chunkyluke

We really did send all of ours scouts to France last season, didn't we?

It's either this, or the media have seen us go after a couple of Ligue 1 players and are now linking everyone on the market.

Don't think this is a bad idea though, a lot of quality players in France and also great value. Ligue 1 and Eredivise are two very strong leagues for talent outside of the big 4 of Spain, Italy, Germany and England.

the only concern I have is it hasn't served Newcastle too well recently. Arsenal always have done well from there but is that because of Arsene connections and Arsenals status

Fair call on Newcastle, but for me they seem to be wildly inconsistent rather then absolutely dire. Since coming back from championship there league finishes have been 12, 5, 16, 10, 15.(which averages out to approx. an 11th placed finish each year). That's not too bad in the grand scheme of things, however the fact the got dropped to champ for 2010, and were very lucky not to go again this year (you had one job Carver...), shows that it has its flaws. Our average finish over the same period is approx 14th. If it gets us to an 11th placed finish, then that is a great platform to further build from.

The players are there, talent is talent no matter what country you play in. I think it will come down to Sherwood, how he sets us up, how he integrates these players and how he manages the team week in week out that will matter. Also not having Mike Ashley is a big tick in our favour.

As with all things though it is a as a part of a greater plan that it will succeed. We are unlikely to shot up the table by solely buying Ligue 1 players, we are unlikely to shoot up the table solely buying La Liga players, we are (very) unlikely to shoot up the table by buying a-league players (did I mention very?) but combining great signings from a wide variety of leagues will yeild the best long term results. If Tim finds this lot of players in Ligue 1 this window so be it, but I doubt it means that is the only place we look... It comes down to value for money, and these leagues are more likely to have it then the more popular/marketable/profitable leagues. Also helps that there is no Levy's in France, although it looks like Lorient's chairman could be a long lost cousin from there behaviour .....

We really did send all of ours scouts to France last season, didn't we?

It's either this, or the media have seen us go after a couple of Ligue 1 players and are now linking everyone on the market.

Don't think this is a bad idea though, a lot of quality players in France and also great value. Ligue 1 and Eredivise are two very strong leagues for talent outside of the big 4 of Spain, Italy, Germany and England.

So, first we get in Fox, then we go on a shopping spree in France, then we get the Director of Sport from Arsenal...

Arsenal mk2? I wish...

This season we won't lose and will end it on 90 points.. Confirmed..

He has already said he is using us as a stepping stone....well as much as that hurts, he is at least up front and it also suggests he is going to be half decent.....sorry talking about Gueye.

Who is using us as a stepping stone, Amavi or Gueye? Or both?

I think we Baker plans on using Amavi as a stepping stone so that he can get his head in even more balls...

Or was it that we are using them to jump to a higher position..

Wait a tick, I'll work it out soon...

Scott Sinclair perhaps?

He shouldn't automatically be captain just because he came from Man City.

I must have missed the club's press release announcing that Richards has been chosen as captain for 2015/6 solely because he has come from Man City (wouldn't that mean that Sinclair has a prior claim?)

I see why your confused but Richards actually PLAYED a game for City, so he trumps Sinclaire

Yes loan him out to Notts County and tell him to play with no shin pads. That will toughen him up!

Then a couple of weeks holiday in Tenerife and the job will be complete.

I'll get the camera ready...

Gabby having a killer season would be so great! He flatters to deceive a lot, but having him in the team pushes opposing defensive lines back, and that can give Gil and Graelish the space to wreak havoc. Imagine those two getting the time to do what they want in the attacking third, and then a player of Adebayor's quality to finish it off. Whilst Gabby might not be scoring or getting the assist his prescience can open things up for others to do what they do best.

Richard needs to realise he stands to lose his rep til i an-nounces a new signing or two in the works.

I tend to agree with all of the above to some degree of another...

He is definitely a better player than most give him credit for, fairly gifted technically and uses the ball pretty well. I think he'll improve by default with better players around him, i.e. his job is really just to get the ball to other people quickly and let them do something with it in the attacking third, and he already does that pretty well. But he does have a bad tendency to go missing in games, when you really need him to fire up and drive the midfield forward.

Replacing him with somebody 'better' but serving the same role will achieve almost nothing because that new player will still be feeding the likes of Nzogbia, etc... Replace the dross around him with people who can do things in the attacking area's and I'm pretty he'll improve overnight without doing anything...

I'd like to think he's still got some upside in him that can be realised with decent coaching, and if he doesn't improve this season working with Sherwood & Wilkins then he'll probably be the first to admit he has reached his ceiling and we would defo need to replace in order to progress.

I also reckon along with being locked in relegation battles (which must knock the confidence of players) all the midfielders were poorly coached under Lambert and seemed to be under a spell of abject negativity most of the time, going to take a while to get that negative mindset changed.

I'm quite looking forward to seeing him improve this season.

When your job is to give someone else the ball, the better that person is then the better result you will get.

