Pimlico_Villa

On the contrary. I’d actually build a statue of Hutton outside VP. Genuinely loved him.

You’ve actually proven what I’m talking about. He was diabolical over the course of the season, but because he scored a couple of goals you now say he deserves a place in the squad. By that logic, we’ll never improve. Just admit that a rubbish player is rubbish and shouldn’t be playing. To answer your question, a happy clapper is someone who puts an unjustifiably positive spin on things and simply cannot accept any criticism of the club or players. Like you have done with Trezeguet, for example.

I know it is difficult for delicate happy clappers to admit we have players that aren’t very good, but to try and put a positive spin on Trezeguet is just ridiculous.

With Wilson, I imagine the fact that his Bournemouth team that was ultimately relegated beat us twice so easily must have shaped his view on us and Smith. The more worrisome thing about the Wilson deal was that we needed to wait for Newcastle to try and shake him loose first before we got involved. We’re meant to have this list of players - Smith references it frequently - but instead we look to have resorted to trying to hijack what rival clubs are doing. Given we reportedly have this sophisticated recruitment set up, why are we doing that?

There is honestly no point whatsoever in having this sophisticated recruitment set up if all we can do is try and hijack other team’s moves for players (like we reportedly did for Wilson). What is going on with the list of players that Smith frequently references? Smith being perceived as a lower league Manager is not going to be a draw for the calibre of players we need. If we have the budget and the backing that we think we do, let’s move on to Poch. Edit: Wilson, not Watkins

I’m not fussed about rushing him back because I really didn’t rate him in the first place. He was completely ineffective anyway and will be even worse for such a severe injury.

Yes, because Watkins could still be played wider.

Mentioned in another thread that he is the only player we have who can run. Zero pace anywhere else in the team.

Saw today that Guilbert linked with Nantes. If we lack pace in the team, why are we selling our quickest player?

Incredibly selective to just reference those players when he also oversaw the signings of dross like Wesley and Samatta.

He so desperately needs to lose some weight. There is a player there for sure, just needs to get fit.

Hopefully he can now demand the club sign proper players in order to help him.

Can’t you read? I said that there are people seemingly not concerned, not that they’re happy about it. It isn’t what you describe as ‘showing a little patience’, either. It’s happy clappers desperately trying to put any gloss on what is a truly chronic situation.

I know everyone on here likely invests a lot of time and emotion into the Villa and use an unfounded sense of optimism as a coping mechanism, but I am genuinely amazed by the blind faith that so many have. Utterly detached to say the least. Here we are having barely survived last season with one striker that hasn’t scored since January and one striker who is completely allergic to scoring goals and there are still swarms of happy clappers that aren’t even remotely concerned with that predicament. Genuine question: based on the prior two windows and activity so far, what makes you believe that we are going to sign proper players? Much more logical to look at the approach taken this window - relative to how desperate the need is for proper players - and deduce that the club is just not bothered. Far more evidence to support this than the contrary, but I know happy clappers don’t like hearing that.

I really don’t know why recruitment has been so chronic for so long. Under various owners and strategies it has been awful. In saying that, it doesn’t justify us giving up like we have in this window.

Exactly. That first month has at least two winnable games and we know that if we can’t win those winnable games, then we won’t claw those points back from top sides.

True, but by not doing it early we’re risking ~18 points. If we go into season with same front three as last season then we are almost guaranteed to struggle in most those first 6 games. Just do not understand the logic of backing Samatta as first choice going into the season.

I just don’t have faith in the ability of this set up to sign proper players. Track record on recruitment is chronic and we’re almost guaranteed to go into game one with Samatta. There are people on here that believe we are working at 100mph trying to sign targets, but I don’t know what that view is founded upon. Looking at prior windows (yes, the need was different, granted), I just don’t see where people are getting their conviction from that we’ll buy proper players, or at least buy proper players on time. We survived by one point last season and there is a very acute need to buy a front three. Leaving it to the last day risks throwing away up to 18 points, which we don’t have the luxury of doing.

I’m not sure you’re following your own advice, here. What you describe is over simplistic and I doubt you’d be able to point to even one poster that has done as you describe.

I’m not convinced that they are. Yes, this will be met with the usual rebuttal of ‘you don’t know that’, but approach to recruitment has been chronic to date.

I agree with that in principle, but still think there is merit in paying a premium to get business done early, especially when the need is so great like it is with us and the lack of a proper striker or wingers. I’m not saying this applies to all targets, but definitely key ones. Yes, there are protracted sagas each window, but also consider that us making a sensible early bid for players that are knowingly available allows the selling club to then pursue their targets as well so there is incentive. Just need to be savvy and bid appropriately. For the sake of paying a premium, we get peace of mind that we start the season with a proper striker. Leave it late and end up with nothing and that premium looks tiny in comparison to the broader consequences. Smith often refers to a list of players that the club have compiled and I would think the player’s likely availability plays a role in his ranking on that list. I’d also opine that our need is much more acute than any other team in the league given where we finished last season (acknowledging that it is all relative).

Okay, so answer me this, please? How does the fact that we are not guaranteed to be in a dog fight make us an exciting prospect? You said earlier that it would.

I’m not saying that offering higher wages wouldn’t help us sign players. I’m saying that there are 17 other clubs in the League that can do that, arguably more so than we can, so it isn’t really a differentiating factor. Can’t you read? Disagree all you like, but don’t say there is no logic to what I said when the logic is abundantly clear.

You think they will?

You should re-read your first sentence and then your third sentence. I thought the logic was quite simple, but perhaps I should spell it out to you in more basic terms: we need to sign significantly better players but will struggle to attract ones that will make a real difference because we are rightfully viewed as a team that is relatively new to the league and only just about stayed up last season - i.e. we are a risk. However, should we pull of one marquee signing, as I eluded to, then we will be viewed of less of a risk and be a more compelling proposition. That is why it is more rational to expect us to sign players that are an improvement, but only an incremental one. What don’t you get about that logic? Your argument about simply being able to offer higher wages is ridiculous as every other club in the league, apart from the promoted three, could comfortably match us and would be willing to do so if the right player came along. How do you deduce that we are an ‘exciting prospect’ based on nobody being able to say for sure that we won’t be in a dogfight? How does uncertainty make us an exciting prospect? If anything, it makes us a more risky prospect. I think it is fans like you that make us so despised by so many other fans. You have a completely distorted and misplaced view of how good we are. Look at the facts instead.