Summer Transfer Thread and Gustavo Cisneros Type Rumours.

[SoccerHQ]

Worth remembering Nakamba has started 2 of the 3 prem games on the bench so far so not like he's an automatic starter for us (although he probably will start many games up to January if we sign no one in next 12 hours).

It's crucial though just to give us more strength in central midfield and also allow Luiz and McGinn to push forward a bit more and maybe score a goal or two.

Where we are as a club this season that would be o.k midfield for me but just seems we're lacking and we're going to be putting out magic hat 11s for the next two months. If we're doing it post November then don't think Dean will be lasting too much longer in the job.

[Sexual Ealing]

The people above him would presumably love him to go public with his concerns and criticisms of the club's business.

[Demitri_C]

The team on paper is good enough for top 10. Anything less for me would be a failing season.

Are we stronger than the likes of Everton,  west ham snd you could even throw  in leeds spurs for Europe? I am not so sure. I think we definitely should be looking ti be finishing above arsenal though.  Id be disappointed if we finish below them again

[Dave P]

The Athletic, who seem to be relatively well connected, seemed to indicate that any incomings would be dependent on Conor and Guilibert leaving on loan.  Well both have (the latter is close to joining Strasbourg) so surely these outgoings must indicate an incoming?

[richtheholtender]

The people above him would presumably love him to go public with his concerns and criticisms of the club's business.

He doesn't have to go public, that quite rightly would never happen. Does he have it I'm him privately to do it?

[Sexual Ealing]

The people above him would presumably love him to go public with his concerns and criticisms of the club's business.

He doesn't have to go public, that quite rightly would never happen. Does he have it I'm him privately to do it?

Like you, I don't know so it's a weird thing to speculate about as no answer will ever emerge. You mentioned his press conferences, which tend to be public.

[rooboy316]

There was a sense of urgency with Joe around, about making the most of it and getting into Europe. Now he’s left, maybe we can be a bit more patient in building. Find better value players and not pay over the odds to fill gaps. Being a bit light on in cm/dm will see us exposed at times, and it’ll be frustrating. But it also allows us to give Chuk, Ramsey et al more opportunities than they otherwise would get, which is better in the medium term.

I think 10th would be difficult to achieve and that feels disappointing in contrast to the optimism around the club at the start of summer, and talk of making a big push for Europe. I have faith though that the rebuild will succeed, sustainably, even if joe’s departure has pushed that back a couple of years.

[RamboandBruno]

If we don’t bring anyone in today in midfield will it make me nervous betw now and January? absolutely, will it be a disaster, doom & gloom scenario? No way.

Club have invested a lot in Sanson, we need him on the field so we can judge if he is good enough, you don’t spend 14m on a player who was valued much higher before the French tv crisis crashed the market over there and not see him as a likely starter - he needs to be fit and play.

If there is an opportunity to bring in a player who can consistently do the good things Nakamba does in one off games but is also capable of actually passing the odd ball forwards then would hope to get it done- if that player isn’t available or doesn’t want to come to us then we go with what we have.

But even with sanson he isnt the dm we are looking for. He is more of a creative attacking player.

We are so lightweight in the middle of the park its unbelievable. If smith cant see that he is more clueless than we thought

I don’t think he’s clueless at all so that’s a ‘you’ or ‘I’ not a ‘we’

We are light in there undoubtedly but it has to be right player incoming, someone who demands a shirt every week

Just to correct you all it needs is "one" other person to say he is clueless then it becomes a we. That part of your post was unnecessary. Anyway in subject

Of course it has to be right player, not a panic buy but i find it hard to believe there are not better players out there than nakamba.  If we have aspirations for europe we wont get there if nakamba has to play week in week out if luiz gets injured. Not sure if he has aspirations to play axel there but my preferred option would be a player proven in that position.

JJ, chuk, sanson and mcginn are not ball winning midfielders. We need another one of them in my opinion. A more solid tank like player. We don't have any of those.

No but your tone indicated you thought ‘we’ as in a number of us think Smith is clueless. I don’t think he’s clueless either.

Its not really important  is it?

No I’m the grand scale of things it’s not important. But there is a tendency on some of these threads over the last couple of years, for various posters to incline towards the anti smith at any given opportunity. Totally your or their perogative and your totally in your rights, but the collective ‘we’ intimates the clueless smith comment is widely felt. It’s not the impression I get either amongst my various group of villa mates, or even in the ground over the last couple of games.
There is a lot more semi hysteria on here.

[Drummond]

The net spend argument is completely clouded by the record transfer fee that came in.

When you look at the players in, and out, we're stronger.

Out
Ratboy
Wesley
Hourihane
Guilbert
Engels
Heaton

In
Ings
Buendia
Bailey
Young
Tuanzebe

We're stronger up front, we're stronger in defence, and we're down Hourihane in midfield. (Sanson came in early so could be argued to be a replacement, though given Hourihane was on loan too it's not really much different)

Goalkeeper is weaker though we've brought Sinisalo back from a solid season of first team football in Scotland.

I'd say the only area we've not upgraded (or downgraded) is central midfield, yet we have McGinn and Luiz who are both good players. We have Nakamba, Sanson, as seniors and Ramsey, Chukwuemeka as younger players coming through.

I suspect the sort of player we want we haven't been able to get yet, but it's not the disaster some are making out.

