Summer transfer window 2021

[dont_do_it_doug.]

8 hours ago, TrentVilla said:

Truth be told, I've frequently been critical on here of people prematurely judging players I've seen it so many times so I've sat on my hands re Samson

You could start by getting his name right.

[DCJonah]

7 minutes ago, sne said:

We do not know that. As I said I think he will be a very useful players. I'm certainly not annoyed that we signed him.

Still doesn't change the fact that I think 4-2-3-1 suits us and our current players badly and that I hope we go 4-3-3 as our main formation.

I'm quite intrigued to see a kind of 4-2-4 formation with attacking wingers and a front two. Or how Ings and Watkins link up with Ings dropping deeper. 

I look at games last season like both Burnley one, both Brighton ones, West Ham away and Man U away and think what those could have been with players on the pitch who can score and create. 

I think against big teams, we'll see that 4-3-3 setup and then teams we know will sit back, go with more attacking players to break then down. 

I look forward to seeing the kind of options we can play with. 

[sne]

3 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

I'm quite intrigued to see a kind of 4-2-4 formation with attacking wingers and a front two. Or how Ings and Watkins link up with Ings dropping deeper. 

I look at games last season like both Burnley one, both Brighton ones, West Ham away and Man U away and think what those could have been with players on the pitch who can score and create. 

I think against big teams, we'll see that 4-3-3 setup and then teams we know will sit back, go with more attacking players to break then down. 

I look forward to seeing the kind of options we can play with. 

Will be extremely attacking and vulnerable, but should also create a lot of chances and goals. Will absolutely be opportunities where I see this as a interesting formation but over a 90 min game I think we would struggle.

But we've still to see how our new signings and Sanson perform for us, hopefully they will surprise us or rather live up to the expectations as I think we've signed some really good players. Think we'll have a very patchy start thou which is IMO understandable.

[sne]

Lucas Torreira is back at Arsenal and for sale. He certainly would not appease those who want's more height but he has a lot of the other attributes we could use in a CM/DCM. 

Not watched him much when he was on loan for Atletico but I watched him a lot for Sampdoria before he moved to Arsenal. He's still only 25 and he is from Uruguay so you know he'll be a hard worker and a menace to play against.

No idea what they are asking for him but for the right price I'd happily take him, loan with option to buy would be perfect.

EDIT. Never mind, apparently he want's to move back home to South America due to a family tragedy.

Edited August 20, 2021 by sne

[DCJonah]

7 minutes ago, sne said:

Will be extremely attacking and vulnerable, but should also create a lot of chances and goals. Will absolutely be opportunities where I see this as a interesting formation but over a 90 min game I think we would struggle.

But we've still to see how our new signings and Sanson perform for us, hopefully they will surprise us or rather live up to the expectations as I think we've signed some really good players. Think we'll have a very patchy start thou which is IMO understandable.

Yeah, I think we will stumble and struggle early on. I just hope fans are patient as I think once it clicks we'll put together some great form.

[sne]

Also, get this  Thierry Small kid in from Everton. Sound like a perfect long term signing for our LB rotation going forward once Young retires.

Only 17 and a Villa fan who won't sign a new contract with Everton.

[bobzy]

2 hours ago, Delphinho123 said:

Going into the season with Nakamba as a starting central defensive midfielder is really poor on behalf of the club really. 

Whilst it would be nice to have an improvement in this area of the pitch, I really don't think having Nakamba there is as bad as you're making out.

Last season alone, we conceded 3 goals in league games on 6 occasions (0-3 loss to Leeds, 3-4 loss to Southampton, 3-2 loss to Burnley, 1-3 loss to West Ham, 1-3 loss to Man Utd, 3-2 loss to Palace).  In these games, Nakamba played 0 minutes.

In terms of starts, he made 9 - against Burnley (0-0), Newcastle (2-0 win), Arsenal (1-0 win), Leeds (1-0 win), Sheff Utd (1-0 loss), Liverpool (2-1 loss), Man City (2-1 loss), Spurs (2-1 win) and Chelsea (2-1 win).  Our win % with Nakamba starting was 55% and without him was 38% - and look at the sides we played when we started him.

It may well not be "because of Nakamba", but to suggest that we will be a really poor team with him in the side just doesn't stack up with what has actually happened.  

[dudevillaisnice]

I think Nakamba/Luiz as individual players are ok. The problem is how they fit with the players alongside them. Our midfield can get overrun pretty easily especially if someone like mcginn has a stinker for example. 

[Awol]

Is Aurelien Tchouameni at Monaco totally beyond our reach? I saw Chelsea linked to him a while ago but they seem more interested in Saul Niguez at Atletico now. 

Don’t know if he’s that much better than Doucoure but might be another option if the Grealish money is burning a hole. 

[sne]

Just now, Awol said:

Is Aurelien Tchouameni at Monaco totally beyond our reach? I saw Chelsea linked to him a while ago but they seem more interested in Saul Niguez at Atletico now. 

Don’t know if he’s that much better than Doucoure but might be another option if the Grealish money is burning a hole. 

Man U the latest club to be linked.

He is a class or 2 ahead of Doucouré I'd say. But have not watched much, if anything of Doucouré so I'm no expert on him  . Tchouameni is a player I've mentioned during last season as someone we should look for but I do think he's out of our league sadly.

If Monaco miss out on the CL as it looks now then they might very well decide to cash in on him and you never know. Certainly think we should try for him if there is even a minimal possibility.

[bobzy]

4 minutes ago, dudevillaisnice said:

I think Nakamba/Luiz as individual players are ok. The problem is how they fit with the players alongside them. Our midfield can get overrun pretty easily especially if someone like mcginn has a stinker for example. 

Yeah, I think the problem is that we don't have 1 player who is good enough to be a sole "DM" and that is, ideally, what we'd play.

