The Long Awaited Accounts....

[paul_e]

Heaton, Guilbert, Targett will be absolutely fine in the Championship, Hause, Engells and Konsa too.  Luiz, Nakamba, Hourihane and Hopefully SJM will be a decent midfield.  Samatta and Wesley will be fine.  We know El Ghazi is better in the Championship, Trezeguet probably.  Two or three new signings or loans and we should be top 6.  Fortunately, we ain't there yet and have a fighting chance of staying up.

And you can add the likes of O’Hare, Louie Barry, Valisev (?) Ramsey etc

Although three of those are totally unproven.

Fair point, but, everyone has to start somewhere.
I think that O’Hare and Barry could actually make a breakthrough, even if we stay up, in cup games.

IF he keeps working I suspect Ramsey will be the best of the lot of them, I think he's going to be a bit special, again so long as he doesn't get a bit ahead of himself and think he's made it after a few games. Archer looks good as well and I think Wright might make it as well. After that I've heard really good things about Aaron Ramsey, Carney Chukwuemeka, Mungo Bridge and Kaine Kesler who are all in the next 'batch' coming through.

[pauliewalnuts]

I agree they need to start somewhere, i just don't think that start should include relying on them (not fair to the players, apart from anything else).

[brontebilly]

There's a thread on a Bristol City forum that I glance at everytime a financial statement comes out about us. Looks like its attracted a couple of Villa fans too (anybody off here?).

It's basically the internet equivalent of a child jumping up and down saying it's not fair!!!

A site called OTIB and in the FPP thread.

In fairness, for our first two transfer windows in the championship we tried to do a Man City and blow everyone else out of the water. Some of the fees and wages we paid out were insane. Need a forward, let's buy McCormack and Kodjia while the likes of Ayew was still there.

[Brassneck]

There's a thread on a Bristol City forum that I glance at everytime a financial statement comes out about us. Looks like its attracted a couple of Villa fans too (anybody off here?).

It's basically the internet equivalent of a child jumping up and down saying it's not fair!!!

A site called OTIB and in the FPP thread.

In fairness, for our first two transfer windows in the championship we tried to do a Man City and blow everyone else out of the water. Some of the fees and wages we paid out were insane. Need a forward, let's buy McCormack and Kodjia while the likes of Ayew was still there.

Was only really the first window.  The January window, Bruce had to wheel and deal.

Even in the first window, we sold a few players: Sinclair £4m, Gana £7.5m, Traore £7m, Clark £5.5m,  In addition the likes of Gil, Sanchez, Vertout, Cissosco, N'zogbia, Richardson and Lescott all left or were loaned.  We certainly needed players in.

January, we sold Gestede £6.5m, Ayew £5.5m (Taylor contributed to some of that) Westwood £5m

So the first season, we sold players for around £40m & bought players in for around £75m.  The difference was made up by parachute payments.



In hindsight, the fees were a joke but the real issue has always been maintaining the wages.

[SoccerHQ]

Wonder what our transfer strategy will be if we go down. I assume it will be to go for reasonably proven but still young championship players like Joe Lolley and Eze of QPR who reminds me a bit of Grealish way he plays.

Players who can get us promoted and also have potential to play in premier league like Jarred Bowen.

Not sure we would be investing too much if we were to go down.  Would expect Grealish, Mings and McGinn would be gone, but not many others really.

Could probably be looking at a starting line up of something like:

                     Nyland

Guilbert       Engels       Hause    Targett

                 Konsa       Nakamba

                       Hourihane

El Ghazi            Samatta        Trezeguet


Bit of quality added in the positions where I've got Hourihane and Trezeguet and it looks OK.   Still think it would be a massive struggle again if we went down and every effort needs to be put in for the remainder of the season to avoid that happening. 

I very much doubt we'd go down and not sign any major signings for the first 11. You really think we can replace Grealish (and seemingly McGinn and Mings) with what we presently have?

Given we seem to be o.k with FFP I don't see why we couldn't attract some decent season long loans like we've done in the previous two seasons with Snodgrass and Tammy.

As ever it's pointless at this stage predicting 11s for next season as we don't know which division we'll be in but as we usually see it will be much changed and I'd be expecting 4-5 decent players in just to refresh the first 11.

We of course did this straight after relegation last time with Chester, Elphick, De Laet, Jedinak, Adomah, Kodj and McCormack all coming in, the usual mixed bag of signings.

[sid1964]

I read on another website that we are okay with FFP based on staying in the premier league, if we go down then that is a different matter!

I would be surprised if we could afford to pay the wages of the above players and meet our FFP obligations in the Championship - unless they all have a relegation clause in their contracts which mean a substantial reduction in pay - and if they do I cannot see the likes of Samatta and Wesley wanting to stay.

