UPDATE: CLASSIFIEDS section refreshed, redesigned, searchable: Go take a look
I’m not sure Jaissle will have a lot of success with what passes for no defensive midfielders and instead Wissa doing everything but weirdly I’m enjoying this in a ‘of course we’ll lose 2 or 3-1 in the end’ sort of way
It's the Red Bull way and we called Jessie Marsch's version penis ball due to the defensive 4 then everyone else bombing up the middle. Prem managers suss it out very quickly!
Took Rodri a while to settle as well, so tough on Anderson that! Didn’t they call him Plodri for a while? Some players are irreplaceable, eg Salah at Liverpool.
Villa doing about as well as you would expect if you take away 1/2 the team Martinez, Watkins, Rogers, Konsa, Tielemans and Digne
I’m getting Leicester 2017 vibes
Villa doing about as well as you would expect if you take away 1/2 the team Martinez, Watkins, Rogers, Konsa, Tielemans and Digne
Villa looked decent for the first 5 mins, I don’t think we had a touch. I was actually worried that all the players we’d lost this summer again would mean we’d be on the end of a hammering, but their heads went once we scored.
I do feel a bit for Villa supporters as last season ended on such a high and seeing those players all go must be a real kick in the balls but surely once they sold Rogers they were fine with UEFA and PL financial rules?
Doesn’t seem like they had to sell those players but they’ve all wanted out/had release clauses.
The £40m on Garnacho seems like money well spent though!
On the strength of that 45 minutes Anderson is no replacement for Rodri.
Well first he was not playing in Rodri's single pivot role and second Rodri was pretty average in his first season earning the nickname 'Plodri'.
Maybe the first league game is not really a time to assess a player new to a club, manager and system!
That's one helluva capitulation from Celtic. £30 million down the drain.
They were fortunate to get to extra time. Mad that they were 4-0 up but the first leg flattered Celtic.
Absolutely true to form for Celtic. It's depressing they're Scottish champions but not Champions league standard any more.
Looks like the FIFA/UEFA spat is getting a bit interesting
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cx2zl5kwlxjo
Whilst Chelsea (rightly) get a bit of stick on here for their madcap transfers and seemingly town sized squad, selling Delap and Jackson for near on double what they paid for them deserves some credit!
RM.
Ayyoub Bouaddi is going to be some player.
Whilst Chelsea (rightly) get a bit of stick on here for their madcap transfers and seemingly town sized squad, selling Delap and Jackson for near on double what they paid for them deserves some credit!
RM.
Nah, it's just another example of the stupid market. How they make profit on either should be under investigation.
Abramovic (who knew a thing or two about making money) set it up as a business model as soon as he took over there. They’ve always done it. It’s a production line/sausage factory. Buy up loads of young players with a view to selling most of them on
A lot of their buys and subsequent transfers don’t even make the radar of the press as they will be players who never made the first team and will be sold to teams in Germany or Belgium or wherever.
Looks like they’re going to be selling Nicolas Jackson to Villa, who are now losing Watkins and Martinez too. Emery is going to have to perform miracles to do anything this season with that squad. If he goes too, then they are truly ****ed.
They've massively overpaid for some right donkeys with Jackson and Garnacho to replace the quality they’ve sold. Looks like absolute madness!
I thought Watkins was better than to sell his soul to Saudi for the millions. That’s his career over. A very rich man playing in front of 12 people in the desert
Some of these transfers are off the scale of lunacy.
Villa will be fine. They’re signing some highly rated kid from PSG too I think - Mbaye - and also snapped up Leon Goertzka. Emery knows what he’s doing and has more control over transfers than most managers do.
It is a murky business though, with all the deals beteeen Villa and Chelsea. I didn’t realise at the time but apparently the Ian Maatsen transfer the other season was a PSR deal between them.
That Delap transfer is crazy.
He was absolutely shocking last season, he should of decreased in value, not more than doubled.
When Ipswich came up two seasons ago Delap started really well - there was overhyped talk of him being the next Harry Kane ffs
Then he went off the boil, may have been injured I think, and Chelsea snapped him up when we were relegated. Was sorry to see him go but a season on the bench at Chelsea has done him no favours.
