Pez1974

Don't forget the celebration - he knew what it meant. He might not have grown up a Villan, but the club was in his veins.

I think you are right - it's not what I would do, but I'm a shit accountant, not a quality PL manager! I just feel that our current CMs get dominated too easily, and that a quality DCM would help the defence and not rely on miracles in too many games. Re: the CB situation - I think it comes down to what the club thinks the U23's potential is. Do we go for one-year of Gary Cahill (for example), so that we can send the U23s out on loan, or are we looking for someone to challenge Mings and Konsa this season, which could block the youngsters progress in the future. This is what MON did when we decided that the more experienced Zat Knight was a better bet than the raw ability of Cahill.

Although I agree, I think the far greater need is for a proper DCM, meaning we may have to be more pragmatic around other options. We have options around the #10 role - Jack, Buendia, McGinn, Chuk. Maybe Luiz too. Getting both a ACM and DCM might break the bank, and I also wonder if we need a CB given Engels has moved on, so I would rather get the 1 player spot on than stretch a budget between the 2.

Actually yes, the full kit joke is still gong! But he was a huge part of that team. The comparison (albeit quite extreme) was with Stuart Taylor. Terry contributed a bit more than Taylor did.

The references to Milner, Delph, Barry etc are fair on one level. But.. None of them were fans of this club. I'm not sure they were big fans of any particular club - not like Jack is. They all went on to win things - but none of them are loved by any club in the way Jack is here. They're all wealthy - like Jack is, and he will become more wealthy at Villa, enabling him to look after his family. In reality - does he want fans in 30 years still singing his name, and have the real chance of winning things here and putting him (maybe) on a tier above even the likes of Brian Little, Paul McGrath and Sid Cowans. Or does he want maybe a few more medals (and questionable contributions) and a bit more money, and the likelihood of ending his playing days at Everton and beyond. As a Villa fan - I know what I would like to look back on when I'm 70. After all - Stuart Taylor has 2x league winners medals, and an FA Cup medal. And no one gives a shit, and would laugh if he showed you them.

Totally get your point - but his agent will be in his ear about wages, because that is how they're paid. And if he got a career ending injury tomorrow, that's his future earning screwed - and as much as that isn't likely, it must play some part. And finally, there is a certain dissatisfaction will working with people earning more than you, when you think it isn't warranted. I suspect the Ozil situation (massive wages, and not playing) at Arsenal really hurt them, as it would likely have created some resentment in the squad. It's not about greed - it's the feeling that things are fair and equitable. So yes; it won't be all about money. But if there is dissatisfaction in that area, it can really poison a persons mind about things.

I did say "For good cash". And I was talking about the players you listed. Arsenal need the cash to rebuild, and the players you listed are largely on high salaries, and their replacements would also need to be on similar salaries - but they can't bring in the money to be able to buy those replacements. For example - Xhaka is 28, international captain coming off the back of a good Euros. Arsenal wanted £22m if the press are to believed. Roma are seemingly going to pay about £13m. That is not good money - and he is apparently on about £100k a week. And he would need replacing - how they going to do that with £13m? According to some Villa fans - that wouldn't get you an El Ghazi. Aubamayang is 32, and is apparently on £250k a week. Who is going to buy him? And for how much. For those wages, Arsenal might not be able to give him away, as who would cover £13m a year in wages for someone who will be nearly 35 when the contract ends? Clubs all over Europe are skint because of Covid - they ain't paying those wages, let alone good money in transfer fees for someone of that age and seemingly in decline. Madrid and Barcelona seem to be shopping in the freebie aisle now. Lacazette is 30; and apparently on £180k a week, with a year left on his contract. No-one is paying good money for him. Arsenal either lose him for nothing, or do what they did with Ozil. Even the likes of Nketiah are on a reported £45k a week - and although very good for the England U21s, he hasn't done much to justify anyone else parting with good money on a transfer fee, on top of the wages. Willock I can see going for decent money - £20m? But Arsenal need a lot more than that. FFP is killing Arsenal due to player deprecation, and their income has plummeted - from Covid; from not making the Champions League, and now not even the Europa league. And they still have money to pay on old transfers. They have 6 of their first team squad out of contract next year, and another 10 the year after. They really really need cash, and they have few assets they could sell to bridge all the issues they have. They could sell the likes of Saka and Tierney for massive fees - but then their team is ****. Partey and Pepe are difficult to sell as their fees would likely be a lot less than they paid (still good, but less than what they paid), and FFP would hurt them too badly to do that. Just my reading of the complex situation there - and why ESR is a real possibility. EDIT - one other thing; the whole football world can see the shit Arsenal are in - no-one is going to do them a favour. Most clubs are probably loving what we are doing with ESR.

I think you have this wrong.....they can't sell these players for good cash because of a combination of: 1) they don't have long left on their contracts (i.e. 1 year for Lacazette, Nketiah - 2 years for Aubameyang, Xhaka, Willock) 2) their salaries are already very high, which does affect transfer fees (esp, Auba, Laca, Xhaka - but Nketiah hasn't shown much in the PL, so who is going to pay him that salary) 3) they are probably on the decline (Again, Auba, Laca and Xhaka) IMO, they literally have few saleable assets, whereby they could sell high, and replace at a lower cost. And need the money to rebuild a squad already in decline. And any sale means they would have to buy a replacement. We want ESR because he has 2 years left, and his salary isn't currently that much and he is very much is one for the future - and for us, if he takes 2 years to properly develop, that's OK - we're solvent. They need Champions League next season, so cannot wait. A lot of the "Super League" clubs are said to be in the same position - which is apparently why Messi hasn't signed a new deal at Barca - they have to shift a load of highly paid players just to pay for him. And why they are so interested in free transfers.

