Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: warleyboy on July 11, 2015, 09:35:30 AM
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With the new season drawing nearer, what is the optimism for our new season ahead.
After our lack lustre cup final performance, I was very enthusiastic about the transfer window, adding to Delph and Cleverley in midfield, Tekkers up front, strengthening on defence.
Possible new owners, clearing out Lerner and starting afresh with some big investment.
But yet again feeling disappointed that Cleverley decided to move to Everton, clauses for Tekkers and Delph highlighted in media.
Delph about to move on with Tekkers not far behind.
Yes, we have managed to get rid of some of the bomb squad, but replacing Given for Bunn, obviously a cost cutting exercise but really !
And what an embarrassing new kit launch, pretty sickening to say the least.
My hopes for the coming season were pretty optimistic, hoping for a mid table finish, beating a few of the top four along the way.
Unfortunately I cannot see this at the present time, some new players are going to have to hit the floor running.
Can see another relegation battle ahead, just hope we have enough to stay in the premier league.
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Black. It's all black.
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For the first time in years we're starting a season without a dour scottish twat in charge, and that's got to count for something
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Woe. I see woe and pain. And a bit more woe.
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(https://windfarmaction.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/private-fraser.jpg)
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Yes, we have managed to get rid of some of the bomb squad, but replacing Given for Bunn, obviously a cost cutting exercise but really !
Where's the problem here?
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I'm sure Southampton fan feared for the worse when the lost Chambers, Lovren, Lallana, and Lambert and replaced them with virtual unknowns on these shores. We looked like we had the basis of something at the end of last season but we've got Grealish to build on last season, N'Zogbia in the last season of his contract which is when he usually pulls up trees, Sinclair who looked bright and positive, Kozak who should be good for at least 10 goals, Clark/Richards/Okore as centre-halves.
Its been a disappointing summer so far but we will now have the dying embers of Lambert extinguished and we will be a Sherwood team. I'm still hopeful if not dripping with confidence.
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Yes, we have managed to get rid of some of the bomb squad, but replacing Given for Bunn, obviously a cost cutting exercise but really !
Where's the problem here?
Depends how you look at it Dave.
Given replaced Guzan for the rest of the season after his Man City error, with the exception of Burnley.
Given gets shipped to Stoke and we get a free from Norwich!!!
I'm sorry but it stinks of cost cutting at its worst, is this the type of player you would like to bring into the club?
And how will Guzan feel, I'd be mighty peeved in the circumstances, Given was made no1 and now replaced with currant Bunn, does this make him our new no.1.
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Pain.
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Pain.
Wot...no misery?
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Yes, we have managed to get rid of some of the bomb squad, but replacing Given for Bunn, obviously a cost cutting exercise but really !
Where's the problem here?
Depends how you look at it Dave.
Given replaced Guzan for the rest of the season after his Man City error, with the exception of Burnley.
Given gets shipped to Stoke and we get a free from Norwich!!!
I'm sorry but it stinks of cost cutting at its worst, is this the type of player you would like to bring into the club?
And how will Guzan feel, I'd be mighty peeved in the circumstances, Given was made no1 and now replaced with currant Bunn, does this make him our new no.1.
I can't see an issue with this. I still think Guzan is a better keeper than Given and Bunn looks a decent back up keeper and is only 30. He seems to have been a bit unlucky with injuries but I would imagine his salary is nowhere near what we were paying Given.
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Cost cutting? Getting rid of a player you've been paying 50k a week over 4 years who's only played a handful of games, I'd call it long over due.
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Benteke and Delph gone for £40 million. Randy throws in his usual tuppence ha'penny.
Sherwood buys a new striker, midfielder, winger, centre back, left back and keeper.
We surprise everyone by coming out of the blocks and being top four into September.
By Christmas we're mid table.
By March the relegation thread is into three figures.
By April the rumblings of Sherwood leaving are mounting.
By May he's gone.
