Summer Transfer Window 2022

[bobzy]

57 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Are you saying we are looking/trying to look like a possession based team in preseason?

I think we're trying to bypass the midfield much less and get the ball into Coutinho/Buendia's feet more often, yes.  Kamara is a huge signing.

Would I expect to see instant results of this in preseason?  No.

[John]

12 hours ago, Kiwivillan said:

All Day I Dream About Strikers

  

[RicRic]

31 minutes ago, allani said:

To be fair Gerrard has had some pretty major gaps to fill in the team / squad.  He's improved our left-back options considerably.  He's signed someone to lead our Back 4.  He's finally started to address the major issue with our midfield.  His arrival certainly seemed to spur on JJ - although Smith also deserves credit for sticking with him.  I still think our midfield is painfully poor at dealing with the opposition pressing them because our midfielders are too similar and fit a style that is good for avoiding relegation but not so much for challenging the top of the league.  And our main striker is very inconsistent in front of goal, has a lack of awareness / positioning that limits his effectiveness and has an awful first touch.  If he hasn't managed to impress on the Board that we are still 1 or 2 players short of a team capable of challenging / meeting our ambitions then he becomes part of the problem.  It is difficult to implement a style when our midfielders consistently give the ball away too deep and our defenders then start lumping the ball further upfield in order to at least relieve some pressure.  I am pretty sure than neither Smith nor Gerrard believe(d) that this is the way we should be playing.

The funny thing is that when I say the team aren't good enough to expect a top half finish - people say, but under Gerrard's reign last season we were 9th.  And yet often the same people then say that Gerrard has performed below expectations and isn't doing well enough.  Obviously both can be true as the gap between 9th and 14th/15th is only a handful of points.  So I guess there is a bit of - is 9th but playing rubbish football / no obvious style better or worse than finishing 12th and playing good football with an obvious style / direction?  Is it our managers / coaches that have inhibited us for the last 3 years or the fact that FFP (and other factors) has meant that we had to buy a lot of players who might be good enough to help us survive (they were .... just) but that probably aren't good enough together to match our longer term expectations or it is just that our expectations have got out of control?

My view is that we have some decent players but those players don't work well alongside each other.  There is space in our team for McGinn or Luiz or Sanson or JJ - but probably not 2 of the 4 for anything other than short periods of time.  Same as Mings and Konsa.  I think Carlos plus any of our other CBs is a big improvement.  But until we get another midfielder who can control the ball, dictate the pace of the game, resist the press and also pressurise the opposition into losing the ball - I think it will be hard to implement any style consistently, regardless of manager or system.  I know not everyone feels that way and that some think that the right system will allow our current players to become top level.  Which is why I guess we've had 800 pages of some people saying that the manager is rubbish / needs to improve / get replaced and others saying that some key players are rubbish / need to improve / get replaced. 

 

My view is exactly this , it wouldn’t take much to change for the better either, but our management have to be more ruthless and make those changes, yes we have improved but to align our Ambitions we need to get that extra one player or two

[nick76]

6 minutes ago, bobzy said:

I think we're trying to bypass the midfield much less and get the ball into Coutinho/Buendia's feet more often, yes.  Kamara is a huge signing.

Would I expect to see instant results of this in preseason?  No.

Instant? I would expect to it further down the line of being implemented, that’s the whole purpose of preseason and not to mention the eight months of last season. So no I don’t expect it to be instant, I don’t expect to be perfect by any means but after a preseason I assume we would see more of it than we are if we are moving to a possession based team.

[Vive_La_Villa]

14 hours ago, CarryOnVilla said:

It’s a bit korny to say, but Jonathan David is a freak on a leash

You must be so blind if you don’t think he’s a good signing.

[DakotaVilla]

2 hours ago, Sam-AVFC said:

Is elite the newest football buzzword? Of course we have always tried to sign who we think are the best players available and affordable at the time, including when we signed Traore.

Sorry to break it to you Traore was never an elite player. Lyon fans were doing cart wheels when we signed him and the only reason we did is because terry convinced smith and the owners that he had the potential to be a world beater based on his huge talent as a youth at Chelsea. 
 

[Vive_La_Villa]

2 hours ago, DakotaVilla said:

Ha. Talk about damning the guy with faint praise…..4th choice. 
 

