Rightdm00

Statistically, Jack had his best season ever as a footballer in 19/20. Most goals scored, key passes, successful dribbles all while playing the majority of the season wide left. His assist number was one off his career high but we can put that down to the lack of quality in our attacking options. If Jack had spent the whole season in a wide left free role and we upgrade our right wing and forward options he easily gets 10G/10A. Only 3 players got 10G/10A this past season KDB, Salah, and Son. Then add in his usual #s for chances created and successful dribbles and you have one of the elite all around attackers in the premier league. You put Jack in a top flight midfield and it immediately becomes light weight. We saw that with pretty much every game he played in the middle. Teams played right through us. Doesn't make sense to move one of the best attackers out of the position he flourished in. I attached his WhoScored positional rating. The differential is staggering.

This whole idea of bringing Jack back to the midfield glosses over the main reason he ended up in the front 3 to begin with. McGinn. McGinn is also an #8 who likes to get in around around the box. That was fine in the Championship. We dominated possession versus most teams. That allowed us to get away playing hourihane as our DM some games. We tried that midfield 3 of Connor, Jack and John one time in the Prem. First game of the season at Spurs. Spurs played through us like we weren't there. We then tried Jack and John together a couple more games with a dedicated DM. That didn't last long because a 10 man Arsenal side had no issue retaining or winning back possession. Our one defensive minded MF had to cover the entire midfield by himself while Jack and John went forward. It left our back line over exposed and was the main reason we leaked goals before the Covid shutdown. Telling John to be more defensive removes the main reason you play him. You want him around the box finishing chances like against Arsenal and Burnley. Moving Jack out wide was about shoring up our defensively weak midfield. You could sign all the 30 million pound wingers you want and that issue would remain. We would need a Kante level DM to accommodate Jack and John playing together in a midfield 3. Douglas is great but if he was at that level, ManC would have already activated that buyback clause. You want Grealish in the midfield, sign a strong, alethic box to box midfielder like Mckinnie. Pair that signing with Jack and Douglas and you have a top ten Prem level midfield. I'm a huge fan of McGinn, so for me Jack needs to stay out wide so we can fit both in our starting 11.

People questioning his quality are way off the mark. He is definitely good enough. It's the price that worries me. Barring him forcing a move away, Liverpool could easily demand 30 million as a starting point for negotiations. Liverpool bought him for 10 million. We need to focus on finding the next Origi. Easier said than done, I know, but we just aren't in the position to pay the premium rate for a striker like Origi or Iheanacho.

My opinion is that we finished 17th because we started far too many passengers. Move them to the bench and we easily move up the table. The knock on Wes, even from the Brugge fans who stopped by, was that he was more of a creator than a pure CF. We all saw that to be true as the season went on. So now I think the goal isn't to replace Wes but build an attacking front around him. Hence, we will see at least one more versatile attacker brought in along with Watkins. This will give Smith options in building out his front 3. Even allowing Jack to drop to the midfield given the opposition. Wes cost far to much and has had to little time for us to be at the point where we are considering another high dollar replacement for him. Unpopular opinion that it may be I would rather fill in the gaps around him and give him another season to come good. Watkins and another versatile attacker like him is exactly what we need.

I would argue we aren't buying the same type. The 2 players we bought from the Champ last year were Jota and Konsa. Both good players at that level but neither would be considered top 5 or 10 of the championship. Now we are back again. Only this time we are looking at Watkins and/or Benhrama. WhoScored had Benhrama as the top rated player and Watkins was 8th. Just to note Bowen was rated 5th and he comfortably made the step up to the Prem. So we have definitely stepped up our level. We are still building out a squad of Prem quality players. You could argue we have 7 right now (Heaton, Mings, Konsa, Targett Luiz, McGinn, Grealish). The key for this window is to buy 4/5 players who will get us to a full 11. I think Watkins fits that profile.

That's what caught my eye as well. He is very physical. Since he started out wide at Brentford I assumed he was a bit lightweight. Glad to be wrong on that one.

Swore we gave him a new 5 year deal at the start of the campaign. Him, hourihane and Jack all got improved deals.