By July Grealish is kissing the shirt on the new season's kit promo.
By August Grealish is playing for Man City's youth team.
Repeat ad infinitum.
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Good shout, exigo but I can't see Sherwood lasting until May.
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Yes, we have managed to get rid of some of the bomb squad, but replacing Given for Bunn, obviously a cost cutting exercise but really !
Where's the problem here?
Depends how you look at it Dave.
Given replaced Guzan for the rest of the season after his Man City error, with the exception of Burnley.
Given gets shipped to Stoke and we get a free from Norwich!!!
I'm sorry but it stinks of cost cutting at its worst, is this the type of player you would like to bring into the club?
And how will Guzan feel, I'd be mighty peeved in the circumstances, Given was made no1 and now replaced with currant Bunn, does this make him our new no.1.
I can't see an issue with this. I still think Guzan is a better keeper than Given and Bunn looks a decent back up keeper and is only 30. He seems to have been a bit unlucky with injuries but I would imagine his salary is nowhere near what we were paying Given.
Totally agree JD, Guzan is the better keeper, hence why was he taken out of first team.
From his point of view, lost his place to Given, now Given replaced with Bunn.
I'm hoping Bunn is 3rd place to Steer.
I'm hoping Guzan is still up for it.
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Given replaced Guzan for the rest of the season after his Man City error, with the exception of Burnley.
Given gets shipped to Stoke and we get a free from Norwich!!!
I'm sorry but it stinks of cost cutting at its worst, is this the type of player you would like to bring into the club?
Replacing one player who isn't going to play for another that isn't going to play and saving £40k per week into the bargain?
I'd say that's cost-cutting at it's best.
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Yes, we have managed to get rid of some of the bomb squad, but replacing Given for Bunn, obviously a cost cutting exercise but really !
Where's the problem here?
Depends how you look at it Dave.
Given replaced Guzan for the rest of the season after his Man City error, with the exception of Burnley.
Given gets shipped to Stoke and we get a free from Norwich!!!
I'm sorry but it stinks of cost cutting at its worst, is this the type of player you would like to bring into the club?
And how will Guzan feel, I'd be mighty peeved in the circumstances, Given was made no1 and now replaced with currant Bunn, does this make him our new no.1.
I can't see an issue with this. I still think Guzan is a better keeper than Given and Bunn looks a decent back up keeper and is only 30. He seems to have been a bit unlucky with injuries but I would imagine his salary is nowhere near what we were paying Given.
Agreed. And also worth remembering he had a burgeoning reputation as a youngetser. Plus Jed Steer is still a potentially decent keeper.
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I don't feel the excitement going into this season I'm a bit worried about what's going to happen I just hope it's not another relegation struggle for us.
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#prayfor17th
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Way too early to make a call on how well we'll do. We managed to do a lot better last season just by changing attitude and in the end it's not like mid table teams (points wise) were massively ahead. Positions 9 down were quite compressed in the end. I don't think we will be in a relegation battle and with the right types of signing (Gueye and hopefully Amavi will be a good start) we can start to look up not down.
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The new owners will be unveiled next week and they'll proceed to spend a hundred million quid on new players. The team will then go on to win the league with a record number of points and goals. They'll also win the League and FA Cups at a canter. And Tim Sherwood will be hailed as the new Messiah.
Dead easy this prediction malarkey.
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The question of whether selling Given for Bunn is good cost cutting depends on how expandable you see Given to be. If he would play Given in all the Cup games at least then to me that would make keeping him worth while, if not then maybe not. Of course he might do that with Bunn but unlike Given he is unproven. I can see why Sherwood made that call, but I don't know if I would have.
