Luke a really good review and you hit the nail on the head. We cannot make an instant decision. Time is of the essence yes but patience is required to find the right player for this position. Too many mistakes have been made in the past at too higher price. Ferguson, as I’ve said elsewhere might be okay in the future, but currently he cannot keep his place in the Brighton team and Jackson has a better record than him yet we criticise it for some reason. I am aligned with you on all your other review comments, and also think Watkins would be the perfect longtime solution if you can be obtained.
I suspect Luke that I may not be the only supporter of my generation who is reliant on people like yourself to discuss and explain the option. After all I have an excellent memory just not of names, I could walk in your front room and know you’d changed your settee or moved the room around 10 years after I last came to your house.
However I do have a view on the striker situation as follows:
1) Jackson & Nkunku as our main strikers until season end which should give them time to develop.
2) Broja is a sale we take the money and wish him well.
3)No more experiments on a false 9.
4) Finally we consider an early promotion to the squad for any player / striker that shows an ability to score goals & keep the £115 mill in the bank unless absolutely essential for next season.
I like your thought process Andy! I am completely against dropping huge money on a striker as well unless they are the PERFECT option, which there isn't one right now, in my view.
My biggest issues with promoting from within Cobham is 1) IF they prove to be a top player the board may sell them after a year 2) we are desperate for experience and not another young inexperienced player, especially in that area of the field.
The big question is how do they get that experience after all how many clubs promote from within their academies?
So last big player that I can remember I’m sure you could name a handful, but that was Wayne Rooney at Everton made his debut at age 17. That’s how rare it is and at Chelsea academy players spend years on loan and then are sold and we spend the next 10 years as supporters saying if only we had kept so & so.
With Jackson & Nkunku playing striker we would have time to give minutes to a promoted academy player so they could gain experience and help them kick on,
I do tend to agree with you Andy, and I am usually massive on giving the kids a chance, but right now it seems crucial we get a couple of experienced heads in and around the squad to help with consistency at a minimum.
For me Luke Right & left back first and possibly a center back it’s looking increasingly as though Wesley Fofana will reach retirement age before he plays for Chelsea again.
If we make the defense rock solid it means the goals we score count figuratively speaking for double.
I understand Andy, especially agree with Left Back, Cucurella is not good enough and Chilwell is obviously injury prone, I personally believe we are sorted at right back with Malo Gusto and Reece James. I absolutely love Bashir Humphreys who can come into the squad at centre back next season alongside Badiashile, Fofana, Colwill and Disasi. Now Fofana has had surgery along with 9/10 months to allow his body to recover from his other injury issues he should now be able to stay fit. A long term partnership of Colwill and Fofana is mouth watering!
Petrovic has been excellent filling in for Sanchez, for me a Striker and Goalkeeper are priority and then a left back. All of which could hopefully be sorted in the summer.
Ollie Watkins is my number one choice, but would only be an option in the summer. No one will be willing to leave Villa in January; most might not even in the summer depending on where they finish.
Understand the comment around Watkins goalless streaks, but although Aston Villa are flying currently, he would be playing with better players and he is always involved in the play, he has 24 goal involvements in 29 appearances across all comps this season. 19 in 21 in the premier league.
Luke a really good review and you hit the nail on the head. We cannot make an instant decision. Time is of the essence yes but patience is required to find the right player for this position. Too many mistakes have been made in the past at too higher price. Ferguson, as I’ve said elsewhere might be okay in the future, but currently he cannot keep his place in the Brighton team and Jackson has a better record than him yet we criticise it for some reason. I am aligned with you on all your other review comments, and also think Watkins would be the perfect longtime solution if you can be obtained.
Osimhen/Toney in the summer. No one before that for any short term loan, they don’t work. Slight preference for Toney
I suspect Luke that I may not be the only supporter of my generation who is reliant on people like yourself to discuss and explain the option. After all I have an excellent memory just not of names, I could walk in your front room and know you’d changed your settee or moved the room around 10 years after I last came to your house.
However I do have a view on the striker situation as follows:
1) Jackson & Nkunku as our main strikers until season end which should give them time to develop.
2) Broja is a sale we take the money and wish him well.
3)No more experiments on a false 9.
4) Finally we consider an early promotion to the squad for any player / striker that shows an ability to score goals & keep the £115 mill in the bank unless absolutely essential for next season.
I like your thought process Andy! I am completely against dropping huge money on a striker as well unless they are the PERFECT option, which there isn't one right now, in my view.
My biggest issues with promoting from within Cobham is 1) IF they prove to be a top player the board may sell them after a year 2) we are desperate for experience and not another young inexperienced player, especially in that area of the field.
Hi Luke
The big question is how do they get that experience after all how many clubs promote from within their academies?
So last big player that I can remember I’m sure you could name a handful, but that was Wayne Rooney at Everton made his debut at age 17. That’s how rare it is and at Chelsea academy players spend years on loan and then are sold and we spend the next 10 years as supporters saying if only we had kept so & so.
With Jackson & Nkunku playing striker we would have time to give minutes to a promoted academy player so they could gain experience and help them kick on,
I do tend to agree with you Andy, and I am usually massive on giving the kids a chance, but right now it seems crucial we get a couple of experienced heads in and around the squad to help with consistency at a minimum.
For me Luke Right & left back first and possibly a center back it’s looking increasingly as though Wesley Fofana will reach retirement age before he plays for Chelsea again.
If we make the defense rock solid it means the goals we score count figuratively speaking for double.
I understand Andy, especially agree with Left Back, Cucurella is not good enough and Chilwell is obviously injury prone, I personally believe we are sorted at right back with Malo Gusto and Reece James. I absolutely love Bashir Humphreys who can come into the squad at centre back next season alongside Badiashile, Fofana, Colwill and Disasi. Now Fofana has had surgery along with 9/10 months to allow his body to recover from his other injury issues he should now be able to stay fit. A long term partnership of Colwill and Fofana is mouth watering!
Petrovic has been excellent filling in for Sanchez, for me a Striker and Goalkeeper are priority and then a left back. All of which could hopefully be sorted in the summer.
Evan Ferguson stylistically is the one who would fit the best.
The ironic thing about all this is that Lukaku would have been ideal in this team (thanks Tuchel!).
Ollie Watkins is my number one choice, but would only be an option in the summer. No one will be willing to leave Villa in January; most might not even in the summer depending on where they finish.
Think I agree completely mate, he is slowly but surely moving to be my number one candidate
Understand the comment around Watkins goalless streaks, but although Aston Villa are flying currently, he would be playing with better players and he is always involved in the play, he has 24 goal involvements in 29 appearances across all comps this season. 19 in 21 in the premier league.
When he isn't scoring he creates.
That is without penalties as well, which usually gives most strikers 5-10 goal push per season.