villabromsgrove

Lange has overseen the removal of approximately £165,000 pounds of wages per week from the payroll in the last couple of days with Guilbert and Ings moving on. Selling or just getting rid of players has always been our weakest area of operation, so Lange must take some very recent credit. If he can cancel Bednarek's loan (£60,000pw) and sell Sanson (£50/60,000pw) in the next few days that will be a big success for JL, in freeing up potential wages for a couple of quality signings.

We already have two loan players registered which is the maximum permissible under PL rules. Unless we are able to cancel an existing loan we cannot bring any more in this season.

The Bogota flight that Jhon Duran was probably on landed at Heathrow (2:33pm). It was flight number 'AV'120. Karma.

If we have a scouting department that is stats and analysis based, what possible figures could lead them to recommend Moussa Dembele to Unai Emery? He's only played two full games this season, he's started just six games and the rest have been bit parts as a sub. He's scored 2 goals (both in different games when he was subbed on for 25 minutes each time) hasn't scored since the beginning of September, and has no recorded assists, and this is in an inferior league. AshVilla said just now that it would be a "waste of wages" .... Im hoping that this thread is a 'waste of pages'.

Quite a bit slower than John Duran and no quicker than a pedestrian Danny Ings, and his work rate is on the low side according to stats. His age is about right and he's had a couple of good seasons (not recently) followed by a poor run of form. Not that inspiring .... Am I missing something?

Emery said that he would only be looking to add new players who offered something different to what we already had. I liked Ings as a fairly clinical striker but I've been concerned about how slow he has become, which the match against Leeds highlighted. I noticed recently while scrolling possible incomers stats that Deulofeu has been playing as a striker for Udinese for a while now, and wondered whether he would offer that "difference" that Unai mentions playing alongside Watkins?

I was just thinking about current Villa strikers and a thought occurred to me, Cameron Archer was 21 on December 9th so he would have needed to be registered as one of our 25 senior players, whereas prior to his birthday that would not have been required. He's now been loaned out so this is no longer an issue. Jhon Duran is just 19 so will not need to take up a senior squad place for a couple of seasons. I'm sure we have looked long and hard at players currently in our registered squad of 25 who hardly ever feature for us, with the intention of moving some out to free up space for incoming signings. It's exciting to follow rumours and speculation about possible incoming players, but the real hard graft for those in charge of player recruitment is selling or loaning unwanted players who are earning very good wages.

I really hope we do sign Guendouzi. I think most of us would agree that a major weakness with the team on match days is the lack of a killer attitude to win at all costs. We've even labelled ourselves as "a soft touch" over the last few seasons. The signings of Kamara and Carlos (when he's fully fit again) have added more potential bite to the team and signing Guendouzi would be another big stride in the right direction. We need leaders whether it be vocal, physical or sheer mental attitude.

He's one of my favourite players. I like a player who gives 100% for the team. He's a team player in the same way that Watkins is. He never hides, he always wants the ball and is prepared to play riskier 'positive' passes, which means that he gives the ball away more than a player who doesn't show up for a pass, or plays safer sideways and backwards passes. Given that he's involved up and down the pitch in attacking the opposition box and getting into goal scoring positions and also pressing the midfield opposition when out of possession, as well as regularly tackling back into defensive areas, his energy , attitude and aggressive will to win is essential to our team in my opinion. He doesn't always have good games (but it's not for the want of trying) and because of the high energy style of his game he's probably a seventy minute maximum player and not a ninety minute player, but that's why we have good subs. If all our players had the same attitude and desire we would be a team to be feared.

Hi AP. Kamara is amazingly good. He plays as a dominant midfielder for us, who controls his space effortlessly with quality and calmness. Premier League football is played at high tempo and it can be challenging for players from less frenetic leagues, but Boubacar has adjusted straight away. You must miss him. I also like Morgan Sanson a lot, but our managers haven't used him enough. Injuries have also restricted him. I lived for a while on the 'Rue Capitaine Dessemond' close to the Vieux Port de Marseille fifty years ago, so I've many happy memories of the city. Aston Villa can't match your sunshine record and the Med, but we do have more canals than Venice in Birmingham and it's a much visited city these days . Thanks for posting.

I'm a doddery old guy who's hearing and other bits and pieces aren't anywhere near what they used to be, but I can understand Unai clearly. His command of English is easily good enough and he's to be commended on his multi lingual ability.