As for this season? I expect us to struggle again, but if we can hold onto some of our better players, and the squad gels more and one or two new players make an impact then fingers crossed we will look more secure than for most of last season. Once again the standard of the league is looking pretty poor which should help us. My main question mark is over the manager, he was a big gamble anyway, but as a short term manager to give the players a lift he made sense, but I'm not convinced that he has what it takes to move us forward in the long term. How he keeps his head when the going gets tough and his flexibility when it comes to tactics could define our season I think. Right now I think we will finish maybe one or two players higher than we did last season, and then of course it would be a bonus to have another decent run in the cup. I don't expect much of an improvement in other words.
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One of the big differences we now have is a decent back room set up. From specialist goalkeeping coaches/coaches to new assistant manager, compared to what we have had for the last few seasons, this is a massive improvement. I am hoping this will add stability and a cohesive idea of how we want to play. This coupled with an energetic ambitious manager, who now has an opportunity to build his own team (on and off the pitch) and really prove himself.
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Same old
Same old
We go again
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We'll be fine
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The question of whether selling Given for Bunn is good cost cutting depends on how expandable you see Given to be. If he would play Given in all the Cup games at least then to me that would make keeping him worth while, if not then maybe not. Of course he might do that with Bunn but unlike Given he is unproven. I can see why Sherwood made that call, but I don't know if I would have.
As for this season? I expect us to struggle again, but if we can hold onto some of our better players, and the squad gels more and one or two new players make an impact then fingers crossed we will look more secure than for most of last season. Once again the standard of the league is looking pretty poor which should help us. My main question mark is over the manager, he was a big gamble anyway, but as a short term manager to give the players a lift he made sense, but I'm not convinced that he has what it takes to move us forward in the long term. How he keeps his head when the going gets tough and his flexibility when it comes to tactics could define our season I think. Right now I think we will finish maybe one or two players higher than we did last season, and then of course it would be a bonus to have another decent run in the cup. I don't expect much of an improvement in other words.
shouldn't you at least wait until early August to see who we've signed / sold before trying to wind people up?
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As ridiculous as it sounds I'd be rather excited if we sold Benteke and replaced him with three or four new faces. A couple of quality winger / forwards relegating Gabby to the reserves, a new centre forward and a good left back and we'll be well on our way to a top half finish.
As it stands if Benteke stays and we only bring in one more player, I'd be pretty disillusioned. Just seems like it will be another year of the same.
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Whilst I am really bored of all the hat about Benteke and the slow way we are dealing with transfers incoming, my impatience, I would rather wait until the end of the transfer window before I really start moaning. Ideally, we sign another couple of decent players before the season starts. Work still to be done, fricking get on with it!
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The question of whether selling Given for Bunn is good cost cutting depends on how expandable you see Given to be. If he would play Given in all the Cup games at least then to me that would make keeping him worth while, if not then maybe not. Of course he might do that with Bunn but unlike Given he is unproven. I can see why Sherwood made that call, but I don't know if I would have.
As for this season? I expect us to struggle again, but if we can hold onto some of our better players, and the squad gels more and one or two new players make an impact then fingers crossed we will look more secure than for most of last season. Once again the standard of the league is looking pretty poor which should help us. My main question mark is over the manager, he was a big gamble anyway, but as a short term manager to give the players a lift he made sense, but I'm not convinced that he has what it takes to move us forward in the long term. How he keeps his head when the going gets tough and his flexibility when it comes to tactics could define our season I think. Right now I think we will finish maybe one or two players higher than we did last season, and then of course it would be a bonus to have another decent run in the cup. I don't expect much of an improvement in other words.
shouldn't you at least wait until early August to see who we've signed / sold before trying to wind people up?
Not trying to wind anyone up just giving my opinion as it stands now which I made clear in the post. To me the issue is Sherwood, the manager is the most important part of a football club being successful and we're going to find out over the next season if he is more than just a bubbley young manager.
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Down by Christmas. Club dissolved next season. Villa park to be demolished and the earth salted.
On the plus side I reckon we will hang on to benteke.
