Blasterpocket68

Think we need to calm our expectations a little . We have new players that will need to time to gel and adjust . For us to finish higher than last year the new creative players need to hit the ground running. European football may be a stretch this year. 

14 minutes ago, birdman said:

Playing for England a big factor too with the World Cup coming up. He knows that Southgate won't give him the chance he deserves while he's at Villa. I honestly think Southgate will start him now! 

Nothing to do with England , Southgate doesn’t trust him . This won’t change with Jack in a city shirt. 

This was always going to happen . What’s frustrating is the lack of honesty integrity from Jack . He claimed last year he was here to rebuild and support the project , here we are 12 months on and his off , Good luck to him but he isn’t  legend status at Villa and I’m sure he will be berated more critically  by fans . 
Football is a business  there is NO loyalty anymore ! 

1 minute ago, ben1505 said:

It’s the last bastion of hope that there is any fairness in football. If Jack stays and we raise our middle finger to the media and to the soulless City then it’s a big score for the dreamers and shows that there is hope left in football. If we bend over the table and let the media and city enter us forcefully from behind then football is dead

It’s dead already unfortunately. The game is driven by money . 

1 minute ago, HKP90 said:

If he goes I will 100% wish him well, as he really is a top player and it’s been a pleasure watching him.

However, he is under contract. Which means that regardless of how much he want’s to go, the final decision to accept a bid rests with the board. 

True but once a player head has been turned , it can ruin his performances  and impact the spirit in the squad . If he wants to go let him go under our terms. 

4 minutes ago, villan501 said:

I 100% agree and this could mess up all the other quality players we have listed.

 

Realistically we could lose jack and have to lower the level of player we try sign because losing your star man might just put a few targets off joining.

 

However if he was to stay we will power on.

Don’t think this is the case, it’s all about money and what you throw in front of the players . 

48 minutes ago, avfcDJ said:

The only way he will play at the world cup is if he moves. If he moves he becomes a starter for England the following day.

Don’t agree , if he stays at Villa he plays if his fit , if he goes to city I’d say his not guaranteed a place .  He will have much more game rime at Villa than city  to demonstrate his ability. 
 

The simple fact Southgate don’t trust him defensively for England is the reason he won’t start for England nothing to do with playing for Villa or city, 

1 minute ago, wict01 said:

As others have said, he is completely irreplaceable for us. If he goes, we cannot attract a player of the same calibre and it sets us back mightily. Can we build a stronger all-round team with the money? Possibly, but there are no guarantees that any new players can replicate what Jack has given us, or that they will integrate flawlessly into the system. It's just fraught with risk and the message it sends about our ambition is killer, all talk of "the project" etc becomes just more empty words as we've seen so many times in the past. 

Players come and go  they always will ,  would love him to stay but our project is a few years down the road to City. Villa can’t continue to rely on one player we have to move on . The games JG missed last year we struggled we never had a plan B . If jack wants to go is the key here . If he goes take the money we move on , I love JG but the club is always  bigger than any player . 

10 hours ago, OxfordVillan said:

My favourite shirt of all time……and I still have the shirt now that my parents bought for me all those years ago! It’s my absolute prize possession 

Yeh love that kit - And the round badge is brilliant.

1 minute ago, deeps said:

So Arsenal above us now. Leeds down our necks. We only ourselves to blame. 
 

No Jack gives me no hope. I’d take a point if offered now. Can’t see it. 
 

0-3 Kane x 3 

That’s cheered me up , you just never know

2 minutes ago, ThornburyVilla said:

Smith culpable if we lose this 

Of what

10 hours ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Wonder if we could see a 3 at the back if he is out?

I hope not , I think he will stick with the system we have with a straight replacement for cash

Think we should calm down a little, great start and the signs are good , but its three games in !! 

26 minutes ago, Tomaszk said:

Yes.

Have you read the consistent criticisms of him since we were in the Championship? He has his level and uses.

If he's starting 30 PL games next season we've failed this summer. Or, I suppose, we've improved to such a remarkable degree he's free to play his special teams set-piece role when he sits on the periphery of every game but can still contribute.

This sums it up tbh.

 

I agree with the assessment of how he can be utilised to a degree in the future   , but you didn't and continue to ignore or  fully appreciate what he has done for the benefit of the team   . 

18 hours ago, Tomaszk said:

Absolutely no chance he's better than Westwood.

Hourihane wants to play an alternative version of football where he doesn't have to touch to ball unless it's a shot at goal or a set-piece.

If he starts 30 league games next season, we'll be battling relegation again.

Simply too short in too many areas. If we sign a player who can take a free-kick he has no function in a matchday squad.