[LeeB]

I read on another website that we are okay with FFP based on staying in the premier league, if we go down then that is a different matter!

I would be surprised if we could afford to pay the wages of the above players and meet our FFP obligations in the Championship - unless they all have a relegation clause in their contracts which mean a substantial reduction in pay - and if they do I cannot see the likes of Samatta and Wesley wanting to stay.

Was the website called “Small Heath Alliance” by any chance?

[sid1964]

No it was a Villa website - seemed to know his stuff about FFP

[phantom limb]

The thing about FFP is it’s become more important in some supporter’s eyes to see other teams get punished rather than beating them on the pitch. Wherever you go now there’s always an “expert” telling you why you should be docked points or be investigated, in tedious detail.

That guy on the Bristol City forum, bloody hell. Would hate to be stuck on a long car journey with him spouting off. Half the time he’s just replying to himself.

[Mister E]

Wonder what our transfer strategy will be if we go down. I assume it will be to go for reasonably proven but still young championship players like Joe Lolley and Eze of QPR who reminds me a bit of Grealish way he plays.

Players who can get us promoted and also have potential to play in premier league like Jarred Bowen.

Not sure we would be investing too much if we were to go down.  Would expect Grealish, Mings and McGinn would be gone, but not many others really.

Could probably be looking at a starting line up of something like:

                     Nyland

Guilbert       Engels       Hause    Targett

                 Konsa       Nakamba

                       Hourihane

El Ghazi            Samatta        Trezeguet

Bit of quality added in the positions where I've got Hourihane and Trezeguet and it looks OK.   Still think it would be a massive struggle again if we went down and every effort needs to be put in for the remainder of the season to avoid that happening. 

I think, after their loans this season, that Ramsey, O'Hare and Rushian would probably be in a Championship-Villa side.

[hilts_coolerking]

Wonder what our transfer strategy will be if we go down. I assume it will be to go for reasonably proven but still young championship players like Joe Lolley and Eze of QPR who reminds me a bit of Grealish way he plays.

Players who can get us promoted and also have potential to play in premier league like Jarred Bowen.

Not sure we would be investing too much if we were to go down.  Would expect Grealish, Mings and McGinn would be gone, but not many others really.

Could probably be looking at a starting line up of something like:

                     Nyland

Guilbert       Engels       Hause    Targett

                 Konsa       Nakamba

                       Hourihane

El Ghazi            Samatta        Trezeguet

Bit of quality added in the positions where I've got Hourihane and Trezeguet and it looks OK.   Still think it would be a massive struggle again if we went down and every effort needs to be put in for the remainder of the season to avoid that happening. 

I think, after their loans this season, that Ramsey, O'Hare and Rushian would probably be in a Championship-Villa side.

If Nyland is our starting keeper then we might as well flog Heaton.  He's not going to want to watch a season in the Championship from the bench.

[ChicagoLion]

There are Accounts and there are semantics.

[brontebilly]

There's a thread on a Bristol City forum that I glance at everytime a financial statement comes out about us. Looks like its attracted a couple of Villa fans too (anybody off here?).

It's basically the internet equivalent of a child jumping up and down saying it's not fair!!!

A site called OTIB and in the FPP thread.

In fairness, for our first two transfer windows in the championship we tried to do a Man City and blow everyone else out of the water. Some of the fees and wages we paid out were insane. Need a forward, let's buy McCormack and Kodjia while the likes of Ayew was still there.

Was only really the first window.  The January window, Bruce had to wheel and deal.

Even in the first window, we sold a few players: Sinclair £4m, Gana £7.5m, Traore £7m, Clark £5.5m,  In addition the likes of Gil, Sanchez, Vertout, Cissosco, N'zogbia, Richardson and Lescott all left or were loaned.  We certainly needed players in.

January, we sold Gestede £6.5m, Ayew £5.5m (Taylor contributed to some of that) Westwood £5m

So the first season, we sold players for around £40m & bought players in for around £75m.  The difference was made up by parachute payments.



In hindsight, the fees were a joke but the real issue has always been maintaining the wages.

Fair enough, Bruce did cut a lot of players alright but signing Hogan for crazy money in Jan was still insane. Presume that was around the time he booted McCormack out?

Hourihane and Lansbury came into the club in the space of a week but Gardner and Westwood did leave in fairness around the same time.

[ChicagoLion]

Brown envelopes

[dave.woodhall]

The thing about FFP is it’s become more important in some supporter’s eyes to see other teams get punished rather than beating them on the pitch. Wherever you go now there’s always an “expert” telling you why you should be docked points or be investigated, in tedious detail.

That guy on the Bristol City forum, bloody hell. Would hate to be stuck on a long car journey with him spouting off. Half the time he’s just replying to himself.

FFP does seem to have turned a lot of teams' supporters into the worst kind of tay fayr Stripeys.