Apologies for not having posted for a good while. The truth is I’ve quite enjoyed not really having to think about football at all. The Buendia signing seems an excellent one and that nearly nudged me into writing something, but somehow I just didn’t get round to it. The Ashley Young signing didn’t do anything at all for me, although it seems pretty popular amongst the fans generally.
Even England haven’t really inspired me much. I enjoyed our first half performance on Tuesday, but struggle to see how it’s going to be any different from our usual losing to the first decent team we face. That said, I actually think we can beat Germany if we perform.
The news today is that Aston Villa have agreed a £100 million fee to sell Jack Grealish to Man City as soon as he has come away from the Euro tournament.
It’s just too big a story for me to pass up.
I’m usually very sceptical about any press speculation, but I have a very sneaky feeling there’s something in this story. There’s no vagueness or guesswork in the wording and it all seems very definite.
I think I’ve voiced my opinion before, quite recently that I could partly see Jack leaving this year with the thought being that after the money that Edens and Sawaris have spent, I couldn’t really blame them for wanting to recoup some of it.
If the sale does happen, I can see it all being spent and the reality is that £100 million will buy some very decent players. There’s debate to be had about whether getting those players in will make up for losing a player who has opened all football fan’s eyes, but I very much doubt the club have taken the decision lightly and there must have been a lot of thought put into it.
There’s also the fact that we don’t know how the player himself feels. I don’t think for one minute Jack would hand in a transfer request, but you can’t blame him if he wants to win silverware at Man City. And given that it seems Pep still wants Harry Kane as well, you’d have to think that that silverware will be forthcoming this season.
We also have to consider that Jack was supposed to be leaving last season and we apparently managed to dissuade him from going by saying that we would allow him to leave when the time was right.
So of course I’ll be gutted if Jack does go, but I can mostly understand it.
My biggest complaint is that I personally think it’s too cheap and I’ve always had £130 million in my mind. I also think if it does happen, we’ve let it all happen too easily and I’d have liked to see the club put up a bit of a fight and at least on the face of it, reject the bid.
I also have a concern that the team look decidedly average without Jack. That said, I think Dean Smith knows a decent player and can overall improve the team.
Let’s see if it happens, eh?
Let’s look at the fact, he wasn’t needing a ball player but one tap football game with fast wing play, Grealish was on a yellow card and wouldn’t have been able to take part in future games if carded, I’m not a fan of side passing and back passing but football to me is what it says ! Playing with your feet and beating the opposition. I’ve never thought Southgate would get us far but he has, I take my hat off to his thinking and hope we bring the game home to where football was invented. But let’s face it ,we had an easy entrance with the league teams and still have my doubt on his abilities, football to me is boring without players that take other players on with skills like Saka, Foden, Grealish, as for Mount he was average on the day. Sterling is something different! ! Talented player beyond words. I’m English and proud of the lads, they’ve done England a service by being a nation’s footballing side against Europe, Well done England..
I see Wes Eden’s is one of the key buyers of Morrison’s. Does this mean a multi million pound sponsorship coming Villa’s way.
Previously our deals have been small fry in relation to the top six. Whilst not expecting any potential deal to be hundreds of millions, it could be a few. Further, is it an opportunity to push Villa merchandise through the hundreds of U.K. outlets.
I do believe it could be another incremental improvement to Villa’s increasing revenues.
Not sure on that Sid. As I understand it, Wes Edens no longer owns Fortress (which he created and developed) having sold it a few years ago which is the main reason he’s now a billionaire. He is, however, as I understand it, still CEO – that, of course, may preclude him recommending to the board a multi million $ sponsorship of a UK sports club of which he is a major owner / investor.
Be interesting to see what develops though.
Milwaukee Bucks owned by wes edens qualified for the NBA finals last night for the first time since 1971.
Our owners know what they are doing.
Absolutely Steve and they are successful in business and they want to win!
Just to add a note to the outcome of the court case for the manslaughter of Dalian Atkinson; it seems the CPS has decide to retry the police woman involved in his death (the jury in the original trial failed to reach a decision).
It appears that another highly rated Baggies youngster has turned down an improved contract to move to Villa – Tim Iroegbunham. I don’t know anything about him – anyone know anything?
Another easy name to pronounce though 🙂
Here’s a link about the player -might be nothing in it though – originally on Twitter.
https://www.wba.co.uk/player/91
Aston Villa have awarded professional contracts to seven Academy players in the club’s Under-23s.
Kaine Kesler Hayden has signed a five-year contract and Mungo Bridge, Akos Onodi, Viljami Sinisalo, Myles Sohna, DJ Sturridge and Tyreik Wright have all signed new deals at the club.
Right-back Kesler Hayden, 18, made his impressive first-team debut against Liverpool in the third round of the FA Cup in January and was subsequently named in Villa’s matchday 20 for four Premier League matches. The England Under-19 international duly captained the club to FA Youth Cup glory in May.
Centre-back Bridge, 20, was one of 16 players to make his senior bow against the Reds and spent the majority of the campaign with the U23 squad.
Hungarian goalkeeper Onodi, 19, was outstanding when he also made his first-team debut against Liverpool and made 16 appearances in Premier League 2 last season.
Fellow keeper Sinisalo, 19, has represented Finland at various age groups and spent the 2020/21 season on loan at Scottish Championship side Ayr United, where he kept nine clean sheets in all competitions.
Centre-back Sohna, 19, made seven appearances for the U23s in PL2 last season and enjoyed five consecutive starts for Mark Delaney’s side from January through to March.
