Aston Villa Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2017

Bounty Hunter

A new season a new thread

now are we sold yet? ... no, ahh boo

o well here was the most recent interesting thing from the previous thread.

Pre-season has started and the bomb squad may be back in contention:

matrim wrote: »

A 2-0 win against Dallas last night. Wiemann and N'Zogbia scoring

Glancing at the Match thread on VT, dallas didn't seem to be up to much but still a win

Villa [First Half]: Given [c], Hutton, Okore, Stevens, Baker, Herd, Bacuna, Gardner, Weimann, Bent, Grealish.
Villa [Second Half]: Given [c], Lowton, Senderos, Clark, Bennett, Westwood, El Ahmadi, Delph, N'Zogbia, Agbonlahor, Richardson.

COYVB

Enda played very well apparently

death1234567

COYVB wrote: »

Enda played very well apparently

To be fair its pretty meaningless how anyone plays in preseason especially against that level of opposition. Preseason is just about getting fit.

Bounty Hunter

death1234567 wrote: »

To be fair its pretty meaningless how anyone plays in preseason especially against that level of opposition. Preseason is just about getting fit.

For the majority of Teams / Players I would usually agree but Villa have a few cases where that may not be the case. A very good pre-season for Enda and he could be a part of the squad again for this season instead of the reserves or loaned out. Similarily a good pre-season where a good attitude is displayed could see a few of our Players brought back in from the cold potentially or considered for the first Team squad on a regular Basis like Grealish for example

Corholio

Southampton being linked with Vlaar as a replacement for Lovren, who looks to be going to Liverpool.

That'd really be a kick in the teeth and an example of where Villa currently are.

JPA

Corholio wrote: »

Southampton being linked with Vlaar as a replacement for Lovren, who looks to be going to Liverpool.

That'd really be a kick in the teeth and an example of where Villa currently are.

Linked for a week now, Koeman managed him I think.
If he gets a good offer I can't imagine him staying but it'd have to better than Southampton IMO.

COYVB

Spurs also linked, apparently willing to let us have Holtby and Dawson

Corholio

Amazing what a few games in a World Cup can do I guess. Half of this attention wouldn't have come his way based on last years form. He played ok but he still has problems with strikers with pace and marking at times.

Hope we keep him, mainly because there's almost zero else there to play instead.

COYVB

Corholio wrote: »

he still has problems with strikers with pace and marking at times.

Clocked as the 7th fastest player at the World Cup

CSF

COYVB wrote: »

Spurs also linked, apparently willing to let us have Holtby and Dawson

Id have that if there was also 2 million minimum involved

listermint

COYVB wrote: »

Enda played very well apparently

Always liked enda and was very disappointed that he wasn't getting time last season after his recovery.

Delighted his face is reappearing and hopefully he can show again some of that early promise.

Corholio

COYVB wrote: »

Clocked as the 7th fastest player at the World Cup

Impressive. Im not sure it's actual foot speed though, it's more turning speed that he has problems with. There was an incident, I think in the Mexico match, where he nearly kicked the head off their striker that was a prime example.

matrim

Highlights from yesterday

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hslzA8KdJcY


Full game on youtube too

LeBash

Corholio wrote: »

Southampton being linked with Vlaar as a replacement for Lovren, who looks to be going to Liverpool.

That'd really be a kick in the teeth and an example of where Villa currently are.

I doubt it. The Southampton owners are trying to sell up and it looks like they are stripping the assets. I doubt they will reinvest much.

to be fair they could pull in 100-120 million with the players sold and the potential transfers and the prices mooted.

Bounty Hunter

I don't want Vlaar to go anywhere but being realistic it is a possibility and a new dutch manager at Southampton just like at Utd means no surprise if he is linked there but tbh it would show a lack of ambition for him to move there when everyone decent is being sold at that club atm. If as seems chambers and Lovern are gone they will have already sold around 85m worth (or atleast thats what was payed for them) of players this summer already.

matrim

1-0 win against Houston Dynamo last night.

Villa [First Half]: Steer, Herd, Senderos, Baker, Lowton, Bennett, El Ahmadi, Delph [Richardson, 30], N'Zogbia, Agbonlahor [c], Weimann.

Villa [Second Half]: Steer, Hutton, Richardson, Herd, Clark, Stephens, Gardner, Westwood, Bacuna, Grealish, Bent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kWViPG0VRo

Frankie Lee

Grealish was supposedly very good again, hopefully he continues to push on. Nice Volley from Gardner towards the end there too, he might be a big improvement on Tonev in the shoot on sight type player.

LeBash

SSN are saying we are back in for Ki.

