Paulie

Ings and Ollie both put a shift in defensively.  Playing Ings as a second striker in the Barkley role from last season will be perfectly fine. 
 

martinez 

cash konsa mings young

    Luiz    Mcginn 

Buendia Ings Bailey

    watkins

i think this will shake out to be our best XI…

Not concerned at all. 
 

Targett was considered by most here to be our most improved player last season and on the fringes of a call up to the England squad.  
 

He looked off the pace today, and he got the quick hook - something that many here have been negatively vocal about Deano’s reluctance to do so. I’d be more concerned if we were shut out… both of their first two goals we got the block in and were unlucky, especially the second.  Happy with how we responded in the second half, and happy dean recognized our tactical errors in the set up and fixed them.

Will be interesting to see who he goes with at LB going forward…. 

Something to consider: I am very very excited to see what kind of influence Ings has on Brad Young

2 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

Thoughts on this?

Potentially what Smith will go with

This is a quality first XI.

Just now, Delphinho123 said:

Ings won’t come here to sit on the bench and Watkins will always play. 

Don’t get it. 

Am I the only one that thinks this is a panic signing and not all that excited? 

Doesn’t seem like this regime makes panic signings.

Put me in the camp that it’s better for our transfer dealings for this to have dragged out until the end of the window.  Assuming the powers-at-be knew Jack was off a few weeks ago, they could begin getting the ball rolling on our business without our feet held to the fire by Leverkusen, etc.

I think it was the smart play.

I respect the feelings in here of this being similar to Delph, Barry, Milner, etc. be in reality the situations could not be more different.

Owners have shown they are more than willing to invest in the club, they are motivated to do so.  The sale of Jack opens things up from a FFP for us in a way that would have taken years to do so (or champions league qualification).  Jack isn’t leaving for 15m, 20m pounds, he’s departing as the record English transfer fee!  The situations aren’t remotely comparable.  
 

we have already brought in 70m worth of creative ability this window and are linked in the market to Damsgaard, Cantwell, Ward-Prowse, Abraham.  I know it doesn’t feel that way, but we are in a position to capitalize on this windfall and be in a much better position than we realistically could have been with Jack remaining in the fold.  Now - that says more about the general economic structure of the league, and the total inability for non-ESL to offer home grown talent the same wages, etc. that ESL clubs can offer but that’s a discussion for another day and another thread.

Just now, Lord Willard said:

Getting those players in becomes ALOT harder without him. 

I think you’d be surprised. 

we’d have to pay more than we would otherwise, but there are knock-on effects from a player sale like this.  The FFP handcuffs that restrict us currently will be released.  Sawiris+Edens pumped in 100m when we were promoted and we are currently pushing the top bound of what’s allowed (take a look in the FFP thread).  A 100m sale realized immediately means we can spend 2-2.5x that over the course of the next 2-3 seasons (not saying we will but we can, which we cannot currently).

1 minute ago, Lord Willard said:

Sad of he goes for 100m. I thought we'd be able to squeeze another 20m out of them. 

We simply can't replace him anywhere near his talent. I feel sad. 

 

 

We don’t have to replace Jack, he is irreplaceable.

we have to replace his net output.  This clip explains the process well.  You don’t replace the man, you replace the chances created, the assists, and the goals.

Jack has done his part so far for the club…  He still has a role to play in the villa story. Would be too bad if that role is a 100m pound cash injection instead of as captain leading us on a European charge.

call me a romantic but I’m still holding out hope for a long piece and interview of him saying he wants to see out what he started here, my city my club my home #2026

Just now, dubbs said:

Percy and Sky reckon a bid has been made.  No body wise is even talking about it.  If its £100 million then surely it would be headline news at a more reliable source?

Percy and Sky are the two most reliable sources….  

Curious to see what villa do.  100m for our captain, arguably the best chance creator in the premier league right now, who’s 25 and is open to the move.  He also has chronic shin issues and has missed a third of 3 of the last 4 seasons.

