4 minutes ago, abdomlahor said:

It's not so much that he's their first choice goalkeeper. It's more that we've seemingly been fixated on him for years (literally) and we're willing to give up on him after two months.

He was brought in as an emergency January signing for the Championship because Nyland was hopeless. We've now stepped up a level and have a summer transfer window, so it's not that crazy to move him on again if Smith's decided he's not good enough. We could of course keep him on for another season and let him fight for a place, but my sense is that there's nothing in his career record so far to suggest he's a PL keeper.

3 minutes ago, abdomlahor said:

We've just spent £7m on Croatia's first choice goalkeeper and he deserves a proper chance to show what he can do. He's played 8 games. I don't think Etheridge is going to move the needle that much for what we would have to pay for him. If we really are looking for a new keeper, then I'd rather be a bit more ambitious and go for someone like Jiri Pavlenka or Timo Horn.

We get a bit too fixated on him being Croatia's first choice goalkeeper. Yes, they're a country that has produced some world class players, and has reached a WC Final, but he hasn't really been involved in any of that. Croatia has a small population, and besides the superstars, they often pad out their squads with some very average players.

What makes you think that a player with 102 apps for Hajduk Split and 68 apps for Gent is likely to be the real deal?

My preference would be Butland or Etheridge. Goalkeeper is a position where PL experience makes a big difference, and both of them have proved they can cut it in the PL. Aged 26 and 29 respectively, that gives you at least 6 seasons, assuming most keepers retain form into their mid-30s.

That Tifo podcast is really interesting, and definitely better than most analysis you hear about Villa, but there's still that usual element of it just being a load of overconfident wafflers talking out of their arses.

It became apparent at one point that their main reference point for all the tactical analysis was the three play-off matches.

I also massively disagree that signing a 33-year-old Gary Cahill makes any sense at all.

And they seem to have confused the way we played in 2018/19 with a transitional squad, with our "system". So they obsess over a like-for-like replacement for Abraham, without considering that maybe DS would be able to accommodate a different type of player up top.

3 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

I agree with this but it’s what we need right now. 

Yep, I'm all for signing him. He has a great all-round game and great attitude. I just don't buy into the statistical analysis about his finishing ability. Be very, very surprised if he gets up to the level of the other players mentioned, but fingers crossed for him.

https://www.open-goal.co.uk/siferrymeetsbarrybannan/

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Si Ferry Meets… Barry Bannan | Martin O’Neill Villa Days, Holloway at Blackpool, Scotland Caps, Sheff Wed

 

 

Incredible interview with Barry Bannan about his entire football career. Loads of funny stories.

The problem with comparing Tammy to Salah, Kane, and Aguero, is that these are strikers who are often going for worldies, and who tend to shoot on sight. They also create a lot of chances for themselves from nothing positions. That style of play is going to drive up the total shots figure, while pushing down the conversion %.

Good statistical analysis is really important, but you have to compare like with like, and you have to factor in random variation (Tammy's only season in the PL was such a small sample of games from which to draw conclusions).

Trusting my own eyes for a moment, I think you rarely see Tammy place a finish in the way you'd expect of a top class striker, and I don't think that's something that comes with age. A very good player, with a good all-round game, but I'd be surprised if he makes it as a Champions League striker. More of a mid-table PL player imo, or a squad player at a top side.

A few conclusions:

• VAR and the new handball law interpretation (both of which PL will be adopting in 2019/20) are going to have a significant effect next season. Looked to me like Mane deliberately tried to play the ball off Sissoko's arm, and I think we'll see a lot of this. I don't like it, but in our favour, it will suit attacking teams.
• Shit game. Can't remember a single attacking player on either side having more than a few good touches.
• Excellent pitch invader.
• Klopp is a superb manager, and deserves to finally have a Champions League trophy.
• Pochettino is also a superb manager, and it's mad to think he made a Champions League final with no spending in the transfer market.
• Alisson and Van Dijk are absolutely immense.
• Liverpool fans have again shown that nobody matches them for their capacity to disappear up their own holes.

Here are some recent highlights. Doesn't strike me as a player who'll set the Premier League on fire, but happy with the price we seem to be getting for a player who should be hitting his peak, and should be able to slot in across all the attacking midfield positions.

10 minutes ago, mikeyp102 said:

You need some experienced heads in the squad. He is meant to be very good in the dressing room, and a big influence on the training ground, always pushing others to work harder. He knows the premier league we’ll and would make a good back up option, even if it’s just to kill a game off. Smith he used him a lot, so can see why he’d get another year.