Not saying we couldn't improve on him, but he is the only player we have in our midfield who does that job, and to play the sort of football that Sherwood seems to favour then we need that person keeping our possession going and getting our creative players on the ball more.

The only quote from Delph that I've seen around this matter is something like "Micah said he enjoyed his time there and it's the best club in the world"

The media have turned that into "micah Richards convinced Delph to change his mind"

It's horse shit. Stop eating out of the palm of the media's hand.

To be honest. It's kind of bizarre that Delph would even mention Richards when talking about why he left Villa. Obviously it's something that could be interpreted badly, you'd think he'd be a little less thick.

This is the man who not once but twice made a statement about loyalty before doing a double twist backflip with a half pike. I don't think intelligence is high on the list of his attributes.

I actually quite want us to sign him now - something feels right about the transfer to me.

I'm liking it to. Think he needs to feel important, and he has undoubtable talent. As always though certain question marks are raised because of his normal wage demands, and if we fork out that money then you need a certain level of guarantee he will succeed.

I just have a feeling that Timmy and Emmanuel could be the face and heart of our Villa revolution. We have gone the boring route to long now. I think him and Gabby could make a decent front pairing truth be told. Kozak as Ade's understudy and Robinson (or other new signing as Gabby's) ade also gives us a solid option of one upfront.

Can't wait to see Jack feature for a full season. He's going to be massive for us this year.

I really hope he scores his first goal at Villa park.

We can but hope but as it stands right now I think he is heading for the subs bench for the start of the season. Drunk, injured and probably behind in his fitness since he last played.... just saying.

I doubt he is still drunk

Did you see the size of the vodka bottle though?

Never mind the date, feel the weight!

That's apparently what Timmy says to all potential new signings what with his penchant to seduce them!

We just need to get him one on one in a room with Tim. The sooner they get back from Portugal the better.

I'm not sure the pulp fiction way is the right way though.

Just to clarify, Tim is Zed right? Oh..my... well, I guess Benteke is a sensitive soul.

As for Amavi... One Mr Delph (or Dr Delph if you believe the latest Guardian piece) cocks a look at a lot of money at a bigger side and decides he doesn't fancy it and is proclaimed a principled individual, whereas this Amavi chap appears to be doing something relatively similar and people don't like it. I'm itchy too, but I'd much rather have a player totally convinced and committed.

Zed's dead, baby!

I think that Tim might be Butch and Paddy would be Marsellus Wallace, and Amavi is Zed. (His agent might be the gimp trying to screw us)

And then they go medieval on him.

Actually won't be much worse then Luna after he gets that treatment!

Dat pass for Cleverley doh.

I'd give it assist of the season

I like him.

I don't understand the constant clamour to move him from RB though.

The reasoning seems to be that he gets x goals/assists playing from full-back so imagine how many he could get if played further forward. However, I actually think that his threat is increased joining attacks from deep - more incision in the play which suits him.

Sometimes I think that he would be more suited to a winger or midfield role, then other times he is kind of our poor man's Bale. He was so great for Spurs from fullback because he got more room, and came up against midfielders to stop him, rather then fully fledged defenders.

I rate him though and he has a place in the team in some format, either as a RB, RM, RW or a very versatile bench player. And he hits a mean set piece.

People talking about pairings are absolutely on point. Often the best players have a best mate, as it were. I think Okore could be glorious with the right partner. But worryingly I also think Clark could be immense with the right partner. I'm just not sure the the two will ever truly excel when paired together, much as I admire their tender Bromance. But I like them both individually.

I have to say I think that they brought the best out of each other. The whole is definitely better then the sum of the parts here. That is not to say that they couldn't have partners that make them look even better...

I'm even more convinced a takeover is imminent now. Delph probably does love the club but there are only so many relegation battles a player can take. Something must be happening for him to stay.

Really don't think Delph staying means there's a takeover happening.

To be honest, with his history and relationship with Lerner it could very well mean the opposite...

what the feck is going on! Well alright, you're not a dickhead then Fab.

Last minute change of heart / in collusion with the bookies to make a few bob for omariqy?

Maybe he was about to pull on the Man city top, the all of a sudden a drunken memory of a night out comes back to him " yeah mate in 100% villa", these words seem to from a misty haze in his mind.

*tears streaming down face* "I'm sorry Mr Pellegrini I can't do it, I thought I could but I can't. I can't let Omariqy down after I promised him I would stay. The deals off, find another players international career to ruin."

Is he still average now he's staying?

No, he was robbed by Chelsea-loving media to not be in Premier League team of the season!

Hahaha, he is not a perfect player by long shot but he is our captain, and he is a good player no matter how you look at it.

Just reassuring ourselves that there is life after Delph (and there certainly is).

Delete this thread [emoji12]

Yep! Best thread closure ever

It has caused me to rethink my idea of a modern football professional. Fabian, in all honesty, you have set a standard that a lot of footballers would do well to follow (I hope your listening Benteke and future Graelish)

Mods, can we just save time and effort and merge this with the new captain thread...