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The question of whether selling Given for Bunn is good cost cutting depends on how expandable you see Given to be. If he would play Given in all the Cup games at least then to me that would make keeping him worth while, if not then maybe not. Of course he might do that with Bunn but unlike Given he is unproven. I can see why Sherwood made that call, but I don't know if I would have.
As for this season? I expect us to struggle again, but if we can hold onto some of our better players, and the squad gels more and one or two new players make an impact then fingers crossed we will look more secure than for most of last season. Once again the standard of the league is looking pretty poor which should help us. My main question mark is over the manager, he was a big gamble anyway, but as a short term manager to give the players a lift he made sense, but I'm not convinced that he has what it takes to move us forward in the long term. How he keeps his head when the going gets tough and his flexibility when it comes to tactics could define our season I think. Right now I think we will finish maybe one or two players higher than we did last season, and then of course it would be a bonus to have another decent run in the cup. I don't expect much of an improvement in other words.
shouldn't you at least wait until early August to see who we've signed / sold before trying to wind people up?
Not trying to wind anyone up just giving my opinion as it stands now which I made clear in the post. To me the issue is Sherwood, the manager is the most important part of a football club being successful and we're going to find out over the next season if he is more than just a bubbley young manager.
The issue is Sherwood? What issue are you talking about?
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I've had a long time to think about this and I think we're going to be fucking brilliant.
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I've had a long time to think about this and I think we're going to be fucking brilliant.
You'll do for me young Thomas. That's the spirit
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Talking to someone earlier and as we have kept Delph and added The Hat man to the replace 3 game wonder Cleverley. I think if we do not let anymore go or sign anymore the mere fact we have had a full pre season and with TS motivational skills I really think we will be well clear of the dog fight at the bottom.
Although could easily have lost both opening games >:(
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I'm cautiously optimistic. I think in all honesty with the squad we had last season Lambert underachieved and we should have been looking at mid table. So if we add some quality like we're seemingly looking to we could have a much better season than the last few. Obviously benteke leaving is a wild card which could go either way with the money it would bring in against losing such a good player.
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Well, on current form, we've lost the last 3, conceded 11 and scored 2.
I'm still not convinced about Sherwood at all but I'd take him over the last waste of space we had. That's about as positive as I can force myself to be at the moment.
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I think it's only fair to judge him after his first full season.
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Bottom 18
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I'm feeling comfortable with the idea of a 9th-13th place finish if Benteke sticks around. A little more leery but still fairly confident if he goes but we manage to replace him with two or three genuinely quality players.
We went 7/1/8 under Sherwood. Take away the cup games, and that's 5/1/7 - not great, but that translates to, what, just under 48 points over a full season? Yes, we had the entire max-effort thing and a Benteke hot streak which may have overinflated our performances. But on the other hand, we threw away points against Newcastle, Stoke, QPR and arguably Burnley (where nobody gave a toss), while winning deservedly against Everton, West Ham, Sunderland and Spurs (Baggies victory was a bit fortunate thanks to Foster's brain explosion); Gueye and Richards are already in and you'd expect a couple more to turn up regardless of whether Benteke stays or goes; and I'd hope that Sherwood expanding his selection options will do us good in different areas.
I think Sherwood's apparent all-or-nothing approach will do us good as well. I could see something like a 14-4-21 sort of season for us, where we're constantly turning 1 point into either 0 or 3 rather than just settling.
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I think we will stay up if the window shut after Amavi signed, and fairly comfortably. We almost have 2 players for each position that you would say are better than bottom 3 material now.
Guzan is a solid mid table keeper. Bunn is 10 years younger and from what I saw at Nowich no worse than the 39 year old Given and only costs a quarter of it.
Right back still looks iffy but Hutton and Bacuna can cover there for another 12 months realistically. Left back
Centre half we look ok bodies wise, but Clark, Baker, Senderos, Okore and Richards have missed huge chunks of the last 3 seasons with injury etc, so I would like another, also allowing Richards to get back to being a right back by October when it dawns on Sherwood he can't play centre half. I also expect Senderos to leave at some point.
