Cizzler

Without knowing the full details behind the buy-back, it’s difficult to pass a fair judgement. Seems like a desperate sale to meet FFP - but maybe the club just don’t rate him, if so fair enough. This is very different to a loan - and people arguing otherwise need a reality check. Loans to PL clubs are still very much an option (Kabore -> Luton, Colwill -> Brighton, [heavily rumoured] Lewis Hall -> Crystal Palace) I’ve never seen a buy-back work in the PL. Fair enough if City didn’t rate Douglas Luiz at the time - but if a buy-back is so simple, why aren’t they in for Lavia (especially if Liverpool are sniffing around)? Ramsey has such a great family story at the club. It’s a shame. Another of our most promising players from our FA Youth Cup win out the door… Irrelevant to the pros and cons of this deal in a vacuum - but there’s ultimately zero point in following the players journey through the Academy thread or Loan thread, if there is not a path to the first team. Is A.Ramsey truly worse than Traore? Or even Countinho or Bailey based on last year’s showing. I’m not sure. I feel like we will regret this one.

Nonsense. He'd come from Barcelona and cost almost £1m at 17. He was part of our FA Youth Cup winning team. There was a boatload of hype which preceded the goal. I'm not writing him off - he's only 20 after all - but last season wasn't great for him (2 goals in 19 games in League 2, 1 goal in 22 games in League 1). Jacob Ramsey was already playing PL football at his age. Diaby was starting in the Bundesliga. The way his career his panning out it's looking more likely that goal will be the best thing he ever does.

He’s not restricted to solely playing the left AM role in my opinion. I think he can play LM, RM and CM. I imagine J. Ramsey, Diaby + McGinn are first choice. Then Buendia, Coutinho, Bailey and JPB are back-up. I’m genuinely not inspired by this group. He might not be better than any of them this season - but it’s not far fetched to think he could be better than all of them in 24/25 or 26/27. As I said before, if it’s a buy-back clause with a pre-agreed contract - fine. If it’s not, it does seem short-sighted.

Does he? Who? I’d be more on board if there was an agreed buy-back price and a pre-agreed contract - however, I can’t remember seeing that ever exercised in the PL.

I mean, he wouldn’t sign a new contract so I understood why the club cashed in on Chukwuemeka - I feel like the two deals are different, so don’t really get the comment. Regardless, Chukwuemeka was 19 last year. Not sure anyone really expected him to “tear up the league”. He still made 14 Premier League appearances. He has a huge potential, and I think most people who’ve decided otherwise are likely quite bitter about the manner of his departure. Not sure there’s anyone in the Villa academy with his ceiling.

Selling one of our best youth prospects for £12m… Stinks if true. Reminds of the Cahill to Bolton deal tbh.

That's quite a statement. Didn't watch the game yesterday - so fair enough if true, but I always thought Carney was class. After that cameo he had off the bench against Spurs, you could tell he was going places. I think it's a real shame he left when he did. I think he'd be very close to starting in the LM position in this team currently.

I guess this is what I’m unsure about. Why is the U.K. “someone else”, when Wales is a member of the union. Why is average public spend p/person higher in Scotland/Wales/N.Ire if Westminster is making decisions solely for the benefit of England? You made a point earlier that England must be exploiting Wales to Wales’ adversity, as why else would they want to keep it. But why is it zero-sum? Why can’t it be that both regions are better off together in the Union and will both be negatively affected if it split? If Wales did split, I really don’t understand what the monetary policy would be? What currency would they have? How would they address the current fiscal deficit? Tax revenue p/person is currently 76%, but public spending p/person is 108% - clearly it would be difficult to maintain the current level of public spending in Wales based on current tax receipts? Wales would suddenly have to also pay for their own Defence, their own HMRC/civil service, etc, etc. Costs which there are significant benefits from splitting over a wider population. Clearly there’s anger at the status quo. There’s a general malaise across the entirety of the U.K. at the moment in my opinion. I just wonder if there are better solutions than separation.

I think EU membership is a given surely - as what other currency would be an option? There is a lot more than just the international trading rules to consider, if the EU would be setting Welsh monetary policy. I'd presume (with no knowledge) as the land is cheaper in Wales and it's geographically closer to London/South East. What do you mean by the Welsh pay? Aren't both English and Welsh water companies privatised anyway? I'm not saying there hasn't been incredible mismanagement over the years - but public spending per head in Wales is 13% above UK average (£13.4k p/person) - would an independent Welsh government actually be able to spend more than that? I wasn't really talking about Westminster. More how toxic Brexit was across the population, families and friends disagreeing, etc. It's an impossible debate. No one can agree on a definable metric for success. I don't think it's fair to use GDP when looking at the Irish economy as it is hugely skewed by American multinationals declaring their profits in Ireland.

