MarkLillis

Games are won by good players....but of course you need a good manager.

I think we have a more than generous amount of good players in our squad.

Dean is a good manager.

Therefore I am confident we will be ok

2 hours ago, useless said:

From what the reports have been saying we're not going to be spending big in January and will only bring in a  striker if we can sell Kodjia. Maybe Josh Maja is someone we could go for, when Abraham was being linked with Wolves last January I thought he might be someone we could get as a replacement, and I don't think Bordeaux paid that much for him, so we could offer them a relatively low fee that would see them make a big profit. Would be nice to get someone more proven, but not sure if that's going to be possible.

A forward is a must. We cant carry on relying on Wes.

It is vital we have someone who can hold the ball up even just for 5 months.

The ball needs to stick up there for a while so either teach the Brazilian to control the ball(cant believe I just said that, feel free to disagree though!)  or buy a man who can.

Far to casual at times.

With the ball at his feet outside our own penalty area he has to be more alert.

He makes great last ditch challenges I just wish they weren't sometimes because he gave the ball away in dangerous situations.

However.....that said his contribution to our club since he arrived has been immense!

I can see why we have the discussion about a new striker (even though it only is six months since we signed one).

First of all we need to be able to shake it up a little with a Maupay type striker to come off the bench either as a replacement or supplement.

I also think Wesley gets to much stick, the blokes around me seem to dislike him simply because of his mannerisms (I honestly how can a professional footballer be lazy - would Dean Smith even select him if he had this trait?)

For me his ability will shine through once he has settled down, but I agree that he hasn't set the world on fire yet and maybe some time coming off the bench would do him good.

On 27/10/2019 at 22:24, useless said:

Before the season started Wolves were being talked about as a team destined for big things, some of their fans even talking as if they're the next Man City and were going to break into the top six this season, so relative to all that I guess you could say twelve wouldn't be that good.

Judging by what I overheard on the train back last night,being the “next Man City” is very much still how’s they see themselves!

Two seasons above the Villa and they already think they have left us behind forever....

I can think of one game this year where we have actually "got lucky".

The Everton match was very even and could, if they had taken their chances ended up the other way.

However our other results could easily have been more positive. There is a lot to be thankful for here we are in the Premier League, we have a squad full of good young up and coming players and a good (youngish) up and coming manager.

Yes yesterday is disappointing and to an extent hard to take. But this time last year we lost at home to Sheff Wednesday and this was soon followed by the awful Preston match and cabbage gate.

If someone had told me then that in a years time ill be disappointed with a tight defeat at the Arsenal after outplaying them for long periods it would have been hard to believe.

The green shoots of recovery are most definitely there

3 hours ago, sidcow said:

It boils my piss that Grealish has this reputation for diving.  He is constantly targeted, frequently bundled over and despite being the most acknowledged fouled players he is still not given tons of free kicks he should. 

 

There must be a reason for this.

Harry Kane can go down regularly when he feels "contact" some times he wins the decision sometimes not. However he is not vilified in the way Jack is either by refs of other supporters.

Is it because Harry Kane is an England star, so fans of other teams see him in a different light?

Is it because Harry Kane conducts himself in a more professional manner around referees? 

Whatever it is Jack could learn from Harry because they are both kicked and fouled and both go down a lot, but only one has a unjustified reputation for diving.

On ‎25‎/‎08‎/‎2019 at 00:34, TRO said:

Hopefully that will be the kickstart our season needs and we can get out of a relegation battle before we ever get into one, certainly if we play that well every game we have nothing to worry about. It's nice to announce ourselves well and truly back in the PL as a quick browse of the Everton forum yesterday showed that a lot of fans still think we will be exactly the same as 15/16 and go straight back down, despite the completely new owners, manager and team. I think we would surprise a lot of people if we stayed up, which based on last night's performance seems ridiculous.

Yes they missed a couple of really decent chances, but apart from that was there really much of a difference between the two sides?. They could justify saying that we were lucky in the way that we could justify saying that Bournemouth were lucky....

But can they really justify saying we will go down on the back of that performance?

I would say Everton fans do not fully recognise what relegation fodder really is!

On ‎18‎/‎08‎/‎2019 at 06:55, chappy said:

Finally, it was great to be back and I’m really happy with my new seat. However, I appear to be surrounded by several ‘characters’ who expect us to be challenging for the title already. Some of the negativity was astounding today. I really hope people can get a sense of perspective and give the players time. We had a lot more depressing games and performances last season than the two we’ve witnessed so far! I’ve seen nothing to suggest we’ll get relegated, do I hope everyone calms down a bit! Unfortunately, for one reason or another, I can’t make the next few home games, hopefully we’ll have picked up some points by the time I’m back and I might be surrounded by a bit more positivity.

This will not change. those 'characters' will not get a sense of perspective unfortunately.

I saw a good performance that went unrewarded for various reasons.

The bloke behind me shouted about not playing out from the back because "yow ay good enough" and when we had a brief discussion at half time about how the second half might go, no one around shared my opinion that we could definitely win this game.

Like it or not people love to spout doom and gloom and seem almost to enjoy being proven right!

This Spurs side has been assembled gradually over the ten years of our decline.

They are a product of good transfer deals and excellent managerial choices.

Hopefully we are now on the start of a journey that can allow us to compete on a level playing field with them again.

As for yesterday then we didn’t get embarrassed and for that we can be grateful.

UTV

I think it possible that we view Elmo and Taylor as starters in games such as yesterday when we know we won’t be getting much possession?

