Summer transfer window 2021

[OutByEaster?]

1 minute ago, a m ole said:

Could well be we’re actually going to act like a top club and use the squad to our advantage, rotate and be able to switch style - not just have less good back up for an 11 that relies on individuals. It’s what City do.

Yep, I think that's where we're heading - the four we have are all flexible enough to switch around in positions up top, we have Traore and El Ghazi for emergencies and Chukwuemeka looking to make an impact on things too. I like what we've got up front and I'm looking forward to seeing us when everyone is fit.

 

[Rightdm00]

The way I see it. Our top 4 attackers last season were El Ghazi, Grealish, Watkins and Tarore. So we lose Grealish but improve on the other 3. Why is everyone so worried about us sliding backwards. I get that he was our captain and talisman but we have improved multiple positions in our starting 11 and only slid back in one. 

 

Then you look at the clubs around us and see what they purchased. 

West Ham - spent £2 million on a senior players (Craig Dawson )

Everton - and  £2 million on Demari Gray 

Leeds - £12 million on a defender. Another £11 million on making Harrison a permanent transfer. 

Newcastle -

Wolves -

Our business is so much better than those around us it's laughable. I get a bit of angst with the new season starting but let's get some perspective. Our squad's quality has undoubtedly improved while those around have at best stagnated. Give Dean and the coaching staff a chance to show they can utilize an actual squad. They haven't let us down yet. 

 

 

Edited August 10, 2021 by Rightdm00
Words

[HalfTimePost]

25 minutes ago, Rightdm00 said:

The way I see it. Our top 4 attackers last season were El Ghazi, Grealish, Watkins and Tarore. So we lose Grealish but improve on the other 3. Why is everyone so worried about us sliding backwards. I get that he was our captain and talisman but we have improved multiple positions in our starting 11 and only slid back in one. 

 

Then you look at the clubs around us and see what they purchased. 

West Ham - spent £2 million on a senior players (Craig Dawson )

Everton - and  £2 million on Demari Gray 

Leeds - £12 million on a defender. Another £11 million on making Harrison a permanent transfer. 

Newcastle -

Wolves -

Our business is so much better than those around us it's laughable. I get a bit of angst with the new season starting but let's get some perspective. Our squad's quality has undoubtedly improved while those around have at best stagnated. Give Dean and the coaching staff a chance to show they can utilize an actual squad. They haven't let us down yet. 

 

 

Crucially though, West Ham and Leeds fans are looking at it and saying they kept their best players and talismans where as we lost ours and have a lot of players to bed together in a very short space of time and lost our Defensive assistant manager so our defence may not be as good as last year... There are arguments for both sides

[RicRic]

36 minutes ago, Rightdm00 said:

The way I see it. Our top 4 attackers last season were El Ghazi, Grealish, Watkins and Tarore. So we lose Grealish but improve on the other 3. Why is everyone so worried about us sliding backwards. I get that he was our captain and talisman but we have improved multiple positions in our starting 11 and only slid back in one. 

 

Then you look at the clubs around us and see what they purchased. 

West Ham - spent £2 million on a senior players (Craig Dawson )

Everton - and  £2 million on Demari Gray 

Leeds - £12 million on a defender. Another £11 million on making Harrison a permanent transfer. 

Newcastle -

Wolves -

Our business is so much better than those around us it's laughable. I get a bit of angst with the new season starting but let's get some perspective. Our squad's quality has undoubtedly improved while those around have at best stagnated. Give Dean and the coaching staff a chance to show they can utilize an actual squad. They haven't let us down yet. 

 

 

No certainty not complaining we have done good business, just feel we need that one signing to cushion the Grealish blow where we say right then now we’re even 

[Aston_Villan4]

13 minutes ago, HalfTimePost said:

Crucially though, West Ham and Leeds fans are looking at it and saying they kept their best players and talismans where as we lost ours and have a lot of players to bed together in a very short space of time and lost our Defensive assistant manager so our defence may not be as good as last year... There are arguments for both sides

Well you have to hope that Shakespeare coming in a year before Terry leaves will make that a smooth and easy transition. 

[HalfTimePost]

I'd be pretty amazed if we finished ahead of any of City, United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Leicester, Arsenal (2nd on form since Christmas and have strengthened).

That leaves us battling with Spurs, West Ham, Everton and Leeds for 7th/8th. Wolves too I suppose.

I think we finish ahead Everton and Wolves. 

Leeds and West Ham will start strongly, it will depend how quickly we gel to finish ahead of one of those.

Spurs are the great unknown for me. Could go really well and they compete as they should do. They could also fall out of the top half. 

