Popular Post striker Posted January 16 Visiting Supporter Popular Post Share Posted January 16 33 minutes ago, Enda said: I’d say Kamara and Luiz are about equal in importance to us. Both are too similar and lack creativity. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWARLEY2 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 3 minutes ago, striker said: Both are too similar and lack creativity. Completely agree. Very similar in terms of quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jas10 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Kamara is utterly essential for us… and we don’t have a good alternative… we are just not the same side without him and I do feel we would’ve won the games that he was unavailable for recently had he been playing… We managed to deal with his absence last season, Dougie and McGinn performed well back then but it doesn’t seem sustainable and they haven’t looked as good (without Bouba) this time around… Unai has just openly praised Kamara too and spoken of how important he is to us… Martinez probably is our most valuable and key player… and not having a decent backup just magnifies that… We lose a lot when Luiz isn’t playing but it’s possible for other players to step up and give us that creative edge… he has become one of our most important players for sure and we wouldn’t be able to replace him… not in the short term anyway. It would be extremely difficult if we lost any of these players and we would suffer a major setback, in the short term at least, no matter who we managed to sign… McGinn… is huge for us too… when he is “on it” the whole team excels… we’ve got to keep him a it fresh and ensure his energy levels are maintained… Pau and Konsa have reached that level of importance too… that partnership is now just as crucial and key as the Luiz-Kamara one… again, not the same side without these players and without them playing in their preferred positions… We rely on Watkins too and don’t have an alternative who is at a comparable level (feel he’s been starved of service lately)… I just don’t feel we will be losing anyone of such importance or be interested in allowing them to leave… unless a crazy offer came in… but, who has that capacity now? Unai said we don’t want to lose the potential of our team and letting players go for money can be dangerous and it can be extremely difficult to replace them and their impact/contribution… I just think it’s going to be players on the fringes of that first 11 that will be available and considered for sale… not key elements of it… those that leave will be replaced with better… I remain positive… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Jas10 Posted January 16 Popular Post Share Posted January 16 (edited) Omg… I just can’t… striker’s incessant criticism of Luiz is… it has to be deliberate trolling… no clue at all… and rates players like Philips and JWP higher? Dougie has been immense for us and is allowed a temporary dip in form… he’s one of the main reasons (maybe the biggest) that we’ve been doing so well and high in the league.. The Kamara-Luiz partnership is immense One of the very best in the league and even has the potential to be the best… Kamara doesn’t need to be so creative, but he helps… he is our defensive powerhouse in midfield… but is even more than that. Both of these guys have supreme technical ability that is lacking in a lot, a lot, of central midfield players… Dougie is and has been our most creative midfielder, biggest chance creator, and one of the best at it in the league… I am not going to bother posting all those stats again. This is common knowledge by now… Don’t have short memories… Dougie is the man!! Anyone who doesn’t rate or admire this guy… just isn’t an Aston Villa fan… or even watches us play… Edited January 16 by Jas10 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post briny_ear Posted January 16 Popular Post Share Posted January 16 I don’t come to this thread very often but, whenever I do, it seems people are happily selling off our best players and replacing them with unknown quantities who must by definition be unwanted by their clubs if they are up for sale in Jan. What am I missing here? Is this in fact some extended absurdist banter game like the fish jokes? 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jas10 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 1 minute ago, briny_ear said: I don’t come to this thread very often but, whenever I do, it seems people are happily selling off our best players and replacing them with unknown quantities who must by definition be unwanted by their clubs if they are up for sale in Jan. What am I missing here? Is this in fact some extended absurdist banter game like the fish jokes? I think part of it is this constant “inferiority complex” and the years of decline and misery that have stained and ingrained themselves in many supporters… This is the least relevant time to do it aswell… if we can’t be positive and hopeful now… I don’t know when we can… It’s in the nature of many to expect the worst or negativity… would be nice if we could just shed all of that and fully appreciate what we are experiencing… The Unai era is special, let’s try to enjoy and embrace it… I don’t think we should feel inferior to anyone, we are giving them all a fright so far this season… 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Supervillan78 Posted January 16 Popular Post Share Posted January 16 Selling Luiz (especially now) would be completely idiotic and Emery certainly isn’t an idiot. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jas10 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 (edited) Looking at our loans out… can we permanently get rid of Sanson and Coutinho anytime soon? Get those wages off our books at least… can’t imagine getting any sort of decent fee for either… unless Sanson has impressed enough to get interest from bigger clubs… There just don’t seem to be many foreign clubs that can afford that much in fees and wages these days… the substandard players (not referring to the young players we got fees for - Archer, Aaron Ramsey, JPB) we’ve managed to get rid of have either been released or sold for small fees… Nakamba was 2.5m or less Davis even less than that Wesley and Steer released Still… we’ve done well to offload who have but we do need to sort the permanent departures of Phil & Morgan… rather than them returning and adding to the wage load again… Then we have Chambers, Dendoncker and Traore to depart too… Still some fat to trim but not much money we can bring in… at least