CSF

Heard Victor Moses on loan too.

LeBash

Luna being chased by Verona. His goal against Arsenal was worth the transfer fee

listermint

LeBash wrote: »

Luna being chased by Verona. His goal against Arsenal was worth the transfer fee

Did he not score an own goal also ?

LeBash

listermint wrote: »

Did he not score an own goal also ?

There were games where he would have made McShane look good.

Dont be worrying about details like ogs

Corholio

Villa, with a strong team out today, losing 3-0 at half time to Groningen. Being completely played off the park. Not good signs.

Villa team: Given, Hutton, Senderos, Baker, Clark, Westwood, Delph, Weimann, Richardson, Agbonlahor, Bent.

Corholio

Finshed 4-1 to Groningen. N'Zogbia scored a fantastic free kick.

Not great signs though, even in pre-season. Hardly created anything up front.

JPA

What happened there then?

listermint

Ouch, hadnt seen the team.

Thats bad whichever way its painted.

CSF

Going down lads

Corholio

Clark an absolute disaster today, got booked for a terrible tackle as is par for his course. Weimann and Agbonlahor were, like last year, anonymous.

Pretty bad signs already to be honest. Benteke, Vlaar and Okore to come back admittedly but most of that team will start the first game, I think that's the scary bit.

Villa fans at the game were singing 'We're even worse than last year, we're even worse than last year'

Patser

Guzan Bacuna Vlaar Okore all back for 1st game , so that'll be almost an entire new defence. Why can't we get Bertrand back to sort LB and let Richardson play RB, that'd free Bacuna up for midfield.

N'Zog starting to claim a starting place which may make Ki unnecessary but I'd much, much prefer if Ki cam in. Ki in, Weimann dropped Bacuna or N'Zog out on right wing - Gabby put on notice to buck up.

Edit : forgot to add. Please don't say Hutton is back 1st choice RB.

JPA

Patser wrote: »

Guzan Bacuna Vlaar Okore all back for 1st game , so that'll be almost an entire new defence. Why can't we get Bertrand back to sort LB and let Richardson play RB, that'd free Bacuna up for midfield.

N'Zog starting to claim a starting place which may make Ki unnecessary but I'd much, much prefer if Ki cam in. Ki in, Weimann dropped Bacuna or N'Zog out on right wing - Gabby put on notice to buck up.

Edit : forgot to add. Please don't say Hutton is back 1st choice RB.

Bertrand is gone to Southampton.

Ki is not relevant to Nzogbia, probably take Westwood's place or KEA.

Corholio

I never remember Villa PR as bad as it has been in the last couple of years.

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/aston-villa-fans-backlash-over-7552040?

Bounty Hunter

I wanna post in this thread more but gawd damn it can be depressing to be a Villa fan at times, give us something positive to post about please

O.A.P

Posting to subscribe.
I had hoped we would have a new owner by now at least, feels just as bad as when Alex Mac cleash got the job

pavb2

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/aug/04/premier-league-preview-aston-villa

Good review & preview on the Villa . . . Careful though it is quite depressing so sorry bounty hunter you'll have to wait

Corholio

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aston-villa/11014601/Aston-Villa-owner-Randy-Lerner-to-free-up-money-to-strengthen-squad-ahead-of-new-Premier-League-season.html

A whole £10 million lads. We could buy a whole Rodwell and half a Ki with that.

death1234567

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

give us something positive to post about please

This time next year we'll be looking at starting a season where we will win lots of games (in the championship).

Patser

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

I wanna post in this thread more but gawd damn it can be depressing to be a Villa fan at times, give us something positive to post about please

We beat Walsall last night with Alan Hutton scoring. By all accounts he looks fired up and determined to get back into team.

Soooooo much negativity here. I understand the frustration and worry but still this is more of less the squad that started last season when most of us predicted mid-table finish. However we now have the injured back playing - Okore is back, Kozac as good as, Benteke ahead of predicted return hopefully back by September, even N'Zog is scoring.

We've a few more signings - none that'll set the world alight but will add depth and experience. Plus some of the bomb squad looking keen as they realise their contracts are nearly up - Bent N'Zog Hutton even Stevens getting a chance. And there is talk of signings like Ki.

And we've Roy on the bench also trying to prove things and who definitely won't be happy with performances like last year.

So cheer the f up and look on the brighter side.

death1234567

Patser wrote: »

By all accounts he looks fired up and determined to get back into team.

Both Hutton and Bent's contracts expire at the end of the season so both of them *should* be fired up to try to play well to get a decent move next summer when they are released on a free.

