Summer transfer window/Firesale 2018

El Ghazi is official now, signed on a season long loan. We were actually linked with him when Xia first bought us, but a deal was viewed as unlikely as he was highly rated and more likely to go to a club doing better than we were at that time, was linked with Liverpool and AC Milan as recently as last January.

We don't know how he's going to do, but on the face of it, seems a coup for a Championship club.

deadbuzzardalive wrote:El Ghazi is official now, signed on a season long loan. We were actually linked with him when Xia first bought us, but a deal was viewed as unlikely as he was highly rated and more likely to go to a club doing better than we were at that time, was linked with Liverpool and AC Milan as recently as last January.

We don't know how he's going to do, but on the face of it, seems a coup for a Championship club.

Two footed judged on his YouTube highlights so that is positive but I have never heard of him until now so I look forward to seeing him play!

achilles wrote:

deadbuzzardalive wrote:El Ghazi is official now, signed on a season long loan. We were actually linked with him when Xia first bought us, but a deal was viewed as unlikely as he was highly rated and more likely to go to a club doing better than we were at that time, was linked with Liverpool and AC Milan as recently as last January.

We don't know how he's going to do, but on the face of it, seems a coup for a Championship club.

Two footed judged on his YouTube highlights so that is positive but I have never heard of him until now so I look forward to seeing him play!

As long as it's not his tackles that are two- footed.......

OS feature here:

https://www.avfc.co.uk/News/2018/08/22/transfer-news-anwar-el-ghazi-joins

Lets hope we see AEG score some goals like this one (from a long ball no less )

https://twitter.com/i/status/1032307428208066560

Going back to Joe Bryan, screw him. We've got the Scottish Cafu.

Apparently Bolasie was at the game tonight. If as expected that will be four loans of the five we're allowed in a match day squad taken up, with speculation that Abraham is close as well. But for me we still need a left back, so I'd still be looking to bring in either Targett or McQueen on loan, it's not ideal but Moreira doesn't have to be in the match squads, we can just bring him in if Nyland gets an injury, and use Bunn as back up on match days... A defender with good organization skills would be handy as well, maybe someone like Huth on a free transfer.

We absolutely need a CB if Bruce is unwilling to play either of the two we have below Jedi on the pecking order and won't even look at the academy.

Bruce was asked after the game last night if he sees Jedinak's long-term place in the side as a central defender, and he said yes, and sounded pretty defiant about it as well, so I get the feeling that we won't be signing another centre-back, I don't think we've even been linked to one... Seems strange to me that he'd get all this backing, but then conspire to potentially undo it all by insisting on playing a midfielder in defence... Playing players out of position, just because they have one quality that might be suited to that position is one of the ways he's a footballing relic really... De Laet and Elmohamady on the wing, just because they can cross a ball, Jedinak in central defence just because he can tackle or win headers, Adomah up front because he scored a few goals, it's the kind of thinking that belongs to a bygone era, we even had Samba as a striker last season.

But he apparently said that after Bolasie, we're hoping for another two, so presumably one of those will be a striker, and the other a left-back at least, so if it's Targett or someone else, then hopefully that will help our defence out.

The other thing with Jedinak, is that he gets his fair share of injuries.

As we saw before, a player can be as crap as crap can be but once he's in the team the only way he's coming out is if he gets injured and the replacement is better.

Bruce will never change, once he gets set on an idea he won't let go.

Basically he has risked everything on getting 2 goalkeepers on loan without any championship experience, alright if you are happy with mid table but not imo if you want automatic promotion. Then just in case that isn't enough to upset the apple cart he elects to play Jedinak at CH which has been proved to be NOT successful. Anyway no more excuses from Mr Bruce the relic!

I wonder what the preferred starting 11 and formation might be when the squad is complete come the end of August? One thing for sure is that it’s going to look like a strong bench of substitutes to pick from! With what we now have are we likely to see something more along the lines of 4-2-3-1 at Villa Park and perhaps 4-1-4-1 at away games?

Bolasie deal looking less likely now, was meant to be confirmed today but nothing has happened, and Silva has come out and said he still wants him to stay but it's up to Bolasie to decide. When I saw the El Ghazi link yesterday, I didin't think we'd be in for both, but was hoping if we got one it would be El Ghazi, so if Bolasie happens as well that will just be a bonus.

As for the formation I think we'll line up pretty much as we did last season, and have done so far this season, basically a 451, with El Ghazi taking Snodgrass's place, and potentially Bolasie taking Adomah's place, and any other signings that come in, just being straight swaps also, rather than Bruce tinkering with the way we set-up... He did say that one of the things he's been working on in the summer is making us more expansive at home though, so maybe at Villa Park the 451 can turn into a 433, with the wingers becoming almost like second strikers.

deadbuzzardalive wrote:Bruce was asked after the game last night if he sees Jedinak's long-term place in the side as a central defender, and he said yes, and sounded pretty defiant about it as well, so I get the feeling that we won't be signing another centre-back, I don't think we've even been linked to one... Seems strange to me that he'd get all this backing, but then conspire to potentially undo it all by insisting on playing a midfielder in defence... Playing players out of position, just because they have one quality that might be suited to that position is one of the ways he's a footballing relic really... De Laet and Elmohamady on the wing, just because they can cross a ball, Jedinak in central defence just because he can tackle or win headers, Adomah up front because he scored a few goals, it's the kind of thinking that belongs to a bygone era, we even had Samba as a striker last season.

But he apparently said that after Bolasie, we're hoping for another two, so presumably one of those will be a striker, and the other a left-back at least, so if it's Targett or someone else, then hopefully that will help our defence out.