Centre mid I think we are ok to go on now, another attacking midfielder would be nice but unless Benteke goes the budget would be a luxury.
Wide/ behind the forward we have Gil, Grealish, Sinclair, NZogbia, Gabby? One of Chery or Townsend would be useful, but we don't need both really.... Joe Cole is almost a player coach/ mentor role anyway and doesn't really count. Selling NZogbia and getting Chery looks smart business there.
Up top Benteke is obviously the man. Kozak is a decent reserve to him. Robinson adds youthful hope. Gabby... yeah.
A striker would be nice, but if Benteke stays then not really needed. In fact if Amavi does sign you could make an argument that a first choice right back and centre half are more important than any of the attacking players because Gil and Sinclair were pretty decent additions in January.
I also agree with the post above. I think somewhere between 46 and 52 points next season will be got, which will be solid mid table fair, and allow next summer, with the TV money and probable sales, to rebuild much of the "squad" players into first team.
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The question of whether selling Given for Bunn is good cost cutting depends on how expandable you see Given to be. If he would play Given in all the Cup games at least then to me that would make keeping him worth while, if not then maybe not. Of course he might do that with Bunn but unlike Given he is unproven. I can see why Sherwood made that call, but I don't know if I would have.
As for this season? I expect us to struggle again, but if we can hold onto some of our better players, and the squad gels more and one or two new players make an impact then fingers crossed we will look more secure than for most of last season. Once again the standard of the league is looking pretty poor which should help us. My main question mark is over the manager, he was a big gamble anyway, but as a short term manager to give the players a lift he made sense, but I'm not convinced that he has what it takes to move us forward in the long term. How he keeps his head when the going gets tough and his flexibility when it comes to tactics could define our season I think. Right now I think we will finish maybe one or two players higher than we did last season, and then of course it would be a bonus to have another decent run in the cup. I don't expect much of an improvement in other words.
shouldn't you at least wait until early August to see who we've signed / sold before trying to wind people up?
Not trying to wind anyone up just giving my opinion as it stands now which I made clear in the post. To me the issue is Sherwood, the manager is the most important part of a football club being successful and we're going to find out over the next season if he is more than just a bubbley young manager.
The issue is Sherwood? What issue are you talking about?
I don't understand your question? We all knew that appointing such an in-experience manager was going to be a gamble, and just because he kept us up that gamble doesn't go away. It is much easlier to have the required impact in the short term than over the long term. If we end up clinging on for our lives again at the end of next season then that might suggest that Sherwood isn't all he's cracked up to be. I'm willing to give him a chance, but to pretend that he doesn't have a few things to prove is just naive.
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I'm really optimistic about the coming season, but then I felt the same way about the start to Lamberts second season
My big worry is the start, we need to start well and that's where I have doubts
the worst time to play Bournmouth is the first match away when they are full of confidence and the crowd are up for it
Next come Man Utd we all know what happens here
So we could very easily be playing our third match stuck on the bottom of the league with zero points which would put the team and Sherwood under early pressure, and we arnt good at handling that
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I'm really optimistic about the coming season, but then I felt the same way about the start to Lamberts second season
My big worry is the start, we need to start well and that's where I have doubts
the worst time to play Bournmouth is the first match away when they are full of confidence and the crowd are up for it
Next come Man Utd we all know what happens here
So we could very easily be playing our third match stuck on the bottom of the league with zero points which would put the team and Sherwood under early pressure, and we arnt good at handling that
Yeah its important to get at least a point at Bournmouth to give us something to build on straight away considering our second match. I do like having Man Utd as our first home fixture as there will be a big crowd and it should get the players up for it. The Palace game might be tough depending on what they do in their opening matches. Four points from those first three would do me.
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There's 114 points to play for. I don't see any reason why we can't win it. I also think we'll do the treble this year.
