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Michael Bailey's article on Rashica is once again really interesting. Suggests Milot had financially better offers elsewhere, but turned them down because Farke had persuaded him to come by explaining his vision of how he would fit into the side. Also presents an argument based on his statistics that he might play just behind Pukki in a 3-5-2. Giving him freedom to drift across both flanks and through the centre to get Norwich forward with pace, hinting at a slightly more solid, counter attacking style that might well be employed than the possession based football we had last year. Anyway, it's good stuff if you have an Athletic subscription.

That’s the keeper sorted 👍

No comment (you're all thinking it).

Webber can now literally send Farke to war with a Gunn. You love to see it.

This may have been said already (if so i apologise), but another very important factor in the signing of someone with the high profile of Rashica is the message it sends to other potential signings. The clear message is that we are very serious about assembling a team to establish itself in the PL. I can't imagine there are many players out there who would be anything other than delighted to play in a team with someone of Rashica's quality. This can only help us in the task of attracting other top talent. So it's looking like another masterstroke by Webber to sell Emi early and bring in someone of Rashica's talent so quickly. What a great message that sends out to any player who might have been unsure of our ambition for the season ahead.

Spot on. I can see it now, my great grandad ready to storm Juno beach thinking "I'm in this so people don't have to wear masks in Tesco and are allowed to eat in at Frankie and Benny's with anyone they bloody like."

I can't actually think of anyone I'd like to meet less.

Have we signed their Quagliarella?

That's the longest book any Villa fan has ever read

1% of the Worlds population is 70 million. If anyone thinks that is an acceptable attrition rate then they need to have a severe word with themselves.

Not sure why the need for this? We needed a backup keeper, he came in and fulfilled his short contract, we went up and have gone out and bought better for our number 2. No hard feelings from either party I imagine. Thanks and good luck in the future for me.

Just another load of diversionary culture war cobblers with no likelihood of really happening, designed to appal half the crowd, instigate their outrage which then appeals to the other half of the crowd who then start banging on about the "woke brigade", et al and want to defend it (even though they know how ludicrous the idea is) just to be contrary to the other half of the crowd who don't like it. The genius of the crowd. Apples

Tidy signing. Passionate about the club and will push Krul for the #1 shirt. Good price, Good age, Good Deal.

Agree with others that I’m finding it a little soulless watching us at the minute. Sure, there were flashes tonight as there were against Croatia, but we never really seemed to maintain any pressure for more than a passage or two. Basically nothing to really get me out of my seat, it’s all just a bit meh. I know the game situation was different, but Scotland managed 19 shots against these, we managed just 5. I get being a bit pragmatic when we’re 1-0 up but do we really need to be THAT risk averse against the Czech Republic at home? What even happened in that second half other than the offside goal? Can you imagine Man City going 1-0 up at the Etihad against Southampton then playing how England did tonight? Would the Man City fans say ‘no problem it’s just the result that matters’ or would they wonder why their team didn’t play a bit more expansively? I know which I’d rather. And the trouble is, with football this turgid Southgate is giving himself very little wiggle room if things go **** up. We will all take one-nil-ing our way to the trophy of course (sorry @sgncfc I think nearly everyone will disagree with you there), but anything less than that (or say at least the semis to be more reasonable) - then serious questions will start to be asked. And it does in general feel a bit of a violation to be playing this way when we have a plethora of attacking talent. Are we really playing a system that gets the best out of our best players? Are we playing the best individual options we have available in each position? Unless we find another gear then IMO we look pretty well set up to lose narrowly to France / Germany / Portugal. Sorry to be miserable but I just have zero faith in us going toe-to-toe with a big side and coming out on top. In fact I find it hard to believe anyone genuinely thinks we will progress past any such team - of course we can all hope. Hope for Hungary to finish second….

England have been a tough watch for much of the last 25 years. We don't play like the same players do in the Premier league. I don't know why, but if we had to watch that turgid rubbish every week no one would bother. Individually we have fine players, but the style and tactics are just sooooooooooo boring compared to most other teams who will make up the last 16. If we play like that and win every game 1-0 to win the tournament, who will actually care?

Young kids chanting patriotic songs, in national colours, in front of photos of a fat bloke with stupid hair. Been done.😀

As above, they didn't fight for our rights to do as we please for our own gratification and convenience regardless of the impact on others. Otherwise, why have any laws at all? I'm also interested in what the survival rate is if left to spread un-hindered. My understanding is the restrictions are to protect the healthcare providers' capacity to provide life-saving treatment, rather than because the new virus is especially deadly in itself. It's the proliferation that's the issue, not so much the outright deadliness of the disease.

