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

[john e]

We might have signed and needed a ‘whole new team’  last season but the first game of the season there was just 3 outfield changes from the season before

Elmo and Taylor both apparently deserving the shirt and staying there for i think about 6 games
that’s when i started to question some of Smiths decisions

if we had played the ‘whole new team ‘ from the beginning i reckon we might not have been desperately hoping other results went our way on the final day for us to stay up

what I’m saying is we talk about signing 13 players last season as if they played every week, they didn’t

the management team need to grow some balls this season believe in their best players and play the new guys (if we buy any) and not be so cautious and safe as it didn’t work

[SoccerHQ]

If we end up spending the best part of £50 million on 3 championship players: Cash,Watkins and Swift  , then would you be happy with that?

No chance. Watkins with all the pressure to score the goals in his first prem season, have we learnt nothing from Gestede and Wesley?

Swift would just be a squad player. The way to do it is buy a first choice midfielder and then Hourihane goes from starting 20 + games in a season to just 10 or something. Surely that's how you improve your first 11 and squad.

Curious why we find it so difficult to identify and sign decent first choice players from top half teams in Spain, Italy and Germany as those leagues are obviously the highest standard around with the premier league so you get a better calibre of player.

That's why the Rashica link before it fizzled out was pretty interesting and he plays for a team who were the 16th best in Bundesliga last season.

Eventually if we're to sign "marquee" players and actually become a top half team we're going to have to set our sights a little bit higher in signing players. Seems to be a recurring problem with us even when we have loads of money to spend as apparently is the case this summer.

[aj2k77]

I'm not sold on hoovering up signings from the Championship but I do like Watkins movement, workrate and pace and Cash. Guilbert''s positioning was appalling last season. Swift..... he looks technically decent but I was hoping for something a bit more dynamic and physically imposing in the middle. £40-50m for the 3, it feels like the improvement wouldn't be major and there's better value out there but we aren't finding a way of getting the job done.

Having said all that the key signing has to be a centre forward. Watkins isn't it for me. I'd have him as a wider one.

[SoccerHQ]

Yep Watkins signed along with an experienced striker is what is required this summer.

Gives the option of Watkins adapting to prem in first 10 games out wide and without the pressure to hit the ground running which he'd have if he was the central striker.

I really can't believe we're going to fudge the striker issue yet again this summer. Just a reminder our collection last season scored in 6 out of 38 premier league games.

[levico]

Looks to me as if we’re sold on creating a pretty decent Championship side.

[maidstonevillain]

Other than Pep or Klopp there isn’t a manager in the league that would be a ‘draw’ so as a stick to hit Dean with I can’t see it - £’s & location yes, wanting to know that the best player isn’t gonna be sold before you join yes, mgr profile no

We see a lot about supposed targets but we along with the journalists no diddly squat as fact

Interesting opinion. Would Wolves have signed the players they did in 17/18 if Paul Lambert was still managing them?

There's a quite a few players who were attracted to Villa under Lambert who are playing at a far higher level than we are presently.

[maidstonevillain]

If we end up spending the best part of £50 million on 3 championship players: Cash,Watkins and Swift  , then would you be happy with that?

No chance. Watkins with all the pressure to score the goals in his first prem season, have we learnt nothing from Gestede and Wesley?

Swift would just be a squad player. The way to do it is buy a first choice midfielder and then Hourihane goes from starting 20 + games in a season to just 10 or something. Surely that's how you improve your first 11 and squad.

Curious why we find it so difficult to identify and sign decent first choice players from top half teams in Spain, Italy and Germany as those leagues are obviously the highest standard around with the premier league so you get a better calibre of player.

That's why the Rashica link before it fizzled out was pretty interesting and he plays for a team who were the 16th best in Bundesliga last season.

Eventually if we're to sign "marquee" players and actually become a top half team we're going to have to set our sights a little bit higher in signing players. Seems to be a recurring problem with us even when we have loads of money to spend as apparently is the case this summer.

Yet Leicester won the premiership by signing a striker from Fleetwood.

[Monty]

And yet it is more common to win the Premier League by buying strikers from Atletico Madrid.

[ozzjim]

Watkins is a good player and will do it in the Prem imo. He can't be of only striker signing this summer though. Or indeed it only winger. Rashica, Benrahma and Edouard all come in too and I'll be alot more confident of not sitting around the bottom 3 all season

[brontebilly]

Yep Watkins signed along with an experienced striker is what is required this summer.