Do you want to bet against us?
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"so - it's all to play for?"
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Flirted with it for a while - Nailed on relegation now.
We're never a club for being lucky, and with the cash windfall coming in next season, it would be just like Villa to drop a division, the same summer it comes into play.
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Another season of struggle, flirting with relegation but eventually staying up. No trophies again the only joy is staying up. Repeat again for the next 2 seasons until relegation eventually happens.
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Delph is replaceable. A rat bastard for the carry on over the past week, but replaceable nonetheless.
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I remember Mortimer and Sid. Delph's nowhere near.
Benteke strikes me as someone that is always looking elsewhere.
We have an owner who seems determined to redefine the adjestive 'absent'.
Surely it's time for the General to don his apple-pie suit.
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Time to spend big. We are crying out for quality. Let's not fail.
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Yeah we would have been relegated last season without the zero goals Delph scored. No idea how we will find a midfielder who can score that many as a replacement.
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Its hard to be optimistic at the moment but I honestly think we will not finish bottom - it will be 18th, above Bournemouth and Watford :(
I hate modern football !
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A lot depends on how we replace Benteke, but I think he defence and midfield will be significantly stronger than in previous seasons.
I like the cut of the players we are signing and have been linked with and hopefully we can pick up more of the same.
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A lot depends on how we replace Benteke, but I think he defence and midfield will be significantly stronger than in previous seasons.
I like the cut of the players we are signing and have been linked with and hopefully we can pick up more of the same.
That's it for me. I'm really pissed off at the manner of the transfer, not so much at the impact of his absence. A good, but definitely not irreplaceable player.
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Im hoping TS can get a siege mentality going, a bit like JG did when he got here, and for this season alone I think we can finish mid table, but God bless Randy, I hope he will let TS use the money coming in, but TS not adibiyawn.
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The next few weeks are crucial and until then I really can't call it. We definitely need more quality or we will really struggle. Especially up front.
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As it stands , we are down.
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If Benteke stays -and its an if - I think comfortable midtable. without him we are in big big trouble unless we get in a quality replacement striker which isn't easy.
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Is this Gueye any good and will he hit the ground running ?
Will Sanchez now be upto PL speed.
Westwood is not PL material, he's had time to prove and he isn't.
Zog needs to go.
Will Gardner stay fit and is he PL level ?
Grealish , big season ahead, will he be able to step up ?
Gil ? Seems lightweight is he getting a second chance ?
Cole - doesn't really count other than influence at BH or from bench.
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The seas, they've started to boil.
The rivers, they've turned red with blood.
Day, that's become night.
Famine, pestilence, war and I think I just saw a pale horse.
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Football isn't about players who have left it is about the players you have/bring in. BFR built a team with the David Platt money and Ron Saunders didn't do too badly after he lost Gidman, Gray, Deehan and Little all around the same time.
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I may be raving mad but I have a feeling that what lies ahead may be a lot better than we all think.
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Really looking forward to next season, obv Delph & Benteke were two players we would like to have kept but this will hopefully mean Sherwoods team is unrecognisable to the garbage pink and fluffy apologists we have watched and grudgingly accepted these last few years.
3 or 4 more starting additions will be welcome, there is talent in this squad, hopefully they can remember and harness it with new blood around them.
When you shop in the 8-10m bracket in mainland Europe you expect better players than crap like we got for 1-3m in Bacuna / El Ahmadi.
Hopefully the summer and this trip to Portugal will have seen them truly worked to physical fitness, something I've always thought we lacked.
Few good results and with a positive character rather than than miserable git in charge this place can take off. 7th/8th is attainable for ANY team below that top bracket and should be where we aim!!
Remember that feeling walking out of Wembley vs Liverpool, this club can make you feel that way, it's been a while but hopefully this is where it happens.
UTV!!!
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Think we need to take a leaf out of Southampton's playbook from last season, anything can happen really, that's all.