“He said they’d support us with new players and improve the depth of the squad to kick on." All of which I have no doubt we're trying our utmost to make happen, but I can't imagine any owner of any club not saying they'd be doing that. I don't think those words are tantamount to telling our better players we'd be signing global superstars to prevent them from putting in transfer requests, which is what I inferred earlier.
What do you think he means then? I ask that genuinely, not trying to catch you out. Does it means 4 or 5 £20M signings from the Championship or a step up from that?
I do think it's a step up from that that we're after and we're ready and willing to do all that's reasonably necessary, but as recently as today it looks like we've been overlooked by someone from the heady heights of Bournemouth for the greater attractions of the frozen north. That shows me that this is going to be anything but easy, no matter who our targets are.
And as for the message, we've no idea of its recipients or verbatim content. To me, it sounds as much like McGinn trying to put our minds at rest as anything else.
From a Purslow interview.
VILLA FANS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS.
Purslow: It takes 4yrs to be able to pay average Prem salaries & comply with FFP. I have to comply with 1 year of Prem but 2 years of championship rules. The total wage bill we can pay is much, much lower than clubs in the prem for 3 years
That's a very sobbering quote. We could obviously do with losing a lot of the dead wood to bring down the wage bill and even then, once we've rewarded our star players, there may not be a lot to offer quality new signings. Probably why we're doing so much shopping in the Championship.
If the problem is that Lange needs time to get his feet under the table and get moving then maybe binning Richard Madeley as late as we did wasn't the best idea?
I also find it hard to believe Cash was a Lange target. Who is actually identifying the players?
Yep I don’t buy it. Also whatever the reason is they need to get it sorted, more than most teams we need some quality into the squad.
For me as it stands if we can field a injury free side we have
a mid table defence
a top half midfield
a relegation forward line
a bottom half management team
let’s hope we can improve the forward line in the next couple of weeks and then not get any bad injuries or we will be in deep trouble again
Mid table defence? We conceded 67 goals, a terrible stat only beaten by Norwich who finished bottom!
If the problem is that Lange needs time to get his feet under the table and get moving then maybe binning Richard Madeley as late as we did wasn't the best idea?
I also find it hard to believe Cash was a Lange target. Who is actually identifying the players?
Surely it'd be the scouting team, rather than just being Lange or Suso going out and scouting themselves. Recruitment is only one part of the sporting director's job after all. That Mitchell chap has just been brought in as the new chief scout as was or head of recruitment in new fangled terms, reporting to Lange.
I've never bought the 'Suso player', 'Smith player' thing. Of course they'll make suggestions too but one would hope we've got reports coming in from a worldwide team of scouts so it's not difficult to believe one of the Uk based scouts suggested Cash.
From a Purslow interview.
VILLA FANS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS.
Purslow: It takes 4yrs to be able to pay average Prem salaries & comply with FFP. I have to comply with 1 year of Prem but 2 years of championship rules. The total wage bill we can pay is much, much lower than clubs in the prem for 3 years
That's a very sobbering quote. We could obviously do with losing a lot of the dead wood to bring down the wage bill and even then, once we've rewarded our star players, there may not be a lot to offer quality new signings. Probably why we're doing so much shopping in the Championship.
Hasn't there already been a big drop in the wage bill? I'm sure there was something about it dropping from £90m to £65m (rough figures).
If the problem is that Lange needs time to get his feet under the table and get moving then maybe binning Richard Madeley as late as we did wasn't the best idea?
I also find it hard to believe Cash was a Lange target. Who is actually identifying the players?
Dean Smith.
He knows he nearly lost his job in March. He could see it coming and was dropping big hints for two months in the press conference that half the team wasn't what he wanted. He wanted Kalvin Phillips, he got Nakamba. He wanted Maupay, got Wesley. Benrahama-Trez etc.
Mind you he didn't help his cause by looking in Drinkwater's eyes and deciding he was the one to breath life into our central midfield so that was very faulty aswell.
Anyway I doubt his stock in the owners eyes will ever be higher than it is now after the great escape so they've probably listened to him moaning for months about recruitment and now given him the licence to sign the players he wants. Cash is one, Watkins will be another and will be another 2-3 more. Calum Wilson would've certainly been another DS signing aswell.
So enough rope to hang him by if the team starts poorly again and much easier to sack him in November if we're in the bottom 3 given it will be his team by then. Such is politics in the premier league.
For me as it stands if we can field a injury free side we have
a mid table defence
a top half midfield
a relegation forward line
a bottom half management team
let’s hope we can improve the forward line in the next couple of weeks and then not get any bad injuries or we will be in deep trouble again
Mid table defence? We conceded 67 goals, a terrible stat only beaten by Norwich who finished bottom!
Indeed.
We went a bit O'Neill after the break, with centre halves at full back.
But I'd still want at least one better centre half than what we had last year. And genuine competition for Targett.
From a Purslow interview.
VILLA FANS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS.