Really ?  did you read anything from the previous post

31 minutes ago, hippo said:

Suggestions now that Suso decided against Philips from leeds last year.

Also that we are now going to pursue more UK based players - and Smith will have a greater say in who the players are.

where are the suggestions from?

2 hours ago, VillaCas said:

Who's minimum expectation? Yours? Also I guess it hangs on what you mean by minimum expection - At very best I thought 12th place was possible, at very worst I thought relegation was possible, when pressed my prediction was that we would struggle and finish 17th

Could we have done "lots better"? With the challenge we faced and with a 31 plyer turnaround, Not in my reckoning

Based on the fact what manger goes into a season with a 31 player turnaround you mention  and attempts to play football cavalier style, with a new team! Had DS been just a little more cautious we could and should of secured more points. Hopefully we will get the 3 points we need Sunday . Im not blowing smoke up DS bottom if we srcape thru and survive  he has been very naive this season and only changed strategy during the close down due to COVId. 

Had we started the season playing a little more defensively and cautious my opinion is we would be safe.

Lets hope we get the job done Sunday

UTV

5 minutes ago, VillaCas said:

Another straw man argument TRO, with a few of your standard truisms thrown in for good measure (progress is a form of success etc etc)

It's nonsense to say the people are "setting the bar at what we've achieved", nobody is "wallowing in self achievement" , nobody is "self satified"

We came up from 5th in the championship and had a 31 player turn-around. Its a fact that the majority of teams that come up via the playoffs go straight back down again, so myself and many other said at the start of the season that for this year we would be happy to finish 17th and survive.

Next season, if we retained the same squad I would hope for slightly better, if we recruit well then I hope we can be comfortably mid-table

I'm not plesed that we are limping, hopefully, to 17th position but I am realistic in my expectations for a fledgling squad, new to the toughest league in the world

As we've argued a number of times, my expectation was survival this year, yours was obviuoosly that we would do better than that - am I satified? Not really, 17th is not my ambition for the club but I am realistic enough to understand that "Rome was not buit in a day"!!

 

If we survive and finish 17th this would have been realistically  the minimum expectation . Given how the season has now  panned out and looking at the league and teams above us now safe , we could have done a lot better. Lets get Sunday out of the way first !!

4 minutes ago, Junxs said:

They had nothing to play for tonight either, but still put in a good pefromance.

Watford and us needed to overtake them for them to go down, and for Watford to go above them needed a 15 goal swing to happen. They were already safe, why are Villa fans trying to convince themselves that tonights game meant any more for West Ham than Sunday will?

Correct they were safe (just not mathematically) they are playing well tho and im sue will be a tough team to break down Sunday. But were playing better also with a little more confidence, we need to win to avoid looking over our shoulders.   

1 hour ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

I'm a Villa fan... Not a Jack Grealish fan.

I care about what's best for the club... Not what random fans think Jack ,"deserves".

I agree mate but the players hold all the power today not the clubs. If he wants to go id let him go, regrettably. You have to have players who are 100% committed to the cause.

1 minute ago, sheepyvillian said:

I believe he has done okay this season, but I would love him to take us to the giddy heights. I merely asked, who wouldn't. It's rhetorical. 

I believe he could have done a lot better particularly at the start of the season. Its an opinion given our position,  football is never black and white and every fan  on on this forum wants the team to succeed! 

2 hours ago, sheepyvillian said:

How could any true Villan not want this man to be a success at this great club of ours? 

I dont believe that is  a fair post. We all want Villa to be a success with Smith or any manager. This is a fans forum  i still believe where we can discuss and share opinions . Some fans believe smith has done a good  job other fans believe he could have done better with what he has.  

UTV  

I have been a fierce critic of Smith, but  since the restart we have defensively looked a lot stronger as a team. Im not taking anything away from the result or throwing any  ifs or buts about other teams results Smith  got a result . Its in our own hands going into the last game, whatever happens i have no doubt we will all have opinions post Sundays game  . So come on Smith engineer another great result Sunday then let  the debate begin!!! UTV  

1 minute ago, MikeAVFC said:

Agree to an extent but if we have the right strategy in place then the name Villa will attract... Leeds attracted Bielsa with the right project, Wolves attracted Nuno, hell even Mike Ashley managed to keep Rafa in the championship. Strategy in place first, will help attract a top manager. 

yes i agree with a bucket loads of cash 

1 minute ago, MikeAVFC said:

It is doable to attract a top manager in the championship - see Wolves and Leeds for details. Definitely can if we stay up. The name of Villa will be a huge attractionn regardless of where we end up.

We all love the club Mike but the name Villa alone  will no longer  attract the top mangers  we all as fans want.  What will attract a manager is cash and a strategy  to move forward.