Monkeypuzzle

1 hour ago, Delphinho123 said:

I think Cash, Digne, Konsa, Watkins and Luiz have all been outstanding this season too! 

I'm just teasing! Yes, you are correct, we have multiple players in excellent form this season. We really are seemingly 'doing a Newcastle' where there is a huge increase in form for an extended period of time.

So, if he is not guilty of getting on football matches, what is happening to that weird Italian guy that accused him and said he had proof that was given to the TV broadcasters, who then didn't air it? Wouldn't that count as slander? Isn't that a crime? What's the story there?

I still feel that he is having to play slightly out of position, due to injuries. Different to where Unai eventually sees him playing most often. At the moment he is playing in the Ramsey/Buendia left midfield/attacking midfielder position. I think he was brought in as competition for Diaby in the centre forward/second striker position. McGinn and Bailey seem to be playing on the right of midfield more. I'm sure he could fill in there regularly too. Unai said he could play a number of positions, I just think he is having to fill in at his weakest realistic position, and having to play far more than we might originally have planned. These things combined have given him a less productive start than he might otherwise have experienced, when settling in to a new league.

2 hours ago, sne said:

€630.70m according to transfermarkt

Club		Squad	ø age	Foreigners	ø market value	Total market value
		554	26.4 Years	380	€19.93m	€11.04bn
	Manchester City	24	26.6	17	€52.70m	€1.26bn
	Arsenal FC	25	25.2	18	€43.82m	€1.10bn
	Chelsea FC	30	23.2	20	€33.30m	€999.00m
	Liverpool FC	26	25.6	21	€33.74m	€877.30m
	Manchester United	31	25.7	22	€28.30m	€877.30m
	Tottenham Hotspur	29	25.6	21	€25.78m	€747.60m
	Newcastle United	29	27.1	14	€22.43m	€650.50m
	Aston Villa	26	26.7	19	€24.26m	€630.70m
	West Ham United	25	27.8	18	€18.83m	€470.85m
	Brighton & Hove Albion	26	25.6	19	€18.01m	€468.30m
	Nottingham Forest	32	26.3	27	€12.36m	€395.58m
	Brentford FC	29	25.6	20	€13.07m	€379.10m
	Crystal Palace	27	25.9	12	€13.68m	€369.45m
	Everton FC	25	26.7	11	€14.03m	€350.70m
	AFC Bournemouth	29	25.8	20	€11.84m	€343.50m
	Wolverhampton Wanderers	26	25.5	22	€12.33m	€320.48m
	Fulham FC	26	27.3	24	€11.69m	€304.00m
	Burnley FC	33	24.5	25	€7.78m	€256.75m
	Sheffield United	30	25.4	18	€5.17m	€154.95m
	Luton Town	26	27.2	12	€3.35m	€87.20m

 

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/premier-league/startseite/wettbewerb/GB1

I don't understand how Newcastle's squad is considered more valuable than ours? There are only about four of their players I would want in our squad. Fewer as regular starters. We are better in just about every position, especially with our second eleven players. They have relied on mid table players being in excellent form, managed by a great manager, for the last two seasons. If they don't invest heavily in their squad soon I can see their bubble bursting.

7 hours ago, thunderball said:

NSWE have given him the keys to the club, he won’t find that elsewhere. There is a distinct lack of politics here, it is a straightforward club. The dressing room is full of honest players, no super stars or egos. The only thing we are lacking is Champions League. If he achieves that I reckon NSWE will back him as well as any owners anywhere else, I don’t see him going anywhere. I reckon he will be Villa’s Sir Alex.

Slight amendment to your statement. Plenty of super stars, just no egos! 

9 hours ago, KevinRichardsonsMoustache said:

Couldn’t agree more! 

Unai + Villa = Mjf & Adam Cole ‘BayBay’

I appreciate that 90% of VT readers have no idea what we’re on about!

I was thinking the same thing. I just want a locker room scene where Unai grabs a microphone and says "Who's ready for story time with Unai Emery, BayBay?"

9 hours ago, KevinRichardsonsMoustache said:

For those of you who are into your wrestling, I think this sums up Unai pretty well:

 

But I do think Unai is a bit more likeable than Maxwell Jacob Friedman. And you know it!

45 minutes ago, Rightdm00 said:

3+ more years at 300k a week. We aint paying that and he would be a fool to walk away from that deal. We have a better player in Diaby anyway so why are we talking about a ManC bench player. 

IF we wanted him it would be a FREE transfer and for a much lower contract. He won't get that much in a contract again outside of Saudi Arabia. He may well want to join us at 31/32 years of age, for the last part of his career. Only if he's good enough for us though. It was just a musing thought, not a serious suggestion. Don't get your knickers in a twist, I'm not suggesting we replace Diaby.

How long has he got on his contract at city? He could come back on a free afterwards, having accomplished his personal goals.

Hasn't Caleb Chukwuemeka left us now? He was on trial at Bristol City last month I think.

