Summer Transfer Thread and Gustavo Cisneros Type Rumours.

[algy]

And I'd certainly have even more respect for him if he did finish up back at Watford. Would be classy.

I'd always thought, if I had any footballing ability whatsoever - first, I'd play for Villa for as long as my talents allowed, second once I passed that point then I'd presumably be well enough off that I'd not specifically need money I'd just play for clubs I quite liked whilst I still looked amazing at whatever level they played at ... a bit like Lee Trundle has in Wales.

[Toronto Villa]

We need better midfield players and wingers. Today’s game is highlighting the gap to the top of the tree if we weren’t aware already.

[paul_e]

We need better midfield players and wingers. Today’s game is highlighting the gap to the top of the tree if we weren’t aware already.

partly true but it also shows they have a champions league place to play for and we're playing for pride.

[Toronto Villa]

We need better midfield players and wingers. Today’s game is highlighting the gap to the top of the tree if we weren’t aware already.

partly true but it also shows they have a champions league place to play for and we're playing for pride.

Yes of course, but even if they weren't and we had something more to play for there is a gulf in class that years of spending big creates. We have entirely reconstructed the back four over the past couple of seasons and it for me is now top 6, even top 4. Up front we are very good in our primary player but have little if anything to challenge or in terms of depth. Jack aside, SJM sometimes the rest of the midfield is mid table. You put 2 or 3 top players in the middle we will just keep the ball better and move it much faster and anticipate the opponents thoughts at a higher level. But after year 2 it's been progress and still allows for much room for improvement.

[paul_e]

We need better midfield players and wingers. Today’s game is highlighting the gap to the top of the tree if we weren’t aware already.

partly true but it also shows they have a champions league place to play for and we're playing for pride.

Yes of course, but even if they weren't and we had something more to play for there is a gulf in class that years of spending big creates. We have entirely reconstructed the back four over the past couple of seasons and it for me is now top 6, even top 4. Up front we are very good in our primary player but have little if anything to challenge or in terms of depth. Jack aside, SJM sometimes the rest of the midfield is mid table. You put 2 or 3 top players in the middle we will just keep the ball better and move it much faster and anticipate the opponents thoughts at a higher level. But after year 2 it's been progress and still allows for much room for improvement.

We're 2-0 up and for all their possession in the first half I don't think that scoreline flatters us. The strength on the respective benches shows the difference but 11 vs 11 I don't think there's much between the teams. As I said, we had "nothing to play for" and they are playing for a champions league place, they were always going to start strong and press us, we needed to ride that out and then get into it, which is exactly what we've done.

[ChicagoLion]

We need better midfield players and wingers. Today’s game is highlighting the gap to the top of the tree if we weren’t aware already.

partly true but it also shows they have a champions league place to play for and we're playing for pride.

Yes of course, but even if they weren't and we had something more to play for there is a gulf in class that years of spending big creates. We have entirely reconstructed the back four over the past couple of seasons and it for me is now top 6, even top 4. Up front we are very good in our primary player but have little if anything to challenge or in terms of depth. Jack aside, SJM sometimes the rest of the midfield is mid table. You put 2 or 3 top players in the middle we will just keep the ball better and move it much faster and anticipate the opponents thoughts at a higher level. But after year 2 it's been progress and still allows for much room for improvement.

We're 2-0 up and for all their possession in the first half I don't think that scoreline flatters us. The strength on the respective benches shows the difference but 11 vs 11 I don't think there's much between the teams. As I said, we had "nothing to play for" and they are playing for a champions league place, they were always going to start strong and press us, we needed to ride that out and then get into it, which is exactly what we've done.

disagree. Chelsea move the ball with speed and precision, they just don’t have a cutting edge. We have too many players that can not do that and had to cover so much ground to compete.

[dave.woodhall]

We need better midfield players and wingers. Today’s game is highlighting the gap to the top of the tree if we weren’t aware already.

partly true but it also shows they have a champions league place to play for and we're playing for pride.

Yes of course, but even if they weren't and we had something more to play for there is a gulf in class that years of spending big creates. We have entirely reconstructed the back four over the past couple of seasons and it for me is now top 6, even top 4. Up front we are very good in our primary player but have little if anything to challenge or in terms of depth. Jack aside, SJM sometimes the rest of the midfield is mid table. You put 2 or 3 top players in the middle we will just keep the ball better and move it much faster and anticipate the opponents thoughts at a higher level. But after year 2 it's been progress and still allows for much room for improvement.

We're 2-0 up and for all their possession in the first half I don't think that scoreline flatters us. The strength on the respective benches shows the difference but 11 vs 11 I don't think there's much between the teams. As I said, we had "nothing to play for" and they are playing for a champions league place, they were always going to start strong and press us, we needed to ride that out and then get into it, which is exactly what we've done.

disagree. Chelsea move the ball with speed and precision, they just don’t have a cutting edge. We have too many players that can not do that and had to cover so much ground to compete.