[Kiwivillan]

19 minutes ago, HalfTimePost said:

kept their best players and talismans where as we lost ours and have a lot of players to bed together in a very short space of time

We recruited because we lost him for 3rd of last season and who's to say he wasn't getting injured again. Agree lots of players to bed in and people want to get even more to bed in. It's stupid. You don't get 6-7 new first team players as can go catastrophically wrong. Should have core and make incremental improvements.

Really bad look selling the club to players if they see players signing from overseas coming over with family etc only to be bombed out a season later like loads on here want with some of our players. It's not a f*****g computer game and we only got promoted 2 seasons ago

Edited August 10, 2021 by Kiwivillan

[Peter Griffin]

I am still a newbie on here so I have only 5 posts a day thus I need to make the most of them. Apologies if I am commenting on discussions from much earlier today but I wasn't permitted to post then.

Anyway...

Ings versus Tammy

I get the debate on this and I am sure NSWE and Purslow also understand the debate fully. As many people have said, clearly Tammy would offer a better long term financial return. I don't think anyone on this forum nor at Villa Park would disagree. 

So why then did we pay 25m +5m for a potentially injury prone Danny Ings when one of our heros from our promotion season is available for 34m? There must be some logic behind it.

My view is that as we are not going for the better long term player, it means we want something in the short term. The only thing I can see Ings delivering in the short term is goals. He is proven to deliver goals at this level. But, I think we all believe, with or without Ings,  that we are not going to be relegated this season so why do we want an immediate return of goals from Ings when Tammy is available  and is the more financially prudent purchase of a returning hero? 

The only reason I can see for this is that CP and NSWE feel that we (will) have the squad this season to push for a Europa place and we need as much of a guaranteed goal scorer as possible. So Danny Ings, imo, has been bought to deliver European Football to AVFC this season. This is something I believe Tammy could not deliver. Saying all that I love Tammy and wish we would sign him. but AVFC have moved on from that type of purchase.

[ozvillafan]

17 minutes ago, Kiwivillan said:

We recruited because we lost him for 3rd of last season and who's to say he wasn't getting injured again. Agree lots of players to bed in and people want to get even more to bed in. It's stupid. You don't get 6-7 new first team players as can go catastrophically wrong. Should have core and make incremental improvements.

Really bad look selling the club to players if they see players signing from overseas coming over with family etc only to be bombed out a season later like loads on here want with some of our players. It's not a f*****g computer game and we only got promoted 2 seasons ago

Agreed. There is no doubt that we have strengthened some areas and have more depth - but at the cost of a lack of cohesion. Our back 4 + GK remain unchanged, which gives us a solid platform.

But ahead of that it's a bit of chaos at the moment. We could line up with Watkins, Ings, Bailey, Buendia, Sanson and Decoure (assuming he signs). That's 1 player with 1 season experience in the squad in Watkins. It's going to take time to gel together.

As such, I'd be really surprised if we see too many changes in that front 6 from last season for our first game. Perhaps Buendia and Ings in, but that would be it.

[paul514]

2 hours ago, HalfTimePost said:

I think if we push either of Watkins or Ings wide we have **** it tbh. Neither will be as effective.

Either...

1) one needs to drop deep and we do something not many have been able to get to work at the top level in what feels like a long time and reinvent 442 (I'm sure somebody will come with some very clever examples)

2) they compete. But I don't think we Chuck £30m at anybody and sit them on the bench. Ings or Watkins. 

I just really hope we don't waste either on the left. I feel like it would be Ollie if either of them and it'll stunt his development. There's a reason nobody was interested in him until after Maupay left Brentford. He was decent but nowhere near the level.

The original sentence is correct.

The only sense in both playing is Ings playing as a 10 in our current system or in a 4411 but the latter is unlikely.

People keep saying Ings plays as a nine but that isn't true he has always been the deeper forward of a front two.

The reality of it is if both players are in the starting 11 this will be a VERY attacking setup,  i foresee problems with full backs being exposed because of our DCM's not being good enough defensively and Bailey not tracking back.

Edited August 11, 2021 by paul514

[Villarocker]

The one thing we clearly lacked last season and seasons before was attacking creativity. Whenever Grealish was out we struggled. We've added four players who can attack - Ings, Bailey, Buendia and Young. After that, we've lacked a defensive midfielder who can stop the opposition. That's the last piece of the jigsaw for this squad to fill and I think they'll do it before this window closes. 

[maqroll]

2 hours ago, HalfTimePost said:

I think if we push either of Watkins or Ings wide we have **** it tbh. Neither will be as effective.

Either...

1) one needs to drop deep and we do something not many have been able to get to work at the top level in what feels like a long time and reinvent 442 (I'm sure somebody will come with some very clever examples)

2) they compete. But I don't think we Chuck £30m at anybody and sit them on the bench. Ings or Watkins. 

I just really hope we don't waste either on the left. I feel like it would be Ollie if either of them and it'll stunt his development. There's a reason nobody was interested in him until after Maupay left Brentford. He was decent but nowhere near the level.

