The NSWE Board

[DCJonah]

8 hours ago, Stevo985 said:

I’m glad I’m not the only one who sees it like this. 
 

I don’t want to get relegated of course. But I don’t see why so many people are so scared of it this time around. 

I don't want to get relegated and I'm not embracing it but this and previously are night and day. 

Last time I felt like it was the end of the club, this time I know that if it happens next year will be very enjoyable as a fan and we genuinely have a chance at winning the title.

[sne]

I remember quite a lot of post last time we went down who thought it would be good for us.

We would get a season (as in 1 season) to rebuild in the Championship and then go straight up with a stronger squad and build from there.

Europe withing 5 seasons or whatever nonsense it was.

We ended up spending 3 seasons down there, changed owners twice, almost went bust and had to sell our stadium. We came up pretty much without any team at all and by the look of it are going straight back down.

I feel a lot more confident about our current owners but there is just so much that can happen, especially with Covid-19 being a thing and the (football) economy imploding.

You don't get time to rebuild in the Championship, not a club like Villa. Too much money involved and even if the owners are once again fine with covering our losses we have to go straight back up.

If we don't I fear they will start to lose interest. I know I will.

[Demitri_C]

Im sure Norwich and either Bournemouth/westham/watford feel as confident as we would.

We will lose the apine of the team thats why i am concerned. When you lose a spine its very difficult to replace it in one window.  We certianly need better strikers and wingers if we have any hope of coming up

 

[Jareth]

If it's us, Norwich and Bournemouth - well Norwich will rely on what they've already got (I mean who will they attract to that side of the country even paying cash?) and Bournemouth could absolutely sink - their wage bill is out of control and relegation will be a disaster for them. There will always be well run clubs in position to come up too - we know you have to keep winning in that league, but I agree with others - we have something to work with now, let alone NSWE resources and the experience of doing this all as of last season. 

[Zatman]

I think was Xia who mentioned Europe in 5 years last time and not fans. Think he also wanted to build 3 squads and a theme park 

[sne]

18 minutes ago, Zatman said:

I think was Xia who mentioned Europe in 5 years last time and not fans. Think he also wanted to build 3 squads and a theme park 

Yeah it was Xia. 

There's been some pretty bullish statements from this guys as well.

Again I feel more secure under these guys, but it was only in hindsight that Xia's first year was seem as a disaster.

NSWE has done all you can ask of them, it hasn't worked out but here we are. But just like last time I don't like the "will be fine to get relegated and rebuild in peace and go straight back again" 

Best case scenario with relegation it sets us back a year, we lose Grealish (he'll likely be gone either way but I bet we get more as a PL side) and a few other top players and we miss out on £150m or so that our owners have to cover while the teams we hope to one day compete with in the PL get even stronger.

[villaglint]

1 hour ago, DCJonah said:

I don't want to get relegated and I'm not embracing it but this and previously are night and day. 

Last time I felt like it was the end of the club, this time I know that if it happens next year will be very enjoyable as a fan and we genuinely have a chance at winning the title.

I'm king of in between. I actually much prefer the Championship as a league so much more fun than the Prem. That said it's a tough league so I don't see us bouncing back as a given. It took 3 yrs last time. It looks like we'd be better positioned this time but who knows sport is a funny thing. 

I'm also very mindful of how we got on last year without Grealish. Not good. It'll be a rebuild and as ever in football if you rebuild with feces you get worse not better. 

 

[DaveAV1]

2 minutes ago, villaglint said:

I'm king of in between

That must make your opinions very balanced. 

[sne]

9 minutes ago, villaglint said:

I'm king of in between

 

[VillaChris]

4 hours ago, sne said:

I remember quite a lot of post last time we went down who thought it would be good for us.

We would get a season (as in 1 season) to rebuild in the Championship and then go straight up with a stronger squad and build from there.

Europe withing 5 seasons or whatever nonsense it was.

We ended up spending 3 seasons down there, changed owners twice, almost went bust and had to sell our stadium. We came up pretty much without any team at all and by the look of it are going straight back down.

I feel a lot more confident about our current owners but there is just so much that can happen, especially with Covid-19 being a thing and the (football) economy imploding.

You don't get time to rebuild in the Championship, not a club like Villa. Too much money involved and even if the owners are once again fine with covering our losses we have to go straight back up.

If we don't I fear they will start to lose interest. I know I will.

