Summer transfer window 2021

[AntrimBlack]

17 hours ago, VillaChris said:

Southampton play the wierd 4-2-2-2 formation so they usually can fit both in and Ings had a couple of injuries aswell.

We all love Ollie and no one can deny he's had a good season getting to double figures in prem with us but let's remember he plays with Jack Grealish. People acting like we're a Lambert team with zero creativity but Grealish is like cheat mode for us compared to all the teams below us with what he brings to the team and front man. Remember the Palace home game where he laid about 3 brilliant chances on a plate for Ollie late on who couldn't finish any of them....(one was a poor first touch which he then passed to AEG who smashed it in top corner).

Ollie is good....but he's still a way off Benteke level for me who was extraordinary frontman for us in a very dire and uncreative team for majority of his time here.

He's not a killer finisher yet and I think he struggles a fair bit against physical CBs who got tight to him as again happened last night with Lascelles and Clark smashing into him constantly. Much better v CBs who are more ball playing and stand off him loads e.g. Arsenal.

Personally I'd play him wide a bit more next season particularly when we play top 6-7 teams. Would give us a different dynamic in those games although perhaps that suggests we wouldn't have strengthened enough getting in a new quality wide player and still relying more on what we presently have which isn't quite good enough to make europe.

I think we need a`proper' CF, like Abraham for example, meaning we could push Watkins wide or have him in the old inside forward role. I think that would do wonders for our striking power. Watkins has a good touch and played on the wing for Brentford.

[Dave-R]

41 minutes ago, AntrimBlack said:

I think we need a`proper' CF, like Abraham for example, meaning we could push Watkins wide or have him in the old inside forward role. I think that would do wonders for our striking power. Watkins has a good touch and played on the wing for Brentford.

Agree with we need someone like Tammy but not to push Watkins wide, not sure how Watkins partnered with Rahma at Brentford. Did Watkins play on the Wing proper, if so then playing him there if did get Tammy wouldn't be so bad.. There would be an amazing tactical advantage over opposition just having the level of fitness both Watkins and Tammy have, playing one then subbing for the other just gives me confidence of seeing more goals as well as grinding games out.

Imagine Teams setting up to play Watkins, it's much easier for them at the moment to set for him and Nullify him.. Now if we added Tammy to our team, it certainly would drive managers and coaches nuts, especially if you can create a ruse and say Watkins is starting then switch it to Tammy as the TeamSheet is released. Both players play the same yet they have different ways of going about there game, one thing you can guarantee is that they both do amazing runs all throughout the game, do defensive duties and support.

I still think we wouldn't of grabbed Watkins if we never had of loaned Tammy. Tammy highlighted what we needed in a Striker and in doing so we looked for someone very similar if not as good and we found Watkins, someone who Smith knew who had converted to striker.

If the price is right I would snap Chelsea's arm off.

Edited March 14, 2021 by Dave-R

[Dave-R]

12 hours ago, VillaChris said:

I had him in similar range to what Calum Wilson would've cost last summer. Two years left on his deal so Burnley will have decision to make soon.

We can do better than that.

[sne]

I like Watkins a lot, mainly for his work rate, but I've seen very little this season to suggest he would work as a wide player in the PL.

Friday was poorer than usual but his first touch, control, dribbling, passing and so on is not good enough to be a PL winger IMO. He'll still have his work rate, but then again so does Trez and I'm not a huge fan of him.

 

[Dave-R]

8 hours ago, Farlz said:

Never seen anything from McNeil to make me think I want him at Villa and for the price Burnley would want not a chance. 

Villa fans rage over El Ghazi and Traore but want to spend god knows how much on McNeil who has managed 6 goals over 3 seasons with a few assists. I don’t get it.

Not for me and we should be avoiding these types of Transfer that we should of made last season. We should be looking over our shoulder at those transfers now and keep walking and look for much better. Need to move up in the world of Transfers not more of the same or make steps back.

