Summer transfer window 2021

[AvonVillain]

The teams who finished above us last season are for the most part quite vulnerable. How much will Everton actually improve under Benitez? Will Arsenal ever improve? One of the results of the last season made me wonder if this Liverpool team weren't going stale. Klopp and the players must feel the job has already been done, so what not try something else? Spurs under Nuno with their best player asking to leave? My Spurs supporting mate said about the situation with Kane and the appointment of the new manager: "I'm not excited about next season." Have Leicester with an ageing Vardy found their ceiling?

There's a lot of questions for some of those teams who finished above us, and I really hope it's Villa asking most of the questions next season.

 

[MotoMkali]

1 hour ago, Kiwivillan said:

When Barkley didn't play last season we won 7 drew 2 and lost 3. No coincidence with his lazy defending

Also Jack Played through the middle in 7 of those games no coincidence either. 

[MotoMkali]

We need a starting LW/Cam and DM. As well as depth for CB, Goalkeeper and maybe upfront. 

[Jas10]

29 minutes ago, jacketspuds said:

We need a leader in the DM position. It’s our weakest area by quite a distance. McGinn, Nakamba and Luiz are all good players, but I wouldn’t say any of them are natural leaders who will control games from there.

Obviously easier said than done signing someone like that, but if we’re willing to spend £35m on Smith Rowe I trust that we can do it.

[Kiwivillan]

1 hour ago, nick76 said:

Given that what is your view on league position then? I assume you are expecting a consolidation season?

Top 8. Buendia massive upgrade on Barkley. West Ham Leeds and Everton will all regress so we'll finish above them in the table. Sorry I'm not as negative about the team/squad

[ciggiesnbeer]

41 minutes ago, Jas10 said:

I’m done

We all have our faults, I remember being quite annoyed by your defence of Bruce at times

 we all have regrets, aye.

[nick76]

1 minute ago, Kiwivillan said:

Top 8. Buendia massive upgrade on Barkley. West Ham Leeds and Everton will all regress so we'll finish above them in the table. Sorry I'm not as negative about the team/squad

Fair enough! Interesting to understand others views, I just don’t we have the strength overall to get higher than 8th, which is still top 8 obviously but would be our very top end.  I think the period when Jack was out and our players were tired/out of form showed our weaknesses and Buendia will improve that but we need more in my opinion to challenge for higher.

I’m looking to see where Smith starts Buendia as I don’t think he’s a replacement as such for Barkley, I think he’ll continue on the right whether we bring in ESR or someone like him or not.  

[Jas10]

1 minute ago, ciggiesnbeer said:

 we all have regrets, aye.

 

[Kiwivillan]

10 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Fair enough! Interesting to understand others views, I just don’t we have the strength overall to get higher than 8th, which is still top 8 obviously but would be our very top end.  I think the period when Jack was out and our players were tired/out of form showed our weaknesses and Buendia will improve that but we need more in my opinion to challenge for higher.

I’m looking to see where Smith starts Buendia as I don’t think he’s a replacement as such for Barkley, I think he’ll continue on the right whether we bring in ESR or someone like him or not.  

If people think Leeds West Ham Everton have amazing depth or in some cases better quality players they're being disingenuous or negative for the sake of it

[Big Salad]

Daryl Dike please Played exceptional for Barnsley and would be a fantastic alternative to Ollie.

[jacketspuds]

4 minutes ago, Jas10 said:

The standard of refereeing in this country is horrific.

There’s a 50 ft man collapsed on the pitch after being stabbed with a 5 ft knife, yet the linesman is totally oblivious.

The game really has gone to shit.

[nick76]

8 minutes ago, Kiwivillan said:

If people think Leeds West Ham Everton have amazing depth or in some cases better quality players they're being disingenuous or negative for the sake of it

I think Man City, Utd, Chelsea, Leicester and Liverpool are a strong top five.  I think Spurs, Arsenal, Everton, Leeds, West Ham and us follow with the first two with stronger squads, so that’s 7.  Then the other four trying to fight with those and each other and all have strengths and weaknesses with their teams and squads.  I’m sure we would have differing views on those.

[Awol]

Reading all the posts about squad strength, we’ve now got a very strong front 3 with cover in every position. There’s inevitably a drop in quality from Jack - Ollie - Emi to AEG - Wes - Traore but it’s not a terrible bench and also has  Barry and J P-B waiting in the wings.

