david-avfc

If we sell Ramsey we lose a club-home grown player from our already too small squad so I don’t get why selling him is seen as such a positive, it just permanently weakens our squad

11 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

He's not - but they might  have seen the Honda advert and they'll definitely have heard it in a film somewhere along the line - it's got a certain ubiquity.

That's the thing for me, Crazy Train just isn't a well known enough song - I can only ever remember hearing it at Villa Park and at one other sporting event in the US when I remember thinking "that's the song from Villa Park" - it's not something that gets radio play or is used anywhere else and I don't think it's something many people are playing at home. If it wasn't our walkout music, I wouldn't know what it is. Ozzy and Sabbath are a little bit too niche nowadays and Ozzy is much more famous for his stories and his TV show than actual songs - most people couldn't name three Sabbath/Ozzy songs, they'll just tell you he bit the head off a bat, married Sharon and pissed up the Alamo. 

The music itself just isn't well known enough, and probably just as importantly in terms of Crazy Train, it's not very good.

If you want “radio play” then your asking for Dua Lipa or Taylor Swift… I’m not sure how well “we are never ever getting back together (Taylor’s version)” will work and I’m assuming that’s not what you are asking for anyway but that’s “what people listen to in their own homes” these days.

I actually like Crazy Train, the absurd nature of crew song kind of fits supporting the villa over the years. I don’t like Ozzy or Black Sabbath that much but I do listen to rock so maybe I am biased. In terms of being more widely known there’s nothing wrong with it being “the villa song” for some people and most people will know who Ozzy Osborne is even if they don’t listen to 70s/80s metal so it’s not totally obscure, and there’s a local connection to it which is good.

The walk out is supposed to be a bit “in your face” to get people pumped up, rock music works better for that than most. I get this song is a bit of an acquired musical taste, maybe it does need to be updated but everyone will have their own preferences so there will never be unanimous agreement either way, just look at the suggestions on this thread for example. 

3 minutes ago, paul514 said:

 

Carlos - 31 in the summer, 2 years left on his deal brought for 31m
He is amortizing at 7.75m per year and his book value in the summer will be 15.5m

 

I think Carlos would be a prime candidate to be moved on this summer, even though he’s done OK it never 100% feels like he’s comfortable playing Unai’s way, he’s a good long passer not a short passer under pressure. He’s actually started 19 league games this season - way more than I originally thought - so hopefully he’s done enough for us to still command a decent fee, just breaking even to remove his amortisation and presumably £100k+ p/w wages would be a positive.

2 hours ago, Powehi said:

Ortega's performance tonight highlighting why this "who could we get as a number 2?" bleating is a nonsense. Comes in for the fourth time this season, makes some blinding saves and City's style of play remains unchanged. 29 year old from Bielefeld when he joined them. 

Well done for Olsen in his last start, let's say goodbye amicably at the end of the season and get someone dependable in as deputy.

Hopefully Gauchi is that man, presumably we signed him for a reason after a full pre season and a few friendly matches under his belt hopefully he will be ready 

40 minutes ago, picicata said:

You see those draw pots and you think 'this going to be tough!'.

Then you realise that we beat one of the teams in Pot 1, one of the teams in Pot 2 and one of the teams in Pot 3 this season.

We're a good team, yes it's going to be tough but, by god, I'm looking to it!

Obviously pot 1 is immense quality but if we get a lucky draw from pot 2 (eg Bruges / Donesk), and avoid the few tougher teams in pot 3 and 4 then there’s no reason we can’t progress

A defensive right back and a defensive midfielder are still the priorities for me, if there’s a possibility a new forward/winger too

3 hours ago, thabucks said:

Speaks for itself … 

Unrelated to transfers but that screenshot is exactly why this years badge is shit, I spent 30 seconds trying to work out who was injured for 29 games this season before I realised it was Chelsea 

Can you ask them why they think the recent state of the toilets in the upper holte are acceptable? Overflowing / blocked urinal trough in the K4 toilets for at least the last 3 or 4 home games, absolute disgrace and for it to be left for that long in that state the club must have been aware but deliberately chose to not do anything about it.

2 hours ago, Tomaszk said:

Very very much doubt it. It was absolutely on.

