Rightdm00

Just now, DaveAV1 said:

He was a striker last the last couple of years but before that he was a very good wide player previously.  How do you know which he preferred?
 

I think we’re aiming for a less traditional and rigid approach to our forward play. As an intelligent footballer I’m sure that Ollie is well suited to both understanding and adapting to the teams needs. I don’t for a minute believe this will have a detrimental effect on him or the team. Quite the opposite in fact. 

Ollie was a decent to above average Championship winger. HE didn't earn his move to the PL til he moved to striker.  Why would we move him back out wide for a replacement that isn't even clearly better than him. 

Definitely don't want to spend £40 million on a non-versatile backup who can only play one position. Tammy had his chance and blew it. We are on to bigger and better things now.

3 hours ago, KMitch said:

Uh...  When was this?  This is some revisionist history here...  

Not going to dig up the article for a half assed transfer rumor but it was understood Tammy chose to go fight for his place with Chelsea after his loan ended. 

That's his right and he shouldn't be judged either way for it.  I just take issue with part of our fan base clammering for a Tammy return and to make it happen are willing to shuttle Watkins out wide. You wonder why footballers have so little loyalty. 

Watkins is a striker, that's how he see himself and that's how the management team sees him as well. If you are going to force him out of his preferred position at least have the decency to make sure the addition is better than him and not some Chelsea reject unwilling to fight for position at his current club. Just reeks of disrespect, especially after the season he just delivered. 

So many creaming over Tammy after he had the chance to come here and promptly turned us down. Couldn't be me. 

Rice is on his way out at West Ham and they have a striker, Antonio, who can't stay healthy. Pretty much a guarantee he ends up there. 

42 minutes ago, Zatman said:

Levy promised an attack minded manager, gets a cut price Jose in  

Did well at Wolves but his tactics were found out and he never moved on

Almost as bad as us bringing in McLeish. Still can't believe that actually happened. 

Worst header of the ball at Villa in the last ten years. I'm including everyone, not just centerbacks.

Just now, PieFacE said:

I'm strangely not worried about this one bit.

Same. The fee would be the largest in PL history. What was the last time a transfer like that worked out. 

13 hours ago, Cizzler said:

Like Leicester admitted after they sold Kante, Maguire, Mahrez and Chilwell? Oh wait, they won the FA Cup and came 5th this year. Every player has his price. If we can't improve the squad with £42.5m in exchange for John McGinn - we need sack the entire recruitment team.

Leicester fought tooth and nail to keep Maguire, Mahrez, and Chillwell. They made the buying club improve their bid multiple times, sometimes stretching the process out over an entire season, before they agreed to sell and then only because the player wanted to leave. 

The way people on here are talking if Liverpool offer us 40 million we will take it and leave without even putting up a fight. We roasted the previous owner for doing that exact thing. If we are to challenge for Europe then selling our best midfielder without much complaint is definitely not the best way forward. 

What a fake but hilarious transfer saga this whole Rashica business turned out to be. Doubt, in the end, we were ever in for him. Always had our eyes on superior players. 

40 minutes ago, hippo said:

If the opportunity to sign a top striker comes along we should take it.

Let two top strikers fight it out for the starting place. If the prospective purchase isn't confident of displacing Watkins that's his choice.

I think I follow what the previous poster was getting at. Leicester can make that striker signing because they know Vardy is pretty much done playing every match. They even played 2 up top for awhile so they have playing time available to entice a younger signing. 

If someone like Daka looks at our setup. One striker upfront and the first choice is a T1000 that never gets injured. Might not be as attractive a proposition. 

Dean has to ensure that whoever we bring in is fine competing for a spot but also cool with spending some time on the bench if he loses out. Our team harmony is so good right now. Definitely don't want to spoil that.  

1 hour ago, villalad21 said:

Bielsa is a terrible, terrible shout. An utter failure for Argentina.

