To be honest, I don’t even know what the internationals are for and couldn’t care less what England are up to, unless we’re in some serious finals.
Apparently we’re in some Uefa group called A2?
Whatever.
All I know is that it detracts from the proper footy and hacks me right off.
So this is just a bit of a reflection on the last week or so.
The big news just coming out is that Blues might be deducted 12 points after the EFL came to an agreement on their case this week, with the club said to have committed a serious breach of sustainability rules.
The Telegraph are saying that the club signing Kristian Pedersen for £2million has caused other Championship clubs to raise complaints.
In some ways it’s nice to see this, after the way some of their fans have taken the proverbial during the summer.
But it’s really not funny.
You’d have to suspect that a 12 point deduction, coupled with a heavy fine (yes, great, make the situation worse by actually fining them. The mind boggles) will see them at serious risk of relegation.
This could so easily have been us, although I suspect we’re not in so much danger now, given that our owners have pumped in another £11 million this week. Even so, I’d say we’re still skating on thin ice.
It says a lot though, when half the league are under the microscope and this is only going one way.
It’s just a matter of time before a club or clubs go bust.
There’s something inherently wrong when the only way a club can possibly compete, even if only to survive relegation, means it has to put itself at risk of going bust.
Next up is Tommy Elphick, who’s gone out of his way to slate Bruce in the most professional way that he can.
He’s quite rightly complained that he did a reasonable job in a couple of games, yet was still immediately dropped.
Now I think he did pretty well overall for us, apart from one dodgy patch, but also accept that he’s not some Villa fans’ cup of tea.
I’d just ask did it really make sense to loan him out before getting replacements in?
It’s quite simply a scandalous lack of planning, especially looking at how things have panned out.
Er, Jedinak or Elphick?
Enough said, except that Bruce having favourites is starting to get seriously out of hand and will be his undoing.
Even if we get John Terry in, as much as I like him for what he brings to the club, we’ll still be weak at the back, particularly if Chester gets injured.
You can play Bree or De laet at CB, but this is an experiment you should be trying when you’re expected to be mid-table, not when you’re supposed to be challenging for promotion.
You just can’t be messing about like this if you want to be taken seriously.
Our recent goals conceded record says it all.
And finally there’s the Talksport computer prediction table.
I wouldn’t normally give them the time of day, but from memory they called Wolves correctly last season.
Suffice to say, we’re predicted to finish 11th, I think
I don’t think that’s far off the mark, as things stand.
Not that I think things won’t change this season.
10 games, I said, didn’t I?
Given the way it seems Bruce has lost the plot, I’d say we’re sadly still on course.
Bloody internationals 🙁
Every man to his own I say, me I’m England through and through, I happen to be watching Scotland at the minute to see our own player gives Belgium a goal. As for Birmingham getting themselves into trouble I can only smile. It could have been us but luck and our history saved us. That computer is a load of bull to me no one can say whom going to go up till its black and white.I they could predict we all be millionaires .
If. predicted text bloody thing.
McGinn sloppy, as a McLeish side sets up to defend.
What a surprise.
The super computer might have called Wolves (like most fans did by just watching a few games) but it got pretty much everything else wrong!
Hopefully JT will come back (see his latest comments) which will at least help to get us through to January but, on the negative side, I suspect he will want some assurances that SB will not be removed as there is clearly a very personal relationship involved in his decision making.
On the other hand if JT doesn’t sign and Bruce goes, any new manager is faced with exactly the same unbalanced squad and a shortage of CB’s – of concern in that situation also seems to be Chester’s loyalty to Bruce.
Will the EFL really deduct 12points for Blues breach of rules – given that it’s a punishment normally reserved for clubs entering administration I doubt it any more than they will deduct points from us for breaching the FFP rules given the precedent is a fine, which in itself seems to be self defeating.
I agree with Badger that this particular international break is a complete waste of time. The premier and championship clubs have only just got up and running and their plans suddenly get disrupted. For Villa and Bruce especially though the timing is probably fortunate. Hogan and Davis could be fit for next game, plus Bolasie and Abraham will have had more time to integrate. Also the drubbing we took at Sheffield Utd will be more out of their system. I think also JT will be at his new destination next week, and Bruce will be lucky if he chooses us because of the mess he has created in central defence. Come Saturday night at Blackburn on Sky, Bruce will have nowhere to hide. Simply put if we lose then he has to walk.
