They looking pretty good this season. Made quite a few decent signings, which have added goals to their team.
Thanks for cheering me up @FootballHQ.
Thanks for cheering me up @FootballHQ.
Aston Villa 20/21 season
- Thread starter Bojan11
- Start date
To think they would have been down without the ghost goal 
Cheers for starting the thread Bojan! Couldn't really be arsed to do one as said before struggling to get into this season with BCD (even tonight dosen't feel as good as it should with 40k fans signing about it) but was going to do a belated one after final whistle.
Yeah we've signed pretty well. Martinez, Cash Barkley and Watkins all fitted in very well.
Seems we're close to signing Milot Rashica finally from Werder Bremen. He's a good player aswell so will add to our direct front 3 which is miles better at counter attacking than last season.
Could still do with a back up CB if Mings hamstring goes again but can't complain with our business for once.
Yeah we've signed pretty well. Martinez, Cash Barkley and Watkins all fitted in very well.
Seems we're close to signing Milot Rashica finally from Werder Bremen. He's a good player aswell so will add to our direct front 3 which is miles better at counter attacking than last season.
Could still do with a back up CB if Mings hamstring goes again but can't complain with our business for once.
John Terry's claret and blue army.
Claret and Blue caf?
Considering how close they were to getting relegated, their start has been pretty amazing.
Grealish is so damn good, gutted we didn't get him.
Grealish is so damn good, gutted we didn't get him.
Traore's cameo was enough surely.
We've been taking notes.
Watkins was Vardy lite tonight. Gives us so much more on counter attack than any forward we've had since Benteke.
Tbf to Villa they looked a decent team last season before Mcginn and Wesley got injured. Samatta as a replacement was pants and they really struggled for goals after that.
Some great signings this season though, Watkins in particular has surprised me with his hold up play. Probably done the best business this window, with Everton a close second.
Some great signings this season though, Watkins in particular has surprised me with his hold up play. Probably done the best business this window, with Everton a close second.
Very good start.
Out of the EFL Cup, only have the League to focus on and seem to be gelling nicely as a hard working team. Early I know, but given how mad this season is turning, European qualification could be a realistic ambition.
Out of the EFL Cup, only have the League to focus on and seem to be gelling nicely as a hard working team. Early I know, but given how mad this season is turning, European qualification could be a realistic ambition.
They look a totally different side.
Yeah we're good.
Traditionally when we're about to do something we blow up and don't win for about 15 games so too early and we need to avoid bad injuries in key areas like last season as we really don't have much quality to come in like even Leicester did tonight for their 3-4 injured players.
Traditionally when we're about to do something we blow up and don't win for about 15 games so too early and we need to avoid bad injuries in key areas like last season as we really don't have much quality to come in like even Leicester did tonight for their 3-4 injured players.
Very good side and positive signings. Grealish is a phenomenal player, would basically start for any side in the Premier League and probably stand out too. Ball is utterly glued to his feet and his dribling makes you doubt he is from the British isles, special player indeed.
I believe last season they had to sign a lot of players (branding them the new Fulham) because they basically arrived in the league with like ten players. Miraculous escape in the end, now they have spent wisely. Barkley is a clever signing too, way too good to sit on the bench somewhere else.
Top 10 or better is looking possible for Villa, and none of the clubs below have Jack Grealish pulling the strings. I remember Pochettino trying to sign him for like 15m a few years ago... was he smarter than everyone else for seeing him, or stupid for not forking out the extra cash?
I believe last season they had to sign a lot of players (branding them the new Fulham) because they basically arrived in the league with like ten players. Miraculous escape in the end, now they have spent wisely. Barkley is a clever signing too, way too good to sit on the bench somewhere else.
Top 10 or better is looking possible for Villa, and none of the clubs below have Jack Grealish pulling the strings. I remember Pochettino trying to sign him for like 15m a few years ago... was he smarter than everyone else for seeing him, or stupid for not forking out the extra cash?
Fair play, i thought they'd be relegation candidates.
Used to despise them when they stunk up the league for a few years but now I really want them to do well. It’s a great start which will hopefully give them a top 10 finish.
Shouldn't be in the league.. But they are really good and Martinez looks miles better than Nyland. Some really good players there too. Mings looks a really solid CB, pacey, aggressive and good in the air.
My prediction for them was the 11th place and i wouldn't change that for now......but 2-3 more wins in their next 5 games and then they will play surely another season in the Premier League.
So did I, they survived by the skin of their teeth last season. How they've gone from that to this is amazing but then again we've seen City beaten 2-5 at home by Leicester, us 1-6 at home by Spurs and Liverpool 2-7 by Villa themselves so just a continuation of the sheer craziness of this season so far
I don't want to get ahead of myself but I think they'll win the league. Grealish still a twat for wearing tiny shorts, though.
Thanks for making this point. Even many pundits seem to miss it for some reason. There was no choice but to sign like 15 players to even have a squad that could compete. The Fulham comparisons were always lazy. They had a good side when they came up (and beat us in the playoff final). For whatever reason they decided to buy a bunch of players on top of that and completely unsettle the chemistry of that squad. There was absolutely no need to sign an extra 2 or 3 keepers when Bettinelli was on the cusp of an England cap for example. Or Schurrle and Babel.
Be shocked if they threw it away mate.
Cash and Konsa look like really good players.
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Enjoying them and Everton doing well, some good teams to watch every week outside of the big 6 who I all dislike to varying degrees, and Leicester who annoy me since their fans came on here giving it the big 'un at the start of last season. Plus one of my best friends is a Villa fan and seeing him so happy is nice.
