TheLeftSide

It is curious how to get the additional 2k seats. I was wondering maybe if they’d look at tying it into the bigger picture (future phase 3)? Could they perhaps scrap the boxes out of the DE Stand, reprofile the stand as a single storey stand so that the rake matches the new north stand, and loops around the lower bowl nice, so lower Trinity, North and DE all link in nicely in a bowl. Looking at this it could possibly be circa 2k seats. Then the end game of nearly 60k that’s been quoted could be the expansion of the DE stand outwards so it can reincorporate boxes at same height as Trinity and North, larger concourse area, and accommodate the additional storey on top (circa 6k seats) ? Giving us a ground of around 58k - 59k or so. I’m no designer/architect but it’s what I’d be looking at doing after going to all this effort on the North stand - have a stadium that all ties in, just then the Holte as a stand-alone at the end.

Yeah full of it. I thought it was that bluenose troll account that had everyone waiting for a midnight exclusive, so looked through tweets. Last summer he revealed Barca were in for Neil Taylor, then not to worry he’s not going as Smith has promised him left wing position in front of Targett - oh and vice captain role. say no more.

Yeah I get that, but another train of thought is you don’t necessarily need to win headers in midfield, just make sure you’re first to the ball off whoever does win the header (something along with throw ins we’ve never seemed good at). Wolves as an example of a good passing team with relative success don’t seem to have tall imposing midfielders, maybe I’m wrong on that, but they don’t look it (what I’ve seen of them). Ball playing midfielders that keep hold of the ball/use it well can be far more effective than a Brute of a midfielder who’s second touch is a tackle, but get a tall, imposing, powerful, skillfull good passer then win win (hopefully we’re doing this) There’s also the set pieces and requiring enough tall players to chip in I guess so yeah he could be a bit short for us with the rest of our team taken into account - good call.

Exactly how I see it. Buendia CM, Jack left Rashica right. Some games they change around maybe we find Jack is better in middle and he prefers it (and sticks 2 fingers up at Gareth) then Rashica goes left and Buendia right or vice versus? Maybe we just do it ‘in game’ if a defender has one in his pocket then switch it round to see if our next attacking threat gives that defender something to think about. I recall we used to do this with Milner, Young and Downing. from what I’ve seen of Rashica and granted only YouTube vids he looks capable of playing left, right or CM/CAM. I could imagine some serious link up play with Ollie up top, 3 of them looking up to see Ollies movement in box instead of floating over a hopeful cross. It’s got so much potential in my head, but it’s probably totally flawed oh and all 3 look capable of coming deep to help in numbers when required and each could carry/drive the ball forwards on the counter. time for me to stop dreaming I think.

Can’t help feel that Buendia in CM with McGinn and Luiz would work well. He can tackle, break up play, turn dribble and break through opposition midfield lines turning defence into attack quickly and could feed Jack/Ollie/RW. For me he’s a CM not a winger/inside forward (but could prob fill in there ok if injuries to first choices). I just wonder why nobody’s gone in for him yet? perhaps he’s not as good as I think . Only 11 minutes but maybe others agree with potential? maybe not?

Would be good, but it looks like Darder played for Malaga yesterday - Malaga FC are currently in Columbia, they played deportivo Cali. Could be an agent possibly though - who knows

This is like a conversation with my mrs:- Me: bloody hell I've had a crap day Her: oh and you think mines been good? (In an angry sarcastic tone) Me: actually no, I didn't say mines been crap compared to yours, I said mines been crap. Me: I've felt rough all week Her: oh and I've felt great haven't I? (Same angry sarcastic tone) Short of it is, I'm not comparing, i'm just talking about my state, but there always has to be a comparative comeback. Can we not just we're villa, nothing much good. Seems to happen (these days). Any takeover news or gossip anyone?

It seems mad if the baggies get bought so soon and for an amount Randy would 'reportedly' accept (who knows?). But then again reading the earlier reports on income, although we bought in £25m more (I think I read, and in a funny way hope I've got it wrong as we made a £4m loss and they made a £12m profit?? That is crazy, especially when you think we've got rid of so many high earners and have been through the young and hungry, and foreign cheap and worth a gamble stages. What on earth are we spending on compared to them, we've had very similar seasons, they've pipped is in league us them in cup.

It does seem strange how a deal like this could be enforced, but the way I look at is:- He's very average at best, and clearly not helping or even hindering the team. We had the option to buy him in January which we didn't take, so either Lambert doesn't rate him or lerner won't fund it. If lerner won't fund it this can be moved to the randy lerner thread. If Lambert don't rate him then whys he pick him still? Let's face it if he thought he was good he'd have snapped him up before others are free to try and sign him in the summer. Option 3 I suppose, maybe cleverly thinks we're crap and doesn't want to play for us, but even so he'd have told the manager this so therefore is expect Lambert not to play a player who doesn't want to play for us. There's got to be a deal in place for me on this one.