Couldn't see any suitable pages to put a question on so thought I'd start a new thread.

Can anyone explain why we are second in our group in Europe now, despite having superior goals scored and goal difference? Level on points with Legia Warsaw now but how are they deciding who goes top?

I think the term 'famous person' has become pretty watered down since I last cared about celebrities. Someone standing behind a singer, pressing buttons, doesn't count for me. Nor does some minor music person/singer. Top Hollywood actors, the heir to the throne, ex-prime ministers, these are 'famous people' to me. But then, I am getting old, and so very, very grumpy. 

6 hours ago, The Fun Factory said:

Villa Talk riding the zeitgeist again.

What's that quote from Grandpa Simpson?

“I used to be with ‘it’, but then they changed what ‘it’ was. Now what I’m with isn’t ‘it’ anymore and what’s ‘it’ seems weird and scary. It’ll happen to you!”

43 minutes ago, Tom13 said:

Good question - no idea

No I don't believe he is. He wasn't with us ?omg enough to count as home grown talent under European rules.

6 hours ago, MWARLEY2 said:

Its all about the stats in a good way . His 1000 games as a manager has taught him that this is how he wants to play because the chances are we will win more often then not. We are not dealing with a manager who is being risky. He is in fact being the opposite. Its risky to give up room for the opposition to play through the midfield. That said if we could get in a rb and lb with Kyle Walker and Alphonso Davies pace then i would be happier  

 

Like Moreno?

Which positions do we think we still need to upgrade in? For me the potential signings would come in the following positions:

Back up GK - not saying we will, but it's a position that could be upgraded.

Right back - Cash is our only recognised right back and Konsa seems to be our alternative but this is a position that we might recruit for.

Defensive midfield - Kamara is great, but has days when he doesn't reach his normal high standards. Dendoncker is a fine deputy but this is another position where an alternative may be sought.

Left sided attacking midfielder - Buendia looked great here in preseason and Ramsey was awesome last season here but a new player, who offers something different may be something we go for. (Fingers crossed for Goncalves!)

Striker - Watkins and Duran are both doing great but a marquee signing in this position is a possibility, as has been rumoured in January.

I'm not saying these positions should be targeted for new players. The players we have are all great. But these seem the most likely positions to me where we might see signings.

7 minutes ago, ChesterDad said:

Well I have to be honest - I haven’t ever read it. I don’t rate him very highly tbh but I wouldn’t call him our worst ever player either.

You are quibbling over his turn of phrase when you know exactly what he means. Many on here have said he is not good enough to play for us and should go. This despite the fact that the manager, who sees him train every day is happy to use him when available. No one denies he has been out of form for periods of time and has not met the sky high expectations we all had when he arrived but there has been an absolute witch hunt for this poor guy. Finally he is getting back into his stride.

As a self confessed critic of him you are naturally defensive of your past comments and feelings about him. However, instead of enjoying his current success, you have tried to argue over the smallest detail of phrasing to try and be on the winning side of an argument that doesn't need to exist! How about we talk about the positives we are now seeing rather than arguing about negative comments made in the past? This goes as much to people bringing up those past comments and gloating now.

Let's be honest, if his form drops again the same people will start the negative comments again and the same spiral of arguments will continue.

The forum is for discussion and sharing of ideas. It gets a bit boring when the same comments and arguements get repeated on an almost daily rate.

I know, it's crazy. It's not surprising there are more free transfers now, but that IS the way the market is going now. Top strikers are pretty much unaffordable. Lazio's super striker was priced out of any offers, Kane went for nearly £100 million, even with his age and contract. Man Utd spent £70 million on a kid who has achieved just about nothing! It's insane, I agree. But our top players that leave us against our will are only going to go to top clubs now, for mega bucks, or for free as they see out their contracts.

4 hours ago, paul514 said:

I’d be a fan of selling him for the 70m mentioned. It’s definitely more than he is worth for his talent, age and contract length

A few years ago you'd have been correct. You clearly haven't been keep with price rises in the last two years. £70 million would be the minimum for him now!

18 hours ago, troon_villan said:

The fact we've been battered twice already won't be helping but he needs to keep that shit to himself.  Only gonna get harder when Ramsey is back.

 

How will Ramsey being back affect him in the slightest? He is competing with Douglas Luiz, Kamara and Dendoncker for a place. Not Ramsey and McGinn.

3 hours ago, DJBOB said:

Injuries will take an unfortunate toll against every squad except for City.

Arsenal did not like the same without Saliba. Liverpool - insert any of their injuries - and are now just looking back into form with a brand new midfield.

Probably the only team that seems to have a replacement everywhere is Brighton but they did also just get thumped by West Ham so it all goes around.

What do you mean except City? Their squad is only just about able to fill the subs bench when everyone is fit. If they had nine first team squad injuries like we have had they would be in a dreadful situation.

I thought Chrisene played against Walsall in preseason? Or did you mean he's not played in any youth games so far?