rubberman

Sounds suspiciously familiar.

Good effort today. Sterling should be gone now - offers nothing, Hart I'd drop too - that was a howler, but we really look like we've got options up front and if we can avoid letting in shit goals, we've got a chance to do something exciting here.

I'm sure the change of heart is most probably down to RDM telling him that he'll be his first choice. Okore has always just seemed to want to play and while Black was in charge I can see why he'd want to look at other options.

Once we've got the first team squad upgraded and are on our way this season, we need to invest in the best youth scouts and coaching possible. To be able to get to where we should rightfully be, and Tony wants us to be, we can't keep buying full new squads each season however much money we have as there will inevitably be times when it goes wrong. We also need to be bringing through home grown players developed in the Villa way much more successfully than we have been doing recently.

That's fair enough - I agree. But I'd also like a cherry on top of the cake to show that Dr X and RDM mean business. (I'm quite greedy).

Their new (part) owner is richer than ours by most accounts.

I'd be keeping Ayew as well - we need more than 1 (good one).

Seems a reasonably solid signing but I hope we're going to get some slightly more exciting incomings as well.

Sounds like RDM is already having a positive impact. A few more of these stories (for the right players) would be very good news.

That is amazing news and will be very interesting to see who these are. (If indeed there are any).

I think so, yes. You might want to allow yourself an hour of optimism first.

Bye Randy.

Hope this moves to 'other football' soon now.

Well, this has all turned out better than expected so far this summer. Now, bring on the transfers.

I kind of get what you mean TRO, but frankly we don't have time. It will be vastly better to get promoted this season and that means getting top 2 to be sure. Which means we need to hit the ground running and start the season fast. As we all know (and I hope RDM does), the squad needs an overhaul - at least half a dozen out and at least the same in. But this time, it needs to be a balanced squad, with a clear plan for how they're going to play and players recruited to fit that. The longer we stay down, notwithstanding the loss of parachute payments, the more we will become a 'championship club' with that level of player and we have to avoid that. So for me the absolute minimum expectation is to be top 6 all season. Time for Dr X and RDM to deliver.

I would really love us to somehow bring in one marquee signing - someone that makes everyone sit up and take notice, ideally a striker. Then get on with the solid but unspectacular build of the rest of the squad. Would not only excite us but would show intent to some of the players thinking about / trying to move on.

"controlling interest" rather than "owns" - that was the change.

Home Team Away Team Guess Spain 1 1 CzechRep Draw R.Ireland 0 1 Sweden Sweden Belgium 2 1 Italy Belgium Austria 2 0 Hungary Austria Portugal 2 0 Iceland Portugal Romania 1 1 Switzerland Draw France 3 0 Albania France Russia 0 1 Slovakia Slovakia England 1 1 Wales Draw Ukraine 1 0 N.Ireland Ukraine Germany 2 1 Poland Germany CzechRep 0 1 Croatia Croatia Spain 1 0 Turkey Spain Italy 1 1 Sweden Draw Belgium 2 0 R.Ireland Belgium Iceland 1 0 Hungary Iceland Portugal 1 1 Austria Draw Romania 1 1 Albania Draw Switzerland 1 2 France France

...and how wide we cast the net.

Because money. And playing in the premier league. Why wouldn't he want that?

Clean slates out!

I get the impression that he'll be impressed by the RDM / Clarke combo and that they might be able to get the best out of Jack with a balance of kick up the arse and backing him. I certainly hope so anyway.

I think we got a better idea by being relegated on less than half the points of our nearest rival. I don't care whether Rudy and Gabby can do a job in the championship - they couldn't in the premier league which is where we need to be asap so they need replacing with players with a higher ceiling.

Time to change the locks at Bodymoor.