LockStockVilla

Have you seen some of his tweets? It's not just general skepticism which is earning him the negative attention.

They said it was hopefully not too serious, so at least it seems the hamstring is not torn. A couple weeks ago I was resigned to letting him leave, but we really do need his presence up top.

Dissapointing news, but not a total shocker...I think some posters had even hinted before that he apparently hates England, so a move back to Spain makes sense. While it does seem that he just isn't interested in putting in the effort with Villa any longer, at least he seems to be the one pushing for the move (instead of vice versa which seems to usually be the case these days) and hopefully his agent can find a team willing to pay for him. One thing I would like to see in any deal though is a sell on fee.

Good point. I think the fact he came from Barca really raised expectations early on, but he is still young and very raw. He definitely posseses the skills to make him a hit and with the right coaching he can be great at this level.

I thought he was a bit subpar defensively against Wednesday but his crossing so far this season has been much improved. This will be useful as long as Gestede plays.

Hah, yeah. Though I think part of the reason he fell was because he was going to cover McCormack's run, and when he tried to change directions to go for Grealish, he then fell.

Looked like Ayew, Gestede and McCormack were linking up nicely, especially for Gestede's second. I think he will be great and not just for goals, as he seems a very intelligent player. Also, watching the Grealish goal, I thought his movement pulled the defender out of the central area a bit allowing Jack to have a cleaner run through.

All this chat of Pulis doesn't let good defenders go...bore off. Yes, we got burned in getting Lescott but just because Professor Hoofball is willing to sell a defender does not make them categorically cack.

Decent addition with experience at this level. Realistically, we might even need 1 more CB to give us four decent options unless Toner will be considered.

I saw a few stories stating that the proposed deal for Hernandez would also see Gestede go the other way. While Gestede is a decent option off the bench for set pieces late in games, that would be an excellent move. Two players in McCormack and Hernandez capable of scoring 15-20 goals, and the potential of keeping Ayew leaves us with quite the strikeforce.

I don't think a complete squad overhaul was ever in the plans. Getting rid of undesirable players, keeping key players, and adding talent/leadership in certain areas seems to be the way. We saw how well a total rebuild worked for us last summer and I think it would be crazy to expect a repeat. Imo, once we shift out 3/4 players (right now it appears to be Guzan, Sanchez, Veretout, and possibly another one or two...I imagine Steer will leave on loan) we will probably sign another two or three assuming we don't unexpectedly lose any players (such as Ayew).

I'm pretty sure Xia will be just fine. I'm sure Wyness will keep him in check where necessary.

Until Sherwood gets the Sunderland job

I would stop short of classing Bennett as an awful player. From what I have seen in his time with us, he has been a wildly inconsistent player, who shows flashes of decent skill, but ultimately injuries have cost him. He never really seemed to start a long stretch of matches for the club aside from a brief period in his first season, and I do think that hindered his development a bit. I certainly think he will be a useful player for us this season...and if he is truly shite, then no harm done because his contract expires in June.

With all the mess we have seen over the past few seasons around players with very questionable and unhealthy attitudes in the changing room, having Stan around can only be a good thing and I imagine RDM might notice this as well. The other players all seem to hold Stan in the highest regards and I definitely think the younger guys, such as Grealish, need a professional figure like Stan around them at this stage in their career. At the end of the day, it may very well turn out he can't earn a spot in the squad, but at the very least, I imagine the club will offer him some sort of coaching role, that is, if Stan fancies it.

They have Bertrand who has done quite well for them. Donn't imagine they will be after Amavi, for now at least.

Only ever seen Danny Williams when he plays for the US. He's never really stood out to me and I'm not quite sure what his ideal MF role is...I guess a box to box type player. He does have a decent shot on him though.

I can't imagine Bentley would sign on as a backup at Championship level as he is very highly rated, so maybe Button is moving on. Would love Villa to be after Button.

Yes. If we were to pull off the tough task of coming straight back up, we would then need players ready to play at that level. If Veretout can get playing time at the PL level on loan with Bournemouth. Whilst you may not agree, which is fair enough, players can definitely develop at the highest level with proper coaching and a stable environment.

If we really think he is a talented player and might be useful for us in the future, should we come back up, then it would be nice if we could loan him to Bournemouth for the season. Would get to play under a decent manager who uses a fairly positive style of football and potentially be in a more stable club environment allowing him to focus on his football. Granted not sure if the player or the clubs would fancy this type of arrangement.

The Dr. asked specifically that he be kept on until after the takeover so he could personally give him the sack.

If we are after more players with experience in gaining promotion from the Championship, Tommie Hoban from Watford would be another great addition. Still quite young with potential to improve as well.

Goal scoring/creative midfielders have to be at the top of the list. Two options would be Lasse Vigen Christensen and Tom Cairney from Fulham. Alan Judge would also be fantastic if we were willing to gamble on an injured player, ala Downing. Add a couple of players like that and possibly a Tom Huddlestone and I think our midfield is a lot stronger.

How many players are in their squad?

He'll probably have interest from the PL, but Carl Jenkinson on loan would be worth a punt, possibly even with a view to a permanent.