No problem with him taking the shot...but you have to score if there's someone in this good a position next to you.

Watkins has done similar multiple times the last month and it's been very annoying.

It’s not as clear cut for me, the defender coming in from the middle has blocked off the route for the easy lay off to Duran, it’s possible to do it but would have risked either being intercepted or being misplaced. He probably should have shown more composure than just lashing it at the keeper though  

3 hours ago, Shaun Teales Moustache said:

I thought Bafode Diakite was really good against us for Lille. He's played a lot at RB (and even a bit at LB). He was good at bringing the ball out as well as strong defensively. His goalscoring record this season is pretty crazy and speaks to how good he is in the air. He seems to be a perfect fit for what we need there primarily, with Nedeljkovic or KKH competing for the secondary attacking RB role. 

Was going to post the same, Diakite was good against us and seemingly fits the system perfectly. He’s a bit under the radar not linked with anyone else, Unai showed with Rogers he’ll look at players we’ve played against so maybe he could repeat the trick with Diakite

19 minutes ago, MaVilla said:

a lot of people are saying he is a better matty cash, is that really what we need!?!?

The fact Unai keeps playing konsa at right back and at Villareal played Foyth at right back shows what he wants to do with that position (and it’s not a wing back)

59 minutes ago, allani said:

To be fair he's gone where you would expect the ball to go - given that the attacker had two defenders trying to close down the cross, the only place he should have been able to get the ball was between the keeper and the defenders.  This was the gap that Pau closed.  The fact is that Konsa and Carlos both failed to prevent the attacker from not just being able to get the cross in but also to cut it back.  At that point it caught Pau out - but the main fault was the goal lies in failing to stop the ball coming across to start with.  

Surely the defender should anticipate the ball going to the attacker rather than empty space? Torres was actually marking the man and then left him to defend empty space.
 

With Torres you have to accept that it’s a case of netting off the pros and cons and hoping it comes out as a net positive, which I think it does, but there’s no point trying to defend his defensive ability because it’s obviously a big weaknesses 

Getting rid of Dendoncker wasn’t the problem, it was not replacing him which has left us in the shit. It was always clear he didn’t fit Emery’s system so we should have sorted it out properly in the summer rather than a botch job in January 

25 minutes ago, cb_82 said:

The Homegrown Player Rule is a UEFA rule for competitions that was first introduced in the 2006–07 season and fully enforced beginning in the 2008–09 season¹. A homegrown player is defined by UEFA to have been trained by their club or another club in the similar association between ages 15-21, regardless of the player’s nationality². In the UEFA Champions League, you are required to register a squad of 25 players, within which at least 8 players need to be considered as homegrown². UEFA's home-grown player rules set a quota of locally trained players at clubs but without any discrimination on nationality³.

 

Pretty sure he qualifies as he has spent that time with WBA/City 

I’m assuming the question was regarding homegrown at the club

39 minutes ago, MrBlack said:

Was he too old when we signed him to qualify as home grown per uefa rules?

Yes far too old, he would need to be at the club for 3 years before he turned 21, he is already 21

He’s been disappointing and frustrating since his blistering start, but 10 goals and 8 assists in all competitions isn’t bad for a “bad season”, I think he’s shown enough to give hope he can kick on next season. At Leverkusen I think he was used more as a winger, under Emery he plays a bit more centrally which may be the issue, it’s up to Emery over the summer to work with Diaby or tweak the system to make it work better, hopefully Diaby will regain confidence and start improving

18 hours ago, CVByrne said:

We'll be getting double figures for Tim if we sold him. We got 12m for Aaron Ramsey, 18m for Archer etc.. players with no PL experience. 

No way will we get £10m+ for Tim Iroegnunam. The other players mentioned both established themselves as top attacking players in the championship, Tim did OK for an inconsistent mid-table side as a decent all round midfielder… those players don’t go for that sort of money in the Championship and no PL team is going to buy him for big money based off his 137 minutes of PL action this season 

5 minutes ago, HolteExile said:

Adrien Rabiot available on a free this summer could be an interesting choice. 

Plays CM primarily but can also play DM and left midfield. 

Emery would know him from his time at PSG n'all. 

I'd look at Zaha at Galatasary too, if he's not on mental money there.   Always produced good numbers in the top flight, even if he is a bit of a mouthy so and so. 

