Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: MonsXI on September 01, 2016, 12:05:11 AM
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Well the window has closed how does everyone feel about the business we've done?
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Voted "Happy" simply because I don't particularly like the satellite-based cliché.
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I voted happy.
There was a hell of a lot to get done, and we achieved most of it. Kudos to Dr. Tony and his team.
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The Doc's done us proud. The squad looks in good shape.
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I voted over the moon
If you look at the difference between the squad that finished last season and the group of players we have assembled now the transformation is amazing!
Yes we still have Richards and Gabby but we have managed to clear the decks and replace with a mixture of experience and potential with a fair few leaders thrown in.
Can't wait for this international break to finish and see this group really get down to the business of restoring our pride.
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Happy, but I'm a bit nervous about the goalkeeping position
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It's a brilliant performance. Much more progress than I thought possible,lots of good outs and an almost entirely new first team. Honestly couldn't have asked for more
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60mil spent for a Championship club.. can't ask for much more.
Shifted a lot of deadwood and put a lot of shit players in their place. I'm happy with Dr. Xia. Originally, his tweeting didn't sit well with me but his transparency up to this point clearly shows his commitment to the fans and the club. It was so refreshing to have him openly confirm interest in players and done deals. We didn't have to wait for some shoddy journalist to put out some transfer dross.
We recruited a lot of leaders, I'm thrilled about that. We recruited players with Championship and promotion experience, we needed that. We threw around our weight and showed our clout in the league, the fans needed to see it.
I'm happy. When the players prove their worth and we start stringing together some wins.. then I'll be over the moon.
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Happy, but think we are a keeper, centre half and central midfielder light.
I think what we have done in 2 months though, is remarkable, I think the manager has been backed beyond his wildest dreams, £50m spent, £32 ish net spend and an owner who has already said there will be 1-2 more in January PLUS several loans means the club are already being proactive about the next 4 months to identify what we need.
One note of caution I would have though. Other clubs have strengthened really well. Newcastle look ridiculously strong really, but Norwich who had a more settled side have kept their best players and bought a couple of good additions in, Fulham look a different team and have some really decent signings, Derby bought Vydra and Anya in who will improve them no doubt, and Wolves look ominously strong. This is going to be a scrap and a half now. We have a strikeforce that most sides would cut their arm off for, a very, very talented forward in Grealish and now a winger who can compliment it. Ayew needs to find some form and a smile, the rest need to gel. RDM has got all he needs to have us within 6-9 points of the top 2 come January. He and the coaching team have no excuses. They have to deliver.
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Did what he said he would do. Bought proven Championship winners even when it cost more than the going rate, bought a good manager and coaching staff. Shifted most of the bad apples.
I am happy.
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footyskillz will love you MonXI ... Dave on the other hand.
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I voted happy.
There was a hell of a lot to get done, and we achieved most of it. Kudos to Dr. Tony and his team.
This.
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Happy with the window. The need to get rid of so many has left a small squad and injuries could scupper us, but the starting XI looks strong. Looking forward to seeing how the team develops over the coming months.
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6/10 for me.
At the start of the window two positions most of us would agree we absolutely had to nail were goalkeeper and up top. I'm not convinced we have done either.
Gollini is learning on the job and looks raw. It's one position we couldn't afford to take a chance with after Guzan's disintegration over the past few years.
Up top, we have started games brightly but look like we lack a cutting edge in the games so far this season. McCormack seems to get through a lot of work and looks like a busy player in the Dean Saunders mould (seems to fade quite badly second half, mind). It looks like he needs to play off a target man or an out-and-out penalty box merchant to get the best out of him. There, we have turned to a player who has had the season of his life last year but who has a very mediocre record prior to that. Much like Rudy at Blackburn 14/15, in fact.
Kodjia turns 27 in October, this isn't some young up-and coming forward still finding his way. This is a player who -judging by his record- wasn't even a regular starter at lower division French teams prior to joining Bristol in 2015. Less than 100 appearances from 2008-15. And even in the season of his life last year, he had a stretch where he only scored 2 goals in 17 appearances at one point. I'm sorry, my instinct is we have been done on both that and the Gollini deal. I'll gladly come back on here and eat humble hair pie when Gollini is named in the Championship team of the season and Kodjia wins the Golden Boot.
