Tom Carroll - confirmed

[Villa75]

I presume this is a loan with an option to buy? In tune with our moving away from short term thinking to long term solid plans?

Correct.

Very much a deep lying playmaker type. Could suit Deano and visa versa

Excellent 👍

Will be interesting to see what team Smith puts out tomorrow.

[Rudy65]

TC reminds me of Harry Winks. Decent skilful player. Will provide some needed creativity

[footyskillz]

Yeah like winks offers little goal threat outside the box and has to be inside 6 yard box to even consider scoring .

I don't see him ,or winks for that matter , as particular skill full either

What I do see is he has footy intelligence and on the ball offers a decent passing range and some energy.

However he can also offer anonymity like Hourihane and Cleverly or Westwood.
I don't know  it will be worse level of cowardice that those lot but can't think he one to handle a Villa Park crowd if going gets tough

He's a cog for a Dean Smith machine as likes the team to work as a whole.

In that respect he such a Smith player.
I can see him playing regularly providing he's fit.

[chrisw1]

Not really, most football fans are fucking idiots. Look at the players our fan base have been glad to get rid of in recent times - Traore, Amavi, Gueye, Veretout, Albrighton. Even people like Robinson and Johnson apparently were not good enough to make it according to some of our lot.

You know it's not the fans who made the decision to sell those players, right?  And I don't recall many people being glad to get rid of Gueye, or Albrighton for that matter.  And with Veretout, he clearly didn't want to be here, and none of the managers who had the opportunity decided to pick him.  Again, nothing to do with the fans being "fucking idiots".  It's also the case that some players just don't suit English football.  Better players than Veretout have failed in the Premier League but been a success elsewhere.

You made reference to being worried by what the Swansea fans said.  Elsewhere someone said they'd rather hear the fans view as they know more than managers and players. 

The counterpoint being made was that sometimes fans views are wrong, or players go on to do very well after being written off by fans at a club.  You are right, I cant recall much dissent about Gueye or Albrighton (although quite a few said the latter would never be good enough) but there certainly was against other the examples given and the likes of Westwood, Lowton, Bannan & Bennet.

With that said, jury is out on TC.  My fingers are crossed more in hope than expectation.

[paul_e]

I like the idea of the player he can be but he's only shown flashes of it. If he can deliver with any consistency then he'll be a good signing because he'll set the tempo for how we play and the only other player we have who can do that is Grealish but he plays 20-30 yards higher up the pitch.

I actually wouldn't be surprised if Jack ends up taking the left wing spot instead of one of the 3 midfield roles (but tucking in a lot) and us putting Tuanzebe in midfield as well (when he's fit, Jedi will probably come in for now). That gives us the 2 deeper midfielders that Smith likes and means he's not forced to pick between McGinn and Jack.

[dave.woodhall]

The only player I can remember really being driven out by the fans was Peter Crouch. As everyone knows, I hate namedroppers but as Sir Graham said to me, "I dropped him because he was getting so much abuse".

[chrisw1]

The only player I can remember really being driven out by the fans was Peter Crouch. As everyone knows, I hate namedroppers but as Sir Graham said to me, "I dropped him because he was getting so much abuse".

Players haven't been driven out, but some have had endless dogs abuse on here.  Westwood was a particular target.

[Clampy]

I stood behind two blokes at Charlton once who were giving  Crouchy non stop abuse for most of the game until I turned round and had a go at them. I don't lose my temper very often but they were a pair of whinging arseholes.

[Sexual Ealing]

The only player I can remember really being driven out by the fans was Peter Crouch. As everyone knows, I hate namedroppers but as Sir Graham said to me, "I dropped him because he was getting so much abuse".

Players haven't been driven out, but some have had endless dogs abuse on here.  Westwood was a particular target.

Yep.

[NottsVilla]

I think TC could be in direct competition with Conor for next season. Dean knows how Hourihane plays and has had a good look at him since he signed but obviously isn’t sold on his ability to play the ‘quarterback’ role. So if Carroll outperforms Conor in this second half of the season I think we’ll pick up our option to buy and then sell Conor but if he doesn’t play well then we’ll just send him back to Swansea.
Especially seeming as the description I’ve read of TC makes him sound like a ringer for Hourihane.

[andyh]

Interview with TC.

He also said he hopes he gets a scalextric for Christmas.

[sirlordbaltimore]

Comes across well. Looks and sounds about twelve

Welcome Tom

[Sexual Ealing]

Interview with TC.

He also said he hopes he gets a scalextric for Christmas.

Well after watching that I'd say that there's egg on the face of anyone who said he isn't the hard bastard midfield enforcer that we need. He's like a cross between that Charles Bronson bloke who does the prison workouts and a short Peter Crouch. Terrifying.

[Risso]

Christ.

[sirlordbaltimore]

Christ.

What?