Yeah, I think DS is big on this "be a good team mate" philosophy, and Whelan seems to embody that. He had a reputation at Stoke for being a player who always wanted to prove his doubters wrong, and that's the kind of attitude we want from all the kids. No harm in keeping this kind of player around. A positive influence.

I have no problem with this kind of signing. It's low risk. He's 27, we suit his style of play, he likes DS, and he's already settled in the Birmingham area. If he doesn't quite hit the right level, then we have a useful squad player who hasn't cost us much money.

I think we'll be making a few of these value buys to give the squad more depth. We don't want to be in a position mid-season where we're having to play people out of position or hand emergency debuts to youth team players.

Brings a tear to the eye. What a man.

Fairly good tactical analysis of the Derby game here.

Think you see how DS's expansive style causes opposition managers problems, even though it's fairly predictable. Lampard clearly wanted to plug the middle to contain McGinn and Grealish, but if you try to nullify any of our threats, we always have other options, because everyone is encouraged to get involved in the build-up play.

A lot of people saying Lampard should have exploited our weaknesses at full back, but I wonder if a wider shape would have allowed Grealish a lot more space. Amazing to have these options!

I do think someone should have a quiet word with him about not winding Bournemouth up too much. He won't gain anything from it. He's 26 and we want him to be a leadership figure here. Part of that is not getting involved in social media spats. (I know he hasn't done anything too bad yet, but just treading a bit close to the line.)

5 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

Can see Arsenal finishing 7th or 8th next season. They still have this aura at the Emirates but could easily lose that.

Their squad is easily the poorest of all top 6 clubs. Leicester and Everton both finished the season strongly so good starts for both and can see them challenging for top 6.

We just need to have a comfortable mid table season and built up from there.

Add Wolves to that Leicester + Everton chasing group. I'd be happy if we managed to join that chasing group in the next couple of years, and then tried to kick on from there.

I still see Arsenal as a step up from those clubs, because they have stronger fundamentals (squad depth, history, fanbase, youth system, cashflow). But yes, they have a lot of problems. I imagine they'll spend quite big this summer.

Premiering at the moment on BT Sport, post-Europa Final.

https://sport.bt.com/football/state-of-play-bt-sports-latest-film-offers-a-captivating-insight-into-the-heart-of-the-beautiful-game-S11364365449281

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Simon Green, head of BT Sport, said: “State of Play is both a confrontation of modern football’s flaws and a celebration of its virtues.”

State of Play features interviews with a diverse range of figures from all levels of the game including Bale, Lampard, Rose, Jadon Sancho, Hayes, Arsenal Women’s manager Joe Montemurro, Allardyce, Dyche, Thomas Hitzlsperger and Ferdinand.

Really interesting exploration of what it's like to be a modern figure in football, including interview with our own Der Hammer.

Also the source of the Gareth Bale quote about "being like a robot", which he's taken a lot of stick for in Spain, but in the documentary comes across as a thoughtful response to a question.

Not loads of coverage of Villa, but some thought provoking stuff about how fans interact with players. The mental health section is interesting, particularly as some of our players (Tyrone Mings, for example) have previously struggled with mental health issues.

Well worth a watch if you can find it.

One thing I did notice was that the quality on display, even in a relatively poor game, was much much higher than in the play-off final.

Even our best players would only be on the fringes of these sides. Perhaps Mings can come in for Monreal at LCB. Maybe Tuanzebe in for Sokratis.

I don't really see where Grealish and McGinn slot in (maybe for Xhaka?), although both would be useful off the bench.

These teams finished 3rd and 5th in the PL. Positions that we used to have a realistic shot at most seasons. So this is the scale of the challenge ahead of us if we want to be a top, top team.

1 hour ago, MachoFantastico said:

BT Sport reminding me that Robbie Savage is an awful commentator. 

He is so **** thick.

Takes great pride in pointing out "clever fouls" to show his experience of how to pick up yellow cards, and calls almost everything else completely wrong. Absolute nobhead.

One thing I think Bournemouth fans are forgetting when they say they should screw us for more money now Tyrone's made it clear he wants to come...

IMO Purslow won't pay over the odds. He'll be happy to run this one down to the wire if necessary. Not his style to get pressured into anything. I'm pretty sure we'll get a fair price of ~15m with any extra value tied up in add-ons.

I also don't buy into this idea of a bidding war. Mings has proved himself to us, and the Championship teams he's faced. I doubt he's top of anyone's shopping list in the Premier League.

