Rightdm00

38 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Spending 16-20m on a keeper leads me to believe one of the following:

1. We’re minted and we’ll spend another 100-130m this summer because we definitely need another central midfielder and winger and the club knows that. 

2. We’re minted but we’re spending some of the Grealish money we know is incoming. 

So, whilst excited, I’m also nervous. 

I got roasted in the transfer thread when I said #2. It's a hard thought to shake though. 

Liverpool definitely weren't ready for Leeds to be in their face like this. Multiple players on Pool are winded. Klop fuming Villa killed the 5 sub rule twice

6 minutes ago, MotoMkali said:

Brogdon was a 2nd round pick. Ben Simmons was the number one pick that year and signed a 4 Yr deal worth 50 million although I think he is now on 180 million over 5 yrs. 

Simmons signed a 4yr/$26 million rookie deal as the 1st pick in 2016. Sportrac.com is a great website for unraveling the salary cap status of each NBA team. 

Simmons starts his max deal next year and if he doesn't get a jump shot soon the 76ers are absolutely screwed. 

Bucks have the same problem with Giannis(can't shoot). Will be interesting to see whether Wes Edens and the Bucks decide to reload around Giannis or blow it up. 

Fulham look decent going forward and pressing from the front.  That Odoi-Ream back line is truly awful though.  First time they have to do anything defensively and . 

2 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Don't get me wrong I have been loving every minute of this and last year's summer window. Feels like the early Lerner years when General what's his name was hanging around spreading good feelings about our top 4 challenge. Long may it continue (with Jack, hopefully)

Guys, don't kill me for this but I feel our massive outlays this past season and this season are based on the fact we will have a equally massive outgoing transfer at some point. It's the only way to really balance the books when you consider FFP.  I'm not saying Jack is definitely leaving this window but I think his departure is inevitable at some point and the club is just smartly spending to ensure when he does leave we don't tail spin back to the Championship.  

I would love to be wrong and Purslow has a plan to evade FFP. I just can't shake this feeling. Besides City and Chelsea (who are actually playing catch-up from their transfer ban) no other team is spending at this rate. Outside of selling Jack I don't see how Villa balances the books. 

4 minutes ago, Lord Willard said:

Apart from last season he has only once got past 10 goals in a season and that was 15 goals in conference 2. Why will be scoring over 10 goals now in the hardest league in the world? 

 

Based on this logic you would have completely missed on Vardy who scored 4 and 16 in his 2 championship seasons. 

Last year people were on here discounting Tammy's 25 goals like the championship is some Sunday league.  Now we are willing to pay £45 million for him.   Turns out if you can hit a quarter century in the championship you can probably do a job in the Prem.  

This is a roll of the dice but clubs of our stature can't attract proven quality, yet.  Ollie ticks all the boxes, athletic, pace, attitude... We get this one right and in the near future we may be able to sell the Villa dream to talent of a higher level. Right now I think Ollie is about the best we can do. So if he signs we need to get behind him and hope for the best. 

1 hour ago, deeps said:

I really hope Watkins isn’t the only striker on our list. Good player mind.

2 strikers signed this window and what do you do with Wesley?  We spent  ~£25 million on him. Besides ManC, who else can flush that much after a half season. 

My guess as far as the front 3 go is we bring in Watkins as the striker. Then we also bring in a winger to challenge El Ghazi and Trez. 

Too many holes in the squad to spend £50 million plus on one position. 

27 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

Interesting article.

Just to recap over last few years Leicester have signed Jonny Evans, Kelechi Iheanacho, Soyuncu, Youri Tielemans, Ricardo Pereira and James Maddison.

From those six names Maddison sticks out as the young prospect from the championship, all the others were experienced international players and signed from premier league or other decent leagues.

I honestly think that's where we're going wrong. If we sign six players this summer probably 4 will be from championship or other lower tier leagues and at best we'll get one experienced head in.

Don't want to go over what Wolves have signed again but again vast majority of their signings are experienced international players and then they add an Adama type to complete the set as more of a long term development and he's obviously come on a fair amount in last 12 months.

I don't see us finishing above Wolves or Leicester anytime soon until we really improve the quality of first 11 so McGinn will remain frustrated for a while longer.

You're looking at Leicester during the wrong time period. You need to look at them during the 2 year's before they won the Prem. That's where we are.  Actually they were better off than us.  They at least came up from the championship with an actual squad.

In those windows before the league title, look at who they bought, not a single proven international amongst them. Getting those early signings right is what earned them the cache to attract proven internationals from other big clubs in Europe. Gotta walk before you can run. 

I'm just happy to see he's 6'1 and no string bean. I swear every Prem team last year was physically bigger than us. 

Same thing Brentford pulled with Maupay. 

3 minutes ago, desensitized43 said:

This is what deadlines are for...

Agree.  Move on and come back around close to deadline day and see if a deal a more preferable deal can be struck. 

