ChinlessWonder

I'm not a huge fan. If they give us 10% more than we paud for him i'd snap their hand off, i think we over paid in the first place. I think it's possible he could improve but i'm not confident enough to want to see us turn that down. Can't honestly see anyone going for him at the moment anyway though.

I 'understand' that following on from his internet success with this, he's going to try his hand at porn as well.

I heard that several extra (as yet unaccounted for) chairs have been 'prepared' for the press conferance, so might not be just him.

We were porous in central midfield when McGinn wasn't there and before Luiz started to look the part. Once you'd got those 2 in there on form we were fine. Playing the way we do the only position for Grealish is that central attacking midfield, if we changed to a 4-4-2 with a more authodox midfield he could potentially play in behind the number 9, which i think would be his best position. As pointed out, if we sign some better players for the 3 forward positions, it will give the opposition more to think about taking the pressure off the rest of the team. With Trezeguet, Samatta, El Ghazi, Jota and to a lesser extent Wesley no one had the ability to keep hold of the ball for long, it kept bouncing back and putting the midfield back under pressure. For me, we need 3 new attackers for those positions, another good centre mid to compete with Luiz and McGinn and 2 new full backs as i'm not convinced by any of the ones we have.

We got Robbie in the end, albeit 12 years too late. I was there in the Wolves end (sitting on my hands) when he banged in those 2 at Molinuex in the 3-2 win. Brilliant. I agree that if we'd signed Bent instead of Heskey at that point, we would certainly have had more points on the board that season!

I was talking more about the fact that he hadn't played in the PL at that point, all of the others we'd seen performing well in the PL or old Div1 in their past. I know he had done well for Valencia and had gone a long way with them in the CL, and he was certainly a big name on the European stage. I suppose to a lesser extent you could say Luc Nilis was like that too although he was about 32 when he came. I think he would have been a star by the way, for a season or two.

I know Grealish is good but i'm not sure a 14/15 year old would have had that much impact at the time to be honest :-)

We've made some exciting one over the past 30 years but most of them slightly tainted in some way. I think Bent was probably the biggest as he was still in his peak, he was in the England squad and he's been doing very well for the team we bought him off. He also had no baggage. I guess Cascarino was a good one as well, similar reasons although a good Ireland team rather than England. We all know how that one went. Saunders was a great one but he was on the way down really after he'd kind of failed at Liverpool and the fee was less than they'd paid. Merson was a good one but he'd had off field problems and he was 30 or 31. Collymore was a good one but he had all the baggage and had failed slightly at Liverpool. Dublin was no spring chicken. Juninho was the one that got away, sadly. Baros and Carew i wouldn't put in the same category as those, but i am of course purely talking in terms of the player we thought we were getting rather than the one we actually got. Carew was a fabulous signing, but he was much more of an unknown quantity beforehand.

Latest gem of a headline from the Birmingham Fail, 'Watkins hold up'. No shit.

Players linked with so far that i think would have a positive impact and improve us, in order of how confident i am of that; Trippier Origi McCarthy Edouard Watkins The others i'm not sure about or generally think will not improve us.

I'd go with Min 5 as well; If we're going to keep playing the same system... Absolute must - 3 new forwards, 1 Left, 1 Right, 1 Centre. Also, a full back that can play either side. Very useful - Another good centre mid to compete with McGinn and Luiz, and a back up for Grealish in that attacking midfield role Cherry on top - A goalkeeper and another fullback.

Expect ‘closing in’ to be less cheetah and Gazelle and more Voyager space satellite and the outer reaches of the solar system. In other ‘news’ we’re not ‘preparing’ this week but ‘plotting’ which suggests we’re going backwards as plotting would surely come before preparing in most situations.

The vermin press really are going around in circles this time aren’t they, not got the slightest **** clue and making themselves look utterly ridiculous with their click bait bullshit which seems to be half a dozen ‘stories’ on their seventh or eighth lap. Its scary that people are paid a wage for this shit.

Hogan, Bastan, Lansbury, Jota, Taylor, El Ghazi, Bree, Drinkwater, Nyland and possibly even Samatta (depending who’s coming in) can all go for me. Would like to hang onto the likes of Wes, Trez, Nakamba, Steer and Hourahane for the time being though although I’m not sure I’d want to see a vast amount of them in the starting 11. And I’d loan Davies out for a year too.

Year long pursuit of an exciting young talent from Europe, courted by the top German clubs and AC Milan no less, a whirlwind of excitement and expectation. It’s all going to go very Bosko Balaban isn’t it, it would just sum up the last 10 years as a Villa fan!

I think he's another one that we'd have to hope and pray could make it at the top level and may well have to give him time to bed in, like nearly all of last summer's signings. Have we learnt nothing? I will say that i'm not bowled over by pretty much anyone we've been linked with so far, but i would prefer this guy to most of them. He'd certainly be my pick of the Brentford lot.

Of the ones i've heard linked; Swift Sturridge Lolly Benrahma I think the last one will be controversial but he looks like a giant fanny to me.

He’s utterly brilliant when he can be arsed, but he’s always come across as a bit hot and cold for me. That said, I’d be excited if we got him. I think Origi would be a decent shout as well. McCarthy I don’t know much about but he does have the experience that we’re lacking. Benrahma looks like a skillfull fanny to me, I think we’d have an ego on our hands and I’m not convinced.

I'd have him back. If next seasons GK selection is Heaton, Reina and Steer we'll be fine, concentrate on getting some attacking players in.

Marvellous.

His Leicester brain freeze aside i think he's done very well and if he's 1 of 3 goalkeepers with us next season i'd be very happy with it. Still happy with Heaton as number 1 though. Certainly played his part in the great escape.

I've not given up on him and i'd hang onto him for sure but there is no way he should be in the starting line up on 12 September. I'd say that for a lot of them though, the only 6 players i'd definately like to see starting are Heaton, Konsa, Mings, Douglas, McGinn and Grealish.

Please can we stick to experienced PL players this time. Probably won't be a popular opinion but i'd love to see us sign Deeney, i think he's exactly what we need up front, experience, know-how, goals, good pro, always competitive. I'd also like to see Milner back for a season, after that i'd try to aim for younger than 27 but again with plenty of experience. I'd say we need 5 even before having to replace any starters such as Grealish etc. I'd move on the likes of Taylor, El Ghazi, Jota, Lansbury, Davies on loan and obviously Drinkwater and either Reina or Nyland.

If we do now stay up, he'll have re-payed every penny we spent on him with his goal last night, 2 against Palace and the once against Leicester. Love his effort, attitude and knack of popping one in when it matters. I'd keep him without doubt for next season, as a starter if we're in the championship and on the bench if we're in the PL. I'd get rid of El Ghazi either way and i'd get rid of Jota if we're in the PL.

The fullbacks have been moderately shit overall for quite some time, but the wingers have been chronically shit for at least as long. If we're not capable of finding and purchasing better wingers, play a different way.