Apologies if this has already been shared, but this is clearly when Bournemouth started to lose patience with Mings:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/bournemouth-discipline-tyrone-mings-after-10451377

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Eddie Howe is set to hammer Tyrone Mings after the Bournemouth defender posted pictures of himself shirtless in an Irish bar on social media this week.

The Cherries' boss had given his squad two days off after their weekend win over Burnley.

...

“We would not expect any of our players to be acting in that way during the season or even off-season, to be honest. It doesn’t hold us in a good light.

“We have given the players a couple of days off this week. At this this stage of the season it is about keeping the minds fresh, the bodies fresh is all important. But the players have to be professional in between to make sure that they perform for the game so that is a disappointing thing to hear.

He was only 24 at the time, and was a fringe player on a day off. Not sure if calling him out publicly was the right thing for Eddie Howe to do.

Surely better to avoid airing it in the press, and then privately have a word with the player about his responsibilities? That seems to be the Dean Smith way.

8 minutes ago, TRO said:

I think we are slightly at cross purposes in our interpretation of "Decisive"

I am all for quality information preparing for a decision, and I am equally sceptical of being decisive for the sake of it and having scant regard for that decision, being well thought through.

I am on the same page as him, maybe it didn't come across as such.....maybe i should have said "he seems very sure of his decisions"

I have decided to leave it.

Haha I wasn't nitpicking, just adding to what you'd said because he directly addressed this in the interview! Yes, he brings a lot of good sense and clarity to the role.

What all of our players will have to prepare for in the PL - but especially Hourihane - is having less time on the ball. At the moment, I would be very worried watching him pick up the ball in our half against Liverpool, City or Spurs. Doing weights in the gym won't help, it's all in the head.

Reading what the Bournemouth fans have to say about him, and listening to a few interviews with him, and seeing all his antics on social media...

...the amateur psychologist in me says he's a good lad, but needs to feel loved, and needs an arm around his shoulder from the coaching staff. He's never been the star man at a club before. Next season could be a huge opportunity for him to experience that in the top flight.

Also, I'm not that worried about a bidding war, because IMO his cash value to us is higher than his cash value to a potential new club - for all the reasons we've talked about re: injuries, career history, etc.

Here I think he feels like he's found his home, and that positive mindset will help him to train and perform at a higher level, especially with someone like JT to guide him.

I was sceptical about him starting, but he had a very good game. His quick pass out wide to start the move for the El Ghazi goal was excellent, and he looked calm when he received the ball under pressure.

Looks like pressing higher with two quality CBs has made him less panicky when he receives the ball deep, which is what always bothers me about him.

Besides that, he put in a lovely cross off a set piece, and generally didn't seem to make any mistakes.

I think good set piece is good at any level, so he'll definitely be involved in some goals next year. Whether he'll be good enough to tie down a regular starting role remains to be seen. Best of luck to him - great effort fighting back after the abuse he got.

2 hours ago, TRO said:

He seems to be what all good leaders are.....decisive.

The most encouraging thing is they both look like they have the same vision going forward.

Funnily enough, he talks in the interview about how people exaggerate the importance of being "decisive".

His philosophy is to think decisions through carefully, take time over it, have a plan B, etc. and he says Dean Smith shares that philosophy. I think you could feel how calm they remained even through the bad spell during Jack's injury.

This bodes well this summer in the transfer market, where I think his approach will help us avoid what happened to Fulham.

I might even have a cheeky bet on Villa to finish top 10 at 11/2.

14 minutes ago, KMitch said:

I got downvoted hard on r/soccer because I suggested that it's very possible we could be challenging for the top 4 within 5 years because we have ambitious owners, an underrated manager, and a growing scouting network with a lot of potential.  "If it was that easy, why haven't other teams done that?!?!?!?!"  Never said it would be easy, but there is something special going on at Villa Park...  You can feel it...  I don't know what it is, but I think we've just witnessed the start of an incredible period in Villa's history.

We've struggled to beat West Brom over two legs, and beaten Derby by a single goal. We didn't even manage a top 4 finish in the Championship.

I do agree with you that everything is pointing in the right direction, but the Premier League has lots of clubs pointing in the right direction at the moment. City, Liverpool, Spurs, Leicester and Wolves are all very well run, and United, Chelsea and Arsenal will always have the money to challenge for Champions League places. You also can't discount Everton and West Ham.

But we are fundamentally a bigger club, in terms of potential, than all the teams that finished in the bottom 10 last year, so we should realistically be aiming for top 10 in the next 2-3 years, and then see if we can kick on from there.