The College Dropout

We just need to be competent in the transfer market again. I'm less worried about the number of signings, what decisions are made... we just need competence to come back in the rooms

It's the leadership more than the manager. Last season Villa's ownership did all they could to secure B2B CL finishes. This year they are doing all they can to support another European push. It's also on the ownership to start reducing the squad age and becoming PSR compliant in the medium term.

Well-run is an oversimplification tbf. We haven't been operating at the competence, ambition, aggression and level of a club that intends to meet the status of our owners stated ambition. Spurs have had 20 years of great growth. They've been super well-run for most of the 21st century, until the last few years. But winning trophies and such was never the real ambition. This has been my argument about us vs Villa for over a year now. Villa are moving in the manner of the owners stated ambitions. Since Staveley left, it's become increasingly clearer to me that there's a massive gap between what the Owners say and what the club do and how they go about doing it. Man U, Chelsea and to a lesser extent Spurs all have entrenched advantages that has let their ownership get away with being poorly managed for a number of seasons. If Glazers own any of the other 14 PL clubs they get relegated. Their advantages make it easier to be poorly run for extended periods of time.

None of them are well run. We haven't bee well run for 2 years and it's showing. Because top teams aren't well run. With great management, some big investment - you can make a real fist of it. We had been doing that. Villa are doing that. But aye as soon as you get it wrong, like properly wrong, we can fall right off it.

Wissa was like 4th or 5th choice - that's panic stations imo. I get the logic behind signing Elanga but he isn't good enough. I sort of get the logic behind Ramsey but he isn't good enough. I thought I understood the logic behind Woltemade but I don't anymore.

France is some football factory man.

Love Popey. He's a legend to me. But this season he's showing regression. Real regression.

The proven PL stuff was a poor strategy. JSL was not the answer.

Serious teams shouldn't be 1 injury away from: Trippier Thiaw Botman Burn Serious teams shouldn't be 1 injury away from starting 2 fullbacks aged 33+.

By not good - I mean it is not a squad that can challenge in the CL (last 16), FA Cup (SF/F), League Cup (SF/F) and then finish 4th or 5th. Most people thought the signings were not good enough. The strikers were panic buys and major question marks over the rest. At the time, a lot of people didn't think it was a good window. Did you?

The squad is big but it is not good. Good gets you points.

Usually is no? Last season 66 was 5th, 6th, 65 7th then 8th was 61. I think there’s a chance 7th is sub 60 points. So maybe we can sneak in there.

I would’ve accepted 8th as our level at the start of the season.

If I was a betting man, I would bet on us to finish with 56-59 points and finish 8th-10th. Maybe more if we sign someone or lose in the play offs. Less if we go deep in the CL or FA Cup.

It changes a lot of things. He deserved that new contract and discussions were taken off the table by new leadership. That would change anyone’s relationship with their employer. The offering of a contract in summer 2025 shows the gap between ‘the club’ and Isak and his team. Being caught off guard that our star player wants to leave is bad management. Of course it was going to be ba, we’ve changed who should protect the club 3 times in 14 months.

Yeh the squad is not good enough. You can’t rotate for the sake of it. The players stepping in have to be good enough to win premier league football matches.

Mitchell 100% messed up with Isak contract. If Isak signs a contract without a release clause in summer 2024 that changes a lot of things. If he was eyeing a potential move he would get a release clause Ala Bruno making summer 2025 easier to plan. The 2025 contract offer was stupid and naive. The ship had already sailed. That contract offer is an example of how badly the situation was handled.

That but they also want to keep the ball. That’s not how our manager wants us to play.

For some reason i've not taken him in as a player yet. Sometimes I like his pressing, sometimes i don't. Sometimes I like his movement, sometimes I don't. I'm not noticing him much on the ball in terms of touch and decision-making, passing. But not much seems to come off. He certainly hasn't made the Isak impression of just next level ability and striking. Gutted we didn't get Etikite - he's the opposite of Wissa to me. From the first clips I saw I thought "yeh this boy has it". That mastery of a football, touch, confidence, tech - you know - could see lad was a baller straight away. Good record at a young age, this is a footballer. Wissa is evidently not a baller but can't tell is he Anthony Gordon or Elanga? - I fear he's more the inferior route. Which is fine if he's got a sharp eye for goal and he just seems ok in that regard. For the money spent you would want a Callum Wilson in his late 20's level player. Still super early days for me.... haven't taken him in... but I don't think he's at that level let alone Etikite or Isak.

Liverpool play a more controlled game.

IMO we sign Guehi if Staveley was still there and her power had not diminished. It would’ve got to £60-65m mind and people would question if we over paid. That was our transfer plan prior.

Eales was so poor in his communication. Majorly rubbed Eddie the wrong way. Vetoed Isak contract. Didn’t even sign any players for us. Just a total car crash.

Yoro contract had 1 or 2 years left and his club were keen to sell rather than risk getting Real Madrided.

What does that matter anymore for the CL? Everyone faces 2x seeds 1-4 now. There was only 5 clubs English teams could face from Pot 1 this season.

EL is likely to be a couple points shy of CL. If CL is gone so is EL. Our end to the season is tough. A lot of the difficult games are away. We’ll do well to get 59 points. That’s 9th or so. If we can squeeze past Villa we just go all in on the FA Cup.