Our game has just been put up in the last few minutes. Coverage starts at 4.20pm.

It may well have been mentioned already, but I think the reason that Emery chose Olsen against Spurs was down to the intricate training exercises that he has been carrying out in the weeks that Martinez was away from the group. Playing out from the back was a finely detailed and potentially high risk jigsaw of moving pieces, which could have broken down with Martinez not being up to speed with the previous six weeks training. The well operated 'six at the back' when Spurs had the ball may have had Emi scratching his head due to his World Cup absence. Emery is turning us into a cohesive team with each player assigned his specific part in the team and the training pitch is the classroom. Martinez is good and will catch up quickly.

All the clickbait journalists and the Twitterati have had a free rein peddling their guesses and lies. On January 1st things get real. Our owners are consummate businessmen, and they have not been leaking to anyone. That means we have an exciting month ahead.

I think a midfield containing Mikel Merino - Douglas Luiz - Boubacar Kamara, would add more consistency and control, plus a few more assists.

If there's a player that I really dislike it's Wifred Zaha. His attitude and sulky persona drives me bonkers, but I would sign him asap despite that. I know he's 30 yrs old, and I know he's a pain in the arse, but he 's a player we need. Wifred Zaha and Ismaila Sarr ơn the left and the right would make us so dangerous in the second half of this season. 7th or 8th would be possible, and they are affordable to NSWE.

Joao Felix is a gifted footballer. My doubts about him being a good fit for us are based on his career so far. He was excellent for Benfica as a teenager, where his dribbling and creativity made him a stand out player in a team that played free flowing football. Athletic Madrid with Simeone in charge play the kind of pragmatic physical football that stifles his creativity and makes him ineffective, which often means that he's left on the bench. Playing for Portugal at the World Cup suits him as it has given him a platform to showcase his talent, supported by some top quality team mates who allow him the time and space to do what he does best. My concern is that although the Premier League is now blessed with some progressive managers, it is still a physical and often pragmatic environment where space and time on the ball can be severely curtailed.

Joao Felix is an incredible talent, but he is not going to flourish in the "kick anything that moves" environment of the Premier League. He has so much ball playing talent, but the pace and the physicality of the PL will nullify his skills, and even in the Spanish league he is known to be injury prone. We need strength and pace as well as ability, and our money needs to be spent on that basis.

I live in the Malvern Hills half way up the eastern side of Pinnacle hill. The house is a sprawling three stories, and has a large roof terrace with the most amazing views to both the east and south. I can see from Broadway Tower along the Cotswold Ridge through Winchcombe and onto Cleeve Hill with its transmitters, high above Cheltenham. The Severn Valley is laid out in a patchwork of fields and farms below me. The view from my study stretches out over the river Severn, the M5 and M50, and onwards between seventeen and twenty miles depending on direction. It alters almost by the minute as the clouds throw ever changing light patterns. It's 'God's own country' in my opinion. Prior to moving here I lived in Bromsgrove for decades. It's a nice place surrounded by rolling countryside and with some very good restaurants. I still spend time there with my family.

Nice one John!

I've been on the Man U supporters red cafe forum a couple of times this week and I'm surprised that posters aren't bothering much with tonights match. There have been a handful of posts since the Monday, and the last post was yesterday afternoon. Sometimes we get too hung up on the stature of the "Big Clubs" without stepping back and realising that all clubs are fragile at the moment apart from possibly Man City.

The round badge is a reference to our history, and is more of an exercise in nostalgia. It suits those of us who yearn for a return to the "good old days". The shield (Gaslamp) version is a much stronger marketing tool. It has a more aggressive dynamic and is in tune with our owners determination to take the club forward. They are both an improvement on the existing nondescript club badge, but my choice would be the shield.

I've been a fan of Cutler for many years, he's a great guy to have around and a solid coach. However, I've felt that Emi's concentration levels have dropped as he's developed this more arrogant "in your face" style of goal keeping. A new keeper coach may well benefit him in getting back to the basics that he is brilliant at. Change can be refreshing if done for the right reasons.

It's spooky .... Pablo New Villa is his number one assistant!

I'm 73, and the only thing I'm capable of cracking out is my knuckle due to arthritis, before reaching for my beta blocker tablets to lower my heart rate, lol. Exciting times Welcome Unai.