This is going to be a quick post as I have a lot on my plate at present.
Villa’s first team squad will not have played for 19 days since the 1-2 reverse at United. Bodymoor Heath was only reopened on Sunday and it would seem that not all the first team squad will be fit for selection tomorrow. Whilst the players will be rested they will be lacking match fitness and the after effects of the Covid outbreak.
Whilst Smith is trying to maintain a positive outlook, pointing to our excellent away form as a marker, the reality is that we’re going to be seriously disadvantaged against a team that is looking to secure its sixth straight win in the EPL and that without Aguero.
Our recent record against Citeh is about as atrocious as it can get and whilst OLL makes a valid point about self belief, I share Adams concerns. Having said that, I have no doubt that whatever team Smith is able to put out, they will give their all for the shirt and no fan can ask for more than that.
Before the Brighton game, Badger put up a poll for forecasting the number of points Villa would get from the ensuing 7 games which, with the Newcastle postponement, became 6. We eventually secured 10 points in what was to become an unbeaten December and a MoTM award for Dean Smith. I’m not able to put up a poll but it would be interesting to get your views on how many points we will get from the next 6 games. It’s a tough run of fixtures and I would guess 6 to 9 points would be a decent return.
On the transfer rumour mill – ignoring the obvious lazy journalism – Phil McNulty wrote a piece on the BBC web site this morning claiming that we had opened talks with Marseille over midfielder Morgan Sanson. Now I don’t profess to know anything about him but reports suggest that a number of premier league clubs are interested in him. It would seem his transfer value has dropped from around £25m to £15m and he’s likely to demand a lower wage than say David Brooks from Bournemouth although it’s interesting that Bournemouth have just resigned Jack Wilshire – is Brooks on his way out?
Whatever the reality, with Smith favouring Jacob Ramsey it seems that Hourihane’s days at the club may be numbered.
It’s going to be an interesting couple of weeks.
It’s obviously clear that all media, referees, officials and the idiots who operate VAR will do absolutely anything to maintain the big six. They would hate an unfashionable club from the midlands to break up the pecking order. Badger is right in being disillusioned with the game. I have lost track of how many times we have been screwed over in the last season and a half. Clubs like Citeh don’t need added help with the quality of their squad. It seems like that no one is answerable to these decisions either. I almost expect us to get a decision against us in the big games now. It’s all a big bad joke.
Not only getting disillusioned with football but its starting to make me ill. The last few at West Ham…Man U and last night have not left my mind resulting in hardly any sleep with my head trying to work out how I can do things to change all this. Of course non of us can do a single thing and just have to suck it up.
Would love the club to do a counter charge against the Prem for them bringing the game into disrepute Re: their officials and of course VAR……They surely cant be a total dictatorship !!
Your the same as me villaaway from home, I feel sick when I can see we have had refs robbing us because its Villa, Why do clubs and players give us the cold shoulder, we have one of the best grounds in the league ,we treat our players well in fact on coming love the place. Yet the FA and their band of brainless robots hate us. Mybe theres back handers going on and we dont participate, something don’t add up with the decisions we get . I’ll never turn my back on the club what ever, but always defend Villa because truth be known the football league owes us as we are the founder member of their League and FA.in its history.
A wonderful discussion about the game and all in favour that the FA got it wrong. Darren Bent , Ian Wright, both saying to sit down a take a look at the flag not being raised and hand ball rule that robbed Villa. This was on Bein Sports 11, Ian Wright saying Villa has had rash decisions and the reply from the interviewers saying it looks like they favour the top 6 clubs more than the others, Wright said Villa a good side and bad decisions could stop them with international games, Fair Play Ian glad someone else seeing how the game is being ruined by stupidity of bad rule in football.
Can you remember brain dead Lineacre saying something like ” a return to the bad old days” when we ran on pitch after beating Albion….then “what joyous scenes” when it happened on other grounds especially King Power…
Louie Barry scorse hatrick against Norwich , two pens and late goal.
good to see barry amongst the goals again. loads of posters want to see him progress into the first time. personally i think we should wait for the manager to agree. smith will promote him in a blink of a eye when he is ready. i personally think he needs more time to physically develop. he looks alittle lightweight. but as for skills the kid is defiantlygood enough and will make the grade
looking forwards to a fair game today. no biased referee gonna screw us cause we might hurt their top 6 love childs. btw i was really happy against city the grit and determination we showed was unbelievable. saying that we were not match fit and we had to alter our game slightly to last the 90. we matched a top side which will probably go on to win the league. no shame in that one bit. but listening to smith i love how he was not entirely happy. he is correct mind you. he wanted more from us on the ball and that is great a manager who is not after a honourable defeat he wants perfection and if we lose then clap the opposition. trust me we are going places fast.
