HolteExile

1 hour ago, jim said:

Blind school's annual day out. 

2 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Doesn’t strike me as the kind of player happy to come and sit on our bench.

LCB position is Torres’ so where will he play?

Saying that, Torres can’t seem to stay fit for more than 5 minutes so we’ll need a rotation option for that role.

What about Mings?

And what does it mean for Buendia? Will he finally be sold?

More questions than answers.

Not sure why Buendia would feature in that equation at all?  Unless there's a strict quota of Spanish speakers we can have at the club at any one time. 

Also: A few years ago Michael Vorm was a first team regular with an upwardly mobile Swansea and on the fringes of the Dutch national team.

He then decided -for reasons only known to himself (£££?) to sit on Tottingham's bench for a few years. Ditto Cudicini and a few others. 

There's never been as much money or prestige in the English top flight as now. Next cab off the rank in the goalkeeping department at Aston Villa in 2024 is not exactly slumming it. 

We can do better than this guy. 

On 02/05/2024 at 23:57, turvontour said:

Robin Olsen a £1-2million keeper. I'm honestly not sure what people expect. As if it's somehow his fault.

I guess there's a few issues with that - even if that's your valuation and it's valid. 

1: He was signed as Swedish international (Swedish no 1, no less) with wages to suit.

2: We might have been swayed buy the bloke being first choice for his country and near the Roma squad in the not too distant when we signed him. 

3: We've persisted with him as a back up despite the goals against shooting up and up. That's not totally on him. But a big part of that is down to him. Emery and co watched his massive flapper show against Yanited and Stevenage in the cups last year and decided to persist with him. They carry the can for that too (though obv they've got far more right than wrong this past year. Goes without saying). 

For the avoidance of doubt, Olsen doesn't have to consistently do a Nyland-style punch or carry in to his own net to be a dodgy keeper. 

Martinez is more than happy to clean out his own centre had and nevermind the attacker if the ball is in his 'zone'. If in doubt, smash 'em out.  Olsen sometimes comes for the ball over the top and sometimes doesn't.  That's one of the very worst scenarios for any defence. Before we even get into his ropey distribution. A major Achilles heel for a team that plays out from the back. 

I don't buy the notion of a decent (particularly youngish) keeper being put off by having to compete with Martinez. 

In the first instance, it's a great opportunity to learn from one of the world's best day in and day out. 

In the second: Things move quickly in football. A below average campaign for the entire squad next year and maybe Emi decides it's time to move on. He'll have been with us five years at that stage, so not totally unthinkable (though I hope it doesn't happen, obv). 

It would be a harder sell for a club who has just forked out circa £30/40 mill for a first choice keeper.

16 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Nyland is now a successful number 1 keeper at Sevilla.

Nyland - for all the many woeful games and generally bizarre moments he had with us - could pull out the occasional match winning performance. 

Swansea away in the Championship and Leicester at home in the LC back in 2020 being the stand out ones. 

Can't think of many match winning performances from Olsen. 

5 minutes ago, sharkyvilla said:

I'd take Wan Bissaka as a right back in the Emery system.  Only one year on his contract too.  Maybe even look at McTominay.

A full back who traps the ball further than most people can kick it? Don't see how that squares with a team who play out from the back. 

Young, hungry player with def aptitude. 

I'd much prefer him as a squad option compared to Zaniolo etc. 

But maybe that's not enough for him.

I think he's averaging about one good game in 24/25.

That's Charles N'Zogbia levels. 

You can carry a mercurial winger.  Can't really get away with that for a GK or centre half. 

Imagine if he pulled that sh*t with Ron Saunders or Brian Clough as manager. 

They'd have decked him as soon as he entered the dressing room and deservedly so. 

Despite the reputation, even McGrath wasn't totally infallible.  Matt Le Tissier had him on toast more than once. But the dragbacks, flicks and party tricks only came out when he was in total control. 

This bloke doesn't seem to have game awareness or general cop on to execute that stuff at the right time. 

Get rid. 

1 hour ago, Ingers said:

 

1982 - but in a shield because the powers that be don't want a circle....

and @Jas10 sorry, but no stripes, ever again.....

Home: Claret shirt, blue sleeves, white shorts, blue socks..

Away: White with claret n blue trim/shorts/socks different to home so can be mixed and matched, (eg 1981, 82 etc)

Third: (if we have to to make $ and satisfy the youngsters who are bored with 'essential' Aston Villa) - anything tasteful, but NEVER blue.....

Could def get on board with this. 

Feels classic and modern at the same time. 

15 minutes ago, sne said:

Rabiot (or at least his mom) is an absolute weapon and they will be looking for Digne x 10 level salaries. Disruptive family I 'd rather stay clear off even thou he is a talented player. Maybe he's changed, I wouldn't bank on it thou.

Zaha has flopped in Turkey and turns 32 later this year. 

Aye, I've heard the rumours about his family and their arsey behaviour. 

It would be a risk, but on a free over a shortish contract length it might be worth looking at. Partic if we make CL qualification etc. 

Aye, good luck to DC if there is any truth to those rumours at all. 

Overall, for the £25 million fee and £90k+ wages, you can make a strong argument we haven't got what we expected from that deal. Lack of game time being the main issue and then being ropey in the majority of the games he did play. 

