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.
Comments
159 responses to “Roll on the football season!”
On a different but probably connected note, it’s being reported that Villa have bid £25m for Ward-Prowse turned down by Southampton.
I say it’s connected not to suggest a replacement but that Grealish’s decision might impact on whether a player like JWP pushes for a move to Villa.
Expect Villa to go back with an improved bid.
Next week or so is going to be very interesting.
Grealish earning Ward-Prowse all those goal attempts from frees is a mouth-watering prospect.
I wonder if the Man City bid has led to that bid?
Warrior here I would like to withdraw my last message it was made in haste so sincere apologies VTID
No apologies needed, Warrior.
If he does leave, very many people will have similar feelings at first.
Thank you Badger 123 VTID
So it’s official ManC have bid £100m for Grealish.
Over to you Jack but if you go don’t expect all Villa fans to wish you well.
Fair comment Hitch imagine 40 000 fans booing him every time he touches the ball or enters Villa Park from Villan to Villain I remember a certain F Delph heart overhead crap go if you want to go go but don’t treat us loyal Villans with contempt £130 million sounds good. VTID
Exactly Warrior
Delph insulted the Villa fans, that’s why he’s hated.
Whereas I actually think many fans will be thinking that if Jack does go, it’ll have genuinely been a heart-wrenching decision and be more sympathetic.
I may well be wrong about that, but the thought of lots of fans booing the player who’s lit up Villa park more than any other in a very long time doesn’t sit well with me.
Sorry if I upset fellow Villans with my comments but I speak from my heart I travel from Wiltshire to Brum 194 miles round trip and go to every home game as I can and I’m a pensioner and have followed Villa all my life so VTID
If Jack goes i am afraid he will kill the dream.
One of our own will be saying he doesn’t believe in the project.
That sends a message to watkins martinez etc that you may as well go to the perceived bigger clubs when they come calling.
So Jack over to you. Back up what you have been telling us or just go.
I don’t like saying this but if spurs and man utd had made decent offers in the last couple of years i reckon he would have gone then.
I hope he stays and we maintain our upward momentum but i now fear the worst.
I think Jack could have gone to Spurs if he wanted to. But I don’t think he wanted it and was happy to help us improve.
We’ve done that and he may actually be thinking that the massive fee would help the club kick on again.
The thought of leaving for the champions must really appeal.
But as has been oft said, will he actually get in the side?
Pep has raved about him, but that doesn’t mean he’d start every game.
Whereas he’s a cert in any Villa side.
It must be a really difficult decision and I’ve seen it said that he really doesn’t know what to do.
Which means he’ll be in the hands of his advisors. And they’re going to tell him to go for the highest wage, pure and simple.
That seems crazy, when you consider we’re going to offer him £150k a week or more, but we have to remember that the next game could be career ending.
We as fans all want to see villa play in europe and the champions league. The next couple of years if jack stays with the owners we have is our best chance in a generation. Jack will blow all that if he goes purely because others will follow.
Winning with man city is not an achievement its expexted and losing is failure.
Winning with villa is immortal legend status.
For what its worth i believe this has nothing to do with the ambtion of NSWE. I Genuinely believe they want us to get to the top.
This is all on Jack
His decision will affect us for the foreseeable future.
The Last thing we need now is our owners losing interest as lerner did when o’neil left.
Don’t forget Jack signed a long contract extension when he didn’t have to. If we sell Jack gets his wish and a big payday. And Villa get a whacking transfer fee. Jack didn’t have to do this, could have been a free agent and pocketed even more.
When he was injured last season, initially we were rudderless but eventually we came good and realised he’s not the only talent in the team. I’m surprised if someone does pay a fortune for him as he is injury prone.
In saying this, don’t think for one minute I want him to go!
Bum Bum – JG has only played one full season in the last four! In the other three he managed an average of circa 60% of games.
Is he injury prone?
That’s a good point about him signing that contract. He’s helped the club out just by doing that.
At Man city, I’d be expecting him to get rests. Indeed, I’ve seen it said that he doesn’t really suit City’s style. Which is a fair point, as he can massively slow the game down sometimes. Hence I really wouldn’t expect him to play all games.