free up some wages… - I wonder how far off we are from the ideal “Unai squad”… for him to have and be happy with all of his own players that he considers up to his level/standard - including the key ones he has inherited and rates. He hasn’t made many changes… Pau is a big one… Moreno until he was injured… Diaby has not made himself a mainstay or key starter, yet… Tielemans is providing encouragement (however, not in the expected position and not yet a regular starter)… So yeah… our strongest or preferred first 11 is predominantly, by a long way, made up of players that were already here… before Unai arrived… Again, it highlights the incredible work and level of coaching that Unai has achieved… he hasn’t splashed the cash or even remotely resembles a chequebook manager - it’s clearly evident that he is a world class coach. And it’s obvious that he has been the standout manager and achieved the most (within and relative to his capabilities/capacity) in the last year or so in the league… he has worked wonders in such a short time… I wonder how much Unai would like to alter that first 11 though… it’s obvious that he rates and values players like Emi, Konsa, Luiz, Kamara, McGinn, Ramsey, Watkins… I think he sees them as crucial (esp the first 4 and Ollie) but maybe we could bring in an alternative to JJ for rotation and rest purposes… even someone better/more impactful in the short term (let JJ develop further and overcome injury trouble, competition is good too) and both players to get plenty of game time… maybe McGinn could be rested/rotated more often too…always at his best when he is fresh and fit… not burned out… probably Bailey now too (what a story!)… maybe Diaby to take over when/if he hits top form… unless they can excel together in the same side… we have invested a lot in him… we will have to see on that… so at least 6/7 of those would be expected to be our key/main players going forwards… and not be relegated to bench/reserves… then add Pau and Moreno… 8/9 who could be classed as “fixtures”… Then we have Mings and Buendia to return and to assess where they are at… both very important and valued last season and before injuries… I guess RB & the attacking positions are up for grabs and where we could enhance most of all… Hard to tell… it’s just guesswork really. I would love to know what Unai actually thinks and what his plans are… Edited January 16 by Jas10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jas10 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 (edited) Martinez (Cash)? Konsa. Pau. Moreno(?) McGinn(?). Kamara. Luiz. Ramsey(?) (Bailey/Diaby/Tielemans)? Watkins I think 6 positions are nailed down for the future and it would be unlikely or difficult to improve on them… The others are arguable/debatable… could easily be extendable to 8/9… We need a new RB and proper DM cover as immediate priorities…can we address that in this window? A better backup GK seems likely in the not too distant future… Edited January 16 by Jas10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul514 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 3 hours ago, thabucks said: Yes … Yes but change the players Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwivillan Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 3 hours ago, duke313 said: Cheeky bid for Morgan Gibbs-White? I didn't realise we had FFP room for +£50m player who Forest probably have no intention of selling in January Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Delphinho123 Posted January 16 Popular Post Share Posted January 16 2 hours ago, Kiwivillan said: I didn't realise we had FFP room for +£50m player who Forest probably have no intention of selling in January You forget that this is a cheeky bid. Normal bids see clubs bound by FFP rules and regs but cheeky bids, they’re a lot different you see. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Simon Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 7 hours ago, Jas10 said: Why help Arsenal out? And sign a player who really isn’t better than the ones we have, has been underperforming, would be expensive in both wages and fee and has had troubles with injuries, form, mentality/confidence… Now that we’re actually competing with or trying to rival these sorts of clubs… should we really be going for players that they don’t value or can’t get in their teams? The Martinez example is usually thrown out but it’s a completely different scenario… first of all, we had been battling relegation or just trying to gain a respectable position or standing in the league… Emi was one of the stars of lockdown, he was playing and excelling for Arsenal. One of the best performing players in the PL, he was shining. He was a huge part in their form and success, leading them to two trophies - Charity Shield and FA Cup. He deserved more respect and assurance but, when Leno returned from injury, Arteta and co messed up and preferred or prioritised Leno over Emi… and neither keeper remained at the club for long… we expertly exploited that situation, identifying a top player, giving him assurances and striking a bargain deal for him… and what a signing it has been! ESR… has done nothing of the sort. Maybe he would’ve been a decent signing a few years ago but… but he wouldn’t have been interested then… our trajectory has overtaken his and he has declined… of course, he could improve with a move elsewhere but… we don’t really need to target players like that or take those kinds of risks or even burdens on… look where we are… - Anyway, I’d be very surprised if we were targeting players like this who don’t present much value and by signing, we would be helping an opposition club out… particularly not under Monchi and co… If we really are signing Nedeljkovic… that’s just further evidence of our strategy and scouting methods… Again, for the first team, I think we’ll continue pursuing players like Pau and Diaby… Because in this hypothetical world, Unai wanted the player, thought he would be of value to us and we're not run by children who worry about "helping" others. (We also "helped" Arsenal out by taking their second choice goalkeeper, worked pretty well for us, I think). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KangarooVillan Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 8 hours ago, Don_Simon said: I commute on the train into Birmingham every day for work. It's shit. And the Douglas Luiz Train is by far the shittest. But is the Douglas Luiz train heading to or from work? