VillanousOne

2 minutes ago, Tom13 said:

Has his form dipped? Which recent games has he been poor in?

Newcastle where everyone was awful and was a bit of the pace in preseason and that is enough for some on here to write him off. Frankly comedy.

9 minutes ago, Tomaszk said:

That's not enough when you cost the club over £50m all in.

If he'd cost £2m and been on a championship contract for half his time here, 'doing a job' in the PL would be very praise worthy!

even if it's 'not enough' as you're own opinion states, the debate was is he the worse signing ever, which most would say he isn't.

The transfer fee is nothing to do with the player. Even the wage is based on the fact we were stupid enough to pay it, probably because he was already on stupid money at Everton and we had to match/improve slightly.

There is not a player alive anymore who ever takes a pay cut or ever would consider losing one penny in the face of game time, form, injury any factor that might impact their career/profile - its all about the money and nothing else is important anymore. Players didn't know what to spend their millions on, now they won't know what to spend their billions on at the end of the career, i'm sure all the cash will definitely go to Charities.... the days of 'i bought me mum a house' gone, now it's 'i bought me mum an island'.

I digress, i'd love to look beyond the Villa bubble and see how many fans feel about each individual player at their clubs and how many feel those players are doing a good job.

He's done ok, he's not set the world alight but I never thought he was going to. By no means a bad signing, he's done a job and even improved under Emery.

If he leaves I certainly wouldn't place him even on the Top 100 worst signings for us.

I feel like him and Cash aren't bad players but sometimes lack a defensive footballing brain, not even sure Moreno has that, he's better regarded as he is so good at that attacking part.

2 hours ago, TRO said:

you make some good points.

I think one of the most confusing elements of debate, is when one guy/gal is talking about a players performance or elements of it, in a game, and another is talking about his career status or general performances.

as an example....I really value and rate Ollie Watkins, but last weeks offering was puny imo, after the performance at Villa Park against the same centre backs was deemed a master class, last season.

We all know consistency defines great players, and inconsistency seperates the good ones from that elite group....one of the biggest contributors to that consistency is application......if players are only up for it, in irregular patterns, they will never achieve elite status.

However, I am not sure what you mean by presenting opinions as facts.....That to me is in the mind of the recipient......ALL our views on players, are opinions, by everyone, even the manager......a strong and well articulated opinion may be convincing, but its still an opinion.

We all look for different things in a game, hence the line " you must be watching a different game"......sadly, its worded wrong, what they mean is, you are looking at different elements of the game to me....which happens regularly.

as another example.....A player can have a great game in terms of passing and moving, but when it comes to closing down, tackling and winning duels, he is left wanting......now that scenario, can easily divide opinion, and vary the optics of the observer.

I think many of us need to differentiate, with a good or bad player, having a good or bad game.......Good players have bad games, and bad players have good games......thats up to us as spectators, to get that bit right.

 

I personally don't like statements like

'don't worry weren't not signing X'
'he'll never play for us again'
'we won't pay X for X'

etc

often definitive statements that imply some specialist insider knowledge or knowing better than anyone else on a forum full of fans who have the same information access as everyone else.

again possibly just me...

Opinions are fine, we all over react and sometimes go to far, it's human nature

Sweeping generalisations, presenting opinions as facts also

But if someone vents and spits negativity without much balance, consideration/facts/proof it will get questioned, reactionary bile or endless repetitive criticism of the same player over and over will always just read like some weird agenda, like someone who voted Trump or Brexit and now has to go all in and never wheel back without damaging their fragile ego.

No one is beyond criticism, but I don't feel we have any players who don't care, who don't try or give their best, we don't have bad apples in this squad that I feel need to be called out, even if we have players whose form and ability can be rightly questioned

People seem to wildy differ in how they approach different players and some of it just feels utterly irrational.

Kamara is one of the best signings we have made in decades, i couldn't believe we pulled off that signing - considering it was Stevie G that helped make it happen... he is still young and new to the league, he clearly has shown he can perform like a star and also make some bad mistakes but i think he will get better just like Doug did, just my opinion though.

22 minutes ago, WallisFrizz said:

https://x.com/fpldoublepinter/status/1691930513622143432?s=46&t=eEOmtzk2PGC6KEJ-ymV_6Q

Can’t embed the tweet but the lad says Digne told him he was going to Saudi. Whilst waiting for a flight to Nice.

He called him Rodney after Dave

39 minutes ago, GingerCollins29 said:

I'm going to clarify my position on this as my earlier opinion on it (just my opinion btw) has seemingly really upset a few posters. 

He's very good. I don't think he's world class. I'd sell him IF we got a high offer. 50 mill i said i'd accept but when you see the fees players are going for now i'd up it.

For me, world class means you barely ever make mistakes, or put your team in trouble.

I defy anyone to realistically tell me he hasn't given away/been dispossessed on the edge of his own box on multiple occasions. He also misplaces too many passes to be considered world class.

