WHY Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 1 minute ago, DCJonah said: I doubt the owners genuinely believe this squad should be getting Europe. Deano is in trouble if they do, we will do very well to finish 11th again imo. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolta Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 3 minutes ago, DCJonah said: I doubt the owners genuinely believe this squad should be getting Europe. Then Smith and Purslow need to stop bigging it up. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaVilla Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 4 minutes ago, WHY said: Can’t believe it’s FFP related, we spent £70m prior to Grealish going. Unless of course they knew he was going all along… they said in interview(s), that they knew Mike Lubb was probably going fairly early on in the window. Thats clearly why we were throwing bids in for ESR etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Scorpio Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 1 minute ago, Rolta said: Then Smith and Purslow need to stop bigging it up. Exactly didn't they say specifically Europe was the aim? Or am I imagining that? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Griffin Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 6 minutes ago, DCJonah said: I doubt the owners genuinely believe this squad should be getting Europe. I doubt the owners would have the ability to make that judgement and nor would they attempt to. They will give CP his objectives and he needs to manage their expectations and tell them if the squad is good enough or not and if not how much money to fill the gaps. If objectives are set and not met then someone on the chain gets the sack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lerner's Driver Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 16 minutes ago, Lerner's Driver said: Not if you think about it. Delphino is bantering you by using the contemporary lingo, innit. As is his wont. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Griffin Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 6 minutes ago, Rolta said: Then Smith and Purslow need to stop bigging it up. What Smith and Purslow say to the media and the fans will most likely differ somewhat from what they say to and agree with NSWE 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyblade Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 5 minutes ago, Pissflaps said: Exactly didn't they say specifically Europe was the aim? Or am I imagining that? This season? I don't remember that. Pretty sure Smith said the aim is to improve on last season, but not particularly in a European place. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHY Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 3 minutes ago, MaVilla said: they said in interview(s), that they knew Mike Lubb was probably going fairly early on in the window. Thats clearly why we were throwing bids in for ESR etc. Did they, pretty sure Purslow said they didn’t expect anyone to meet the clause. Either way someone’s lying, Smith definitely said he was excited by the list of potential signings we were looking at prior to the transfer window opening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foreveryoung Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 3 minutes ago, Pissflaps said: Exactly didn't they say specifically Europe was the aim? Or am I imagining that? Purslow said it. Yet again it's cover for Smith, is case he don't make it. He said: "Clearly, the club would not want to comment on specific transfer business. However, qualifying for European football is very much part of our strategic plan. Qualifying for European football would provide opportunities to drive more revenue." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Monkeypuzzle Posted August 30, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted August 30, 2021 5 minutes ago, Indigo said: Let's just say Guilbert ends up leaving too and there's no more incomings, leaves us with: Martinez, Steer Cash, Mings, Konsa, Tuanzebe, Hause, Targett, Young Luiz, Nakamba, McGinn, Sanson, Ramsey, Chuk Bailey, Buendia, Traore, El Ghazi, JPB (Trez injured) Watkins, Ings, Davis That is quite light for me I have to say and doesn't leave much wriggle room at all when you factor in injuries, internationals (AFCON included) etc, it's a few players short of the 25 you're permitted to name in a squad and that's not even factoring in that the young lads don't count towards the quota. All going well with injuries and covid I think the strongest 11 you could put out and the bench makes for extremely encouraging reading, but as we've seen already this season it doesn't always work out that way and I'd feel a lot more comfortable had we another keeper and midfielder in. Just seems strange we'd let Hourihane/Wes/Guilbert go for this reason alone. I have to respectfully disagree. With the exception of right back (assuming Guilbert does go) we have two valid options for every position and the flexibility to play several different formations. A squad of 25 first team players is not needed as we do not have extra European fixtures to play. Of course in many positions we have one player who is clearly better than the other but our back up options are of much greater quality than we have had for a very long time. We are also carrying very little in terms of dead weight, Davis and Trezeguet are arguably the only ones in this category. We have had bloated squads before but there were many players in those squads that we feared being anywhere near the starting line up or even on the bench. Is there another Premier League team, not playing