The other thing I'd like to say is that we have a much better squad than we have had for a long time. We are improving and frankly need to again this year. I think we can but we've had a rough few weeks with Covid-19 and injuries which has distorted things.

Re the coach situation, we've brought in MacPhee and another is serving notice elsewhere. We're freshening things up.

Do you genuinely think, during a match, we are stronger going forward now than we were with Grealish, Barkley, Watkins and Traore? I admire the confidence and really hope you are right. I think we are all trying to pretend like the best player in a generation that we have had is replaceable, and I have seen nothing of Villa under Smith to think that he is. I don't argue we have not bought in good players, but the logic and the team shape with them I am struggling with. We will find out in time of course, and I really hope you are spot on.

Given that Bailey and Traore are still out and Watkins has had 10 minutes, then not yet, no. But I believe we will be.

[brontebilly]

The Athletic, who seem to be relatively well connected, seemed to indicate that any incomings would be dependent on Conor and Guilibert leaving on loan.  Well both have (the latter is close to joining Strasbourg) so surely these outgoings must indicate an incoming?

Those two were always going to leave. I don't think it indicates any incomings. Hourihane had already been replaced in the squad by Ramsey/Sanson. Seems like Tuanzebe/Young are our backup right back option(s) instead of Guilbert.

The well flagged bid for JWP suggests the Smith are trying to rectify the gap we have in midfield, maybe there will be a late addition here today.

Our signings suggest some muddled thinking post Grealish. Luiz/McGinn sitting with three from Buendia, AEG, Traore, Bailey, Watkins, Sanson, Ramsey supporting Ings? With Buendia out we might try 433 against Chelsea with Ramsey in next to McGinn and Luiz. Might be a bit better balanced.

[Ketzster]

If we don’t bring anyone in today in midfield will it make me nervous betw now and January? absolutely, will it be a disaster, doom & gloom scenario? No way.

Club have invested a lot in Sanson, we need him on the field so we can judge if he is good enough, you don’t spend 14m on a player who was valued much higher before the French tv crisis crashed the market over there and not see him as a likely starter - he needs to be fit and play.

If there is an opportunity to bring in a player who can consistently do the good things Nakamba does in one off games but is also capable of actually passing the odd ball forwards then would hope to get it done- if that player isn’t available or doesn’t want to come to us then we go with what we have.

But even with sanson he isnt the dm we are looking for. He is more of a creative attacking player.

We are so lightweight in the middle of the park its unbelievable. If smith cant see that he is more clueless than we thought

I don’t think he’s clueless at all so that’s a ‘you’ or ‘I’ not a ‘we’

We are light in there undoubtedly but it has to be right player incoming, someone who demands a shirt every week

Just to correct you all it needs is "one" other person to say he is clueless then it becomes a we. That part of your post was unnecessary. Anyway in subject

Of course it has to be right player, not a panic buy but i find it hard to believe there are not better players out there than nakamba.  If we have aspirations for europe we wont get there if nakamba has to play week in week out if luiz gets injured. Not sure if he has aspirations to play axel there but my preferred option would be a player proven in that position.

JJ, chuk, sanson and mcginn are not ball winning midfielders. We need another one of them in my opinion. A more solid tank like player. We don't have any of those.

No but your tone indicated you thought ‘we’ as in a number of us think Smith is clueless. I don’t think he’s clueless either.

Its not really important  is it?

No I’m the grand scale of things it’s not important. But there is a tendency on some of these threads over the last couple of years, for various posters to incline towards the anti smith at any given opportunity. Totally your or their perogative and your totally in your rights, but the collective ‘we’ intimates the clueless smith comment is widely felt. It’s not the impression I get either amongst my various group of villa mates, or even in the ground over the last couple of games.
There is a lot more semi hysteria on here.

Whilst acknowledging he has done fine overall, the 4 people I go with, and the 3 or 4 other Villa supporting friends I have, all think Smith isn’t good enough so it is impossible to say what the general consensus on Smith is. If you took the people I know, it would be 100 per cent saying make a change, but obviously I’m well aware that that isn’t the opinion of all Villa fans.

[chrisw1]

A good, sensible post, Smithy. Not to mention any names, of course, but I doubt it'll be popular with some of the posters on this thread, lacking as it does histrionics, over-simplification and entitled petulance.

Fucking hell, are we spitting into happy clapper and doom-monger camps again?  It's just a few fucking people chatting on an internet forum.  Someone who thinks it's a bit odd we've finished the summer in the black and seem to have holes in the squad is now guilty of histrionics and entitled petulance?  For Christ's sake, if only we could all be perfect fans.

[Vegas]

Make a change, after Smith has gone mid-table Championship, to promotion, to survival, to mid table Premier League in consecutive seasons?  Sweet baby Jesus.

[sickbeggar]

Very quiet on that there twitter for villa links apart from Loftus-cheeek . I've taken it upon myself to monitor the Harry Winks situation for everyone as I don't want any unpleasant surprises without having any whisky in the house beforehand.

[Drummond]

Make a change, after Smith has gone mid-table Championship, to promotion, to survival, to mid table Premier League in consecutive seasons?  Sweet baby Jesus.

I blame the world we live in now. People want everything right now, in the way they want it and if can't be exactly right the world's gone to shit.