Are we going to do ‘a Fulham?’

[kippaxvilla2]

Spent a lot.  Bought a lot of players in one go.? Lots of unknown quantities at PL level.

On the plus side we’ve got business done early.  We seem to have thought about the type of player we want to bring in to complement the existing squad. 

We could surprise a few people but plenty of people are thinking the other way. 

[eamonn]

I thought this expression was banned from the board earlier this summer.

[cdbearsfan]

I think because one team spent lots of money and it didn't work, noone should ever try to spend lots of money ever again.

I expect Man City and Paris St Germain to be battling relegation this coming season.

[Dante Lavelli]

We didn’t have a balanced squad last season so adding one or two players was never really an option.
To put it another way, we would definitely have gone down with last year’s squad whereas now we have a chance of staying up.

[Toronto Villa]

If we sign 5 players in a mass panic on deadline day then yes

[Ads]

It's a very lazy comparison.

Fulham failed because they reinforced areas of strength and disrupted the continuity of their squad.

They also failed because there was no design or harmony to their recruitment. The manager had a set style and the recruitment was separate from his input.

They also failed to reinforce where they were weakest and panic purchased, 5 on the final day, without anytime for the to blend.

We have had a measured plan in place prior to the end of the season. We've kept the bulk of the useful elements of the squad together and we're filling gaps created by the release of a number of players surplus to requirements.

We've done our business early and looked specifically at younger players. Whether we're successful or not remains to be seen. But I can't be doing with this lazy cliche.

[Toronto Villa]

It's a very lazy comparison.

Fulham failed because they reinforced areas of strength and disrupted the continuity of their squad.

They also failed because there was no design or harmony to their recruitment. The manager had a set style and the recruitment was separate from his input.

They also failed to reinforce where they were weakest and panic purchased, 5 on the final day, without anytime for the to blend.

We have had a measured plan in place prior to the end of the season. We've kept the bulk of the useful elements of the squad together and we're filling gaps creates by the release of a number of players surplus to requirements.

We've done our business early and looked specifically at younger players. Whether we're successful or not remains to be seen. But I can't be doing with this lazy cliche.

Agreed. I just couldn’t be arsed to type all that. Hot here Ads. Making me lazy.

[kippaxvilla2]

For the record I am not lazy. :-)

[dave shelley]

No, please lock the thread.

[garyshawsknee]

I see it's a stick that other fans are using to beat Villa fans with on Twitter ( not that I could give a friar tuck ) the fact that three of the signings were here last season, 1 we bought in Jan and DS has worked with two others all ready, gets largely forgotten by the media and pundits.

[andyh]

No.
We are Villa, we spend what we want.







(Within reason obvs)

[brontebilly]

How did the likes of Cairney and Sessegnon do last season for Fulham? I didn't see much of Fulham last season but those two were outstanding in the second division. Always a risk some of ours will have a similar struggle to step up but Fulham seemed to make too many late signings, displacing solid performers like Johansen, with limited pre season team building.

A lot of our transfer business was forced given the number out of contract but thankfully most of it has been done early. The three returnees shouldn't have a problem settling in for starters. Let's be realistic though, we have a new squad of players and management team in the main totally unproven in the top division. A lot of pressure will still rest on Grealish to carry the team in the early stages of the season.

[andyh]

That pressure will be shared by McGinn and Mings. It won’t all be on Jack.

[Pete3206]

No

Lazy punditry from the people who brought you "Villa fans never accepted Bruce because he managed Blues". The succinct and reasonable argument put forward by Ads above, would't be uttered by professional dullards like Danny Mills or Tony Cascarino. People like this do absolutely no research and simply turn up and take the money.

[kieron]

No-one knows, is the correct answer.