Cizzler

It's not like Liverpool would even sell him for £13.5m anyway, so why does it matter. Just numbers plucked out of the air by a random website. Harvey Elliot is two years younger and, if we're honest, most Villa fans wanted Ramsey sent out on loan until about 3 games ago. I'm not really surprised at the disparity. Nor am I surprised that the media haven't picked up he's playing well. We're mid-table in the league and he's got 0 goals 0 assists. There are just a lot more interesting players for the pundits to discuss. He is playing well though, so kudos to him and I hope he keeps it up.

Eh, it really doesn't. I'm literally trying to say the opposite - I don't think we have better players all over the pitch. Our squad depth is better (e.g. if Targett, Mings or Watkins got injured/lost form, we now have better replacements) but I don't think we have a better first XI than last season. That's just my opinion. Our first choice back 5 is the same 5 players, our midfield three were all here last season and (in my opinion) our first choice front 3 is worse. Really don't get why I need to "say I want Grealish back" for my post to make sense. Obviously I'd like our best player back. I have seen Bailey play, thanks. He's a massive step down on Jack Grealish. Which is fine, most players are. I'm still excited by the signing. Realistically, City signed one for £100m and we signed the other for less than a third of that. I'm talking about improving vs. last season. Ramsey was starting most of the end of last season, with Barkley on the bench anyway. Sure, there might be some natural progression in Ramsey's game. I hope there is. He played the best I've seen him play vs. Newcastle, so fingers crossed for him. I guess we'll see how much Ings and Watkins play together. I agree Ings has started well. If Ings starts ahead of Watkins/or they end up forming a productive partnership - I'd agree, that's not a squad depth signing. We'll see what happens when Watkins returns. Not sure how stating I don't think we will improve on last year's performance based on our current activity equates to a 5-0 defeat, but ok. I'm hardly saying I think we'll struggle or be relegated.

This is the first window since NSWE came in that we've not improved. I honestly think our first XI is worse than the start of last season. We've improved our squad depth at ST, CB and LB, replaced Barkley with Buendia (who naturally plays wide right) and taken a massive step-down at LW. We've not spent a penny. Dean Smith can talk up the youngsters in our squad as much as he wants, but they are miles off being good enough to challenge the top 7. I can't see anything but a mid-table finish for this team. Which is a shame, as it looked a real chance to kick on.

Managed fine in a back 4 with Leeds when they strolled the Championship.

He's not a DM. He's decent on the ball for a CB without being amazing. I like him as a player, but he's a CB or nothing for me. Last night was just one game and I'm not surprised he's rusty. However, I wouldn't be surprised if hasn't kicked on much since his loan here. He's barely played. He was never good in the air and it doesn't look like that's changed. As someone said above, I'd still rather have him as a third/fourth choice CB than Engels. He at least has the potential to push Konsa and Hause.

The guy who posted it was an Everton fan...

Benrahma played wide left. Fornals played through the middle.

It’s still bizarre he didn’t start one game the year we went down. Sherwood and Garde both deciding Scott Sinclair was a better player… I reckon this is the first Villa XI since he was here he wouldn’t walk into. Wouldn’t mind him going to Spurs at all though - yes, he’s a nightmare to defend against, so quick and strong but his end product is still appalling. 7 goals and 15 assists in 105 games for Wolves. That’s a goal contribution every 5 games for a winger in a team that finished top 7 in two of those three seasons.

I agree we haven't seen enough of him going forwards, but it's a strange one. He played as a winger for Forest when he broke through. A lot of the talk from Forest fans when he signed was that he'd be a liability defensively in a back four - but decent going forwards. He doesn't seem to trust himself to overlap the RW. It's a big season for him as we will definitely be signing a RB next summer and, as Targett has seen, if your levels drop you will lose your place.

Surely Targett will play? Needs all the game time he can get.

