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

[SoccerHQ]

Isn't the whole point we are the new Villa not the same spineless sa me cu next tuesday of old?

Pretty much every side chucks one in at some point in the season. 12 months back Man. United were losing 4-0 at Brentford and were every bit as bad as we were today.

If you have to have a ground zero result in the season better to have it in August than April when games are running out and more damage is done.

Worry for me is if we lose heavily at Liverpool and then feels like a season where we'll be very brittle on the road especially without Mings.

[SoccerHQ]

I wonder if we might see if Man City really want to move Laporte on.

Obviously, having fucking fleeced us.

That feels like an Asensio/Felix link to me.

Massive coup if we pull that off though.

[ROBBO]

We really need competition for Watkins he misses too many chances, as hard a worker as he is he does lack that bit of quality.

[LeonW]

Not done enough so far

[sid1964]

Has Maguire signed for West Ham yet??

[ozzjim]

I would assume yesterday will accelerate a few things. A tenacious attacking mid that presses the ball well is clearly important, Buendia did that role so well, so does Ransey. Getting a player in that mould is very important.

A defensively solid right back.

A leader at centre half.

A ball winning holding midfielder.

A striker that takes chances.

I understand we won't get all of those things, but we are missing them all.

[Rigadon]

Our biggest failing is taking chances when they come.  I can think of 2 straight forward ones yesterday (Watkins, Cash) and a harder one (Diaby at the near post), and the header from the corner (was it Luiz)?  Those go in and it’s a very different game.  We have to take those chances and to be honest that’s a failing we’ve had for a long time - it was (along with the lack of managerial ability) what did for Gerard. 

The whole team needs more goals but if we’re not trying to buy a centre forward I’d wonder why not. 

[Goldenballs]

Has Maguire signed for West Ham yet??

Maguire trying to play a high line would be a disaster.

[Meanwood Villa]

Our worst ever Premier League era opening day result apparently.

I'm intrigued when we've had a worse opening day result at all but I can't be arsed checking the complete record now. Will have a look tomorrow.

For those interested in this, from my flick through the complete record this morning, we have only conceded 5 on the opening day once before. That was a 5-2 defeat to Bolton in 1951/52. We finished that season 6th so perhaps all is not lost. There were two examples of 4-0 opening day defeats, one to Newcastle in 1926/27, the last time they won the league. Hopefully not an omen. The other one is probably remembered by folks on here, 1985/86 to Man Utd. We finished 10th and 16th respectively in those seasons.

So whether this was statistically our worst opening day defeat ever hinges on how it is measured. Received wisdom seems to be to look at margin of defeat first, then the fewest number of goals scored by the defeated team is the worst. There is some logic to this because biggest victories are by the same measure, that is considering the goals scored by the team in question. However, to my mind the reverse should be true of worst defeats. The more goals conceded makes the defeat worse, just as it makes the victory greater for the other team.

So in my book, that is our worst opening day defeat ever but it won't be in the record books. None of this makes what happened yesterday any better.

[Steve67]

I guess we now need players in attack and defence. Games are going to come thick and fast and we’ve lost Young, Emi and Tyrone from last years squad. No Sanson either, who might have been useful at times.

[Holy Trinity]

With Mings and Buendia now both out and already a gaping hole at both left and right back one to due injury and one due to some madness at the club we have to open the cheque book again now!

Fair enough ignore left back as we can probably muddle through but right back and centre back has to be number 1 priority now and they won't be cheap. I'd even muddle through with Watkins until Jan and see what the lay of the land is by then as both baily and diably can play CF and if Zanionlo comes in as well that's half decent coverage.
Cash has constantly shown he's not top half Premier league standard, he has his moments but for the most part is bang average.   

[frank black]

I’d say
1…right back
2…commanding central defender
3…Striker

We surely won’t be able to address all these in this window and within our budget (which I suspect isn’t as large as some think). Zaniolo looks like he could play up top. We’ve been linked with a couple of right sided defenders. But is a central defender now more important?

[Beard82]

I would say priority has to be a right back and another forward option.  I think we’ll be able to find a good combination between the current CBs - I think that will come with time. 

Emi and mings are two of our more competitive players, think the lack of high press didn’t help - so maybe a forward option that can help with the high press.  Bailey is effectively a non entity and a waste of a pick. 

Would be good to know how much football Phil has in him as he feels like he could be key - but pretty sure he’ll break down

[Dante Lavelli]

No idea who this player might be but a right back that can fill in a CB would be ideal. A player like White at Arsenal.
He’d be useful for Plan A (the asymmetrical back 4) plus would provide cover for injuries at CB.

Foyth from Villareal might be an easy/lazy solution. 

[frank black]

No idea who this player might be but a right back that can fill in a CB would be ideal. A player like White at Arsenal.
He’d be useful for Plan A (the asymmetrical back 4) plus would provide cover for injuries at CB.

Foyth from Villareal might be an easy/lazy solution. 

Apparently a great player, but insisting on a move to Barca.