The other thing with Jedinak, is that he gets his fair share of injuries.

TBF since Jedinak has played as a CB were unbeaten, I'm not saying he's not made mistakes, but name a Villa CB who hasn't.
As for Uncle Albert only scoring a few goals. you've either lost some fingers or missed half of last seasons games, 2017/18 scored 14 goals in 39 appearances (more than a few I think) 2018/19 season 3 appearances and ZERO goals and you're slagging him off already.

Your post are often very good, this one got to me, maybe you're having an off day.

I'm not 'slagging' Adomah off, how many goals he has or hasn't scored wasn't the point, the point was that just because he scored goals last season, that doesn't mean he should be played as a striker, which is where he was played for most of pre-season, and I used that example to illustrate a wider example of Bruce playing players out of position.

As for Jedinak, we're trying to win a title,not scramble enough points to finish midtable, and so shouldn't be playing a midfielder in defense, in the hope that he'll come good, just because he happens to be a good defensive midfielder, and is good in the air, again see my point about playing players out of position, and that's all it is hope, because he's yet to prove himself as a central defender.

Don't get me wrong @deadbuzzaralive, I'm no fan of Brucie or his hoof ball style of play, but a footballer should be able to play whatever position is assigned to him, look at Young, left wing or right wing now playing as a left wing back (and not doing so bad).

The only thing that got to me about your post, was the fact that players were being played out of position, sure we could have used other players in that position that was more suited to certain players.

If I was in charge of training or coaching and thought it best, then I would do so! but I'm not and I can't see how players perform on a daily basis, I'm fairly sure we have people in place who analyse their performance, why play a CB that's not performing well in training for DM who's fighting for a place in the squad.?

I'm not against players being played out of position full stop, sometimes it's a necessity and sometimes players are just versatile, but it becomes a problem when half the team aren't being used in their specialist areas... My main point was that Bruce will play a player in a new position, just because the player might have an attribute associated with said new position, without much thinking behind it, beyond that.

For me I think we should be playing Tuanzebe in central defense, that's where United see him, and where they were playing him in pre-season, I can't see the point of loaning him in, only to play him at right-back, when we already have four other right-backs... As a central defender he might be shakey at first and make a few mistakes, but in the long run, I think he'll prove to be a better bet than Jedinak in that position, I thought he actually played well there against Yeovil, just needs a run of games.

Tuanzebe will be significantly better than Jedi at CB and De Laet will be significantly better than Tuanzebe at RB. I fully expect for the new winger to arrive and Elmo to be given RB and Tunazebe moved to the bench, until Jedi gets injured, Elphick comes in and is shit (maybe Bruce will play Chester on the left just to fuck up everything he can) and... nah, by this point Bruce will be long gone.

Personally I think playing centre half is a specialised position as you have to play as a pair with the other centre half.
Jedinak has very limited experience of playing that position and basically has no pace and Chester isn't the quickest, therefore we lack pace in the centre of our defence. Therefore against nippy centre forwards like on Wednesday we will always struggle, Tuanzebe would solve the pace problem, obviously he lacks experience but he is young and will learn quickly.

Jedinak has made mistakes in every game so far this season, on Wednesday it was his header in the second half that played their centre forward in for a one against one with Nyland, fortunately he miscontrolled it and Nyland saved. Their first goal he just stood and watched, absolutely no attempt at marking anybody at all.

It makes you realise just how good John Terry was when you watch Jedinak at centre half!

I had a look on transfermarketd, and apparently De Laet has more experience as a central defender than Jedinak, not by much, but according to that he's played almost twice as many games at centre-back, and of course he's a defender of sorts by trade anyway, Jedinak hasn't even been an out and out defensive midfielder all his career, earlier in his career he used to be a bit more a box to box midfielder... If he's going to continue there, all we can do, is just hope that he improves, and proves his doubters wrong.

Back on topic, Bruce has apparently said that Bolasie should be finalized today or tomorrow... Could prove to be a very exciting and useful signing for us if he gets back to his pre injury form.

Yeah Bolasie is taking his time isn't he?

Looks like the Tammy Abraham link is cooling esp. Given Batshuayi has gone to (I tthink) Valencia.

We desperately need a centre forward who can hold the ball up.

If we are going to rely on Kodjia then we will probably end up, the same as when he scored 19 goals, in mid-table because nobody else scores any goals. The current midfield don't look likely to score any goals soon, when Brentford scored their second goal they had 5 men in our box, we have a nose bleed if we manage to get 2 players in their box except for set pieces.

I disagree, McGinn looks likely to score & Jack always looks likely although he could shoot a little earlier sometimes.
I know very little about El Ghazi, hopefully he gets game time tomorrow & we can see what he can do, Albert has scored plenty & there is Connor in the background too

El Ghazi has scored some crackers running in late from right wing and receiving a longish ball which he tends - in the goals I've seen - to hit first time back across the keeper.

Be happy with one of those!

VillaBill wrote:I disagree, McGinn looks likely to score & Jack always looks likely although he could shoot a little earlier sometimes.
I know very little about El Ghazi, hopefully he gets game time tomorrow & we can see what he can do, Albert has scored plenty & there is Connor in the background too

Have to disagree then as Grealish will be lucky to score 5 goals this season, always has to have an extra touch, never looks comfortable taking a shot.
McGinn might as he has the potential, Albert looks half the player from last season, at the moment can't see him scoring at all.
Connor is the only midfield player who I think can score in every game but he does very little else.