Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread

[Drummond]

I may be in a minority here but I don't want to see a load of new players arrive this summer. It takes time to build a quality squad and the majority of the players bought last summer will be all the better for year's Premier League experience. A midfield player and three forwards with pace and finishing ability, assuming we buy quality to replace who we have in those positions already, will transform our results.
We can then look to strengthen the defensive positions next summer.

Quality, not quantity in the next month please Villa. Oh, and of course retain the quality we already have, Jack in particular.

A numbers of players in the first eleven or bench aren't good enough though. As demonstrated by a woeful points total and goals conceded total last season. I really don't get the point that our defence doesn't need strengthening.

Some players may improve (Luiz, McGinn) but I'd be very suspect of how much improvement is in a number of others (Targett, Samatta, Wesley). Plus the likes of Taylor, Lansbury, Jota, Nyland who are nowhere near good enough for this level still here as squad filler.

We can't be expecting Grealish, if he stays, to carry the team singlehandedly like he did for most of last season. I'd be of the view we need urgent surgery (LB, CM, RW, CF) to that squad to avoid another long relegation battle. Hence I'm more than a little worried that we have started pre season without a single signing and all kinds of speculation about whether our best player is staying or going.

Don’t really get the improvement argument. Why is Wesley less likely to improve than McGinn (for example)?

Because Wesley is currently operating at the level of a Donkey on Blackpool beach, and McGinn is already pretty good. One improving means we  have a very good payer, the other improving the same amount still leaves us with someone not good enough to play for Blues.

That's ridiculous. Your view of course, and one you're entitled to, but I think you're way off the mark.

[brontebilly]

I may be in a minority here but I don't want to see a load of new players arrive this summer. It takes time to build a quality squad and the majority of the players bought last summer will be all the better for year's Premier League experience. A midfield player and three forwards with pace and finishing ability, assuming we buy quality to replace who we have in those positions already, will transform our results.
We can then look to strengthen the defensive positions next summer.

Quality, not quantity in the next month please Villa. Oh, and of course retain the quality we already have, Jack in particular.

A numbers of players in the first eleven or bench aren't good enough though. As demonstrated by a woeful points total and goals conceded total last season. I really don't get the point that our defence doesn't need strengthening.

Some players may improve (Luiz, McGinn) but I'd be very suspect of how much improvement is in a number of others (Targett, Samatta, Wesley). Plus the likes of Taylor, Lansbury, Jota, Nyland who are nowhere near good enough for this level still here as squad filler.

We can't be expecting Grealish, if he stays, to carry the team singlehandedly like he did for most of last season. I'd be of the view we need urgent surgery (LB, CM, RW, CF) to that squad to avoid another long relegation battle. Hence I'm more than a little worried that we have started pre season without a single signing and all kinds of speculation about whether our best player is staying or going.

Don’t really get the improvement argument. Why is Wesley less likely to improve than McGinn (for example)?

McGinn clearly has the ability to improve from last season. If he can improve his conditioning which is easily fixable (or should be anyway for a decent professional).

Wesley as an example only but I don't see much potential in him unfortunately. Even last season, whenever he scored and you think he might kick on from it he then regressed usually to being next to useless the following week.

Targett is a better example, the manner in which he was routinely torn apart all season by opponents isn't easily fixable. At a minimum he needs strong competition for his place, not Taylor.

[PaulWinch again]

Way too soon to judge Wesley. His best performance was arguably his last one and he was injured before having the chance to kick on.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Targett is a better example, the manner in which he was routinely torn apart all season by opponents isn't easily fixable. At a minimum he needs strong competition for his place, not Taylor.

Ironic in that Taylor never once got torn apart last season. If we could combine the two..but realistically we spent a fortune on Targett and he's going no where this window. To his credit he did improve defensively after lockdown. Agree though, a left back should be on the shopping list.

[brontebilly]

Harry Wilson being linked now for 20m.

Started off last season well but ended it as a bench player for a relegated club.

If we're seriously in for him suggests Rashica deal is dead.

Is a bit one paced too. Really think we need to bring a flyer to stretch teams on the counter attack. We didn't have that threat last season. Could Demarai Gray be that player? Career seems to be stalling a bit

[AsTallAsLions]

It's too soon to judge him fully but I wouldn't be hanging any hopes on him either.

We need a top quality striker, a proven goalscorer who has enough guile in their game to do it at this level, regardless of what league they're in currently.

We all know how difficult that type of player is to find, and how much they will cost, but it's still an absolute necessity regardless.

Given the uncertainty around his injury and his very mixed form when he was fit, we have no real choice but to treat Wesley as a back-up now.

[chrisw1]

Way too soon to judge Wesley. His best performance was arguably his last one and he was injured before having the chance to kick on.

It may be too soon but from what we did see it doesn't fill me with any confidence.  He struggled to hold it up, head it, pass and shoot.  Frankly Gestede offered more in his time with us. 

