Dean Smith - Confirmed

[Footy-Vill]

Ben Breteton Diaz of Blackburn would be a great signing if wanted to play alongside Watkins

I remember him before he went all South American on the world and gave our a defence a torrid time in championship just as Brereton. 

These sorts of players are the ones that should be identified and bought.
I would have preferred Ings if Grealish stayed as Grealish would be feeding him all night long.

Watkins nor Ings are the greatest hold up players but perhaps they are the best pressing players in the league.
Dean Smith himself said Watkins is the best pressing striker in the league.
Ings for me isn't too far behind on that front

[KevinGage]

I didn't see the Ings signing as a mistake, we needed top cover for Ollie and only had Davis as cover.

Ings cost over £30 million and came in on a salary over £120k per week.  He wasn't coming in as cover.

After the season Watkins had last year it always struck me as an odd one.  His first season in the top flight and he makes the England squad plus would have been on for 20 goals were it not for VAR fuckeries.

A striker closer to Benteke's profile in 2012 would have suited our needs more; young, not cheap - but not at the stage of his career where he expects to start every game. But if he makes the place his own then fair play.

As it is, we're trying to shoehorn Watkins and Ings into the starting line up and there is little sign of it working thus far.

Accepting that Dean Smith isn't totally responsible for transfers (though he does by some reports have more sway than he did under Suso) I wonder if Lange said towards the end of the Grealish saga that he could get Ings and Smith OK'd it.  Rather than pushed for it.  There is a difference.

[Risso]

I'm pleased we've got Ings, but I do still have a sneaking suspicion that his signing was expedited as a sop to the fans to soften the Greasy blow.

[Drummond]

Ings is a great signing and he'll score goals. I'm concerned about the 3-5-2 as well, if that's the long-term plan as I don't think it suits us when everyone is fit. However, it does work at times, as we've shown.

Most of us prefer the 4-3-3 I think, and set up with alternatives such as....

                                         Martinez

Cash/Axel/Young     Konsa/Axel      Mings/Hause      Targett/Young

    Ramsey/Sanson     Luiz/Nakamba       McGinn/Chukwuemeka

Buendia/Traore/JPB          Ings/Watkins/Archer/Davies          Bailey/Watkins/AEG
                 

[Drummond]

I'm pleased we've got Ings, but I do still have a sneaking suspicion that his signing was expedited as a sop to the fans to soften the Greasy blow.

Of course.

[Sexual Ealing]

I'm pleased we've got Ings, but I do still have a sneaking suspicion that his signing was expedited as a sop to the fans to soften the Greasy blow.

Of course.

I was, and remain, glad we signed him, but that's a terrible way to run a club if true.

[Drummond]

I'm pleased we've got Ings, but I do still have a sneaking suspicion that his signing was expedited as a sop to the fans to soften the Greasy blow.

Of course.

I was, and remain, glad we signed him, but that's a terrible way to run a club if true.

And the fans would have complained even more had he not been. This place would have been in meltdown.

[Drummond]

On Saturday Aston Villa threw away a two-goal lead and lost a Premier League home game for only the second time, also doing so against Manchester United in November 2012 (also 3-2).

[Risso]

I'm pleased we've got Ings, but I do still have a sneaking suspicion that his signing was expedited as a sop to the fans to soften the Greasy blow.

Of course.

I was, and remain, glad we signed him, but that's a terrible way to run a club if true.

And the fans would have complained even more had he not been. This place would have been in meltdown.

As if that's a reason to do or not do something.

[Drummond]

I'm pleased we've got Ings, but I do still have a sneaking suspicion that his signing was expedited as a sop to the fans to soften the Greasy blow.

Of course.

I was, and remain, glad we signed him, but that's a terrible way to run a club if true.

And the fans would have complained even more had he not been. This place would have been in meltdown.

As if that's a reason to do or not do something.

Oh no, I'm not suggesting it is. However, I can fully understand why they'd want to hurry it through. Now if they'd only decided to sign him to appease the fans, that would be fucking atrocious at that money. As it is, I'm chuffed we got him, as he's a good goalscorer with a proven track record.

[Risso]

Oh no, I'm not suggesting it is. However, I can fully understand why they'd want to hurry it through. Now if they'd only decided to sign him to appease the fans, that would be fucking atrocious at that money. As it is, I'm chuffed we got him, as he's a good goalscorer with a proven track record.

It's not actually that proven in the Premier League. One excellent season, and two OK ones, with a lot of time injured.

[Drummond]

2009–2011   AFC Bournemouth   27   (7)
2010                Dorchester Town (loan)   9   (4)
2011–2015   Burnley                   122   (38)
2015–2019   Liverpool                    14   (3)
2018–2019   Southampton (loan)   24   (7)
2019–2021   Southampton           67   (34)
2021–            Aston Villa            8   (3)

1 in 3 at Burnley, 1 in 4.66 at Liverpool, 1 in 2 at Southampton and so far 1 in 2.66 for us.

I've no idea nor inclination to look at how many were sub appearances but that's a pretty good record.

[Ian.]

I'm pleased we've got Ings, but I do still have a sneaking suspicion that his signing was expedited as a sop to the fans to soften the Greasy blow.

Of course.

I was, and remain, glad we signed him, but that's a terrible way to run a club if true.

And the fans would have complained even more had he not been. This place would have been in meltdown.

As if that's a reason to do or not do something.

Well going to Southampton to get Ward Prowse and coming back with Ings is a better outcome than going to Millwall to pick up Sherringham but coming back with Cascarino.

[Sexual Ealing]

Very true.

[Smithy]

Oh no, I'm not suggesting it is. However, I can fully understand why they'd want to hurry it through. Now if they'd only decided to sign him to appease the fans, that would be fucking atrocious at that money. As it is, I'm chuffed we got him, as he's a good goalscorer with a proven track record.

It's not actually that proven in the Premier League. One excellent season, and two OK ones, with a lot of time injured.

Without offering Champions League football, I think signing Danny Ings was about as close we could get to "guaranteed goals" as it's possible to be, without buying someone who is into their thirties.

I was very pleasantly surprised we could get someone of his profile and ability - given Grealish was going - and I'm still really pleased we've got him.  I remain confident that when we've got a fully fit attacking line-up (with fully fit options from the bench), he will score a good number of goals for us.