villalad21 Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 The people who think Luiz is gonna fix our defensive issues are in dream land. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 Just now, villalad21 said: The people who think Luiz is gonna fix our defensive issues are in dream land. Yep. We don't have a decent defensive midfielder at the club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KangarooVillan Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 48 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said: As each press conference passes, I get more and more nervous about our transfer business and how well we’ll do this season. We’ve improved the squad, but I’m not sure our first XI is any better. We desperately need at least one more central midfielder. If they don’t bring anybody else in, I’ll have to question the wisdom of whoever thinks our midfield isn’t atrocious. Sleepwalking into a bit of a disaster. Your posts for the last couple of weeks have read very similarly to editorials from the Daily Mail about immigration and the corrosion of family values. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villalad21 Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 Just now, Delphinho123 said: Yep. We don't have a decent defensive midfielder at the club. The longer a player is out, and the longer it is we've seen said player played for the club the better the player becomes. Villatalk logic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PieFacE Posted August 20, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted August 20, 2021 Maybe slightly controversial opinion, but I think we've actually had a relatively poor window. Obviously way too early to truly say and the proof will be in the pudding. And let's face it, compared to the recruitment team and the staff at Villa I know next to nothing. But I think most of the issues within our squad last season still exist today other than maybe a decent backup striker, and that's slightly concerning. People outside of Villa are all saying we've had a great window but I'm really not sure the squad we have now finishes any higher than the squad we had last season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
useless Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 (edited) What defensive issues? We had the seventh best defence in the league last season, we conceded three last week but Luiz wasn't playing. I think this idea that we're desperate for a DM is overplayed, although Percy who's as reliable as anyone has said it's a priority so I think there's still a good chance something will happen in that regard. If anything it's more a creative midfielder that we need after losing Barkley and Grealish and the sun setting on Hourihane's Villa career. Edited August 20, 2021 by useless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 1 minute ago, villalad21 said: The longer a player is out, and the longer it is we've seen said player played for the club the better the player becomes. Villatalk logic. Agreed. We have a weird way of judging players. Like when Nakamba played well in preseason against Walsall and Stoke and people are scratching their head when he plays poorly again in the PL. No combination of our current crop of central midfielders allows us to play a 4-4-2 / 4-2-3-1. We almost exclusively have to play a 4-3-3 to accommodate our powderpuff midfield. It’s so frustrating because it’s so, so obvious we need one or two more midfielders in this window. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villalad21 Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 1 minute ago, Delphinho123 said: Agreed. We have a weird way of judging players. Like when Nakamba played well in preseason against Walsall and Stoke and people are scratching their head when he plays poorly again in the PL. No combination of our current crop of central midfielders allows us to play a 4-4-2 / 4-2-3-1. We almost exclusively have to play a 4-3-3 to accommodate our powderpuff midfield. It’s so frustrating because it’s so, so obvious we need one or two more midfielders in this window. Hope Villa prove me wrong but f*** me. 4-4-2 won't be a pretty watch. I wish Martinez and the back 4 the best of luck. They will have an awful lot to do this season. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 3 minutes ago, PieFacE said: Maybe slightly controversial opinion, but I think we've actually had a relatively poor window. Obviously way too early to truly say and the proof will be in the pudding. And let's face it, compared to the recruitment team and the staff at Villa I know next to nothing. But I think most of the issues within our squad last season still exist today other than maybe a decent backup striker, and that's slightly concerning. People outside of Villa are all saying we've had a great window but I'm really not sure the squad we have now finishes any higher than the squad we had last season. No, I agree. Key word being ‘relatively’. In relation to our previous transfer window, I think it has been poor. I don’t have any idea how the club thinks it will progress with our current crop of midfielders. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aston_Villan4 Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 Just now, PieFacE said: Maybe slightly controversial opinion, but I think we've actually had a relatively poor window. Obviously way too early to truly say and the proof will be in the pudding. And let's face it, compared to the recruitment team and the staff at Villa I know next to nothing. But I think most of the issues within our squad last season still exist today other than maybe a decent backup striker, and that's slightly concerning. People outside of Villa are all saying we've had a great window but I'm really not sure the squad we have now finishes any higher than the squad we had last season. Ings is “maybe a decent backup striker?” I don’t think it’s that controversial of a statement but I disagree that it has been poor and besides, the window isn’t closed yet. There’s still time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beastmix Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 (edited) 14 minutes ago, hippo said: I don't buy the argument - I really dont. The instant we pick up the phone the club know we are interested. Also the level of player we are after is going to have more than one suitor (most likely). Take Damsguard for example multiple clubs interested with a rumoured fee of £30m - Could you really see us getting him for £25m - because smith said he's happy with the squad he currently has ? The price those other clubs are quoted will be different (lower) from what we're quoted if they hear we're desparate. At this moment, it's a seller's market (especially with Euro clubs looking to get as much as they can for their assets), but nearer the end of the window, it very much becomes a buyers market, allowing us to engineer lower fees from those same money-desparete clubs than they would have taken before. I would LOVE us to just slap the money down for Damsguard now (such a good player), but it's not always how things work at operational level, especially with consideration to FFP being factored into our 5 year plan. Edited August 20, 2021 by Beastmix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