Part of the attraction would be because  he is a mouthy so and so.  Emi and McGinn apart, we're a bit too nice as a team. It's great to be liked. But better if you're hated. 

Zaha moving to Galatasary I still don't understand, based on ability he could have moved to pretty much any team in the league especially on a free transfer, there must be something else to it for all the PL clubs to have avoided him, from the reports he isn't even on a crazy salary (in PL terms) at Galatasary. 

https://www.teamtalk.com/aston-villa/unai-emery-rocked-ac-milan-prepare-brutal-signing-star-pocketed-arsenal

Not sure if already posted but there are a few rumours AC Milan want to sign Diego Carlos, Teamtalk (who I wouldn't regard as reliable) are claiming two independent links regarding Carlos to AC. 

If we could break even on FFP terms (€15m I think) would probably make sense to sell, arguably too expensive on amortisation and presumably wages for a back up centre half with fitness issues

2 hours ago, CVByrne said:

If we can qualify for the Champions League I think we can get Nico Williams. He'd be a huge asset for us and I think Emery wants us to be less predictable and more flexible in terms of which side is the attacking FB and winger combination. So not always going LB and RW we could go RB and LW. Williams is great with both feet but generally considered right footed and we've got just 2 left footed wingers in the squad. 

Summerville would be a good alternative. We need that right footed winger who loves dribbling and has high sucessful take ons

I am not so sure on Nico Williams, Emery doesn't tend to play with 2 fast wingers on either side he prefers a traditional quick skilful winger on the right and then more of a midfielder or playmaker type on the left, like Rogers or Ramsey, so not sure if we drop £50m on a quick wide man just 12 months after we spent £50m on Diaby, and Bailey doesn't need replacing based on how well he's played this season 

7 minutes ago, Tom13 said:

I was gonna say...can you even appeal yellows

Pretty sure it’s been confirmed that the suspension stands. You can’t appeal yellows unless it’s really exceptional circumstances, the ref being a bit crap isn’t going to be enough of a reason for UEFA to open up a one-off yellow card appeals process just for us. 

On 22/04/2024 at 12:39, the_sun_never_sets said:

Who would we sell / let go to free up space in the squad? 

In priority order probably...

Chambers, Olsen, Donk, Cash (replace), Lenglet (replace), Kesler maybe (though ive always liked him)

I'd keep Tim for another season. 

I think squad restrictions are going to be the biggest limiting factor in the actual transfer business vs fan expectations - people throw out so many names to buy but never say who could be sold to make way in the squad.

If you look at our European registration apart from Olsen (to be replaced with one of the young keepers) and Tim Iroegbunam (who isn’t trusted by Emery) there aren’t any obvious choices to move on - Zaniolo and Lenglet will immediately be replaced with the returning Mings and Buendia, and Kesler takes a homegrown slot so doesn’t really free up any squad space. There will be some tough decisions in the summer for Emery if we want to bring players in.

On 12/04/2024 at 00:31, VillaChris said:

Really liked watching Haraldsson, he found pockets of space beyond our midfield nicely and on another night could've had a couple of assists.

Only 20 and Lille signed him for around 10m from Copenhagen last summer so guess he's already in 30-40m bracket but would be an interesting one to target I think.

I was impressed by Haraldsson and several of their players to be honest (apart from number 22, he makes Neal Maupay look classy), they were actually a really good side and I would say arguably they looked better than us. Despite the hype around their young centre back Yorro it was the other centre back that caught my eye, it turns out he also regularly plays right back so seemingly that would be a good fit for Emery's system. 

On 09/04/2024 at 06:38, Taxahunter said:

For the 15m£ reported by the media, I would definitely buy him

The buy option is €38m including add ons, confirmed by Galatasary - it’s a total non starter in my eyes. Even if it is £15m he’s done virtually nothing in pretty much an entire season, what’s the point in wasting £15m on a player who hasn’t been good enough? He’s already behind Rogers in the pecking order and we still have Ramsey and Buendia to come back. 

19 minutes ago, gilbertoAVFC said:

Needs a chant. Feel like fans singing your name really helps players settle in the longer-term.

“There’s only one Pau Torres”