JPAngel

Just no.

It's not just you GT. To go in to a season with a chance of winning the league is absolutely bonkers. It's probably still unlikely and admittedly we are an unknown entity as it stands but I don't care, I'm just happy to be along for the ride .

Now XIa has said that he thinks we'll get a creative midfielder I wonder who they see sitting back in the Villa midfield? Gana (if he stays)? Or maybe RDM bought in Tshibola as someone to sit? Exciting times.

Okay, with this in mind and seeing as this all stemmed from a team selection which every reply considered ridiculous to the point of satire I'll end with this: Guzan is garbage and to call him our best goalkeeper is just not true. A back four on Hutton, Clark, Okore and Amavi will just not happen for the majority of the season unless we don't sign another right back and Elphick gets injured for the whole season. Your chosen midfield on Bacuna, Gana, Gil, Traore and Agbonlahor would get absolutely battered in the championship. (Especially as you see Gana as an attacking midfielder so I'm not sure where your defensive players are in there?) Top it all off with Kozak as the main striker... I don't even know where to start. Your opinion on this is so far from what most would deem as accurate, I don't think I can carry on speaking to you about it. I'm not saying you're wrong for a fact, but we will have to agree to disagree. EDIT: This discussion has made this thread crap for other readers, so apologies to all who had to read this drivel. To bring it back on-topic, I'm really hopeful about coming back up at the first attempt and I reckon we'll snag another couple of players to remove some of the trash from last season. Honestly haven't been this excited about a season since the MON days!

Once again, you've answered a debate with a highlight reel from Youtube. This is absolutely not representative of the quality of a player and you've just proven that you're basing your opinion on very little. EDIT: I also like how you conveniently ignored the stats about his assists and key passes . Also, to categorize tackling and interceptions as something similar is laughable. Tackling a player in possession and reading the game to intercept a pass couldn't be any further apart. There's a huge difference between reactive defending and preventative defending.

Not it isn't! Sanchez gets into tackles, he doesn't have the brain for interceptions. When he gets the ball he looks to play it long with rarely any success. Seriously, watch the team. When has Gana showed good vision? He made one assist in 41 games last season for club and country and averages 0.8 key passes per game?

Did you watch Villa last season? Gana can't pass and can't shoot. How could he even been considered to play in an attacking role? He doesn't have the vision to play that high up the pitch. He's a poor man's Makelele - intercept the pass, move the ball to someone close by who can actually create.

So your answer to remedy this is to "think outside the box", not play any of our new players and play all of the dross that got us relegated last season AGAIN? You couldn't make it up!

Holy crap I hadn't even noticed his absence . Please, please, please be leaving. He's a symbol of everything wrong with Villa for me. Stealing a living, awful attitude and no idea what he even contributes to the side.

Look, he's 26 now. He wasn't great for us in the Prem at a younger age but he's approaching what should be his peak now. Worst case scenario, we give him a chance as a backup to Amavi and see how he gets on. Cissokho is naff and should be shipped out this summer so I would like to see JB given a chance to perform at this level witch (hopefully) a decent team around him.

If he's anything like a kettle, best or otherwise, I imagine that this whole forum will be at the boiling point.

There's a reason Liverpool fans think Cissokho is a joke of a football player and that no one has been tempted to pick him up from us since relegation. Physically he's immense in terms of stature, but he's clumsy in defense and just cannot run forward with the ball, let alone put a decent cross in. He'll run a lot during the game but not for any real purpose. Combo that with Hutton on the other side who is pretty similar and you've got a recipe for disaster again.

Didn't realise he was 35. Sorry folks, it's a no from me.

I don't think you Googled him hard enough. He's 26 for a start .

I refuse to even.

Good to see that we've spent £21m on substitutes and a goalkeeper that presumably wouldn't actually even make the first team squad

Had never even heard of Kodja before reading about him in this thread so I can't really pass judgement on him. Having said that, we need a new striker to freshen things up and signing another strong lad who's proven himself in the Championship can only be good news. Add to that, that he's had a class season in a team that didn't really threaten at the top end and I'd be even more pleased. Sort of the same rationale as the Tshibola signing really.

I don't think we'll sell 8 players over the next 3 weeks. I think we'll sell 3 or 4 at most and will most likely have to deal with having at least one of Gabby, Richards, Lescott, Guzan and Bacuna in the squad still. For what it's worth though, I think there will be a minimum of 2 more signings through the door. Trying to be conservative .

I mean.... Yeah! Look everyone, no Guzan! He's nailed on to leave now!

This is probably due to only just getting back from Copa America I'd imagine?

Has this been confirmed yet? Why are people welcoming him...

Fixed

Wow dude, I'm not his biggest fan but can I list some names for you? Agathe, Sutton, De la Cruz, Tonev, Berson, Djemba-Djemba, Crespo, Balaban. I don't really rate Westwood but he is waayyyyy better than all of the above.

Agreed. I wasn't trying to bait anyone, I was just trying to find out what the general consensus was.

On the drive to work this morning I found myself thinking about the potential first time we see Petrov's name on a team sheet this season. It's safe to say I will absolutely lose my marbles and it's fairly likely I'll get his name on my new home shirt.