Alan McCafu

[brontebilly]

Hutton looked pretty good last season in the championship because the championship is ,  to be fair pretty crap

He was awful in the Prem . 

But it shows how shit Bruce really did last season , crap league . good squad , still failed.

Hutton was our best full back by a distance but still wouldn't have come close to starting for Fulham or Wolves.

[tomd2103]

It does seem funny how we loaded that side of the pitch. Bree has to be the future now as he has potential and will be on a low wage.

Not sure he is ready for that just yet.  Ideally we would have two decent options either side, with the younger players providing support.  I think Neil Taylor’s confidence and form are shattered and we should maybe look at moving him on and bringing in a first choice option at left back.  If Hutton is to be re-signed then one of Elmohamady or De Laet has to go, or perhaps even both. A quartet of Elmohamady / De Laet, Hutton, Bree and a new left back would be about right. 

Bree was a first team regular in a Barnsley side who were around the top 6. Give him a run to gather his confidence and he will be able to do a job there.

Thinking all but the most proven players aren't good enough for us is what got us into this mess.

Agree about Bree, but he has frozen a bit when he has played at Villa Park, particularly against Brentford.  He’s still only young, so it might be worth him havin* another season as an understudy.

Doesn't look like we're going to have that luxury. Get a good pre-season in and then he's going to have to step-up. The kids are going to be thrown into the limelight this season and they're going to have to grow up fast. It will be the making of some. Others will have to dust themselves off and 'go again'.

I don’t know if Elmohamady, De Laet and Hutton will all go will they?  Think that would have to happen for Bree to become first choice. 

[boozey182]

I've been saying for years now that I think full backs are the most important players in a team. If you have decent full backs that are solid defensively and good on the ball, as well as quick, then the whole game changes. They have more time and space on the ball than any other outfield player, and just having a threat from full back can change the mindset of the opposition. It can free up space for the players in front of him, give your winger the freedom to move around the pitch, and the centre backs always have a pass on, moving the ball 10 yards up the pitch.

For all Alan's determination and commitment, it's much more difficult to play on the front foot with him in the team. He's simply not good enough on the ball. As a squad player he'd be okay, but I'm not sure we can afford to pay him to sit on the bench. And besides, we need to be using our younger players as squad fillers, and should have been for years.

[chrisw1]

I've been saying for years now that I think full backs are the most important players in a team. If you have decent full backs that are solid defensively and good on the ball, as well as quick, then the whole game changes. They have more time and space on the ball than any other outfield player, and just having a threat from full back can change the mindset of the opposition. It can free up space for the players in front of him, give your winger the freedom to move around the pitch, and the centre backs always have a pass on, moving the ball 10 yards up the pitch.

For all Alan's determination and commitment, it's much more difficult to play on the front foot with him in the team. He's simply not good enough on the ball. As a squad player he'd be okay, but I'm not sure we can afford to pay him to sit on the bench. And besides, we need to be using our younger players as squad fillers, and should have been for years.

Whilst I partly agree with you, he is the best fullback at the club.  On either side.  If there was a way of keeping him on a more affordable contract and shipping some of the others for a small fee, that would definitely be my preference.

[SoccerHQ]

I've been saying for years now that I think full backs are the most important players in a team. If you have decent full backs that are solid defensively and good on the ball, as well as quick, then the whole game changes. They have more time and space on the ball than any other outfield player, and just having a threat from full back can change the mindset of the opposition. It can free up space for the players in front of him, give your winger the freedom to move around the pitch, and the centre backs always have a pass on, moving the ball 10 yards up the pitch.

For all Alan's determination and commitment, it's much more difficult to play on the front foot with him in the team. He's simply not good enough on the ball. As a squad player he'd be okay, but I'm not sure we can afford to pay him to sit on the bench. And besides, we need to be using our younger players as squad fillers, and should have been for years.

Whilst I partly agree with you, he is the best fullback at the club.  On either side.  If there was a way of keeping him on a more affordable contract and shipping some of the others for a small fee, that would definitely be my preference.

Defensively.

Probably why left back suited him so much, not much expectations for going forward which he has when he plays on the right side.

After not being a huge fan of him for years he won me round last season so if there was a chance for him to stay I'd sign him up.

AEM, Hutton, Bree and a young FB on loan from premier league (similar to Fulham getting in Matt Targett from Southampton) would be ideal mix at full back for us next season and even with our cutbacks shouldn't drain us too much.

[paul_e]

I've been saying for years now that I think full backs are the most important players in a team. If you have decent full backs that are solid defensively and good on the ball, as well as quick, then the whole game changes. They have more time and space on the ball than any other outfield player, and just having a threat from full back can change the mindset of the opposition. It can free up space for the players in front of him, give your winger the freedom to move around the pitch, and the centre backs always have a pass on, moving the ball 10 yards up the pitch.

For all Alan's determination and commitment, it's much more difficult to play on the front foot with him in the team. He's simply not good enough on the ball. As a squad player he'd be okay, but I'm not sure we can afford to pay him to sit on the bench. And besides, we need to be using our younger players as squad fillers, and should have been for years.

