Realistic Expectations

[Drummond]

40 points at the beginning of March. It's bloody brilliant!

As for playing teams above us in the table, we've already shown this season that we need fear nobody. We just need to get our scoring boots on again.

[Damo70]

Over the decades we have built good sides only to sell top players or players seeing the lack of ambition wanting to leave. This summer is that important.

Agree


The only time I can recall getting away with selling our best player was Andy Gray to Wolves.

We did alright out of the Platt sale.

Thanks to the money only Italian clubs were throwing around at that point in time BFR was able to sell our best player and use the money to buy practically a brand new team. Credit has to go to BFR for using the Platt money so wisely.

[tomd2103]

Over the decades we have built good sides only to sell top players or players seeing the lack of ambition wanting to leave. This summer is that important.

Agree


The only time I can recall getting away with selling our best player was Andy Gray to Wolves.

I think our problem in recent times is that we haven't replaced the quality players we have sold with players of similar quality. 

Realistically we are always going to have to consider bids for our best players, but unlike times in the past, we should be looking to get the maximum amount for players and should be looking to replace them with quality.

[olaftab]

After  the mancity result  today I am reluctantly accepting that League title in not within reach this season.

[SoccerHQ]

No, it's a good point. The games against the Mancs might be dead rubbers for them if they have the top two spots more or less sealed. And who wouldn't want to face Liverpool in the coming weeks...

My hunch is Spurs will start resting half their team in the run in if they're still 5-6 points off top 4 but in the europa and getting good draws.

He did it previously for Man. United in 16/17 in the run in.

Maybe not so much the VP game but can see that happening for the penultimate and Chelsea might also have secured top 4 by last day so again little to play for.

It would be really disappointing for me if we tail off now. Still want us to finish in 55-60 points range and win at Newcastle makes that pretty possible again.

[pauliewalnuts]

When we've got our best XI out, we can look brilliant. When we take some of them out, we start to look significantly less brilliant.

The difference with where we've been for almost the entirety of the last 10 years is that the first XI have mostly looked significantly unbrilliant, and the back up cast have looked even worse. That's totally changed now.

We've seen with Grealish out the extreme end of that dynamic - he's our best player, he's one of the most on-form players across the main European leagues, and we've looked a lot worse (although the results have been meh rather than awful).

What we need to do in the summer is yes, strengthen the first XI but also do some work on bolstering up competition for places. I like Elmo but what we've seen recently is he's exactly the sort of player we need to improve in order to crack on. I am sure we'll do exactly that.

I get as annoyed as the next man watching stuff like last night's match, it was awful and we were largely terrible. The thing is, in one or two games time, we could equally be absolutely brilliant. That's because we're an improving team (and club) and we are going to be inconsistent, infuriatingly shit one week, brilliant the next.

I just think there's not a single one of us who would not have accepted this at the start of the season, not one of us. Step back and take a look at the bigger picture, as a club we are in a much better place than we've been since 2010.

[SoccerHQ]

I actually think some of the squad players have done o.k this season. Hause and El Ghazi were amazing over xmas and won us points and Nakamba's had some good games compared to his level last season.

Big problem to overcome is this massive issue whenever Jack isn't on the pitch as not just our results but our performances massively decline so we need to sign a player or two who shows some personality on the pitch and wants the ball constantly like Jack.

[Neil Hawkes]

When we've got our best XI out, we can look brilliant. When we take some of them out, we start to look significantly less brilliant.

The difference with where we've been for almost the entirety of the last 10 years is that the first XI have mostly looked significantly unbrilliant, and the back up cast have looked even worse. That's totally changed now.

We've seen with Grealish out the extreme end of that dynamic - he's our best player, he's one of the most on-form players across the main European leagues, and we've looked a lot worse (although the results have been meh rather than awful).

What we need to do in the summer is yes, strengthen the first XI but also do some work on bolstering up competition for places. I like Elmo but what we've seen recently is he's exactly the sort of player we need to improve in order to crack on. I am sure we'll do exactly that.

I get as annoyed as the next man watching stuff like last night's match, it was awful and we were largely terrible. The thing is, in one or two games time, we could equally be absolutely brilliant. That's because we're an improving team (and club) and we are going to be inconsistent, infuriatingly shit one week, brilliant the next.

I just think there's not a single one of us who would not have accepted this at the start of the season, not one of us. Step back and take a look at the bigger picture, as a club we are in a much better place than we've been since 2010.

"applause"

[Mister E]

I actually think some of the squad players have done o.k this season. Hause and El Ghazi were amazing over xmas and won us points and Nakamba's had some good games compared to his level last season.

Big problem to overcome is this massive issue whenever Jack isn't on the pitch as not just our results but our performances massively decline so we need to sign a player or two who shows some personality on the pitch and wants the ball constantly like Jack.

Yes ...
... and we did not help ourselves on Friday night. The minimum expectation should be that the players on the pitch do the simple things well: like, pass cleanly to a team-mate and move into space for the return; put the oppo under sustained pressure to force errors.
Against a team like the Barcodes that would have won us the game, despite JG's absence.

[West Derby Villan]

I actually think some of the squad players have done o.k this season. Hause and El Ghazi were amazing over xmas and won us points and Nakamba's had some good games compared to his level last season.

