barry'sboots

I'm guessing teams used to say that about Jackie Boy when they played us?

I would have started with the solid three in CM that we ended up with - most Norwich fans appear to think that Buendia has never played very well as a "10" and has to come in off the RW - and I would have played Buendia - Ings - JPB as the front three. I don't rate El Ghazi full stop BUT I think it is fairly widely accepted on here that he offers very little off the RW - I'm not sure why Smith doesn't recognise this?? Easy to say with the benefit of hindsight I guess but I might also have started Ash at LB, given that Targett has had a really disrupted/limited pre-season (I am not really sure why) and Ash has looked very good in pre-season. Although, obviously we don't have the benefit of seeing them train.

I'll be really gutted if we start with El Ghazi tomorrow. For me, he adds very little. I would start with a front three of Buendia - Ings - JPB planning for Bailey to come on after 60 for one of Buendia or JPB.

Enjoy your roast tomorrow!

Why not a Bailey start on the left? But I agree that JPB >>> AEG! I am not convinced Ramsey is a "10" - but don't mind that 3 so would probably go (slight nuance I know): -------------------- Luiz ------------------ --- SJM -------------------- Ramsey with SJM probably as the more offensive of the two "8"s. I would probably start Young at LB and give Targett more time to get up to speed. I thought St Maximin was more likely to come from the left??

Bailey??? I don't want to see El Ghazi play again. If Roma want him we should be snapping their hands off for anything above £10m imho. I would much rather JPB played.

Get a room guys!

I don't worry about the personnel that we have - I think that our squad looks strong (not so say that it couldn't be stronger with a few out and two or three more in). I worry about Smith's ability to get the best out of it - he certainly made a really poor start with the first half against Watford and the set up for that game.

I agree. I think it was the Southampton away games (can't remember whether it was last season or the season before) where he played at right back and had a really good game against Jack that made me realise what a good all rounder he is.

No worse than the antics of he who shall not be named!

Never really seen him - other than Youtube - what type of player is he. I assume, from what I have seen, that he is an attacking "8" but would he compare to, say, JWP?

Or we could bring in David Marshall and promote him ahead of Martinez - he is used to playing the defensive midfielder keeper role!

This would be perfect. Bring in Damsgaard, Doucoure and JWP/Cantwell for a net spend of circa £40m and we would look so much stronger imho.

I wanted to post a "thanks" and a "laughter" emoji!! but could obviously on do the one. Damsgaard appears very doable - from what I read - and if we can shift El Ghazi out to Roma so the net spend is just over £10m then that would be great business. Bissouma would be fantastic but I think he is probably out of our reach - cost and his aspirations - from what I read. Good podcast on from the Love of Paul McGrath discussing Doucoure as an alternative who seems to be a very similar player who is younger and at a "bargain" price of circa £15m. If we got those two done I would be over the moon. If we brought in a JWP or Cantwell - which I don't think we will given their price - that would make it a stellar window and with a net spend of circa £60-70m, depending on JWP/Cantwell final price.

I don't see any reason to look to move Hause on for a good while yet. I think he's probably as good a third/fourth choice CB as there is outside the Top 4 and if he is happy with that then I am happy that he is at the Villa.

I sympathise with your view BUT I do find it really difficult not to watch him just because I enjoy watching him as a player so much.

I agree. I think if we don't see progression this year - and progression doesn't necessarily mean Europe for me but rather the development of a cohesive style of play with tactical flex and a clear vision on the way forward (all without he who shall not be mentioned!) - then I think his position will be under threat and NSWE would be justified in seeking a different management solution. Let's hope we don't get there and Dean continues his and the team's development and progression and he, like Konsa, Martinez and Jack before (and hopefully several other players) moves into that elite bracket.

