Monkeypuzzle

He's a good, solid, strong player who started off as a central, more defensive midfielder and has slowly moved to the right and wing back role over the last few years. A Steve Stone style player but dare I say, with a bit more quality to him. He'd suit the more defensively minded right back, who can still pass and cross well role that Unai apparently favours. Good move I'd say if we really are interested.

My first ever post on Villa Talk. I think I might have been on to something back then!

Really? I'm not sure you've ever mentioned that before about Bailey? (I tease, this is actually quite restrained by your standards.)

Just looking at the levels that our players had played at when we signed them and we have done a great job of developing our own stars by plucking players from lower or lesser leagues. This is something that many complain we don't do enough of, but: Emi Martinez - before us he had played just 15 games in the Premier League over 5 years and 50 games in the Championship. Matty Cash - had played 4 seasons in the Championship before we signed him, never in the Premier League. Ezri Konsa - had only played 1 season in the Championship and 2 seasons in League 1 before we signed him. Tyrone Mings - had only played 57 games in the Championship and 17 games in the Premier League before he came to us on loan in the Championship. Douglas Luiz - only played 38 games in La Liga before we bought him. None in the UK. John McGinn - played 2 seasons in the Scottish Championship and 4 seasons in the Scottish Premiership before signing for us. Ollie Watkins - 2 seasons in League 2 and 3 seasons in the Championship before we signed him. If you count Ramsey as one of our own youth products that is 8 of our regular starters that we have turned into stars ourselves! That leaves Olsen, Young, Carlos, Chambers, Digne, Moreno, Dendoncker, Kamara, Coutinho, Sanson, Buendia, Bailey and Traore who you would have to say we haven't particularly developed ourselves at top level. (You could argue that 2 seasons in La Liga for Luiz should count here but then Buendia only had one season in the Premier League to balance it out.) I would say that we have done a good job of developing players both from our own youth ranks and plucking from lower leagues in recent times.

I completely agree Tubby. Getting European football does mean we would need at least one more striker in addition to what I said above.

I really don't understand why everyone is trying to get rid of Matty Cash? Unai seems to have no issue playing him and he has been a great player for us since his move here. His recent form hasn't been dreadful so I just don't get it? If we are looking to bring in a new right back I would think it was to replace Ashley Young, not Cash. If Konsa gets used more as a right back next season then Cash can compete with him and offer something different. In that case I would expect us to go for a new centre back (Pau Torres perhaps?) Goalkeeper - not vital that we do anything but most would like a replacement back up for Olsen. Defenders - not vital that we make any changes here but Digne, Young and Chambers are all players Unai will have to make a decision about. Midfielders - our busiest area of business. Decisions to be made regarding Dendoncker and Iroegbunam. Are they in the squad next season? I think Unai wants more depth available here so extra quality players expected. I think questions will be asked over the futures of Coutinho, Bailey and Traore. Nakamba and Sanson will almost certainly be sold I would have thought? Replacing the pair of them with players who actually play in the squad would be massive! A new, rapid winger/ forward is also expected which may be bad news for one of the other three names I mentioned. Forwards - not vital to make a new dedicated forward signing but perhaps expected. Archer has impressed greatly out on loan again and it would be nice to see him and Duran acting as back up but Unai might want someone who can play in that winger/forward role that can step right in to the first team. Therefore I would expect our squad next season to look a bit like this: Goalkeepers - Martinez, Olsen, Sinisalo Defenders - Mings, Carlos, Konsa, Cash, Moreno, Digne, Young, Chambers Midfielders - Kamara, Luiz, Dendoncker, Iroegbunam, McGinn, Ramsey, Buendia, Coutinho, Bailey, Traore + 2 or 3 new first team players Forwards - Watkins, Archer, Duran Let's say that most of the highlighted players stay, minimising the changes in the squad and we bring in Guendouzi, Goncalves and Nico Williams. Just three new players and we lose Steer, Hause, Nakamba, Sanson, Davis and Wesley. I'd be happy with that and trust that team to fight for Europe next season. What do you think?

For the first time in years I do not have a list of suggestions for who I would like us to buy in the summer. I am completely happy to leave it up to Unai. If he wants a player from Europe that I've never heard of, go for it. If he wants to poach a player from one of our rivals, go for it. If he wants another clubs cast offs, go for it. I am happy to let him do the scouting and I'll just enjoy the ride. I'll focus on who we do have until then.

Impressive! If he plays like that regularly then everyone will want him. Is he consistent though?

No it was yellow, because I remember thinking, if you think he's pushed him and stopped a goal, surely that should be a red card. I think Ollie's reaction was because it was such an obvious foul on him.

But Ollie only got shown a yellow didn't he?

Best goal of the day?! That is still one of the best goals I've ever seen.