We won.

[tomd2103]

We need better midfield players and wingers. Today’s game is highlighting the gap to the top of the tree if we weren’t aware already.

Don’t think we are going to be a team who can dominate possession against better opposition, more a really effective counter-attacking team like were earlier in the season.

[ChicagoLion]

We need better midfield players and wingers. Today’s game is highlighting the gap to the top of the tree if we weren’t aware already.

partly true but it also shows they have a champions league place to play for and we're playing for pride.

Yes of course, but even if they weren't and we had something more to play for there is a gulf in class that years of spending big creates. We have entirely reconstructed the back four over the past couple of seasons and it for me is now top 6, even top 4. Up front we are very good in our primary player but have little if anything to challenge or in terms of depth. Jack aside, SJM sometimes the rest of the midfield is mid table. You put 2 or 3 top players in the middle we will just keep the ball better and move it much faster and anticipate the opponents thoughts at a higher level. But after year 2 it's been progress and still allows for much room for improvement.

We're 2-0 up and for all their possession in the first half I don't think that scoreline flatters us. The strength on the respective benches shows the difference but 11 vs 11 I don't think there's much between the teams. As I said, we had "nothing to play for" and they are playing for a champions league place, they were always going to start strong and press us, we needed to ride that out and then get into it, which is exactly what we've done.

disagree. Chelsea move the ball with speed and precision, they just don’t have a cutting edge. We have too many players that can not do that and had to cover so much ground to compete.

We won.

Yes and I am delighted, just discussing the difference between us and a CL team.

[dave.woodhall]

Whatever makes you happy.

[Monty]

Obviously Chelsea are better than us in the grand scheme of things, but today proved that when Deano says we can beat anyone on our day, you know, he has a point.

[Smithy]

Obviously Chelsea are better than us in the grand scheme of things, but today proved that when Deano says we can beat anyone on our day, you know, he has a point.

That's the bit I like most about this team.  I genuinely believe we can beat anyone on our day.  We're still very inconsistent, and keep throwing in 5/10 performances, but that's to be expected as we progress.

We need to hold the ball better against the better teams, some of that is improving the personnel, some of it comes from belief, which will be orders of magnitude higher going into next season.

A couple of top-notch additions and I'm looking forward to a proper go at the European places next season.

[paul_e]

We need better midfield players and wingers. Today’s game is highlighting the gap to the top of the tree if we weren’t aware already.

partly true but it also shows they have a champions league place to play for and we're playing for pride.

Yes of course, but even if they weren't and we had something more to play for there is a gulf in class that years of spending big creates. We have entirely reconstructed the back four over the past couple of seasons and it for me is now top 6, even top 4. Up front we are very good in our primary player but have little if anything to challenge or in terms of depth. Jack aside, SJM sometimes the rest of the midfield is mid table. You put 2 or 3 top players in the middle we will just keep the ball better and move it much faster and anticipate the opponents thoughts at a higher level. But after year 2 it's been progress and still allows for much room for improvement.

We're 2-0 up and for all their possession in the first half I don't think that scoreline flatters us. The strength on the respective benches shows the difference but 11 vs 11 I don't think there's much between the teams. As I said, we had "nothing to play for" and they are playing for a champions league place, they were always going to start strong and press us, we needed to ride that out and then get into it, which is exactly what we've done.

disagree. Chelsea move the ball with speed and precision, they just don’t have a cutting edge. We have too many players that can not do that and had to cover so much ground to compete.

Moving the ball with speed and precision or winning a game with energy and effort is about style not quality. We did  Liverpool with exactly the sort of football you describe (and Arsenal, and a few others) but it wasn't what was needed today. Given how critical people have been about Smith not having a plan b I'd have thought us being able to beat teams with good football or with energy and workrate would be a positive.


As I said the difference between us and the top 4 is depth, they had £200m of players on the bench, our entire squad for today cost no more than that. Sustaining a big squad where the drop in quality isn't so big is very hard without Champions League money and the extra games to give fringe players 15-20 games a season.

[eamonn]

I think there is a point about striving to dominate possession or at least to play in a higher average position on the pitch. I want to be able to see us pin a team inside their own third for periods of games (not just when we're going last-ditch gung-ho for a winner/equaliser), and to have our players confident with the ball at their feet and not going backwards or reluctant to shift to their weaker foot. Only Jack and Ollie can do that consistently of our lot.

[LeeB]

Athletico Madrid have shown how to beat the ball huggers over the course of a season, that's our template. Angry, heavy metal football without the ball, with Jack singing sweet ballads when we've got it.