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Poster 1: It seems FFP is hurting a lot of clubs at the moment, even our manager has mentioned we may need to sell a player or two in the future but still look to improve if we do so. I wonder who that could be. I know Luiz is probably our most saleable asset. Poster 2: (failing to mention context). OMG, WHY IS EVERYBODY IN HERE TRYING TO SELL OUR BEST PLAYERS. LOLZ Poster 1: I’d really like to keep Luiz, he’s a cracking player. I just wonder if the club backs itself to improve, similar to how West Ham have with the Rice deal, by selling one player for a lot of money and replacing that player with 2/3 good players which improves the team overall. Not saying we should or they will but clubs have been successful doing so in the past. Poster 3: I’VE NOT BEEN IN THIS THREAD FOR A WHILE AND NOW WE’RE SELLING LUIZ?!? Poster 1: (Understanding it’s a football fan forum). I agree, I don’t think we should sell Luiz if we can help it. It’s just clear the PL is cracking down on teams. The sale of a player may really help with that. Oh, here’s 3 players that we could arguably buy with the money from a player sale that may improve us. This might be cool to discuss. Poster 2: OMG YOU LOT HAVE SUCH AN INFERIORITY COMPLEX. WE SHOULDNT SELL OUR BEST PLAYERS. This is how the conversation usually goes when any talk of a player sale is mentioned. Rinse and repeat. Does make me laugh. 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Simon Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 5 minutes ago, KangarooVillan said: But is the Douglas Luiz train heading to or from work? I don't think so. However, if he was commuting with Alisha, my commute would be demonstrably better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vancvillan Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Can't believe no one has mentioned it yet but I think we should sell Douglas Luiz. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomaszk Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 1 hour ago, Delphinho123 said: Poster 1: It seems FFP is hurting a lot of clubs at the moment, even our manager has mentioned we may need to sell a player or two in the future but still look to improve if we do so. I wonder who that could be. I know Luiz is probably our most saleable asset. Poster 2: (failing to mention context). OMG, WHY IS EVERYBODY IN HERE TRYING TO SELL OUR BEST PLAYERS. LOLZ Poster 1: I’d really like to keep Luiz, he’s a cracking player. I just wonder if the club backs itself to improve, similar to how West Ham have with the Rice deal, by selling one player for a lot of money and replacing that player with 2/3 good players which improves the team overall. Not saying we should or they will but clubs have been successful doing so in the past. Poster 3: I’VE NOT BEEN IN THIS THREAD FOR A WHILE AND NOW WE’RE SELLING LUIZ?!? Poster 1: (Understanding it’s a football fan forum). I agree, I don’t think we should sell Luiz if we can help it. It’s just clear the PL is cracking down on teams. The sale of a player may really help with that. Oh, here’s 3 players that we could arguably buy with the money from a player sale that may improve us. This might be cool to discuss. Poster 2: OMG YOU LOT HAVE SUCH AN INFERIORITY COMPLEX. WE SHOULDNT SELL OUR BEST PLAYERS. This is how the conversation usually goes when any talk of a player sale is mentioned. Rinse and repeat. Does make me laugh. Every thread. Constantly. Killing conversation to scramble onto the highest horse. Desperate. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeroy Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 The FFP thing worries me. Even if we make Champions League I wonder what we will be able to spend in the summer because Grealish's sale will be at the end of the three-year cycle. And now people are talking about players like Reiss Nelson, Smith Rowe, Kalvin Phillips - average players who just won't improve us. All because they might be available on the cheap. I don't want that, I want us to be going for top quality players who will improve us. If anyone can tell me how much we will have to spend in the summer please enlighten me. I'm writing off this January window because it's looking likely we won't be bringing in anyone for a significant amount of money (although the young Serb right back we signed is an astute signing). FFP is a load of b*llocks in my opinion and ruining football, punishing teams like Everton and Forest while teams who have got trophies for blatantly cheating (City and Chelsea) get away with it. We need two new starting full backs in my opinion (our current left backs are 30 and we need someone younger, Cash isn't good enough to be our starting right back). We need a left sided creative midfielder to start for us also because no one has really nailed down that position (Buendia's injury could make him even worse and he was pretty average even before his injury, Ramsey looks a shadow of the player he was back end of last season and looks to have gone backwards and doesn't have the guile and skill set to create chances regularly against a low block, and Zaniolo gets too much stick but again isn't the answer). Tielemans could be that player but we need someone else. These players won't come cheap, they will cost a lot of money and if we don't have any then it's going to be hard to improve. We might strike gold on a free transfer again like we have the last two summers but we might not. I'd also argue we need a young goalkeeper to be Martinez's successor in the long term, we need another centre back as competition for Konsa and Pau Torres as Mings and Diego Carlos are both 30 and Mings is coming back from long term injury so might not be he same player he was before (someone like Todibo would be ideal), and we definitely need a much better quality holding midfielder as competition for Kamara. We need to sell Chambers, Traore, Dendoncker, Coutinho and Sanson once and for all because they shouldn't still be our players and probably one of our left backs too. We have a very promising squad and are in a good place generally, but there is a lot of work to do. We simply have to invest against this summer and if we can't I worry we will dilute the squad with average players tat won't improve us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinebro Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Considering the breaches Everton and forest are getting charged with I'm getting more and more inclined to believe we won't do any business this window. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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