It's literally nowhere near the top 4 teams though. It's miles off. Even if Buendia plays wide left (which I doubt he will) only 1 (or 2 of them at best) would get in. On top of that, their strength in depth is leagues ahead. We have El Ghazi - they have Jota, Werner, Greenwood or Foden. That's why this summer has been so disappointing - we are a worse team than last season yet all the top 4 (and Leicester) have strengthened. Let me know if you disagree: Liverpool (arguable 2x -> Watkins for Fimino/ argument for Konsa > Konate. I've never seen Konate play, so won't comment): ---------------------Firmino-------------------- Mane-------------------------------Salah Robertson-----Konate-----VVD-----TAA -------------------Allison--------------------- Chelsea (1x -> possibly Martinez? They play a back 3, but if they lined up like-for-like) ---------------------Lukaku-------------------- Havertz--------------------------------Mount Chilwell-----Thiago Silva----Rudiger-----James -------------------Mendy--------------------- United (1x -> Martinez > De Gea): ---------------------Cavani-------------------- Rashford--------------------------------Sancho Shaw-----Varane-----Maguire-----AWB -------------------De Gea--------------------- City (1x -> would take Watkins > Torres/Jesus/everyone unless the play Jack/KDB false 9). If they get Kane, this is 0): --------------Torres (possibly Kane)------- Grealish--------------------------------Mahrez Cancelo-----Dias-----Stones-----Walker -------------------Ederson---------------------

If he's good enough to play, he'll play - how on earth is it taking the piss.

I'd be very surprised if we don't bring more players in. so I hope what Smith/Purlsow have said in public is smoke and mirrors. If Purslow described the 3 players we have signed as "replacing Jack" then how are we expecting to finish any higher than eleventh without further strengthening?

The statement on the website says he's "departing Aston Villa" - doesn't say anything about the youth academy. If this was planned, it wouldn't be two days before our first fixture - so I think there is something to read into. I just hope it's not upsetting personal news, or anything of that nature.

The questions I was asking our club reporter to ask are literally no different to the one's Smith has just answered in an interview with Sky Sports. Link to article e.g. to my Ings/Watkins question: ""Watkins hasn't played wide for a couple of years," says Smith. "I didn't bring him in to play there. He scored 26 goals for Brentford playing as a centre-forward in the Championship and came to us and got 16 goals also as a centre-forward - so no, I don't envisage him out there".

Why would that be the case when Southgate deliberately sets England up to counter attack any time they play top quality opposition. Sorry but your post is just nonsense. Not sure Southgate benefits at all from this move. He’s never liked playing him, I think it’s personal (but maybe also tactical to an extent) however Jack signing for the British transfer record only increases the pressure to pick him.

Just not true - Foden’s a quality, quality dribbler. Look at his goal vs. France U21 At 30 seconds in. Foden and Mahrez are two of the most exciting players on the ball in the PL.

Yep, not been an ideal pre-season at all. On top of what you have said, JT left after a few days and Smith was isolating for at least a week.

The stuff I read suggested not, and Spurs wanted Kane and Martinez to play together (but I guess all the Buendia stuff was about him playing with JG too...). However the deal looks further away than I thought when I wrote that. As @VillaChris said above, doesn't look like Martinez is massively keen. Spurs looking like less of a pull than in years gone by...

I agree, be surprised if Bailey makes the bench at Watford at this point. Young has looked good, I would love to see him LW again for a few games. I know Watkins played there a few times for Brentford but his best season by far is when he was moved centrally. I'm not sure he's a winger at this level - great striker though.

Not being rude, but that midfield 3 would get destroyed. Has Ashley Young ever played CM? Buendia CM and McGinn holding seems very lightweight. It seems like we’re just shoe-horning our best players/new signings in. I don’t think we should change shape and I think it should be Ings or Watkins. Buendia has always played his best football on the right for Norwich too. RM is Buendia/ Traore CAM is McGinn/ Sanson/ Chuk LM is Bailey/ El Ghazi/ JPB

Didn't look nearly as bad as Bouma's to be fair. Robinson walked off, rather than stretchered. Hope he gets fit soon anyway.

Looks like Martinez is coming in for £60m. That'll help.

We haven't been great previously at getting transfer money for academy products (JG aside...). Liverpool sold Harry Wilson for £12m this summer, he's a year older than O'Hare. I'm sure they milked him for loan fees too. Sometimes I think we've sometimes been a bit too quick to let players go.

Was definitely 4-4-2 first half.