Summer Transfer Thread and Gustavo Cisneros Type Rumours.

[pauliewalnuts]

I am also starting to wonder whether there's more to the Terry and ROK departures, especially the latter, with the strange timing.

It's probably all irrational but I too have a sneaking bad feeling about this season.

[andyh]

I feel the same.
Coaches leaving, selling our best player, disrupted pre season, strangely conducted signings (I still maintain the Bailey signing is weird), massively disrupted pre season, injuries, and I’ll fated transfer attempts, followed by declarations the squad is strong enough.

From being a club that looked ultra professional, I feel we have started looking a bit disheveled.

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Good post SHQ, the squad is stronger, the star man weakened, but the burden shared.

[cdbearsfan]

I always worry. Feel like we are Villa and if there's a chance we might get close to being able to seriously challenge, everything will conspire to prevent it.

One big sexy amazing signing to scare everyone was all it would have taken to alleviate any fears and remind the doubters that we mean business.

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I always worry. Feel like we are Villa and if there's a chance we might get close to being able to seriously challenge, everything will conspire to prevent it.

One big sexy amazing signing to scare everyone was all it would have taken to alleviate any fears and remind the doubters that we mean business.

Maybe we've signed him. Maybe we signed him last season. Let's get fit, get our best XI out there and see how we get on.

[RamboandBruno]

If we don’t sign anyone I can only think that he’s going to play the four attacking players and 2 midfield but I shudder at the thought of any of those in a midfield 2 except McGinn. We’ll be in for some high scoring games that’s for sure, not sure if we’ll be on the right end of them. It’ll be like when Spurs had Berbatov, Keane, Defoe and Bent and the manager at the time trying to fit 3 or 4 in at a time. He didn’t last long from memory.

Never going to happen Smith is not that sort of manager
This is the guy who when we were 1-1 at home against a newly promoted side his first change was to bring on a defensive midfielder who is more defensive than the one he took off
So any talk of him going all Kevin Keegan is very misplaced

Gung ho and cavalier are not a part of Smith make up
Against Watford and Brentford we went behind, I don’t know why we can’t start on the front foot and attack teams like they do us, we stroll around thinking we are better than we really are then get caught
It’s the managers job to get them firing straight away from kickoff I haven’t seen it very often

This is rather unfair.Nakamba for Chuk was the right call as the game was passing him by and we needed to get hold of midfield. Difficult to attack without the ball.
Smith in his first year pre lockdown in the PL had us too expansive and open.  Slow starters. After the restart we were more compact and resilient.Can you describe a manager who oversaw a 7-2 slaughter of the league champions as being timid ? His Brentford team played fluent and expressive football.Slow starters ? Last year early on  took Burnley apart and Spurs the previous year  but lost both.Contrast last year v Spurs away,lost an early goal but with a solid base provided by Nakamba and a good defence,we played them off the park.
Without a solid defence and a midfield able to provide some protection then PL sides can take you apart as Eddie Howe found out to his cost when his forwards for  once could not compensate for the defensive weaknesses.

Exactly right, examples can picked to prove a point fairly or unfairly. Like it or not we we’re getting exposed in midfield in the second half and the second did pass Chuck by, not his fault at all. Nakamba for all his limitations was precisely the right call then.
How many 3-0 wins did we have last year??

[Risso]

I feel the same.
Coaches leaving, selling our best player, disrupted pre season, strangely conducted signings (I still maintain the Bailey signing is weird), massively disrupted pre season, injuries, and I’ll fated transfer attempts, followed by declarations the squad is strong enough.

From being a club that looked ultra professional, I feel we have started looking a bit disheveled.

I agree, there doesn't seem to have been much good news recently. Greasy going, coaches leaving, going 3-0 down to Watford, quite a few injuries, not getting players like Smith-Rowe or Ward-Prowse, Buendia and Martinez going against the Premier League ban on travel, and then seemingly giving up in the transfer market. As things stand I think we're in for a season of lower mid table rubbish. Not bad enough to get sucked into a relegation scrap, but not good enough to get above half way either.

[aev]

4 points from those first 3 games and the injuries have certainly contributed to an underwhelming start to the season.

[Demitri_C]

Apparently sky sports saying dean has money to spend should he want to but its smith saying we dont need anyone. If this is the case and we fail its on smith as we can see me need desperately  need a cm.

Its actually madness smith is being a fool about this if the board are willing to back him for a signing

[SoccerHQ]

I am also starting to wonder whether there's more to the Terry and ROK departures, especially the latter, with the strange timing.

It's probably all irrational but I too have a sneaking bad feeling about this season.

Yeah that is more difficult to just brush off I think.

I always thought Terry would go eventually and getting in Shakespeare last summer was good insurance as he's a proven coach as part of title winning team there. That said Terry going and not getting a managers job as of yet is a bit odd.

Even odder is O'Kelly leaving two days before start of season when he's been important and stable part of DS coaching staff for pretty much last decade.

I know we got the set piece guy in but we're pretty light for actual coaches now especially as Dean had to isolate for 10 days in pre season so yes think that's actually been as disruptive to the season planning as any players we've signed or sold.

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Terry said he has left to go study up a bit more and tour Europe or something.

You can tell this is a forum packed full of Brummies. Jaysus.

[ozzjim]

I feel the same.
Coaches leaving, selling our best player, disrupted pre season, strangely conducted signings (I still maintain the Bailey signing is weird), massively disrupted pre season, injuries, and I’ll fated transfer attempts, followed by declarations the squad is strong enough.

From being a club that looked ultra professional, I feel we have started looking a bit disheveled.

I agree, there doesn't seem to have been much good news recently. Greasy going, coaches leaving, going 3-0 down to Watford, quite a few injuries, not getting players like Smith-Rowe or Ward-Prowse, Buendia and Martinez going against the Premier League ban on travel, and then seemingly giving up in the transfer market. As things stand I think we're in for a season of lower mid table rubbish. Not bad enough to get sucked into a relegation scrap, but not good enough to get above half way either.

Agreed. It all feels very flat. I don't think we will end the season with Dean in charge either. Something is off at the moment in my opinion.

[PaulWinch again]

I think it’s poor that we haven’t addressed the midfield. JWP as a target was spot on for me, but I don’t for a second believe he’s the only player who could do the job we need. Why haven’t we found someone else?

[Footy-Vill]

I would have been happy to have signed all or any of these players who are moving to Wolves , Leeds , Everton and Palace: Renato Sanches, Dan James, Maitland Niles , Odsonne Edouard disappointed as all quality, affordable and would be great competition within the squad

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We don't need any of them.