El-Reacho

It’s probably because he’s only made a few starts compared to Digne/Pau/Konsa, but he does seem the most nervous with high line. He’s always just half a yard closer to goal than the other three - just hope it doesn’t cost us. I’m sure after a few more starts he’ll be confident to step right up. Takes real conviction to play that line.

3 hours ago, Kiwivillan said:

I've been saying the same last few windows referencing players talking about small family vibe under Emery. Dan Bardell in podcast said we don't need anyone and doesn't think we'll make January signing but maybe possibly one. Every window though this thread is like catching Pokémon for some

The obvious exception is if we make a signing similar to Duran last January that's investing in the future rather than expecting them to jump into a side that's playing at a ridiculously high standard. Monchi is in charge now as opposed to last season, but I wonder if we would invest big money in potential talent if there's no immediate need to strengthen the first team.

10 hours ago, Pongo Waring said:

Unless there is an injury from now until the end of Jan. We dont need to sign anyone. 

Agreed. What a superb position to be in - it shows just how well organised we are now.

4 hours ago, Adam2003 said:

Would love to believe that but I think when they have players back and the treble hangover wears off it’ll pick up. BUT no-one has ever done four in a row so you might be right.
 

Pep says we are in the mix though!

I guess it was in his interest to say that given the hiding we'd just given his side.

Just love those raking sliderule passes he plays in to the feet of McGinn and takes out half the opposition in the process.

18 minutes ago, Taxahunter said:

The danish commentators said, that the shots on goal in the first half was the most any team had had against a Guardiola side ever in 535 matches

It was also the fewest shots a Guardiola side has ever had on goal in those 535 games (2).

edit - that was for the whole game not just the first half. City had no shots on goal in second half.

Selling Ramsey would send a pretty strong message to our academy that it is essentially a separate money making enterprise for the club rather than training young players to play for Aston Villa. As important as it is that the club raise money, young players have to see some pathway to playing for the first team. Can't be great for the culture of the academy knowing you're only there to be trained up to be flogged for FFP reasons.

Ramsey playing for the first team as well as the international team shows academy players that it can be done but also the standards required to make it at Villa these days.

14 minutes ago, Pongo Waring said:

We need Man City to beat Spurs

That depends what our ambitions are this season

2 hours ago, Pinebro said:

How are united on 24 points

wtf

There was a stat on sky sports a couple of weeks ago: United were in the bottom 3 in terms of time spent in winning positions this season. The amount of points they’ve got from injury time winners this season is unreal.

Seems like a cross between Gattuso and Pirlo at the moment. He's in unreal form at the moment.

5 hours ago, VillaChris said:

Losing Bosnich in the October meant our brilliant defensive record went to pot. Oakes had done well covering for him in previous two seasons but couldn't handle being keeper for top of table team and we started conceding 2s and 3s on regular basis home and away which wasn't sustainable.

Exactly like now if god forbid Emi was out for a couple of months and Olsen had to come in....

Also lost Ugo with eye injury when Shearer deliberately kicked around Feb time. Dublin also had fitness issues so he wasn't the same as he first joined.

You can always split the Gregory era in two parts. First up from when he joined to the cup final, a genuine rollercoaster of incredible unbeaten runs and long winless runs and some memorable games I can still recall to this day, losing 4-2 at home to Liverpool when it could've easily ended 8-8 and also 3-2 cup win over Leeds which is still in top 5 great games I've attended (Carbone hat trick and Merson spilling blood setting up the winner).

Then kick off of the cup final and the last 18 months were as dull as anything, can only recall about 5 matches from 2000/01 season it was that boring.

Oakes coming into the side for Bosnich that season did lead to one milestone in English football history. Villa were the last PL side to field 11 English players in a game. Think it was against Coventry around about that time.

Premier league teams were starting to make use of the Bosman ruling and UEFA had abandoned the 3 foreign players rule for European competitions so foreign players joining English clubs boomed around that time.

The hammering they gave us at VP at the tail end of Smith’s time is stuck in my head for this. It was the 4.30pm Sunday evening slot on sky and it was around about this time of the year too.

On 19/10/2023 at 19:33, DJBOB said:

We have to score first and make spam come out of their low block. Unai I’m sure will get this message across. 

Think we’ll be playing all sorts of high risk, high stress passing at the back to try and entice them up the pitch. Should be a nice relaxing game

I wonder is Unai’s plan to spend big on an elite level striker next summer. Paying Ollie that level of wages might impact on those plans.

13 minutes ago, The_Steve said:

The Guardian gets it

It has been a window to remember. Villa smashed their transfer record to sign Moussa Diaby for a fee north of £50m and the forward, who has pace to burn, has hit the ground running, while Youri Tielemans, Nicolò Zaniolo, Pau Torres and Clément Lenglet arrive with impressive pedigree. Inserting buyback clauses into the sales of highly-regarded academy trio Cameron Archer, Aaron Ramsey and Jaden Philogene has the whiff of an elite operation. Verdict: 5/5 Ben Fisher

 

Lol was just coming on here to post that. Villa the only side they gave 5/5 to.

Selling Archer and Ramsay was the biggest surprise of the window but I guess that’s how to work the FFP system like our competitors are doing. They’re not good enough for us now hence they went to teams lower down the table but we’ve got buy back clauses in case they do make it to the elite level we’re now after.

miguel Delaney said if clubs are selling their academy talents to comply with FFP there’s something badly wrong with the rules.

Class window otherwise though

2 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Nah Ings defo took everybody by surprise.

Have even seen interviews where it's claimed Ings was held very tightly under wraps.

I remember Ings saying he couldn't even tell anyone himself.

Yeah I remember that - he said he wasn't allowed to text his Dad. Odd that they were so secretive about that Ings transfer in particular.

Based on the average time between first Romano tweet and the confirmation of deal done by the club - it doesn't look like we're going to get anything significant done at this stage. Unless the club can do another Ings type deal without a trace of a rumour.

Was it his pass straight through their whole midfield in build up to cash’s second? Those passes are just sublime. 

1 hour ago, Tom13 said:

His passing out from the back is another level to what we've been used to.

Yeah those raking passes straight through the centre of the park are class. Was a few from Diego Carlos too.

We must be signing a new RB - Ashley Young would’ve cost us very little and was superb last season (better than Cash) so there’s no way we’d have binned him when we did to leave ourselves short at RB.

Prime ashley young from traore there

Loving how awestruck these commentators are with villa. Just been described as ‘behemoths’. You love to hear it.

The buy back clause makes these deals an FFP friendly loan.