2023 Summer transfer window - hopes, needs, expectations and rumours.

[Lastfootstamper]

Not just quality options, but quality game-changing options. Somebody a long while back once talked of how with the use of the bench in Rugby these days there's starters and there's finishers. That's what I want to see, players we can bring on to turn the screws or see us home. And with a bit of dash, bit of elan, something more imaginative than simply bringing on A. N. Otherbody to shore things up in the middle of the park.

[algy]

"Shit branding, my lord, shit branding
Ohhhh lord, shit branding"

"My garden shed (my garden shed)
Gets more revenue (gets more revenue)
My garden shed gets more revenue
It's got a deckchair and a KitKat
My garden shed gets more revenue!"

"The tills are ringing for the claret and blue"

Queue up if you want a pie.
Queue up if you want a pie.

"We're the Villa boys from Aston
And our credit rating's great
Our bank balance is swelling
You can see our cash from space"

[Risso]

If you want a train from Aston
You'll queue from very far
You'll have to wait even longer
If you travelled here by car

[paul_e]

Not just quality options, but quality game-changing options. Somebody a long while back once talked of how with the use of the bench in Rugby these days there's starters and there's finishers. That's what I want to see, players we can bring on to turn the screws or see us home. And with a bit of dash, bit of elan, something more imaginative than simply bringing on A. N. Otherbody to shore things up in the middle of the park.

Once you get a squad that works for modern football and lets to rest players you naturally have this. Tielemans is a good first step, imagine seeing Luiz is being rested only to realise you're still facing Tielemans and Kamara, or Moreno is on the bench but you're still facing a ~50 cap french international. That's the next goal for this squad, if we can have 5-6 players out/rested and still have quality in every position then we'll be ready to compete.

[ChicagoLion]

If you want a train from Aston
You'll queue from very far
You'll have to wait even longer
If you travelled here by car

We stand in line for food and drink
All dressed in claret and blue.
The last person to get served
was in 1982

[Brazilian Villain]

If you want a train from Aston
You'll queue from very far
You'll have to wait even longer
If you travelled here by car

Delay, Delay, Delay.

[john e]

I think we need to stop thinking in terms of players playing second fiddle and others being automatic starters etc etc.

We need better players than we have now to improve the squad.

From that pool of players we pick the team to suit the match and opponents.

Nobody should be an automatic starter and everyone needs other quality players to compete for their place with.

We should be able to look at our bench, and see all spaces full with just the one keeper ideally and with quality options to come on if needed.

i think midfielders and forwards are regulary interchanged

i agree we need a strong squad in all arears,
but i dont see many successful sides rotating there central defensive area to much especially in game
unless your Man City and even they dont do it much but i cant see us having say 4 top class centre backs and picking a different pairing each game depending on the opposition, but i can see that happening in midfield and forward arears

which is why i feel if we are going to pay top money for a centre back it will be to replace as a starter not as a back up imo

[Toronto Villa]

As fans we also need to get used squad rotation. So if McGinn or Watkins or Luiz doesn’t start it’s not down to form, but opponents, rest, tactics etc. All the best sides do it. Last season even Brighton didn’t start the likes of Mac Allister or Mitoma every game. Granted we probably didn’t have many options last season and our form came from everyone knowing their roles and starting most games creating chemistry. It’s going to be interesting to see if Emery is able to maintain performance levels this season by rotating more and integrating younger players. Something he didn’t do much of at all last season.

[Drummond]

Every week we complain.
Til our faces go bright blue,
We've shit kits, crests, and service, can't even use the loo,
We're the Villa boys from Aston
We don't travel near or far,
If we're going by the bus or train,
Or even the fucking car.

[pablo_picasso]

I think we need to stop thinking in terms of players playing second fiddle and others being automatic starters etc etc.

We need better players than we have now to improve the squad.

From that pool of players we pick the team to suit the match and opponents.

Nobody should be an automatic starter and everyone needs other quality players to compete for their place with.

We should be able to look at our bench, and see all spaces full with just the one keeper ideally and with quality options to come on if needed.

This. Agreed 100%

[Risso]

If we have a successful European campaign, and go further in the domestic cups, we could have over 60 games this season. You can't have that many games and do well if you're not going to use your squad.

[ozzjim]

There will be times he plays 3 at the back too. Carlos had just had a huge injury. We got lucky that Ty and Konsa stayed fit so will. Thursday Sunday is punishing, so there will be lots of rotation this season.

[paul_e]

If we have a successful European campaign, and go further in the domestic cups, we could have over 60 games this season. You can't have that many games and do well if you're not going to use your squad.

We really need to get the balance right though.

I reckon the optimum is:
18-20 genuine first team players (all looking at starting 35+ of those games).
4-5 backup options who can come in and do a job for a few games as cover and maybe get some guaranteed starts in the cups (thinking about keepers here really).
a group of youngsters who get ~10-15 appearances over the year and are slowly integrated into the squad.

Now we're in the mix for Europe we do need to pay more attention to the home-grown requirements around players coming through our own youth ranks. For a number of reasons we don't have many players to fill those gaps right now but we have plenty of promising youngsters. As a worst case scenario we could do with turning a handful of those into the backups options above so they're not only reliable squad filler but also help us meet the requirements for the league and show that there's a pathway into the first team squad for our academy, even if you're not going to be a regular starter.

[ASHTONVILLA]

The other fairly persistent link seems to be Tyler Adams, with Dendoncker being moved on. I quite like Dendoncker but would see that as another upgrade. Tyler Adams's stats are surprisingly impressive.

Ramsey, Teilemans, Luiz, McGinn, Buendia and Kamara plus Adams in is a fine set of players to select from. Losing Sanson, Nakamba and Dendoncker helps balance the books a bit with minimal impact on squad depth then.

If we end up with Mings, Konsa, Carlos and Torres or Laporte and lose Chambers that is a very strong set of defenders.

Be interesting to see what forwards come in. No consistent links and a position we are certain to add to.

The one squad place I really want to see upgraded is reserve GK though. No matter how good the other signings if we are one injury off a season of Olsen in goal it would worry me.

[Hookeysmith]

The other fairly persistent link seems to be Tyler Adams, with Dendoncker being moved on. I quite like Dendoncker but would see that as another upgrade. Tyler Adams's stats are surprisingly impressive.

Ramsey, Teilemans, Luiz, McGinn, Buendia and Kamara plus Adams in is a fine set of players to select from. Losing Sanson, Nakamba and Dendoncker helps balance the books a bit with minimal impact on squad depth then.

If we end up with Mings, Konsa, Carlos and Torres or Laporte and lose Chambers that is a very strong set of defenders.

Be interesting to see what forwards come in. No consistent links and a position we are certain to add to.

The one squad place I really want to see upgraded is reserve GK though. No matter how good the other signings if we are one injury off a season of Olsen in goal it would worry me.

Good breakdown and exactly as i see it.

Our big bucks will be spent in forward positions. A new 10, wide attacker - some real quality

If we get in a World class CF (Torres or Laporte) then i think we only need a RB to push Cash (or maybe rumours of Konsa moving there are not far from the mark) and we have a very good back 5 to choose from.

Back up keeper will be tough as unless injured or suspended most of the time will be sitting on bench.

Midfield - i think as far as what we have with one addition is as good as anything in the league and fully interchangeable.