newcastle are in a dreadful run at minute and they are very low on confidence, they might have that saint maxi back today who is a really handy player. but as long as we recovered well. i can see us dominating the ball well and scoring a few goals. we are been performing really good before the covid and we returned really good imo so i expect us to cruise this one after a fast start.
villa 3 utd 0
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/jan/23/ezri-konsa-i-havent-got-any-secret-its-just-about-learning-my-trade
A good read…
I think it would be a good idea to start putting Barry on the bench. Who thinks out of Davis or Barry is most likely to score for us? As for being lightweight well look at Foden at Citeh! Fact is if you’re good enough then you’re old enough. Didn’t Klopp mention he is a young Jamie Vardy. He would be useful playing on the shoulder of a defender if we are winning and opposition are taking risks. Modern day football suits players who are quick and agile. Agbonlahor’s career went downhill when he started working out at the gym and he lost his main asset, pace!
As for today’s game I think it will be tougher than most fans are predicting. I think adrenaline got a lot of the players through Wednesdays game. I think they will will find it physically more demanding playing a second game in 4 days. Bruce will make them difficult to beat because that’s how he sets up plus they will be fighting for survival.
I’m predicting a 2-1 win although I’m slightly nervous because we are expected to win.
VILLA AGREE £14M SANSON FEE
Aston Villa have agreed a fee with Marseille for Morgan Sanson.
Villa will pay £14m, with the fee potentially rising to £15.5m with add ons.
The France midfielder is expected to arrive in Birmingham next week.
dont know if this is true or just b/s its on sky sports if they are credible.
but he seems like a decent midfielder all rounder which seems to be the smith way players that can play many positions well
Hi Nath
Good spot. I am impressed with the methodical approach Villa are taking in building the squad. Hourihane gave his all for the club but doesn’t cut it as a top quality Premier player. Sanson comes in improving the team allowing Hourihane to go to Swansea and sold at the end of the season. The plus is that Ramsey is making the breakthrough.
Strategically I think Sanson signing sends a message to Chelsea we will sign Barkley at a reasonable price or we can afford to walk away. Also, it provides cover for Luiz if Man City activate the buy back clause. If they don’t, then I can see Nakamba being sold in the summer.
It’s all hotting up for an interesting summer.
May I clear up the ‘buy back’ clause? Many people fear it means that a club who have sold a player and been paid in full (that is important) can somehow force the buying club to sell the player back to the selling club, at the whim of the selling club.
That is untrue, and falls foul of the core of contract law. ONLY IF the buying club decides to sell-on the player does the original agreement come into play. OR if the buying club has not completed its payment to the selling club. In this case the buying club must offer the player to the club that sold him at the agreed buy back price, before accepting an offer from a third club.
So if Villa never put Douglas Luiz up for sale City cannot buy him back. End of story.
OLL I understand your logic but can there not be a clause in the contract which specifically states that both parties to the contract agree that the seller has an option to trigger a buy back at an agreed price within a specified period of time? This would then become a condition of sale which I assume would also be reflected in Douglas Luis’ contract.
That’s my understanding of how these clauses work in football – and it’s one that Barcelona insert quite often when selling their younger players.
I suspect the critical part is the agreed sell back amount which shows a guaranteed return to the buying club.
Such a clause would act a little like a release clause in a players’ contract should an offer be received in excess of a specified figure.
No, such a clause is not legal in England. It should also fall foul of football’s rules about loans. If the selling club can take back the player against the wishes of the buying club for a cash consideration they have not sold the player, they have only loaned him out for a rent. I do not know if Barcelona can do as you say legally under Spanish Law or if there is a special arrangement for Minors.
Thanks OLL.
Effectively they have a first refusal on any sale but at an agreed price.
Just read it Nath, good news that. Now we might see some players up their game,
i havent seen anything of that french guy, heard some nice things about him. if anybody has seen him play please divulge. i am really loving villa under smith and new owners. we are not shouting to be heard, we are quietly going about our work. smith has transformed us on the playing side and new owners have brought some professionalism behind the scenes.
we are not over spending too, this player has a much higher market fee than we paid, now that is savvy. lower we pay and higher we sell makes for a bigger net profit.
we keep introducing more quality with every signing and that makes me happy. the future is bright the future is going to be claret and blue