Elphick looks like the kind of leader we have been lacking, Tish has promise and Albert has a good record at this level over a number of years, so they look our best bit of business.
For all its many, many faults, the side that went down had more ability than most sides in the Championship. It needed heavy duty surgery, mostly to get rid of the shits with the shit attitude. Richards and Gabby -two of the biggest turds in the punchbowl- still fester. So job not done there. And -despite our spending- on the evidence of the games so far (obv pre Albert and Kodjia) we don't look a class above. Far from it.
The argument for bringing in the likes of McCormack and Kodja for the fees we did was they know the division, so there is less risk. There is logic to that, but I can't help thinking that £25-30 million we committed to that pair couldn't have been utilised better. At that sort of range, could we have spent the bulk of that on an Afobe or even Berahino to annihilate the division (aware as I am it would be by no means a given they would take a drop down to the Championship) and a targetman who can actually head and control a ball to replace Rudy. That level of money is more than enough to secure one of the up and coming talents in Italy or Germany too -leagues Di Matteo knows well. The kind who could also make the transition if/when we secure promotion.
Tish and Jedinak look more than capable of breaking up play and offer us a bit of athleticism and bite in the centre of the park. Westwood is still just Westwood, so we are probably short of a CM who can do a bit of everything, as we are when it comes to CB cover. Lescott was mince, but I would have preferred to see him remain instead of Richards.
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very harsh. 9 in and 13 odd out, most of whom were total wankers taking the piss, is good business. 8/10.
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Happy and already looking forward to next summer when we will hopefully need to sign premier league class players :-)
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Happy with the window.
Only further things I was hoping for in an ideal world was Richards and Gabby out, with a good young CB coming in as backup to Chester and Elphick, and a more experienced GK as I'm not sure Gollini is ready to be No.1 all season yet. I'm happy with CM for now with Jedinak starting with either Tish or Westwood, I think Westwood will do OK with Jedinak alongside him. Gardner is then the second backup with Bacuna in there for emergencies.
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Voted 'happy' - a goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders and two forwards, complete transformation of the squad, and some of the deadwood cleared out. Like others, I'm not sure about Gollini and would have preferred a more experienced goalkeeper, but fair play to Dr Tone for delivering what he promised and backing the manager. I'd have voted 'over the moon' if we'd got rid of Richards and Agbonlahor as well.
Anyone been keeping a full list of outs, ins, loans and net spend?
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About as good as we could have realistically hoped for considering we had 10 weeks after Tone took over and the mess we were in.
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footyskillz will love you MonXI ... Dave on the other hand.
I vote happy!
And i vote happy there is a poll. I like them because it gives an accurate representation of what followers are feeling. It also gives each person a chance to have their vote so its fair.
Regards signing I like what we ve done attackimg wise ans defence . I would ideally liked another midfielder . Can't help thinking we would have got a : Bastian Schweinsteiger or Jack Wilshire if we were still in premier league.
But de laet, Chester, Elphick , jedinak, adamoah , McCormack, kosdja , and ever improving gollini . Very decent and all 8 should be the crux of the team
Happy days
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Every goal set out was achieved in the main. This team can only get better as the season goes on and if at the of the season you can rate seven of the nine brought in as 8/10 based on current potential performance I think we will have achieved promotion
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Perhaps the newcomers will be immune to the negativity espoused by Richards and Gabby and that might possibly pull them back into line as we push closer to the PL.
If not then get rid of the freeloaders!
TAKE BACK CONTROL as others have said in other threads
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I'm over the moon with what's been done in this window.
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Voted over the moon but i'm happy first time in quite a while we have actually signed quality leaders in my opinion, Jedniak, Elphick
Hopefully we can all gel on the pitch and stop wilting when we concede, show a bit of lions spirit if you like
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Cautiously happy - we still don't know if all the signings will come off but the club have delivered most of what they said they were aiming for, so you can't complain.