useless Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 Tanguy Ndombele has apparently asked to leave Tottenham. Not sure if he would be gettable for us, but I think he's a good player, remember watching him for Lyon and being very impressed and later thinking he was going to do very well for Spurs when they signed him. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
est1874 Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 8 minutes ago, useless said: What defensive issues? We had the seventh best defence in the league last season, we conceded three last week but Luiz wasn't playing. I think this idea that we're desperate for a DM is overplayed, although Percy who's as reliable as anyone has said it's a priority so I think there's still a good chance something will happen in that regard. If anything it's more a creative midfielder that we need after losing Barkley and Grealish and the sun setting on Hourihane's Villa career. 1 clean sheet in the last 13 competitive games, which came in an abject 0-0 draw with Everton where neither team looked arsed creating anything. If we're serious about challenging for Europe, then yes we've had defensive issues. If we're happy to finish anywhere between 11th-17th again, then no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 16 minutes ago, hippo said: I don't buy the argument - I really dont. The instant we pick up the phone the club know we are interested. Also the level of player we are after is going to have more than one suitor (most likely). Take Damsguard for example multiple clubs interested with a rumoured fee of £30m - Could you really see us getting him for £25m - because smith said he's happy with the squad he currently has ? You’re probably right. I don’t think Smith is bluffing. The idea clubs won’t think we’re desperate or have any cash because Smith says so in a press conference is just daft. Everybody knew we were minted before Grealish got sold for £100m. I wonder what they’re thinking now.. I think we are done in this window. So you can forget Europe or a top half finish. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMAICAN-VILLAN Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 (edited) 32 minutes ago, TH said: I feel like it’s at a point now where the targets we were after are not going to happen. So the club are hesitant to spend ~£30M+ on players who would be 6th/7th choice, if they were even considered. Definitely feel a bit flat, as it feels like we have a good chance to close the gap on the teams above us this season, hoping we might sneak 1 or 2 more in before the end of the window, but as others have said, it feels like we are done. I think most of us would even be OK with a solid loan at this point. Loftus Cheek? How is he doing? Last I heard he was immense for Chelsea in pre season. ( 3rd time lucky with Chelsea? ) Surely we could even get a top CM/CDM in on loan, with option to buy if they impress, for a healthy loan fee? Edited August 20, 2021 by JAMAICAN-VILLAN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ_1874 Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 (edited) CDM aside, would anyone take Lingard on a loan with an option to buy? If he can hit his West Ham form, he would be a decent addition. Edited August 20, 2021 by MJ_1874 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rightdm00 Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 9 minutes ago, PieFacE said: Maybe slightly controversial opinion, but I think we've actually had a relatively poor window. Obviously way too early to truly say and the proof will be in the pudding. And let's face it, compared to the recruitment team and the staff at Villa I know next to nothing. But I think most of the issues within our squad last season still exist today other than maybe a decent backup striker, and that's slightly concerning. People outside of Villa are all saying we've had a great window but I'm really not sure the squad we have now finishes any higher than the squad we had last season. If we don't finish higher it will be far more to the fact we sold Grealish. He has been the heartbeat of this team for 3 years now. It would be crazy not to expect some correction after losing a player of his quality. Either way our squad is definitely stronger. Our backup LB last season was Neil Taylor. Buendia is easily twice the player Barkley was for us. Finally our second striker last year was Keinan Davis. Now it's one of the best strikers in the Prem. Progression is not a straight line. Their will be bumps in the road. Are we so fragile that one season of consolidation is enough to send everyone to panic stations. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 1 minute ago, MJ_1874 said: DMC aside, would anyone take Lingard on a loan with an option to buy? If he can hit his West Ham form, he would be a decent addition. Yes. He’d improve us. Certainly in the short term. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post useless Posted August 20, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted August 20, 2021 The reason we finished 11th last season was due to Grealish's injury and the lack of creativity when he was out of the team, we've attempted to fix that with the signings of Buendia, Bailey, and Ings, our midfield was doing perfectly fine when Grealish was fit. In fact some, including some of the those now saying we're desperate for a DM, couldn't stop going on about how Man City were going to take Luiz of us, and now all of a sudden he's not good enough. People seem to be obssessed with us playing a No.10 in central midfield, but if you do that you're midfield is going to be exposed regardless of who else is playing in there, as it's basically like playing with a two man midfield. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
est1874 Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 3 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said: I think most of us would even be OK with a solid loan at this point. Loftus Cheek? How is he doing? Last I heard he was immense for Chelsea in pre season. ( 3rd time lucky with Chelsea? ) Surely we could even get a top CM/CDM in on loan, with option to buy if they impress, for a healthy loan fee? Not sure why we haven't tried for Donny Van De Beek personally. Surplus to requirements at United but hasn't become a poor player since starring for Ajax and stagnating on the Newton Heath bench since. Would be a great acquisition. Need to think big. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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