Matty Cash - signed

[dcdavecollett]

He'll have to improve or Kessler-Hayden will take his place next season.

[eamonn]

Releasing Elmo and letting Guilbert go back to France means there is no player whose first position is right-back to put pressure on Cash, now. In probably the only area of the pitch we're short (apart from the fabled DCM) and Cash to me is not learning quick enough as a PL defender.

Hope he stops worrying about his hair and starts working on his footballing brain cos he's our weakest link at the moment.

[eamonn]

He cost the price of a few Mars Bars. What do you expect? He's done us proud. Is he Kyle Walker? No. I like him but hope he can take it up a level this season. If not, we look to upgrade next summer providing we don't blow all the budget on a defensive midfielder.

He was £16m which isn't exactly peanuts.

[Smithy]

He'll have to improve or Kessler-Hayden will take his place next season.

I'm pretty sure that's the reason we haven't bought another specialist right-back.  We don't buy players to sit on the bench these days, so if we bought one we would then have two players blocking Kessler-Hayden's route to the first team.  I'm pretty confident the club expect him to be the player challenging Cash next season, but if his loan doesn't go well, or they don't see the development they want, I expect we'll buy another right-back next summer.

In the meantime, we do have players who can play right-back if needed, and who will do a perfectly capable job, even if we don't have a specialist for that position.

[dicedlam]

Releasing Elmo and letting Guilbert go back to France means there is no player whose first position is right-back to put pressure on Cash, now.

Wasn't Konsa's original position right-back before being converted to the centre?

Not ideal, but I think Ezri is more than capable of stepping in when needed.

[Mister E]

He'll have to improve or Kessler-Hayden will take his place next season.

I'm pretty sure that's the reason we haven't bought another specialist right-back.  We don't buy players to sit on the bench these days, so if we bought one we would then have two players blocking Kessler-Hayden's route to the first team.  I'm pretty confident the club expect him to be the player challenging Cash next season, but if his loan doesn't go well, or they don't see the development they want, I expect we'll buy another right-back next summer.
In the meantime, we do have players who can play right-back if needed, and who will do a perfectly capable job, even if we don't have a specialist for that position.

The same could be said of Tuanzebe: here for a season in order to allow for Bogarde's development?

[algy]

He'll have to improve or Kessler-Hayden will take his place next season.

I'm pretty sure that's the reason we haven't bought another specialist right-back.  We don't buy players to sit on the bench these days, so if we bought one we would then have two players blocking Kessler-Hayden's route to the first team.  I'm pretty confident the club expect him to be the player challenging Cash next season, but if his loan doesn't go well, or they don't see the development they want, I expect we'll buy another right-back next summer.
In the meantime, we do have players who can play right-back if needed, and who will do a perfectly capable job, even if we don't have a specialist for that position.

The same could be said of Tuanzebe: here for a season in order to allow for Bogarde's development?

Yeah, I think so. The move makes an awful lot of sense if it's seen through that perspective. We only need a short term solution, so bringing in a player who we know will fit in & will already have a decent relationship/understanding with the existing players is the obvious (in a good way) choice.

To me, this is a big season for Matty Cash. He really needs a Targett-like transformation because he's now, arguably, the weakest link in the first team squad ... alongside Marvelous Nakamba and Trez, but you'd not expect either of those have anywhere near the same involvement as he will.

Don't get me wrong, I really like the lad & want him to do well. I also wouldn't have put a replacement down as a high priority signing this summer. It just strikes me that once you start thinking about transfers for the next couple of windows, 'right back' is a position that crops up. And whilst Matty Cash is alright, he's not at a pushing-for-an-England-place level at the moment. Which is where we need to be aiming for.

[eamonn]

Releasing Elmo and letting Guilbert go back to France means there is no player whose first position is right-back to put pressure on Cash, now.

Wasn't Konsa's original position right-back before being converted to the centre?

Not ideal, but I think Ezri is more than capable of stepping in when needed.

Isn't full-back often championed as the most important position on the pitch these days? If so, having a "make-do" understudy who is brilliant and required in a different position (i.e Konsa) isn't ideal when the number one choice, Cash, is our weak link.