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Happy, only doubt I have is signing an inexperienced, foreign keeper (not sure how good his English is?) when I feel that we needed another old, steady head back there.
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I'd be happier if Hernandez was onboard. Still a few hours to go. But I read they are finished with incoming transfers
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I'd be happier if Hernandez was onboard. Still a few hours to go. But I read they are finished with incoming transfers
I thought in the wise words of SKY...that the window had slammed shut ?
UTV
The Doc
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Would have been OTM if we had another CB, an AM and a NPUM* but on balance "Happy" seems about right. Huge rebuild begun.
*Non-Pointing Utility Midfielder
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I thought Happy and Over The Moon were the same thing
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I'm delighted with it. I'd have certainly taken it on the last day of the season.
I'm surprised we didn't buy another central midfielder but perhaps when the team gels, players like Gardner and Westwood will look more comfortable.
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I'm happy. After renewing my season ticket in the afterglow of Rotherham, I then started to feel I'd been a bit impulsive after we were rolled over in the West Country, but the business has been incisive, directed and bold, even though some of the players are not exactly household names. But as Bristol City showed, the important thing is to get a team playing as a team, no matter who you have playing. Dr Tony has done his bit. Now it's over to RDM and SC to meld and mould and get them playing together. I'm fairly optimistic and looking forward to Forest. But as someone said, it won't be easy as there's a fair amount of fire power in some of our opposition and we're already 8 points off top.
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Happy, only doubt I have is signing an inexperienced, foreign keeper (not sure how good his English is?) when I feel that we needed another old, steady head back there.
He's fluent in English.
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I'm a little anxious about the quality for the prices we have paid. We look like we have a decent Championship team, but think promotion will still be touch and go. Quality wise I was all for a bit of experience, but would have liked a bit more flair and longer term value too at those prices. But fair play to Tony and now it's time for RDM to deliver.
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I'm delighted with it. I'd have certainly taken it on the last day of the season.
I'm surprised we didn't buy another central midfielder but perhaps when the team gels, players like Gardner and Westwood will look more comfortable.
I agree, maybe in a 3 they would
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I'm delighted really given the disaster that was to what it is today. I voted happy because I am being a bit greedy and we could do with more cover at CB and CM. Gabby and Richards are still here also. But realistically combined with the takeover, the manager and coaching staff, now the technical director being appointed it's been an incredible summer. We just need to find the chemistry between the players and start climbing the table. There is more than enough talent and proper leadership to do that now.
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Fairly pleased with the recruitment but until results change and we actually start winning games I'll remain a little bit nervous. I still think we're a bit light in certain areas, but at least Xia has put his money where his mouth is. Let's just hope we click as a team sooner rather than later.
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Over the moon. Now it's up to us to support the players and get the best out of them
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Happy, only doubt I have is signing an inexperienced, foreign keeper (not sure how good his English is?) when I feel that we needed another old, steady head back there.
He's fluent in English.
Well, Mancunian at least
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Reasonably happy, but Central Defence cover is a concern. Plus midfield could've done with one more addition.
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Voted happy, but there again I always convince myself our signings are good, thought we had done OK last season and look how that turned out. Be interesting to see how it goes now.
GK
Gollini - Doesn't look very good as yet. De Guey looked rubbish first season at Man Utd, but they persevered until he got up to speed and now he looks really good. Problem we have is that we are not in a great place to have a GK learning on the job. Hopefully he will cut out the ricks that have gifted a 1 goal start to the opposition most games thus far in his Villa career.
Verdict - No better than Guzan so far, but at least he has the potential to be good eventually (Guzan would only have declined even more). In an ideal world would have liked to have seen someone more experienced come in as well. Bunn and Steer are not good competition.
Defense
Elphick - Really happy with this one. Looks to be a leader on and off the pitch and has a good attitude. Not too shabby a defender at this level either.
Chester - So so start, but think he will be a really good buy.
De Laet - Not convinced he will be any better than Hutton who like De Laet should be OK at championship level. Hopefully I am wrong and he turns out to be better. At least it removes any possibility of that dickhead Richards getting a game at right back though.