3 minutes ago, YLN said:

Oh brother.. these sorts of posts bring me back

Ayew and Veretout were nailed on to get 10 each. Amavi to chip in 5, and then 10 for Gestede and Sinclair, with Traore a bit of an unknown, but would get at least 5, and if he hits form could get over 15... If Gabby could get fit and his head right he could get 10 as well.

Last season Grealish got 6. El Ghazi got 6. Hourihane 7. Kodjia 9, Mings 2,  McGinn 7. And in a far more difficult league, they're about to surpass these tallies next season? I think we're in for a shock tomorrow night. We've been away too long. 

I agree to a certain extent.

Its been a long time since Villa have been competitive in the top division.I think as fans we have forgotten what it takes but I am sure that Dean Smith and JT know more about it than Daniel Farke.

Norwich decided to take Liverpool on tonight and at times passed the ball very well creating good chances.

I think we also will play similarly at Spurs tomorrow but I believe without the naive forward runs which left Origi and Salah so much space tonight.

You do hear this arrogance thing coming from supporters all of the midlands clubs.

The way I see it is that they want us to be humble and forget about the status the club has held over the vast majority of its history.

Forget about the past they say......you're a championship club now and we are Premier. You are arrogant if you expect to get back quickly...….but we did (relatively)

Now we are arrogant because we think we can stay up!! You don't understand how difficult the Premier league is they say...…..to fans of the club who have mounted a number of credible title challenges since the Premier league started (and in fact I think until very recently Villas average PL finish was 6th!) 

We are not arrogant we have had a lot of (RELATIVE!) success over the years and that leads us to expect a certain standard.

I guess if Wolves performed as well as Villa have done in the next 20/30 Years they will have an arrogant fanbase too.

Preston are a good club,they will Be good for him and he will be good for them

Can see this being a permanent move in the future.

Andre will be a better player with less pressure on him to deliver.

3 minutes ago, Genie said:

Mental. We just dont know yet how good the business is. That's a fact. It's a lot of players, from across the world, who have never played together in a league they're not familiar with. It might work, I hope it does. But its risky.

Risky? What is your suggestion otherwise then..

If and it’s a big if.....this all goes tits up then so be it. We had to leave behind the deadwood from previous seasons and look to the future.

Try to stop listening to outsiders that don’t know the full facts and take confidence that if only half these signings work out we will still be a very good team with super rich owners and a great management team.

UTV

1 hour ago, villalad21 said:

I don't know.

Would still play Steer i think. Did really well last season for us and is a major factor in why we got promoted.

Heaton is a top keeper and more than worthy of being our No1.

Jed Steer is a number 2 who is a more than able understudy (hence the great job he did for us last year),I am very glad we have him available to us but give me Heaton every time.

They seem to be being discussed as on a par with Leicester in the media and I wouldn't disagree.

One of two or three (Everton?) who could crack into the top six this year.

Wouldn't it be funny if we turned them over heavily at VP just like last time though  

I can say that after watching both of them a number of times last year that Benrahma and Maupay at the right price would be great business for a club in our position.

I am also sure that there may well be similar or better value out there.

But I don’t know who they are or who they play for. 

4 hours ago, useless said:

He was on £40,000 whilst we were in the championship, that's two million a year, and he almost definitely would have had an automatic pay rise upon promotion. By the time his contract ends in 2021 he will have taken over ten million out of the club, for someone who's only had a couple of decent games, I'd say that that's pretty astronomical.

A couple of decent games?

Have to think Leeds are going to do well again this season.

They would have been a Premier league side this year if it hadn't been for the debilitating atmosphere of desperation that builds up around them.

If they learn from it no one in this division can stop them.

After that i could see Swansea being good and also Stoke,Brentford,Fulham and Baggies being in and around the top six

29 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

Spot on, if the deal is good for the future of AVFC then that’s all that matters. 12 months ago we were all accepting that Jack would have to go to survive. Now the picture is entirely different, if we cash in to reinvest and move forwards, that for me is equally acceptable. 

Obviously we form bonds with players as fans but players come and go it’s the club that matters. If the McGinn rumours are true, perhaps we are replacing him before he goes, Luiz and Marvelous both sound like replacements.

If we go on to spend another big chunk of dosh on Phillips, Butland, Benrahma and a striker then let John go on deadline day for daft money I think that would be good business. We can take any deal to the line and walk away if need be, as actually having the cash isn’t a problem, it’s just ffp that’s the issue. That can be sorted at a later date. 

Selling from a position of strength isn’t a problem. 

Maybe next year after a good year it could be good business.

Now it just seems that the timing isn’t right it will derail all the good feeling around the club.

He symbolises the excitement we all feel about the future,in fact when I think of the reborn Aston Villa I think of John McGinn celebrating at Wembley after the second goal,it was like one of us had put it in ourselves!

2 minutes ago, Reivax_Villa said:

This defence will leak a lot of goals this season..

Unless the players in front of them keep the pressure off ...

Impressive.

But.......that’s par for the course now.All the other Premier sides went to Championship clubs and won comfortably too.

Except for  Bruce’s Newcastle

47 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

If he plays really well and Man City's new signing doesn't work out we will probably only have this guy for a season.

If.....and..only.......you have to love pre-season.

No really knows how it’s going to go so desperately try to cover the bases

I can’t see how this guy will make it in PL.

He doesn’t lack in ability or effort but he does lack the consistency of play needed to succeed up there.

one good cross/shot every four games won’t be enough.