I appreciate they haven’t dicked around with offers 20m under asking like United did with sancho.

100m in the pocket now takes the shackles off from a FFP perspective.  Owners could pump in double or triple that over the next 3 years if they were inclined, can’t do that without the sale.

either way we are in a good spot here.

1 minute ago, mykeyb said:

Man City wouldn't be wasting there time bidding if Jack wanted to stay......

I will be disappointed in him if he goes this summer when he could have given fans a season to see him at Villa Park in the flesh so to speak.

Why do Man City think a decision will be made quickly?

Aston Villa wouldn’t be wasting their time bidding if Emile wanted to stay……

I know it’s hard, let the process play out and be patient.  We will be in good shape either way.

Good sign.  Tells me there isn’t a release clause after all.

2 minutes ago, Steero113 said:

Fk, he's going to Napoli

The Brum Maradona

The thing I keep going back to is we are no longer owned by Tony Xia, Randy Lerner, et al. who's pockets would be tangibly changed percentage-wise by a 100m pound sale.  Randy Lerner is ~only~ worth 1.1 billion.  100m pounds would be a 10% increase in his liquidity (thus net worth making it easier to cash out his investment).  Tony Xia in the same ballpark.

100m in the pockets of Nassef and Wes is a drop in the bucket.   Roughly 10 times less of an impact on their collective total "net worth".  Sure it is 150% of their initial investment for the club, but I imagine the club is now worth 400-500m (450m if you believe the valuation on TransferMarkt).  They have gain in asset value already built in.  They aren't in it to realize a 100m gain on a costless asset (Jack, an academy product), especially not now in this current environment.  If FFP rules were strict, and the 100m would open the possibility for us to pour in further investment then sure, but not after the rules were relaxed during the pandemic.  There is not a strategic or financial reason why they would be inclined to sell Jack. 

Another possible reason to sell him - Jack forcing his way out, dying to "go win trophies" at City.  Well considering he posted Ashley Young with heart emojis, and was singing shit on the baggies to the England kit manager, it seems his love for the club hasn't changed. 

I struggle to find one possible angle or variable to reason why he could depart other than what I see on twitter from sourceless rumors.

I’m not really concerned about the aggregate performance or the score line.  We were missing 3 of our starting back 4, our captain, and started an 18 year old youth player.

I think Nakamba’s early form is a positive, I think Buendia and Watkins form both is positive.  
 

I think the striker depth is going to be an issue hopefully resolved by Alvarez and/or Bailey.

El Ghazi is still who he is - lacks a consistent touch and lacks the eye for a creative pass, will churn out goals because of his finishing but can be a net negative to Ollies output.

His fitness has been an issue since we were promoted.  Players like Targett who were built similarly have been able to improve their physiques and top-end physical output.  McGinn has not.

1 minute ago, DCJonah said:

I don't remember him having that rep. Most comments in his early prem games were about how soft and easily he went down. 

plays soft except for when the ball is out of play

How the hell do you get a red card in a friendly, you have to be a special kind of idiot.

down the pecking order you go wes 

What a **** clown

buendia giving mcginn an earful after that looping angled pass across field in the final third.  so wasteful. 

Frankly I’d rather let Jacks contract completely run down and walk free than cash in on a transfer.  I think the 20m offset per year in transfer revenue is worth the opportunity cost.  Making Europe and the springboard that comes with that is worth more than what any transfer fee could bring in.

And get this idea out of your head that he would be disgruntled to stay.  He loves this club, stayed with us through the dark years, the rot, and the championship… now we are knocking on the door of his dreams and he’s going to force his way out??  Just can’t see it happening.  He loves this club, he’s said it himself time and time again.

Was able to sign up a new membership for myself and girlfriend via a linked email super easy.  Seems like the renewals is what’s giving problems?

The claret piping on the end of the sleeves is a nice touch