Pimlico_Villa

24 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

I wonder if @Pimlico_Villa refused to celebrate Alan Huttons mini resurgence and solo goal as well. As it could probably be viewed as being a sensitive "Happy Clapper" to acknowledge an overall "poor" player  for us doing positive things for us.

" Facepalms in Happy Clap "

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

5 hours ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

It's as ridiculous as trying to ignore the fact that if it wasn't for his goals after the break we would probably be having this conversation in the Championship.

This was an ill thought out post.

I'm not sure where the "happy clappers" you spoke of have pretended as if he is a world beater.

99 percent of us have said he has won points with us due to his extremely important goals and his willingness to work hard - hence will be given a chance to see if he can improve or at least play a part in some way.

The consensus on Trezeguet as a player over the course of the season has been pretty unanimous for the most part.

Note: Are happy clappers the ones who don't make a theme of consistently shitting on our players and club?

Who doesn't know we need better players?

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. 

14 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Would people be willing to sacrifice a winger this window if we could get both Watkins and Édouard?

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? 

On 29/08/2020 at 20:01, Steero113 said:

The same guy who oversaw: 

15m Douglas deal 

14m Targett deal

11m Konsa deal

All of which will be worth at the very least double what we bought them for (prolly triple/quadruple once Konsa has reached his potential)

And also secured Louie Barry and Ben Chrisene who were two of the most coveted u18's in European football...

Bloke ain't got a **** clue has he... disgraceful

All because @rodders0223 thinks we're Chelsea all of a sudden

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. 

56 minutes ago, Sam-AVFC said:

Got any examples of people saying they're happy with it? I imagine you'll have quite a few lined up considering the "swarms" saying stuff like this.

 

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. 

8 minutes ago, Mark_1989 said:

As other posters have stated I’m starting to get fed up with lack of striker signings. It’s inexcusable tbh. Before anyone shoots me down saying we don’t want to pay over the odds etc, we’ve had literally 9 months to work on striker targets. We panicked in January and bought the junk that is Samatta and literally haven’t had a goal scored by a striker since January...we clawed our way to safety plying with 10 men for the most part as our strikers converted 0.0% of their chances and to think we could be in a position to start the season with Keinan and Samatta is appalling.

Clearly we have targets in mind and don’t want to pay over the odds but we need to face the fact that we may have to pay more than we would like to. We wouldn’t be the first team to stump up large money for players, but if we think they are going to get us 15+ goals we need to go for it.

Leaving it till the end of the window we will already have let nearly 20% of the season slide and if we are to start back with samatta, Davies, ghazi or trez starting well we simply deserve to go down.

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. 

1 hour ago, Dave-R said:

I think theres abit of strategy involved with us and other clubs signing late this time, obviously other factors involved to. Let's face it you give away what your signing early on and how much of a budget you potentially have. Other clubs will take notice if you start signings first I think and attempt to combat that with much different signings, the top clubs in this league I think would have an advantage to everyone lower down giving away there signings, they instantly know what players to buy with certain ability. It's not so easy for the lower clubs in leagues to delay there signings but if they have some plans up there sleeves they may feel they need to delay. I know it may sound abit rubbish but i believe there is a certain part of what I've said that is true.

Like i said there is so much to think of and theres lots of strategy involved now, it's not so simple anymore to just sign someone quickly. Then there is also the fact that when clubs start revealing signings I think clubs who delay have different pools of players they may go for, not just one pool, they will have category A, B and C with what they want to tackle different scenarios on the pitch. You also have the level of secrecy involved now which has gone through the roof as if its handled by MI5 and 6, it never used to be like that but its absolute mad to think how nothing gets out anymore compared the 90s and before.

I may be reaching I dont know but I just think theres absolutely no way especially in times like these are clubs going to reveal signings to early. Clubs revealing can potentially give away info so early on that it gives other clubs ideas how to combat such and such players and how they play on field.

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. 

30 minutes ago, Rolta said:

I just don't get it either. It's as if, if some people don't see something shoved in their face they think there's nothing happening. And do those same people, when bullshit is shoved in front of their face in the form of any old rumour, they believe it pretty much unconditionally.

WAKE UP (those) PEOPLE!

Critical thinking is a thing. If you don't use it, the country gets shit, and more to the point this forum gets annoying.

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. 

50 minutes ago, rubberman said:

Reading this page - dearie me... Obviously it would be better to do business early. Obviously it would be better to get bodies in for a full pre-season. Obviously even if this means a small premium it's probably still worth it. 

Do you really think everyone in the club isn't trying to do this? They aren't not signing anyone just to get this thread to 600 pages. It is not a simple process. Spending £100+ million quid takes a bit more than watching YouTube highlights. 

 

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. 

1 hour ago, Mjvilla said:

I don't agree with this. All clubs would love to do their business early. I couldn't tell you 1 club that wouldn't rather have every single player through the door in the first day. 

Just because we finished 17th makes us no different to any other club. Do you think Southampton are sat there thinking 'we don't need to do any business just yet as we avoided relegation comfortably'? Absolutely NOT. 

Quite often, it takes 1 move to start a whole host of moves. The fact no other club has made a move tells us alot about the transfer market post pandemic. It'll be a tougher market than most, and there will be a lot of poker faces going on. What we don't want to do is go in early and overpay. That would make little business sense. It's pretty common knowledge that transfer fees reduce the closer to the end as the selling club doesn't want the player and realises noone will pay the asking price. (although they rise even closer to the end as the buying clubs become desperate).

The idea that we are different to any other club in this league is wrong in my opinion. You've said ourself how brutal this league is. The transfer market is probably even more brutal. 

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).

6 minutes ago, 7392craig said:

Yeah there is logic, just not much else. You have as much to back up your opinion as I do. But you talk as though your opinion is fact, and you’ve insulted me several times because I don’t see things the way you do. Clubs could offer the same money as, and some can’t, it’s the variables then that take over and it’s why each club will have more or less pull on certain players.
You should imagine when talking to people online, that you’re sitting at a table with them instead, it helps with being more well mannered online.

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. 

18 minutes ago, 7392craig said:

Fans like me? I’m very much aware that we’re not going to attract the best players, I know where we finished in the table. If you’re trying to argue that offering higher wages wouldn’t help get players in, then I don’t see any point in debating this with you. I don’t claim we’re Real Madrid, but I’m sticking by my claim that  we are an attractive club. If you want to believe otherwise, that’s fine. I don’t see why you’re so offended by my post, or why you need to be so aggressive about it, people are entitled to disagree with you.

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. 

18 hours ago, avfc1982am said:

Is this serious? Unreal honestly.

 

You think they will? 

16 hours ago, 7392craig said:

By your logic, ‘proper’ players won’t want to sign for us unless the current players we do have, or ones who we sign who are only as good as them get us further up the table. These marquee signings will then want to play for us? There’s no logic behind your argument. There are many reasons why a footballer would wish to join us, money being a big one, players normally out of your range can be persuaded with higher wages. As well as that, we are a premier league club, nobody can say we’re going to be in another dogfight as non of us know so we’re still an exciting prospect in that regard. Also, players have kids, wives, mates at other clubs they might want to be local to. There’s a hundred different things that could persuade a player to move clubs. Personally I feel we have many in our favour. Don’t panic, once the first few transfers start going through you’ll see more activity at our level. I’m sure we’re chasing our targets, I’m just sure that we won’t know anything about it until it’s more or less done.

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.