Purslow: It takes 4yrs to be able to pay average Prem salaries & comply with FFP. I have to comply with 1 year of Prem but 2 years of championship rules. The total wage bill we can pay is much, much lower than clubs in the prem for 3 years
That's a very sobbering quote. We could obviously do with losing a lot of the dead wood to bring down the wage bill and even then, once we've rewarded our star players, there may not be a lot to offer quality new signings. Probably why we're doing so much shopping in the Championship.
Wasn’t there a story though that we had significantly reduced the wage bill (think it was in the Athletic)?
If the problem is that Lange needs time to get his feet under the table and get moving then maybe binning Richard Madeley as late as we did wasn't the best idea?
I also find it hard to believe Cash was a Lange target. Who is actually identifying the players?
Dean Smith.
He knows he nearly lost his job in March. He could see it coming and was dropping big hints for two months in the press conference that half the team wasn't what he wanted. He wanted Kalvin Phillips, he got Nakamba. He wanted Maupay, got Wesley. Benrahama-Trez etc.
Mind you he didn't help his cause by looking in Drinkwater's eyes and deciding he was the one to breath life into our central midfield so that was very faulty aswell.
Anyway I doubt his stock in the owners eyes will ever be higher than it is now after the great escape so they've probably listened to him moaning for months about recruitment and now given him the licence to sign the players he wants. Cash is one, Watkins will be another and will be another 2-3 more. Calum Wilson would've certainly been another DS signing aswell.
So enough rope to hang him by if the team starts poorly again and much easier to sack him in November if we're in the bottom 3 given it will be his team by then. Such is politics in the premier league.
hmmm..that's what i assumed. Nice to hear it confirmed though.
I hope Matty Cash is bloody brilliant, and I’m sure he’ll add to us, but priority is slightly odd. Clearly nearly all areas of the pitch need improvement/depth, but I’d argue right back was one of the lower priorities. I know he’s versatile, but bloody hell the forwards and goalkeeping are critical.
For me as it stands if we can field a injury free side we have
a mid table defence
a top half midfield
a relegation forward line
a bottom half management team
let’s hope we can improve the forward line in the next couple of weeks and then not get any bad injuries or we will be in deep trouble again
Mid table defence? We conceded 67 goals, a terrible stat only beaten by Norwich who finished bottom!
A stat that whilst completely true means absolutely nothing. The season was clearly in 2 parts, unlike any other season you have to look at the 2 separately. Pre-covid we conceded slightly more than 2 a game with 57 in 28. After the restart we conceded 11 in 10. That's such a stark change that quoting the overall figure and ignoring it is pointless and misleading. It wasn't just luck either, the stat for shots conceded per game changed in line with the goals figure so the new defensive stability is entirely in line with how we were playing. Over a full season a similar defensive record would make us the 7th best defence in the league.
There's an argument that we sacrificed attacking intent to allow for it but that just supports the idea that we need to change the forward line to one more suited to how we are playing now.
One thing on the wage bill. I completely hear Purslow and of course we don't want it getting out of control as in the last MON season but how are Leeds avoiding FFP restrictions given they're signing Germany and Spanish internationals for big money. Rodrigo must be on 60-70k given he cost them 30m.
Can only think they have a much smaller core squad than we do e.g. 4-5 youth players on the bench while we still have Kalinic, Lansbury, Hogan and Taylor all hanging about, combined weekly wage of over 100k there.
A stat that whilst completely true means absolutely nothing. The season was clearly in 2 parts, unlike any other season you have to look at the 2 separately. Pre-covid we conceded slightly more than 2 a game with 57 in 28. After the restart we conceded 11 in 10. That's such a stark change that quoting the overall figure and ignoring it is pointless and misleading. It wasn't just luck either, the stat for shots conceded per game changed in line with the goals figure so the new defensive stability is entirely in line with how we were playing. Over a full season a similar defensive record would make us the 7th best defence in the league.
There's an argument that we sacrificed attacking intent to allow for it but that just supports the idea that we need to change the forward line to one more suited to how we are playing now.
What were the stats for goals scored pre / post the break?
If the problem is that Lange needs time to get his feet under the table and get moving then maybe binning Richard Madeley as late as we did wasn't the best idea?
I also find it hard to believe Cash was a Lange target. Who is actually identifying the players?
Dean Smith.
He knows he nearly lost his job in March. He could see it coming and was dropping big hints for two months in the press conference that half the team wasn't what he wanted. He wanted Kalvin Phillips, he got Nakamba. He wanted Maupay, got Wesley. Benrahama-Trez etc.
Mind you he didn't help his cause by looking in Drinkwater's eyes and deciding he was the one to breath life into our central midfield so that was very faulty aswell.
Anyway I doubt his stock in the owners eyes will ever be higher than it is now after the great escape so they've probably listened to him moaning for months about recruitment and now given him the licence to sign the players he wants. Cash is one, Watkins will be another and will be another 2-3 more. Calum Wilson would've certainly been another DS signing aswell.
So enough rope to hang him by if the team starts poorly again and much easier to sack him in November if we're in the bottom 3 given it will be his team by then. Such is politics in the premier league.
hmmm..that's what i assumed. Nice to hear it confirmed though.
Unless that post is coming from anywhere but the opinion of the poster I don't see how it confirms anything, it just mean someone else thinks the same thing you do.