I'm not convinced by Smith. I hope that I am wrong because he is one of our own/he is living the dream and he genuinely seems like a nice bloke. However, I don't think, from what I have seen, that he is on the same level as Rodgers, Klopp, Bielsa, Conte, Tuchel and a few others and, if we aspire to challenge for Champions League in the next couple of seasons then I think we will need someone who operates at that level. Smith has time to prove me wrong as he will get this season, I believe, but he needs to deliver. That doesn't mean European football, for me, BUT it does mean a clarity of vision reflected in evolving performances. I want to see development across this season; answers found to issues; a consistent style of play but with tactical flex around injuries/rotation/opposition; and a feel that things are coming together without Jack. I have felt that Smith is a streaky manager and his streaks have tended to revolve around Jack's fitness. Last season many claimed that was due to the paucity of options in creative areas but I think we have now addressed this to a large extent (although I would still like one more - Damsgaard in/AEG out would be great imho). Equally, I think our squad was capable of better performances than we put in, irrespective of results, last season. We struggled without Jack and this continued on Saturday with a shocking first half. Many on here are saying that he addressed it at half time and deserves credit for that. I would argue that he wouldn't have needed to address it if he had got it right in the first place: (1) that midfield was always going to be exposed against a typically physical team playing their first home game in the PL and in front of their first crowd in 16 months; (2) AEG has never done anything on the RW (I don't believe he does that much more on the left); and (3) Matt Target has had a poor/disrupted pre-season whilst Ash has been good - we should have started with a team similar to the back 5 and midfield that we finished with with Buendia (RW) and JPB (LW) either side of Ings. I think many of us would have felt that way and again I am left confused as to why Smith didn't!! Player recruitment and development has been good over the last couple of years BUT it is not clear to me how much of a part Smith plays in this - he is clearly one component part - and as a consequence it is difficult to give him direct credit for it. Let's hope he can prove my doubts wrong and that his management skills progress with the team and carry us in the direction we and the owners want.

I thought Cleverly was really good when we had him - him and Delph were two proper "8"s who were capable of playing in a 4-3-3 and doing both the defensive and offensive pieces well. He seemed to do ok on Saturday! I did like Ashley Westwood as well - not because he was the best player but I loved the way he seemed to squeeze out 101% of his capabilities and he has gone on to be a decent PL player with Burnley ... a real solid pro! I think the signings we have made in the last two windows have been a level above those two though. Martinez, Cash, Watkins, Traore and Sanson are all exciting players either on the up or with European experience; Barkley showed glimpses but is never going to get back to the level he was at in his final season at Everton; Buendia, Ings and Bailey are all very exciting; and Tuanzebe is a really good option for a 4th choice CB (highlighted by the fact that Newcastle wanted him and he would probably have been their first choice). I think we have attracted top talents as above: Ings wanted top 6/European but came to join the project; Bailey has been linked with Bayern and most of the Top 6; we fought off Arsenal to sign Buendia. Most players will see a move to us as a potential stepping stone - great that Martinez does not! - but we have to get on with it. We are not at the top of the food chain, like most, and if a homegrown talent like Jack doesn't stay it just highlights that anyone will move on given the right opportunity. We benefit from it with the likes of Buendia (moving from Norwich) and have to realise that we may suffer from it occasionally but work the system in the best way that we can (much like Leicester have). Indeed, it is probably part of the reason that Bailey has come to us in the first place! Cheic Doucoure looks the likeliest to me re DCM and I listened to the "for the love of Paul McGrath" podcast last night where they reviewed him and looked at his stats. I've never seen him play but his profile and stats look bang on and his price seems very sensible. At 21, he is also of an age where he could step straight in and contribute. As you say, getting the right blend is key, but a midfield of: ------------------------------------- Doucoure ------------------------------ backed up by Nakamba ----------- SJM --------------------------------- JWP/Cantwell ------ depending which way we go, if we do!, with Luiz and Sanson in reserve would be excellent.