ESR I think might have been shopping the player rather than the position because we don’t urgently need a new 10. If they get him then great, but if not.. meh.

The defence is sound but light a CB for cover - we’ll sort that, and probably with a relatively cheap option. 

We’re stacked at 8 with SJM, Sanson, Carney and maybe Luiz (reckon Ramsey will go on loan this season). 

The one position we could make a genuine big upgrade to the staring 11 without major surgery in midfield is that DM role. If we’re going to splash out a lot of money then that’s the place it seems most likely. Beyond that (another 8 for example) we’d be selling on players I wouldn’t want to lose, yet. 

[nick76]

6 minutes ago, Awol said:

Reading all the posts about squad strength, we’ve now got a very strong front 3 with cover in every position. There’s inevitably a drop in quality from Jack - Ollie - Emi to AEG - Wes - Traore but it’s not a terrible bench and also has  Barry and J P-B waiting in the wings.

ESR I think might have been shopping the player rather than the position because we don’t urgently need a new 10. If they get him then great, but if not.. meh.

The defence is sound but light a CB for cover - we’ll sort that, and probably with a relatively cheap option. 

We’re stacked at 8 with SJM, Sanson, Carney and maybe Luiz (reckon Ramsey will go on loan this season). 

The one position we could make a genuine big upgrade to the staring 11 without major surgery in midfield is that DM role. If we’re going to splash out a lot of money then that’s the place it seems most likely. Beyond that (another 8 for example) we’d be selling on players I wouldn’t want to lose, yet. 

Great if your aim is a top 10 position but if you really are targeting European places then we are short.  I think the ESR position is vital whether him or another. I suppose it depends on what your expectations on the season are.

[paul514]

I don’t think there is even the slightest chance we won’t sign a centre back.

I still think we will sign another 3 players

[Jas10]

9 minutes ago, paul514 said:

I don’t think there is even the slightest chance we won’t sign a centre back.

I still think we will sign another 3 players

Any suggestions?

[paul514]

43 minutes ago, Jas10 said:

Any suggestions?

It’s all budget dependant, honestly If it were possible to get next summers budget as well I would spend it now and have nothing next summer there as so many great option for us.

Milenkovic, Kamara and De Arrascaeta out of the names I’ve seen for just 60 million is so cheap. Granted I’ve not seen the last one play but the stats are insane.

[Kiwivillan]

2 hours ago, nick76 said:

Great if your aim is a top 10 position but if you really are targeting European places then we are short.  I think the ESR position is vital whether him or another. I suppose it depends on what your expectations on the season are.

They maybe looking at playing 433 or Sanson or McGinn as a 10. How much had you heard of ESR before the window? I knew of him because he was cheap in fantasy football so had eye on him but ended up not buying. Never looked at him as a must buy like some are saying since the link. Another thing is successful teams gel with the same core team over a few seasons making strategic additions over several windows. Chucking in 3-4 new 1st XI players has as much if not more chance as backfiring as being successful. There's no reason the core team plus Buendia won't improve massively on last season. I really think some people approach team building like it's a computer game.

Edited July 19, 2021 by Kiwivillan

[villa4europe]

6 hours ago, TRO said:

what is your answer to the popular view, that we seemed to have an easy route to our defence, that midfield is wide open to attack.

Will Nakamba, continue his better form from the back end of last season?

Its an area that concerns me.....Just like England in the final, we concede possession, very easily and sit deep, too often.

100% agree with it

The problem with us since we got promoted has been the midfield, both defence and attack 

What we do there depends on chuk and Sanson and then whether or not the player that we want is actually available, us doing nothing more whilst kamara goes somewhere this summer would be criminal for me 

The thing I didnt say in the original post was I think this will take longer than some are willing to give... You can argue that we potentially fixed a problem with buendia this summer, fixing the next problem might not happen until next summer... 

[Villa Gaffa]

Its starting to look like we have already done our big signings for this window. Maybe the uncertainty with FFP is playing a part.

We obviously have money but don't seem to be making bids so the club could be restricted by whatever they have been told is happening with FFP.

If we wanted a player then I think we would have bid and got the deal sorted to get the player asap so we can have the squad sorted as early as possible.