jackbauer24

As a team that finished 17th and has since lost its captain, top scorer and at least five or six other players and replaced them with a consistently injured RB who has been promised a CB spot, a third choice keeper and an untested (Premier League) midfielder who actually hasn't got clearance yet, we have to be considered favourites. As it stands. Spend £50m in the next three or four weeks on recognisable quality and we might stand a chance of standing still for another year.

Unless we have some significant purchases in the next few weeks, I am convinced we will score even fewer goals than last season. We scored a paltry 31 goals in the league last season. When, as we all expect Benteke leaves, we will have a squad that scored a COMBINED total of 12 goals. That's simply scary. Add that to fact our midfield has been largely stripped of the limited quality we had last year (in Delph and Cleverley) and there will be even fewer chances made and no one to finish it off. Unless there are significant ambitious signings, this squad is the worst we've ever had in the last twenty years and we will be relegation favourites.

I'm so fed up of modern football. I'm particularly fed up with Villa trying their hardest to prove you can always sink lower. Rubbish season. Delph, Benteke, Cleverley and Grealish (6/7 games) the only ones to come out of it with any credit. So lose Cleverley, sell Benteke and Delph. Grealish has had a questionable summer too. Release or sell six or seven squad players of mixed ability. Bring in free Richards and second or third choice keeper. Still waiting for confirmation of Gueye too. Everyone else is reluctant to join us. Adebayor link is worrying too. So even if Lerner doesn't want to spend a penny, after another disaster in not being able to sell the club, we have at least £40m to spend quickly on our paper thin, already useless squad. It's going to take a miracle to avoid relegation. We're three weeks from kick off with a worse squad than we ended last season with. Sick of this club/ Lerner/ football. I have a season ticket every year and it doesn't bring me any joy. I'm so fed up of modern football. I'm particularly fed up with Villa trying their hardest to prove you can always sink lower. Rubbish season. Delph, Benteke, Cleverley and Grealish (6/7 games) the only ones to come out of it with any credit. So lose Cleverley, sell Benteke and Delph. Grealish has had a questionable summer too. Release or sell six or seven squad players of mixed ability. Bring in free Richards and second or third choice keeper. Still waiting for confirmation of Gueye too. Everyone else is reluctant to join us. Adebayor link is worrying too. So even if Lerner doesn't want to spend a penny, after another disaster in not being able to sell the club, we have at least £40m to spend quickly on our paper thin, already useless squad. It's going to take a miracle to avoid relegation. We're three weeks from kick off with a worse squad than we ended last season with. Sick of this club/ Lerner/ football. I have a season ticket every year and it doesn't bring me any joy.

First time round I hated Villa and how far we've sunk and half thanked Delph for giving us £8m when he could have left on a free. I would have had no problem with him and wished him luck despite being gutted. Saying he wanted to stay in January to help the cause and not sitting well with him leaving for free but leaving in the summer would all be fine. But if it happens now, he's undone any goodwill. You simply can not backtrack that quickly and maintain any dignity. You automatically become a complete kn*b. He would be worse than Downing and Unsworth, less than a week between speaking to the fans directly and assuring them he was staying as club captain. I hate football.

It's a little nightmare isn't it. A rubbish football team losing three of its top four players. Takeover falling through. Adebayor being the strongest striker link we're getting. Our big signing still actually waiting for clearance. Other exciting names being incredibly reluctant to join us. Being seen as a small time club that struggles to survive in the Premier League. Not even being the top club in the Midlands. It's a crap time to be a Villa fan isn't it?! I'm just hoping this nightmare doesn't all come true in the next few days, but I'm already getting the feeling it will. I'll forever be a season ticket holder because I'm a weak idiot but I'm so sick of football and Villa in particular. The only way I'll have any hope if the above comes true is if we spend well over £50m on further signings (bearing in mind that Lerner would only need to spend £10m odd with our sales) but I fear we're goin to make a big profit this year on player sales.

Resisting urge to kick off like I did last time. I was not happy with anything Villa when it first emerged he was going. Then he stayed, so I relaxed... but this would be 10 times worse than the first one. Originally him leaving was awful, sickening etc but we got something for nothing as he signed that contract in January and was loyal to even do that. However, leave now a week after that statement and he's worse than almost any other player who's left us - it's a blatent lie. If, maybe, we'll see.... So biting tongue until 100% confirmed this time.

