Summer transfer, gossip and speculation thread

[SoccerHQ]

Team nowhere near as good as last season?  Given a managerial shake up in the form of a new manager or the old one forced to acknowledge and act upon his shortcomings, Aston Villa could surprise a few next season.  Every sport is full of teams with limited money using intelligence, commitment, self belief and team spirit to dominate money built outfits.

Can't see a team with half of them being kids getting 80 + points.

[brontebilly]

Team nowhere near as good as last season?  Given a managerial shake up in the form of a new manager or the old one forced to acknowledge and act upon his shortcomings, Aston Villa could surprise a few next season.  Every sport is full of teams with limited money using intelligence, commitment, self belief and team spirit to dominate money built outfits.

Can't see a team with half of them being kids getting 80 + points.

Not a chance - replacing our best players from last season Johnstone, Terry, Snodgrass, Grabban and expected Grealish and Chester with the likes of Steer, Elphick, Green, Lansbury, BB and Davis. We will be closer to the bottom than top.

A lot of those we will be reliant on have persistent injury issues too, Steer, Green, RHM, Hogan, Kodjia. Two of which are injured already during pre-season.

[pbavfckuwait]

With a new manager maybe Brian Green, but not with the current one and even if he goes in the next couple of weeks or god forbid months, I think we can write next season off and I honestly think we will struggle. I keep hearing that the squad is good enough even with all the loans we have lost and I should imagine 3 maybe 4 more going out the door, with the crown jewel Jack being one of them and if his price is not what we hoped it to be, that 3 or 4 may turn into 6 or 7. I just can' see it being good enough for top half myself.
As to how we have got here, that's easy, run a football club like any other normal business and you will end up in the dung, it is not like any other business and our last 2 muppets who have sat in the main seat, did not have the knowledge or I sometimes think with both of them the ego to go and surround themselves with experts in the field of running a football club. We will pay the likes of Fat Ross, the tosser Richards and for how long Gabby, but seem reluctant to pay top dollar for the very best off the pitch.

[aj2k77]

Don't delude yourselves, lose Johnstone, Kodjia, Chester, Grealish, Snodgrass and we will finish bottom half. Expect to see us play very very tightly and score very few goals.

[Malandro]

I can see Hourihane going too.

[Clark W Griswold]

I can see Hourihane going too.

I doubt it, he won't get regular game time at a club bigger than ours or indeed any club in the Premier league. I doubt there would be massive interest from anyone he'd be tempted by. He's ok but no better.
Apart from Grealish, Chester and Kodjia who are all good enough to be starting in the premier league I would have thought the only other one that might get some interest would be Adomah, but even he might have to accept a regular place on the bench in that league.

[exigo]

I can see Hourihane going too.

Who else would pay him 20 grand a week?

[Small Rodent]

If the squad is good enough, why wasn't it good enough last season?

[Ads]

Team nowhere near as good as last season?  Given a managerial shake up in the form of a new manager or the old one forced to acknowledge and act upon his shortcomings, Aston Villa could surprise a few next season.  Every sport is full of teams with limited money using intelligence, commitment, self belief and team spirit to dominate money built outfits.

Can't see a team with half of them being kids getting 80 + points.

I wouldn't have thought a team full of free transfers playing awful percentage long ball would get 90 odd either.

[Risso]

With a new manager maybe Brian Green, but not with the current one

I like Brian but not sure he has finished all of his coaching badges.

[ROBBO]

Does anyone believe Bruce is capable of playing football any other way? if the first half of the play off wasn't enough to persuade you nothing will. Total defensive football next season with him at the helm.

[Toronto Villa]

Team nowhere near as good as last season?  Given a managerial shake up in the form of a new manager or the old one forced to acknowledge and act upon his shortcomings, Aston Villa could surprise a few next season.  Every sport is full of teams with limited money using intelligence, commitment, self belief and team spirit to dominate money built outfits.

Can't see a team with half of them being kids getting 80 + points.

Not saying we are "that" Man U team, but the team will start as kids and mature into proper players across the season. It won't be about throwing them in to a game or two. It will be about trusting them and allowing them to mature and develop.

What was so special about that Cardiff team that was promoted last season? Even Fulham had a couple of excellent players but as a squad they weren't overly superb. Importantly they had a manager who made the best use of what he had. More than the squad, will Bruce make best use of what he has vs the other managers when the window closes?

[mallo]

I think Bruces defensive play can only get us up if 2 or 3 other teams don't go out to score a hatful, whichever way they go about it. Last season Wolves were obviously scoring hatfuls and Fulham scored a decent amount. Cardiff just played to their strengths and gave it everything every game (and were lucky with injuries). We were ultimately 3 wins from auto promotion and the galling thing was it was completely within our gift to do it. With a worse squad and Bruce going even more cagey I can't see it ending well. I think we have to win Cardiff style early on in the season to give ourselves a chance - the question is will we?

[in exile]

With a new manager maybe Brian Green, but not with the current one

I like Brian but not sure he has finished all of his coaching badges.

I think he's got his knots and his bag packing badge.
I'm hoping he will take his prayer badge...might come in useful

[Malandro]

I can see Hourihane going too.

Who else would pay him 20 grand a week?

A goal scoring midfielder,  Irish international. I'd have thought a few.