Keener window-cleaner

I can try to give an answer to that question. Olsen has been the undisputed no 1 for Sweden since 2016 with 57 caps. Some examples, when Sweden knocked out Italy in the WC qualification play-off 2018 he was immense in both games and highly contributed to Sweden reaching the WC. When Sweden played 0-0 against Spain in the Euros 2021 it was one of the best performances by a keeper we have seen in modern time with headlines like "Olsen - Spain 0-0". Also in the other games in the WC 2018, the Euros 2021 and in the qualifiers he played well. At club level he had his best periods with FC Copenhagen 2017 where he played in the Champions League and he still holds the record of the most clean sheets in one season (19). He was bought to Roma as a replacement for Alisson. At Roma he had a stable season until they changed manager who made him second choice. The problem for Olsen is that after Roma, he has been loaned out to several clubs and hasn't really settled or got to play regularly. It's a bit of a strange situation where he still is the undisputed no 1 for Sweden and plays regularly for the national team, but not at club level. In my view he has regressed over the last years, probably because of the lack of playing time and because of injuries. As I've said several times before, I didn't want us to sign him, I don't think he is good enough for where we want to be. Most of all he is not good enough with his feet and the physicallity of the PL can be a problem for him. Throw him in away to Man C or Man U and you are up for a big gamble. I was frustrated with his performance yesterday, even though he made some good saves, it was really bad with mistakes you shouldn't make at this level. I got worried when I saw that he would start. But dismissing him in the way some have done, and questioning Emery and Cutler etc are simply overreactions. With Olsens reputation, to get him for £2M and having him as back up keeper does on paper sound really shrewd. And if we wouldn't have liked what we saw in training we of course wouldn't have signed him permanently. So to summarize we are talking about a keeper who has top performed against the best teams in the world, with performances and such a reputation a couple of years ago that he was brought in as a replacement for Alisson at Roma (though also at that time, I thought Roma overrated him). He is now 32, he has regressed over the last years and hasn't played much. We shouldn't have signed him and I would be surprised if we would see him play much for us again. But quite a few of you should calm down with your overreactions..

So you didn't see the saves he did today? And you are making your assessment of having watched him 3 games, of which two have been against Man C and Man U? And you forgot the saves he made against Man C? We had him on loan for 6 months, if Cuts and others wouldn't have thought that he was a good keeper we wouldn't have signed him, he has been immense in several games for Sweden, starring in the Euros and WC qualifications. Now I don't defend him, I have said from the start in this thread that I didn't want us to sign him, but rather a proven PL back up. Also said he isn't good enough with his feet and in the air. But comparing him with Nyland and Bunn like some do, or some of the things being said on here tonight is simply stupid overreactions.

Like Olsen, not good enough for us, we need a proper back up left back.

So from today's game: a new No 2 keeper, a new left back, and a new winger?

By making stupid passes and fumbling with crosses?

He made a couple of top class saves today that I'm sure many others wouldn't have. We know his weaknesses, ball at his feet and crosses, and that means he is not good enough for us.

Yeah but he is a great shot stopper

And having said that, i still don't think we should have signed him in the first place as I don't think he is a good enough no 2 or 3 for where we want to be, and will have problems coping with the physicality of the PL on crosses etc.

He is a great shot stopper, made several really good saves. At the same time he is a liability with his feet, we are many who have been saying this for a long time, what is surprising is that we persisted with passing back to him. With Olsen in goal we cannot play out from the back as with Martinez. Comparing Olsen with Nyland or Bunn is not serious, as said he is a really good shot stopper, but should have the ball at his feet as little as possible.

Who did the fans just sing about when singing "he is one of our own"?

I'll continue to contest this. That was villalads interpretation of what "the Lyon fans" thought about him, referring to one or two. At the time I scoured through quite many Lyon forums and the picture was certainly more nuanced and many loved him. From reading this thread it would be quite difficult to give an unambiguous oneliner of "what the Villa fans" think about Traore. On top of that he is a bit of an enigma that divides opinion.

His role has been unclear to me, at times both under Smith and Gerrard he was one of the more active on the side line during the games, barking out orders and giving instructions, clearly not just to the goal keeper. I think it's good with stability and to have some supporting staff that stay no matter of who is the manager, but the ones closest to the manager needs to go when a change is made and the new manager must be able to decide who should be in his team of coaches.

Why on earth should we go for Marina Granovskaia? Chelsea have built their success on laundring dirty money and breaching rules. Their footballing decisions have on many occations been appaling, for example letting players like Salah and De Bruyne go for little money, letting Lukaku go, then buy him back a couple of years later for £100M, and then loaning him out the season after. Changing managers every year and wanting to join the Super League. She obviously has ties to Abramovich and the Londongrad community. I want our Villa to stay as far away as possible from Russian oligarchs, or Middle Eastern oil-states for that sake. It would not be a superb replacement for Purslow, it would be a catastrophe.

The more I look him up the more a warm to him, much rather have him than Tuchel, and my feeling right now is rather than Poch as well! Go Unai!

Of the names being thrown around he was my first choice. I hope Danks stays on and becomes his assistant. Emery seems like a very good coach, and should be regarded as a bit of a coup for us. Only hesitation is that my strongest memory of him at Arsenal was that he didn't speak English very well, he sounded like Manuel in Fawlty Towers perhaps it's better now!

Hope he becomes the no 2 and explains to Emery how the team is best set up!

I thought he was key to how we played today, a specialist defensive midfielder who stood his ground and mopped up the midfield together with Luiz, defended the back four and played it simple. Calm and assured. Perfect to have him and Luiz as the two holding midfielders, big Donc taking some more defensive responsibility and winning everything in the air and Luiz being a bit more the playmaker. He is exactly what we needed, an upgrade on Nakamba, someone who is a decent passer and who is strong and good in the air.

Thanks Danks for giving me my Villa back, even if it only was for one game. It was not only the performence, but as much the atmosphere and the positivity. There are few things I enjoy as much as a competent administrator going about his business quietly and efficiently.

That's the spirit!

Praise and a big thanks to our great fans at the ground chanting get out of our club!

I think they do, but it often looks this way when a manager doesn't manage to get his ideas across, or don't have any ideas, or the players just realise that the instructions given them arent working, but try to carry it out anyway.

I loved hearing the chants of "sacked in the morning" and "get out of our club, get out of our club, Steeeven Geeerrard, get our of our club". The highlights of the game!

I think I'm going to buy myself a cake, put the home kit on, then just breathe, eat slowly and enjoy the moment.

he a very good player, but in a team that sets up in a way that he gets absolutely no quality passes or chances created for him there is not much he can do.

sounded like that also a couple of sacked in the morning, but don't know what set of fans who sang that