If he loses on Saturday Holte – I don’t know about walking, he needs to start running!
Too true 😂
That’s it Terry signed for Spartak Moscow. I was reading that all he wanted was a call that never came. From Villa.
According to Sky Sport Italia, Spartak Moscow are one of those clubs.
Would you want John Terry back at Aston Villa?
THANKS FOR YOUR VOTE
Yes89%
No11%
They have even claimed this morning that Terry has had a medical with Massimo Carrera’s side.
They claim the decision was made after Samuel Gigot suffered a serious injury.
A post on Terry’s own Instagram page shows the defender giving blood in what could be a medical scenario.
Would Terry be interested in such a move after stating recently that a deal to carry on playing would hinge on the best move for his family?
The plot thickens.
in a wide-ranging interview with the Daily Mail the ex-England man admitted he has ‘unfinished business’ in claret and blue.
Thank god this thing with Terry is over. We’ve got to move on and make it work with the players we have. Stop hoping for a hero to come in and save the season. If spud and his coaching staff can’t find a winning formula, then they are the ones that need to go.
I probably would have been pleased if JT had come back but then I’d be thinking that the pressure on him to turn things around would be enormous and then it could all back-fire.
I think that’s a big blow to Bruce with JT not coming. New owners might have put block on it because of FFP. After all his wages are equivalent of 4 – 5 players being signed. Is there any other out of contract CB’s worth considering? Huth or Collins?
Anyone else find it quite worrying that so many fans are seemingly very concerned about us not being able to re-sign a 37 year old player?
What a state Bruce has left us in.
I’m still not convinced Terry is going to Spartak.
Winter in Russia?
I’m not at all sure that will suit his family much.
There’s no actual evidence we’ve even spoken to JT. Perhaps all those hints were JT trying to encourage Villa to make him an offer?
Word has it 1.8 million was the reason , we’ll have to see.
Wow Bill – if that’s what Moscow are paying good luck to him.
It seems strange him uprooting his family in a country like Russia. Still there might be some credence in all that money coming his way. Good luck to him if true.
Just found it Hitch
Former Aston Villa captain John Terry is set to earn £1.8million after tax in Russia, according to the Telegraph.
The 37-year-old defender is poised to snub interest from a host of clubs and agree a deal with Russian giants Spartak Moscow.
Terry’s one-year contract in the Russian capital will see him earn around £40,000 per week and it includes the option of a further year should the centre-back wish to play on.
It’s no secret that Steve Bruce wanted to keep Terry at Villa Park but a new contract wasn’t financially viable with the club’s ongoing Financial Fair Play issues.
Yeah – there’s the rub at the end Bill – we couldn’t afford to offer him a contract so I don’t think ( with the benefit of hindsight) that there was ever an offer on the table.
Begs the question whether Bruce is looking at free agents like Collins / Huth. He has past form with the likes of Samba and we do need another experienced CB. On balance though I think we are stuck with what we have at least until January. If he continues playing Jedinak at CB, Bruce won’t be charge then anyway!
Think your right Hitch, it wasn’t verified by Villa from the start so never on the cards, he now needs to appease the fans by coming out as to whom and if we are getting a CB in the next few days.
I think we probably could have got Terry in, myself.
And it still wouldn’t surprise me if we do.
But if we don’t, I wonder if it’s a first sign that the owners don’t trust Bruce?
Or are having to draw a financial line for the time being – the reality is only they know how they will deal with (or are dealing with) any FFP issues come March next year.
No, I don’t think JT is joining us nor, probably, was it ever likely.
Perhaps you’re right Hitch.
I really don’t know.
Whatever, I find it interesting that Blues might get done for FPP, while the consensus seems to be that we’re ok, with the owners having pumped a few million in.
I say a few, but it’s all comparative, isn’t it?
There must be some serious cast iron guarantees on our owners’ part.