And quite why Watkins would take himself off to the footballing wilderness seems crazy, presumably money more important than an actual career.
Liam Delap's quick thinking leads to a goal for Forest, taking a quick throw in that leads to a penalty foul.
I wonder if a Delap has ever had a throw in assist before?
(side note - can a throw in count as an assist? and does an assist get awarded if the result is not a goal but a penalty, I can imagine a worldy defence splitting pass leading to a foul, penalty and goal, and to recognise the assist if it had been scored from open play but to not if the goal comes from the resulting penalty - seems a bit harsh)
When did "an assist" become something that anyone gave a shit about?
I guess after moneyball, where teams used statistical analysis to evaluate players rather than rely just on opinion and scouting reports
When did "an assist" become something that anyone gave a shit about?
When the armchair managers started getting points for it in Fantasy Football
Emery knows what he’s doing and has more control over transfers than most managers do
Good luck with Garnacho. He had one half-decent season for us (which admittedly included the goal of the season), then spent a season warming the bench, amid numerous reports that his attitude was absolutely appalling, as he thought he was Messi. He was much the same at Chelsea last season, with the same rumours. The 45 million valuation is nuts, considering he did nothing last season and they didn’t pay that! We were just glad to see the back of him (along with a few other overrated, overpriced donkeys)
Maybe Emery sees something in him that has eluded everyone else. I agree with you that Emery is a top quality manager, so it’ll be interesting to see how the season pans out for Villa
Watkins career is basically over anyway, this is his last chance at a decent contract. He came up from the lower leagues so won’t of been on a great deal for the first few years, no big clubs are in for him so he’s not going to be challenging for major trophies and you’re one dodgy knee twist for the Saudi money disappearing. This is his chance to set his family up for a good while
Villa look to be out of the relegation zone thanks to todays results....back in monday no doubt!
I was going to ask do you define ‘Spursy’ this season? But imnotverygood seems to have nailed it.
How much have they spent? 300 million? I wonder what Tonali is thinking tonight? The press are reporting that Richarleson wants to leave, though god only knows whod want him
Just watched Frank Lampard being interviewed on MOTD. Time to give it up and get the clippers out mate…
I don’t see many world class players in that Spurs side to be fair! Van de Ven, Porro perhaps, Tonali has potential as apparently does Matheus Fernandes, massive fees for them though. Andy Robertson is a shadow of the player he was too.
A good article in today’s Times on the insanity of these present transfer fees in the EPL
English transfer market has taken leave of its senses — but bubbles burst
Had some mates visiting this weekend one if whom is a Spuds fan. Match of the day has been on a loop.
I don’t see many world class players in that Spurs side to be fair! Van de Ven, Porro perhaps, Tonali has potential
Porro looked dangerous at times but I'd have to say Tonali looked exactly like he did at Newcastle last season. He wants to be back in Milan, but as he said in his 1st interview no Italian team could afford to buy him or match the wages on offer at Spurs. De Zerbi looked like a man who'd run out of ideas after the 2nd goal went in yesterday, and Jaissle looks the exact opposite so far
Tonali was outstanding 24-25 season. Frequently Newcastle's best player.
However, last season he dropped way below his own high standards.
He's obviously made the move to Spurs for the money and the lifestyle of multi millionaire living in London. Probably keeping his Mrs happy as well.
The London clubs have a massive draw of living in one of the greatest cities in the World. (If money is no object obviously).
This could get ugly for Brighton - Chelsea looking really good.
This could get ugly for Chelsea, on the edge of blowing a 3 goal lead - Brighton looking really good.
FFS! Spursier than Spurs!
Looks like the battle for 17th is on!
Actually, on this form that might be a tad optimistic
This is rather surprising, Manu appear to be holding their own against Ipswich.
The difference it makes in having that one truly world class player in your squad
Yep Bruno is a classy player. However, and more importantly, the roof still leaks.
Can’t believe they have dabbled with selling him.
Yep Bruno is a classy player. However, and more importantly, the roof still leaks
If it didn’t, we’d all sort of miss it. The knackered roof is the perfect metaphor for the Glazers ownership
Can’t believe they have dabbled with selling him.
Welcome to the Manchester United owners logic. Fun, isn’t it?