One positive is at least the fans came back. Were selling out at back end of that run in and 40k + continued in premier league. I'm sure with all the issues over last six months crowds will dip a bit but would still expect 35k + to start with and rise if we get off to a good start. Doubt we'll have to close the upper Trinity this time.

[VillaChris]

4 hours ago, Jareth said:

If it's us, Norwich and Bournemouth - well Norwich will rely on what they've already got (I mean who will they attract to that side of the country even paying cash?) and Bournemouth could absolutely sink - their wage bill is out of control and relegation will be a disaster for them. There will always be well run clubs in position to come up too - we know you have to keep winning in that league, but I agree with others - we have something to work with now, let alone NSWE resources and the experience of doing this all as of last season. 

Seems like Norwich have been preparing for relegation the minute they went up. Trying to do what Burnley did from summer 2015 and come back much stronger. Given all the talk of us losing key players I'd be interested to see if they hang onto their young full backs, Krul, Todd Cantwell and Buendia. You can certainly see Watford if they stay up, Palace and even a Leicester being interested in a few of those. Not sure Pukki will score as much as last time.

Worth noting they came down with us last time and finished 8th.

Yeah can see Bournemouth really struggling even more so if they lose Howe as for all his faults over last year he still knows the club inside out. Will lose key players for sure (Ake already being linked with Man. City) and really can't see that group of players they've had for about 20 years (Francis, Cook, Daniels, Surman etc) doing much back in championship. Reminds me of when Sunderland hung onto O'Shea and Cattermole about they went down.

You really need a fresh set of young and enthuastic group of players for championship football otherwise the club just continues losing.

If Fulham, Leeds and WBA all still go up it looks a pretty weak league to me in terms of at the top.

[sne]

1 hour ago, VillaChris said:

One positive is at least the fans came back. Were selling out at back end of that run in and 40k + continued in premier league. I'm sure with all the issues over last six months crowds will dip a bit but would still expect 35k + to start with and rise if we get off to a good start. Doubt we'll have to close the upper Trinity this time.

As long as there will be fans allowed at the stadiums at all.

[Tomaszk]

This is what we should be doing if we really want to crack on.

Lille owners are buying 51% of top-flight Portugese side Boavista to set up a link between the two.

Any good youth players can go there and get first team football, plus you have many people on the ground in Portugal identifying players.

This is why City will probably be winning 15 of the next 25 available trophies, they've got sides everywhere.

We need to act early and not be left too far behind before football eats itself and collapses

[useless]

Wes Edens was linked with buying F.C. Copenhagen in January of last year, but nothing came of it presumably.

Sawiris's brothers both own football clubs as well, one in Egypt and one Switzerland.

[M_Afro]

In between the madness of the football I thought I would bump this thread for a bit of reasoned discussion. I actually still think that these guys are doing a good job. They have really invested in the academy and training facilities. They have introduced a management structure that is much greater than any individual. I also think that the players purchased last summer, on the whole, will serve us well in the long run.

If we do go down, which is very likely, I think we will retain all of our better players bar Jack. That will give us a chance of having a really good promotion pushing team next year and will stand us in good stead should we go back up. I also think that they will continue to invest in players and in a couple of years we should start to see some lads coming through the youth system. All good.

Now to the manager. I have been very open about the fact that I never wanted him in the first place. Despite that he has done lots of good things and although I still don’t think he is the right man he has really been supported by the owners who have shown they are not ones for making emotional decisions. I still think he should go at the end of the season but only if we identify a better option. I trust these guys to do just that and no matter what league we are in next season, I still think we are on an upward trajectory. Anyway, that’s my thoughts. UTV. SOTC.

[sidcow]

On 30/06/2020 at 09:48, sne said:

but it was only in hindsight that Xia's first year was seem as a disaster.

No the warning signs were there at every stage with Xia. Some called it but most (myself included) shut our eyes and hoped it would all work out. 

[nick76]

25 minutes ago, M_Afro said:

In between the madness of the football I thought I would bump this thread for a bit of reasoned discussion. I actually still think that these guys are doing a good job. They have really invested in the academy and training facilities. They have introduced a management structure that is much greater than any individual. I also think that the players purchased last summer, on the whole, will serve us well in the long run.

If we do go down, which is very likely, I think we will retain all of our better players bar Jack. That will give us a chance of having a really good promotion pushing team next year and will stand us in good stead should we go back up. I also think that they will continue to invest in players and in a couple of years we should start to see some lads coming through the youth system. All good.

 

I agree with this.  

