Parsley

So from bidding £10 million plus for Knockaert, to signing an injured player for 2-3 million instead. This is the bit I don't get. I'd have though that his injury has brought the price down somewhat. Last year of his contract as well.

That's my only concern. On paper, he looks a good signing for the division but we really need someone who can slot straight into the team such is the need for a proper left winger.

2-0, lovely move.

Class touch and finish.

Big, big win that. Should do the defence a world of good.

Brighton 1-0 down.

Zero f***s given, never been convinced. Think it's clear that Rafa prefers Anita at RB. Then with Gamez to come in and Sterry also in the wings Janmaat becomes pretty expendable.

I think we're going to see Shelvey start at home with Colback swapping in away quite a bit this season.

Random bump but adidas have a reasonable selection of football shirts on sale. It's almost all stuff from last season but there's a few decent picks in there. Extra 20% off on all football gear at checkout as well. http://www.adidas.co.uk/men-football-jerseys-outlet

Sterling could be good value at £8 mill.

How was that barge on Gayle in the second half not a pen by the way

What is he going to bring to the team on the left? Genuine question. He offers genuine threat coming in as a right-footer operating in that inside-left channel. He tracks back well enough. He has far more space to work with out wide than in the middle where his lack of physicality has been often exposed. He can beat a man. The majority of his best performances for us have been when he played on the left with license to roam inside (Chelsea, West Ham, Norwich) and he is better than the alternatives.

He'll be fine if he plays on the left.

:lol:

Was on own goal, that one Ah Remember it taking a massive deflection, wasn't sure what it went down as.

Didn't he score a jammy winner away at Sheffield United as well?

Maybe better, but not as important as Nolan in terms of his goals and character within the team. Still think we are sorely missing leaders and characters in the squad, in fact I don't think we have any. Henry Winter was saying similar on the Sunday Supplement. It was certainly the case last season but it becomes a bit of a lazy criticism when you look at our transfer activity IMO. Rafa has clearly sought to address a supposed lack of leadership/experience this summer: Gamez is 31 and has a wealth of experience behind him, Hanley has nearly 200 senior apps under his belt for Blackburn and is their former captain and Clark has captained England and Villa at youth/reserve level. In any case, it takes time for a team dynamic to take shape and for 'leaders' to emerge. Nolan might have been our talisman in the promotion season, but he was f***ing guff when he first signed in 08/09 and was guilty of hiding as much as anyone else. Nolan didn't really contribute much to the midfield, in fact we were often outpassed by a lot of teams but they couldn't finish and Nolan could. I agree in terms of his play, but in our relegation season Nolan didn't score nor was he this magnificent leader. My point is that it takes time for these things to develop and that portraying the squad as 'leaderless' in comparison to the 09/10 lot is unfair given who Rafa's signed, the extent of the upheaval in personnel and how 'young' the squad is in terms of cohesion.

Maybe better, but not as important as Nolan in terms of his goals and character within the team. Still think we are sorely missing leaders and characters in the squad, in fact I don't think we have any. Henry Winter was saying similar on the Sunday Supplement. It was certainly the case last season but it becomes a bit of a lazy criticism when you look at our transfer activity IMO. Rafa has clearly sought to address a supposed lack of leadership/experience this summer: Gamez is 31 and has a wealth of experience behind him, Hanley has nearly 200 senior apps under his belt for Blackburn and is their former captain and Clark has captained England and Villa at youth/reserve level. In any case, it takes time for a team dynamic to take shape and for 'leaders' to emerge. Nolan might have been our talisman in the promotion season, but he was fucking guff when he first signed in 08/09 and was guilty of hiding as much as anyone else.

Jedinak is a very good signing for Villa. After a slow start to the window, they're looking pretty formidable now.

The side is too unbalanced at present with all the play going through Ritchie on one flank. I think Rafa's had Anita on the right so he can sit while Janmaat bombs on, which sounds fine in theory as a workaround but hasn't worked at all thus far. I'd have liked to see Aarons given a run-out on the left but if he was as bad as has been suggested yesterday then Perez is the natural choice IMO. His lack of physicality is far less of an issue coming off the left and he can cut inside to good effect. We had a similar problem in 09/10 where teams eventually cottoned onto the fact that most of our attacks came through Enrique and Jonas and just packed that flank - it was only really after Routledge signed that we began to look convincing. Stick Perez on the left with license to come inside and there's ample quality on either flank for the time being IMO, although signing a proper winger should obviously be a priority.

Get an early goal and we'll go on to win this fairly comfortably. Otherwise I can see it being pretty nervy.

Italian passport I think.

Forestieri not in the Wednesday squad today - hasn't travelled.

What's happened with Hanley? Not even on the bench.

They have Ayew as well who I'd back to score well at this level. All seems a bit top-heavy though.