in Europe, that has 22 quality first team squad players, covering every position and without lots of dead wood? It would be lovely to get an upgrade for Nakamba maybe, but not as vital as many here seem to think. We can always get someone in January if the club think it is needed but they seem happy with the squad for now. We have been very unlucky with injuries, illnesses and disruptions to preseason preparations but we are still doing ok this season. If we had all our first team players and they all had a good preseason we might be flying but as it is the squad is doing its job and coping with less than ideal situations. We've had at least six potential first choice players out so far (Watkins, Bailey, Traore, McGinn, Sanson, Mings) and we have coped just fine. We are not dealing with a weak squad in my opinion. Why do you think the squad is light? 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWARLEY2 Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 We are so short still . Not partucularly in terms of numbers as we will have 25 which i reckon is fine for a non European football squad. But in terms of quality where we are standing still in midfield which in reality means going backwards. Other posters are right in that our youngsters are not ready to hugely effect a premier league game as yet. Chuk would have had a wake up call yesterday to see just how frenetic premier league football is . Just like Jacob last year. Another 20 appearances over this season and he will hopefully come on leaps and bounds . But if that means a period of consolidation then that means regression most likely in the league table. Dean likes to develop players. I have a huge doubt that McGinn is going to improve in his 4th season and Luiz and Nakamba in their 3rd with us . He will get an improvement out of Jacob which hopefully will be a big one but thats not going to bridge the gap in my opinion. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick76 Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 Just now, foreveryoung said: Purslow said it. Yet again it's cover for Smith, is case he don't make it. He said: "Clearly, the club would not want to comment on specific transfer business. However, qualifying for European football is very much part of our strategic plan. Qualifying for European football would provide opportunities to drive more revenue." So strategic doesn’t necessarily mean this season 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lerner's Driver Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 7 minutes ago, Rolta said: Then Smith and Purslow need to stop bigging it up. Haven't heard it for a while and it would be a mistake to say it again until we have some semblance of our preferred team on show. If Europe being the aim is said again then Smith will definitely be under pressure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Griffin Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 4 minutes ago, WHY said: 11 minutes ago, MaVilla said: Did they, pretty sure Purslow said they didn’t expect anyone to meet the clause. Either way someone’s lying I think that is also known as managing the messaging to the fans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Scorpio Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 The season we need a squad to cope more than ever, we make it smaller and weaker than ever. How is this squad supposed to cope with injuries, suspension, Covid isolations, international quarantines. Pure villa. I get a sense the owners may have realised it's am impossible game to win and may be looking to sell up.I think seeing Grealish **** off when Purslow said himself they didn't expect, has made them realise it can't be done without the backing of a nations wealth. Which would be very unfortunate! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarryOnVilla Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 1 minute ago, foreveryoung said: Purslow said it. Yet again it's cover for Smith, is case he don't make it. He said: "Clearly, the club would not want to comment on specific transfer business. However, qualifying for European football is very much part of our strategic plan. Qualifying for European football would provide opportunities to drive more revenue." Doesn’t state a time frame. could be this season, short term plan or the long term plan. I believe fans expectations have been added to what the club has stated what the plan is 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHY Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 1 minute ago, Peter Griffin said: I think that is also known as managing the messaging to the fans If they came out and said we need to cut spending to be FFP compliant I don’t think any genuine fan would have a problem, given the money the owners have put in. To continually mention exciting transfer targets and reaching Europe won’t wash for long and will bite them on the arse. Just worried how many of our other players don’t have ‘release clauses’ in their contracts as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerCollins29 Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 30 minutes ago, CarryOnVilla said: A little, but not particularly. there’s many factors for players wanting to join or not. We finished midtable and we attracted bailey and Ings.. we’d expected both would be going to European competition teams, yet they came to us. So I think we should be fine True enough! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sulberto21 Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 'Strategic' is usually in use for the medium to long term. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts