[PartisanBaggie]

Smith has barely won a match without Jack Grealish for 3 seasons. A few panic buys will make no difference to his shambolic record.

Dark horses for the drop.

You may be more right than you know, Jacko 👍🏻

Without Grealish, Aston Villa are very ordinary. The lad is that good.

[beechyboy90]

You may be more right than you know, Jacko 👍🏻

Without Grealish, Aston Villa are very ordinary. The lad is that good.

I hope hes right however i look at ings as a good signing. Bailey and buendia on paper have potential to be good. They have a very good keeper. still have an awful defence so unless they address that they will have issues

[Baggies]

I'm not overly sold on Ings either. Good player, scores goals, but £25m-£30m for a 29 year old with some injury issues is huge money, particularly in this market. It doesn't really make sense either as Watkins outscored him last season, are they planning on a 442? Buendia and Bailey are good Grealish replacements, but I'd have probably spent any additional money on another winger or somebody for the defence.

[PartisanBaggie]

I hope hes right however i look at ings as a good signing. Bailey and buendia on paper have potential to be good. They have a very good keeper. still have an awful defence so unless they address that they will have issues

Ings is a good striker no doubt about it. His injury record concerning his both knees speaks for itself though.

It’s a big, big risk.

[baggiedom]

Can see it now greasy comes back for 1st time half cheer half boo then fight each other in holte end 🙄

[SmethDan]

Smith has barely won a match without Jack Grealish for 3 seasons. A few panic buys will make no difference to his shambolic record.

Dark horses for the drop.

Oh no, you've only gone and done it again. New centre half and they're knocking on the door for Europe with your Villa/Wolves prediction rate  .

[Standaman]

I had a look the Villa squad and I'm not too sure how Smith is going to shoehorn the new signings into a front 3 or 4.

Smith's preferred line up is 4-3-3. The back 4 plus Keeper kind of picks itself. The midfield is McGinn and Luiz plus one from Sansom or Nakamba depending whether he wants a double 6 or double 8. However the front 3 is Bailey/ Traoré (wide left footed) Watkins/Ings/Wesley (Centre Forward)  Buendía/Trezeguet/El Ghazi (wide right footed). I have seen it suggested that to accommodate Ings that Watkins reverts back to being a wide forward which makes the pile up of wide right footed players even worse.

The alternative which he used on occasion is a 4-2-3-1 this really does not help because not a single one of his front players is a 10. 

There is a lot of talent there but I'm not convinced about how coherent any of it is.

[Albionic]

I had a look the Villa squad and I'm not too sure how Smith is going to shoehorn the new signings into a front 3 or 4.

Smith's preferred line up is 4-3-3. The back 4 plus Keeper kind of picks itself. The midfield is McGinn and Luiz plus one from Sansom or Nakamba depending whether he wants a double 6 or double 8. However the front 3 is Bailey/ Traoré (wide left footed) Watkins/Ings/Wesley (Centre Forward)  Buendía/Trezeguet/El Ghazi (wide right footed). I have seen it suggested that to accommodate Ings that Watkins reverts back to being a wide forward which makes the pile up of wide right footed players even worse.

The alternative which he used on occasion is a 4-2-3-1 this really does not help because not a single one of his front players is a 10. 

There is a lot of talent there but I'm not convinced about how coherent any of it is.

Its actually not a very strong squad is it? a large average squad - yes, I dont see any sprinkling of stardust in there at all - Relegation is a bit optimistic especially when Knuckle draggers have one position secured already. We can but live in hope !

[clinton44]

I hate to say it but I feel they are going to go from strength to strength. They were behind the Dingles two years ago and now they are streets ahead.

[alex1]

I think the replacements go a long way in compensating for Grealish's loss. Bailey, Buenda, Ings, and now rumours of Cantwell from Norwich. All quality players.
Feel a bit sorry for So'ton fans and Hassenhuttl. Losing Ings will come as a bolt from the blue.

[BaggieBoy04]

Funnily enough on my Fifa career mode in January 2022 Villa signed Danny Ings for £25.8 Mil this was yesterday. Then I discover they do it in real life my reaction was like what how.

[AlbionFan]

Jack Grealish has signed his contract at Manchester City until June 2026.

Pep Guardiola has already spoken directly with him. It'll be announced soon.

(Source: @FabrizioRomano)

[AlbionFan]

Transfer confirmed! Inside the £100m record move of Jack Grealish to Man City - and why he had to leave Aston Villa | @JPercyTelegraph

[Droitwich Baggie]

They lost today.
Perhaps you can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear, even with one of the best seamstresses.

[SmethDan]

I was in stitches when Salah's pin point penalty went in.

[KYA]

I wonder what song the vila keeper was dancing to has the keeper not moving rule been totally scrapped?

[baggie53]

I wonder what song the vila keeper was dancing to has the keeper not moving rule been totally scrapped?

The keeper can move along the line as much as he wants, but not off the line

[KYA]

The keeper can move along the line as much as he wants, but not off the line

Thanks for that I'm more out of touch than I realised!

[Albionic]

Watched Vile v Christi yesterday and they are actually looking half decent, fortunately this was tempered by them getting stuffed !
Have to say they Gerrard and McAllister have made an improvement there, sadly

[AlbionFan]

John Percy just Tweered

#avfc are close to signing Philippe Coutinho on loan from Barcelona. Not done yet but major progress being made. Will be a huge signing for Villa and Steven Gerrard. Coutinho in 2015: "He is an icon, one of my personal football heroes."

[gazberg]

Villa are paying the majority of his wage but not quite all of it. Gotta be around 150k per week still. Nuts.

[AlbionFan]

Villa are paying the majority of his wage but not quite all of it. Gotta be around 150k per week still. Nuts.

I'm sure their owners will have no issue affording him but, more importantly, will he be worth on the field of play?

[gazberg]

I'm sure their owners will have no issue affording him but, more importantly, will he be worth on the field of play?

I hope not! 

[tommcneill]

They’re going to be even more insufferable now aren’t they 

[seteefeet]

Almost 30 and in decline. I wouldn't be putting him in my fantasy team.
150k a week is mad.