Leeroy

8 minutes ago, sne said:

Not watched enough of the Polish players to comment on that but he wouldn't be starting on the right ahead of Przemyslaw Frankowski.

I understand Frankowski being ahead of him to start at this time because of the formation Poland play but he should be in the squad. It’s not officially announced yet though as far as I can see.

He was a regular at right back for the first half of the season for the best Villa team for 30 odd years. He played nearly 50 games this season and was crucial in Europe too. Form for every player dropped off towards the end of the season not just him.

He probably had a better season for us 2 years ago when he won Player of the Season but he still did enough this season to warrant selection for a squad ranked 28 in the world.

And I say that as someone who wants us to upgrade on Cash, but the difference is we are a fair bit better than Poland and I’d still have Cash in our squad if FFP allowed it.

2 minutes ago, sne said:

Hasn't really had a great season despite Villa having one. Poland have other options.

Oh but he’s still easily good enough for their squad. Poland are very average and he’s shown he can take a good penalty and score from distance plus he’s versatile. 
 

If it’s injury then it’s a different story. 

If it’s injury that’s incredibly disappointing for him given how much he enjoyed the World Cup. I thought his injury was minor.

I make that Cash, Kamara, Zaniolo, Mings and possibly Ramsey who’ve missed the Euros because of injury. Then Pau Torres being snubbed adds up to quite a few disappointed players.

I was expecting around 8 or 9 to go but the maximum we’ll have now is 4 (if Konsa, Watkins, Tielemans and McGinn make the final squads). Pretty sure we had 4 in the provisional squads at the last Euros when we were basically a one man team. 

13 minutes ago, fightoffyour said:

Not going to the Euros  

what, why?

It's great news but I just hope he is given the tools needed to keep progressing us. It's going to be really hard from here on in just keeping us in the top 4 let alone mounting a title challenge. Being realistic, we should be able to establish ourselves in a Big 8 with Newcastle and the other Sky 6 teams over the next few years with Unai in charge and hopefully win a trophy, but I don't think the current spending rules will allow much more than that. 

It's likely Barkley is coming in, which is fine to boost the squad, but we will need significantly better players than that to stay ahead of teams like Spurs and Newcastle let alone catch up to the likes of Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool.

We'll need to make tough decisions if the money isn't there because of FFP. It might be a case of selling a key asset to be able to strengthen, or just staying as we are while others around us spend big money. Neither scenario is particularly great but unless the rules change this summer or we are able to move on less important players for decent money to reinvest we are a bit stuck. 

Newcastle had £100m to throw around last summer after finishing 4th and still regressed by three places this season (not helped of course by lots of injuries and Tonali's suspension).

Unai will get his statue once we've won something, although I wouldn't bet on that given Ron Saunders doesn't even have one!

2 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

Watch the Copa America instead. Emi, Doug and Duran all playing in that. Would've been more if Bailey hadn't decided to withdraw from Jamaica selection.

Bailey should have gone, he's their star player. Not a bad group either, Mexico will probably win it then it's wide open for 2nd place. 

Otherwise yeah, three players in that tournament. I suspect only Martinez will be a starter though. 

9 minutes ago, Tom13 said:

I want him there as well, want our players playing on the biggest stages always.

I think it's just trying to put a positive on a negative. I'm sure if he was selected in the squad most on here would be over the moon and not give two hoots if he didn't get a rest.

Players playing for their national teams is always beneficial to us, especially when they actually have a chance of winning it which Spain do.

If we're looking at it objectively, from a defensive point of view Pau is dodgy. He's great on the ball, but so is Lewis Dunk. I have not been impressed with him defensively. 

He should actually be slightly embarrassed that 2 central defenders with 3 caps between them have been selected over him. One of them has just turned 17 years old too. 

It should make him even more determined to improve his defending, although given he's 27 now it may be too late for that. 

Oh well, just like the World Cup we will have hardly any players playing at a major tournament despite finishing 4th. 

I get people who say that he'll be fully rested, this is good, but I want Villa players at major tournaments, especially in Pau's case after he went to the last Euros with them and the World Cup. Players will start thinking if I sign for Villa I won't get selected for my national team which always seems to be the case (I swear we have never had more than 5 players at a major tournament before whereas most of the big clubs have 10+). 

In Pau's case, he clearly hasn't been fancied for Spain since the last World Cup. He wasn't in the last squad and when he has been in the squad he's barely played.

