Team for the Championship??

Apologies if this has been shared before:

Transfer window in England officially opens on July 1st. However, teams from the same association can transfer players as soon as the last competitive game has finished (im presuming this would be the play-off final?)
But international signings cannot be made until 1st July officially. (That's when contracts normally begin from, but news does leak beforehand obviously)

Just sharing this because a) I wanted to know myself and b) To stop any complaints in about three weeks time about why we haven't signed anyone!

My source for this is Wikipedia so please don't blame if its incorrect!

I've just read that Gana has a release clause set at.........wait for it..........................£7.1m. Admittedly this was a link to the Plymouth herald from newsnow, so take as you see. It wouldn't, however, surprise me if Fox and Reilly between them had overseen such a moronic deal.

Fox was a complete moron and it's nothimg short of a miracle that he has somehow managed to secure meaningful employment.

I would not be surprised to see that an agent has convinced him to insert such a clause.

So I think:

Must Leave

Guzan
Richardson
Lescott
Richards
N'Zogbia (Still listed on the official site, disgrace!)
Bacuna
Agbonlahor

Can we keep them?

Ayew (doubtful)
Gana (doubtful)
Veretout (maybe)
Amavi (probably)
Traore (probably)
Okore (right manager can)

The Spine of our team

Clark (and if we can keep Okore)
Gardner (I think has to play a role now)
Gil
Grealish (I'm in the pro Grealish camp still!)
Westwood (For the Championship...)

Squad Players at best

Bunn
Steer
Bennet
Baker
Hutton
Sanchez
Cissokho
Sinclair (but wages!)

I don't know where to put Gestede, or Kozak, and I've left our unblooded youth out, although they may add a lot.

But we really don't have a great 'spine' there to build a team round in my eyes, unless we can keep some of the 'want away' players.

Mr_Spadge wrote:So I think:

Must Leave

Guzan
Richardson
Lescott
Richards
N'Zogbia (Still listed on the official site, disgrace!)
Bacuna
Agbonlahor

Can we keep them?

Ayew (doubtful)
Gana (doubtful)
Veretout (maybe)
Amavi (probably)
Traore (probably)
Okore (right manager can)

The Spine of our team

Clark (and if we can keep Okore)
Gardner (I think has to play a role now)
Gil
Grealish (I'm in the pro Grealish camp still!)
Westwood (For the Championship...)

Squad Players at best

Bunn
Steer
Bennet
Baker
Hutton
Sanchez
Cissokho
Sinclair (but wages!)

I don't know where to put Gestede, or Kozak, and I've left our unblooded youth out, although they may add a lot.

But we really don't have a great 'spine' there to build a team round in my eyes, unless we can keep some of the 'want away' players.

The key for me is retention of those want-away players you mention, if indeed they are actually wanting out as it's speculation thus far. Unless they have release clauses which are triggered I'd retain Ayew, Amavi, Gana, and Veretout. The only way to really create a spine to a team is by keeping the good players you have over a few seasons, so that a style is formulated and those players have a sense of belonging at a club. If the new owner looks at this financially it makes sense to retain the decent ones we have as Villa will still pay a premium for any player they go after. The way I look at our position is that with a solid manager in place we don't need much more to go into next season with realistic optimism of challenging for top spot. The squad with the players we have looks something like; Steer, Bunn, Cissokho, Amavi, Hutton, Clark, Okore, Baker, Toner, Grealish, Westwood, Sanchez, Gana, Sinclair, Veretout, Gardner, Gil, Traore, Lyden, Ayew, Gestede. When you factor in current youth that is expected to break through you can add Andre Green, Hepburn-Murphy, Ricardo Calder, and possibly Abdo. Then if we go out and buy a Ross McCormack, an Alan Judge, an Iorfa then I think that's a pretty damn decent squad to pick from for a championship season. You'll notice I have also jettisoned the shit that is Guzan, Richards, Lescott, Bacuna, Bennett, Richardson, Nzogbia. I'm having strange 2nd thoughts about Agbonlahor, on one hand I think if someone outside of the championship comes in for him then let him go, on the other hand I think that if he actually realises this is last chance saloon he might shed a few kilos and get his head sorted..........in which case he'd be something approaching an asset in the championship.
With a squad something like above, they'd be very few that would be better, Newcastle if they retain all they have perhaps?

I'd be more than content if our starting line-up on opening day next season looked something like;
...........................................Bunn.........................................
Hutton................Okore..........................Clark................Amavi
.............................Gana....................Westwood.....................
..............Traore................................................Grealish.........
..................................McCormack.........................................
............................................Ayew.......................................

To be honest I can't get in all the players I'd want from my preferred squad above, it really would be an embarrassment of riches for a championship side. In reserve from the above starters would be the likes of Judge, Veretout, Toner, Gestede, Gil, Sinclair, Iorfa, etc.
Any half decent manager should get results from a squad such as above

I think Zogs contract doesnt officially expire until next week which is probably why he is still on the site

Dazzle wrote:I'd be more than content if our starting line-up on opening day next season looked something like;
...........................................Bunn.........................................
Hutton................Okore..........................Clark................Amavi
.............................Gana....................Westwood.....................
..............Traore................................................Grealish.........
..................................McCormack.........................................
............................................Ayew.......................................

