Apologies.
I didn’t realise that comments had closed on the previous article. The site does that because old posts attract lots of spam and it’s just more work for me having to get rid of it.
The truth is I don’t really have much to say, but thought some of you might like somewhere you can continue to comment to each other, if you haven’t forgotten about the site that is.
You all know that I’m not in the slightest bit interested in speculation about who we might sign and it’s a view backed up by Smith-Rowe having signed a new contract with Arsenal after our signing him was in the bag.
Likewise, Grealish was a cert to move to Citeh and while I guess he still might, my opinion says it’s looking less likely. That’s after even I fell into the trap of posting that it was a done deal.
What is factual is that we beat Walsall last night either 4-0 or 4-1. I genuinely don’t know because I couldn’t even be bothered to read about it. Friendly results mean nothing to me after Villa players looking poor in pre-season, the year we won the league!
Am I just a tight git, or am I correct in saying watching the game on VillaTV for a fiver is bloody expensive?
I can understand a fiver if you’re going to watch at the ground, but…
Anyway, I actually found a site that was streaming it and started to watch it. Until every time I went fullscreen I was bombarded with adverts. I turned it off after a few minutes.
Buendia seems a great signing. I wasn’t at all convinced about us signing Ashley Young, but my son-in-law(ish) has convinced me that his versatilty will prove to be a big plus. It’s a very good point and apparently he looked the part last night. From the little I’ve read about his signing, he jumped at the chance to come back to Villa and didn’t want to go anywhere else. We also apparently aren’t paying him a massive wage.
The cynic in me wonders if he still owns a house around here, meaning the move doesn’t disturb much for him.
I think a big part of me was annoyed that he left us, but along with Barry, Delph and others, I don’t suppose you can’t blame him.
I’ll wish him luck. He does now play for us again, after all.
Elsewhere, we’re going to sign the world, as per usual.
August the 14th can’t come quick enough.
Quick update on transfer possibilities.
It’s now being reported that United might be prepared to let Tuanzebe go on a permanent transfer rather than a loan. Villa need a fourth CB with Engels departure and a move for Tuanzebe (23) would not be a bad idea. He only has one year left on his United contract so can’t see a big fee being needed.
He showed a lot of promise in his second loan spell and fits Villa’s strategy of buying young, promising players with potential and an upwardly mobile value.
Would Tuanzebe come though without promise of more playing time than he’s currently getting?
And, it’s being reported, a loan move for Abraham.
Idle chatter, I know, but I’m bored 🙂
He’s spoiled my holiday by going that’s for sure.reports are thick and thin as papers aying he’s at city ground someone seen him a bodymore Heath today training. I feel sorry for all who bought shirts with name on it’s a sad day for Villa fans.I wonder what his grandfather would have said as he told him to never leave Villa. I’m the same mind as Hitch I cannot wish him well.
Warrior here imagine if he failed his medical because of his dodgy shins haha shame on him VTID UTV.
Abraham on loan with an option to buy would, I think be a good move for us. With all the uncertainty around Wesley and Davis not looking likely to step up to the plate we need a proved number 9. Also Watkins could play with Abraham as two up top.
Although Chelsea would prefer to sell him they might extend his contract for a year and send him out on loan thus keeping his value – and if he plays regularly and scores goals in the Prem maybe even increasing it. They’ve gone down that route before.
Could be an interesting couple of weeks.
I think the club should avoid loans for Axel and Tammy. All it does is help their parent clubs demand a higher price when they finally do sell. Surely there’s a deal to be done for Axel with only a year on his contract? Get it done. And slap 28 large down for Tammy – give them something to think about!
A thought: if Jack Grealish and all involved with AVFC decide that they want a league title with Aston Villa within the next 3 seasons, I have no doubt that it can be achieved. But the target must be set. If and when it is set, all that’s left to do is work towards making it happen. It’s not as difficult as one might think. It involves accumulating more points than 19 other teams over a period of 9 months and 38 football matches. With our goalkeeper, defence, and forward line, I don’t think that is impossible. Aim high and you’ll hit high. Aim low and you’ll hit even lower. The squad is still evolving and improving and young players will be reaching their peak in that period. Set the target!
*I meant 38 large for Tammy. That’s inflation for you! :/
I’ve just seen that craig butler who is leon baileys adopted father is doing a leon bailey press conference / announcement at 10.30 on youtube if anyones interested.
Tonight
Delayed but leon bailey will be talking as well
I wonder what he’s going to say?
Axel? Would he come to be a sub? I very much doubt it.
BFR, I like your style. But I wonder why we haven’t won the league for the last 50 years on the trot?
It’s good to aim high, but those competitors have a nasty habit of making it hard for you.
I don’t see Abraham coming either. Unless Smith puts him Ollie out left, which I don’t see either.
To get to the top the bench needs to be as good as the first 11.
I think our owners are really going for it.
Can’t see abraham nor jwp coming if grealish is going. He has to stay.
I see Bailey agreed the deal live on Youtube.
Welcome to the Villa!
Beat me to it Badger!
Been reading up on him – seems he’s lightening fast and has loads of ability; can play anywhere across the front line (so why would we need another striker?) BUT it seems he’s inconsistent.