It’s interesting that Villa (it seems) have not rejected ManC’s bid out of hand. That suggests to me that the clubs have already informally agreed the fee (it’s been reported they have been in communication through out the summer) and it’s down to Grealish to make a decision.
I also suspect that Grealish already has Villa’s new contract offer so Villa will not give him a lot of time to decide. NSWE will not be ‘dicked about’ so expect this to be decided one way or another within a couple of days.
If Grealish isn’t able to buy into their vision for the club then perhaps it’s better he goes. It won’t change NSWE’s objectives and ultimately it’s the owners financial muscle that matters – sad but true.
Hitch, the bid was official yesterday, before I posted about it. The report that City don’t expect to get him for £100 mill came from the Manchester evening news and you would think they know better than most.
Whatever, it’s massive money.
Actually, thinking about it, I wonder if that might be so we can knock back the £100 mill and make it look like we’re fighting tooth and nail to resist?
While all the time, as you suggest, the deal’s already been done?
Heh, I love a good conspiracy 🙂
I hope Jack stays but he’s not a Messi or Ronaldo. In 2 of the last 3 seasons he has been out injured for a long spell so maybe it’s a case of all those kicks he gets is causing long term issues. What I’m trying to convince myself is that if we get £100m for him we can sign 2-3 top drawer players. Buendia will provide the quality lacking when Grealish isn’t available. Whatever happens, I hope it’s sorted in the next few days. We can’t allow this to drag on with the season starting in a couple of weeks.
We need a replacement for JT so why not someone who cares like a Mellberg or Laursen?
I hope we can get the Bailey deal sorted soon and it will be great signing if we can get Ward Prowse too. Offload Wesley, send Davis on loan and sign Tammy Abraham.
We potentially have a number of our youngsters getting close to breaking into the first team. Chukwuemeka I think is already good enough plus Ramsey has already got plenty of first team action.
NWSE are taking Villa to the top six without doubt. They have that 5 year plan and with 2 years to go, we are nicely poised to get there, with or without Jack!
Just watching Sky sports news with headline ‘Sky sports news expects Aston Villa to accept Manchester City’s £100m bid for Jack Grealish’ why not put ‘Sky sports news DEMANDS…..
I really hate the lack of respect they show for any club DARING to break into the top six.
Has anyone actually seen anything confirmed y either club yet or is it still all paper talk?
I like the way we now do business. I wonder who we’ve got our eyes on?
The bid is official, Bum bum.
That’s all we know.
Wtf? I’ve just noticed my name has changed. It’s me, Badger 🙂
That’s better 🙂
I think this deal could go either way. Imagine if we have a couple more great signings in the pipeline to add to what we already have…
Welcome back Badger 🙂
Changing the subject.
IF TRUE
Relatively a bid of £25 million for JWP is a bit of an insult. What game are we playing.
If JG goes we’ll be held to ransom on any deal.
I feel that Villa will look to Europe to replace him – better value at the market level they have to consider. Having said that I think we’ll go back for JWP with a big bid which Southampton will find hard to resist.
Steve, it’s a canny one, where we go for as low as we can get away with.
Every time we bid for someone, it gets knocked back with the expectation that we’ll up it anyway. You might as well go in low in that case and sound out how annoyed the other club are.
Levy has been doing it for years and has been much admired for it.
Betting on Grealish has changed from odds on staying Todd’s on leaving. Staying has gone out to around 3/1.
Whist bookies aren’t always right ………..
*to odds on leaving – duh
Isn’t grealish agent the same as bales.
Very rich but doesn’t play
I thought it was his dad, but might be wrong.
No, you’re right Steve. Jonathan Barnett.
I wonder how much of a factor Grealish’s reported close relationship with Dean Smith will play in all this. Despite his recent lapses, the Club have continually supported him and protected him from the worst of the press; perhaps Smith played a key role.
Away from Villa and his family will JG be more vulnerable to influences that might negatively affect his future career?
Do you all realizes, if Grealish said I’m staying !! How much an icon he would be to the club, he would would be in Villa’s history forevermore , that in its self would be history to our club. JUST A THOUGHT. or does money mean everything.
Yep, he’d go down as a ledge in the fans’ eyes.
Don’t build your hopes up too much though Bill.
