The College Dropout

Off balance init.

Oh harveyyyyyyy!!

Ramsey should’ve passed that like

Willock was having so much fun out there.

Howe is going to go for the win.

Willock is a new player now

Refs an entire prick

Barcola missed so may great chances the last time we played here

… guys…… we look the better team

Aye Willock and Ramsey have been ace

Bette off in the Europa League right? FUCK OFF

Willock!!!!!!!

Still a right footed winger

Why is it bizarre? That’s a penalty.

I like Anthony Elanga today.

I like what I’ve seen from us today.

True 2 years ago. Post injury he’s a Fulham signing all day.

That sounds cool and reasonable but in reality this is Joelinton & Bruno's team. We've needed to think beyond Joelinton for 2 years now.

That's based on a season with no European football right? And even then it looks like the first sanctions would be fairly minor. As has been said - we are overly cautious about the whole thing and are paying for it on the pitch.

It is my belief that those were largely Ashworth-driven signings evidenced by us not signing 19-20yo's for a proper first-team role the more autonomy Howe has had over transfers. And his general preference for trust and experience. Miley has only ever got runs in the side due to injury crisis. Multiple players in the same position to get him a game. Then he's excelled. He didn't have a genuine pathway. I give Howe credit for all 3 anyway but he's not intentionally developed and platformed young players the way Chelsea managers are being forced too or the RB/Dortmund models. Development players is more PSR-friendly than pretty much every signing we made in the summer. The signings we made are for results, not PSR directly. And that is a change in approach. The original approaches for JP & Etikite those years back were for players tha needed development.

I don’t think our wage bill is astronomical. Last accounts it was less than Villa

Maatsen was a key player in Dortmund running to the CL final and was seen as a Hall-level blunder to sell him by Chelsea. The fact Emery preferred Digne for so long, is on Emery and no reflection on Maatsen. Likewisd moving on Malen for Abraham is on Emery. Villa are about to go Europa CL Europa CL over the last 4 years. The transfer approach has facilitated that. If we don’t get European football - a big chance of that happening - largely because we don’t have enough quality player that the manager is willing to use. We have to question the transfer approach and challenge the manager to be more flexible. Honestly I would rather loans than spend the big money on Wissa. A 1 year gamble vs a 4 year gamble.

I agree that they have different approaches. And I would be ok with it if "he's all in on developing players" was true or more true. This summer, he's had the most control over transfers and decided to buy most of his players 23-24 years old with 100+ senior top level appearances - predominantly in the PL. An average age of 24.5 and i'm discounting Ramsdale (25 including). That's players entering their prime imo - they can and will still develop but it's finishing school. IMO we need to be genuinely developing players at a younger age bracket than what we've been targeting recently. More in that 18-21 bracket and for the older brackets we go for the Tonali's, Isak's with the occasional Harvey Barnes. If anything Howe has shown that he doesn't feel he can/or want to develop players. He doesn't actively create pathways for younger players. I love Howe and i'm a major supporter. But he needs to change approach and at lest transfer wise he will be forced. Signing a fullback and any type of creative/attacker might be the difference between Europe and no Europe. Edit: when we had Ashworth and co. and qualified for the CL the average age of the signings was 21.5 (20.8 if you include Minteh). That's the development gap of Madueke at £30m 21yo and Madueke at £55m at 24yo. So we are signing players for the here and now but won't entertain a loan.

Yet they still use loans. We never do.

I disagree really. On Sunday Aston Villa started 2 players they bought as part of PSR workarounds - Onana & Maatsen - that's a nod to their acumen. They also started someone they brought in on loan which we'll never do. They've obviously made mistakes - as any high-volume approach will have. But they got to FA Cup Semi's, CL QFs & 66 points with what was a strong squad last season. This season they've kept all of their best players, competing well in the Europa League and are 3rd in the league. Transfer strategy can't be that bad. The thing I like most, is they will put together squad depth no matter what. We seem allergic to that.