Summer transfer, gossip and speculation thread

[tomd2103]

Could be -they were all mainly awful against Boro in the Cup last season at home. What really pisses me off is that two years on from relegation and around £75m spent in trying to get back, we're still at least four players short in key positions.

I thought Doyle-Hayes did well in the League Cup game against Middlesbrough earlier in the season, but didn't even make the squad again.  Davis and Green featured quite prominently at the start of the season, but were then not seen again.  RHM did well in a couple of substitution appearances, but didn't get another chance despite Hogan being continually ineffective. 

As others have said though, I think managers have to have a belief in and make a commitment to giving young players a chance and managers in the mould of Steve Bruce (O'Neill, Allardyce, Pulis, Hughes included) don't have that.

[mr underhill]

Don't get me wrong I would like to see more of the best of them, but as others have said, they need a run of games to prove their worth or not.Bruce puts them in for a few games, they don't perform ( as they largely didn't against Boro in the Cup) and they are banished again. With Green, RHM, and O'Hare injuries always seem to disrupt progress too.

[Mister E]

... managers have to have a belief in and make a commitment to giving young players a chance …

It's the commitment to doing it that is critical - bringing them in and out of the squad does not send out messages of confidence. I remember watching the squad warm up at Boro in the away league game last December. Because of injuries we had 3-4 'kids' on the bench - RHM came on and got some gametime - but all 4 disappeared from the squad in the next couple of games. What I also remember from that warm-up at Boro was the camaraderie and fun that they all seemed to exhibit toward each other: there was a togetherness that would serve us well in the first team.
If they're not good enough, find a good loan-slot for them to give them games. If they're almost good enough, get them into the squad and give them some gametime.

[Hookeysmith]

I'm sorry but that is exactly what we get with SB - he will only use them as a last resort and then use it as an excuse for not having a bigger squad

Grealish was already in the first team before he came so he cannot take any credit for his breakthrough

[Clark W Griswold]

I'm sorry but that is exactly what we get with SB - he will only use them as a last resort and then use it as an excuse for not having a bigger squad

Grealish was already in the first team before he came so he cannot take any credit for his breakthrough

Personally I wouldn't say Grealish 'broke through' really until last January. Whether that is thanks to Steve, someone else, or a combination of people is the question.

[paul_e]

I'm sorry but that is exactly what we get with SB - he will only use them as a last resort and then use it as an excuse for not having a bigger squad

Grealish was already in the first team before he came so he cannot take any credit for his breakthrough

Personally I wouldn't say Grealish 'broke through' really until last January. Whether that is thanks to Steve, someone else, or a combination of people is the question.

He'd played nearly a hundred games for the club by that point.  He broke through under Sherwood but it took a couple of years for him to find some consistency, which is a different thing.

[Nunkin1965]

I'm sorry but that is exactly what we get with SB - he will only use them as a last resort and then use it as an excuse for not having a bigger squad

Grealish was already in the first team before he came so he cannot take any credit for his breakthrough

This is one of the few issues I have with Steve Bruce and other managers of his age and/or style.

Younger lads get very little opportunity unless it’s an early Cup tie and even then they are playing in a side that has can’t be arsed squad players which affects team performance anyway. Or a very brief spell on the bench. It must be very frustrating as a young player at Villa.

[OCD]

I think the new owners will want to emphasise youth development so there may be pressure on him to blood the kids.

[Hookeysmith]

And still to this day (IMHO) his best overall performance was the FA semi

Of course he is a great talent
Of course he is a big Villa fan
Of course I along with everyone else would love him to stay


But we are not losing Messi

I was more gutted when Gray / Yorke / Barry / Platt / Benteke left TBH

[Hookeysmith]

I think the new owners will want to emphasise youth development so there may be pressure on him to blood the kids.

I appreciate the logic and the sentiment but unfortunately it is just not in SB's DNA to even consider youth unless he has either no choice due to injury or it suits him politically to prove a point

History clearly support this leaning towards seasoned pro's every time

[The Moose]

A well seasoned dish can make all the difference......

[ChicagoLion]

I think the new owners will want to emphasise youth development so there may be pressure on him to blood the kids.

I appreciate the logic and the sentiment but unfortunately it is just not in SB's DNA to even consider youth unless he has either no choice due to injury or it suits him politically to prove a point

History clearly support this leaning towards seasoned pro's every time

Unless it’s some other clubs kids, then he is all for it, mysteriously.

[manic-road]

I think the new owners will want to emphasise youth development so there may be pressure on him to blood the kids.

I appreciate the logic and the sentiment but unfortunately it is just not in SB's DNA to even consider youth unless he has either no choice due to injury or it suits him politically to prove a point

History clearly support this leaning towards seasoned pro's every time

Unless it’s some other clubs kids, then he is all for it, mysteriously.

He gave Keinan plenty of game time last season until he started to look a bit jaded.

[Risso]

I think the new owners will want to emphasise youth development so there may be pressure on him to blood the kids.

I appreciate the logic and the sentiment but unfortunately it is just not in SB's DNA to even consider youth unless he has either no choice due to injury or it suits him politically to prove a point

History clearly support this leaning towards seasoned pro's every time

Unless it’s some other clubs kids, then he is all for it, mysteriously.

He gave Keinan plenty of game time last season until he started to look a bit jaded.

"no choice due to injury"

[Dazvillain]

Oh well, another boring non substantiated villa transfer day draws to close......