peterw

I think it has been generally accepted that we recruited brilliantly last summer so there's no reason to think that the 15m+ disclaimers amount won't be sufficient this time around to push further up the table. We suffered from strength in depth rather than not having a marquee or two. Not that the latter wouldn't be nice. I just don't think we need that to make a big difference for next season.

I think we'll be top half but just not good enough for top 6 yet. So 7th or 8th for me.

and effectively swapped Cahill for Zat Knight

If you look at plain statistics in Smith's first season we got promoted. In his second season we stayed up and made a major Cup final In his third season we've looked as good as I've seen us for many decades in many games, and finishing comfortable mid-table. There is absolutely nothing wrong with fans having a moan and a groan during a game - we all do it, but as Graham taylor pointed out in his first spell as manager, that they (he) aren't blinded by emotion. That a manager probably wants to succeed even more than fans because this is their job. This is what pays for the kid's schooling, the mortgage, etc etc. managers are acutely aware what poor performances and results ultimately mean. if Dean Smith isn't making a change its for a footballing reason and not because fan A, B, or C thinks he's lost the plot, doesn't know what he's doing, or can't manage at a certain level, which in itself is one of the most ludicrous charges at anyone. Should we not have signed David Platt because he only had experienced lower level football? Dwight Yorke because of not knowing anything but easy Caribbean football? Dean Smith has done a brilliant job for us. yes, things haven't gone brilliantly over the past 10 games but there are a multitude of reasons behind that - short pre season, Covid break, some players taking time to come back after contracting covid, the loss of one of the best performers in European football - or it could be that we've just had a bad dip in form. Either way, you don't jump at the first sign of stormy waters. I though if anything from the lerner/O'Neill times taught us is the need for stability and careful considered planning. We have that at the moment - great owners, an excellent managerial set-up from purslow down, plans for the club from grassroots up, and a vision for the first team and what we want and how we get it. Just two years ago this was the squad (with one or two rested) for our final home game v noriwch 12 Jed Steer 3 Neil Taylor 4 Axel Tuanzebe 21 Alan Hutton 30 Kortney Hause 6 Glenn Whelan 8 Henri Lansbury ' 14 Conor Hourihane 37 Albert Adomah 19 André Green 26 Jonathan Kodjia Substitutes 20 Birkir Bjarnason 17 Keinan Davis 28 Lovre Kalinić 24 Tommy Elphick 27 Ahmed Elmohamady 15 Mile Jedinak 22 Anwar El Ghazi Does anyone not think that the work that has gone into transforming that squad into what we have now; and how we have been performing is not credit to the hard work of Dean Smith? Manager after manager used to bring in players and you would barely see them improving through coaching. Whoever, we bring in now improves. The coaching is paying dividends and we are seeing well coached players. That is down to dean Smith, his ethics and expectations on the training pitch. i'd be no closer to talking about removing Smith as i would be expecting me top get a start against Man u this Sunday. Its not all been pretty but we've improved season after season. I expect better next season. I'd also expect Dean Smith to be talked as one of our greats when he leaves.

Page 1979 and it feels like Villa are in 1979 in terms of development. A couple of decent mid table finished whilst we build the team. In a couple of years I fully expect us to be challenging for top 4 and Cups.

No need to sell and although he needs to be replaced eventually i don't think he is one of the first names that need to go. I didn't think he would have any part to play in this season but to be fair in some games he has looked sharp and worth the shirt. Sadly, not a player who will be a threat for 90 minutes but that's why he's not starting. That said, i can't remember the last villa penalty taker (Barry?) we had where i had absolutely not doubt that he'd score.

top 4. At worst I think we'll be in the 3rd-7th bracket. We'll also win a Cup.

Not sure I fully believe that. We wouldn't just be hanging around like the lonely person in the club waiting for the good looking people to be snapped up before you get your chance. We'd walk away if we know he's looking for something else.

I'm not saying I would want him back. But if the conversation is about getting a back-up forward in, then I think a loan deal is most likely for a prem forward rather than shelling out what's left of our budget on someone to sit on the bench for a large part of the season.

I wouldn't be surprised to see benteke on loan.

Well it will only weaken us if we get the injuries that we had last season and that's not a guarantee. It would of course it would be nice to get another forward in but there is a limit to what we can spend. I'd prefer to see c/m and c/b shored up.