I was in the middle of writing something about all the people obsessed with hating villa players before I realised there is no point. They obviously prefer whining about villa players far more than actually supporting the club as it is ALL they ever do! What kind of person would spend all their time doing the opposite of supporting their team unless they enjoyed it? Pointing out your opinion of a players performance is fine. We all have our favourites and as Villa fans, we are all familiar with disappointment. But these people NEVER SHUT UP about it. It's pure hate for people who they should be supporting. Claiming they are not good enough. Well the club obviously thought they were or they wouldn't have spent millions of pounds on them. I realise I have now done the opposite of what I said at the start but I'll end with a simple request. Before you write your next mini hate speech about a villa player, just think, why am I writing this? Who cares? Does it help anyone or just hurt someone? Is this an act of SUPPORT or act of anger?

If we are going to play with two strikers, as opposed to one striker and one attacking midfielder, which we are doing so far under Emery, then Watkins, Archer and Duran could easily have one new first team striker join them for next season, with both young players still getting plenty of time on the pitch. If however, they are all fighting for one position, with the other going to Bailey, Buendia or some other new attacking midfielder, then I don't see us buying a new striker in the summer. I'd rather see Bailey playing on the wing. He may prefer playing on the right but he seems to produce his best for us from the left. I'm certainly keen to have him in the squad still. He may be out of form at the moment but what we need is someone to rotate with him. Not give up on him as so many on here seem to want to do. Ollie, I am sure, will stay this summer. He is playing well under Emery and there is simply no need to pay big money to replace someone who is scoring regularly again, and even when he isn't, always contributes to the team. There are more important areas of the team to upgrade first. A trio of Watkins, Archer and Duran next season makes me excited to see them playing in a proper Emery side.

Ah, who doesn't love a good story of colonists losing to natives (says the British guy).

I get your point, but you might want to avoid using Columbus as an example of a competent sailor. The guy was useless, thought the world was pear shaped and didn't have a clue where he was. Magellan might be a better example

Is Kesler-Hayden back too now?

I see Tim being more cover for Dougie rather than taking Dendoncker's place as back up for Kamara. Dougie seems to get forward more than Kamara. Dendoncker likes to hang back whilst Tim likes to five forward, more akin to Dougie. I'm assuming we have Kamara and Luiz as our central pairing next season, with Dendoncker and Iroegbunam being there as competition and back up/rotation in a healthy squad.

If you consider Jacob Ramsey to be an established first team player already, and don't factor the new signings that we know will be made this month and in the Summer, is there another young player, apart from Tim Iroegbunam, that would find there way into our regular playing squad at the moment? I don't think Sinisalo is going to replace Olsen yet. Kesler Hayden and Chrisene aren't ahead of Young, Cash, Digne or Moreno yet. Feeney and Bogarde are not ready to replace Konsa, Mings, Carlos or even Chambers and Hause at the moment. Aaron Ramsey and Finn Azaz aren't likely to surpass Coutinho, Buendia, Ramsey or McGinn just yet, Kadan Young and Philogene aren't ahead of Bailey or Traore and Archer and Barry aren't ahead of Ings or Watkins. BUT, I would say that Tim Iroegbunam is ahead of Nakamba and joins Dendoncker, Luiz and Kamara in our defensive midfield mix. Are there any other youngsters who might have a first team role to play soon and have I underestimated any of those that I have mentioned? Obviously some of the senior players mentioned will move on and some new players will arrive which will affect this but right now we have a crop of promising players but I'm not convinced any of them other than Tim would make our top two players for each position.

*Checks the calendar.

Yep, the world has no shortage of idiots

And yet, nowhere near as important as either of those things unless your priorities are really screwed up.

What about the Nigerian striker Paul Onuachu? I feel he would do well here. 6'6" good with the ball at his feet, strong and scoring goals at Genk. Not a youngster but more of an immediate impact player.

I'm just looking forward to seeing on a regular basis what he can do with the very good squad that we already have here. Of course some new players will be nice in January but I was getting tired of so many people on here saying how mediocre our squad was under Gerrard. Our squad is European competition worthy already. Good enough to win the Europa League even if they are all playing well. In just two games under a top manager they look like the quality players they always were. Never underestimate just how bad Gerrard was at his job! He made top players look like shmucks week in, week out. The wonderful reality now in front of us is that we have a top class manager, a great squad of players, great owners, rich owners, ambitious owners, never need to sell a player unless they want or we want them to go and only looking for world class additions to improve our squad. What's more we have the finances to do that. Did I read that our owners are now richer than Chelsea's? I am looking forward to happier days at Villa (of course that's how they normally get you, the hope).

What was our actual formation at the start of the game yesterday?

Followed by a concussion, poor lad. That was a great goal. Calm footwork to go round the keeper and across the chasing defender.