Big problem to overcome is this massive issue whenever Jack isn't on the pitch as not just our results but our performances massively decline so we need to sign a player or two who shows some personality on the pitch and wants the ball constantly like Jack.

Agree, we need a “Jack alternative” whether that is a player or a different style of play.

[ktvillan]

The season appears to be petering out, although we are not alone in being below par. There's a lot of tired and weary looking teams and players out there, and there's been a lot of rather turgid low scoring games compared to the pre Christmas vibe.  If I recall correctly it was ages before the first 0-0 of the season, something like November,  and recently there have been loads.

The Villa season reminds me of the promotion season after Smith came in.  We were playing brilliant stuff up to December, then seemed to go into patch where we couldn't pass , defend, score or win, which coincided with Jack being out.  Hopefully the kind of run that happened next will also be repeated this year.  The fallout from COVID may have put paid to that though. 

[tomd2103]

When we've got our best XI out, we can look brilliant. When we take some of them out, we start to look significantly less brilliant.

The difference with where we've been for almost the entirety of the last 10 years is that the first XI have mostly looked significantly unbrilliant, and the back up cast have looked even worse. That's totally changed now.

We've seen with Grealish out the extreme end of that dynamic - he's our best player, he's one of the most on-form players across the main European leagues, and we've looked a lot worse (although the results have been meh rather than awful).

What we need to do in the summer is yes, strengthen the first XI but also do some work on bolstering up competition for places. I like Elmo but what we've seen recently is he's exactly the sort of player we need to improve in order to crack on. I am sure we'll do exactly that.

I get as annoyed as the next man watching stuff like last night's match, it was awful and we were largely terrible. The thing is, in one or two games time, we could equally be absolutely brilliant. That's because we're an improving team (and club) and we are going to be inconsistent, infuriatingly shit one week, brilliant the next.

I just think there's not a single one of us who would not have accepted this at the start of the season, not one of us. Step back and take a look at the bigger picture, as a club we are in a much better place than we've been since 2010.

Agree with all of this.  As you say, Grealish is a big miss and would be for pretty much any side, but Barkley’s poor form since his return has been costly as well.  He has been brought in, at what I would imagine is pretty significant expense, to give us that extra bit of quality and isn’t currently doing that.

[SoccerHQ]

Pretty sure it's 25 years this week since we last won a major trophy.

That's a long old time and also over 10 years since we played in europe now.

I mean we've been good this season up to last 6 weeks but let's not go overboard. Leeds got Sheffield United at home next up so the reality is we'll likely be 11th by time we kick off next game (if Leeds are playing before us).

Our top scorer has 10 goals so again decent return from Ollie but 1 in 3 striker isn't going to get us top 4 in the future.

We're on the right path but is it ever going to be another. Tonight we didn't play awfully but reality is we lost fairly comfortably to a team who've been largely out of form in last 3 months and and have been hovering around 8th.

To me I'd love the owners to call DS into VP soon and say we'll give you 50-60m + wages to go and find a player on Jack's wavelength and to excite the crowd when we return and also show some damm personality to think over in the team when Jack isn't around (hopefully just injured).

To base seemingly our entire plan on Jack just being around until he retires seems a very dangerous tactic and reminds me of a decade ago thinking the likes of Barry and Young would always be around. They and Milner left and we just simply gave up attempting to being a major force and had to suffer a wretched decade.

Still feels like we need a good shaking at times in terms of mentality. When we're in good positions in the league mid season to sufficently strengthen enough to push us on instead of just hitting the wall every March, to sign a top tier player or two and basically not just to think it's too hard if Jack can't play 7-8 games in the season.

In a strange way that was most disheartening defeat of the season to me (not helped by how wretched our record v Spurs is). Until we stop thinking our whole world exists around Jack Grealish I honestly don't think we'll ever break into the next tier of teams as it just gives the players too much of an excuse when he's not out there to not dig out wins.

Leicester in last 5 years have sold Kante, Mahrez, Maguire and Chilwell and will finish in top 4 and probably play in FA cup final so they do o.k planning ahead and not giving their players excuses not to perform. Liverpool also sold Coutinho and won CL and league in next two years so I'd love to know actually what sort of plan we have post Jack Grealish.

I desperately hope he stays but he's going to leave sooner or later isn't he? At least give him a world class CF and right winger to have some fun with in the meantime.

Bit of a rambling post from me but that's what a match thread can do to you sometimes!

[Rudy65]

We need more than one player. £60m won’t be enough. Not sure they will trust the manager or sporting director either with a significant amount of money if Sanson is anything to go by. Early days, yes but the start hasn’t been great. Not sure what he brings to the team

[SoccerHQ]

We need more than one player. £60m won’t be enough. Not sure they will trust the manager or sporting director either with a significant amount of money if Sanson is anything to go by. Early days, yes but the start hasn’t been great. Not sure what he brings to the team

Sanson has some nice touches and I think there's a good player in there but very much struggling with pace when he's pressed.

Another game with Trez starting and Traore end product at nil shows we desperately need an upgrade out wide, I do think 40m + should get you that if you scout well enough.

We desperately need another top class striker in the ranks. Ollie's done well but he's still only 1 in 3 striker so far, that dosen't fire you into top 4 anytime soon.