Bounty Hunter

Patser wrote: »

We beat Walsall last night with Alan Hutton scoring. By all accounts he looks fired up and determined to get back into team.

Soooooo much negativity here. I understand the frustration and worry but still this is more of less the squad that started last season when most of us predicted mid-table finish. However we now have the injured back playing - Okore is back, Kozac as good as, Benteke ahead of predicted return hopefully back by September, even N'Zog is scoring.

We've a few more signings - none that'll set the world alight but will add depth and experience. Plus some of the bomb squad looking keen as they realise their contracts are nearly up - Bent N'Zog Hutton even Stevens getting a chance. And there is talk of signings like Ki.

And we've Roy on the bench also trying to prove things and who definitely won't be happy with performances like last year.

So cheer the f up and look on the brighter side.

Thats more like it!

although after his time at Villa so far its hard to consider Hutton the big positive I should be looking at. Im going to just write off pre-season (not like we have been playing world class opposition anyway) though as nothing more than a fitness building excercize and hopefully the positivity will start when the league starts. I think Villa could be a confidence team as players like Vlaar and Okore (hope we aren't talking him up due to potential and absence) in CD could be very good, Guzan is a reliable head behind em and we have good quality in attack, especially once Benteke gets back (and hopefully has a big season) and potentially a motivated Bent at least until Tekkers is back.

Whether it's Ki or whoever I still hope we sign another midfielder as Joe Cole really isn't enough to inspire a huge load of confidence as re-inforcements to that area which badly needs an upgrade.

Corholio

Carruthers has joined MK Dons on a permanent deal.

Sad to see an Irish player leave, he was more creative than workhorse which was at odds with Lambert's 'philosophy'. Maybe he wasn't good enough either, who knows. Manager's judgement of players should be taken with a pinch of salt these days.

Frankie Lee

I always thought he would make but he is 21 now and didn't make a breakthrough. If he keeps his head right he could make it back to the premier league at some stage in his career as he is technically very good. He would have had a better chance at a team who kept the ball better.

Corholio

Patser wrote: »

We beat Walsall last night with Alan Hutton scoring. By all accounts he looks fired up and determined to get back into team.

Soooooo much negativity here. I understand the frustration and worry but still this is more of less the squad that started last season when most of us predicted mid-table finish. However we now have the injured back playing - Okore is back, Kozac as good as, Benteke ahead of predicted return hopefully back by September, even N'Zog is scoring.

We've a few more signings - none that'll set the world alight but will add depth and experience. Plus some of the bomb squad looking keen as they realise their contracts are nearly up - Bent N'Zog Hutton even Stevens getting a chance. And there is talk of signings like Ki.

And we've Roy on the bench also trying to prove things and who definitely won't be happy with performances like last year.

So cheer the f up and look on the brighter side.

Easier said than done though. I remember a very similar post by someone on here before last season too. I think negativity is fully justified. Saying we finished mid-table tells a small part of the whole season too.

Also a chairman who wants out and a manager who has completely flip-flopped on his 'philosophy'. We all feel a bit more positive by default because it's a new season but the only positive thing I see is having Okore back, and even then he's untested.

LeBash

Being linked with Cissokho now on ssn.

Frankie Lee

LeBash wrote: »

Being linked with Cissokho now on ssn.

Terrible footballer but a massive improvement on Joe Bennett and frees up Richardson for other roles. In a 3-5-2 I'd still rather Richardson as the wing back.

Bounty Hunter

I dont think he is great but I would consider Cissokho an improvement and as said Richardson is versatile and could play elsewhere too plus I would imagine Cissokho considering Liverpool turned down a 3m option on him he wont be that expensive so im all for the signing (though yeah in a 352 Richardson may be better) as like with the addition of the players so far it would make the squad overall stronger.

LeBash

Cissokho is still pretty young as far as i know so he could be a late bloomer.

To be fair we all know we are not getting a world class full back but a step up is a step up.

Bounty Hunter

26 iirc we could have him as he comes into his prime

rebelomar

Very solid in his defensive duties. Really physically strong and a good athlete but his technical abilities are pretty poor.

Still if he's solid and shores up the left back spot we'll all be delighted with him.

It's def not a signing that will excite the supporters anyway

Chancer3001

I'm tipping villa for bottom 6. An outside chance of being relegated

CSF

Chancer3001 wrote: »

I'm tipping villa for bottom 6. An outside chance of being relegated

Very much an inside chance of being relegated man.

death1234567

Chancer3001 wrote: »

I'm tipping villa for bottom 6. An outside chance of being relegated

You don't need to be nostradamus to predict that. Even money that Villa will go down IMO.