Tomaszk

Has villa21 got a new account here?

At least they don't need a point or something for the league.

Willing to have him fresh for games it's possible to sneak points in. No point flogging him, he was shagged v Wolves from minute 1. If he picks up a hamstring or something, that's it. We're down.

Recommended reading sir Mundane, oh my no, it's not 1982 I'm afraid. The reason Salah, Mane and Klopp are at Liverpool is all the work of the analysis team. Makes sense, why would you have a manager who spends all his time coaching to find players in his spare time?

If we stay up he'd dive at the chance. Absolutely dive at it. To be honest, I think he'd be interested even if we went down. He's on an astronomical wage at Burnley, something like £4.5m a year, if we said yeah we'll match it I think he'd either ask Burnley to let him go or at least use it to get a new deal off them.

I voted for Wenger because it was so funny.

I'd leave him at home for Liverpool. We need him fit, and that's a match we're more likely to get 0 in than any other.

Foreign signings were all fine under Sherwood. Better than fine in fact, good. Sherwood's experienced selections of Richards and Lescott relegated us. Plus obviously the disastrous management of Tim and others. I've changed my tune with football recently, it's so easy. The key to success is honestly two steps. Maybe three. 1) Don't but shit players 2) Do buy good players 3) Get a good manager, though this will happen on it's own soon enough as you progress due to having good players and not shit ones

It's not that "they aren't his players", it's that they're crap, and cost twice their value. If Suso stays at Aston Villa past July I'll be very sad because we're totally ****. Don't want to think about the damage he'll do wasting the Grealish money. He's already lumbered us with plenty we can't sell for what we paid despite that being number 1 on the brief of his signings. I don't know what Smith is meant to do given a choice of six players and they're all shit? We needed an entire squad. We had to sign minimum 10 players. He couldn't say no to everyone. He plucked Engels who he remembered from Brentford scouting the options for centre half were so bad! Smith could easily get sacked, and yes, you can certainly argue he deserves it. He's been poor this season. It's likely he's not here when we start next season IMO. Suso however should be thrown out the back door into the bins and told never to darken our doorway again.

Everyone keep you eyes on Forest next season as I think Mendes has a tie in there. If he decides to give them some good players, they'll be another team ahead of us inside two years.

@TRO you'll be at Dyche's throat after six months in the job. We'll be losing games in the Championship and doing nothing but kick it long and in the air. Actually...you liked that before Smith arrived I seem to recall Also, there's a team of about 10 analysts who at Liverpool who buy the players, Klopp doesn't do it. He may have a choice between two they give him, but he doesn't identify any players himself.

Uh oh.

Nice giving it a go with quazillionaire Jim Ratcliffe sticking dosh in. Made four or five outstanding young signings. Wouldn't be surprised at all the see Mounir Chouiar who we've been linked with go there for next season.

Fair. A man in Benteke who could score PL goals on his own is very rare though. If we'd had any old average striker like Jay Rodriguez or Samatta all season we'd have picked up 9 or 10 points more before Christmas IMO.

The whole debate with Smith comes down to if you think this squad is good enough to stay up. I don't. I think the summer was a missed opportunity to set us up as a premier league club again. Suso **** it. I'd replace Smith if we perform a miracle and stay up and keep him if we go down.

Wenger

Only people ever moaning were Scottish press and Celtic. Obvious move to make for Rodgers. Great appointment by Leicester, an obvious step up for them. Biggest "get" in recent years has to be Leeds getting Bielsa in Championship.

Confidence is a huge part of sport. Our team is on the floor and has been for a long time after many sickening gut punches this season. I don't think Smith makes players go backwards. I think every single player got better and better when he came in last season. The the bad run started and hey, they struggled again, before winning some matches and looking good again. If you think Smith makes all players go backwards that's OK. You hold onto that. Just on those two players btw. Coady remains below average surrounded by brilliant players and Traore is used as he should be in a great system. This sort of ability was always there with him. Pulis was the one to initially turn him round.

Wasn't the question. Yes, he probably has.

I think Smith would do a great job at Wolves yes, they have great technical players. Top 10 no problems. Probably not as good as Nuno no because he isn't as good a manager. Sheff U he might struggle, 433 wouldn't suit them and that's all he plays. Definitely wouldn't have them up there because he isn't as good a manager as Wilder. We'd be in a relegation battle with Nuno or Wilder or Klopp or Pep because we have a lot of terrible players.

No chance he's leaving. Five year deal at the start of the season. Only bells like Gregg Evans keep saying he'll be leaving with Grealish.

Oh yeah absolutely, we don't have the facility to get players for half of their value like Wolves. Dream if we did. Wolves have absolutely won the lottery and won't be returning to anywhere below 10th for the next 10 years if the Mendes relationship remains in place. If they qualify for the Champions League which will probably happen in the next two or three years it opens them up to another level of player. (Incidentally Arsenal are currently showing what happens when that kind of relationship goes south. Making a right mess... I mean, so have we, hopefully Suso the charlatan hasn't put us in too deep with his useless agent mates) But we could have finished 12th this season if we'd bought good players and not shit ones. Yes, even with Dean Smith IMO. We have a early 00s guy in charge of recruitment. Not a man for the 2020s. We need to get data guys in to find the pool of players, then use scouts to refine from there. OR. Get Jonathan Barnett in to do all our deals

People will tell you it's hard and takes time to build a club. Nope. Not at all. Just buy good players, not shit ones. That's 90% of the battle. Hire a good manager. There's the last 10%. So easy. This is Wolves' second season in the PL, not their tenth. What a fecking damaging waste of time the summer was. That was a huge chance to set ourselves up. Now we're going to lose one of our best players ever and have to start again.

Montella! Been a disaster in his last three or four jobs. If Gallardo can speak English, he'd still be a bold appointment. Huge change for him. The sort of name I'd be interested in at the end of the season, not now.

I can't believe he's not in the squad if he's fit. Madness. This guy is a shambles.