I think most agree that Townsend isn't worth £15m BUT I'd still be quite happy with the signing. Although clearly not on the same level, much like signing someone like Beckham, you're currently buying someone who brings hype with him. Although it may not be value for money, it still sends a signal when you're buying a hyped up England international and looks good. Obviously the hope is that his halo doesn't slip while he's at the club, although Sherwod should know what he's capable of more than anyone. However, I still would be very shocked if there was any truth in this rumour. Seems a little out our budget, Benteke sale or not, wages would be massive and sure he'd have better options should Spurs even choose to sell him. Also quick glance as his twitter as mentioned above - last thing was a month ago so doubt any link to any move!

Unlike the potential Delph departure, I really don't care about Benteke leaving. £32.5m is a sizeable chunk of cash, arguably more than he's really worth. I also have never thought of him as even as fondly as Carew evn though he scores far more. Furthermore, I think he makes us too one dimensional and think we may see an improved style of play without the lumping it towards the big man tactic. Take the money and move on. Replace with Austin and I'd be more than happy!

Despite the very appealingly second line (!) there is a serious point in there. Don't bother fighting it if it makes no difference to your job. They'll have already made their mind up so as long as it's just a warning, just take it, don't kick up a fuss and carry on. Even if you're not guilty. It's not fair but if you make it difficult for them they may well begin a personal mission against you. Sometimes these kind of people just like the power, so apologise and move on - a warning doesn't effect you.

You always have a right to support by the way. This is not just a meeting, it's actually the first step in a disciplinary. It is a small step and hopefully the last one but you are perfectly entitled to support. If with a union call them immediately, don't let the word 'informal' stop you getting support. If you are stopped for chucking rubbish in the street by the police it's a minor offence but you're still allowed representation.

They should still let you take a colleague in. You need to ensure you are given a chance to explain and you also need to know you'll get a fair hearing and that's impossible without someone confirming it's all above board. All they need to do is sit in a corner and listen so if it goes any further they can confirm what was said. Yes social media is a nightmare work wise. Wise after the event, but never ever share that kind of stuff on the net. Most people wouldn't bitch about their partners because of repercussions so don't do it about work. But you have to have agreed to any policy to be foud guilty of breaking it, so check everything you've signed. To be honest, at CTU we don't do disciplinaries, we just shoot them immediately!

Take representation. Even if it is 'informal', I've fallen for that before and it got bad quick. Check any work policies you've signed. Have you infringed any of them? I don't know what your line of work is, and I'm no expert, but get your ducks in order quickly and go as prepared as you can even if it is 'informal'.

I didn't have a go at Delph but I had a massive go at Villa. I was wrong, I'm delighted! The hole of depression I'd got in to over Villa over last 24hrs has just disappeared. But learn one thing; I always thought there were two media outlets you could trust completely, the OS and the BBC as a not for profit organisation. BBC ran the story as fact and need to apologise! I can forgive papers etc as they need clicks for advertising but BBC used to be above this.

I know the transfer window isn't closed, but we are desperate for additions. We were desperate before the outgoings. Look at the team that played the FA Cup final, our last competitive game after a season we finished 17th; Given (gone, replaced by Bunn) WORSE Hutton Okore Vlaar (gone, replaced by Richards) POSSIBLY BETTER, BUT AT CB? Richardson (still here ffs!) Cleverley (gone, not replaced) WORSE Westwood Delph (gone, replaced with Gueye) WORSE (at least til had time to settle/adapt) N'Zogbia (still here ffs!) Benteke (going, no replacements strongly linked) WORSE Grealish So even worse than we were. Getting rid of the good players and keeping the rubbish ones! Yes, I'm panicking. It's been a dire situation for years but I can't think of a time in the last twenty years when we've been in this bad a situation. Something needs to happen soon because we're up that creek as it stands. We've had seasons where we've scraped survival but have always gone in to the next season with renewed hope due to even a minor signing. We have never lost all the better players after struggling badly. Would we have survived last season without Cleverley, Delph and Benteke?

This feels pointless now (if it wasn't before!) Scenario A - no sale, no money. Scenario B - the sale is ages away so Delph has decided he can't wait. Scenario C - the sale is imminent but Delph knows there's going to be no major change in our status. Scanario D - we're going to spend billions but Delph doesn't like being involved so has gone to a soon to be struggling City. Mmm, which one is most likely? I think Villa might have mentioned something to him on the sly if it'd have helped keep him.