Badger, I read that Blues misdemeanour was signing a player for £2m whilst under a transfer embargo which has lead to complaints to the EFL from a number of Championship clubs. According to the Telegraph this amounts to a ‘serious breach of FFP rules’ whereas our breach would allegedly be for breaching the permitted level of accumulated losses. The precedent for the latter is a fine (QPR just ‘agreed’ a fine of £41m for said breach).
I think it was OLL posted that new owners can invest monies into the club and if they can also demonstrate returning the club to a sustainable (FFP) position these factors can be used to ameliorate the FFP breach (as was alluded to in the Brum Mail following their initial £4m share purchase) – hence the further acquisition of £11m of shares.
Anyhow one would assume the new owners are being properly advised on the FFP issues.
Aston Villa are getting ready to switch their attention towards signing Robert Huth with their pursuit of John Terry set to end in disappointment, according to the Daily Mirror.
The Mirror reports that Terry is now set to complete a move to Spartak Moscow after undergoing a medical, despite the Championship side looking to bring the former England international back to the club after a successful one-year spell last season
Bill, B. Mail have online poll – Huth, Collins or AN Other – last time I looked Huth 100% votes – not a lot going for Collins LOL
Hope its not Collins, he did some damage at Villa. I remember the own goals he scored.
Mirror saying Huth by Monday night but who knows!
international breaks good or bad ? it just depends on the last result and in our case, i think this break comes at very bad time for villa. any ways just looking at our loan players performances like steer yesterday, i seen loads of fans wanting him to stay. but i (knowitall) thought preseason his distribution was pants. turned out his first game for charlton, their fans were not impressed with him, same reason i was worried with. poor distribution and crosses.
been reading our fans thoughts on loaning elphick out, again i understand the reason behind their worries, again i think elphick has been poor, he might have scored against hull, but his overall performance on that day was poor.
Ørjan Nyland i think is the right choice, he will need time to settle, what is highlighting his errors more, is the defence which are all over the place. i don’t think elphick is much better than jedi. chester doesn’t seem to like being partnered with both of them. i personally would like to see axel given a chance partnering chester. but axel will make mistakes and we should be prepared for that.
also its not just the defence, midfield without the ball are not giving any cover to the defence, its the whole team just needs more balancing and time to adjust to each other. if we could have bedded these players in preseason that would have been better in a perfect world. we just need to be alittle more patient.
the first three goals against united, all showed up our weakness. axel lost his marker at the back post. the wall for the freekick was very poor, this was bad communication ?? by goalie and the defenders. also goalie position was poor. never seen many goals conceded like that, from that position and angle and at the near post. the long range shot another goalie error. but were was our midfielder ?? i said after the game, it was the worst i seen since RDM. by this i mean we were all over the place. i dont know whether it was all us, or should some applauds go to united. they were a good team. passing and moving and dragging villa players out of their comfort zones. we got lost in their movements.
Just read an interesting article that suggests Terry is only motivated by one thing – money – both last season and now. The article also says that if Sawiris / Edens (and by implication Bruce) were really interested in resigning Terry it could have been done before the end of the transfer window / loan window rather than waiting until now. By implication, the same applies to Huth and Collins – all very good points.
What to make of it?
If Bruce is pursuing these free agents – isn’t he admitting to having cocked up big time by letting Elphick go without having secured a replacement?
Frankly, I don’t know what to think but I’m coming round to the view that Bruce will make a statement by continuing with the same squad until January – vis ‘I know what I’m doing’!
I just hope he does and sorts the defence out and soon.
Just imagine what a state we will be in if Chester gets injured! I said Bruce should get till end of November initially. But after securing all his best players thanks to new owners, he has baffled us all by failing to beef up our defence since Terrys departure. Now there seems to be a sense of panic by trying to recruit players past their prime. Badger said give Bruce 10 games, and now I feel that’s being generous. I wanted him out after Sheffield United game but didn’t think it would happen, and I believe that he is being given time to sort things out. Trouble is even Chester has struggled without Terry, and Jedinak has the speed of a sloth so we seem certain to gift opponents chances every game. Good teams like Sheffield United will punish us. I will be surprised if we win away to Blackburn, historically it’s not a good ground for us. But I’m sure Bruce will already have his excuses if we lose, like I haven’t had all my players to work with! Players wore short sleeves so couldn’t roll them up, which ruined his pre match team talk.