Gives the option of Watkins adapting to prem in first 10 games out wide and without the pressure to hit the ground running which he'd have if he was the central striker.

I really can't believe we're going to fudge the striker issue yet again this summer. Just a reminder our collection last season scored in 6 out of 38 premier league games.

Ashley Barnes might not be the worst shout. Only a year left on his contract and the type of nasty tough forward we haven't had in years. We need a few more of them in the squad generally. Chips in with his share of goals too and then Watkins could be gradually eased in.

Are we expecting any kind of improvement from Samatta?

[john e]

I’m actually not bothered where players come from as long as they are good players
and That’s down to Smith and the recruiting team to get it right

you can use and pick players from all over the place to back up claims of where you think the level is we should be buying at

I don’t care as long as they do the business at Villa

[SoccerHQ]

Yep Watkins signed along with an experienced striker is what is required this summer.

Gives the option of Watkins adapting to prem in first 10 games out wide and without the pressure to hit the ground running which he'd have if he was the central striker.

I really can't believe we're going to fudge the striker issue yet again this summer. Just a reminder our collection last season scored in 6 out of 38 premier league games.

Ashley Barnes might not be the worst shout. Only a year left on his contract and the type of nasty tough forward we haven't had in years. We need a few more of them in the squad generally. Chips in with his share of goals too and then Watkins could be gradually eased in.

Are we expecting any kind of improvement from Samatta?

Barnes is more of a second striker, Chris Wood would probably fit us better although he's been around for ages so must be 30 by now.

Said it before but I'd get an experienced striker like Rondon on a seasons loan. I actually think that makes more sense than spending another 30m on someone who could take a year to adapt.

By next summer you'd imagine Tammy will be available for transfer and you'd hope if we had a mid table season we'd have enough about us to compete with other clubs and sign him.

[SoccerHQ]

If we end up spending the best part of £50 million on 3 championship players: Cash,Watkins and Swift  , then would you be happy with that?

No chance. Watkins with all the pressure to score the goals in his first prem season, have we learnt nothing from Gestede and Wesley?

Swift would just be a squad player. The way to do it is buy a first choice midfielder and then Hourihane goes from starting 20 + games in a season to just 10 or something. Surely that's how you improve your first 11 and squad.

Curious why we find it so difficult to identify and sign decent first choice players from top half teams in Spain, Italy and Germany as those leagues are obviously the highest standard around with the premier league so you get a better calibre of player.

That's why the Rashica link before it fizzled out was pretty interesting and he plays for a team who were the 16th best in Bundesliga last season.

Eventually if we're to sign "marquee" players and actually become a top half team we're going to have to set our sights a little bit higher in signing players. Seems to be a recurring problem with us even when we have loads of money to spend as apparently is the case this summer.

Yet Leicester won the premiership by signing a striker from Fleetwood.

Very true but Leicester are a completely anamoly in premier league for last 20 years. In any case their second starting striker that year was a regular in the Bundesliga (Okazaki).

[kippaxvilla2]

I said it earlier but Watkins on work rate alone will be a success.  Added to that he can hold the ball up and get in behind defenders and is a great finisher I think he’s the real deal.  But let’s not get slagging him off when the supply line is zero.

[tomd2103]

A full back that is arguably not as good as Fred, a midfielder that probably won't start. Another week ticks by. We need 3 forward players, probably 4 in truth. The other areas are the ones that actually can wait.

I don't think the full back options are good enough, but I agree that there are probably positions that are more of a priority this season.

If Jack stays and we go with same formation, then we need a better player on the opposite side.  El Ghazi and Trezeguet are bench options at best in the top flight.  We absolutely need a first choice striker and that is probably the number one priority to be honest.  If Davis goes out on loan or either Samatta of Wesley move on, then it could be argued we need two.  Watkins can cover a few positions so would be a decent option, but we still need that bit of nous and experience up there.

Next two priorities for me are an experienced and quality central midfielder and defender.  Players to play alongside Mings and Luiz respectively, and give us that bit composure that we lacked at times last season. 

The last addition would be an exciting prospect who could play in the attacking midfielder role.  I like McGinn in that position, as when fully fit, he can press teams from that position, but it would be nice to see a player come on in games and show some real quality.