Depressing. We know we're losing Benteke too. That squad is worse than the one which ended last season.

Ok, put it this way. Let's be super optimistic and pretend we will buy everyone we're linked with; Amavi for £9m Townsend £15m Chery £3m Praet £7m Boilesen £1m Still JUST match that figure. And that, in a nutshell, is why I don't think there's a hope in hell of us spending more than we get fom sales.

I'm not saying that, I'm saying that's the amount we'd have to spend to 'use it all' and I can't see us reaching that figure. I hope we spend more than we receive but looking at the figures I'd say that's highly unlikely. Do you think we'll spend more than £46m this summer?

Rob182 (saving filling the pages with quotes!) if only working in the here and now then actually we still haven't spent any money. We're a couple of million up due to the minor sales listed above.

Delph sold for £8m (documented), Benteke's going for £32.5m (Sherwood said!), Lowton £1m (Skysports), Weimann £2.75m (Guardian), Sylla £1.7m (Skysports) everyone else was a free or end of contract. So £45.95m to spend. Let's say £46m We'll bend the rules even though he played half the season with us and include Sinclair. With that in mind we've spent £11.5m. So we have £34.5m left to spend! Does anyone think we'll spend that much? Also that would mean we've actually spent nothing this season. And reduced the wages again. Yes, yes I know the transfer window is open for ages yet but does anyone really believe we're really going to spend another £34.5m or, arguably £55m if you allow for the assumption that a struggling team losing it's best players with a new manager should at least be afforded £20m before sales. I don't think we'll hit either figure but would LOVE to be proven wrong.

I agree, he NEEDS to be backed to the hilt. But does anyone really believe he will be? I don't think we'll spend more than we receive this summer.

Sherwood has one hell of a baptism of fire in his first ever preseason, heading in to his first ever full season. Not saying he can't do it but it'd be a test for an experienced manager. Please take an underperforming team in to an ever improving Premier League campaign. You will be given a squad that finished 17th. You will lose at least three of the top players from that squad. You will be required, or wish, to cull at least another 6 or 7 squad players. You will have no promise of extra funds. You will be working under an Owner who wants to sell. You will probably be working under a new Chairman late in the transfer window. You will need to inspire a heavily disillusioned fan base. Good luck.

We've not spent £9m, we'll have spent £1m as this is just Delph money. On less wages. Not even taking in to account the fact we've also lost the wages of Given, Bent, Weimann, Lowton, Vlaar and Cleverley of note. Not saying this is the end of our dealings but, AS IT STANDS, our bank balance is a lot healthier than it was. The team on the other hand is a lot smaller and notably worse. Not encouraging when we finished last season 17th.

I've had time to reflect on this signing. Initially I didn't understand it, but I was wrong. I'm now convinced Bunn will be a Villa superstar and our number one. He'll be one of the best keepers in the division and Guzan will leave too as we won't need him with Steer as backup instead. He also will fit perfectly within our wage structure. Yep. Perfect for the league we'll be in 16/17 season....

So we signed Guyeye 2 weeks ago knowing Delph would be leaving? I think the club were waiting to finalise Gana's work permit before they announced Delph was off? They haven't waited though have they. They've decided to announce it today whist still admitting we're waiting on his Visa. The reason for this is to soften the blow of Delph leaving. Woo hoo, we've got a largely unknown prospect who we hope takes to the Premier League and the country and this is supposed to be appease us. Forget fact we've just spent the Delph money on him, that wages will probably be cheaper.... I can almost picture Lerner waving a spoon saying "oooh look at the shiny thing you simple fools"... Largely unknown prospect? He's a 25 year old international from league 1 who was wanted by Marseille you nana. Unknown by most on here, unknown as a Premier League player. I've not said he bad but he IS unproven in the Premier League. He'll cost circa the same we're getting for Delph and probably be cheaper wages. More cost cutting. Now I clearly annoy you by stating anything that is based on what is hapening now and not having eternal enthusiasm that it'll be fine in a few months so please just skip reading my few posts. I don't make many but it's getting slightly tiresome that you jump on anyone who is concerned with our current situation, I have as much right to my opinion as you do. And at the moment, our situation is dire. In my opinion.