MrBlack

36 minutes ago, Tayls said:

So, just how close was Jack to leaving us at the start of last season? Does anyone know?!

I have a mate that is friends with Kevan, and he tells me Kevan suggested not very close at all (much as he did on his Twitter at the time). He definitely didn't want to leave as some of the rags were suggesting

I get the misalignment of pinstripes is probably intentional, I just don't think it looks good.

Would be intrigued to see what it looked like if they lined up, and the panels fit, and the seams weren't excessively oversized, I might have liked it then.

Socks look good...

5 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

Yeah a little worrying. Surprised they left that in. 

You'd hope it's because it's nothing. If they know he's injured surely they'd go out their way to hide it until announced he's not playing?

The pin stripes fading in and out wouldn't be so bad, if they actually lined up either side of the middle... looks like they stuck two wall paper strips together but misaligned them. So that's appearance out the window. 

As for the chunky seams on the shoulders... just makes it look like a cheaply made knock off. 

Then the way the shoulder material pinches up makes it look like they don't know how to make a panel the right size for the fit they need. 

Finally the notches in the sleeve and the shorts just do nothing for the overall look.  I imagine it would feel annoying, like there's a bit of material hanging over you where the shouldn't be.

All in all, not impressed. 

12 hours ago, Brumstopdogs said:

 

 

This video epitomizes a huge part of the logic behind signing mings. He fits in so well in the dressing room and lifts everyone's spirits. The difficult season that we could be rationally expected to have will need his character (without even mentioning his footballing ability). 20m when Maguire is "worth" more than 80m ...bargain. 

5 minutes ago, Tom13 said:

Can't wait until this one is confirmed. I love that type of player, someone who can manipulate the ball and pass through the lines.

Innuendo aside, what does that even mean? 

10 minutes ago, AVFCDAN said:

If we lost 8 out of our first 10 games it would be interesting to see what the fans and owners are saying about Smith then.

Being honest he';s still an unproven quantity really. I've seen a lot of chatter on other teams forums saying that if we are around the bottom at Christmas they would expect him to be sacked, being honest they might be right.

I'm of the impression that he gets the season regards of what happens, doing a Fulham in terms of sacking manger that quickly really shouldn't be an option, maybe this is the one we have to give 3 years minimum to and see what happens, through the rough and smooth.

I hope we do stick with Dean in the event the worst happens (relegation). If we did i think it would have to be based on the trends we're seeing.  Have we made the right signings, is team morale apparently ok,  is the team developing a play style that most want to see, did we suffer injuries and actually look ok when fully fit,  did we take a while to settle but start performing towards the end of the season.

If the above isn't the case,  then it's hard to see any scenario where he keeps the job, although I find it hard to see a scenario where Dean isn't on the right course ...

Enough with the negativity though, we'll be top half come Christmas and top by March

59 minutes ago, tinker said:

Maybe I haven't been clear. My point is he's not increasing in value playing for their sister club and hes not getting the experience or exposure the premier League gives players .

We need to use the premier League to showcase our own talent and add value . Taking loan players or low buy back clauses on players is much the same thing, we are showcasing other teams players at the expense of our own talent .  

This assumes we have our own talent already (we don't) or can afford 30m on an unproven prospective talent to call our own (seems we may not if we're after an expensive winger/goalkeeper). This tells me they're prioritising other positions and don't believe we're going to get a better CDM option in this cost range

4 minutes ago, Mazrim said:

6 ish.

Assuming we're getting Luiz, I'd be ok with 3 more as a minimum. There's always January if we get injuries over Christmas

Quote

Kalinic

Elmo Konsa Mings Targett

McGinn Luiz

El-Ghazi Grealish Kodija

Wesley

 

Subs: Steer, Guilbert, Hause, Hourihane, Jota, Hogan

Shaping up nicely... not many more to go

2 minutes ago, Flynnchin84 said:

Has anyone got any idea what the buy back amount would be?

It will be something that man city were willing to pay, and something we're willing to receive... assuming it is actually happening.  Which means nothing outrageously expensive, and nothing that makes us their bitch. It's really a win:win all round. Probably will even have structure to it based on how much he plays for us and how well he does. Don't worry about it

Reading up more on him,  makes me think this will be on man city's terms, albeit with us still getting something in return.  Worst case scenario is option to buy back for  a few extra million covering his wages... even then:

- if he can dominate a midfield battle against Real Madrid, he'll do wonders for us this season, when it is critical we stay up. 