But then he played a key part in wins against Citeh and Arsenal twice - and may yet have a decisive role for us between now and the end of the season in securing CL qualification and possible success in Europe. 

He might be viewed as a Trez-like cult hero in years to come. 

Adrien Rabiot available on a free this summer could be an interesting choice. 

Plays CM primarily but can also play DM and left midfield. 

Emery would know him from his time at PSG n'all. 

I'd look at Zaha at Galatasary too, if he's not on mental money there.   Always produced good numbers in the top flight, even if he is a bit of a mouthy so and so. 

Part of the attraction would be because  he is a mouthy so and so.  Emi and McGinn apart, we're a bit too nice as a team. It's great to be liked. But better if you're hated. 

Heard McGinn describe him as captain of the French contingent as well. 

His English is better than Diaby's, for example. So might be some help to him with off the pitch stuff etc. 

It all has a role in fostering decent team spirit. 

On 16/04/2024 at 23:12, Tomaszk said:

Correct.

I will say though, if he'd played most weeks like he did against Arsenal (where he lost a poor header to Saka at the back post, luckily it went wide at 0-0) there would be no additional negative comment. Can't believe his legs that game! So much running, looked quicker than he's ever looked.

He's been very good recently but can't believe the player of the season shout @Keyblade. Come on. He's not had a better season than any of Martinez, Konsa, Torres, McGinn, Luiz, Bailey, Watkins. No chance.

Wouldn't be surprised if we tried to move him on. Wouldn't be surprised if we offered him a longer contract but reduced the salary.

Most improved, maybe. 

I'd be happy to see him remain for at least another year.  LB is a position I don't worry about when I see him there.  

The wages thing has obv been done to death - and I'm sure Monchi et al will be crunching the numbers to make sure it works - but if it ain't broke. And don't make us broke. 

We sold him a vision of a project and aiming for CL qualification when we signed him in 2022. And a player who has priors including PSG, Barcelona and Roma will usually be at the premium end of the market. 

If your biggest wages are going to players who aren't amongst your best players or aren't featuring regularly then it's a problem. But he is, so no problem. 

1 hour ago, allani said:

I am not sure that we'd be able to give him the playing time he wanted (but hopefully we will have a big European football carrot to wave in his face) but I think Solanke would enjoy playing in an Emery team.  Would give us a bit more aerial threat against teams that play really deep.  I'm not sure that Rogers and Duran couldn't fill the hole eventually but Solanke would slot in almost immediately.  I'm sure Solanke will probably want to be a guaranteed starter but if we could persuade him that he'd get enough time for us and also get some minutes in Europe then it might be a good option.  It is crazy that he's not even in the discussion for a place in the England squad.

Solanke needs to be the main man at West Ham or somewhere. Bournemouth, even. If they remain on their current trajectory. 

Competing for a place in the same side as Ollie Watkins would be a poor decision, even if we did stump up the £ to do that deal. And with F unfair P still most def a thing and bigger priorities elsewhere for us, I can't see that one materialising. 

Redeveloping the Doug Ellis stand makes far more sense if there is any scope to do that at all.  

Purely with the corporate offering in mind- if nothing else. Boxes and open corporate areas etc are more desirable running the length of the pitch rather than tucked behind the goal. Be nice if it freed up the good seats in the Trinity for people who actually want to watch football n'all. 

Always a sickener to see the camera pan there, highlighting the vast empty spaces. Even when the rest of the ground is sold out. 

15 minutes ago, T-Dog said:

I have to say, I hate the Brentford set up. The ground is okay, not amazing, but it's so clear it's been forced into a very limited space and so many 'complimentary' buildings around it. Never really sussed the transport as have a parking space not too far away, so maybe that's a plus? But, overall, 3/10 for Brentford.

It's fine for what it is. 

Not a souless legoland bowl, fits in with the surroundings and is an upgrade on Griffin Park (not hard, that part). 

Word is he wants to be closer to home and family, with all that's happened in recent years. 

Fiorentina were heavily linked a few months back. Bologna is about the same distance from his home town (if that's the priority for him) and as a club they've come on leaps and bounds in recent seasons. 

Italy head coach Spaletti has said he need to be playing first team football to maintain his place in the national side as well, so there is that. 

Maybe we're still working on this in the background.  If there is any truth to our interest in Giovanni Di Lorenzo at Napoli, part of the thinking there might be help NZ settle off the pitch. 

Unless there's a clause, Palace or the likes of Fulham won't be selling their best players to us. 

Even with CL football. 

For the fees we'd have to go to for Anderson, Eze or whatever it would be eyewatering in the extreme and limit what else we could do. 

I *might* look at someone like Zaha at Gala, if Zaniolo goes back and he's not on crazy wages.  Spikey character, but decent end product for most of his time at Palace. 

4 hours ago, Follyfoot said:

Both brilliant performances, but the Man City game has the title. nobody has done that to Manchester City in the last 10 years. It was a unbelievable performance.

Still won it with a deflection, mind. 

That game was the best for 4/5 years.

This is better. 

I didn't want this draw, but then I didn't want the draw with Ajax either.  And we all know how that went. 

This will be tough, particularly with our injury list and all the rest of it. 

There's a good chance whoever wins this wins the comp.