[thabucks]

To all harping in about Tammy or even Edouard, there are more than two strikers out there we can choose from... Better players whom offer better value. I don’t see that Lange has been brought in along with McKenzie to go for the Tammy’s of this world... Daryl Dike, Sima & kutcha, Sekou Koita & Patson Daka....

[Dave-R]

4 minutes ago, thabucks said:

To all harping in about Tammy or even Edouard, there are more than two strikers out there we can choose from... Better players whom offer better value. I don’t see that Lange has been brought in along with McKenzie to go for the Tammy’s of this world... Daryl Dike, Sima & kutcha, Sekou Koita & Patson Daka....

I think Tammy is a dream for most because we knew he worked here and fits in without much fuss.

As for Edouard or Morelos I am unsure about those and Tam seems Less of a risk while more pricey who know what Chelsea would want.

McKenzie I am unsure about as well, unsure how he fits with us and unsure how he'd work, I am unable to vision him at villa.

I do agree that there are more strikers than the few who are regularly talked about and we should and I do hope by all means that we can make some world class signings this summer. With current conditions of the world and foreign leagues this may be an opportunity to raise the level of the club and we should take it. However if all that fails and we can't somehow get onto the next level of signings for one reason or another then having the likes of Tammy, Edouard and Morelos and staying on the level of signings we've signed this season may have to just be.

I'm all about getting us as a club on the very best of transfers, somehow we need to get there and it is slowly happening. If we don't manage it during Covid to pull a couple world class players in, I do fear we will have to wait till we qualify for Europe or even win a league cup

[thabucks]

I’ve just never been 100% sold on Tammy as an elite level Striker - especially due to the fee they would expect... 

I’m just tired and reading about Tammy as if he is the only option, or how we should shunt Watkins onto the wing to shoehorn another striker in. 

Im ok with the new striker coming in to replace Watkins in the XI as he shouldn’t be assured the shirt and should earn it... Competition for places is what is required to keep progressing as a club. 

[Villa Stu]

Can’t we just make Tammy our annual Chelsea loan 

[Villa 59]

Adam Reach (Sheff Wed) could be a useful back up for Matt Targett at LB. Good defensively and going forward with a great shot on him!

[VillaChris]

1 hour ago, Dave-R said:

We can do better than that.

Can we? Someone who consistantly hits double figures in one of the top 4 major leagues?

We don't exactly sign many with that profile in recent times so I'd be incredibly impressed if we got in player with similar stature to likes of Aguero and Drogba and someone like Wood obviously isn't close to that but type who could do a decent job for us over next two seasons.

As said before Belotti at Torino would also fit the profile. Linked to us in summer 2019, mid 20s and Torino in serious danger of being relegated but plenty of top half Serie A teams will be in for him.

[VillaChris]

1 hour ago, sne said:

I like Watkins a lot, mainly for his work rate, but I've seen very little this season to suggest he would work as a wide player in the PL.

Friday was poorer than usual but his first touch, control, dribbling, passing and so on is not good enough to be a PL winger IMO. He'll still have his work rate, but then again so does Trez and I'm not a huge fan of him.

 

Think Ollie is much better technically than Trez. Last 10 minutes v Wolves we pushed him wide and he won a couple of corners with some nice movement and dribbling.

Ollie can still have big impact on games just as likes of Rashford and Son do from wide positions in front 3 and Aubameyang also played wide quite a bit this season.

Edited March 14, 2021 by VillaChris

[sne]

Just now, VillaChris said:

Think Ollie is much better technically than Trez. Last 10 minutes v Wolves we pushed him wide and he won a couple of corners with some nice movement and dribbling.

Perhaps a little, mainly I think he is much better tactically than Trez. Still don't think he has what it takes to be a effective winger in the PL on a regular basis.

If we sign a new striker, which I'm all for, it is for competition for Watkins, not so we can push him to the flank. Much rather we signed a proper quality winger or 2 for that and let Trez and or El Ghazi go.

[VillaChris]

2 minutes ago, sne said:

Perhaps a little, mainly I think he is much better tactically than Trez. Still don't think he has what it takes to be a effective winger in the PL on a regular basis.