- he's Brazilian and will 100% help wesley settle into things at villa

- it gives us some good will with man City who own half the best youth talent in Europe (Chelsea the other half) and probably gives us insights to them that other teams won't have. 

- it means the 30m we don't have to spend on Phillips can be used elsewhere

That's worst case scenario.  Still not bad in my books and definitely not short term.

Edit: for balance, the negatives of worst case:

- we have to find a replacement next season (well we're replacing half the team this season, needing to replace 1 guaranteed next year isn't the be all and end all)

- we're helping man city develop/ get better/ get richer... (we're not in their league at the moment, we will be, but not yet. Plus they could find someone else willing to do this and then they'd get the above worst case benefits)

Buy back clause may be structured in a way that they have first refusal,  rather than guaranteed buy back at their discretion.  If it is the latter, then I trust our owners to have set the bar so high that it will be win:win for us.   Maybe not if his true value is more like 25-30m , but even then I still think we'll be laughing all the way on this one.

If he turns out to be the next Makelele or (to keep it country relevant) Mauro Silva that man city think he's going to be,  they're obviously willing to let us make some money out of it so they can get him with a guaranteed work permit.

Then there's always the possibility he loves the atmosphere here so much he stays

Genuinely speechless so I'll borrow a Kammy classic.... "Unbelievable Jeff".

21 minutes ago, PieFacE said:

In a strange way it would kinda make sense for us to wait til a different club agrees a fee for Maupay before making an offer, we can just match it then. No idea if transfers work that way but I think clubs would quote us higher prices because of our situation.

It's common practice but you run the risk of a deal being kept private by the buying team (offer conditional on it not being announced) and then missing out totally.  

26 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Can’t see why Phillips would stay at Leeds tbh, despite being a Leeds fan. Money talks and so does the Premier League.

The fan argument won out for Grealish... no idea if Phillips has the same level of adoration for Leeds, but it's definitely a factor.

BBC on the bandwagon now.  Link

34 minutes ago, jacketspuds said:

You don't think we need another CB? Or is it the quality of the CB's?

Assume they meant we only need one that is first team and a backup,  rather than an expensive prospect and an expensive has been

Assume the delay in signing was us negotiating with Bournemouth and playing it calm to try and get a reduction of the quoted fee. Whatever went on behind the scenes , culminated in us needing him and being willing to pay whatever price it is we've ended up paying.

Maybe Bournemouth lowered their fee,  maybe we decided we didn't want to wait until after our tour of the US. Maybe a bit of both.  Who knows.... certainly not the press, and they don't know the exact fee or the make up of the arrangement.

Getting wound up about the fee "quoted" is RIDICULOUS on this basis alone.

If you have concerns with the structure of the club and think we're showing signs that we're doing a villa of old,  then that's a different matter. For me, this signing combined with the clever other deals we've made so far assures me we're on the right lines, and I don't think we're overpaying (for any of the random amounts quoted) for someone who will settle straight in to the team and be guaranteed to understand and work with the playing style DS wants.

Great signing. 

Saw John Terry and Dean Smith tonight, looking very happy and relaxed. Definitely not running around stressing like headless chickens. If they can look relaxed with the task they've got ahead and the amount of pressure that applies I take it to mean they're in control. 

Suspiciously vague on what injury it is... anyone got a more detailed link?

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/zwnews.com/zimbabwe-versus-iuganda-afcon-2019-injured-nakamba-ruled-out-of-zim-uganda-match/amp/

11 minutes ago, Larscapaldi said:

That Nakamba lad isn't in the Squad for Zimbabwe today...

Good spot, not even on the subs bench.  Assuming they lose again that would be them most likely out the tournament,  so perhaps he's realised his club career is more important than risking injury in a hopeless endeavour... not sure I'd like that mentality in our CDM, so maybe he just got a knock in training. 

3 hours ago, rodders0223 said:

We move stadium the club is finished for me personally. Can never see it happening  but I suppose you never know.

 

 

Wow,  I sincerely hope we never leave Villa Park.

Don't think we will, for most of the reasons mentioned in this thread, but could see it going the same way.  Move closer to an up market area,  with shopping centres around it... atmosphere gone. Intimidation factor, gone. History might be limited to the name, and the record books,  but the stadium is a huge part of that too.

Much like the loan in tag on El Ghazi's topic bugged me for days after we signed him... the player tag against Wesley is irking me a little. Do we not have one that represents "pending work premit"?

I feel like we're tempting fate...

22 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Wednesday is the big day. 

According to who/ what?