MentalM

I do not know anything about Turnbull However if the goal is to push Europe next season, our signings need to be on Martinez level. Clear upgrades on what we have (except LB, where we are in dire need for competition for Targett, not looking to upgrade). Another potentially talented CM isnt going to work if we are developing players like Chukwuemeka. If we get someone in that position it needs to be a clear upgrade on McGinn, Sanson. Personally I would prefer to get 2-3 players for some real money. LB: Another Targett, he needs competition DM: Sander Berge (I am Norwegian, and we are usually very critical to own players, but I really rate him). He is a ballplaying DM, Sheffield United used him as a box to box to fit their system, but his real excellence is in a playmaking DM role. I expect it to be many teams who want him during the summer. CAM/AML: A player who can play atleast both of these roles. Basically a clone of Grealish (who will be a bit worse thou, since Grealish is god). We need another can opener. Who? I dont know. Buendia, Rodrigo de Paul, Matheus Cunha, Amine Harit, Florian Wirtz, Oyarbazal, Bryan Gil, Fulgini. Just mentioning alot of players I know have had a great season.

He is nr 3 in our team in interceptions, behind Cash and Targett. Nr 3 in blocks behind Mings and Konsa, the next person after the 4 defenders in clearances. Nr 6 in tackles (behind Cash, Targett, Nakamba, McGinn and Trezeguet). How does he have few defensive qualities? I am just glad we have a player with the tactical awareness to also do the occasional professional foul, who rarely gives away the ball for nothing. Yes, he could do better in other positions, but he clearly have abilities both offensively and defensively.

I 100% support this decision. I thank you for these posts, been crying tears of laughter here of the last pages

I hope you never will be asked to identify a culprit by the police

Think Brighton as well, they got promoted same season did they not? Grealish goal denied Brighton the title in last match when we were down to 10 men

I hope he sticks around as a coach or something. His professionalism should be used to influence the younger players

I fancy Heaton. However best for both parties if he leaves. He earns quite a lot so getting it off the books would be great. I believe with Martinez and Steer at the back we will be adequately covered if Martinez should need a rest a game or two

Joined in on @villalad21logic

Could it not potentially be 4 with Anwar being in the preliminary Dutch squad?

This is what i want to see us fans be like! Please stay away from comments as "sod off"

I 100% see where you are coming from. However I believe its a collective collapse related to Covid. Personally see more issues in the CDM and CAM position than Mcginn (would still like to see him being tried in the AM position). And I could not agree more on McGinn tiring too much, but I also believe it is because he plays too much... Could be jadedness we see

Yet this information is not correct. He is the 5th most dispossessed person behind Watkins, Grealish, Barkley and El Ghazi. He is 4th in most bad touches - behind Watkins, Grealish and Traore. Yes, he plays further down so we are more exposed when he does the errors. However I believe much of the decisions are also what management wants from him. He is the second in dribbling behind Grealish, second behind Grealish in keypasses

100% agree on upgrades and competetion. In McGinn place I believe healthier competition would be good. I think he is a player that has a future here, and will be an important contributor to our push for Europe. I cannot respond to the statement about his fitness assessment, since I have not seen him mentioning it anywhere I have seen. However, I can believe he is slightly complacent since we do not have much depth in quality in central midfield. Personally I would like to see McGinn in the nr 10 role, and push Nakamba and Luiz in the middle (even thou last season that combination was a disaster).

I am not sure why McGinn is getting so much stick. Yes his passing is annoying at times, yet there are only Grealish, Luiz and Konsa with higher pass %. He creates the third most behind Grealish and Watkins with his key passes. As someone said further up, he needs a break at times. We get overrunned in the midfield when he is out of gas. Villa fans seems way more negative towards McGinn than other people are...

But these players had played together as a team. So what they lacked in experience they could atleast make up for in cohesiom. We had neither. I Will let my judgement on Bielsa rest until after his second season

We have players who last season played their first season in PL. All of them in my eyes have improved in my eyes in current season greatly. I might have overlooked the part of 5 years you seem to refer to, but I doubt anyone here would claim we need to wait 5 years for them to settle and get chemistry. If the players we signed for this season improve as much as the ones who improved from the season before we would have a team of world beaters. Add that with some key signings and we should push Europe next season. I dont agree with no character - we came back when trailing vs Fulham and basically looked prime Liverpool in how we turned it around. No motivation? I saw our team play Palace around their fingers in parts of first half. We lack quality and endurance. We are naive at times, due to lack of experience. To your hate on Smith: I agree he needs to improve his ingame management, but I want to believe he can improve. He took criticism last season, and changed how we approached the game and suddenly we stopped conceding 4 goals per game. With how greatly we have improved over his time from season to season, perhaps we should be patient for one more season that is according to the plan we had? The one the owners, Smith and everyone has told us. One season to survive, one to regroup, one to push (which would be next season). I wish he would make changed pro actively, I 100% agree with you. I wish he would use the bench more. I wish to believe he does that next season when our squad depth will be much bigger You find these one things you do not like and keep jabbing on about it, the hate towards Traore and Wesley. Now its Smith being not a good enough manager for us.

And let us not forget he took over a team that had played in PL before. Unlike our players

And some people get stubborn easily and keep ramming their head into the wall... We are 100% on track to where we are supposed to go

This has been going on after Covid outbreak. Could it be related? A few players looked way worse (Barkley in particular). Also adding up the injury to the leagues best player. I agree on Smith needing to improve on many things, but if you see the improvement from last season to this season you should be thrilled. Bielsa has one huge advantage, continuity in the squad. We have had a MAJOR rebuild in our entire team. And Bielsa have clear weaknesses with stubborness and naivity himself (had that all through his career). Had to mention this since you seem to worship him as much as you worshipped Maupay... We have the youngest lineup in PL, and we are on the track of one survival season, one season to settle, and contest for Europe next season. Why are we so inpatient? Building a team takes time. If Traore shows the improvement i.e Targett and Konsa has shown, he would be a world beater next season

It is frustrating that we are so slow om subbing... We been overrunned in entire second half. Why did we not put in Nakamba for Luiz after 60 min? Now we are using three steiners, and we Will have no service it seems like

Couldnt complain if it would been a red. Yesterday seems to be a day where they didnt want to give reds on those (United had 2 by Fred and McTominay)

No black, yellow or white for me Our 3rd kit last season was really nice, and the light blue away the same.

Fair enough. I believe Heaton was far better than what we were used to. However I also believe he never settled properly before the injury, and I cant say he was that good as I expected him to be

My meaning was that many of the players we signed before last season has improved THIS season. Targett, Konsa, Luiz, Nakamba, Trezeguet Heaton, Wesley and Engels hard to say anything about with all the injuries. I am not including the players that were signed after being on loan (El Ghazi and Mings). The abovementioned things lead to my comment that I believe Traore can be much better if we give him another season

Targett, Konsa, Luiz (more consistant this season imo, fewer of the horrendous decisions), Nakamba (when he has played), Trezeguet (his improvement startet after Covid break last season thou) Engels, Heaton and Wesley hard to judge.