It's a strange defensive selection. No Porro either, but 38 year old Jess Navas. Cucurella in there who's sh*t but no Gaya who's more experienced. Very young and inexperienced backup centre halves in Cubarsi and Vivian.

Both Diaby and Pau were our highest profile signings last summer and probably two of our highest profile signings of the last 30 years. Yet neither will be going to the Euros. 

27 minutes ago, nick76 said:

How the hell you take emotional offence to my comment? I was just advising the publicly known status on him just in case you didn’t know, not dissing your ideas, just an update.

I wasn’t offended Nick, if you’re adamant he’s off to Dortmund then fine. I just saw a BBC article yesterday saying Maatsen was one of four Chelsea players up for sale and they weren’t suggesting he was anywhere close to signing for any team at this stage. So I don’t think you can categorically say he is definitely not coming here or available to us until he’s deep in negotiations with Dortmund or another club.

21 minutes ago, Hank Scorpio said:

Review my post history. I am mot especially prone to hysteria and overly emotional responses like some. That is the definition of a reasoned response.

And to respond I actually in general see your point and agree that I hadn't considered most of those players may be of a decent reputation currently as deeply as I should have.

I get emotional and lack reason during games, admittedly. I usually come back down to Earth outside of that and I am generally rational.

Freshening up the defence isn’t really that outlandish, most have said we’ve outgrown Cash, Digne/Moreno are getting old and will only decline in value, and Carlos just hasn’t lived up to the hype for us.

9 minutes ago, markavfc40 said:

Will the Tories have all the usual rags behind them DM, Sun, Express, Torygraph etc or will one or two of them not want to be seen to back nailed on losers. If it was close they may believe they still have enough influence to swing it, but it isn't. 

The Sun usually tries to claim the credit for the election winner because of its supposed influence (It’s the Sun Wot Won It) but they won’t have any influence on this one I suspect as much as they will try to wreck Labour’s campaign. Will probably just back Labour at the last minute.

Just now, Hank Scorpio said:

And teams magically just appear with loads of money to buy these platers you don't want now and take on their wages right?

Most of them have been regular starters for a side that finished 4th so yes I expect we will find buyers. Saudi were interested in Digne last summer and Carlos has been on the radar of Milan. Cash is at his peak and I’d expect quite a few teams to have interest.

If you don’t agree then fair enough explain why but I don’t really expect much of a reasoned response from you to be honest.

24 minutes ago, bickster said:

It won't play out anything like the Economist prediction. That is a classic case of presenting the data and coming to a wildly incorrect conclusion to suit their narrative.

The Poll tracker has the Tories on 21% (which is a historical low and 30% lower than their worst ever General Election result), yet their analysis has them getting 192 seats. With over a 30% share of the vote is their disastrous 1997 election they only managed 165 MPs. FPTP can produce some wildly unrepresentative party cohorts but seriously not that wild.

The Economists analysis isn't worth a carrot   

And the polls are never wrong are they. The Economist isn’t particularly fond of this government, this isn’t the Telegraph or the Mail or even the Times. I think they’ll get very well beaten but to end up fewer than 100 seats I think is nonsensical, I may be wrong.

Truth is we won’t really know how bad their defeat will be until the Exit Polls come out on the night of 4th July. Any polls before then are to be taken with a large pinch of salt. As is the Economist’s modelled prediction but it’s still worth considering an alternative view.

21 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Maatsen desperately wants to stay at Dortmund and Dortmund have made him their top target. They are still a bit apart in agreeing a fee but very much expect them to resolve that…he isn’t coming here.

These are just examples (I thought you would have understood that), feel free to add in similar types of players you think we can sign rather than just saying X player won’t sign for us. Geertruida may end up at Liverpool with Slot, maybe we should rule him out too. But these are all hypotheticals as you well know.

And Maatsen hasn’t signed for anyone yet and is clearly available which is why I listed him. It wouldn’t be the first time someone went out on loan and ended up somewhere else. Especially as Dortmund will also likely try to sign Sancho and we have no idea if they can afford both.

I’d have a clear out in defence.
 

Sell Cash, Carlos, Digne AND Moreno. Buy Dumfries and Maatsen as new attacking full backs, Hermoso on a free for the experienced hybrid left/centre back role, and a young centre back/right back hybrid (Geertruida). Three of them Dutch too so their English is likely to be very good.

