The College Dropout

I’m of the view that everything that happens on the pitch the manager is ultimately responsible and accountable. Good or bad. likewise I’m of the view if a club has multiple years of poor transfers, sales, contract renewals that is the responsibility of the owners and leadership team. I’m never blaming the manager for transfers. Functional clubs do not let managers dictate transfers or the fees.

The owners didn’t know the star player wanted out or the extent he was serious. The owners didn’t know a lot of things. Because they were distant.

I think a semi competent transfer committee does not spend £230m on those players. Different voices would argue for cheaper alternatives or short term options. I don’t think any competent DOF signs off Elanga for £55m. Thats an Antony for £80mesque transfer. A manager might want that but any sensible recruitment team would say that’s a £40m transfer tops. Likewise you can’t justify Wissa for £55m as a competent DOF. Definitely not both. When we had DOF’s we didn’t do those types of transfers - particularly not stacked up.

I assume the minority shareholders thought we needed the experience to navigate an important transfer window.

minority shareholders who were essentially CEOs at the time, a consultant, head scout and manager team vs manager and his nephew Scout Thinking a manager and his scout nephew is good enough to manage a critical transfer window is absentee ownership.

Hire an Interim CEO & DoF to provide guardrails. £220m on Woltemade, Wissa, Ramsey and Elanga ffs.

I maintain they shouldn't have been in position to do that. No functioning club would allow that to happen.

I don't have any expectations. Maybe he stays and is great. Maybe he leaves and goes into obscurity. No idea. He's 24 and has had 1 good 12 months in his career. I expect he's always been a bit soft and passive. Things clicked... and now have unclicked.

We aren't going to regularly qualify for Europe and win trophies, sticking to the laws with ease perfectly all the time. Villa will have 5 years of European football consecutively. To do so they've breached the rules, come close to breaching and pulled magic tricks to make it work. That's what it's going to take.

It's no coincidence that the team that broke the Cup curse had 4 players in the back 5 over 30. Ok that's not sustainable but unless we have a proper leader type - the senior man at the back can't be 26/27.

Yeh so i agree with the prophet that the structure needs to change.

They can't sanction us if we're not in the competitions.

Even with a GK and keeping our best players: Tino - Thiaw - Botman - Hall... I don't have faith in it. Lacks leadership, composure and nous.

He's come in and their defence has improved a level. But honestly, had he not made that mistake and City won the title = successful signing already. Now that he's made the mistake and City probably won't win the title = looks like he will become a success but can't say for sure yet. Mbappe has come in and scored 85 goals for Real Madrid in 100 games. He's not been a success.

And he could easily become a success next season. He's the one with the biggest chance (Ramsey next). But he's been a central cog in our worst defence of the Howe era, can't be a success now.

I like Thiaw, he's been good value for money and I think he has a bright future at the club. But you can't sign a CB, have him play 50 games - become much worse defensively and claim that CB has been a success. I don't blame Thiaw for it. But you just can't. VVD was a success because he came in and turned a leaky defence into a strong one immediately. To a lesser extent Dias of yesteryear and Guehi have done that at City. You judge a CB on their overall impact to the defence. I think a GK will go a long way. But I have my doubts about a Thiaw-Botman partnership long-term.

Didn't have Europe when we bought Isak, Bruno or Trippier. Even Callum Wilson. Salary speaks volumes. We should always be looking for the next Paqueta, Bowen, Olise, Eze, Ait-Nouri etc.

we don't have to worry about UEFA next season

Of all the criticisms of Howe, not getting the best out of Wolte ISN'T something I think is tremendously valid. Lad has a lot of fundamental holes in his game.

He goes for more than Elanga and Madueke. That I’m certain.

Didn’t play the game that mattered most. Through being an idiot. He’s accomplished. But I’m talking compared to the others. He’s not actually played consistently well for us. The year Cabaye left he was on fire. Demba was on fire. List goes on.

He’s a player that thrives with space in behind and against slow fullbacks. Most PL teams play a mid to low block against us and have defended first fullbacks. Gordon struggled against y that. European teams come to play and have that failed winger bad defending fullback archetype that isn’t common in the PL anymore. Gordon eats against that.

For the buying club aye. Doesn’t feel like a Newcastle player that has excelled and then moved on. For all that Isak is awful - he deserved a big move and top wages. As did the others

When Cabaye, Ba, Remy, Carroll, Isak etc. left - they all left after great form or a superb season. This doesn't have that feel at all so it's weird..

He wanted to leave.