but 4 or 5 points from 10th? then again, I wouldn't jump. football is never just black and white. Appointed Poch and then sacked him? How has that worked out for Tottenham, better? worse? the same?

Really? How many games? 3, 4 , 6? Or trust that it will come good? Pull the trigger after he's signed new players? Won't that have a destabilising effect? Changing managers mid season is always risky and unless there is an upgrade in the offing, then there needs to be calm over any ensuing storm.

Its untrue because there were 50 minutes + 9 games to go after that ghost goal. I could just as easily say that we would have come out inspired with a rollicking from the manager and would have gone on to win 5-1. If it was the last game and then we survived because of it then, yes, but not when there is over a quarter of the season to play. If Liverpool miss out on the CL by 1, 2 or 3 points would they be just as valid in arguing that it was the 7-2 at Villa that made them miss out? Clearly not.

Ultimately with Smith he has deserved the right to take us into next season professionally over emotionally. he has made mistakes undoubtedly, but the club are in a far healthier position then when he came in so as a Smith fan I would see no reason to even question him professionally. He's earned the right to be a Prem manager, to have money to spend, to coach and mould as he sees fit, because of the hours spent at Orient, Walsall, and Brentford, and now at Villa. That he's a Villa fan is a bonus not the reason I'd want him, or anyone, to keep the job.

I'm afraid its the times we're living in. Football managers get it from the owners because of the amount of money in the game. The slightest feeling of losing money will see a manager come under more pressure and then a manager gets sacked. The problem wth that is that until you land on one where it works out, you become victim of chasing your own tail and sack and sack again, to justify the very first time you did it. We actually think 'wow' to any top flight manager - maybe even lower down the rungs - that have survived for 3 seasons. I remember coming into the 80s West ham had something like 3 mangers since the end of WW2 (or something). Longevity was possible without the weight of millions, or billions. But fans have also got a lot to answer for. We live in a digital age where we demand instant reaction and gratification. Where we expect to get what we want and demand to be heard. I mean look at us, here, banging our drum because we demand a voice and think its important. People opine rather than base their opinions on facts and its what gets us into trouble in the political world (think brexit) and can allow a platform for fans to demand A B or C simply because they think they're right. I'm right though, I know.

When we loaned him back to caen he played a lot of games at left-back so its possible that Smith will keep him as a back up option to cover both full-back areas. Personally i'm not convinced as I think he's just below the level that we require but if as has been said above he's happy to sit on the bench and cover then okay.

Bielsa and Leeds had a more settled unit when they come up and didn't have to spend as much money on players as we did just to try and build a squad. Also, there is not one person who thought Bamford would have the season that he did. There are plenty of teams that have gone up and had a great first season - Sheff U being one - so does that make Wilder comparable to Bielsa? A few seasons ago it was the same with Norwich under Lambert which convinced us to go and get him. So, by the argument of some above is Lambert also the equal of Bielsa? As it is we're ending the season poorly. Disappointing but there are reasons. As all clubs have when going through a poor spell. But if anyone cannot see the difference between the coaching now and even compared with bruce is really just watching Man city in their spare timer and just being that character from little britain, "Want that one". There are not many teams better than us that transition the ball from goalkeeper to attacking areas than us. I've gone from panic of last season when Nyland/reina et al looked to try and move the ball to repeatedly saying 'oh, well done' as time and time again we move the ball through teh lines and channels. That, is coaching. I do wonder at times how poor Ron would have fared at the end of 78-79, and 79-80 seasons if there was social media back then? Villa on the back of an exciting team in 77 ended up with 7th and 8th place finishes. Then after losing Andy Gray (and Gidman) go out and by a centre-forward warhorse. No-one at the time was particularly enthused to replace Gray with Withe. Social media would have been in meltdown comparing Saunders to some other midtable manager and highlighting how them finishing a place or two above us shows how bad we are and them, great. Villa are doing fine just now. We are in a place with there still is a deep connection between club and fans. between manager and fans, and players and fans. Smith has still got bucket loads of credit and its a great feeling. Yes, he's not beyond criticism but he's also worthy of our full support. He's given us what Houllier, McLeish, Lambert, Garde, Di matteo, Bruce couldn't. He's given us a Villa to be proud of and who other teams (unless you're Man U...) know will give them a game. Its a low bar that we have been given since the Lerner tenure but Smith is lifting us out of it. It may be that he has reached his level, I just don't think it is.