Could rotate between Geertruida, Konsa and Dumfries for right back and centre back and Hermoso and Maatsen for left back. All those players have experience in the Champions League too. 

The Economist’s latest poll tracker has Labour with 381 seats and the Conservatives with 192. But then Electoral Calculus has Labour with 472 seats and the Conservatives with only 85 which is astounding. I don’t think it will be that bad considering the doubts around Starmer and inflation coming down to 2.3%, the Toroes also tend to do better than Labour during campaigns because they have much of the press behind them.

Let’s see how it plays out.

7 hours ago, TRO said:

A league title and maybe a cup.

Man City’s charges will be heard soon enough, fear not.

Chelsea’s problems haven’t gone away either and Poch leaving has them back to square 1 again.

A great day for the country. Only another 6 weeks to put up with this joke of a government. I’m sceptical of Starmer but we need a change. No one wanted another winter election.

Only disappointment is it clashes with the Euros, should have just done it in May alongside the local elections.

It is certainly not going to be 1992 again, although Sunak probably thinks with a slightly better economy he won’t get as annihilated as he might have done.

1 minute ago, duke313 said:

Because literally none of them have international tournament experience. This isn’t the Premier League, international football is totally different. Those five players have less than 25 caps between them, it’s a bit naive to think they’re going to just carry their PL form into the England setup, a setup they’ve barely been a part of.

If England are in extra time in the knockouts against teams like Portugal or France, I’d rather have Rashford to bring in than Eze or Gordon.

Then presumably you were happy with Southgate always taking Phillips, Henderson, Mount, Maguire etc to major tournaments even if they were playing average at club level or in some cases not even playing. If we're just picking on what they've done before for England then maybe we should bring Sterling back?

Gordon and Palmer are both experienced from winning the U21s last year, Eze can bring something different off the bench. Watkins and Bowen both got pace if the game is being stretched. These players are playing at the top of their game and coming into the tournament in form, that's what we need.

International football is different but other than a few rockets I don't remember Rashford doing anything in big games at major tournaments. He scored a few in the group stages of the last World Cup against weak opposition but that's it, he isn't going to come on and help us beat someone like France especially after a season as poor as the one he's just had. We took him to the last Euros after a poor end to the season with Man Utd and he ended up having a bad tournament and missing a penalty in the final.

I like that Southgate has been bold today, the only thing I don't agree with is taking Toney over Solanke and leaving us woefully short at left back. I also think Dier as much as I don't rate him should have been in over Dunk.

23 minutes ago, ferguson1 said:

Can’t see it being anything but this team if everyone is fit on Matchday one:

…………..…..…..Pickford………………………..

Walker…..Stones……Maguire …..Trippier

………….Gallagher……..Rice……….

  Saka..…..Bellingham……..Foden

………………....…Kane….………………..

If all fairness, we’re very strong offensively but light in midfield if we have an injury/suspension and certainly at the back. I don’t like the fella but I would have taken Henderson just as a back up and to close out games.  Can’t honestly see us winning it and you’d have to fancy France here but we should make the Semi Finals.

Just no. I know we like to bash Southgate on here but he's made some good calls today and discarding Henderson was one of them.

Whether we win it or not I can categorically tell you that it will have nothing to do with leaving Henderson at home. 

1 hour ago, duke313 said:

I’ve a feeling he might regret not taking Rashford, especially in the latter rounds against tougher teams, he would have been a good option off the bench.

Yes, he’s not had a great season, but United have been shite, and that hasn’t stopped him picking Maguire, Mainoo and Shaw.

He's got a good goal return for England but he simply doesn't deserve to be there and there are better options.

Why would we need Rashford when we could bring on Eze, Watkins, Palmer, Gordon, Bowen. There is no room for him.

Grealish and Maddison are also quite lucky to be in but I'd rather bring them than Rashford because of their ability to keep the ball.

7 minutes ago, jayEm said:

BBC says 2pm

I saw 1pm but must have been wrong, my bad. 

1 minute ago, WallisFrizz said:

People connected to the players must be leaking. We’ll know the whole squad by the time 2pm comes.

It's 1pm the announcement.

Watkins will surely be in, Southgate has lost the plot if he isn't. How Ivan Toney has made the squad I don't know, the guy's a fraud. 

Konsa's form has been iffy the last couple of months but he performed in March, I'd expect him to make the training squad.

At least Henderson has been dropped and I am glad to see players like Wharton and Eze in. Jones and Quansah seem to only be in because they play for Plop.