GREAT_BEARD_OF_ZEUS

^^^ also known as paying to have the release clause removed (fairly common practise).

And so long as it's not straight away, a handy work around FFP for us.

1 hour ago, TrentVilla said:

I don’t really see us playing this season with wingers in the traditional sense. Brentford didn’t really play that way under Smith and they didn’t cross the ball all that much.

Last season I think we did this more because of Tammy but I think we will see the wide players operate more as forwards than wingers this season.

I see us playing in much the same way as Liverpool have under Klopp.

We'll have Wesley as a focal point upfront (playing the Firmino or Origi role), with inside forwards playing off him either side.  As it stands, I see us mainly using El-Ghazi and Trezeguet as our versions of Salah and Mane, with Jota being used a bit like Shaqiri i.e. someone who can come in and play a bit of a free role, offer a clever pass etc, rather than being quite as direct as the other two.

Quality aside, I do question whether El-Ghazi or Trezeguet have the raw pace to play as effectively in those roles, especially in the PL where the fullbacks are so quick.  It's why I think we'll still be looking to sign another pacey inside forward player who can challenge for those spots.  Leao would be ideal, so I can see why - whilst he's a very ambitious target - so many are hopeful we're in for him.

For those who love a good twitter rumour 

I think there will be 4 more at least.

1. GK

2. DM (as well as Douglas)

3. Winger

4. FWD: Versatile one who can operate upfront and on one of the flanks

16 minutes ago, HalfTimePost said:

Sessegnon, Trezeguet or Benrahma?

Sessegnon sounds more like us being chancers and having a crack at it than a genuine expectation of signing him.

I'd prefer Benrahma of the three for immediate impact, Sess would be the best long term investment but the least likely to join. Trezeguet is the one we'll end up with imo and if it's for £10m hard to argue even if he's the least exciting of the three.

LW: El-Ghazi / Sessegnon

RW: Benrahma / Jota

That would be absolutely unreal 

14 minutes ago, MaVilla said:

They did buy a replacement for fernandinho, they just signed Rodri for 65m odd.

I don't usually get proven correct that quickly, but todays a good day 

I'm optimistic about this deal.

He'll have to play incredibly well to get into City's team any time soon - and because it's not a loan there's no time limit on it.  Chances are City won't be in a rush to bring him back in - I actually think they'll buy a marquee replacement for Fernandinho pretty soon, but Pep liking Douglas means there's more chance he'll be allowed to stay with us to develop rather than them buying him back to make a profit on him.

It also means Leeds can GTF with their £30m valuation of Phillips and will have to now flog Roofe and a few others to meet FFP 

1 hour ago, Made In Aston said:

What makes you think that? Hassan predominantly plays on the left. 

Well in the situation I illustrated, Benrahma would come in to play predominant at RW and we'd sign a striker like Leao who could play both LW and up top.  That would give balance and options either side.  But then thats just one of a thousand or more possibilities. 

I actually think it's a lot more likely that we'll sign Trézéguet than Benrahma... but like you say, the squad could accommodate both.

11 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

I love a spreadsheet. 

I think Leon is pure bs though and have no idea who Sangare is?

wheres Trézéguet?

I agree sadly on Leao - more hope than realistic links.  I do however think we will see another marquee attacking signing.

Ibrahim Sangaré is a DM for Ivory Coast Toulouse, young, tall, powerful, looks a talent.  Again, pretty tenuous links.

Trézéguet would be instead of Benrahma, but again he'd be the one I'd hope for in that position.

35 minutes ago, Kiwivillan said:

Did Hart ever have it or just play for a rich club? He filled in at Burnley and was dropped like a hot turd when Heaton was fit again and Heaton was leaky as hell 

I think he was good when he first burst on the scene, but since then he's dropped off dramatically. 

There were rumours that due to injuries he sustained a few years ago, he now has restricted movement which limits the way in which he can turn, dive etc.  Might be rubbish, but would make sense.

2 hours ago, Made In Aston said:

We had our fingers burnt once with the Tongolese Zidane! Let's not make the same mistake with the Portuguese Mbappe! 

Fingers burnt?  You mean eyeballs treated surely? No?

1 hour ago, useless said:

Ezri Konza who some have mentioned as as a possible signing for us is about to join Wolves for £12m, according to The TImes.

Damn it. Really could do without that happening as it'll only serve to steal their resolve on both Benrahma and Maupay (both of whom I think would be awesome signings).

Inflated price, but I think we need to pay the premium to get some British lads through the door who can not just add quality, but also settle quickly. 

We all saw what happened when we signed a largely foreign contingent the summer before we went down.  It wasn't that they were bad players, just that it was too many at once who all took time to adapt (if at all).

You thought he was greedy in the Championship, wait until he's under the bright lights of the premier league. It'll be attempted bicycle kicks and long rang punts every chance he gets!

It's that greed and a lack of work rate which mean he's a million miles off ticking the all important 'team player' box and that's why Deano won't start him. And as an impact sub it kind of compounds things, because he has limited time to make his mark on a game.

Sad thing is he's got it in his locker... he's got a calmness that allows him to spot the run of a team mate and he can play a lovely weighted ball. He also showed against Rotherham that he can run his bollocks off when he's up for it.

So by your mates reckoning @Delphinho123 it's Wesley today, a big unknown signing Wednesday and Mings on Friday?

I'd be well happy with that!

6 minutes ago, Made In Aston said:

If AVFC faithful is not a fake then it could be true. 

Reading this thread on Twitter, it seems AVFC_Religion just outed AVFCFaithful as a fraud. Sent him a load of made up targets via  DM and he replied to say he had heard the same info.

So if you believed them in the first place, strike Wallace and Bednarek off as it's all made up.

Don't forget it's also about game management and having a big enough squad to tactically change things up.

Maupay is a very different type of striker to Wesley, therefore it may suit us to play him over Wes against different opposition, or switch mid game if one isn't working.

We go into the season with just once main striker and teams will soon work out how to nullify us.

If true this (along with Wesley) sends out a big message to potential future signings that we're not playing around!

3 minutes ago, MaVilla said:

says account suspended?

Try the link i've updated in my post above mate

I don't want to post actual tweets, but have a look here on twitter (click tweets & replies)

11 minutes ago, StewieGriffin said:

Here's a poser...

It was mentioned above that Bent is our record signing at £18m (£24m if you count the mooted add-ons, which I've no idea if we met so I'll stick at £18m) - it's fairly obvious we will break that this window with the prices at the moment. Question is... how many times will we do so, and what do we reckon our record signing will have cost?

I'll go 3 times over £18m (striker, Mings and Butland), and £28m as the new record (striker)

If we sign Butland I think we'll go over it 4 times, if we somehow manage to get Tuanzebe towards the end of the window I'd say 5 times:

Marquee Striker £25m+
RW/AM £25m
DM £20m
Tuanzebe £20m
Butland £18.5m

I think the other positions we'll add will be between the £5-£10 mark

Packed with potential this lad.  I still think he's got another couple of levels he can go to. 

Very glad he's onboard, but let's get someone in to challenge/push him for that left sided spot (fwiw I don't think that is Green)

Schitts Creek (Netflix)

Comedy in which a rich family lose all their money and have to move to small town America. 

Looked on the face of it to be pretty rubbish, but I decided to give it a chance to kill a bit of time and ended up watching the entire series.  It's got the dad from American Pie and the mum from Home Alone as two of the main characters.  They're ok in it, but it's the actors who play their (grown up) kids who make it.