Summer transfer, gossip and speculation thread

[Clampy]

This nonsense about Dean Smith being able to unlock some mystical scoring ability in Scott Hogan. He cost us £15m which for a Championship striker is a fortune. He's got a very simple remit, score or contribute to goals. People including myself have been quick to label Bruce a failure on the basis of his performance versus targets this season, well if you ask me, Hogan's been abysmal and I've seen nothing from him to suggest that he should be a part of any future Villa squad.

It's not really a myth though is it? He's played under Dean Smith before and he's got the best out of him.

I'm not advocating Dean Smith by the way.

[mr underhill]

Dean would shit the bed within a fortnight. This requires a big balls manager.

[SheffieldVillain]

Dean would shit the bed within a fortnight. This requires a big balls manager.

Based on what?

Also, wasn't Steve Bruce meant to be 'big balls', 'been there and done it', 'seen it all', 'safe appointment' manager?

[VinnieChase84]

Get axel back on loan and play him CB next to Chester. Green can replace Snods. New left back. We’re signing that young winger from Sheff Wednesday on a free (allegedly) too.
Promote RHM as a mainstay in the forward line.

If we can’t keep Jack then use the money around the team. New left back needed too.

[manic-road]

This nonsense about Dean Smith being able to unlock some mystical scoring ability in Scott Hogan. He cost us £15m which for a Championship striker is a fortune. He's got a very simple remit, score or contribute to goals. People including myself have been quick to label Bruce a failure on the basis of his performance versus targets this season, well if you ask me, Hogan's been abysmal and I've seen nothing from him to suggest that he should be a part of any future Villa squad.

It's not really a myth though is it? He's played under Dean Smith before and he's got the best out of him.

I'm not advocating Dean Smith by the way.

Paying £15m for Hogan is a myth.

[SoccerHQ]

It was about 8m.

Still plenty of money for this division and bar a few good games around the New Year he's just never looked a good fit for a SB team. Maybe the new manager would get better form out of him.

[sirlordbaltimore]

This nonsense about Dean Smith being able to unlock some mystical scoring ability in Scott Hogan. He cost us £15m which for a Championship striker is a fortune

Talking of myths ... 15m? try less than 10m

[sirlordbaltimore]

Get axel back on loan and play him CB next to Chester. Green can replace Snods. New left back. We’re signing that young winger from Sheff Wednesday on a free (allegedly) too.
Promote RHM as a mainstay in the forward line.

If we can’t keep Jack then use the money around the team. New left back needed too.

I'd actually say Clark is good enough to play left back. Not sure about Axel mind, wasn't impressed at all with him even playing in a role he's supposedly good at

[Mister E]

Someone will jump forward from the crowd, they always do.  Hopefully the hurt from this year serves as motivation for Villa next season.

If you believe an article written in (I think) the Grauniad online, the teams losing a play-off statistically go backwards in the following season.
Another reason for a fresh start without SB.

[PaulWinch again]

Someone will jump forward from the crowd, they always do.  Hopefully the hurt from this year serves as motivation for Villa next season.

If you believe an article written in (I think) the Grauniad online, the teams losing a play-off statistically go backwards in the following season.
Another reason for a fresh start without SB.

And at the moment everything screams that we will be going backwards.

[Tayls_7]

Someone will jump forward from the crowd, they always do.  Hopefully the hurt from this year serves as motivation for Villa next season.

If you believe an article written in (I think) the Grauniad online, the teams losing a play-off statistically go backwards in the following season.
Another reason for a fresh start without SB.

And at the moment everything screams that we will be going backwards.

With teams like Bournemouth, Watford, Uddersfield, Brighton and Wolves lording it up above with no imminent sign of change I think that's a safe assumption.

[Stu]

The Prem is a really shit league, full of non-entities. How we managed to get relegated at all is the biggest kick in the nads.

[mr underhill]

it was because we were the shittiest team ever to play in it. On the statistic of play-off teams going backwards, Reading finished third last year and just avoided relegation this time. Massive pre season and season ahead.

[tomd2103]

Get axel back on loan and play him CB next to Chester. Green can replace Snods. New left back. We’re signing that young winger from Sheff Wednesday on a free (allegedly) too.
Promote RHM as a mainstay in the forward line.

If we can’t keep Jack then use the money around the team. New left back needed too.

If Terry, Samba and Elphick go then we will need to replace both really.  We probably should be looking at bringing in someone like Flint from Bristol City along with another, maybe younger option.  If we can keep hold of Grealish, we need someone better than Hourihane to go alongside him in midfield while hopefully moving the likes of Lansbury on.  I still think Kodjia is more suited to playing on the left if we have three up front, so we will  need another centre forward (ideally moving on Hogan and McCormack) and another pacy wide option.  A lot of work to do over the summer which means we can’t really delay the decision on Bruce for too long.

[JJ-AV]

Bruce deserves some criticism and his inability to get a half-decent forward line is concerning - but he didn't find his team until October/November.

I think we won 1 from the first 7. That's what cost us promotion in the end. Kodjia was injured, Davies dropped off, Hogan ineffective and Grabban was the wrong signing for the system.

If we had Mitrovic we'd have gone up.