Infinitely Content

Beginning to cling on a bit against a very ordinary West Ham side. West Ham being allowed to play through them easily.

Botman ought to get used to that bench because there's no displacing this man this season. He's genuinely one of our most consistent and best players. Certainly one of the most important.

It's something I thought about during that half after watching Ramos since the links. I didn't realise he had such a work rate and intensity to his game whilst also possessing that striker's instinct. I think he would be very good this team.

We've been absolutely fantastic out of possession. In our shape, but mainly our speed in winning the ball back. For all the commentators have highlighted Villa's poor passing, our lads commitment to pursuing and tracking them, forcing rushed decisions and ultimately winning possession has been first class.

Despite the solid additions, allowing for Murphy, Thiaw and Ramsdale to enhance our bench, it still looks very incomplete and lacking potency. It would have been of real benefit to us if we had just overpaid slightly for Wissa around a month ago when we were first in discussions. Wissa up top over Gordon and I'd be feeling a lot more confident of a result today and next week.

McGinn will play out wide, Onana or Tielemans in an advanced role.

Looks at that, players displayed in order of position. Beautiful.

£42m for Outtara who has 9 goals to his name across 3 seasons seems absolutely insane. Genuinely, poor Brentford man, they've been ransacked this summer. Hope they stay up.

The trip to Villa Park feels like one of the hardest games of the season in recent years (just after Anfield and the Etihad for me), but Martinez, Kamara and Rogers are huge players for Villa and their replacements aren't quite of the same standard (new keeper is an unknown quantity tbf). My confidence of a result increases massively if they all miss out.

Martinez suspended, Kamara and Rogers are both doubts, Ramsey signing for us. Potentially leaves Villa a bit short in the forward areas, with Malen, Buendia and McGinn behind Watkins. Not the strongest Villa side.

As soon as he hit that I knew it was kang in.

That the knock-off aftershave sounding goalkeeper that many wanted us to sign? Shite. Jak Alnwick saves that.

Galatasaray within two years.

I was a huge admirer of Ramsey back when he broke into the Villa team in c.2022 and became a first team regular. Technically brilliant, high energy and I remember him scoring some wonderful goals. A huge upgrade on both Willock & Longstaff as the 4th midfielder. I also wasn't too sold on these El Khannouss rumours, he was mostly played in left attacking midfield positions for Leicester and I don't see how a player of his stature and profile fits into our midfield 3 which requires a really well balanced, disciplined player to make it function. I believe Ramsey will be able fit in seamlessly whilst also offering something unique that none of our current starting 3 can.

Lille must be similarly very close to a Belgian side, although not divided by water of course.

I'll be at two Dinamo Tbilisi games this month (Telavi away, Gareji at home) so if he does play I will share my impressions. Unsure if he will mind, maybe a farewell cameo in the home fixture but I get the impression they've been keeping him injury-free ahead ahead of his move. He's loved as a character and rated highly as a player here.

The scenes when Harvey Barnes rinses Frimpong and puts us 2-0 up against these sanctimonious fucks two weeks today.

Same, my impression is that he's just not a striker, he just doesn't have the instincts nor the deftness. As soon as he went out left he looked more comfortable and his attributes became more useful. Loveable character, but he's a long way to go in a relatively short period of time if he's to make it here.

I think it's a lot about personality too though. Tino seems quiet generally so even if he had a great appreciation and a strong feeling of affinity towards the club and city, he likely wouldn't display or announce it in the same way Bruno does. Bruno is an emotive, heart on the sleeve type character naturally I think, who has swept Joelinton up and carried him in his wake despite him also seeming a more quiet and reserved personality off the field.

At least Port Vale is named after the valley of ports running alongside the Trent, where the club is based. Neom lives in the Narnia or Asgard realm at present.

Imagine signing for Neom FC, a club named after place that literally doesn't actually exist

It is a bit aye, I find it more frustrating than I should to be honest. It feels like a concerted effort to look down on Newcastle United in a sniggering, scornful way. I veer from finding it frustrating to somewhat pathetic that they feel the need to deride us, looking down upon on from their already lofty positions. The facts feel obvious to me, you cast a glance over other recent and even not so recent transfers, and it becomes evidently clear that asking for £150m for Isak is quite sensible and reasonable comparatively.

I was listening to the Overlap thing this morning and when the Newcastle supporter suggested the fair fee for Isak being around £150m, many on the show seemed entirely bowled over in astonishment at it. It's not the first time I've read or seen that reaction either. For me it feels very cut and dry, if Wirtz is £116m, then one of the world's best strikers, proven in the Premier League, with a unique skillset and at the perfect age is surely worth £30m+ more? Are we missing something here or is it just an example of the condescending attitude of the cartel club supporters towards all things Newcastle United?

Van de Beek could also fall into that bracket, as another who looked wonderful in a functioning Ajax team and at a loss everywhere else he's been since. Shame really, if he'd just stayed at Ajax he could have had himself a really good career at a beautiful football club. I guess the financial draw is too much of a lure.

Give me a few of the Ruskis, Pjanic and the Romford Pjanic himself, Sir Jonjo.