Pez1974

Has it finally clicked for this kid. 

I know its "only" League 2, but he has only just turned 20. He's scoring goals, so will no doubt get a proper run of games.

I know people like a last minute signing - but we don't do that now. In my view, this is because we are now a well run club. This should make us happy.

I agree with those saying it's been a great window.
But the outgoings (hopefully with another 3 being announced today) are as impressive as the incomings. I have no idea whether FFP was becoming an issue - but it can't be now!

We've had 2 serious injuries - and brought in Zaniolo and Lenglet to cover on loan. 
We're all seemingly worried about about the reserve GK; he's played 2 and half games this season and conceded once. Maybe he's improved too. (I know the opposition).
With RB - I think he wants to play a CB there often - we have those in Chambers and Konsa.
And the striker - I think Duran is ready. It's a big drop off, but he has to play to improve, and who could we realistically get?

24 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

We had that player and Unai decided to move him on. 

Trust the club. 

And that player is now apparently for sale - and Everton are interested in him.
 

9 minutes ago, useless said:

I don't think we let Ramsey go because we think Kellyman is a better player, there's a three years difference between them or close to it, and they play different positions, there's room for both of them to have a future at the club if they prove to be good enough, and both on an advanced track relative to their age.

But taking this season in isolation, was probably easier to let some of the older academy players go, knowing some of the younger players can do a job, we're lucky to be in that position, Kadan Young, Kellyman, and Patterson probably all capable.

 

Agreed.

Unai has clearly decided Ramsey (A) will get limited minutes this season, and it's in everyone's best interest to let him go, play and develop.
He's clearly well thought of - hence the buy back - so the risk is low, and we've got £14m if he doesn't actually make it to the level we'll be at.

Fans seem to forget that these young players need a career - not just a few minutes in the cup. If we actually take care of these young players, we are more likely to attract the next generation, as the parents will recognise that we are supportive of their careers overall. 

Jesus - that is an appalling squad, given the players at his disposal. 

The guys too comfortable. Gotta go. 

12 minutes ago, DakotaVilla said:

The main issue with Olsen is that his distribution is terrible. His presence literally means we cannot play the possession based football that we want to. 
 

If he is given significant game time, we will end up exiting at least one cup competition due to him this year if he is not replaced. 

Sorry - as much as Olsen worries me - you just can't predict that 

He is an Aston Villa player. If the manager trusts him, he must have his reasons.

I would be surprised if he plays in more than 10 games this season - he's played in 1, and kept a clean sheet. I suspect he'll play next Thursday - hopefully 2 for 2!
Any keeper we could realistically sign would leave us praying that Emi doesn't get injured. 

A lot of people saying we need a replacement for Olsen. Personally, I agree.

But....I don't think the clubs does.

We have good young keepers coming through, and are loaning them out to get them experience. 
Olsen has worried us all - but, Unai has improved players from the minute he walked through the door. Why can he not improve Olsen? 

A reserve keeper is a unique role, and whilst the players seemed (past tense) a bit nervous with Olsen in goal, is that still the case, and would a realistic new 2nd choice be any better? 
We have spent a bloody fortune on keepers over the last 6 years; maybe what we've got is good enough for a handful of games?

2 hours ago, The Fun Factory said:

I am just trying to readjust in my head the whole premise of the academy.

It is now designed to develop players with a  view to selling on to meet FFP requirements.The romance of football.

No.

The priority is that they develop first team players. But the chances of us repeating the Man Utd "Class of 92" is just about zero.
If we can get 1 a year on average into the first team squad we're doing well.

Secondly, if they don't make it into a (hopefully) top 6 premier league squad - we maximise our return for the good of the club. We aren't a charity, so the cost of the academy needs to be covered.
And in this regard, we should ensure we take our duty of care seriously. There is lots of noise about what happens when players don't make it - well, we'll put them out on loan appropriately so they have the best chance of developing to their potential, and by doing so we maximise our return.
And by doing this, we make our academy more attractive, because we do things right by the player.

As a result - the whole premise of the academy is to make sure the players develop to their maximum potential. Some play for us for a long time, others move on and have good careers, and some leave football altogether. This has never changed, it's just that FFP brings it into focus. 
Don't forget, there are 100s of players at lower age groups who we are trying to develop - it isn't just about the U23s taking the last massive step. 

25 minutes ago, RichiBoi11 said:

Yeah this is the model the clubs that already have a larger revenue model than us imploy, and it's a great supplementary income. I get that people might not like seeing youth players sold, fans always seem to have an affinity with the players who've come through our ranks, but lets be realistic. How many of these players that we're selling would realistically be of the quality to play regularly for a top 6 team, which is where we are intending to be? Sure Archer and Philogene would have been on the bench and played a fair few games depending on how we get on in europe, but not enough to develop in to reliable week in top level Premier League players. These deals are best for both parties. Realistically what are the odds Philogene, Archer and Ramsey all develop in to the level of player we'd need? I mean one might at a push, but the odds of all htree doing it is very low. This means we have more wiggle room to sign aonther first team ready player, and if any do reach the level we want we can always re sign them.

100%

And by selling all 3 (with buy backs) we've generated close to £40m - or the Diaby signing. 

And if turning Aaron Ramsey into Jacob Ramsey at Burnley costs us £10m extra (for example) - that's still a bargain!

4 minutes ago, villarule123 said:

I know it's shit, but we've almost had half a Grealish in terms of FFP leverage with the sales this summer. It's a huge advantage compared to clubs that have a lacklustre academy. 