Verdict - Much better in defense after swapping out Clark and Lescott for Chester and De Laet. Happy with Baker as back up, though would be a worry if we picked up two injuries and ended up with Richards in defence. Worried about left back, I really do not rate Amavi as a defender and Cissokho is injury prone. Overall a big improvement though.
Midfield
Tsibola - Too soon to judge, and seems to get injured lot. Bit of luck he can be a modern day Ian Taylor as he has energy and looks strong. Like him.
Jedinak - Very pleased with this signing, we have too soft in midfield for too long. About time we had a big hard bastard that doesn't bottle.
Asamoah - Has a very good record at this level, and can only be an improvement on the sulky twat he has been swapped for.
Verdict - Bit light on numbers, but I still hold out hope that Gardner can cut it at this level. Definitely better though so no complaints.
Forwards
McCormack - Best signing of the window in the Championship, and a real statement of intent to the likes of Norwich and Newcastle. Looks a tidy player so far, and fully expect him to bang in 20 goals and create at least 10 this season. From what he has shown so far I think he could handle the step up to the premier league with ease.
Kodjia - Not convinced he isn't a one season wonder like Gestede, but there again he does have the right attributes to be good at this level and he is only 26. Fast, powerful, good engine and scores goals (hopefully). Will stop teams being able to sit back, as he has pace. If we had had that in team earlier in the season we could well have won a few more of the games we dominated first half.
Verdict - Disappointed we didn't get Hernandez, but better Kodjia than Valencia. With McCormack, Kodjia,and Gestede we have three players that are proven at this level to be prolific. McCormack has guile and skill, Kodjia has pace and power, Gestede has height and can hold the ball up. It should let RDM tae a horses for courses approach and vary his tactics according to the opposition. Also means we have option son the bench.
Overall happy. Lerner would have crossed his fingers and relied on Gabby and co being better at this level, whilst flogging the likes of Ayew to get the wage bill down.
We have probably the best first 11 in the league, and we can't really expect Tony Xia to buy the best reserve team as well in the first season. Plus Lescott, Guzan, Vertout, Gana, Bennett etc all gone - malcontents and substandard dreck out of the team.
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I think its unfair to criticize our forward line. I don't think anybody has a stronger group of player up there than we do in this league.
We've strengthened in defence and central midfield, but there isn't quite the depth there that we'd like. I actually like Gollini, despite the mistakes. He looks very assured and prior to Bristol, his shot stopping was fine.
We've made huge strides in two months, the chairman has backed the manager and its hard to imagine that we could have done more.
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Bit pissed off about the international break. It's like getting a new bike for Christmas as a kid. Then it snows for 2 weeks and you don't get to ride the fkn thing!
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6.5/10
Good stuff - bought in solid types to get us out of the division
Not so good stuff - very limited upside potential of any of the new players should we get promoted or want/need to cash in
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Happy, not sure yet about the keeper the spine of the team looks a lot stronger than last season. Once the team has had time to gel we will then see how many were good buys.
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Fairly pleased with the recruitment but until results change and we actually start winning games I'll remain a little bit nervous. I still think we're a bit light in certain areas, but at least Xia has put his money where his mouth is. Let's just hope we click as a team sooner rather than later.
Just said the same. Felt at half time against Bristol that we'd rue not putting away the two or three chances to score that we had. Equally when Ayew didn't square to McCormack for a tap in. Its going to take us as fans time to be confident that we'll grit out a 1-0 rather than needing to batter a side into submission every week, which in fairsness, against Derby, Huddersfield and Bristol, if we'd been 2, 3 or 4 up at half time, they couldn't have complained.
I think it will be a couple of back to back wins that really bind the squad together. Sides are rightly wary of us and stand off us in the first 45 minutes. With the extra pace we have, I think it will be difficult for sides to step up and press us second half or last 30 minutes as Bristol, Derby and Huddersfield did, as we can counter. Equally, if we start getting the results, when somebody goes 1-0 down against us, it will hopefully give them the feeling of "oh here we go, they're going to do to us what they did to such and such a club last week".
