Championship 2020-2021 Thread

[useless]

What might help us keep some of our better players is bringing in a top class manager. If we just keep Smith and most of the same players I fear we'd just carry on the bad momentum of this season, when you're in as bad of a run of form that we're in it's not easy to stop that bad form even when playing against weaker teams, as past relegated teams have found to their cost. We'll need to freshen things up one way or the other.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

11 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

It’s a valid point. We won’t keep hold of Mings though. 

Does anyone else think McGinn has come back overweight? 

I thought this the other day, however not surprised as he was out for so long. Started to look better last match and that is undoubtedly due to increasing fitness.

Little too late I feel though.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

I feel whatever has happened with Engels, has also cost us.

Yes he had the clanger, and is not the quickest on the turn.

But he is certainly more solid, composed and better on the ball than Hause ffs.

[villalad21]

12 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

I feel whatever has happened with Engels, has also cost us.

Yes he had the clanger, and is not the quickest on the turn.

But he is certainly more solid, composed and better on the ball than Hause ffs.

Konsa is the future. He has worked with Smith before. He is familiar with his style of play.

Dean should have let him and Mings grow together and form a reliable partnership.

Edited July 8, 2020 by villalad21

[hippo]

1 hour ago, useless said:

What might help us keep some of our better players is bringing in a top class manager. If we just keep Smith and most of the same players I fear we'd just carry on the bad momentum of this season, when you're in as bad of a run of form that we're in it's not easy to stop that bad form even when playing against weaker teams, as past relegated teams have found to their cost. We'll need to freshen things up one way or the other.

I don't think he is staying after this season

[nick76]

5 minutes ago, hippo said:

I don't think he is staying after this season

I would be surprised if he goes, I really do.  I've always thought he's more likely to go if we stay up than if we are relegated.  The reason is, if the owners really want to kick on they then have a platform to recruit a top manager.  If we are relegated, Smith is still likely to be the best candidate to get us back promoted and with it being his squad already, why change? just because we had an incredibly difficult season in the PL when we were the worst team promoted the season before and we all admit that we think we got promoted probably a season too early.  I think if we do get relegated they'll stay with Smith and I'm fine with that.

[DCJonah]

Part of me is looking forward to it again. 

Going into every game knowing you can win. Being hated by others down there for spending big money and signing the best players at that level. Those players wanting to join us over others. 

Don't get me wrong, if we could build and progress in the prem then I'm all for that but premier league football is for fans abroad, who have 3/4 teams to pick from and watch them challenge for things each year. The rest of us just make up the numbers trying to survive.

[hippo]

45 minutes ago, nick76 said:

I would be surprised if he goes, I really do.  I've always thought he's more likely to go if we stay up than if we are relegated.  The reason is, if the owners really want to kick on they then have a platform to recruit a top manager.  If we are relegated, Smith is still likely to be the best candidate to get us back promoted and with it being his squad already, why change? just because we had an incredibly difficult season in the PL when we were the worst team promoted the season before and we all admit that we think we got promoted probably a season too early.  I think if we do get relegated they'll stay with Smith and I'm fine with that.

Most clubs that get relegated usually dispense with the manager.

I did hear around the turn of the year that the villa board were convinced they had the right man in Smith.

John Percy said he had got until the end of season - but didn't know anything beyond that.

I know we are all villa fans - and think our club is different - but take a step back - with relegation and no wins since Jan - it would be no real surprise to footballing world if Smith was axed at the end of the season.

I think we will know once relegation is confirmed. There will be either be a public vote of confidence from the villa board - but if it's silence I'd say it's game over for him.

[hippo]

32 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

Part of me is looking forward to it again. 

Going into every game knowing you can win. Being hated by others down there for spending big money and signing the best players at that level. Those players wanting to join us over others. 

Don't get me wrong, if we could build and progress in the prem then I'm all for that but premier league football is for fans abroad, who have 3/4 teams to pick from and watch them challenge for things each year. The rest of us just make up the numbers trying to survive.

Despite the hype - the prem to me is mind numbingly boring. Sure it's the place to be - but as a spectacle the championship blows it out of the water.

[rodders0223]

1 hour ago, villalad21 said:

Konsa is the future. He has worked with Smith before. He is familiar with his style of play.

 

What style of play is that because I have not seen it.

[nick76]

2 minutes ago, hippo said:

Most clubs that get relegated usually dispense with the manager.

I did hear around the turn of the year that the villa board were convinced they had the right man in Smith.

John Percy said he had got until the end of season - but didn't know anything beyond that.

I know we are all villa fans - and think our club is different - but take a step back - with relegation and no wins since Jan - it would be no real surprise to footballing world if Smith was axed at the end of the season.