£££

Suspected it would be maintenance, some size jet if it was for private business use

It was I, prompted by the above info about it I started to look it up. Yes it's Saudi based but the movements don't give anything away, maybe just in for maintenance at monarch engineering? It is interesting with previous poster linking Saudi (al Baltan?) whatever happened to that? And bidding 8m on cleverly - not saying 8m is absolutely huge but for cleverly it's a bit of a sum.

Just watched the lowlights on itv and worryingly they said Orient made 6 changes for this game and left out some big players for them

I've been reading TBAR and they're getting worked up about it even though a journalist has told one of them it's just a normal pre game press conference. I'm on both TBAR and here and I'd say they are getting nowhere near worked up, there are a few questions met with about a resounding it's just the weekly presser.

And tried to state a good reason to why our attendance may have been lower apart from the obvious unrest.

May not be the same, don't know until you add up populations etc. I can't be arsed with that, but what I was saying was 30k is bloody embarrassing for a club our size in the premier. It wasn't a bloody Newcastle are better than us comment FFS.

The Newcastle fans packed their end out. We always have bad attendances first game of season anyhow due to holidays. I remember Chelsea a couple of years back only got about 37-38? I went on Saturday, bloody embarrassing when they announced the attendance to the joy of the travelling Geordies, even worse that when we tell them why it's bad ie poor investment, crap league positions, an unliked owner it makes you think about how they continue to get good attendances, and they've had a relegation and still dislike their owner. One thing I would also say about the attendance though, I dashed straight off to the T20 final afterwards (that was amazing, what an atmosphere) I saw a lot of villa fans there, spoke to a few ST holders who missed the Newcastle game as they had bought their tickets in advance of the fixture list (which we all had to do) so they will be back for the hull game. Obviously can't tell how many were in this boat but this was just from talking to people immediately around me so could be a lot??

Would like to see him taking more shots on from edge of box. I don't think the killer pass issue is his fault, the runs aren't being made in front of him, the strikers don't take up space unless it's out wide then it slows down as they can't beat a man - this then looks like a less than positive pass from westy as the recipient isn't able to do anything. With strikers spinning and turning the centre backs I'm sure he'd be more effective. You can only pass to what's available and our current strike force leaves him not a lot to aim at.

Useless player, I used to defend him being useless by the fact he took the attention of defenders and opened things up without actually doing anything. Now though defenders don't seem scared of him. All he does is sprint after lost causes, just lose out marginally due to his pace but shove the player over - 95% of time you can guess his sprint bursts will end in a free kick. No football brain, can't turn quick so just runs into players instead of jinking left and right and beating his man. I can't defend him anymore, it's a shame as he's a villa fan, but to be fair we'd see just as much commitment from a player trying to make his name than we would from him anyhow so no competitive edge from his loyalties.

We don't know for sure still, his dad hasn't said he's been offered a contract, it was a paragraph inserted by the journo and not his dad's words. Really hope it is true, but this article tells us nothing apart from hope they have knowledge and aren't just guessing (like papers do)

Possibly we took a look and paid interest whilst we were trying to get freebies. Then the mindset changed to spending money and we decided to splash out on Cissokho ?? Just my thoughts on what may have happened.

Thanks ADW95, not a great deal if scope there then. Stevens would be an obvious one, then it's herd, then baker and Clark. Personally reckon though we need to keep hold of one of baker or Clark as cover for CB and LB, the alternative would be to replace them with better versions which does nothing for our required winger? I reckon we need CB cover as Vlaar cant seem to complete a season, Okore is returning from Injury then there's Senderos whom I'm not sure of track record.

Is this definitely the case? I saw someone post the other day a list of current squad and I thought we had 1 or 2 spare as they included a couple that had gone on loan already - I may have counted incorrectly though.

Maybe we have been sold? It's been mooted on TBAR, I know this site has distanced itself from that but....

I don't get all this tradition over buying success. To me it's as if fans have heard this philosophy and believe by saying it and sticking to it will make up for the lack of success and will somehow make them feel superior or on a par with fans of successful clubs. My meaning behind this is look back through the years and it's always been a case of the more money spent equals more success, with some exceptions that can still happen now, granted the exceptions though only seem to win a cup or gain/challenge top 6 and not win the league (although look across to Spain....) As long as I can remember (and I'm only mid thirties) there have been transfer fees for players. These fees have not been flat rate for goalie, flat rate for defender and so on, they have been dynamic rates based in ability etc. so taking this into account it has always been (since eighties at least) a case of if you can afford the better individuals you'll have more chance. The skill though is in developing a team, and this counts just as much if you are buying a first 11, as you need to ensure you buy the relevant strengths and mesh them together. You can of course buy 11 individuals that just won't mix. Spend the money I say, just don't spend it on an ego, make sure the player is grounded but ambitious and competitive and not a lazy arse who is more interested in his personal life and surely the 'soul' remains but you have bought the best players available to build a team??