Premier League - Aston Villa can't afford to be much worse this season

[Mister E]

Nothing to get wound up by here.
It's not surprising many commentators have written us off - the trend analysis supports their view, we've had a huge change-around in player-personnel and TS is still an unproven manager. And, if we start badly they'll all feel totally vindicated.

[N'ZMAV]

There's a lot of optimism, which isn't a bad thing - but a huge turn around of players, not all good - and a squad still full of poor players.

[N'ZMAV]

Carles Gil playing a bigger role this season will be what makes the biggest difference.

[Gregorys Boy]

It's also factually incorrect to suggest Given was one of our key players last season and smacks of this article only basing the analysis on the last two months of the season. Let's not forget we also started last season well, relying on entirely different "key players", like Hutton.

Agree with this, also did we have any key players last season considering how bad it was for the most part? But Given did do a good job when called upon in the Cups and did well in the Final, he's worth keeping as back up for another season is all I'm saying.

Where this reminds me of the start of last season is that I don't know what to expect.  Squad wise I think we were better last year or at least the first eleven.  Its just that it was the manager who looked the main problem (which proved the case), but with the league being weak (which it is again) with the core of the side, and with me as one of the few still backing Lambert at the time then I was aiming for about 12th, whereas this time if we get 15th and look to be improving I will be happy.

[richard moore]

Nothing to get wound up by here.
It's not surprising many commentators have written us off - the trend analysis supports their view, we've had a huge change-around in player-personnel and TS is still an unproven manager. And, if we start badly they'll all feel totally vindicated.

Most people I talk to, even quite knowledgeable football fans, have us to go down because they just see us as having got rid of our 'names' and they have almost no idea we've signed any replacements. When a friend went through all the 'good' players we had got rid of, I had to remind them that if we did indeed have five or six of those, we wouldn't have finished one place above the relegation zone.

[Gregorys Boy]

But this does remind me a lot of the start of Lambert's second season where he seemed to employ a scatter gun approach signing a series of unproven (at least in this country) over seas players, most of who went on to do very little.  The difference was we still had a core of a solid side to go along side them.  If a few of Sherwood's signings can hit the ground running then fair enough, but if they don't we don't really have those reliable players to fall back on. 

[Mister E]

But this does remind me a lot of the start of Lambert's second season where he seemed to employ a scatter gun approach signing a series of unproven (at least in this country) over seas players, most of who went on to do very little.  The difference was we still had a core of a solid side to go along side them.  If a few of Sherwood's signings can hit the ground running then fair enough, but if they don't we don't really have those reliable players to fall back on. 

which is what the article was saying ...

[Dan England]

But this does remind me a lot of the start of Lambert's second season where he seemed to employ a scatter gun approach signing a series of unproven (at least in this country) over seas players, most of who went on to do very little.  The difference was we still had a core of a solid side to go along side them.  If a few of Sherwood's signings can hit the ground running then fair enough, but if they don't we don't really have those reliable players to fall back on. 

But maybe the difference this time round is they have cost (are worth) several million each not several hundred thousand.

Either way it is a gamble but possibly this time round Sherwood is backing the shorter odds horse?

[silhillvilla]

The difference in the current strategy v Lambert era policy -

Gestede in lieu of Bowery
Ayew in lieu of Helenius
Gueye in lieu of Sylla
Vertout in lieu of Tonev
Amavi in lieu of Luna / Cissoko / Bennett
Bunn in lieu of Steer

[Pat McMahon]

I have a French friend staying tonight and he is a Footie fan so has been telling me about our acquisitions from Ligue 1.

Ayew he actually rates, because he is unpredictable but reckons he will drive us mad with his inconsistency and tendency to live offside. He reckons Gueye will be really suited to the Premier league and is the best of our acquisitions. France's top division is quite defensive and dull and he said Nice's defence with Amavi was well below average - he reckons he is not great defensively. Surprisingly  to me, he said he hadn't noticed Veretout.

[Gregorys Boy]

The difference in the current strategy v Lambert era policy -

Gestede in lieu of Bowery
Ayew in lieu of Helenius
Gueye in lieu of Sylla
Vertout in lieu of Tonev
Amavi in lieu of Luna / Cissoko / Bennett
Bunn in lieu of Steer

Yeah but hindsight is a wonderful thing.  When Lambert signed those players we had no way of knowing that most would flop, just like we can't be sure how this bunch of recruits will do.  Even given that a few of them come with growing reputation that still does not mean that they will adjust to life in England, there have been a number of good players who have failed to adjust to our league over the years.  Only time will tell and I do think that considering who we've lost and need for a change at the club it is good that we have been pro-active in the transfer market and there does seem to be more of a game plan this time at least.

[Matt Collins]

Looks it's a fairly obvious point that if you are buying foreigners at £1m from Danish, Polish, French second division they're less likely to succeed than if you're buying them at £9m from Ligue 1. No guarantees but it's a completely different market

The slightly more comparable buys are benteke, Kozak, Sanchez, vlaar, okore - though most of them were quite a bit cheaper still.

[Gregorys Boy]

Looks it's a fairly obvious point that if you are buying foreigners at £1m from Danish, Polish, French second division they're less likely to succeed than if you're buying them at £9m from Ligue 1. No guarantees but it's a completely different market

The slightly more comparable buys are benteke, Kozak, Sanchez, vlaar, okore - though most of them were quite a bit cheaper still.

That's the funny thing because your post actually highlights than a lot of Lambert buys were actually very good its just that he couldn't manage them good enough when it came to game time.  I am willing to give this new look Sherwood squad a chance, in a way I have more question marks over him than them, but at least things are unlikely to get any worse than last season, and if we do finish two or three players higher then that has to be seen as a step forward.

[Matt Collins]

His buys were quite good when he spent a bit.

[ADVILLAFAN]

As long as we can replace Bentekes goals we will be fine. There's also the incentive of a new hero to emerge which was virtually impossible with Benteke around and our whole game geared around him.

Typical Sillhillvilla, always so damn positive.