Forest and Brentford could be huge games. Back to back wins should be what we aim for and to achieve that would set us up nicely for a tricky game against Ipswich and then Newcastle before we play the Dogheads and the Noses.
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I've voted over the moon because, these last few years there's been lots of talk and no action. Somehow Dr X has turned all this on its' head. Few words, plenty of good signings for this division. Could never have dreamed we would get 8 new players in within such a short space of time.
I usually don't like the international breaks but, for once, think it will work in our favour as RDM et al can have a bit of time to try to blend the players together before our next league match. I know that I'm asking a lot but, really could do with winning our next two matches. Can you imagine what that would do for the confidence of the team and the subsequent atmosphere generated by the fans. Villa Park is truly a place to behold when we are in full voice. Fingers and everything else crossed....bring back the good times!!!!
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60mil spent for a Championship club.. can't ask for much more.
Shifted a lot of deadwood and put a lot of shit players in their place. I'm happy with Dr. Xia. Originally, his tweeting didn't sit well with me but his transparency up to this point clearly shows his commitment to the fans and the club. It was so refreshing to have him openly confirm interest in players and done deals. We didn't have to wait for some shoddy journalist to put out some transfer dross.
We recruited a lot of leaders, I'm thrilled about that. We recruited players with Championship and promotion experience, we needed that. We threw around our weight and showed our clout in the league, the fans needed to see it.
I'm happy. When the players prove their worth and we start stringing together some wins.. then I'll be over the moon.
This.
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I'm pretty happy and think we've done about as well as we could have.
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After last years disaster i'll wait and see.
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I think I'm happy.
It seems to be coming together off the pitch and I'm impressed with how we have moved so many out and gone about signing our new recruits without any nonsense. I like the sound of the sort of characters we have signed, however as regards the quality of them I'm sitting on the fence.
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On the surface, it looks about as good as anyone could have wished for, albeit a question mark for me over Gollini.
Ask me again at Christmas.
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I think there is a big difference this time in that the plan seems to have come first and players have been picked to fit. Last summer I believe we signed decent players but with no plan on how we wanted to get the most out of them. After that we spent a couple of months changing shape and systems until Tim got put out of his misery.
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Happy, only doubt I have is signing an inexperienced, foreign keeper (not sure how good his English is?) when I feel that we needed another old, steady head back there.
He's fluent in English.
And fluent in not catching the ball.
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Well there is no doubt Dr Xia has backed his words with money. Nearly £60M spent takes us into big spenders league for both EPL and EFL. Thank you for that Tony. Now have we spent it on right players? Not sure as its always a 50/50 gamble. Only time will tell.
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Voted happy, but will be over the moon when I read reports from BMH that Richards and Gabby have been held by the throat up against the wall by one of our new leaders and had it explained to them what a privilege it is to play for Aston Villa.
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Happy - for the reason there appears to have been a purpose and a plan about the acquisitions. Time will tell whether the recruits will gel - and I'm mindful that the lower divisions are littered with clubs who throw money at getting promoted to the Premier League, yet failed - however at this early stage I'm cautiously optimistic.
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Incredible turnover in playing staff really. What we all knew was needed but I didn't think realistic for one window.
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Got rid of most bellends
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Nice touch by the club to send an email summarising all the ins and outs of the summer window. Really making an effort to reconnect with the fans
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I think there is a big difference this time in that the plan seems to have come first and players have been picked to fit. Last summer I believe we signed decent players but with no plan on how we wanted to get the most out of them. After that we spent a couple of months changing shape and systems until Tim got put out of his misery.
I think the problem last summer was that we lost the spine of the team in Vlaar, Delph and Benteke (would probably add Cleverley from the end of the previous season as well) and didn't replace that spine. A lot of the money this summer has gone into that spine of the side and it looks much stronger.
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Very interesting point of view KG, I have similar reservations but give credit to the intent shown to radically change the team and hopefully attitude.
I think we should have cashed in on Ayew as I can only see trouble ahead, the Goalkeeper is the biggest gamble.