I really, really hope Chelsea do him dirty. Relegate him to 3th choice striker, only giving him a run out in the League and FA Cup. I want him livid that his boyhood club thinks he isn't up to the level. Then Villa could swoop in with a highlight video of the new vibrant Villa attack led by Jack, John and (insert new winger here). Tammy would sign right up and oh boy everybody better watch out. That Tammy's revenge tour would be amazing. He would score 20 a season easy. He would be like a man possessed, putting 4-5 past Chelsea alone every season. Chelsea would eventually have to re-buy him for 100 million and the promise to rename the Strafford End stand after his best friend and key on-field partner, Jack Grealish. Okay, seriously my Tammy fan fic is just that, fiction. It would never happen because Chelsea would be mad to let him go. In his last 2 seasons he has scored 26 (all comps) in the Champ and followed that up with 17 in all comps at the highest level. Any striker with 2 seasons like that back to back is going for 40 million easy. I feel the only real knock is that he is very one footed. As in of the last 43 goals he has scored only 2 were with his left foot. Here's the thing he's only 22. So he still has time to develop a left foot well before his prime. Tammy would be the stuff of dreams but Chelsea would never let it happen .

It changes country to country so excuse my ignorance here. When a UK source list a players wages are they using the pre- or post-tax figure? Here in the states, just in case anyone is curious, it's always pre-tax.

Ming's is almost always our last man in the defensive line. If he is diving in for a tackle then we have screwed up big time. Also, Guilbert is in the top 20 for total tackles even though he has only played about 2/3rd of the available minutes. Anyone who has watched Freddy this year knows he tends to have to dive in given his poor positioning at times. Tackles/90 in isolation is pretty much a dud for determining a defenders worth.

Since we are the Claret and Blue I can see that working for or against us

If City activates the clause next year it will be 35 million for Dougie. Then it expires. While Douglas is good I highly doubt he will be worth much more than 35 million by this time next year. I think we let it play out and negotiate if need be next year. No need to put anymore money in City's pocket on the off chance Douglas goes super saiyan next season.

I think they were counting on that relegation discount. Price is a bit to steep now.

The article Gregg wrote in The Athletic is not one you write without at least some insight of future plans in regards to Jack. Gregg's new job has 20+ Premier League staff writers so any article they produce will be far better sourced than his Mail content. I think it's obvious that the team has told Jack if an agreeable bid comes in they won't stand in his way. Now as to what that # could be is anyone's guess. Hopefully it's north of 60 million. If these were normal times and by that I mean ManU finish 4th and no impact on the budget by Covid. I think we see that bid. Hopefully teams are a bit more tight and we get Jack for another season.

Transfer window is open til October. Just plan on it running that long. He could sign a new deal and Sky will still talk it up til deadline day.

That's true. The Athletic reported as well. Villa will need to surpass that if we were to offer Jack a new deal. Worth every penny though.

I swore I read somewhere the buyback is only for this season and next. 25 million this year and 35 million the next. The good news is he still doesn't have the international appearances to justify a work permit at one of the bigger Premier League clubs so any sell would have to be outside the UK. The bad news, another season like this one, throw in a couple more international appearances and he could be gone. Whatever price City quote to negate the clause is probably not worth it. We have to many other issues to address this window.

2 shots on target in the last 3 games and they both went in, only Villa. Should have been 4 out of 4 wins to close out the season.

The 5 sub rule will be here for all of next season. So we need reserves. Not everyone needs to be starting 11 quality. Ideally we buy another winger/wide forward and Trez can come off the bench.

Yeah they are in trouble. This from an article pre lockdown. Worst part is outside of David Brooks and Josh King they aren't going to get a lot transfer wise.

I love manager who proves himself to be flexible and willing to change it up when necessary. Dean realized our strikers were pants during the break and turned us into a defensive focused team that conceded twice in our last 4 games. Also, both of those goals were of a very fluke variety. I think next year we won't be this defensive but it's good to know we have something to fall back on if necessary. Given that FFP has been switched off for the next season I think we will be one of the big spenders again. In the end I'm glad Dean is still the man. He delivers, what more can you ask for.

Even City are fielding a pretty much full strength lineup versus poor Norwich. Only Liverpool seems to be fielding less than full strength.

As fans we are all nervous. Nervous probably doesn't even do our current emotional state justice. The boys though, they have to be loving it. You grow up pretending to be in these type of matches. Honestly I'm envious, the level of focus matches like this give you can elevate your game to levels you didn't know you had (See our boy Trez). We have the perfect opponent. Should have won the reverse fixture, no major injuries in the squad, and all to play for. See everyone on the other side. UTV!!!

Have to. If the arsenal team that showed up today plays against Watford we will definitely need a win to stay up.

His interview he just did post game sealed it. We just need to stay in the Prem so we can get full value for him.