Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread

[pooligan]

It would worry me if we have to rely on just Wesley,Jimmy Danger and Davies as our strikers .Apart from not knowing if they can cut it in the Premier ,it is also a worry about injuries ,suspensions etc .

[john e]

Our time in the Premiership post Milner suggested one thing: You're only as good as your midfield.  Doesn't matter who you have up front, or who you have at the back and in goal if the midfield isn't fit for purpose. It's your engine and it's what contributes significantly to both ends of the pitch. We never had that right and sorely lacked the quality and it directly affected us as an attacking unit and most definitely didn't help us defensively (as all too often mediocre players were left isolated by a non-existent mid). 

For me, what delights me most about this window is that we've added to what was a very talented core of players in Grealish, Hourihane and McGinn. We've replaced a couple of aging  defensive mids with Douglas and Marvellous, who both seem to have graft as well as quality. Meanwhile out wide we've secured three talented players in Trezeguet, El Ghazi and Jota.

Signs in pre-season are certainly promising.
I really hope Wesley hits the ground running but I'm certainly very confident in what's behind him. But it's not just that we've signed a lot of players who look pretty decent, we've signed players who should all conceivably fit together, rather than just signing a mismatched hodgepodge of players with no cohesive idea of how to fit them together.

Couldn’t agree more with your points on the midfield

when was the last time we had a midfield with quality all over it and options to boot
donkeys years that’s when

[Tuscans]

James Bree close to Luton on loan.

[pauliewalnuts]

Isn't that Gary Cotterill a simpering, gurning fucking idiot?

[tomd2103]

Big risk going into the season with Wesley, Kodjia and Davis as our striking options. Wesley is unknown and could struggle to get double figures and no chance are Davis and Kodjia Premier League quality. We've had a brilliant window but goals will keep us up and I can't see where they're going to come from.

Hoping Deano might be being a bit cagey and we will get a deal done for a striker before the deadline because I agree that it is a risk to go into the season with just those three options, especially as Kodjia and Davis have suffered with injuries quite a bit.

I thought Hogan going out on loan would signal someone else coming in.

[SaddVillan]

OK, we might be a striker short, but the squad is immeasurably better than it has been for yonks - and I'm going back to when we were last in the First Division (struggle with this EPL bollocks).

This season we will play square pegs in square square holes etc. and not as we had been doing pre DS fielding teams that  were unbalanced with no clear structure or game plan.

Smith turned a squad of underperforming players with no confidence into a unified team.

He's been strengthening throughout and has
assembled a squad to play in the style he thinks will be successful.

Villa getting back to where  we all wamt to be is a long term project and there will be defeats and poor performance on the way,   but before we start kicking off we should pause for a moment and ask ourselves - where would we rather be?

[Drummond]

Llorente is available....

[Smithy]

Our time in the Premiership post Milner suggested one thing: You're only as good as your midfield.  Doesn't matter who you have up front, or who you have at the back and in goal if the midfield isn't fit for purpose. It's your engine and it's what contributes significantly to both ends of the pitch. We never had that right and sorely lacked the quality and it directly affected us as an attacking unit and most definitely didn't help us defensively (as all too often mediocre players were left isolated by a non-existent mid). 

For me, what delights me most about this window is that we've added to what was a very talented core of players in Grealish, Hourihane and McGinn. We've replaced a couple of aging  defensive mids with Douglas and Marvellous, who both seem to have graft as well as quality. Meanwhile out wide we've secured three talented players in Trezeguet, El Ghazi and Jota.

Signs in pre-season are certainly promising.
I really hope Wesley hits the ground running but I'm certainly very confident in what's behind him. But it's not just that we've signed a lot of players who look pretty decent, we've signed players who should all conceivably fit together, rather than just signing a mismatched hodgepodge of players with no cohesive idea of how to fit them together.

The thing I like most about our midfield options at the moment, is that it doesn't feel like there's a weak link (obviously not seem them play in the league together). Dean could pick pretty much any five from Grealish, McGinn, Hourihane, Luiz, Nakamba, El Ghazi, Jota and Trez and have the other three on the bench and we've definitely got quality on the pitch and strong options to change it.

It feels like it's been a long while since we could say that.

[jwarry]

No more signings.

Brilliant window, but feel we really needed a 2nd top quality striker. Hope it doesn't come back to haunt us.

There's another transfer window in 4 months so I'm not bothered. I've seen enough of Welsey to believe he can become a hit here.

Pretty much what Dean said, this is just the start

[Clark W Griswold]

Isn't that Gary Cotterill a simpering, gurning fucking idiot?

I had to look up who you mean but yes i agree, a simpering, gurning, bumbling fuck wit.

[john e]

I’m not bothered about Hogan going out

he doesn’t really leave us one short because he was shit and I would rather go with other attacking players in a different formation than having to rely on him

seeing him come wobbling on in any game in the premier league would fill me with doom no matter how short we were for centre forwards

[Dave]

Saido Berahino appears to be taking a barge to Waregem, where he is signing to Zulte.

No word on any onward travel to Enschede or Malmo.

[Toronto Villa]

The side has been set up to score lots of goals from all over the place. I think Wes will come good and chip in with his fair share too. The big thing is keeping Wes fit and away from suspensions but generally I think we will be absolutely fine.

[andyh]

Not a complaint, just an observation.
We appear to have more goalies than strikers now.

Maybe Kalinic can play upfront?

[sirlordbaltimore]

Very disappointed with no other striker coming in. Big risk to rely on young Wesley as none of us have a clue how long it will take him to find his feet. I've got ZERO confidence in either Davis or Kodjia becoming PL class all of a sudden either.

Seems odd to spend all that money getting other areas of the team competitive and then leaving the most important department short.

Hope it doesn't come back to bite us on the arse. Without goals in this league you don't survive.