Douglas Luiz on the other hand, I feel is the better player - how often do you see him doing slmething suicidal?

BK is very good at winning the ball and moving it quickly.

I also think some of you could just disagree with the opinion rather than have a hissy fit about it.

I love Doug but he has given the ball away in stupid areas a lot and a fair number of penalties in his time with us. I lost count of how many times he's been bullied off the ball and fallen over with no foul given.  I still think he's class but we've been generally forgiving because he was young and new to the Premiership and at first at least part of a struggling team. Kamara is young also and its only his second season, people were hailing him as world class and our best midfielder last season at times. The issue for me is we don't have a true sh*t house midfielder willing to foul/bend the rules as much as possible like most teams. Doug and Kamara are way to soft and it really counts against us at times. Only thing we have that can do that kind of damage is McGinn's arse.

Either way he's worth stupid money for anyone stupid enough to try and take him from us. We need more class players not less.

3 hours ago, GingerCollins29 said:

Opinions? What's the problem? 

Mine is also an opinion that counters yours, what's the problem?

27 minutes ago, Hank Scorpio said:

Everyone bar a few are selling clubs. We always sell our best players to 'better' teams.

You say that but who have we sold since promotion aside from Grealish?

I honestly expected to lose Luiz and Martinez but we haven't. If Watkins doesn't sign a new contract maybe that could be the case.

I get you mean that if any Champs league club came in for any of players and they wanted to go we would be hard pushed to stop them. Now we have the spectre that any player who wants to earn stupid wages can go to Saudi.

 

1 minute ago, lexicon said:

Cash and Digne together is a massive no from me. Konsa RB with Carlos and Torres CBs would be tons better.

I agree but I don't think Unai will drop them - but I hope i am wrong

53 minutes ago, thabucks said:

Why are posters so obsessed with Brighton ? Thought this was an Aston Villa - the founding fathers of the football league forum… Don’t  give two shits what others are doing. We have Emery, Monchi, Vidagany & Lange and I have full faith in them to do what’s best for our great club. 

Brighton are nowhere near the prestige and size of this great football club, but not sure why it upsets you to call out their transfer business model which is making them literally hundreds of millions every season?

We aren't a selling club and that is the difference, but we should still be uncovering future stars rather than purely buying players who have already reached that potential. Even if that was 10% of our transfer policy.

I think as soon as you start with a team like the below - it feels better.

Cash - Konsa (or Carlos) - Torres - Digne

McGinn - Kamara - Luiz 

Tielemans

Diaby --- Watkins

No Bailey, McGinn covering for Cash, even Konsa at right back would be fine.

We just suddenly need Tielemans and Torres to hit the ground running more than we thought we did.

Throw in Zanilo as an option if we want to swap the midfield around - it doesn't feel as bad.

We still need to decide what is happening with Archer and if going on loan or transfer with buy back, get on and buy another striker.

 

2 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Would be great if we can sign a unknown striker gem like when we got benteke. 

This is something i don't understand, we have literally stopped trying to uncover uncut/unproven gems - ala Brighton, Brentford (even Southampton).

I know we need proven talent and that is 70-80% the focus - but do we have no scouting network other than for youth?

I know Duran could be considered that, but not for the money paid... 

3 minutes ago, DeadlyDirk said:

He would have just the right character until he got on the skag...

he's been told to 'just say no'

he watched the highlights of the Newcastle game and has now retired

2 minutes ago, KentVillan said:

I don’t like shitting on individual players, especially when it becomes fashionable to single out a particular player as the root of the problem with what is a team performance.

But whereas most players showed moments of excellence, and have some credit in the bank from last season, I just don’t think Bailey looks like ever being a key player for us.

He’s so poor defensively, looks unfit, and the moments of attacking brilliance are few and far between. How many decent performances has he had in a Villa shirt? Probably 2 or 3? It’s not looking good for him.

He has zero physical strength, it's like getting a ball off a five year old, if he could improve this side of his game he could be one hell of a player

cash lets everyone move around him

He wasn't the worse player on the pitch - but I don't understand how we have gone from - one wide player and one striker - with either AJ or Buendia providing a forward counter attacking threat (and sometimes McGinn).

To Bailey and Diaby playing together, which i'm not saying couldn't work, but presently we look all out of balance and did in preseason when they both played.

2 minutes ago, Rustibrooks said:

I’m sure quite a few people scoffed at the idea of signing Barnes

yep they did

2 minutes ago, Villatillidie95 said:

Wilson hates villa, will want to bag

do you have a bag obsession, are you Angelos?

Just now, OutByEaster? said:

Cash has gone back to right back now.

 

can he go back to Nottingham Forest

Just now, mikeyjavfc said:

A draw would be a fair result in this game if you take away Konsa’s freak mistake and our players could finish their dinner…

no, not even close, a draw would be a miracle, we've got almost everything wrong

we learnt literally nothing from the preseason game and they learnt how easy our high line can be exploited.