[john e]

Wesleys best game was Everton early on imo
he had some decent displays and looked a handful at times

at other times he looked dreadful
so for me he was always hit or miss

the fact he had games when he looked great, few admittedly but then new to the league and all that gives me some hopes that he can be very useful to us in the premier league

I don’t agree he is a donkey, I think that’s a ridiculous thing to say
the thing that worries me most about Wesley is his inability to head the ball

you would expect someone with that physical presence to be dangerous from crosses but he really struggles

never the less he’s young has potential and isn’t someone we can move on because of wages and injury etc
so we have to work with him and find a way of getting the best out of him
and I’m happy with that

[chrisw1]

Or hold it up John, it bounced yards off him pretty much every time.  I agree we have to work with him and see how he develops, I'm just not holding my breath.

[ASHTONVILLA]

Wesleys best game was Everton early on imo
he had some decent displays and looked a handful at times

at other times he looked dreadful
so for me he was always hit or miss

the fact he had games when he looked great, few admittedly but then new to the league and all that gives me some hopes that he can be very useful to us in the premier league

I don’t agree he is a donkey, I think that’s a ridiculous thing to say
the thing that worries me most about Wesley is his inability to head the ball

you would expect someone with that physical presence to be dangerous from crosses but he really struggles

never the less he’s young has potential and isn’t someone we can move on because of wages and injury etc
so we have to work with him and find a way of getting the best out of him
and I’m happy with that

If we go into the season with Wesley as our number on striker we will be struggling at the bottom again. Neither he nor Samatta have done enough to justify any confidence he can improve enough to do so. I agree we can't write him off having spent so much, but we absolutely have to buy a nailed on first team striker to ensure he improves from the bench not as the main striker.

It is more likely he will struggle more following a long injury lay off, that he will hit the ground in better form.

[john e]

Wesleys best game was Everton early on imo
he had some decent displays and looked a handful at times

at other times he looked dreadful
so for me he was always hit or miss

the fact he had games when he looked great, few admittedly but then new to the league and all that gives me some hopes that he can be very useful to us in the premier league

I don’t agree he is a donkey, I think that’s a ridiculous thing to say
the thing that worries me most about Wesley is his inability to head the ball

you would expect someone with that physical presence to be dangerous from crosses but he really struggles

never the less he’s young has potential and isn’t someone we can move on because of wages and injury etc
so we have to work with him and find a way of getting the best out of him
and I’m happy with that

If we go into the season with Wesley as our number on striker we will be struggling at the bottom again. Neither he nor Samatta have done enough to justify any confidence he can improve enough to do so. I agree we can't write him off having spent so much, but we absolutely have to buy a nailed on first team striker to ensure he improves from the bench not as the main striker.

It is more likely he will struggle more following a long injury lay off, that he will hit the ground in better form.

I don’t disagree with any of that

 I just disagreed with you saying he operated like a donkey on Blackpool beach

[john e]

Or hold it up John, it bounced yards off him pretty much every time.  I agree we have to work with him and see how he develops, I'm just not holding my breath.

no in his good games he held the ball up well I thought
in others as you said he looked Gestede like

a proper jeckle & Hyde

[Londonvilla]

Not thrilled about the idea of Thauvin or Harry Wilson.

Think Wilson is mainly good at set pieces, but not very good otherwise. Admittedly this is mainly from what I remember when he was at Derby and I always thought Mount was the much better player. Maybe he's improved since then.

Thauvin looks a bit lightweight, which is what I think is Trezeguet's main weakness. If Trez could bulk up a bit, he could be a real player.

This shows my fear for the window, I literally don’t think there is a single player that we could sign that will be met with universal acclaim;

You sign Benrahma or Watkins & some will criticise that they have only played at Champ level

You sign Eduoard (sp!) and some will say he’s only done it in a pub league

You sign Rashica and some will say he doesn’t want to be here

You sign anyone from Norwich, Bournemouth or Watford they will be showing no ambition buying off relegated clubs

You buy anyone from the Belgian league......LOL!

Belgian league.....LOL

Best post of the day

As long as people have fun with all of this gossip and  speculation I don't have a problem. The issue is when people are a 100% sure that they are right and as a result you are not just wrong your also stupid and you smell and you love the football in the Belgian league 

[pauliewalnuts]

Or hold it up John, it bounced yards off him pretty much every time.  I agree we have to work with him and see how he develops, I'm just not holding my breath.

no in his good games he held the ball up well I thought
in others as you said he looked Gestede like

a proper jeckle & Hyde

What I don't get about him is how he manages to be 1. a centre forward, 2. Brazilian and 3. tall, and utterly unable to head the ball.

Seemed incapable of timing his jumps. Remarkable.

[ozzjim]

The funniest one is people believing ITK twitter accounts that have already admitted they are about 4 different accounts trolling on the making fake shit up.