If we do go down then I can see Jack going if somebody does cough up the right money.  It will be interesting to see what happens if we don’t get a substantial bid.  It’ll be interesting to see what the owners would accept compared to having an unhappy player.  I can’t see them accepting anywhere near 50m for an asset like Jack but I don’t think anybody will bid anywhere near 80m....interesting to see what the middle ground is, if there is any.

As for other players, it’s really interesting because we brought Mings for ~25m so given he’s a regular PL defender, England international now with a lot more exposure his price has surely only gone up?  Interesting to see if anybody comes for him at those sort of levels.

McGinn I don’t think goes anywhere until at least January given he was out for six months and looks out of sorts and chunky now.  Needs to get back to his previous levels.

Hope Heaton doesn’t go anywhere and Luiz has just started showing signs so maybe too soon for somebody to pay the15m we paid for him.

So on the whole I only think Jack is going if we go down out of who I consider are our main players but I’m still not sure of that because I’m not sure outside of Man U whose going to cough up big money for him so for me it’s down to how badly Man U want him and how much our owners are willing to compromise

As for the rest of them, I couldn’t care less who comes and goes.

Given all that I still think we are staying up.

[hippo]

2 hours ago, M_Afro said:

In between the madness of the football I thought I would bump this thread for a bit of reasoned discussion. I actually still think that these guys are doing a good job. They have really invested in the academy and training facilities. They have introduced a management structure that is much greater than any individual. I also think that the players purchased last summer, on the whole, will serve us well in the long run.

If we do go down, which is very likely, I think we will retain all of our better players bar Jack. That will give us a chance of having a really good promotion pushing team next year and will stand us in good stead should we go back up. I also think that they will continue to invest in players and in a couple of years we should start to see some lads coming through the youth system. All good.

Now to the manager. I have been very open about the fact that I never wanted him in the first place. Despite that he has done lots of good things and although I still don’t think he is the right man he has really been supported by the owners who have shown they are not ones for making emotional decisions. I still think he should go at the end of the season but only if we identify a better option. I trust these guys to do just that and no matter what league we are in next season, I still think we are on an upward trajectory. Anyway, that’s my thoughts. UTV. SOTC.

Not to criticize the owners - but a lot of what said there is very subjective:-

1.) New management structure - well suso looks set to depart and Smith may well follow - so that leaves Purslow.

2.) What exactly have we done at youth level that you are calling investment ?. The training facilities had to be rebuilt because of hs2

3.) You hope the owners who appointed  Smith - appoint better next time. Is that hope or expectation ?

 

Edited July 3, 2020 by hippo

[M_Afro]

11 minutes ago, hippo said:

Not to criticize the owners - but a lot of what said there is very subjective:-

1.) New management structure - well suso looks set to depart and Smith may well follow - so that leaves Purslow.

2.) What exactly have we done at youth level that you are calling investment ?. The training facilities had to be rebuilt because of hs2

3.) You hope the owners who appointed  Smith - appoint better next time. Is that hope or expectation ?

 

1. A structure exists despite the incumbents. People come and go but the structure and systems remain.

2. We have sacked all the persistently failing individuals and replaced them with people who have a bit of history of success. We are also looking to sign highly rated youth players.

3. Definitely hope. I think Smith was a poor appointment, albeit I can understand why they reached that decision. The next decision is massive and risky. Hopefully they will get it right.

[VillaChris]

I've criticised them a bit about transfer strategy but in other areas they haven't done too badly.

For where we were at the time DS was a very logical appointment and he fulfilled the remit in far less time than Steve Bruce. Remember the owners wanted Henry as their first choice. Purslow aswell at least been a CEO at likes of Liverpool compared to Tom Fox who was some sort of glorified salesman at Arsenal.

Do think it's been a honeymoon period for them with fans not really questioning their decisions so similar to Lerner's first 2-3 years here.

Now the hard work begins. DS on borrowed time either way so think the next managerial appointment will say plenty of where they want us to be in 5 years time, another holding appointment or one that will get rest of football world interested in us (and players).

Hopefully if we go down we come straight back up. We come up and there shouldn't be the excuse of having to sign another 10 players. We need quality so I really want to see them have a manager in place who with us newly promoted could make the club really attractive for decent players from Spain, Germany and Italy leagues. Other newly promoted teams sign these. Was hugely disappointed last summer we couldn't make a marquee signing or two. Seems we're forever signing mediocrity and to be told to be happy with it so I'd love to have owners who eventually get us buying the best.

No good having the money if you don't have ambition to do that so hopefully these will be the ones.