I think most of us - and most of the football world - would disagree with this. Our recruitment has been good again - Bailey and Buendia are a level above what we had (excepting Jack), Ings is great competition for our already strong "9", Ash and Tuanzebe are brilliant cover for LB and RCB where we had holes. Hopefully, the last two/three pieces will be in before the window closes and will be equally good. We are still restricted by FFP and have to live within these limitations. If we use some of the headroom that the sale of Jack has created to buy a strong DCM, another wide option and either a strong "8" (JWP) or "10" (Cantwell) depending on how we want to play we will have two good options for each spot. From thereon, subject to performance, youth development and outgoings, we should only be buying one or two major signings every summer and, at this stage, we should hopefully be looking at £50m plus players in an ideal world. The biggest challenge we have, imho, is whether Deano can use them properly and get a tune out of a team without Jack. I thought his selection and formation/tactics were poor on Saturday but were belatedly remedied at half time - but this was obviously too late. I hope that he can get it right moving forward. I think there are only a few elite managers around - Rodgers, Tuchel, Klopp, Conte, possibly Nuno (I don't include Pep in there as I I don't think you can tell when he keeps getting the teams with the best players/biggest budgets and then still manages to consistently screw it up in the big games?) - and I think Deano is some way behind that level?

How about pick the right team in the first place?? Targett has hardly played a through pre-season - I am not sure why - and Ash has looked decent so probably deserved to start? Why would anyone think playing El Ghazi on the right is the right way to go?? I don't rate him on the left but he is a "chocolate teapot" on the right!! And consistently so. This is not just my view - I think 90% on here would recognise the lack of output on the right and a large number would agree overall. Given that we are undercooked - and we all know and understand the reasons why - why would you start with Buendia at "10" against a very physical side - they were always going to overrun that CM. We should have had the 3 man midfield and Buendia on the right with JPB on the left and Bailey and Traore for the last 30. Some seriously bad calls. He did correct them at HT/with subs BUT he wouldn't have needed to if he hadn't made the errors in the first place??

This is the team for me. I don't think its about winning necessarily but about getting a performance. Getting the team to look like a team with players in their best positions and a decent formation/shape that allows us to compete effectively. However, if we do get a performance, we should win given that we largely have better players than Newcastle. Lose this and then we go to a very positive Brentford away (and they are a bit of a bogey side for us as well I seem to remember) followed by three tough fixtures. We could find ourselves some way off the pace/firmly rooted to the bottom after nearly one sixth of the season.

I don't know how you can underestimate the opposition in the PL, especially as everyone would have been aware of Friday night's result?? I hope that you are correct and the players make amends next Saturday. I also hope that Deano gets his team selection right as that will give us a better chance.

I understand that people should speak out about mental health and I respect him for that. Equally, I get that the amount you are paid is largely irrelevant. My point was that I would prefer that he was not burdened with the captaincy - he has lead that backline with distinction for the last few years without the captaincy - and that I would give it to Martinez - who always seems calm and in control and has been our best player since his arrival - or Konsa as I think he is similar and will only grow. Irrespective of what Mings has said about his mental health, I think it has been clear in certain games - e.g. v Bamford/Leeds at VP, v Zaha/Palace at VP - that it is possible to get inside Mings' head and affect his performance. As such, I would have preferred that he was left to focus on his game. However, he has been chosen now so let's hope that this just gives him increased confidence and allows him to take his leadership to the next level.

And many on here are continually looking to make mole hills out of mountains! That was a shocking display - particularly first half - and we find ourselves coming from behind already. We went into that game undercooked/underprepared and not set up properly, imho. I believe that, had we been, we would have secured at least a point and been off to a decent start. Momentum/confidence can play a significant part in football and we don't have it. Similar struggles against Newcastle and the very positive Brentford at their new ground (another of our historic bogey teams I believe) followed by three tough fixtures against Chelski, Everton and Man U could see us firmly in the bottom half and playing catch up. I get TRO's point about grit. My interpretation of this is that he wants to see a strong (physique and character) leader in the centre of the park and I don't disagree with this. This is even more important if you are looking to play Buendia as a "10" which I certainly wouldn't have done in this first game against a side that is always looking to physically assert themselves.