Smith and Lange might feel that Ollie's finishing wasn't good enough. As good a season as he had, his one flaw was he missed a few too many chances. Ings doesn't miss. (as much). 

I hope this doesn't unsettle Ollie.

 

[Kiwivillan]

7 minutes ago, Villarocker said:

The one thing we clearly lacked last season and seasons before was attacking creativity. Whenever Grealish was out we struggled. We've added four players who can attack - Ings, Bailey, Buendia and Young. After that, we've lacked a defensive midfielder who can stop the opposition. That's the last piece of the jigsaw for this squad to fill and I think they'll do it before this window closes. 

If you took Buendia 2.4 tackles per game in Championship last season it would rank him =20th overall in PL tied with Neves and ahead of Rodri Tielemans Soucek. 0.2 less than Kalvin Phillips. People totally underestimate his defensive work off the ball

[maqroll]

1 hour ago, Peter Griffin said:

Danny Ings, imo, has been bought to deliver European Football to AVFC this season.

I agree with this. It seemed like an extravagant signing when announced, and I suppose it is, really. We now have an embarrassment of attacking options and it suggests that we are going to go for the jugular every match. This will stress our DM's so hopefully we strengthen there before the end of the month. 

 

Edited August 11, 2021 by maqroll
spelling

[Thug]

I honestly think our starting line up will be 

Ings—Watkins—Bailey 

much more narrow than before.

I think we’re going to sacrifice the winger set up and play much narrower.

[pete101]

1 minute ago, Thug said:

I honestly think our starting line up will be 

Ings—Watkins—Bailey 

much more narrow than before.

I think we’re going to sacrifice the winger set up and play much narrower.

Don't want to really get into this in this thread as we have one for this, the problem when you go narrow up to with a 3 , it means your two hold central players will be killed trying to help out the two Matt's, you seen how much pressure cash was under last season when traore would switch off , it would basically this on a more consistent basis

[Thug]

21 minutes ago, pete101 said:

Don't want to really get into this in this thread as we have one for this, the problem when you go narrow up to with a 3 , it means your two hold central players will be killed trying to help out the two Matt's, you seen how much pressure cash was under last season when traore would switch off , it would basically this on a more consistent basis

But Buendia in that right side of midfield would provide extra protection?

McGinn and Sanson and Luiz also do a lot of pressuring.  
 

The only player in that team not likely to press is Bailey.

Dont get me wrong, delighted with Bailey, but I did think it was a little bit out of character from our other signings - where we seem to be looking at high energy players ready to press press press.

A big upgrade for this season is going to be the ability to press in the team.

[VillaHatesMe]

I think it's pretty simple. It'll look something like this

 

                                        Watkins

Buendia                                                            Bailey/Traore

 

                                         Ings

 

All four rotating spots based on who has the ball and where they have it. Positional play/fluidity. The modern game.

[zab6359]

4 hours ago, VillanOfAston said:

We are but little minnows in a little Canal, that feeds into a little stream that feeds a river, that flows into a lake, that empties into a sea, that runs into an Ocean!  Of course Purslow and top management knew Jack was going.  The new signings were purchased to replace him, and they clearly stated.

They analysed that Villa could not rely on the creativity of one player and brought in three that would balance out his skills

I can't understand that even after the CEO has said we have recruited to replace Greedish that some posters just don't get it! We have spent 90mil on three players that will replace his goals, assists and creativity. We are never going to replace him with a like for like player it's totally unrealistic to think like that. 

I'm thrilled with our forward line right now they are going to score lots goals and be a joy to watch. We just need to make sure we are not so soft in midfield now and we will be in for a hell of a season.  We will definately improve on last seasons league position.

[Aston_Villan4]

30 minutes ago, zab6359 said:

I can't understand that even after the CEO has said we have recruited to replace Greedish that some posters just don't get it! We have spent 90mil on three players that will replace his goals, assists and creativity. We are never going to replace him with a like for like player it's totally unrealistic to think like that. 

I'm thrilled with our forward line right now they are going to score lots goals and be a joy to watch. We just need to make sure we are not so soft in midfield now and we will be in for a hell of a season.  We will definately improve on last seasons league position.

Because he didn’t say they were brought in to replace Grealish. They wanted depth and to reduce reliance on Grealish regardless of him leaving. Buendia and Bailey have attributes to cover the Grealish sized hole if he left but they were hoping both would come in to play alongside Grealish. That’s what was targeted. Purslow also said they set the release clause high enough that they’d hoped no one would be able to reach it. So again, they weren’t planning for Grealish to leave. They were preparing and recruiting around the possibilities of him either staying or going. These players covered both of those situations.

Edited August 11, 2021 by Aston_Villan4