Greenfly

16 hours ago, useless said:

In talks for Ruben Dias apparently, a Mendes client of course,  but if it happens will be a big coup and statement of intent from them.

Wolves really have a hard-on for players named Ruben.

9 minutes ago, AvfcRigo82 said:

Yes, will be interesting to see him in action.

Do we think he will be first choice along side Mings?

I wouldn't be surprised to see Hause play alongside Mings for a bit. They have established chemistry already.

22 minutes ago, The_Rev said:

 

 seriously?!! 

Well they had me fooled. They are Paddy Power after all. They're capable of pure evil.

14 minutes ago, Shropshire Lad said:

Don’t particularly care for paddy power but it’s good seeing a shirt without a sponsor.

However I don’t see it lasting.

Neither do I really, but I do hope Villa see it and consider doing the same thing next season. Either that or go for Acorns again.

8 hours ago, avfc1982am said:

The bottom line here is the kid is virtually a shoe-in for World Class. Man City from what I gather are expectant of getting him back in the future however in the mean time we get the CM/DM we've needed in spades. That return to City if it exists wouldn't be for another couple of years and the buy-back wont be necessarily for pennies. Quite the opposite. The other side of the buy back issue(not for me) is that Pep could be gone from City in a couple of years. City move on and the buyback never gets activated. He's fell in love with the Villa and encourages his fellow countrymen to don our colours and Brasilia becomes Bravilla. Sweet!! 

Damn, I never even considered that. There's actually a very high likelihood of this happening - he's not yet spent more than 4 seasons anywhere. I'm sure I read somewhere that he said you should never stay in one place for too long, or something to that effect.

So it turns out that horrific Huddersfield kit with the sash was fake. It was all part of a campaign to get rid of shirt sponsors once and for all.

Here it is, modelled by our good friend Tommy Elphick:

Fair play to them. They've pulled a blinder there.

6 minutes ago, villa89 said:

Spoiler: She's pregnant with twins. Congrats.

Would they be the two new signings Delphinho mentioned?

14 hours ago, VILLAMARV said:

 

Searle looks a good prospect.

Even if he makes no appearances this season, I think having someone respected and professional enough to be looked up to as Captain by the squad is invaluable. Camaraderie and togetherness is absolutely essential to a successful team, and his presence alone could be vital to that.

Nobody knows how this Premier League season is going to go. The less we rock the boat in terms of players who are trustworthy with a good attitude, the better. If he helps keep the team's morale up, he'll be worth more than 7.5m for that alone.

2 minutes ago, KenjiOgiwara said:

Anyone who saw our match against Minnesota, did he have any decent pace?

I don't recall him really running at the defence. Every time I caught a glimpse of him he was heavily marked, so it's tough to say. Maybe the Shrewsbury match might give us more of an insight into this.

7 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Whilst I like Jota and think he is good enough to start. I’m seeing a lot of posters who previously saw him as a squad player now thinking he is a starter due to one friendly appearance. 

I wouldn’t judge the players too much  from any of the friendlies lads.

I'm holding out judgment on his suitability to start until I've seen any other wingers we bring in. Judging by what I've seen so far though, him cutting in from the wing would be the perfect foil to Guilbert's tendency to hug the touchline. Seeing as Guilbert is pretty much nailed on as a starter, I think Jota has a fair shot at staying regularly.

Plus, in terms of age, he's at his physical prime. It's probably the best shot he'll ever have.

16 hours ago, A'Villan said:

Commentary on quality has it's place. MLS is now ranked as a better league than the championship, and I read our opponents aren't doing too badly over there.

Whilst I'm unaware of the ins and outs of the match, aside from 5 minutes of highlights, the caliber of opponent does give us some understanding for our position.

For example if the quality was to a high standard, and our team was still able to execute with technical and tactical skill combined, we can be assured preparation is coming along.

If the quality of game was poor, and our players were unable to execute their technique and tactics as we had strategised, then the degree of improvement will need to be greater.

Seems like it was a good day out.

 

 

It's worth noting that due to them being in the middle of their season, they fielded a reserve team.

Aside from seeing what the new signings are all about, there's not really all that much we can take from that match in terms of quality.

31 minutes ago, lexicon said:

No mention of him this preseason yet on here but I thought the ball he put in for Bjarnason was possibly the best cross I've seen him make. If he can do that regularly, he could be a real asset as his crossing and passing were his weakest areas last season.

Contrast that to the shot he made a few minutes earlier. He clearly has the talent, bit without consistency he's missing the most vital trait of all.

11 minutes ago, Skruff said:

The amount of runs he made that didn't get picked out with a pass...

I chalked that down to a lack of chemistry in the team. The rustiness of both squads used was pretty clear. I'm sure they'll get used to his runs over the next few games.

It would be nice to see Guilbert and Jota playing together in the next match. They could cause some real havoc on the right, judging by their performances last night.

Hi. I've only been a Villa fan since 2015 when I became interested in football, but I'd always had a soft spot for them since my brother and cousin took me to a few games as a kid. From the moment my interest in football took off, there was no other team for me.

I've been hovering in this forum, reading people's viewpoints and engaging in the club's history for a couple of years now, and I thought it'd be nice to start contributing.