Players that are simply not good enough

[Hookeysmith]

I shall rephrase the heading

The only players i am suggesting to dump are:

Trez - no aspect of the game is he even average at other than running

Barclay - I dont think he will ever be the player we hoped he would be - just really glad we have not spent too much in actually buying him.

Davis - never a CF as long as he has a hole up his arse

The others:

Luiz / McGinn / AEG / Traore have to be bench at best as we need much better quality in first team.

Players like (as a representative)

Deli Ali - mobile, box to box , scores goals - great mates with Jack
Tammy Abraham - think he would be a perfect foil for Ollie / Wes
Bring back Marc Albrighton - top crosser of the ball
Christian Erikson - seemingly unhappy at Inter

would really compliment this team

[PaulWinch again]

Douglas Luiz not good enough? You’re having a laugh.

[SoccerHQ]

Regarding Sanson, it's early days and we definatley shouldnt be writing him off (although the usual impatient among us no doubt will and already have) but I'm trying to work out what type of midfider he is. Is he defensive, attacking? He seems to be a mix of both.

He's an 8 really who chips in with 4-5 goals a season. Surprised me last night we had a three in there and he was highest pressing midfielder in there,, would've thought that would be McGinn's role.

Hard to see long run how midfield works with McGinn and Sanson, will have to be either as it's too samey. McGinn with 1 goal in what 40 league games now is a bit of a sobering stat.

1 goal in 48 for McGinn.
1 goal in 54 for Luiz

Luiz as DM can be execused. He scored a couple early on when we played him further forward.

Wow that's really bad from McGinn. He has uses in a deeper role but maybe I've just got it still in my head him regularly scoring for us in the championship and even when we came up I think he scored 3 in his first 6 prem games.

If we play 3 centrally he really should be that late runner into the box so surprised we didn't do it last night.

[nick harper]

I would play Davis till the end of the season and judge his future then. Watkins coming off the left, and Jack at 10.

Davis will at least help us keep the ball higher up the pitch and add some physicality. Watkins needs help and Jack needs more freedom than being neutralised on the left.

[Risso]

Marc Albrighton is 32 this year, that would seem a suggestion just based on bringing an old Villa player back for the sake of nostalgia.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Obvious ones ...
Traore/El Ghazi - can't help but think there's something in El Ghazi, but don't need both

Never judge a book by its cover. El Ghazi may look the part but there it ends. Last night was classic El Ghazi, comes on for the remaining 30+ minutes, in his first minute has a shot into the side netting and thereafter disappears other than giving the ball away. With him in the side it's generally like playing with 10 men.

[Ian.]

I would hope we’re in for a better player than Albrighton this summer. If we’re really serious those days have gone. Might have been good last summer or the one before but not now.

[PaulWinch again]

People writing off Sanson already is bonkers as well.

[brian green]

Love Marc and always have but sadly he has too many miles on the clock now.

[kippaxvilla2]

Regarding Sanson, it's early days and we definatley shouldnt be writing him off (although the usual impatient among us no doubt will and already have) but I'm trying to work out what type of midfider he is. Is he defensive, attacking? He seems to be a mix of both.

I hope to God I'm wrong, and I'm not one to write players off without a chance, but there's a part of me that just feels he's going to one of those players that looks tidy enough without actually offering anything.

Like Clampy says, it's not immediately apparent what sort of player he is, so it's hard to judge him.  The midfield three just isn't working though, whichever combination is picked.

The French Gary Gardner as someone said to me.  Too early for me.

[N'ZMAV]

It’s probably quicker to list the players that are good enough. But we’ve managed to do ok this season, we just need to be able to rely on more players next season.

[algy]

I think folk are being a bit harsh on Dougie  ... he's 22, being played in a more defensive role than he's suited to, and in an out-of-form side.

For me, there's 4 players who are really obvious that need to be replaced:

- Elmo (contract up)
- Taylor (contract up)
- Hourihane (out on loan, not likely to get back in the squad)
- Barkley (loan ends, not done enough to justify price tag)

Then 2 more who are borderline in that group:

- Engels (not played for whatever reason)
- Guilbert (out on loan, might be alright as 2nd choice RB next season)

And 3 who aren't in that group, but decisions have to be made about:

- Trez/El Ghazi.  We need to replace at least one of them in the summer.  My preference would be to keep El Ghazi, but if we get a good offer for him, I'd sell him and keep Trez.  Whoever we keep, it's more a stay of execution for 12 months than anything.
- Davis.  Either play him, or let him get on with his career.

For me, that's 6 or 7 players out (Elmo, Taylor, Conor, Barkley, Engels, Trez or El Ghazi, maybe Keinan) which is about the biggest lot of changes I'd be happy with for one summer ... any more and the squad will feel too unstable.  That leaves us with Trez/El Ghazi, maybe Keinan, Freddy G, Marv & Hause as player to replace in summer 2022.  Plus probably Tom Heaton at that stage.

[eamonn]

Christian Ericksen?! On such a high salary that they couldn't give him away.

Albrighton may be 32 but he's still able to put a cross perfectly on a centre-forward's head cf. Iheanacho's second and Leicester's third against ManUre yesterday. Not sure I've ever seen Trezeguet do that.

[Allan C]

Here we go again, a player playing a start for a handful of times is written off. Do we not ever learn?

Sanson is a good player let’s let hims settle in first.

Yes I agree with this. My guess is the Sanson was bought with next season in mind as part of the rebuilding. Any foreign player coming into the PL takes time to get up to speed

[SamTheMouse]

I think for me it's just Trez and El Ghazi that need upgrading. Traoré could still become more consistent, I think, but the other two just haven't got what it takes.

Apart from that, the squad depth just needs beefing up a bit.