The more natural fit for our side is to play both Nakamba AND Luiz (picked those two due to one left footer, one right footer) in deep midfield roles but then you're asking a hell of a lot on the player in front of them (McGinn/Sanson/Ramsey/Chukwuemeka) and/or the wide players to drop in and help at times.  If we want to play a bit more directly rather than passing out, then this could work providing we play both Watkins and Ings up top.  Watkins is good at dropping off and winning the ball/holding it up - maybe then playing the ball wide to Bailey/Buendia/Traore with Ings making moves in the box.

But yeah, it's tricky.  What I will say is that our squad now is pretty remarkable given where we were just 3 short seasons ago.

[HKP90]

10 minutes ago, bobzy said:

Whilst it would be nice to have an improvement in this area of the pitch, I really don't think having Nakamba there is as bad as you're making out.

Last season alone, we conceded 3 goals in league games on 6 occasions (0-3 loss to Leeds, 3-4 loss to Southampton, 3-2 loss to Burnley, 1-3 loss to West Ham, 1-3 loss to Man Utd, 3-2 loss to Palace).  In these games, Nakamba played 0 minutes.

In terms of starts, he made 9 - against Burnley (0-0), Newcastle (2-0 win), Arsenal (1-0 win), Leeds (1-0 win), Sheff Utd (1-0 loss), Liverpool (2-1 loss), Man City (2-1 loss), Spurs (2-1 win) and Chelsea (2-1 win).  Our win % with Nakamba starting was 55% and without him was 38% - and look at the sides we played when we started him.

It may well not be "because of Nakamba", but to suggest that we will be a really poor team with him in the side just doesn't stack up with what has actually happened.  

I don’t think it’s so much him as the system when he plays. The fact that we have a DCM who defends in the side. I like Luiz, but he’s not exactly Kante when it comes to the defensive side of the game. 
 

 

[useless]

Last week I was almost convinced that Thierry Small was about to sign for us, as one of our academy players posted a picture on instagram and it looked like they were with him, or if it wasn't him it was someone that happened to look a lot like him, and at the same time the person who broke the news that he'd left Everton had said we were pushing hard to sign him.

But since then I've read talk that he wants first team football so might end up somewhere like Germany or France, he's also been linked to Southampton who would also perhaps be more likely to offer him first team football sooner, Real Madrid also linked because of the Ancelotti connection.

 

[TRO]

13 hours ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

I know this will raise holy hell with some people,  and not necessarily a scenario I want either. However, Conspiracies' have been running amuck in my brain.

The combo of Headband pissing off, plus the coaches, and a bit of disorientation. ( Were the coaches leaving Deano's decision? )

Has any one sort of been wondering if the board might slowly be leaving Deano to sink or swim?

Have they lost 100 percent faith in him? Won't commit to blowing another 100 mill or so etc until they decide if he is the man to take us to the next level?

I actually think Jack leaving, did alot more damage than is on the surface.

Blindsided everyone, disappointed everyone, made people contemplate changing strategies etc.

Please don't be angry with me, i'm just thinking out loud.

This could all be ( Most likely be ) absolutely bollox, and spawned fan paranoia out of boredom.

How dare you...stand in the corner and say 10 hail mary's.

It did cross my mind too.....I have a further thought, but not going to share it.

If his team performs, plays with spirit and gusto, makes challenges and is first to the ball a bit more...yours and my thoughts will be pie in the sky.

its not  rocket science....turn up again, like we did last Saturday and the conspiracy theorists will run amok.

Edited August 20, 2021 by TRO

[Ingram85]

[Awol]

48 minutes ago, sne said:

Man U the latest club to be linked.

He is a class or 2 ahead of Doucouré I'd say. But have not watched much, if anything of Doucouré so I'm no expert on him  . Tchouameni is a player I've mentioned during last season as someone we should look for but I do think he's out of our league sadly.

If Monaco miss out on the CL as it looks now then they might very well decide to cash in on him and you never know. Certainly think we should try for him if there is even a minimal possibility.

2nd leg next Wednesday, leaving five days to do a deal if they go out. Be some hardcore flapping around these parts by then if there’s no new DM in! 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

2 hours ago, nick76 said:

I actually don’t know if you are joking or not…

This is another one of those failed attempts from me.

Did you look at who they've put in the actual photo, in the Sky Report?

Edited August 20, 2021 by JAMAICAN-VILLAN

[Laughable Chimp]

It'd be funny if the solution to our midfield options was just Mcginn, Luiz and Nakamba all along.

Mcginn can focus on creating chances higher up the pitch. Nakamba can focus on being the destroyer. Luiz can be the water carrier and progresser.(whatever the proper term is).

Perhaps we do have the personnel, it's just the balance of our midfield has been all wrong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[John]

I'm happy with a transfer business so far, but not if it has finished.

Ings was a superb signing and I have always rated Buendia. Young can also do a job for us and he offers us the "been there done it" that we previously had with JT.  Bailey is a significant addition too, but we still need another midfield player, having lost one. We made bids for ESR & JWP, so the club clearly know we need someone there. The right player can be signed in this window, with the cash that we were willing to spend on those two, so let's get it done! 

[tomav84]

6 minutes ago, Laughable Chimp said:

It'd be funny if the solution to our midfield options was just Mcginn, Luiz and Nakamba all along.

Mcginn can focus on creating chances higher up the pitch. Nakamba can focus on being the destroyer. Luiz can be the water carrier and progresser.(whatever the proper term is).

Perhaps we do have the personnel, it's just the balance of our midfield has been all wrong.

posted similar in the watkins thread and i agree.

problem is smith just doesn't like mcginn venturing too far forward, even though he proves for scotland (albeit vs shite teams) that it's his best role