And yet many of the players lacking ‘confidence’ get picked every week

Try something new. Drop the players who are off it. Inject some intensity and urgency into the playing style. One touch not 37 touch. Might not work, but we’ve tried ‘hold onto the ball and hope Rogers comes back to life’.

Our style has only been lazy, passive and pedestrian all season. That is our style

Very small side note of credit to Sancho who made a difference when he came on, all you can ask from a sub

Overall though, see above #avfc

Oh 100% and it looks like a move may still happen. A parting of ways is best for all parties. Shame it has ended slightly sourly, but remains one of (if not the) best goalkeeper l have ever seen for #avfc

Yeah I don’t doubt we can afford it and people have challenged my post saying the club clearly feel they can afford it SCR wise this year - fair enough. My point is more that we’ve known about SCR all summer and we are scrabbling around with a late expensive deal. Doesn’t seem like our best work

Of course that’s fair, but we know his wages are high (certainly relative to Villa’s) so it isn’t a financially cheap scenario. Plus is he much of an upgrade on Bailey? Who we loaned out.

Just smacks of slight desperation (which is somewhat but not entirely understandable)

It’s clear how difficult this is for the club, and it’s very easy for us to throw shade from the outside, but there are some deals that obviously make sense and some that don’t

Ramsey - didn’t personally like, but get it

Sancho (in for Bailey) - 🤷🏼‍♂️

Bailey/Sancho independent deals, but also not

If the Bailey deal had been loan with obligation I’d get it, but not as loan with option.

If the Sancho deal has any kind of loan fee it seems nuts

Let’s hope for better in 2nd half. But my word we are a dull watch. Fair play to Palace but man alive have a go FFS

Id imagine something akin to Brighton, regularly sell on some top players and try to buy the best young players you can find. Some will hit some will miss, hopefully enough hit to build a quality model. Massively simplified im sure, I don’t claim to be a football strategist. My best guess for SCR

Not what I’ve read. We have a fine now for a breach of SCR in previous seasons at 80% SCR. This season that drops to 70%, so only gettting harder. We all want UCL but can’t rely on it. Need to build a model we can sustain with/without it. Hence my willingness to consider tough financial compromises

Well at least I’m making some progress!

You ask for credible solutions. I’ve been saying from the outset there might only be solutions that come with some risk of short term regression. If the club took that risk I’d back them. If they stick with Watkins and find other solutions, cool

UTV

Indeed, you can apply the same for Tielemans, Martinez, etc Tough decisions.

I never said I loved them, just willing to face them as there’s potential for even harder consequences down the line if we never maximise value (imo)

You state ‘want’ vs reluctantly willing to consider