I don’t for one minute think Jack is underhand, but it really wouldn’t surprise me i f the club think this is too much money to turn down, hence he’s going.
Like you, I really hope not.
I know people say ‘our owners are loaded and don’t need the money’ but we’ve knocked up some pretty big losses over the last two or three seasons and £100m would cover that and then some for FFP or whatever other financial regulations are put in place.
Unlike Manure and Pool we are debt free because the owners have provided funds through share issue so in a very strong place.
I don’t want Grealish to go because he is Mr. Villa but, if he does, he’ll have been instrumental in further strengthening the clubs financial position.
Villa have announced they have reached agreement on the transfer of Leon Bailey from Leverkusen subject to a medical.
Of course Sky are interpreting this as meaning Grealish is leaving the club!
I’ve seen it before and I have a feeling we will see it again.
If Grealish is to leave who in our current team will step up? When I say step up, I mean feel responsible and take ownership of villas attack. Sometimes big players leaving takes the shackles of the most unexpected. I have a funny feel Ramsey could win a few doubters.
As fans we just have to turn this saga into a positive and 100 mill through the books at villa could just give us a leg up.
I think is fair to say another mid table finish this season to give this (almost) new look team some time to gel is a good season. At least our defence appears to remain familiar and with decent back up to call up on.
Badger, Hutchins and Tom
It’s U2 – ‘With or without you’ regarding Jack!
With Jack, Bailey and Buendia we are two players stronger than last season over Barkley and a Trezeguet/ El Ghazi combination. That will allow us to challenge top 6. My faith is based on Lange’s excellent talent spotting to date.
Without Jack, Bailey and Buendia are plus two on last year. Then it comes down to Sanson, Ramsey, Chuckwuemeka or McGinn stepping up. Or a new buy out if £100m.
If one of the above steps up and operates at above Premiership average, then we are making a big step forward. Moreover, there will now be the opportunity to attack down the right, middle and left, whereas last year it was predominately Jack down the left. Then we are a better side.
With my heart, I really hope Jack stays. In my life time my top 4 Villa players are Gary Shaw, Gordon Cowans, Paul McGrath and Jack Grealish. If only he would stay and help propel Villa to the heights he and we have always dreamed of!
Sid, if Grealish goes – and Ashley Preece is saying the Grealish camp is split and he’s backing Grealish to stay – then expect NSWE to invest the £100m in a couple of top class signings in addition to those already done / announced.
Have NSWE pushed the Bailey deal to prove to JG their ambition? Rather than Sky’s take that he’s replacing him?
Why, having signed up to NSWE’s Villa project 10 months ago, is Grealish now thinking of abandoning it? Has he had his head turned (tapped up) at Euro 2020 and what part did Southgate play? How can a player valued at £100m and recognised as a game changer not get a start in so many games?
Questions on a postcard to Gareth Southgate.
In my opinion villa have to replace 4 players anyway from last years squad to strengthen and thats ignoring whatever to grealish.
Barclay, trezeguet, el ghazi, engels
Replaced by
Buendia, bailey plus 2
I also think we need a DM.
So i don’t believe buendia and bailey were ever intended to repace grealish.
Steve, my moneys on a loan move for Tuanzebe as the replacement for Engels. Would make massive sense and might, ultimately, lead to a permanent transfer.
With Bailey coming in, it’s odds on El Ghazi will move on and it’s being reported Villa want £15m for him. I like El Ghazi but he lacks the consistency of performance at the level we’re aspiring to reach.
Hmm, a bid for Ward-Prowse is in and now a Bailey bid is confirmed.
We either mean serious business in trying to persuade Jack to stay or the deal’s already been done.
Anyone know when Jack gets/got back from his holiday?
I heard he’s due for talks on Monday, so am guessing it’s around now.
Badger,I believe it’s the former – we mean business.
According to reports Southampton have rejected our bid for JW-P but it wouldn’t surprise me to see us back in with a bigger bid. We moan about the big six in transfer dealings but we might just be about to join them in overwhelming some of the ‘smaller’ clubs. We’re becoming the hunter rather than the hunted so we need to get used to it – it’s the way of the football world!
