Well the season starts.... TODAY! You happy where we stand?

[rsjg80]

Well it all kicks off today, 2009/10; the Premiership's 18th Birthday - who will come of age?!

So as we go into our first game at home to Wigan how do you feel about where Villa are? We're nearing the end of the transfer window, but there's still some time for notable business. We've lost great talents in Laursen and Barry but replaced them with promising players Downing and Delph. The squad is slightly smaller but the kids are coming through.

So how happy are you? I'll add my opinion under this OP so to leave this open to genuine discussion.

[Davies4England]

Yeah I'm delighted, we're in 2nd place, long may it continue 8)

[rsjg80]

Personally I feel very much as if it’s been anti-climactic. We go in to the season less well prepared than the last but I can see some good signs from the youth players.

I think MON has let down the club by his transfer dealings, I know there is still time but I think we are making the same mistakes time and time again and he really should not of allowed Knight to leave unless he was 100% sure he had a replacement. He’s whined about the small squad and done nothing to address this – you can bleat on about quality for ages but if you only go after the Ronaldo’s of this world eventually you just have to accept that you get the best of who will actually come to you.

If we have a slow start to the season it’s going to be even harder to attract players in the final two weeks of the transfer window and we may really struggle.

I’m not quite in the suicidal bit but I’m very disappointed and pessimistic as regards out chances this season and although I’ll be there cheering the lads on tomorrow I think we may have to accept we missed our chance last season and the best we can hope for this season is a cup and mid-table monotony.

[Rino8]

Yeah I'm delighted, we're in 2nd place, long may it continue 8)

Yea, if they throw this away I'll refund my season ticket.

[MuleAthon]

If we make the right signings between now and the end of the window, we shall be fine.

But I stand by what I said a couple of weeks ago;

If MON comes out in 4 months time (or so) and says that our/a player's poor performances are due to the lack of a good pre season (Downing, Bouma etc excepted for obvious reasons) he should be sacked, because it is simply his fault for not getting the players in in time - we've heard that before and he should have learned the error of his ways.

But if the signings simply aren't made... We're in big trouble.

So I'm Neutral, i guess :?

[harris21]

I'm excited regarding kick off but I would have liked a few more in by now... not feeling too confident for the season.

A great performance and three points tomorrow might settle the nerves and put my mind at rest... only time will tell!

[Ghost_of_Pongo_Waring]

How is the squad smaller?

Four out : Barry, Laursen, Knight, Taylor

Four In : Downing, Delph, Beye, Marshall

When you consider that Albrighton & Clarke have progressed to where they are viable first team players we're actually up on numbers. At the very least we've the same size squad.

We'll be up there challenging again, imo of course.

[Risso]

If we get to the end of August with no more transfers in, it'll be pretty depressing. Until then, I live in hope that O'Neill will finally bring in the quality central defender and midfielder that we urgently need.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

Well I don't think there is a good choice for me?

I'm not sure we'll do aswell as last season but I just can't wait and also optomistic that we Can do well!

My heart says we'll improve, head says just finish 7th or 8th and I'm listening to my heart

[Tomaszk]

I think we'll start like a house on fire v Wigan and would be royally pee'd off if we don't win.

No doubt in my mind that brilliant preseason results have saved O'Neill copping more flak. It wouldn't deter him, nothing does, but still, he's got off lightly due to some very impressive performances. If we'd failed in preseason there would be more panic amongst Villa fans about how few players we'd brought in; failure to beat Wigan followed by the predictable defeat at Anfield could move quite a few worries to the front of people's mind.

We have a good side, nice strong first XI, as it stands, marginally weaker than last years for the sole reason last year we had Martin Laursen, giant amongst men in side. but that is debatable, for all accounts, key players have improved like Milner and Young; Cuellar looks set for a big season. Sadly, we have just the same weak squad.

I pray for more reinforcements, if for nothing else, so we have less to do in January when Martin is even slower and more pondering than the disaster in the market we have seen this window.

[NowDoINotLikeThat]

still looking forward to season of course but expecting less than last season.

I really did think we'd do more earlier this transfer window given O'Neills comments during our slump last season and his comments in early part of summer so in all honesty i am pretty shocked at the very few number of signings we've done ..

Some comment above saying we've replaced 4 players with 4 players is bit of a joke - if you actually look at the names gone and the players in.

Squad was too small last season anyhow...anyhow its boring to keep saying it - but something isnt quite right about the way we do things. Our set up or something aint quite right -O'Neill needs some sort of help ...Why let Knight go when no immediate back up bought in? Things like this keep happening. Werent that long ago we went best part of 2 seasons without a SINGLE senior proper right back.

[Bazmonkey]

Personally I feel very much as if it’s been anti-climactic. We go in to the season less well prepared than the last but I can see some good signs from the youth players.

I think MON has let down the club by his transfer dealings, I know there is still time but I think we are making the same mistakes time and time again and he really should not of allowed Knight to leave unless he was 100% sure he had a replacement. He’s whined about the small squad and done nothing to address this – you can bleat on about quality for ages but if you only go after the Ronaldo’s of this world eventually you just have to accept that you get the best of who will actually come to you.

If we have a slow start to the season it’s going to be even harder to attract players in the final two weeks of the transfer window and we may really struggle.

I’m not quite in the suicidal bit but I’m very disappointed and pessimistic as regards out chances this season and although I’ll be there cheering the lads on tomorrow I think we may have to accept we missed our chance last season and the best we can hope for this season is a cup and mid-table monotony.

Ditto. Couldn't have put it better myself. Slightly worried that we will start has we finished last year Wigan will put 10 men behind the ball double up on Young and we wont have a clue what to do because we just dont have the quality nor a Plan B.

[dont_do_it_doug.]

Tomorrow, come 3 o'clock, I won't give a shit about Gareth Barry, replacing Laursen, signing a 34 year old 3rd choice keeper, the race for Sneijder or any of that crap.

It's all about the game. That is, after all, all that really matters.

[Thrice]

Very even poll so far.

[Davies4England]

I think I know who the suicidal one is.

[YLN]

Somewhat optimisticc

[Ghost_of_Pongo_Waring]

Some comment above saying we've replaced 4 players with 4 players is bit of a joke - if you actually look at the names gone and the players in.

How is it a 'bit of a joke'?

We've replaced two 'first team' players, one back up player and one third choice keeper with two 'first team' players, one back up player and one third choice keeper

Whether the quality is the same or worse is subjective but the fact that we've lost four and signed four players is just that, a fact.

[NowDoINotLikeThat]

Have we immeditely replaced two "first team" players ?

Downing can't play for probably another 3-4 months and Delph is what he is - a promising talent.

Beye will be good cover for Luke Young and is a seasoned pro.

But regardless of all that .. O'Neill said himself squad was too small last season...boring i know but ; 4 - 4 + 4 = 0

Fact - as you might say ... O'Neill would acknowledge that.

I just thought given O'Neills comments on the tail end of last season and early part of summer we wouldnt be lacking numbers yet again.

we have currently have 2 senior center backs... :oops:

[Grant(aka_eddy)]

I went for optimistic but probably lie somewhere between this and neutral. (though the description in neutral is imo something to be fairly pleased about).

We need another couple in i think. A central defender is a must we all know that, maybe 2.

Then there is the option to add in a flair player of some sort. I would like a real goalscorer too but i cant see that one happening. But i'm confident these players will come in and be added to Delph, Downing, Beye, Albrighton & Clark.

I have a really good feeling about this season.

[johnsonp]

Its the start of the season, I am always optimistic