[Clark W Griswold]

Cash is quality and still young for a defender. I rate him highly, he’s good enough to be in a team challenging for Europe unlike most of our midfielders. Do agree that not having a specialist right back in competition isn’t very healthy for him or the team though.

[Lastfootstamper]

We didn't have one last season.

And I swear to god, if anyone says "Elmo"...

[eamonn]

Well, he was better than no one at all.

[RamboandBruno]

One ir two balls in the second half went over Cash’s head against Brentford, not brilliant, but that was it, otherwise he was sound all game.
He can be a bit rash, but he can also be really good and the best right back we’ve had down there, in what 10 years. No where the weak link in the side.

[eamonn]

Much of the last 10 years of Villa has been a factory of sadness as the phrase goes - the competition for full back competency not being particularly high.

He seems to be targeted by opposition now like his fellow-Matt-full back on the other side of the pitch used to be. Targett knuckled down, got stronger and became more tactically sound. I hope Cash has the brains and drive to do likewise.

[Smithy]

He'll have to improve or Kessler-Hayden will take his place next season.

I'm pretty sure that's the reason we haven't bought another specialist right-back.  We don't buy players to sit on the bench these days, so if we bought one we would then have two players blocking Kessler-Hayden's route to the first team.  I'm pretty confident the club expect him to be the player challenging Cash next season, but if his loan doesn't go well, or they don't see the development they want, I expect we'll buy another right-back next summer.
In the meantime, we do have players who can play right-back if needed, and who will do a perfectly capable job, even if we don't have a specialist for that position.

The same could be said of Tuanzebe: here for a season in order to allow for Bogarde's development?

Yeah, I think so. The move makes an awful lot of sense if it's seen through that perspective. We only need a short term solution, so bringing in a player who we know will fit in & will already have a decent relationship/understanding with the existing players is the obvious (in a good way) choice.

To me, this is a big season for Matty Cash. He really needs a Targett-like transformation because he's now, arguably, the weakest link in the first team squad ... alongside Marvelous Nakamba and Trez, but you'd not expect either of those have anywhere near the same involvement as he will.

Don't get me wrong, I really like the lad & want him to do well. I also wouldn't have put a replacement down as a high priority signing this summer. It just strikes me that once you start thinking about transfers for the next couple of windows, 'right back' is a position that crops up. And whilst Matty Cash is alright, he's not at a pushing-for-an-England-place level at the moment. Which is where we need to be aiming for.

If he's pushing for an England place at right-back then he will have done brilliantly, given right-back is probably the position England is most blessed at the moment.  You've got Trippier, James, Walker and Alexander-Arnold - any of whom is comfortably international class.  I don't think there is a position with that much depth of quality anywhere else in the England squad?

I'd like him to improve - who doesn't want their players to improve - but even if he does, he's got a LONG way to go to get ahead of any of those four.  Targett had a pretty good season last year, and he's still well down the pecking order in International terms at left-back.

I think I'm right in saying last season was only his second full season as a right-back, having been converted from a winger while at Forest?  That gives me a lot of confidence that the defensive side of his game CAN improve further.  He's certainly got the engine and athleticism going forward to be a threat at the other end.

[Smithy]

He'll have to improve or Kessler-Hayden will take his place next season.

I'm pretty sure that's the reason we haven't bought another specialist right-back.  We don't buy players to sit on the bench these days, so if we bought one we would then have two players blocking Kessler-Hayden's route to the first team.  I'm pretty confident the club expect him to be the player challenging Cash next season, but if his loan doesn't go well, or they don't see the development they want, I expect we'll buy another right-back next summer.
In the meantime, we do have players who can play right-back if needed, and who will do a perfectly capable job, even if we don't have a specialist for that position.

The same could be said of Tuanzebe: here for a season in order to allow for Bogarde's development?

Is Bogarde our number one prospect at centre-half then? I mean, he's still only 17, so I wouldn't expect to see him playing premier league football at the centre of defence for at LEAST another couple of years, unless he is truly exceptional.