brummie

We need to, we are at bare bones at the moment. One fit Centre Back, only have one striker full stop, only one experienced right back, just got shot of Buendia. We're definitely feeling the strain of the champions league campaign, no getting away from it. It's all very well signing Rashford and Asensio and Felix but our defence is an absolute car crash at the moment. If we don't sign a CB, and ideally a decent RB, then it's insane.

Exactly, it doesn't even stack up as a sportswashing exercise. Two or three years into it and the Saudi league is every bit as irrelevant as ever - it is the project of people who know the price of everything and the value of nothing. How many Saudi clubs can we even name? Al-Nassr Al-Ettifaq Al-Yankovic Al-Jarreau Al-Gore And that's about it.

FWIW i reckon we'll go for Cunha at Wolves. Only they're going to be twats over it because this is one of those one-way local rivalries we have in the west midlands and they won't want to sell to us.

Maatsen and Moreno, and he moved Moreno on when, after his injury, he'd lost his pace. We have two good left backs. The likes of us and you, and our fans, are so used to not thinking this way, but we need to get past the idea of a starting XI and then a supporting cast. Emery wants two good options in every position, and that is what the likes of us, and you, are going to need to make the next step forward.

You can't rely on Duran - every window he would be there with his agent in his ear over money. McGinn has hinted that he's a disruptive influence behind the scenes, and he clearly does not follow instructions on the pitch, which is the biggest no-no there is with Emery.

Yes. I reckon I've said this a dozen times on here, it makes a huge difference.

Also, I could not give one tenth of one shit for sectarian politics, especially not in football, and also don't care if 'Lizzie is in a box' or anywhere as I am a republican, but really, coming to Birmingham, of all fucking places, singing songs about the IRA, parading down New Street (past both the pubs involved) dressed like paramilitaries, all that is only going to have one outcome. What a bunch of absolute fucking wankers.

Duran going to Saudi just proves that we are absolutely doing the right thing selling him. Great, great talent, bad agent, bad attitude, clearly saps the energy of the squad, fuck him, that's an impressive return on our investment. There's no way we could have built anything around him, every single window his agent would be in his ear drumming up some sort of money-spinning move for him. Emery is right not to want to put up with that shit, so it's a good move from us. Also, not selling him to a rival, either.

Shouldn't we (ie you, us) be thinking about competing for 1st rather than 3-5th? I know, I know, I know the answer, but it makes me feel sick admitting it.

Yeah exactly - and that is what any Villa fan will say about him. His goals scored and assists totals are brilliant - but he misses so many good chances. We have had two problems this season - defence is the bigger one, no doubt, and currently we've got one fit CB so that suggests that is going to maybe get worse - but also, not taking our chances, and Watkins spurns so many of them.

Worth remembering, who we faced included Bayern Munich - who hadn't lost a match in this 'phase' for decades - and Juventus.

you were unlucky, really unlucky with that group, and we are lucky this format guaranteed more games and more variety. We still had to do something to finish top eight though. We were pissing it and hadn’t conceded a goal from open play until Mings had a brain fart in Bruges, too. Annoying period of inconsistency we are in though.

We have already been told we're clear on PSR with the recent released figures, but the thing about PSR is it is never fucking ending for the likes of us and you, the constant need to raise money to spend in the future let alone the past.

If we sold Watkins it would be to make Duran the number 1 striker. Ultimately, though, he's 29 and any offer above 60m, I'd rather not take it, but it'd make you think.

The manager only seems to understand 3-4-3, which almost never works in the PL and in any case effectively becomes 5-4-1, only when they've got some shit like Zirkzee up front, it's 5-4-0. And a squad which is horrendously lopsided. Imagine paying 65m for Antony. Jesus mary. And then they had Martial sucking up pure cash for almost 10 years. Fuck them, I hope they never recover.

TBH we'd be more likely to splash it on Antonio, better injury record.

He might have, but not when we're in with a very good chance to qualify for the CL last 16 directly, and it's the January market for anyone else we want to bring in. And again, the only reason we'd cash in is because of the limits of FFP - as for anyone - but really, it only becomes an unanswerable argument if you're going to bank 80 or 90m. You've got Isak, if Duran was your second option, and you were in the CL still, would you sell him, in January? It would make zero sense.

No. We've got Watkins and then nobody up front. This is the thing for clubs like us and you, we need to stop thinking we can't have more than one really good player in a given position.

As I said here in the summer, he's a twat who doesn't get the idea of not immediately becoming number 1 striker, and was involved in some 'throw a party, wreck your rented house' nastiness over the summer too. He seems to have calmed down now. He just signed till 2030 too, so clearly, we're looking at big style cashing in - just not yet, and for more than West Ham have, as he's very good. He's such a fuckwit, though, any team thinking of building anything around him long term would be absolutely nuts, so you're kind of right there. Someone much bigger than West Ham will come along, with much more money, and he'll be turned and then he'll be off. Just not now, though.

Nah, absolutely not a prayer, this is peak Sullivan behaviour.

Pickford.

The defending for Brighton's second was absolutely world class fucking rubbish. Brilliant stuff.

Just watched the highlights, Bournemouth were outstanding. They would have beaten just about everyone today. They were like that against us, got a 96th minute equaliser but tbh they were unfortunate to have been losing in the first place. They're tenacious as fuck too, what a great job that guy is doing.

He won't be going for anything unless it's insane, mind blowing money - as in, stupid money. Signed a new contract a few months ago.

Maatsen has had Digne in front of him playing better than he ever has - that's the idea, two quality players in each position. We've played 30 matches already this season, and he's (Maatsen) featured in at least 20 of them.