Gallowgate Toon

The ones we've brought in are top 10 ability wise I might add, I'm not saying they'll necessarily adapt and the strategy will work.

Enrique's top quality man, it's not acceptable he's gone for me but there's plenty out there who can do a job. M'Bengue for example, nowhere near as good as Jose aka CL level but top 10 potential, undoubtedly. It's not right, I don't like it but Ashley wants a sale and his money back.

It's our clear aim, did I say it would work? The players we've brought in are top 10 quality, they're good footballers. We're not going to bring in league 1 shit, we'll bring in someone with a decent rep from the French league for cheaper than what we sold. It's just obvious.

Why will his replacement be a crap cheapy might I ask? We've not bought crap so far to replace outgoings. They'll be cheap, continental and a decent player (not a patch on Jose mind). Ashley isn't interested in complete asset stripping man, he wants to maintain a decent status quo so we can be sold for a higher price. There's a reson top 10 is our aim, it takes limited investment, has the potential to run at a good profit, brings in good players and makes us an attractive proposition to blokes with fat enough wallets. Making us relegation fodder won't get what he wants, his money back. Self sustainable, with proven continental quality on the cheap, that's who we'll get.

That would be assuming that level of investment is fixed, and not with an owner who is paying his own loan back to himself every season He's obviously hit levels he's happy to contend with, setting a 'supposed' wage cap proves this. He's not completely thick, he wants to sell and will see the importance of being mildly competitive in the league to boost the chances of getting rid.

The club has a replacement policy, I think that's fairly obvious but not an investment one. Isn't that how 'self-sustainable' works? Until said players' wages are officially gone, they won't be replaced because they won't want to add to the wage bill unnecessarily (in their own minds, not mine I might add). So when Enrique goes, M'Bengue pays for himself and the same will happen with Barton and Barnetta and whoever else leaves later on. As I said beofre though, in terms of investment aka improving the squad after the basics, that's a completely different story. P.S - I'm not saying we'll get M'Bengue, just hypothetical considering past links. I'd be delighted with him though.

If Joey goes, he'll come in, just the same situation as if Jose goes someone else will come in. I still think we'll get Erding in, in spite of their situations.

If Joey goes, he'll come. He's another bargain type, see Cabaye/Ben Arfa.

We need to forge a new team spirit, a new culture. Can we do that with Joey in the squad? Or will he be more concerned about preserving/fighting for his own power and dragging his feet? Obviously reports can't be trusted until confirmed as totally true but with this nonsense about corners and set pieces and rants, it seems he's got his own agenda. Could all be for the best intentions of course but that doesn't mean it isn't a hindrance.

Think we'll have a good season tbh finishing between 8-10, playing good football and surprising many. Best: 8th. Scenario outlined above. Worst: 15th. Bad injury to HBA.

He's lost his dressing room power, along with his mates and he doesn't like the culture shift. He's just not the main man anymore and I don't think he can accept that. If the reports of his treatment to Cabaye are true, it is absolutely scandalous. The guy doesn't even speak decent English, yet he has some Scouse ripping into him after a good performance? It makes him sound like a bully.

Especially when he was atrocious and having a go at the best player on the day. Allegedly.

He seems a bit weird on Cabaye like. From the dodgy tweet, to the alleged corners story and starting a screaming match at him? He was the best player on the pitch that day. Crazy stuff if true, seems resentful.

Cabaye's set pieces were great was a bit of a shame when Barton started taking set pieces in the second half. Cabaye's a great little player, you can just tell. Looking forward to him being our 'attacking' midfielder, his ball behind the defence for Ba was almost perfect.

Forster - 3 - Poor showing. Calamitous first and lacked a commanding edge. Simpson - 4 - Off the boil. Williamson - 5 - Did alright bar the goal, too weak. Taylor - 6 - Looked off the pace for much of the game, redeemed himself slightly with the goal. Tavernier - 5.5 - Had some promising moments and a couple of really dodgy ones, has potential Barton - 5 - Really unimpressed, passing was woeful. Cabaye - 7 - The pick of the bunch, classy footballer and a good tackler. He looks committed. Shame he was used so defensively, will cause damage with his vision higher up the pitch. Gosling - 5 - Tidy when in possession but couldn't get into the game enough. Jonas - 5 - Some good play but overall, poor. Ba - 6 - Did well for our 2nd. Made a lot of good runs, that went completely unnoticed and had some great link up play. His touch was a bit hit and miss and we used him as a target man far too much but in the main, he looked bright and useful. Need to use him in the right way though. Ameobi - 4.5 - Not great at all. Taylor - 5.5 - Did alright. Vuckic - 7 - Looked composed and intelligent. SAmeobi - 6 - Has potential but looked a little indecisive, which is natural. Best - 6 - Put himself about and had some great touches. Works better with Ba than Ameobi does. We were far too impatient and sloppy today. Barton and Gosling continually avoided good options by hoofing it to Shola and hoping Ba would run on. Cabaye was free a lot of these times and it would have been a lot more productive to keep it simple and not rush. We were lacking overall but that was to be expected with a weakened line up.

Did some good things and some bad things today. His movement was good and his 1-2 with Barton? Was our best move of the game. He was constantly making runs but they weren't always picked out. On the ball was mixed, some good passing but some dodgy touches. We didn't really try to play to his game though, although he can do a target man job. A bit rusty still, perhaps?

It's an interesting one, he'll be given a different role at Villa, to provide for Bent. I think he's more of a scorer nowadays. We'll see if he makes the step up at a bigger club with better players and with less freedom.

Aye just look at Chris Smalling and Seamus Coleman. Both playing very low level football up until recently. I'm not saying he'll be that good but it's been proven people can make the grade.

Even if Erding comes in, he'll be second fiddle basically. Ba's a very under rated player.

Ba's our best striker by some distance and is good enough to get into mid double figures.

Sounds Cabaye-esque, has a bit more physique about him though. Wouldn't mind him filling in for those couple of games but Pards seems to like Smith as he's a good pro and all that.

He says he's a defensive midfielder doesn't he? Sounds to me like he might be Tiote's back up when he's away at the ACN. From what I've seen of the preseason highlights, he seems to be quite attacking for a defensively minded midfielder.

Who's the fourth "potentially world class"? I think Ba, Cabaye, Tiote and Ben Arfa are four top class players. Potentially Cabaye and Ben Arfa and perhaps to a certain degree Ba due to a lack of being proven in England. Oh and never said world class, just top class, all semantics and whatever but different meanings for me.

I think Gosling will be in competition for 3 midield spots tbh. He played wide left and right for Everton and did a job, his best position is as a box-to-box central midfielder though. He's like the ultimate utility midfielder, he'll get plenty of pitch time.

That's a really strong spine for us. 4 potentially top class players with bags of ability there. It's a shame for Gosling that he's fit now, when the chances of him starting aren't looking so good, when we've had poorer midfields since he joined. He might have had a good preseason but there's technically better footballers playing ahead of him. Can see him being a utility man for us this season though and he'll get plenty of time off the bench. Seems a likeable lad as well.