Probably - Jorghino was the first that came to mind because of the game last night. I should really have put Brad Young, after his penalty in the Youth Cup final - he's the real master

That he had a foot on the line when the penalty was taken. If neither foot is on the line, it would have to be retaken. GKs have developed a new technique with VAR, whereby they drag a foot behind them, still on the line, whilst they advance to cut the angle of the penalty to increase their chances of saving it. It's this technique which Jorginho has ruined by his hop and pause technique when he takes a penalty.

For me - Alisson is better, but knows it and this means he makes errors. Emi is good, but isn't as confident (arrogant?), so his risk taking has a better balance.

This. Our recruitment team have been amazing since NSWE have come in. They could sign Troy Deeney and I would still trust them (please don't sign Troy **** Deeney).

What a player! I know a lot of people deserve a lot of credit for this guy being at our club - but where to start? Who watched him and decided that Arsenal's reserve keeper was probably the best keeper in the world (when seemingly all the top clubs didn't)? Is it Cutler who has taken him up another level? Has Smith given him so much confidence? Or is he some sort of God?

Amazing vote of confidence in the lad. They clearly think he's the bits. Wouldn't be surprised if he got a year out on loan - hopefully at a Championship club, but with guaranteed (not literally) game time. Think this is why Guilbert is back this year - the he'll he off I'm afraid.

Well. That was a fun read. Now...over to Facebook to see how my ex-wife aged beautifully, won the lottery and become an amazingly thoughtful person.

No-one knows how this will end, right now. Arsenal's hierarchy will be aware of how much face they will lose if he joins us and it's perceived to be on the cheap. They could react by just going nuts. We clearly want the guy, but not at any price - so there will come a point when we stop pushing, and leave Arsenal with the resulting problems. There is a genuine rumble of noise around this one, making me feel there is something there - its feels more real than the Grealish noise, but that could be my claret and blue bubble. Guarantee if he stays there - the **** will score against us next season.

There are so many things in play here...for example, Newcastle apparently want Willock. But Arsenal want more than some Dunlop polos and a **** big mug. Ditto Xhaka - most of their fan base seem to think he's shit - but now Roma want him and he played OK for Switzerland again - suddenly he's worth a fortune. I'm sure they'd like the wages off their books, but they need cash it seems and know it's not a buyers market so have to gamble on getting more. They've poisoned the squad by paying the likes of Willian and Ozil mad wages for little benefit on the pitch. And mismanaged their squad badly, like with Martinez. I've got 7 of their current 28 man first team squad out of contract in a year, and another 10 or 11 in 2023. If they can sell some players like Willock for decent money, that will make our chances of signing ESR much lower, and is probably partly the reason we're pushing quite hard now; in a couple of weeks it might all be too late, and we're on to plan B.

I've only seen it in the Mirror, so it's probably horseshit. But as others have said - if we're going back with a 3rd bid, then we clearly know something. Plus - with the relatively small increments, (25m---30m---32.5m), it would seem we know a lot. And frankly, it is a lot of fun.

Late to this.... 1) Tammy would be a great addition to the squad; I'm not sure he'd be a starter in my first 11 if Ollie was fit. But he knows us, and we know him, so the 'risk' element with any transfer is reduced. 2) For £40m, assuming Jack is staying, I would be slightly concerned as I think we have greater need in the squad (DCM for me) where this money might have more impact. 3) His wages might unsettle a few people, and lead to a significant hike in our overall wages costs due to the knock on effect (see Declan Rice apparently rejected deals at West Ham due to the mad wages others are on). 4) I do not understand the clubs current plans or finances so (2) and (3) are neurotic fears; I trust the club to get these right 5) Star Wars is a lot better than Star Trek, and if you think differently, you're just plain wrong.

You just feel that we're toying with them for shits and giggles. Imagine if this were to happen. Saka and other would be kicking down the door for the same or more. They might need to spend their transfer budget on paying their current players just to stay. Maybe move on to Everton or West Ham next? (We don't need to focus on Spurs; they're **** themselves up without our help)

Given our interest in Smith-Rowe, and I presume we'd love to have Saka - might it be worth just putting in a bid for Arsenal as a whole? Then we could just sell off the assets, and wind it down or keep it as a feeder club.

So much of this is coming from a very small number of sources - the Daily Mail and Jim White/Talkshite. Others - like the ever reliable Sir John of Percy, acknowledge interest and that Villa want a new contract for Jack. Which I think everyone can believe. As always - ignore the bullshit merchants - don't click on their links (it gives them advertising revenue); don't tweet o retweet their BS (it gives them 'trends', which means other might look, and that leads to advertising revenue). Just ignore the charlatans.

Absolutely spot on. I believe our owners are aiming at top 4 in a couple of years. When I see what they are doing - I keep thinking about how 'this' signing will help us get there. El Ghazi and Traore are not both top 4 squad players - one perhaps; neither would start. Ramsey needs a loan.

Doubt it - we only have him as a proper DCM, so we need another. If we signed Kante - we'd still need a back-up, and that would be Marv. It's a tough position to play, and with Europe the aim, I think we'll see more of him once we sign a higher quality DCM (which obviously won't be Kante!) because it would mean we can retain our shape, and rotate a bit more.

Don't want to sell him. Don't think we need to. But..... That CM is looking packed with players right now, who all seem to want to play the same sort of role. And that's without adding (checks note) *the greatest collection of U23 talent ever assembled in one place*, who need to be allowed to come into the first team. So, as much as I think he's batshit crazy, and a very good player, I could understand us letting him go for something in the region of £50m if the club think the impact on that position will be minimal, and the freedom with FFP will allow us to get the players for the positions we actually need (DCM and CB are the first in line for me, currently).