Jump to content

17/18 Promotion Charge


dont_do_it_doug.

Recommended Posts

If we stay in this division I doubt we will have any serious challengers as such ;) but the following clubs could well be in the running for 2nd or a play-off place:

Brighton/Huddersfield, Leeds, Sheffield Weds and Fulham (if they do not go up this time) along with Norwich and those teams that come down. Bring them on! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, John said:

If we stay in this division I doubt we will have any serious challengers as such ;) but the following clubs could well be in the running for 2nd or a play-off place:

Brighton/Huddersfield, Leeds, Sheffield Weds and Fulham (if they do not go up this time) along with Norwich and those teams that come down. Bring them on! 

Surely you mean Newcastle/Huddersfield. Brighton are so much better then Newcastle, I do not have the confidence Newcastle can sustain the same form as Brighton over the last 9 games, and think Huddersfield could even take second.

Would Rafa stay or go then? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the key thing for a good season next year is a reasonably quiet transfer window. So much change over the last few years, it would be nice to keep this nucleus of players and add a few gems to it. 

Outs:

0 games played: Gil, Veretout, Sanchez, Kozak, Richards

Less than 10 games: Gabby, Bunn

More than 10 games: Cissokho, McCormack

Johnstone loan ending

 

With them leaving, we'd need either Davis and Hepburn to sign on and step up in preseason, or to bring in another striker or 2, preferably one in the John Carew mould to compliment our other strikers. Need a new goalkeeper too. I'd say midfield is suitably stocked, potentially could do with more wingers though. A back-up centre back as we're short on cover. 

That means only 4 or 5 new signings which will allow a bit of continuity and by August most of the squad will have been playing at Villa alongside each other for 8 months which will be an improvement in itself.

 

Call me crazy but i think if we get our own house in check then there is no-one to fear. I do not expect, but i am hopeful of winning the title 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think we need to get a dm to help jedinak out. He will be older and clearly he can't play every game. That and a goal keeper are the most important positions that we need to strength followed by a cb.

If amavi goes as I expect we need a left back and a winger

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Tommo_b said:

Surely you mean Newcastle/Huddersfield. Brighton are so much better then Newcastle, I do not have the confidence Newcastle can sustain the same form as Brighton over the last 9 games, and think Huddersfield could even take second.

Would Rafa stay or go then? 

Rafa would go if they stayed down but I think they will go up. I think Brighton will as well in second but there is still an outside chance that Huddersfield might catch them. So we both have the two teams at the top currently finishing in a different order.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, sheepyvillian said:

Whose we ? It shouldn't matter one iota whose relegated. 

It does matter IMO. I'd rather have a team like Hull come down who have no ambition to spend, rather than Leicester who would be likely to keep someone like Vardy due to nobody else wanting to pay his huge wages. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Demitri_C said:

I think we need to get a dm to help jedinak out. He will be older and clearly he can't play every game. That and a goal keeper are the most important positions that we need to strength followed by a cb.

If amavi goes as I expect we need a left back and a winger

Agreed. I think these positions are the most crucial for us in the transfer market under the assumption that Kodjia stays (which I think he will no doubt). After that I'd look for another CB cover, a striker (injuries leave us thin) and maybe a winger on the left.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

Physically there isn't a huge difference, if any at all. The Championship is a professional league and at the top end, with the resources at a club like Newcastle or Aston Villa it is every bit as pro as the PL. The difference is in the decision making. It appears faster because even at a plum average mid table team like Southampton, they cycle through the phases quicker.

Our decision making has been poor all season. In fact its been dire......we hardly ever make the right decision with the ball and if our current batch of players are under the kind of pressure the top teams put on the ball I would fear for us.

Thankfully we are seeing signs of improvement recently.... maybe Bruce is working on it, and if he can coach Kodja (amongst others) to get his head up and make better decisions then he will be a great player for us!

Edited by MarkLillis
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sign a new GK, a new CB (replace Elphick), new DM to play when Jedi is injured or down under... should be pretty sorted. 

 

Oh and bring Veretout back and let him play with our new midfielders. Might be able to play properly then. 

Edited by PieFacE
Link to comment
Share on other sites

59 minutes ago, osmark86 said:

Agreed. I think these positions are the most crucial for us in the transfer market under the assumption that Kodjia stays (which I think he will no doubt). After that I'd look for another CB cover, a striker (injuries leave us thin) and maybe a winger on the left.

With kodjia we won't sell at price we paid and I can't see a club coming in with a 30m offer as that's what we would sell at in my view as anything less would be silly as he has score near enough all our goals this season.

He will be staying I'm sure of that 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

With kodjia we won't sell at price we paid and I can't see a club coming in with a 30m offer as that's what we would sell at in my view as anything less would be silly as he has score near enough all our goals this season.

He will be staying I'm sure of that 

I agree which is why I'm not really worried about this position. I still believe we need to give it an extra kick though so that we have 3 strikers that we can rotate as I don't want us to even consider Gabby anymore and I don't think it's wise to hand that task to RHM or another youngster. Kozak is surely out of the picture as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, rubberman said:

I wouldn't mind giving Sanchez another go in the Jedi role next year, but yeah agree we need a relatively quiet summer (despite  that being less exciting).

I think his contract is up at the end of the season.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, NIVillan said:

I think his contract is up at the end of the season.

 

Was checking to see why we didn't try to sell him instead and wiki says contract to Aug '18, though 2 year loan deal till then.  Not quite sure what that means in terms of using him / selling him though.

A bit more shopping for Steve then, I guess.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...
Â