Striker Sturridge, 19, featured heavily for Villa in PL2 during the opening part of the campaign but his season was unfortunately curtailed by injury in November.
Winger Wright, 19, was an ever-present for the U23s in PL2 in the first half of last season before joining League Two side Walsall on loan, making 16 league appearances and providing three assists. He also made his debut for Republic of Ireland Under-21s in March
Good news that. It’s shows we mean business. ..
I recommend todays
The holy trinity show aston villa on you tube.
This bloke is very good.
A regular watch for me now.
Steve
I took your advice and watched The Holy Trinity Show on YouTube- it is excellent.
A must watch for any Villa fan!
Martinez saves three penalties to send Argentina to Copa America Final against Brazil.
What a sensational piece of business by Villa last season.
Now for Emile Smith Rowe
Maybe Martinez can bring out of contract Messy back with him
🙂
While Southgate continues to take England further than previous managers, it’s silly to criticise the decisions he has made. Some fans moan that tactics are negative while Villa fans (like myself) will groan about Grealish and Mings lack of game time, despite performing well. I was told by a mate to take off my claret and blue tinted specs and view it as if I was a fan of a club without any players represented.
As for Sunday, although Grealish will be on the bench, I will be cheering on England and supporting Southgate and admit I was wrong to criticise him previously. Hopefully though Grealish will come on and score the winner! 🤞
Holte, we all will , it don’t hide the fact it was a humiliating turn of avents subbing him, it must have hurt so why hasn’t Southgate explained his reasoning. I feel for Jack and wouldn’t like that on my CV. No I feel Southgate a lucky manager and time will tell .
Bill, I respect you a lot but there was nothing humiliating about it. Nobody can humiliate you unless you allow them to. In other words, IF Jack felt humiliated, it is because he is too proud, which means he is not a team player. IF that is true, that would be one reason why Southgate doesn’t prefer him. Before the World Cup of 2018, Southgate’s buzz-word was ‘humility’, something previous England squads for many years lacked, as they were ‘Billy Big Bollocks’ all about ME ME ME wankers. That’s why England never stood a chance of winning anything. Southgate recognised that and changed the whole culture of the England set up. This group of players is no better than those Erinkson, Capello, and Hodgson had at their disposal. But Southgate has changed the mentality. There is more to football than football.
Anyway, that wasn’t the reason he took him off; I believe Jack IS a humble lad. And whenever you see him and Southgate together, there seems to be genuine mutual respect there.
So here is what happened: England needed a goal. Southgate sent Jack on. England scored. England needed to defend the lead. Southgate chose to take Jack off for Trippier. – an attacker for a defender. Why not Sterling? – a Villa fan might ask. Sterling was running at Denmark until literally the last second of the game, almost scoring at the death when seeing the whites of Schmeichel’s eyes. That despite two hours of playing. Jack, however, lost the ball in his own half and gave away a corner during the ‘game management’ stage. Not to mention the fact that he’s still not 100% match fit.
Bill, Southgate has got to back-to-back semi-finals. And now the second EVER final, the first since ’66, so long ago it’s practically mythical. There’s nothing lucky about it. It’s hugely disrespectful for anyone to suggest that. Some may not like the length of his face or the fact that he left Villa for Boro, or that he doesn’t lick Jack’s arse like we do, but that doesn’t make him lucky. On paper, he may well be the best manager England have ever had. I’d like to see ‘the data’, as is the way these days. Regardless of what happens on Sunday, what he’s created deserves recognition, credit, and respect.
Elmo to Barcelona on a free, ?
I’ve been thinking about the first team squad. We have lost (or are currently losing) Barkley, Elmo, Heaton, Kalinic, Engels, Hourihane and Taylor. Or so I believe.
We have added Young and Buendia. That means we have 5 spaces available unless someone else leaves. As far as I understand U21 players are all available. Does that mean we will add 5 more, or promote some U21 to first team? Chuk, Ramsey, JPB are all there or thereabouts. I guess we may well get another experienced keeper in. What do we do about the other spots? A striker would be nice, but I think we are OK in most other positions.
The Smith Rowe link is curious. Would we play Buendia, Grealish and SR in the same lineup? Is he in play in case Grealish leaves?
I’m curious to know what others think.
D S they’ve been given new contracts 5 have 2024 I believe. Glad to say all signed. It now BFR Marino joined in on that move of Southgate subbing, I still think he was wrong then what do I know..
Hi Bill. I know they have been given contracts but they can still be used to add to the first team without being named as 1 of 25 first team squad. The ones I listed leaving were named first team squad members so we can either buy in new players and still use the u21 members or promote some of them to the squad and not buy in other players. That’s my question really. Do we buy or not bother and just promote a few of them?
When i was 17 after 2 months of being a substitute i finally got my chance when the mangers son who played in my position did not turn up on time. I got subbed after 10 minutes when he finally showed up. I felt terrible, gutted and humiliated.
Other team members were shocked as they thought i was better than him. I left went to another team and was a regular. Still brasses me off 40 years later when i see things like what happened to jack.
Grealish sub was quite shocking really. I thought maybe Trippier was brought in with one eye on pens. Maybe Grealish wouldn’t be named as a pen taker. Still pissed me off though.
Congratulations to Emi on the Copa win and commiserations to Doug. Great to see Villa players in a final.
Come on England! My nerves are already shot. 🏴
Gone with 8 defenders again like against Germany so have to wait for Grealish to come on then!
So if both teams sit deep?
Why did Southgate use three of our least experienced players to take the last three penalties?