If we sign a new striker, which I'm all for, it is for competition for Watkins, not so we can push him to the flank. Much rather we signed a proper quality winger or 2 for that and let Trez and or El Ghazi go.

That can happen aswell. I really don't think it's a case of choice between new right winger or striker this summer, club serious about getting into top 6 in near future signs both.

Then again I was surprised we just drop any interest in strikers once we'd signed Watkins last summer despite being in for Wilson at the same time so we do throw the odd surprise into transfer windows from time to time.

[sne]

1 minute ago, VillaChris said:

That can happen aswell. I really don't think it's a case of choice between new right winger or striker this summer, club serious about getting into top 6 in near future signs both.

Then again I was surprised we just drop any interest in strikers once we'd signed Watkins last summer despite being in for Wilson at the same time so we do throw the odd surprise into transfer windows from time to time.

Yeah I think signing both a quality striker and a top quality RW is a must if we aim to fight for a top half position next season too.

We need a striker who is at least as good as Watkins and a RW who is much better than what we have. 

And then there are the other positions that also needs strengthening and or competition. Busy summer once again but we put ourselves in a good position.

[VillaChris]

We can still finish top half this season with what we've currently got.

We just need to find a way to become less Grealish dependent. Of course all our good moves will still go through him but it's too easy currently just to not play well whenever he's out so we need some more personality in final third.

Played some very poor football in recent games against bottom half teams so regardless of results that isn't good enough for the long term otherwise we just become another Palace who can't handle things whenever Zaha gets injured.

[Villan4Life]

Daryl Dike is a talent. My mate Josh a scout at DC United has been raving about Daryl for over a year.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/africa/56373222

Quote

Dike, 20, only arrived at Barnsley on the last day of the most recent transfer window - but such has been his impact in the Championship that the BBC understands there has already been an approach from one of the big six Premier League - Orlando City have reportedly turned down a $10 million bid.

He has scored three goals in seven league games - the most recent a thunderous game-winning strike against Birmingham City on 6 March that drew an enthusiastic compliment from teammate Jordan Williams.

"Daryl has got a rocket of a right foot. I think he's similar to Lukaku. He hasn't scored as many goals yet, but he can hit a ball just as hard," Williams told the Yorkshire Post newspaper.

"He's only 20 years of age. It's amazing."

Dike even had the chance to face Chelsea: he played 59 minutes in Barnsley's 1-0 FA Fifth Round defeat to the Blues in February.

Dike's loan deal ends on 21 April, when the MLS season starts and Orlando City will recall him. He has a $20m release clause.

While Dike took part in January's US friendly against Trinidad and Tobago, he is still eligible to represent Nigeria and has refused to make a full commitment to any of the two countries.

"When you're younger, you're always sitting there, thinking about international, and I know I've had my siblings play for Nigeria," he told ESPN in November.

"And I know I have the opportunity for Nigeria or the USA if I get the chance. But right now I just kind of play my game. If either/or comes, that decision will come when it comes."

 

 

Edited March 14, 2021 by Villan4Life

[HanoiVillan]

Two strikers on the pitch at the same time klaxon

One for all those who insist that we don't need a striker because Watkins is the striker so anyone else would only ever be on the bench.

[VillaChris]

Rodgers plays a back 3 a lot lately.

Not really convinced DS would go back to it, he only changed it mid season out of desperation last year and then quickly switched straight back to a back 4 as soon as we conceded 6 v Man. City.

I wouldn't be against seeing it as certainly Cash would be fine in the system with how he plays and would allow Mings and Konsa to bring ball out of defence a bit more.

[sne]

8 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

Two strikers on the pitch at the same time klaxon

One for all those who insist that we don't need a striker because Watkins is the striker so anyone else would only ever be on the bench.

Having a big good squad makes it easier to adjust when missing key players like Maddison & Barnes.

They're playing a 3-4-1-2 formation today sorta. For next season I would not mind if we signed players so we could play a formation with a back 3 and 2 attackers. Think Cash and Targett could work in the wide roles and wingers is our weakest position (at least if people want to have Grealish in the middle)