We should be signing elite options that push our existing first teamers to 2nd, 3rd, 4th option or giving our high potential youths that opportunity or buying elite young players and showing that we have that 3rd, 4th spot open for them. 

Would be a great way to run things:

‘’We don’t rate you and you probably won’t play all season or even make the bench but on the off chance 3 players in front of you are not available you will get minutes and get paid a very handsome wage in the meantime. What you reckon?’’

[PaulMcGrath_5]

Just now, Vive_La_Villa said:

Would be a great way to run things:

‘’We don’t rate you and you probably won’t play all season or even make the bench but on the off chance 3 players in front of you are not available you will get minutes and get paid a very handsome wage in the meantime. What you reckon?’’

And in the meantime, you've got no match sharpness whatsoever as you haven't played in weeks/months. Go out there and win the game for us!!

Then off you go back to the reserves until on the off chance this unlikely scenario ever happens again.

[RicRic]

7 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Would be a great way to run things:

‘’We don’t rate you and you probably won’t play all season or even make the bench but on the off chance 3 players in front of you are not available you will get minutes and get paid a very handsome wage in the meantime. What you reckon?’’

Yeah being a 4th option Haha not even  Salifou would have deserved that its 3rd option at the most , but that third option should be able to play in multiple positions and the rest of positions should mainly have two options… for example Luiz can play DM/CM so he can replace kamara or Mcginn and of course ashley young who can cover various more. I just love Young Being here for the nostalgia its really weird because it brings me back to my school days when he played for us and surreal that he plays again for us! …. We need to start selling some of the players not good enough not loans either permanent sales

[Delphinho123]

7 hours ago, TomC said:

Getting the occasional goal doesn't help if he's constantly giving the ball away. That leads to goals at the other end.

He gives the ball away too much. It's that simple for me.

 

Exactly my point about Watkins. 

[Sam-AVFC]

31 minutes ago, DakotaVilla said:

Sorry to break it to you Traore was never an elite player. Lyon fans were doing cart wheels when we signed him and the only reason we did is because terry convinced smith and the owners that he had the potential to be a world beater based on his huge talent as a youth at Chelsea. 
 

I'm not sure what you think you're breaking to me and the usage of the word still screams middle management talk to me. Of course transfers can work out worse than planned, my point is we never would have signed him or anyone else thinking they weren't good enough to start a game for us.

[TomC]

24 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Exactly my point about Watkins. 

I tend to agree with you about Watkins (at least the 2021-22 version), which is why I favor Ings...

 

[Delphinho123]

7 minutes ago, TomC said:

I tend to agree with you about Watkins (at least the 2021-22 version), which is why I favor Ings...

 

Watkins gets an easy ride. Way too easy. El Ghazi scored 7 goals I think it was, the season before last, and wasn’t playing as a striker and played far fewer minutes than Watkins. I’d also argue that El Ghazi is as good technically, if not better than Watkins, so why is everybody clambering to sell him? 

Watkins was abysmal in several matches last season yet we’re constantly told he’s alright for the level we’re at and we shouldn’t expect to improve on him?

We’ll never be a good side with him in it unless he dramatically improves. He’s the focal point of our attack yet everything breaks down when the ball gets to him. We should be either focusing on making sure Ings or Archer starts more this season or looking to bring in another striker. I can’t watch Watkins again much this season if he performs like he has in pre season and like last year. 

[Villarocker]

15 hours ago, CarryOnVilla said:

It’s a bit korny to say, but Jonathan David is a freak on a leash

I bet he's sponsored by Adidas! 

[est1874]

2 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Watkins gets an easy ride. Way too easy. El Ghazi scored 7 goals I think it was, the season before last, and wasn’t playing as a striker and played far fewer minutes than Watkins. I’d also argue that El Ghazi is as good technically, if not better than Watkins, so why is everybody clambering to sell him? 

Watkins was abysmal in several matches last season yet we’re constantly told he’s alright for the level we’re at and we shouldn’t expect to improve on him?

We’ll never be a good side with him in it unless he dramatically improves. He’s the focal point of our attack yet everything breaks down when the ball gets to him. We should be either focusing on making sure Ings or Archer starts more this season or looking to bring in another striker. I can’t watch Watkins again much this season if he performs like he has in pre season and like last year. 

Really agree with this. I like Ollie, but he's not good enough for where we're at, let alone where we want to get to.

[Villarocker]

1 hour ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

You must be so blind if you don’t think he’s a good signing.

