I would have Jansen on pens I think he was as good from 12 yards as Soldado and was a better 'team' player
This is the alternative model to Levy's one. Gamble on achieving CL qualification before the end of the FFP cycle. Villa's gamble might well pay off.
If I was a Spurs player, that would be all the motivation I need this season to finish in the PL top 4.
Except that we have had similar losses and spent more money than them so it's exactly the same model but poorly executed except for this season which looks like a one off even if they stay ahead of us
They've been building towards it, the exec said exactly this in their response to the news. It's been the gamble since they appointed Ebening and as they've made steady upward progress since he joined, it looks to be paying off. I didn't intend for my post to come across as a criticism of Levy. The fact is Villa are on thin ice and they know it, but the ice may hold just long enough on this occasion. Others who have tried similar haven't been nearly as lucky.
We did in the covid years. Villa don't have enough income to be successful in the longer term. They spent the Grealish money wisely but they have no way of upgrading the team even with CL qualification.
Almost everyone did in the COVID years so that isn't so relevant to the current discussion. I see this story as a cautionary tale. It does seem to have been a wise gamble on their part, but if for example we finish 4th and then 5th doesn't get CL, I do wonder what that will do to their books next season (as they are expected to post another loss next year). There's a very fine line between Villa and Everton. A lot of fans don't realise this. For all his faults, Levy has kept our ship tighter than clam on benefits.
Much like a lot of other people, he looked good before he went to Old Trafford. No idea what they're doing to some of their players, but it's not working.
He looked superb at the world cup. Had Mbappe in his pocket most of that game. But the PL can brutally expose the far slower pace of the international game.
Deadline Day last August, on loan - although being Serie A, loan with an option to buy (that has addons to the option, weirdly) or an obligation after a certain amount of games
He's a twat, unsurprisingly. Marseille ****ed him off late in the window after he got them knocked out of the Champions League. They were 2-1 up on aggregate against Panathinaikos and he gave away a penalty in the 99th minute. Then he missed one in the shoot-out and nobody else did, so they went out. Added video: Really stupid handball.