This is what Chelsea and Man City, and to a lesser degree Liverpool have done for years. And it's what fans miss when they complain about FFP.

It's almost worth running a youth team as a completely separate entity - bring in the players so that they can be sold to fund the first team. If one or 2 move into the first team squad completely a season, you are doing amazing work. 

This feels right - I trust Emery's judgement, so there is no point in just keeping him on the bench.

Good price, low (ish) risk.

Either he goes a smashes it, in which case we've got a serious player who has developed for a good price - developed in a way he couldn't by staying with us.

Or he becomes Rhian Brewster - in which case we've sold him at his peak.

1 hour ago, lexicon said:

Jesus Christ. I find posts like this frankly embarrassing in their relentless negativity and lack of support for a player. 

He could not have placed that assist any better unless he picked the ball up with his hands and dropped it on McGinn's foot. But he apparently didn't 'look up' enough to satisfy your arbitrary requirements. And his goal doesn't count because it wasn't good enough for you.

Seriously, have a word with yourself. You seem beyond unreasonable and instead of being happy that he played a lot better and got a goal and assist, you're looking to criticise the man over nonsense.

It genuinely feels like he could win the ballon d'Or and you'd refuse to clap and sit there scowling and calling him 'lucky'. 

The really pleasing thing about his goal is that he was switched on to the space. 
The amazing thing is that he and McGinn didn't trip each other up in getting there.

There's some pretty good coaching going on at BMH; the players just seem smarter now - like Gary Player said "the harder I practise the luckier I get"

If JPB wants to play - then good for him. If he is happy to agree a buy-back, then I would say his intentions are entirely good.

This is not the same as the guy who hobbled off for Chelsea yesterday. 

6 minutes ago, tinker said:

You have to build confidence and then maintain it with games. I'm not sure about him but if he's showing it training and it is just a confidence issue then we need to give him a chance and forgive him a few dodgy moments, all keepers have them especially when they aren't a regular starter. 

This.

I have little doubt that if there was a good young keeper we could sign, the club would do it on principle. But any new GK needs time for the defence to adjust - I don't think there is another Emi-type keeper out there.
But as much as Olsen scares the bejesus out of us - we can't keep having a revolving doors of keepers in the club. We are wasting millions. 
Plus - Unai has shown how much he can improve our players - why can't he improve Olsen?

Having said all that - I would prefer he was replaced!

1 hour ago, Don_Simon said:

Wonder if they'll **** up their £100,000,000 as much as we did.

They're already a third of the way there, from January.

7 minutes ago, IrishVilla10 said:

I think it’s probably to do with the fact we’re relatively low on the list of premier league teams most expensive signings. Everton paid 45 million for sigurddson in 2017 for example, it’s been going on for years. 

I agree 100% - but you've also hit the nail on the head for why people should not read too much into such things. Sigurddson (and many, many others)

Whereas the lovely fact that's been doing the rounds of Luiz, Kamara, McGinn, Ramsey, and Tielemans (and you can add Ramsey junior perhaps) all costing less than Chelsea paid for Chukwuemeka is for me, a much better indicator of the clubs success. 

1 hour ago, mikeyp102 said:

I never got the hate for Preece, seemed a really good bloke, passionate about Villa

Don't think it was against Preece himself - who I agree is s top bloke. 

It's Birmingham Live, with its click bait approach to journalism, and regurgitation of any old crap. They seem to have been completely cut off by the club, so anyone doing that role has no chance. They just peddle muck.

58 minutes ago, CarryOnVilla said:

I’d put that on the media not choosing to talk about us. 
 

if things go to plan this season, they will be talking about us 

I think there's a lot of people (and by this I mean mainly Arsenal noise makers) who think that Emery will have a huge dip in the second season, like they think he did with them.
Almost as if things stop working after a while for the main who keeps winning european trophies.

And totally forgetting the mess he was trying to sort at their end after Wenger. 
There's a bullshit narative, which they'll trot out as something 'he's turned arround' when we will everything next year!

MacLeish - a good man; just not the manager we needed or wanted. But nothing against him.

Lambert - performed miracles to keep us up; had Benteke at his best. Nearly killed himself in the job, by his appearance. Can't fault his efforts. 

Sherwood did OK for a very short spell, but it was too much about him, not the club. 

19 minutes ago, lexicon said:

 

 

State of the weather today - he might just **** off back to Spain. 
Welcome to the English summer. Bring a coat.

26 minutes ago, Nigel said:

Not a big enough jump from Bailey to warrant the signing for me....tbh I'm not sure he's better.

I want a wow signing here, Torres or Williams. 

This for me - I know that improvements in the squad usually have to be incremental - but to put (for example) £40m fee plus £25m in wages over 5 years, for such a small improvement - madness.
However, if Unai believes it's right - then we do it. 

We seem to have a priority for value now - not something we have really had in the past - and over the years, this can save tens of millions. 
MON went mad on players barely better (or not better) than what we had - Dunne, Collins, Knight, Davies, Cuellar, Beye. Lots of us were probably excited to get a new player in, but if they don't take the club forward, then eventually they start to hold the club back. Lerner just stopped the losses eventually, and we had a 10 year decline. 

Lyon done his calf?

Wouldn't want to celebrate an injury but:

• They need to take 19 more wickets in this match, bowling last
• Only 4 pace bowlers in the team, including Green, so can really flog them this match
• Back to back test - and barely a gap to 4th and 5th

*Checks notes. Do not celebrate an injury.