Feeling is if we can consistently get the best from him then we have a bargain as a fee of around £50 – £60m was being mooted around 12 months ago with sides like Chelsea reported as being interested.
Another Adam Traore possibly – a match winner on his day?
Please don’t take that to be a negative post.
What signing Bailey does show is the owners ambition and their ability to attract players with Champions League experience.
JG needs to think very carefully before jumping ship – he just might regret it.
A lot of sources all running with Grealish to complete move to ManC today.
If he does go not sure how I’m going to react.
Personally, I will be gutted to see Jack sign for another PL club. Dodgy shins or not, if he’s worth 100 million to them, then he’s worth keeping.
Gutted if true – which looks likely.
We finally have owners who want to compete at the top and back it up with spending big and Jack jumps ship at totally the wrong time for Vlla.
Great message sent to Olly Watkins and Martinez who will now probably follow – this could set us back big time.
I guess he didn’t love the villa and the project as much as he made out.
I also believe if Manure had put an offer in last year he would have gone then.
I honestly thought he was the one to get us up there but he is the same as the rest – jump for money and ego.
Yep – have to agree Steve. I think my overriding feeling is one of betrayal. Just when we are in a position to put Villa back where they belong in Europe he jumps ship for a bag of shiny trinkets.
So be it, when he’s retired then he can sit and look at his trophy cabinet rather than gaining immortality by leading Villa back to the top of football. I hope it makes him happy – perhaps it will.
I wrote a whole speech in anger just a second ago but I will be fair and wait until the decision has been made.
I think most on here will get what I mean.
Hardly betrayal, he could have made a fuss and demanded a transfer when we were relegated, he’s remained loyal and he now wants to play with the best players and in the best competitions, he goes with my blessing.
His going will divide fan opinion that’s for sure and, if we’re going to kick on we need the fans fully behind the club as a whole. There will be concerns over whether his transfer affects the morale of the team as well.
His going will set the club back – I have no doubt about that.
Smith and the owners will be facing quite a challenge particularly if we have a poor start to the season.
Wether it sets the team back remains to be seen, there’s a school of thought that Grealish slows down our play and if the money is invested wisely then perhaps we will be better off.
Obviously it’s all conjecture at this point so we’ll see what happens.
One thing I do know, is that under our current owners we are a completely different beast now compared to previous years and I for one am confident and excited for the future, a new era is about to begin that doesn’t revolve around one player, and that can only be a good thing. UTV
All fair comment.
The conjecture though is all trending in one direction and from multi sources which, even in football, tends to turn out as being correct.
If Grealish doesn’t go there’s going to be an awfully large amount of egg on media faces – now that would be worth seeing.
The conjecture I was referring to is whether we’ll be better off with or without him, it looks pretty nailed on that he’s going.
I’m feeling apathetic towards it all at the moment because I believe we will bring in enough quality for it not to affect the performance on the pitch, the thing that hurts the most is that he is villa through and through, but I have a feeling we will see him in a villa shirt again one day, when he’s not the flavour of the month and City have bought the next big thing.
Hi there fellow Villans WARRIOR here so he’s going to man city like I thought he would to join the likes of f delph and g barry on a reported £300.000 a week he lead us to believe he was a villan so who are his family going to support Villa or man city well goodbye Jack you done us proud so I honestly wish you well we have made some good signings and more to come so roll on the new season VTID UTV
Sad but not downbeat that Jack is poised to sign for Cite$h. I can’t blame him because he has stuck it through with us to help get us promoted and survive relegation. If we had made European football this season when it looked possible before we drifted into mid table last season, then I think he might have stayed.
He will almost certainly win silverware there and of course be paid more than we could ever offer. His status will elevate to global superstar and it is something we can’t provide now or possibly for his whole career.
My biggest gripe is that Cite$h can afford to splash out silly money not only to strengthen their squad but with the plus of weakening any threats to their monopoly on winning things. If we don’t make huge strides this season, then expect the likes of Watkins, Konsa and Martinez to follow.
We are in a similar position to when O’Neill was threatening the top 6 and Cite$h took Milner, Barry and the snake while United took Young. O’Neill threw his rattle out the pram when Lerner pulled the plug.
I have a feeling it won’t be the case with the current ownership and look forward to how the money is re-invested.
I hope Jack doesn’t get booed by our supporters. He is one of our own wherever he plays. VTID!
Sorry he isn’t one of our own, I will not be wishing him well as he will be playing for a team we compete against. This is nuts! I get his reasons for going, more money and maybe some silverware but let’s not beat around the bush here, it’s more so money and maybe the chance the play some games abroad.
I have no hard feelings towards Jack for doing near on what any human would do in his shoes. But, I do not want to here his sob story about how difficult it was, I do not want fans talking about how much we owe him. Villa made Grealish, Jack didn’t make villa! Villa made Grealish a very rich and successful young man and gave him all the tools, time and effort he needed to flourish.
If he had stayed at villa, he would still be a very very rich successful footballer.
We now as I’ve read need to dust ourselves down, get behind this team as we always do and look forward to what these new owners are building.