Don't worry mate, we are never never never signing him. 

[Vive_La_Villa]

9 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Watkins gets an easy ride. Way too easy. El Ghazi scored 7 goals I think it was, the season before last, and wasn’t playing as a striker and played far fewer minutes than Watkins. I’d also argue that El Ghazi is as good technically, if not better than Watkins, so why is everybody clambering to sell him? 

Watkins was abysmal in several matches last season yet we’re constantly told he’s alright for the level we’re at and we shouldn’t expect to improve on him?

We’ll never be a good side with him in it unless he dramatically improves. He’s the focal point of our attack yet everything breaks down when the ball gets to him. We should be either focusing on making sure Ings or Archer starts more this season or looking to bring in another striker. I can’t watch Watkins again much this season if he performs like he has in pre season and like last year. 

I have a suspicion that you don’t rate Watkins.

[TomC]

12 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Watkins was abysmal in several matches last season yet we’re constantly told he’s alright for the level we’re at and we shouldn’t expect to improve on him?

We’ll never be a good side with him in it unless he dramatically improves.

I think that big questions that will affect our success this year are (1) will SG continue to play Watkins far more than Ings? and (2) if he does, will we get the 2020-21 Watkins or the 2021-22 Watkins?

I don't question Ollie's ability. I was a big fan in 2020-21. Last year, he was overthinking and was trying to force things when he should have passed. Sometimes I also wonder whether, as with Targett, Grealish made him look better than he was in 2020-21.

Ollie does do a lot of dirty working pressing, and I think managers like that, but SG does not press as much as Deano did, so I don't think it's as important now. And while I realize that the little things are important, you can't overlook if the player is failing to do the big things.

I'm not ready to give up on Ollie yet...maybe last year was just a mediocre year for him. But if the first 2-3 months look like last year, I really hope SG isn't blinded and doesn't stick with him.

[allani]

12 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Watkins gets an easy ride. Way too easy. El Ghazi scored 7 goals I think it was, the season before last, and wasn’t playing as a striker and played far fewer minutes than Watkins. I’d also argue that El Ghazi is as good technically, if not better than Watkins, so why is everybody clambering to sell him? 

Watkins was abysmal in several matches last season yet we’re constantly told he’s alright for the level we’re at and we shouldn’t expect to improve on him?

We’ll never be a good side with him in it unless he dramatically improves. He’s the focal point of our attack yet everything breaks down when the ball gets to him. We should be either focusing on making sure Ings or Archer starts more this season or looking to bring in another striker. I can’t watch Watkins again much this season if he performs like he has in pre season and like last year. 

The only reason to keep AEG is to have a specialist penalty taker on the bench.  1-1 against Man City with 92 mins on the clock and by some miracle we get awarded a dodgy penalty - there are very few players (in Europe) that I would want stepping up to take it before AEG.  Unfortunately, the rest of his game isn't at the same level.

[allani]

1 minute ago, TomC said:

I think that big questions that will affect our success this year are (1) will SG continue to play Watkins far more than Ings? and (2) if he does, will we get the 2020-21 Watkins or the 2021-22 Watkins?

I don't question Ollie's ability. I was a big fan in 2020-21. Last year, he was overthinking and was trying to force things when he should have passed. Sometimes I also wonder whether, as with Targett, Grealish made him look better than he was in 2020-21.

Ollie does do a lot of dirty working pressing, and I think managers like that, but SG does not press as much as Deano did, so I don't think it's as important now. And while I realize that the little things are important, you can't overlook if the player is failing to do the big things.

I'm not ready to give up on Ollie yet...maybe last year was just a mediocre year for him. But if the first 2-3 months look like last year, I really hope SG isn't blinded and doesn't stick with him.

I agree.  Or at least I did before pre-season.  My worries are that the difference between 20-21 Watkins and 21-22 Watkins is less about form and more about the fact that we're moving towards needing a striker with better attacking attributes than one with better defensive attributes.  In that respects I worry that we need Ollie to change the way he plays rather than to return to form.  That is obviously harder to achieve.  I still think another CM is our top priority but Ollie's contributions (at least those on the pitch so far) have been very disappointing.  Not so fussed about him not scoring but it's things like ball control, run making, being aware of those around him, linking up play, etc - there are very few signs that he's developed those very far over the summer.  He desperately needs a couple of big performances early on for sure.