To be honest I can't get in all the players I'd want from my preferred squad above, it really would be an embarrassment of riches for a championship side. In reserve from the above starters would be the likes of Judge, Veretout, Toner, Gestede, Gil, Sinclair, Iorfa, etc.
Any half decent manager should get results from a squad such as above

We will be ok just as long as the atmosphere is sorted, I like that the toxic squad are not mentioned here.

I too would keep Okore and the other good French players.

I'm not concerned where Gabby goes as long as he goes, actually, I hope he goes to newcastle

Dazzle wrote:I've just read that Gana has a release clause set at.........wait for it..........................£7.1m. Admittedly this was a link to the Plymouth herald from newsnow, so take as you see. It wouldn't, however, surprise me if Fox and Reilly between them had overseen such a moronic deal.

I'd take £7.1M for him no problem, what does he do, all his tackling stats follow his own bad first touch.

Could we really see Stan back in the squad? If he's fit enough I really hope so. If our players this season had had half the passion he had, we'd not now be in the Championship.

It's hard to imagine that his recovery time/process and age would do anything but determine that there's no way back to a high level of football.

But to counter that, to recover from a place that the doctors said was pretty-much unrecoverable takes a level of determination that would make a football comeback seem like nothing.

If he did make a return though, I hope the first thing Dr.Tony does is test the integrity of the stands at Villa Park because when he takes the pitch, the fucking roof would get blown off.

If Tony wants a marketable story, well it doesn't get better than that.

I'd love to see Stan back. Even if he played 10mins at the end of a match it'd be incredible. Bring him back for the Scum match and the crowd would be deafening

James Morrison is on a free I think, he could do a job in the Championship!

If I can direct your attention to our scrolling news fees on the right....

Trotts not sure what you mean because I think the feed changes??

Just so everyone knows, it don't matter if we are sold or not, or who the manager is.................

FACT..... Big Rudy Gestede is gonna destroy the championship!

So many of us younger generation have failed to see Villa win a league title even though this sounds crazy anyone under the age of around 40 years old would not have memories of Villa's last league and Euro legendary triumphs so me personally i am looking forward to seeing Villa win the league sod second place or play off's i want to see us win silverware!

Dazzle wrote:
I'd be more than content if our starting line-up on opening day next season looked something like;
...........................................Bunn.........................................
Hutton................Okore..........................Clark................Amavi
.............................Gana....................Westwood.....................
..............Traore................................................Grealish.........
..................................McCormack.........................................
............................................Ayew.......................................

To be honest I can't get in all the players I'd want from my preferred squad above, it really would be an embarrassment of riches for a championship side. In reserve from the above starters would be the likes of Judge, Veretout, Toner, Gestede, Gil, Sinclair, Iorfa, etc.
Any half decent manager should get results from a squad such as above
Okore Westwood get rid Gana Traore Ayew will leave

I like that team jk and that would piss over most Barnsley teams imo, was saying the other day if RDM wants to keep Ayew Amavi Gana Sinclair etc etc he could do especially now we have money from a takeover that will scare clubs off from bidding low for our players and allow us to only sell who we want at what price we want to sell them for with so many of them on long term contracts, if Lerner remained as owner lord forbid clubs would be waiting until August to bod for our players knowing Lerner was desperate to sell what he can.

Exactly that! Now they'll be scared that Villa will be poaching THEIR best players rather than picking at our dead, rotting carcass.

Don't like the sound of this:

According to L’Équipe, Premier League side Liverpool have approached Aston Villa left-back Jordan Amavi’s agent to make it clear that they are interested in signing the French youth international.

Amavi, who suffered an ACL injury during the 2015/16 campaign, has been relegated from the Premier League with Aston Villa.

An offer of €14m could make Aston Villa consider selling the youngster. AC Milan and two French clubs have also made an approach, with one of those sides being Lyon.

From here: http://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2016/liverpool-approach-jordan-amavi/

We need to build a new team around some key players. It's taken years to find a decent LB and RDM and SC need to make it very clear we're building something special here. He could be a part of something really big, or go to Liverpool and warm the bench with Benteke.

Edit: Woodward too: http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/voice-aston-villa-announces-departure-11421230

I must say I thought he was at best an average commentator. Good luck to him but I hope we get someone good in. Brian Blessed would be ideal.

Amavi would be a huge loss but it could also be that his knee is perma-fucked.

If he's in good shape though, I'd rather tell Liverpool to jog on. Don't they still owe Villa a fortune? Hopefully the debt is to Villa and not the Lerner Family Trust.

Trotters wrote:Don't they still owe Villa a fortune?

We could always take Benteke off their hands for a much-reduced fee.

Lerner. Family. Trust.

Should never appear in the same sentence lol

Re: Amavi rumours.. ...Yep that took a long time didn't it
RDM announced and hey Presto the scousy scum come straight in doing what they have always done best, i.e. poaching everyone else's best players.