STM

I think its worth remembering, not every signing is going to be a superstar that we can turn from a 40m pound player into an 80m one. It may well be that hes a good player who ends up leaving for 30m in 3 years, which would represent ok business. This post sounds negative but I mean it as a positive.

In 3 of the past 4 seasons hes played an average of over 30 games. We might be doing him a disservice. Also, hes never been a starter at Villa, so im sure he will have been available more than that.

In the future it may look a good window and certainly we can have a good season but im reluctant to truly believe anything about this summer is "good", simply because the affect its likely to have had on preparation and morale. If we somehow have a good start to this season, it will be a miracle.

What i like about this is that he has both the technical and the physical and whilst his overall potential has yet to bear fruit, it feels like if it does he will be something of the complete package. He looks like one of those players who finds space between lines and drives at the opposition. Certainly more the Joelinton/Willock mould.

Aye thats a schoolboy from me. Im away on holiday so my days are mixed up.

Our current options off the bench: Ramsdale, Hall, Thiaw, Miley, Osula, Murphy, Botman. Its not the worst mind.

I love that he actually came in a suit. So many just rock up in trackies. I think Botman brought his fucking linen beachwear.

Theres no way that Villa wont have insisted he doesn't play tommorow and nor do I blame them. There will be a gentleman's agreement, besides which, you dont sign a player for 5 or 6 years and desperately try and throw him into a match day squad.

Must say ive always liked that Lispy Italian cunt. Not once did I ever accuse him of occasional sticking his chaud into a tortellini or calling him a ravioli botherer.

Is that Adli that Bournemouth are signing, the same one that Thiaw is best mates with?

Fair play to the lad, refusing to sign for Sunderland out of respect for us. Once a Geordie, always a Geordie.

Gutted.

Before someone mentions the no dickheads rule.

Assuming we sign Wissa and completely ignoring Isak, our 2x12s looks like this: Pope-Ramsdale Tino*-Trippier Schar-Thiaw Burn-Botman Hall-Tino* Bruno-Ramsey (i know hes LCM) Tonali-Miley Joelinton-Willock Elanga-Murphy Wissa-Osula Gordon-Barnes

Yes but you just blamed Howe. Which was my point of contention. Its a really simple question, would you accept losing games of football if it meant developing players? And if yes, would you accept a worse league position, not making Europe and signing worse players as a result? Also why would Howe stake his job on young players who aren't good enough? Its mental. There were some who were calling for his head mid-way through the two previous seasons. If you are truly talking about PIF and our strategy. Yes I think we are at a stage where we need to start fighting ugly on the PSR front. Investing in our new training centre would be a start, expanding our scouting network etc. No disagreeing on that front.... but I believe it will happen. As for Howe playing young players, he cant play them if they aren't good enough. We cant afford to lose games. We cant afford to drop a single point because we tried to "develop" a player on the pitch. We aren't Brighton and we sure as hell shouldn't aspire to be Brighton.

Would you rather lose games but develop players? Theres no top club which does that. All the other top clubs which "develop" youngsters, normally have the most talented youngsters in Europe. And for those clubs below us that do it, they are below us for a reason. If you can find a way of playing our young players whilst not losing games, im all ears.

Perhaps but theres a clear pathway. Sean Neave has been involved in pre season and hes nowhere near the level. Both Anderson and Miley were brought into the senior squad. Anderson would likely be a starter for us now, or be closer to Tonali/Bruno/Joelinton than what Miley is. Its the same old story. If Howe brings a young player in when they aren't ready, we lose games and then the same people criticise him for team selection. We aren't Man City, we dont have the level of youth players to inject into the side. Thats not a Howe problem. It is improving though.

Thats a shockingly bad take.

This is definitely the end of Joe Willock. He will be immediately bumped down the pecking order and Willock himself will see the writing on the wall. Its a shame hes injured because id try and flog him now and get another CM.

Deal done.

I think its a fair assumption that Villa will insist that Ramsey doesn't make our match day squad this weekend. From our point of view, we will surely comply since they could just delay the deal anyway. Not that he would start anyway.

Great signing.

What were Gordon's Fbref stats before he joined? Those stats can be a decent guidance, but without the context of when, where and who they played for, its fairly irrelevant.

I have no criminal tendencies whatsoever, but id quite happily stab them two cunts in the neck and watch them bleed out on the floor.