Championship 2018-2019

[KRS]

Third time lucky then?

It may be a little early for this thread, but with all the doom and gloom following yesterday’s no show, we have to face the simple fact of another season in the Championship...but is it as bad as some are saying?

We didn’t go up and we didn’t deserve to. The one saving grace is that we would have more than likely been the whipping boys of the Premier League again with this squad and management. At least we know we’ll win a few games and should be pushing for promotion at the top end of the table again.

Another thing to consider is that we’ve been unfortunate to have both Newcastle and Wolves literally steam roll the Championship these last 2 seasons...and I’m genuinely struggling to see any teams that could repeat this next season. The same could be said of Wolves as no one really expected it, and if you throw Cardiff and Fulham into the mix with their uncharacteristic winning streaks, then the Championship next season really is about as open as it could get. With the right management and if we keep our best players, it literally could be there for the taking.

Derby and Middlesbrough offer the best of the rest from last season, where as Baggies, Stoke and Swansea will have to cut their cloth and adjust to life in the Championship accordingly. Is there any real threat from these teams or any unlikely suspects to come into the mix? I may be wrong but I just don’t see what we have to fear next season as long as the team are managed correctly and send out with an attacking philosophy to win games rather than the negative tactics that we’ve all seen far too much of this season.

Let’s see how this summer unfolds, and look forward to a Championship winning season...

[brian green]

The item on the top of any list of priorities for next season has to be, to use the club motto, be prepared.   A good start to the season is absolutely imperative.  No faffing and fannying about with will he/won't he come dramas a week before the start of the season or key players going on global flights to play on international duty, or players housebound by jammed gates.  We must be fully match fit and knowing who is going to play where.  We fell out of the traps last August and never really recovered from it.  It must not happen again.

[PaulWinch again]

Get a bloody plan, get some fresh ideas and start trying to win games rather than avoid losing them.

[sickbeggar]

The whole play-off situation won't have helped. It's hard to plan for next season when you don't know who you can afford to buy, and who's going to be at the club.

[Stu]

The other bright spot is that the club won't increase the price of season tickets, so I'm going to get one.

[sirlordbaltimore]

Let's get at it from the off next season. A more youthful looking starting eleven with a bit more pace and ability to play through the middle instead of moving the ball wide all the time would be nice

[TelfordVilla]

I cant see any grounds for optimism. With no money for transfers and no money for wages, surely this means only Hourihan will remain from the starting 11 yesterday. So whoever the new manager is (and I hope it is Deano) he will need to be very good at bringing in cheap, young talented players from the lower leagues. It may take years to recover from this position.
Derby, Middlesborough, Sheff Utd, Sheff Weds, the 3 coming down, 2 of the 3 coming up and the likes of Leeds etc will be a real test for a completely unknown Villa set up.

[ronshirt]

This is what we're left with (I think):

  2 - De Laet                  29    (1 year)           
  3 - Taylor                    29    (3 years)           
  5 - Chester                  29    (2 years)           
  6 - Whelan                  34    (1 year)           
  8 - Lansbury                27    (3 years)         
  9 - Hogan                    26    (3 years)           
10 - Grealish                 22    (2 years)           
13 - Steer                      25    (1 year)
14 - Hourihane             27     (2 years)
15 - Jedinak                  33     (1 year)
16 - Bree                       20     (3 years)
17 - Richards                29     (1 year)
19 - Green                    19     (1 year)
20 - Bjarnason              30     (2 years)
22 - Kodja                    28     (2 years)
27 - Elmohamady         30     (2 years)
24 - Elphick                  30     (1 year)       
29 - Hepburn-Murphy  19     (2 years)
36 - O’Hare                  20     (1 year)
37 - Adomah                30     (2 years)
38 - Lyden                    22     (1 year)
39 - Davis                     20    (2 years)
44 - McCormack           31     (2 years)
       Gollini                    23    (2 years)
       Gil                          25    (1 year)
       Tshibola                 23   (2 years)

[eddiemunster]

At the end of this season all of the following should be out of contract;

Terry, Bunn, Hutton, Samba, Agbonlahor, Sarkic, Watkins, Abdo, Blackett-Taylor, Borg, Prosser, Pastorek, Clarke, Clark, Finnerty, Coates, Knibbs, Cox, Hall, Idem, Johansson, Stretch, Boucher, Bazeley-Graham, Williams, Rowe.

Finnerty has been sold, and Agbonlahor isn't going to be offered a new contract.

If we don't give any of the others a new contract, then the complete player list for next season will start as follows;


GK: Steer,Gollini


Def :Taylor,Chester,Bree, Richards, Elmohamady, De Laet, Elphick, Bedeau, Suliman, McConnachie, Patterson, Revan, Walker.


Mid: Whelan, Lansbury, Grealish, Hourihane, Jedinak, Bjarnason, Adomah,Green, Gardner, O'Hare, Lyden, Doyle-Hayes, Tshibola, Birch, Birch, Brunt, Ige, Ramsey.


Fwds : Hogan, Kodjia, Davis,  McCormack,McKirdy, Hepburn-Murphy, Guy, Hooper, Mooney, Odutayo, Sea, Tait, Bridge, Pressley.


I've heard we will face a transfer embargo, due to failing FFP , so It'll be interesting how many of the above list will play in the first team squad next season.

[eddiemunster]

Oh and I'm sure Gil is already sold, as part of his loan agreement.

[KRS]

Where has this talk of a transfer embargo came from? Wyness has maintained the stance that we would pass FFP so another bad decision to not invest if we failed...you may as well fail by a long way than marginally if this is true.

[Nunkin1965]

Transfer embargo?
Also some of the younger U23 lads are halfway through 2 year deals.

[David_Nab]

Da Leat forgot we had him...

[Dante Lavelli]

Oh and I'm sure Gil is already sold, as part of his loan agreement.

Not sure, didn't his loan club get relegated which voided that 'must buy' clause.  Pretty sure I read that on here so cannot verify whether true.  Regardless he might be a good back up option to Grealish meaning we can build a team plan around a 'number 10' rather than building a team around Grealish.

[aj2k77]

Gil is shite.