1 minute ago, AndyM3000 said:

Because 99% of reports are made up by random journos trying to keep themselves employed. Until they actually activate it don't worry.

They can't keep Rodri, Fernandinho, Gundogan and Luiz happy when most games there's only one spot available for them players, I imagine next season when Fernandinho retires they likely bring him back if he continues on current form.

Agree fully. Logically it makes zero sense. You would only hurt the players development at this point. This quiet period while the players went on vacation is driving us and media crazy lol. 

Truly the silly season. A report last week said Douglas was staying. Now we have one to the contrary. Best to tune it all out and hope for the best. 

Late to the crapping on The Athletic party but that article was pure trash.  Not a single quote, just pure speculative BS. 

Now I really want Villa to hand Jack a 6 figure per week contract.  The laughs we will get when the media's head all in unison. 

5 hours ago, villa4europe said:

The format is definitely better 

Think UEFA have a problem 

Agree, but the 2 legged format is set up to ensure as many big clubs get through as possible. So we just have to enjoy the single elimination while it last. 

Just now, Keyblade said:

It can work in a 4-3-3 where the 3 midfielders each have different roles, not necessarily the 2 holders/1 attacker dynamic. Similar to Ancelotti's midfields with Milan. Pirlo, Seedorf, Gattuso...all different kinds of players with different roles. Pirlo was the holder, Gattuso was the box to box terrier, similar to how I think McGinn should play for us. I would like to see Jack in the Seedorf role. Maybe not quite a free-roaming attacking midfielder, but of the 3 he's the one with the license to get forward and link up with the attacking 3. For me, it really all depends on how disciplined Dean can get McGinn to be in that midfield. If we see anything like we did earlier last season, then it's a no from me. 

That's the thing. I hate the idea of taking that bit of attacking instinct from McGinn. He does it so well. That first game of the season, I know that Tottenham defender was so confused when McGinn came roaring past the halfway line. 

Mcginn definitely needs more positional sense.  He can get fixated on the ball at times and totally lose track of the opposition.  Could  he get to Gattuso's level?  I would love it but I just can't see it. 

It's a difficult decision, no doubt. I honestly think it comes down to who can be bought for cheaper. One winger and a midfielder, which would keep Jack on the left. Or 2 wingers, which would move Jack to the middle. 

Attackers tend to cost the most and we already have to buy another striker. I just can't see us spending the funds needed for a whole new front 3. I'd rather spend big on 2 attackers and shore up the midfield with Prem level vet. Wil Hughes was top ten for successful tackles this past season. Someone like him. 

9 minutes ago, Keyblade said:

I wouldn't want Jack as a CM anyway even if that's where he sees himself. He needs to roam, I agree. But from the middle as an attacking midfielder. If you recall the 17/18 season where he really ascended towards the player he is today, he was wreaking havoc from the middle because we actually had 2 wide players who were a threat. He was the king of the "assist to the assist". Those little through balls inside the fullback to the either Adomah or Snodgrass were too deadly, and that's why they got 40 goals/assists between them. I would love to see that translated into the PL with quality wide players like Rashica for example. I loved him as a left winger last season and he got some good goals, but I much prefer him in the role I described above. Besides I think it's better for the team anyway.

Doesn't make sense in a 4-3-3. Your midfield 3 need to hold down the middle so your front 3 can flourish. Otherwise, you leave holes all throughout your midfield. 

Now if you want to switch it to a 4-2-3-1, sure Jack would fit perfectly in that middle 3. Problem then is McGinn is wasted next to Luiz as a double pivot. 

I would hope given the shortness of the upcoming preseason we limit how much we rework our team tactically. Insert a new forward, winger, and CM into the starting 11 and let's get back out there. We generated quality chances post lockdown, we just had the worst 2 strikers in the Prem trying to finish them off. 

5 minutes ago, rayk said:

So tell me why Jack himself thinks his best position is as an AM?

So in the entire history of football a manager has never taken a player and said "player x you used to play here but I'm going to play you over there." Then that player goes onto flourish. 

1 hour ago, rayk said:

But would you rather keep SJM and lose Jack by saying to him ‘we don’t care about your England ambitions as an AM, we’re playing you LW.....like it or lump it’?
 

I’d rather play Jack in his best position because he’s our best player by far. If that means SJM has to ‘take one for the team’ and play a more defensive role then so be it.

If he can’t but the front four are creating and scoring goals and so SJM becomes the weak link.....then he should be dropped. It’s football and it’s tough at the top!

(By the way, ManC wouldn’t activate the clause on the back of 8-10 games. If he continues in that rich vein of form all this season then I definitely think they will.)

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. 

1 hour ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Origi would be a good signing. He needs to play week in week out really. 
 

He scored 2 in a champions league semi final and 1 in a final. Not bad for a player some would say is not good enough for us.

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. 

1 minute ago, nick76 said:

 

We need the right balance I agree but as the old cliche says "if you arent moving forwards, you are actually going backwards" buying the same type of players means you arent going forwards.

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.