VillaJay

11th and 50+ points, plus countless other records is a successful season for Dean and the team. Despite the brilliant start, I'm not sure what more could have been expected this season, Leeds/West ham are the only sides to have finished ahead of us that we may have liked to overtake, we'll finish miles ahead of the rest including established sides like Wolves, Palace, Southampton and Newcastle.

The individual players have all mostly improved and the squad value must have most of the starting 11 in 30m+ values. The team is mostly exciting and enjoyable to watch. The team is likeable! together and the youngest side in the league.

All in, I expect us to overtake some more of the established sides next season and push on again. We might buy 3/4 starting quality players in the 30m+ bracket this summer and the current players will continue to improve.

I can understand game to game criticism, but overall Dean has done a phenomenal job and he himself is showing that he's also learning and improving too.

My favourite manager since Little, and there will be added expectation on Dean and the team again next season, but based on what we've seen so far I wouldn't bet against him succeeding again.

Need a new contract in the summer will have 2 years remaining, is good enough to improve and push the starting 11 next season. Good age, Brazil international and will only get better.

Big season for him next year and we need to protect his value. The flip side though is if his transfer clause is activated for 30m+ we still would have done well out of this deal.

9 hours ago, useless said:

Not saying we should or shouldn't sell El Ghazi, but at some point we're probably going to have to get used to selling good players, which as long as they're not our best players, will be a sign that we're doing well and that our squad is growing in strength.

Totally agree, El ghazi as well as he's done this season should potentially be moved on with some big money spent on wide players this summer and traore moving into the backup role. El ghazi to be fair has had a great impact this season and his numbers are right up there, but unless he really moves up another level quickly, we should look to cash in while his value is high. At the start of the season we probably would have sold him for peanuts, now with nearly 10 pl goals this season and in the dutch national team, he must be worth 20m+ by today's standards.

There also needs to be a pathway for the youth players with exceptional potential like Carney and JPB to get minutes from the bench. That won't happen if we're padding the bench out with senior players who are never going to push our starting 11.

Potentially 3 villa players going to a major tournament with England. Has that ever happened before? Credit to Dean, he's improved most of the players and the squad value must be fairly significant now too.

What a maniac insanely talented

Brilliant again today, what a player. No exceptional attributes except the most important one. Hard work.

MOTM for me, excellent all game and showed good pace at times.

3 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

I mean. He is Brazilian.

I have no idea why we ask him to defend

He shouldn't be anywhere near our box with the amount of pens he gives away

11 minutes ago, VillanousOne said:

the last 5 games he has been getting a little better every game

Yeah, he's been much improved over the last few games, been slowly building from 45/60 good mins to a near 90 today.

Looked much better further forward, didn't look rushed on the ball when around the box and picked the right pass more often than not. Hopefully a new contract in the summer for him and will push on playing further forward.

I've always had the impression that Sanson was the intended replacement if he goes to City. A good player who's improving and a brazil international at 22, would be a great pickup at 27.5 release fee for city but I'm not convinced he'd play much if at all there.

He's what football is all about and what we all loved to watch as kids, moments of pure genius.

Despite sometimes 89mins of inconsistency that 1min can make up for it. A real maverick and a really good squad option that like most of the team we should be looking to improve on.

I think he'll push on again next season.

34 minutes ago, osmark86 said:

He's young and got potential so could yet reach a higher ceiling. I think we should be patient with him. 

Will need better competition however.

Yeah, If we can get him on a new contract and the transfer clause has expired we should be patient with him. Cost 15m is only 22 and a current brazil international.

Overall though players like this are crucial to us moving forward as a club, even if he doesn't work out he will be worth more than what we paid for him when it comes to a sale.

His early season form and post restart form shows there's a real player there.

Looks really short of confidence and not shown anywhere near enough to be bought permanently. Every manager he has had, has struggled to get the most out of him.

I thinks its an issue of football intelligence, he has ability but makes poor decisions consistently which has stopped him from pushing on.

Frustrating bit of form lately in particular, his passing yesterday was shocking and gave away simple passes time and time again, however was involved and despite his passing overall being poor there were some good moments of play here and there.

For us to improve next season, Mcginn needs to be a squad player, not a guaranteed starter.

Another great cameo and helped change the game positively again, I really struggle to see how people bash him constantly, too many stattos who don't watch the game.

He will need to improve his finishing and if he can, he's got the tools to be a top striker. Unbelievable strength that can bully defenders, decent pace and very good technique. He's got the highest potential ceiling of all our forwards and I see much more potential in him than Wesley but these last few games of the season could be make or break for him.

Would be great to see him get a run of games with Watkins playing in wide forward role while Grealish is out.

That sort of player, will frustrate, but loads of ability in small bursts. It's consistency what make the greats, greats, and he'll never have that, but that's ok too, always looks like he can create something and looks like he'll contribute to 10/15 goals a season.

Been so impressed with him this season, He showed glimpses last season but overall was weak and lacked commitment in tackles, also looked like too much of a "nice guy". This season He looks like he's bulked up and really imposed himself on games, overall the team looks tougher.

An enigma. Plays like  a fan who collected a load of crisp packets to get a chance to play in a premier league game.

Finds himself in food positions quite often, will score 5/6 goals a season and to be fair was good today, but ultimately would be frustrating in the championship let alone in the pl.

52 minutes ago, barry'sboots said:

Decent shout.  Heard good things.  Certainly delivered yesterday!  Could him and Olise compete for the no. 10 jersey?

My west brom supporting mate says that their holding midfielder - Yokuslu, who is a Turkish international, I believe, on loan from Celta Vigo - is their best player and should stay firmly in the PL.  Says he gets his foot in.  I haven't seen much of him.  Anybody else seen him at all.

Been impressed with him, strong and decent passer but don't think he's a player to push us to the next level, same with perreira, decent players though.

16 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Why?
 

Why give the opposition teams any advantage? Who cares what the modern social media fan wants either.

It's a media driven world now, if jack is out for 3/6/9 months or whatever, why not just state it and temper expectations. We shouldn't respond to rumours but the lack of transparency around injuries is strange, if it's to keep the other teams guessing around his injury status, i still don't see the point, we need to be more than Jack FC. The best sides in the world would miss a player of Jacks quality but the track record of villa and injuries in general is strange, Jack, Barkley Engels, Hause etc., Have all been missing for what we're told is weeks and ends up being months and it just fuels unnecessary rumours.

26 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Get in there boys !

Mcginn with the iron bru

I'm a smith fan, but he's fuelling the conspiracy theories, the modern social media fan wants info right away. He's injured, that's it, it's obvious the original injury was 6-8 weeks and Smith should have just said that's what it is, anything less would have been a bonus.

Had an excellent 10 against spurs and great to see him get 30 mins today, changed the game, moreso than trez, has a huge ceiling and Ive always struggled to see how he gets slated most weeks, looks to have a higher ceiling than Ollie for me. Stronger, good touch and the goals will come, still only 23. I think some people expect finished articles at 21 or they're on the scrap heap.