Whilst I partly agree with you, he is the best fullback at the club.  On either side.  If there was a way of keeping him on a more affordable contract and shipping some of the others for a small fee, that would definitely be my preference.

Defensively.

Probably why left back suited him so much, not much expectations for going forward which he has when he plays on the right side.

After not being a huge fan of him for years he won me round last season so if there was a chance for him to stay I'd sign him up.

AEM, Hutton, Bree and a young FB on loan from premier league (similar to Fulham getting in Matt Targett from Southampton) would be ideal mix at full back for us next season and even with our cutbacks shouldn't drain us too much.

If we sell Elmo and RDL then I'd be happy to keep Hutton but otherwise we need to start reducing the size of the squad and offering new contracts, even small ones, to players who've left doesn't help with that.

[SoccerHQ]

De Laet will certainly leave.

Don't really see us sellling AEM. He has two years left on his deal and I really don't see a premier league club coming in for him so think he'll be here next season.

[sirlordbaltimore]

Hutton was our best full back by a distance but still wouldn't have come close to starting for Fulham or Wolves.

and yet still offered absolutely NOTHING in the opposition half of the field. Unlike Elmo who notched up a few assists and whipped in a fair few crosses in most matches

it's even questionable if Hutton actually defends well at times

[john e]

I've been saying for years now that I think full backs are the most important players in a team. If you have decent full backs that are solid defensively and good on the ball, as well as quick, then the whole game changes. They have more time and space on the ball than any other outfield player, and just having a threat from full back can change the mindset of the opposition. It can free up space for the players in front of him, give your winger the freedom to move around the pitch, and the centre backs always have a pass on, moving the ball 10 yards up the pitch.

For all Alan's determination and commitment, it's much more difficult to play on the front foot with him in the team. He's simply not good enough on the ball. As a squad player he'd be okay, but I'm not sure we can afford to pay him to sit on the bench. And besides, we need to be using our younger players as squad fillers, and should have been for years.

Whilst I partly agree with you, he is the best fullback at the club.  On either side.  If there was a way of keeping him on a more affordable contract and shipping some of the others for a small fee, that would definitely be my preference.

Defensively.

Probably why left back suited him so much, not much expectations for going forward which he has when he plays on the right side.

After not being a huge fan of him for years he won me round last season so if there was a chance for him to stay I'd sign him up.

AEM, Hutton, Bree and a young FB on loan from premier league (similar to Fulham getting in Matt Targett from Southampton) would be ideal mix at full back for us next season and even with our cutbacks shouldn't drain us too much.

If we sell Elmo and RDL then I'd be happy to keep Hutton but otherwise we need to start reducing the size of the squad and offering new contracts, even small ones, to players who've left doesn't help with that.

Elmo is 32 in Sept and probably on 25-30k a week which is a problem
but the bigger problem is he's not very good at football either which might put potential buyers of him, but not always

don't expect a queue around the block for him mind

[sirlordbaltimore]

Elmo is 32 in Sept and probably on 25-30k a week which is a problem
but the bigger problem is he's not very good at football either which might put potential buyers of him, but not always

Compared to Hutton, Elmo really is Cafu

[paul_e]

Elmo is 32 in Sept and probably on 25-30k a week which is a problem
but the bigger problem is he's not very good at football either which might put potential buyers of him, but not always

don't expect a queue around the block for him mind

Absolutely, that's why I don't think the idea of a new contract for Hutton is a good one (aside from the fact that I think he'a  very limited player).  If we offload a couple of the alternatives then it becomes a meaningful discussion.

Personally I'd be looking to move out Elmo, Taylor and either Hutton or RDL and then get in a younger left back so we would have Bree and the newLB with Hutton/RDL as alternative/cover for both and the likes of Clark and Bazeley-Graham providing the deeper cover.  Some people will want more experience but we're really not in a position to have experienced cover for every position.

[Rigadon]

Hutton is exactly the kind of player we will need next season.  We will presumably have a load of kids in the first team so keeping Hutton is a great idea, if it can be done. 

[old man villa fan]

Hutton is exactly the kind of player we will need next season.  We will presumably have a load of kids in the first team so keeping Hutton is a great idea, if it can be done. 

I do not think I have ever seen him offer encouragement to other players in the team.  He seems to be a bit of a loner on the pitch.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I don’t know if Elmohamady, De Laet and Hutton will all go will they? 

I could never work out what happened to Elmo's crossing, the only decent talent he has. First half of the season it was great, second half he struggled to beat the first man.

[Rigadon]

Hutton is exactly the kind of player we will need next season.  We will presumably have a load of kids in the first team so keeping Hutton is a great idea, if it can be done. 

I do not think I have ever seen him offer encouragement to other players in the team.  He seems to be a bit of a loner on the pitch.

Know what you mean, and I don't think he's captain material. But he's an 'old pro' who is still mobile and knows the game inside out.  Jedinak is another one (though less mobile).  I don't think we'll keep Chester unfortunately.