So is the preference to be governed by Brussels instead? To be honest, I’d welcome the dissertation. I’m not well-versed I’m this area at all and interested to hear why Wales “can’t afford not to be independent” Not being confrontational, just interested. Who does Wales export electricity and water to? England? If so, is that really an export? Surely the infrastructure has just been created in a way to service the entire country cost effectively (who funded the investment for the wind farms, etc). If Wales did secede, why would England continue to import water / electicity from Wales? Why wouldn’t they just build more of their own wind farms? Build their own reservoirs? Is it geographically impossible? Is any of the access to renewables actually unique to Wales? I agree there are ports, cities and universities in Wales… but there are in almost every country in the world. It’s not like the ports are in key trading locations, or the cities are tourism hot-spots or the universities consistently amongst the world’s best. By what metric is Wales one of the poorest regions in Europe? Brexit was so incredibly toxic and divisive, splitting from the Union would be on another level.

What's the rationale/reasons why they want to leave? Do they believe they'd have a better quality of life outside of the Union? I sort of get some of the Scottish independence argument - if they truly believe England is a resource-drain, harvesting Scotland's national resources (i.e. oil) with Scotland not seeing any benefit back. Not saying I subscribe to the view - but I can understand the thought process. Both my parents are Welsh - so despite growing up in England, I've always considered myself 'British'. Welsh independence is a bit strange to me. It's a tiny country with minimal resources, really hard to see how they'd benefit from being alone.

Hasn't gone to the USA, right? Looks like he's miles away from the first team (not a criticism, he's 18!). I would be shocked if he plays for our first team this year. CB is our strongest depth after the Torres signing. Four really good CBs - and we still have Chambers (and Revan, who looks to be considered next in the pecking order - as he gone to the USA).

Why?

Loved his goal in the home games vs. Blues in 2018 too.

He’s been one of the best defenders for the team that finished second in the league.

Be foolish to write him off. At the same age, Cameron Archer was playing non-league (and hardly setting the world alight - with 4 goals in 26 games). On the other hand, clearly Barry has a massive way to go before he’s even close to our first team squad. Next year is massive for him.

GK: Martinez, Olsen RB: Cash, Young LB: Moreno, Digne CB: Mings, Konsa, Carlos, Chambers CM: Kamara, Luiz, Dendoncker, Iroegbunam RW: McGinn, Bailey, Traore, JBP LW: J.Ramsey, Coutinho, A.Ramsey CAM: Buendia ST: Watkins, Archer, Duran —— I’d say the above is broadly the first team squad going into next year (bold = starters). Appreciate there is some positional flexibility amongst some of them. I think J. Ramsey and Buendia are currently the weakest links in the first XI. A new LW and CAM would really help us kick on. If we do make it into Europe, I also think we need better depth at CB, CM (Guendouzi?) and GK.

Couldn’t disagree more. We desperately need him back. Dendoncker has been fine, but Kamara is our best outfield player - it’s a massive step up. Need Cash back ASAP too (and even Coutinho) - as others have said, the bench is incredibly thin at the moment.

He's not a bad player, he breaks up play well. He's just miles off Kamara. He rarely shows for the ball, and when he does have the ball he will never make an incisive pass in between the lines. Man Utd, Spurs, Liverpool and Brighton to come...will be very tough if we don't get Kamara back.

Really poor on the ball tonight in my opinion (although very good off it). Slow to release Moreno when the pass was on, struggled to retain possession when we used him as our out-ball, just generally lacked quality in the final third. CAM and LW will be positions we can make a huge upgrade on this summer - as McGinn is making the other side his own.

Need him back pronto to sustain the charge.

My post history is littered with me lambasting Watkins (and his "inability to finish") - so only fair I swallow some humble pie. He's been absolutely fantastic since the World Cup. He's playing at a level I didn't think he was capable of. Probably a lesson for me to weigh in how much impact a good manager actually has on a player (as I was similarly slating McGinn who's also been brilliant post-Emery). He's a centre back's nightmare when he plays like this. He's still not a natural finisher in my opinion... However, can't argue with his record at the moment.

He started the Arsenal game well, but was a non-entity in the game by half-time. Technically he's obviously a fantastic player - but he's just so physically limited. He's slow, weak and he's knackered after 30 minutes. I can't see how he fits into our current team, unless it's as an option off the bench to chase a game (which, if that's his role, he would be being incredibly overpaid to do).

The below is completely subjective, and always difficult to know how much input he had on each signing (e.g. was Watkins pushed by Smith, Moreno led by Emery, etc.), but (as I'm bored this morning) - signings since he started: Exceptional: Martinez, Watkins, Kamara Good: Cash, Buendia, Young, Moreno Average: Traore, Bailey, Ings, Chambers, Dendoncker Flops: Sanson, Digne*, Coutinho*, Augustinsson, Olsen, Bednarek TBC/too early to say: Diego Carlos, Duran *Digne and Coutinho's performances are probably more comparable to the Average signings - but weighed against the £30m and £20m fees and astronomical wages, they're a flop so far. So a very long-winded way of saying I agree with the post you made three weeks ago . Obviously our current form is making this look more rosy, but that's not bad recruitment at all. Three exceptional signings.

They'd considerably worsen (as would every team if you take out their two best players) - but worse than mid-table? Fighting relegation then? Nonsense. Still have loads of good PL players; Lloris, Romero, Bentancur, Kulusevski and Richarlison would improve most teams in the league. I liked Spence at Forest and I think there is surely more to come from Bissouma too. They're miles off the Poch era though. That team was exceptional in comparison to this one.