Just to add to that. If Grealish goes there will be a number of clubs concerned over Villa’s financial power in the transfer market and the ability to keep their quality players.
Completely random: if anyone thought Mike Dean was an attention seeking theatrical referee, Google Roger Kirkpatrick from the 70s. That is, of course, if you have nothing better to do!
p,s. Don’t leave, Jack! F*** off City!
I liked Roger Kirkpatrick. He refereed with a smile on his face, which defused many player flare ups before they got started. Not that I keep a list of great English referees, but he would feature if I started.
My absolute #1 voodoo doll would be David Elleray, still infecting FA refereeing today. Incompetent, biased, self deluding and self important – an awful referee!.
After watching Nakamba in the games he featured in towards the end of last season and in the friendlies so far, I think he would be one of the first names on the team sheet. McGinn looks really hungry too. Add to that Luiz has forced his way into the Brazil team, then we have a good trio to pick from. Buendia can play the No 10 role and we also have Sanson, Ramsey and Chukwuemeka all pushing for midfield roles. This has me questioning whether we need any more midfield players. Cantwell or JWP will add quality but I would think a couple of players will be struggling to get first team games so will either be sold or go out on loan.
I think we most need a striker who can offer the same qualities that Watkins has, which is pressing and putting the ball in the net. Definitely not Wesley or Davis. If El Ghazi goes we will need back up for LW, assuming Grealish is going. We also need a replacement for Engels as a right footed CB.
I like nakamba. He needs a run of games. I also saw something on youtube saying bailey is a free kick specialist. If so do we need JWP.
I think we will find out about Grealish sometime today. I think the club have been quite clever in accepting the £100m which is a massive fee for somebody as good as is but injury prone. But by saying we want you stay but its your call his decision is his alone. He has been going OTT this last year on how much he loves the villa. So hopefully he will see the owners project through. But i doubt it. I think rubbing shoulders at england camp has gone to his head. I hope i’m wrong.
Hi not been on for a while family health problems plus fed up about all this grealish talk.
I think he’s been sold at end of last season. That’s why not been in the side at the end they said he not quite fit enough. They couldn’t play him because they had instructions from man.c also I think that’s why he was not picked much for England as well.
I think the West ham match was what decided the management that team’s had worked out how to stop him and he was unable to respond.
We have some talent coming through and by selling grealish it makes room to come through.
Remember these owners are business men and have to balance the books at some point.
Plus whatever is wrong with his shin’s maybe has something to do with it and the decision was if enough money was on the table they would take it.
Also been clever and putting the decision on grealish if he goes.
I think villa will be better as a TEAM without him.
Sorry it’s long post
No need to apologise Roy.
Interesting take on the Grealish saga. Pretty sure we’ll know within a couple of days one way or ‘t’other.
Hope your family are recovered.
Thanks hitchens60 by the way he was my favourite player back in the day.
Wife halfway through chemotherapy and doing well so far apart from being bald but that’s ok in this heat😂
Definitely think when grealish signed his contract he had a clause put in that if it was triggered he could leave.
Otherwise why haven’t villa refused and demanded more?
Trouble with grealish is everything has to go through him well if he’s no longer there then it’s all 11 players involved in. Look at the Saunders team it was a collective effort everyone playing for each other.
But I do think that there should be a monopoly commission investigation into how one team can buy all the best players and so guarantee success without anyone else able to challenge them.
Where is the fair competition here?
I’m getting very annoyed with the situation in the premier League now it’s just the same team’s winning all the time.
In fact the top six is as before,no point anyone else trying fed up with football now 👀😠
Goodbye JG enjoy your stated £360.000 a week at man city but I wish you well you did us proud a loyal servant in a Villa strip so goodbye good luck hope your dodgy shins hold up VTID AVFC
Warrior – No idea whether these numbers are true or media fantasy but if Grealish goes purely for cash then he’s not the player I thought he was.
Let’s wait and see – Villa have neither accepted nor rejected the offer – I think we can safely assume it is £100m.
Villa’s response will be decided by Jack Grealish alone. Either he wants to buy into our owners vision or he doesn’t.
Grealish is a brilliant footballer but our owners are experienced and canny businessmen; can only admire their strategy. Seems to me it’s a win, win for them and the club.
UTV