I totally believe 110% this deal will work to our advantage. Leicester had this with Maghrez and they are stable top 6, pushing top 4.
The team will be better balanced with Beundia, Bailey and I’m sure we will add another.
I have a feeling the owners know how much this one hurts and will want to make it right.
VTID (or until city offer me 300k per week )
Holte, I really don’t think it’s the same as when Barry etc. left. The owners don’t need the money and I’m sure they have weighed up the pros and cons. I’m sure they would be happy for JG to stay (whereas Lerner wanted the cash) but also see the bigger picture. Villa is bigger than Grealish and if he doesn’t want the opportunity to lead his club to Europe and possible cup silverware then we’ll take the £100m, thank you.
When you analyse it, £100m is daft for a player that three seasons ago was playing in the Championship, has only played 2/3rds of a season in four of the last five and, by his own admission, failed to ‘turn up’ in Project Restart. It’s ManC collecting trophy players because they can.
Grealish will never attain legendary status at Villa, he will just be a good player that went somewhere else. More likely he’ll continue to push the ‘film star /celebrity’ status that he seems to covet.
The saddest part is the loss of identity. There is so little legacy in football and having a very good footballer and Villa fan as captain together with Dean Smith as manager provided something rare and important to the club brand.
Grealish’ great grandfather Billy Garraty played for the club and won an FA Cup medal; just think what it would mean if Grealish had stayed and led Villa to an FA Cup win – hypothetical I know.
I don’t wish him ill but he doesn’t go with my blessing.
Don’t get me wrong Hitch, i will not be chanting his name going forward. At least it’s done and dusted before season starts. So much for the ‘My club, my city’ bullshit. He’s decided on massive wealth and silverware at a soulless club over club legend status. He will be one of the many glory hunting cockroaches whose names will be easily forgotten in the Mancs memories.
I’m guessing when Cite$h sign Kane for £150m or whatever that they won’t be investigated for FFP. Remember how the super 6 were going to be punished for their attempts to enter the European Super league?
We will have to adapt to life without Grealish. One good thing is we won’t be so predictable going forward. Also it was getting to the point where the club was going to be re-named Jack Grealish FC with all the media circus that surrounded him. From now on it will be more of a team and not an individual.
I still think this is our best chance to break into the top 6. There are only 4 clubs which i would say are almost certain to finish above us. Cite$h, Man Ure, Pool and Chelski. Spurs and Arsenal are still in transition although Leicester remain strong with continuity. Everton could falter with a change of manager but Leeds will grow stronger unless their best players get raided. West Ham could also be strong again as they continue under the radar. Next season if we don’t make Europe, we could well be seeing our best players being picked off and back to square one again.
Holte,with the owners we have, I really don’t see our best players being picked off as in recent years. Of course players will come and go that’s the nature of football.
What the media haven’t yet got into their thick heads is we’re no longer a ‘feeder’ club, we’re serious competition. I think some clubs may just be starting to realise it.
Assuming Grealish goes, there are going to be some worried fans around as our owners go out and take their best players to restructure and strengthen the team.
Hitch, unfortunately we will not have the pulling power of the top clubs until we are playing in Europe, preferably the Champions league. If at the end of the season we don’t get a European place, there’s no doubt that our top players will be gone. Our owners can pay big bucks but the lure of silverware and playing in Europe will prove the main factor. Grealish would have listened to the players when in the Euros saying “you’re too good for the Villa” “Come and join us and win things” The same will happen with the likes of Konsa or Watkins or even Buendia if they are in the same position next year as Grealish was this year. It’s really difficult to break up the Sky 6 long term. London and the North West seem more attractive to players than the dour Midlands.
I’ve seen our club get to the ‘nearly there’ countless times before slipping back to mediocrity. Our owners have done all the right things up till now but forgive me if I don’t get too excited just yet. A case of I’ll believe it when I see it.
Apparently we have signed Danny Ings. That is great news, I really rate him.
Does that mean Watkins on the left, Buendia in the middle and Bailey on the right and Ings up front?
Even better I really rate him and Iwork with a scummer who can’t contemplate Saints without him.
Hi Sidforever I agree with you Danny Ings is a good signing and I hope we keep Ollie Watkins out of Liverpool’s clutches and prey they both hit it off scoring loads of goals we have the making of a team capable of crashing the top six and Europe So bring on the good times again. VTID UTV
New post up lads
WARRIOR here again a fellow Villan phoned me a couple of minutes ago and asked me why we signed a 29-year-old which is unusual because we have been buying younger players to build a team for the future and going forward so why did we buy Ings over Tammy Abrahams who is a lot more suited to our dream And I couldn’t give him an answer so could anyone out there answer for him. VTID UTV
Because Ings is 15 million cheaper and will score more goals over 3 years, Warrior. And more experienced, more nous. The next 3 years are key in the owners’ plans. So I don’t think they will mind if they don’t make a profit on Ings. At 40 million asking price, they would’ve struggled to make a profit on Tammy anyway, despite his age. Good business and good decision making for me.
Many thanks BFR I will relay that message on VTID AVFC