He is a wide midfielder so his passing range is naturally better as you would expect for a midfielder. he was only moved back when at hull - and largely unsuccessfully as Hull fans thought he was a useless wing-back. His passing range (albeit against a league One team, and a Championship reserve team) has been excellent as highlighted but I would be more appalled if his passing wasn't better than an out and out defender.

I wouldn't be looking for another forward unless one falls into our lap as it were. We have two competent forwards and the back-up should be ready in 3 months. If we are that unlucky that Watkins and Davis get inured then Traore can do a job until wesley is back. Given where we are with our squad there are more important areas to fill like centre-mid - although ramsey is putting up a good shout for consideration for the matchday 18.

The other thing is that Elmo is only ever going to be in and out of the squad. but what an in-and-out upgrade he is on Hutton, who in years to come will only be remembered for one goal and his 'legendary' status because of it will be diminshed the more we see competent right-backs and the 'cover' players.

I know what you're saying and they are excellent stats. However, what is the point of your Mings 'context'? One is a wide midfielder now playing at the back the other is a centre-half who has occasionally filled in at left-back. That's like saying Watkins has scored 2 in 3, Mings however has 0 for context.

because he had no choice. We were losing, leaking goals, Wesley injured, Samatta and Davis getting little service and not scoring. So, to try and change things we were set up defensively. I don't remember exactly but 6 games after the restart we were W0 D2 L4 having scored 1 goal in that time. maybe 2 goals - I can't recall now. Defensively we were better but only because we had to give up being an attacking threat. We're now addressing the attacking but defensively we're light in quality.

We defended better and as for the games we won, we were lucky to not be one down at home v Palace and everyone else were on their holidays. But we were hardly an attacking threat as we decided clearly to try and nick goals mostly through set-pieces, whilst holding deeper but better shapes defensively. Pre-lockdown it was the opposite way around, we tried to attack and once found out we were opened up so often and too easily. We haven't yet worked out how to be effective at both aspects. As for broken, that is something that happened years ago, under Lerner, and something we are slowly building back from.

But it very much is broken and its still only being mended. With Jack on the left we have little to no threat anywhere else. Moving him inside whilst getting to wide players - whether in a 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 is crucial to both Jack as well as the team. We need to rely on him less otherwise it'll make any future separation very difficult to recover from.

Truth be told I'd still like an experienced centre-half and a holding midfielder. I think we are still relatively weak in those two positions and last season showed us that we aren't yet able to be a threat and solid. The signings and links thus far seem designed to make us a threat, but without better solidity it appears that we are still an either or team.

Shay Given played less than 40 games for us in a 4-year stint. He was at the club for a while, but not necessarily in the team. \he was even farmed out on loan to Boro whilst with us. He was just our Cup keeper in the end so hardly someone who stood out with stellar performances later in his Villa career. In all, as I said, just a *meh* keeper we signed on a 5 year deal on stupid wages that was just a pointless signing.

Shay Given? I count him as one of the many *meh* keepers we've had since maybe Friedel, but definitely Bosnich (James wasn't too bad but he will never get a free pass since 2000).

Just to be a pedant but it's 18 minutes from east croydon to London Victoria, slightly longer to London Bridge, so half-an hour is if anything doing itself a disservice. as for croydon the place is okay - people don't tend to realise how big it is, roughly the size of Leicester, so they'll be good and bad. Some of it is green and leafy. other parts are total dumps.

fair point but the plan is to get him working with Jota so he can learn about playing wide and cutting in. My ITK said the club are worried that selling Jota will upset Messi so lansbury is on a Spanish speakers crash course to keep him onside. Not in a football sense ha ha ha ha.

Third, because the surprise signing of Messi should still rock up at B6 before him. 100% fact and ITK, by the way.

if the market dictates his value then there's little point in ill educated opinionated one-eyed football fans saying how much they'd prefer to pay. I think 20m is too high too, but market forces in England set the price - that's where the negotiations come in. Don't forget Arsenal also don't want to sell, which also sets the price slightly higher because that is his value to them. Also, if you look at the cost of other goalkeepers that go from one English club to another than from the ill-informed looking from the outside it kind of sits at where a goalkeeper of his apparent ability should be.