Aston Villa v Chelsea Post Match Thread

[chrisw1]

The two main reasons for going down, for me, will be the gamble on Wesley as our only forward as an untried kid in a new country, that was an abysmal decision. Then in January we used our main advantage, money, to bring in Reina, Drinkwater and another Belgian. Not good enough.

I agree, betting the farm on Wesley always seemed like madness.

I know they may not have all been affordable or getable, but imagine our team with Maupay, Benrahma & Phillips instead of Wesley, Trez and Nakamba.

[mr underhill]

 believing that Drinkwater was going to add to our ability as a squad was monumentally stupid and worthy of the sack.

[chrisw1]

believing that Drinkwater was going to add to our ability as a squad was monumentally stupid and worthy of the sack.

It hasn't worked out, but he was free which I assume was one of the criteria at the time.  Yes the wages will have cost us but given our position and lack of alternatives I don't think that decision alone broke our season.  But yes, it was an incredibly dissapointing and naieve window.

[PeterWithe]

At the start of the season we looked to have three players were unquestionably PL standard, Heaton, Mings and Jack. McGinn has stepped up and others have looked decent in bursts but it always appeared as if it was going to be a struggle. Our recruitment seemed risky and so it has proved.

[Risso]

Mings has been a massive, massive disappointment this year.

[Duncan Shaw]

Mings has been a massive, massive disappointment this year.

I actually don't think it's a given that we lose Mings if we go down - not sure anyone in the Prem would come in for him.

[Brazilian Villain]

Mings has been a massive, massive disappointment this year.

I actually don't think it's a given that we lose Mings if we go down - not sure anyone in the Prem would come in for him.

Given what we paid for him we'd need to get 25-40m for him and I don't think anyone will bid that. We shouldn't need the money if Jack goes so may be a question of whether Mings digs his heels in to get a transfer.

[ASHTONVILLA]

Mings has been a massive, massive disappointment this year.

I actually don't think it's a given that we lose Mings if we go down - not sure anyone in the Prem would come in for him.

Given what we paid for him we'd need to get 25-40m for him and I don't think anyone will bid that. We shouldn't need the money if Jack goes so may be a question of whether Mings digs his heels in to get a transfer.

On this seasons form I won't be that bothered to see him leave. Grealish is the one that we would miss, no other player is a big loss on this seasons showing.

[PeterWithe]

You'd imagine one of the promoted teams or someone around the bottom would give him another shot, I think he's done ok, he's suffered as much as anyone that once Jack is marked there are few options so he's had to hang on to the ball for too long.

[Clampy]

I don't think Mings has been too bad overall this season (that blip aside just after he  got picked for England) but I personally think we overpaid for him.

[ASHTONVILLA]

I don't think Mings has been too bad overall this season (that blip aside just after he  got picked for England) but I personally think we overpaid for him.

The only players in the whole squad we did not overpay for are Davis, McGinn and Hause. Possibly Luiz and Engels.

Wesley, Targett, Konsa, Nakamba we massively overpayed for and will be lumbered with until their contracts expire. This is what keeps shafting us with FFP, shit players on high wages that we can't sell on without taking a loss and paying part of their wages - Hogan etc etc. I can't see any of that lot being good enough for the Championship either.

[AVH87]

Have to disagree that we overpaid for Mings, £25m and he's a 27 year old England International. I think if we sold him he'd make a slight profit, and at the very least get our money back.

[ROBBO]

McGinn still hasn't proved himself in the premiership, he was bright at the start of the season but his form had dropped right off before he got injured. Lets face it the reason we got promoted last season was down to Grealish, the time he was out the side was very forgettable.

[ASHTONVILLA]

Have to disagree that we overpaid for Mings, £25m and he's a 27 year old England International. I think if we sold him he'd make a slight profit, and at the very least get our money back.

As we saw last time we went down, the offers we get will be low as PL clubs know 1. we will need to sell to balance the books and 2. Players will agitate for a move.

No way are we getting our money back on Mings. Have seen numbers as large as £100m banded around for Grealish, but can't see us getting more than £35-40m for him. We will not be in a strong negotiating position.

Suso needs binning before we spend any money next window, and Smith needs to go now to give us a chance of staying up.

[ktvillan]

One would hope that Purslow had the good sense to build wage reductions into contracts in the event of relegation.  Being Villa though, I wouldn't bet on it. 

The recruitment last summer gives the impression we were recruiting for another season in the Championship because I'm buggered if I can see the majority of them ever being PL standard.  Maybe with a coach who gets them working harder and better organised.  Targett might eventually make a decent left midfielder as he's not bad going forward but he's a terrible defender.  Southampton must be laughing their bollocks off at how much we paid for him.  Trezeguet might make a decent training cone.  Nakamba and Jota don't look  look up to scratch either, Hourihane and Lansbury are too lightweight,  and El Ghazi gives you max 15-20 minutes each game and then disappears.  Engels and Hause have too many mistakes in them and Mings isn't really much better.  And both our goalies are given to throwing goals away at times, although Nyland has improved a lot.

So even if we go down and come back up we'll need another massive rebuild to bring in PL standard players, unless we can ID some up and coming talent that can actually play a bit.  What we've "scouted" so far doesn't give much hope that's going to happen.