Grealish was uncharacteristically wasteful in possession today, usually holds on to the ball but knows when to give it up. Still had at least three moments of magic, he's a ridiculous talent. Do think Rashica could have elevated their squad another level as I'm not a fan of Trezeguet or Traore, but think they'll be good value for a top half finish unless they completely collapse. The league is as even as it's been this year, with only four teams so far who look like easily winnable games on the schedule.
Grealish was uncharacteristically wasteful in possession today, usually holds on to the ball but knows when to give it up. Still had at least three moments of magic, he's a ridiculous talent. Do think Rashica could have elevated their squad another level as I'm not a fan of Trezeguet or Traore, but think they'll be good value for a top half finish unless they completely collapse. The league is as even as it's been this year, with only four teams so far who look like easily winnable games on the schedule.
Rashica simply wasn't interested in joining us despite it being a long running saga, looks like he's agreed to go to Leverkusen in January.
We do need more depth in key areas. If Mings hamstring goes then it's either Hause or Elmohamady at CB which is massive downgrade in quality and our only back up CF to Watkins last scored a league goal in 2017.
This window was all about improving the first 11 which we've significantly done and we're due some luck with injuries after it took out 3 regular starters all at same time last year.
Will be intriguing January if we're still around top 6 which is very possible. Get the feeling these owners would really seize the chance whereas under Lerner we splashed out lots in summer window and then didn't really add much in the January when the squad was getting overplayed.
We do need more depth in key areas. If Mings hamstring goes then it's either Hause or Elmohamady at CB which is massive downgrade in quality and our only back up CF to Watkins last scored a league goal in 2017.
This window was all about improving the first 11 which we've significantly done and we're due some luck with injuries after it took out 3 regular starters all at same time last year.
Will be intriguing January if we're still around top 6 which is very possible. Get the feeling these owners would really seize the chance whereas under Lerner we splashed out lots in summer window and then didn't really add much in the January when the squad was getting overplayed.
Usually I'd be delighted to see them doing so well but I've a Villa mate who's being a right bellend this year so I need someone to nip this shit in the bud sharpish. Unfortunately they seem to have a decent run of fixtures between here and the end of the year as well.
I think Barkley was a really good signing, quite surprised Chelsea loaned him out, he just seems to bring something a bit different to the midfield and very dynamic, astute recruitment bt Villa this summer window, must feel good having that 
Douglas Luiz playing well since the restart. City can sign him back for £35m so wouldn't be surprised to see him replace Fernandinho next season.
Really like Villa (all the Black Country/Birmingham clubs) for such a population dense, working class area where football is the primary sport - they really should be represented in the top6.
Gutted we didn't get Grealish - even if he is a twat.
Gutted we didn't get Grealish - even if he is a twat.
Great news for him and the club.
Aston Villa have really some fantasic young players with him, Barry, Revan, Philogene-Bidace and the Ramsey brothers
Aston Villa have really some fantasic young players with him, Barry, Revan, Philogene-Bidace and the Ramsey brothers
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There's also Kessler who the first team management apparently rate very highly and might put Elmohamady and Guilbert out of a job soon.Great news for him and the club.
Aston Villa have really some fantasic young players with him, Barry, Revan and the Ramsey brothers
These owners have transformed the club in the past few years and we might be seeing their heavy investment in youth talent and infrastructure pay off soon.
Wolves were whiskers away from doing that last season.
Ye true, they don't look half as dangerous this season unfortunately
I haven't seen enough of Kesler.
"To put Elmohamady and Guilbert out of a job soon" shouldn't be too difficult but i hope you rate Cash?
Haven't seen much of him either but from what I hear he's very highly rated. Don't think we've produced a decent fullback in my memory so that's exciting.I haven't seen enough of Kesler.
"To put Elmohamady and Guilbert out of a job soon" shouldn't be too difficult but i hope you rate Cash?
I like Cash and he seems to very much be first choice. Elmo is 34 and Guilbert doesn't seem to be in Smith's plans anymore (we bought him while we were still in the Championship, presumably for the Championship).
Would help if we could loan out the players a bit better. Kesler still very young but would make sense to loan him out perhaps in January to league 1/2 club just to give him more experience. Spurs had Kane out on loan at 17 and they're always pretty quick in sending young prospects out.
I'm amazed someone like Dominic Revan has never gone out on loan, just turned 20 and made the bench a few times in our promotion season as backup CB. Just seems content to play for our under 23 side in EFL trophy until we release him.
Jacob Ramsey did well on loan at Doncaster and has made a few cameos this season so that's the way to do it.
Good luck to both Villa & Leeds. Great to see things being disrupted for the mega rich clubs (especially a crap start for oil money Man City) but let's not forget Leeds (& Wolves) have spent huge amount merely to compete.
Hopefully Burnley or Sheffield Utd won't go down this season
Hopefully Burnley or Sheffield Utd won't go down this season
The idea of a strong, competitive league from top-to-bottom is what all the Prem clubs should ideally want, deep down (the strength of a league's weakest team is an index of that league's quality, and yes, while Fulham currently look awful, they don't look 0-13 awful*). I expect the usual suspects to reassert their dominance in the coming weeks, but it would be great to get Villa - and Leeds, they've been away from the head table for far too long - back in there amongst those breathing right down the necks of the so-called big clubs (Villa and Leeds will always be 'big' clubs regardless, to someone of my age) for the duration of the season. If Villa could get back to something like the standing they had when Martin O'Neill was there, that would be a terrific platform.
*have I jinxed 'em?!
*have I jinxed 'em?!
I really rate Cash and he would be in the England squad 3-4 years ago but right now it's of course a little bit difficult