I think we will know once relegation is confirmed. There will be either be a public vote of confidence from the villa board - but if it's silence I'd say it's game over for him.

Yeah I understand, just my own gut feel.  It's a tough one for the board as Smith has got us promoted before but has struggled this season.  I just dont see a better option to replace him, it would just be another risk and potentially no better than Smith in terms of level of manager.  people have mentioned names before but some are way out of our league because we potentially will be a relegated Championship team and the others inspire no confidence from me.

When weighing up the options of whether to stick or twist I think the board will stick with the manager, but again it's just my opinion.  If they were going to do it I think it wouldve been in Jan or Feb but they didnt so I think Smith will be here next season if we are relegated.

[Brentfordnylons]

36 minutes ago, hippo said:

Despite the hype - the prem to me is mind numbingly boring. Sure it's the place to be - but as a spectacle the championship blows it out of the water.

That’s my fear IF we go up 

[hippo]

47 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Yeah I understand, just my own gut feel.  It's a tough one for the board as Smith has got us promoted before but has struggled this season.  I just dont see a better option to replace him, it would just be another risk and potentially no better than Smith in terms of level of manager.  people have mentioned names before but some are way out of our league because we potentially will be a relegated Championship team and the others inspire no confidence from me.

When weighing up the options of whether to stick or twist I think the board will stick with the manager, but again it's just my opinion.  If they were going to do it I think it wouldve been in Jan or Feb but they didnt so I think Smith will be here next season if we are relegated.

I've said elsewhere though - that some pretty rubbish managers have got teams from the championship into the prem -RDM, Owen Coyle, Phil Brown, Roy Keane ......

What we know is that Smith has struggled in the prem - should he get us promoted again would it be any different?

In terms of finding another manager can get us promoted - that shouldn't be too hard....it's the staying in the prem that's the difficult bit.

[rodders0223]

4-5-1 with Wesley playing off Hogan.

It's the future I have seen it.

[Tomaszk]

3 minutes ago, rodders0223 said:

4-5-1 with Wesley playing off Hogan.

It's the future I have seen it.

Please no.

[hippo]

Konsa is the future - so long as we don't return to the prem.

How much was he again £11m.....Jesus wept !!!

[hippo]

40 minutes ago, Brentfordnylons said:

That’s my fear IF we go up 

Yep the opposition go 2-0 up after 30 minutes - then pass the ball around for the remaining hour ...

As a fan I want villa to stay up - but for entertainment the championship is miles better.

[villalad21]

55 minutes ago, hippo said:

Konsa is the future - so long as we don't return to the prem.

How much was he again £11m.....Jesus wept !!!

10-15 mill is what you have to pay for average players these days.

Crazy

[VillaChris]

Talk Championship won't start until early September. Given it normally ends a week or so earlier when there's a major tournament happening (play off final on the Saturday as opposed to bank holiday Monday) I have no idea how all the 46 games will be crammed in alongside cup ties.

I wonder if they might go back to playing championship games on weekends when internationals take place. That happened in the late 90s and teams get option to cancel if they have three players called up for internationals which is what happens in leagues 1 and 2.

Back in the late 90s you didn't get as many international players as you do now in championship but to me that's the only way I can see them doing things unless you just play a constant midweek round pretty much every week.

In a normal championship season you've normally played 8-9 games by time mid September comes round.

[danceoftheshamen]

23 minutes ago, hippo said:

Yep the opposition go 2-0 up after 30 minutes - then pass the ball around for the remaining hour ...

As a fan I want villa to stay up - but for entertainment the championship is miles better.

Agree totally,

Premier League is all geared towards the top 4 or 5 clubs clearly. Even more so with this 5 subs rule favoring the large established squads. Then of course you have the "rub of the green" which often in my view is merely the layman's way of saying "unfair Bias towards the top clubs". This includes "pick & choose as you like" VAR decisions now too, along with the age old "Fergie Time" (Still used today for the top clubs from what i witnessed this season) and all the other usual tricks which are hidden behind a veil of officialdom.

So if you manage to work your way through that little lot you still have to beat the team you're playing itself, which of course is difficult anyway. So no wonder we have zero wins against them this season (despite some of them being bang average in reality). So this makes the whole Premier League thing a little dull & frustrating, unless you are one of the millions of top wearing glory hunter fans from wherever of course.

There is always a "token gesture" of a club each season of course which does surprisingly well, a Leicester one year Burnley the next or Sheff Utd another, almost as though it's by design in an attempt to cover up the fakery of the whole thing. It reminds me a little bit now of WWF Wrestling actually in the Prem. Just a big money making stage show which is pre-arranged each year, although i am of course being cynical now lol!

So i won't miss it in all honesty footballing wise nor excitement wise although of course AVFC needs to be there really for financial reasons if it's ever to become great again!