His whole philosophy is based on the fitness of his players and getting everything out of them. How is he supposed to do that for a week with them and then they return to their clubs?

Howe and Potter seem like much better options

Bielsa literally became a household name while managing Chile though. I'm not saying I'm behind Bielsa getting the job but presenting him as a clueless manager at the International level is not true at all. 

Southgate tossing a half fit Maguire straight back in is dumb but probably better off for Mings. That way no one can blame him when England inevitablely loses in the knockout 1-0. 

Honestly this is so unfair to Jack. On a national team where over half of the squad is out earning him he is being asked to save an entire nation.  All because England appointed a failed Championship manager to the job.

Yeah I'm good with Jack not risking injury playing for whatever that was.  

The longer Southgate can go without Jack in this tournament the better. Jack just spent 3 months on the sideline because he has an injury that is caused by playing to many matches with little to no recovery time in between.  The matches are only 4 days apart. That's a pretty tight window in terms of recovery.  Why wear out Jack now in the group stages when far grater challenges than Scotland or Crotia await once the knockout stage gets here. 

6 hours ago, WallisFrizz said:

Hearing Ashley Young talk about how Conte sets such high standards for fitness and we’ve all heard about how tough Bielsa is and how fit the Leeds players are. Then hearing Jack at England camps talking about how much more intense the training is and how he runs more in matches (wasn’t entirely convinced by this, thinking he was sucking up to GS a bit there).

Is Dean too easy on our players? Could they be fitter, work harder, run more in matches. We’re different to Leeds and that is fine but actually is fitness/stamina/intensity an area we could improve on? Although we appear to pretty good sprinters from the data comparisons Ive seen, we are amongst the worst runners overall.

Dean is clearly popular amongst the players and they all seem happy but should he demand more from them? It might just be our Covid break affected us badly as I’m sure we started the season well in terms of pressing considerably more than the previous season. Or maybe it’s something that’s easier to maintain with a deeper squad.

It’s just that fitness seems such an easy win in terms of improving a squad, doesn’t matter how expensive or skilled the players are.

Just pondering really. 

All our pressing stats were much improved this past season. Actually in the first 3rd of the season we were pressing more than anyone else. 

What screwed us was that we had a european campaign like fixture list with a very thin squad.  The matches rescheduled due to COVID forced us to play a game once every 5 days or so for 3 months straight. 

I know their will always be moaners but man I had no idea this many would have negative words for Young's return. Nostalgia is one of the main reason we are all fans. Your Dad, Uncle, Brother, Mom or whomever bringing you to your first match as a little one. How everything seemed so large and loud. How it all made you feel. It's literally why most of us are here. 

Seriously if you can't get swept up in a little nostalgia then I have to ask....Who hurt you?  

Used to put us down for 2 losses every season when Arsenal was at its peak with Wenger. Now they are under threat of becoming our second London based feeder club. 

Sounds like agent talk, still absolutely hilarious. 

I better not find out any of you hating on this link posting about how great it would be to have Benteke re-sign. 

If actually true, wouldn't be the worst signing. Better than his replacement and should be pretty cheap. As long as it's a one year deal and no crazy signing on fees I say go for it. 

Wrong thread

39 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

Competed for everything which is standard 

Passed when he should have passed, launched it when he should have launched 

The surprise for me was how confident stone and pickford were to give him the ball when him launching it was the only option he had rather than do it themselves, almost like mings big boot was better than theirs 

Same reason why he handles most of our forward passing from the back. He has the courage and the accuracy. Couldn't be any happier for him. Great performance. 

If the players truly want to play I'm okay with the match resuming. Their is no one way to deal with an unprecedented situation like this. 

Tears of joy when it was confirmed he was awake and stabalised. So many people the players, Refs, medical staff covered themselves in glory while helping to save his life. Not really worried about who may have gotten something wrong, in the end Christian is alive and that's all that matters. 

Wow what a downgrade from Carlo. Can't imagine many are wowed from this appointment.