Doesn’t the two 6s just mean having two midfielders in front of the defence as opposed to one? Isn’t that broadly how we play now? I don’t think it requires us to buy into the Chelsea preferred formation, just that our CMs play in the same way.

So this is where you go when I’m at work !

There is a lot of competition on this site but this might be the dumbest post ever. 'They can't be racist because they didn't boo black players touching the ball.' **** me.

"Don't let the S(um go down on me".....

Funnily enough, I recently bumped into the binners Norwood

hope he will do the classics... (Mc)Grandles in the Wind Daniel (Farke) Sorenson seems to be the hardest word Bennett and the Jets Saturday Night's Alright for Farke Idah go breaking my heart.. Cantwell in the Wind...

I think at the time there was some offence taken by some comments made with regards to why Emi would sign for us, and the obv reaction to that was to hit back. Whilst I can’t speak for other people on the forum, I for one would love to see Norwich stay up, and do brilliantly. I respect the way you play football, and the way you do well despite such a small budget.

Yes! I think there are several things at play here: 1. Topping the Champs again proves we weren't a flash. 2. Skipp loan went exceedingly well which "proves" to big clubs we can be a good destination for their youngsters. 3. Godfrey sale went exceedingly well which now means there was real quality and value in 2 of our last 3 big sales (sorry Jamal). 4. A slew of astute signings/deals in Gibson, Dimi, Sorensen, etc. We clearly have something about us. 5. Continued time/opportunity for youth such as Idah, Placheta, Andy, etc.

The fun begins here... https://www.villatalk.com/topic/21463-summer-transfer-window-2021/page/538/ And don’t mind seeing some good natured Villa fans on here either, always fun to chew the fat with fans from opposition teams. I think supporters of both our respective clubs can look forward to an exciting season at this rate 👍

Make that 3. Congratulations on this signing. There was a lot of clamouring from our fans to get this done last season. Quoted prices were in the region of £25m. Form has dipped considerably, assumed to be a mixture of injury and disillusionment. Genuinely pleased for you guys, and I hope he turns out to be great signing 👍🏽

Not at all, it will not boost the UK's standing with anyone. Instead it rather paints the country as desparate and a little pathetic. Its only purpose is a £200 million boost to the fragile egos of Brexiteers.

Like all major projects the government undertakes , The Boris Boat will be delivered ( if at all ) years behind schedule and vastly over the estimated cost. Sadly Her Maj will be long dead by then.

official-supporters-panel-meeting-16.06.21---minutes-final-3.docx Here are the minutes if anyone's interested in reading them in full. I have to say that I was extremely impressed with the scope and breadth of initiatives the club has been working on behind the scenes, especially around memberships and ticketing. I'm really looking forward to being part of the panel for the next two seasons, and being vice-chair to our good friend @Lessingham Canary. OTBC!

Agreed cannot compare with earlier ‘waves’. My point was exactly that - that focussing solely on infections (and ignoring the effect of vaccines) is completely pointless, yet a number of people continue to do it. We locked down to avoid hospitals being overwhelmed. That would have led to even more death. But there’s nothing at the moment which suggests hospitals are anywhere close to being overwhelmed due to this ‘third wave’. The deaths and hospitalisations are barely increasing. It’s clear the vaccines are working. The increase in hospitalisations and deaths is just nowhere near proportionate to the increase in cases, even when you take the hospital/death “lag” into account. If hospitals were going to be overwhelmed, the number of hospitalisations would already be much higher than it is. So if there’s nothing to suggest hospitals are going to be overwhelmed, vaccines are working, and more people continue to get vaccinated, the only reasons to increase or even keep restrictions are (a) if anything changes or (b) to “wait and see” if anything changes. The wait and see option is massively blinkered. “The science” already this week suggesting lockdowns will lead to more flu deaths this year as a result of decreased immunity. Scientists and health professionals according to the BBC reckon flu will kill more this winter than covid. So the point is, yes, proportionate caution is required of course, but the fascination of some with infection numbers is, frankly, dangerous. If hospitals aren’t going to be overwhelmed then lockdowns and significant intrusive restrictions based on infection numbers “just in case” will do more harm than good.

I think it's a reflection of England as a country. Other teams are more than the sum of their parts, but not England. The regressive, conservative attitude is exactly what we're seeing culturally and politically in society. And I'm sure we're about to recreate Brexit by crashing out of the tournament in disarray.

Yes, that is what I said. sometime later, I awoke, still groggy from the last spots of light fading from view. I wondered if Greavsy was still making idle snipes on football forums using subtext as a mask. I wonder what sustains a lifestyle of obvious trolling devoid of class? How long before we're all like Greavsy? A shell with nothing to say? I fear for the future. I thank my lucky stars/whatever there is still out there shaped like a God that I can derive joy from supporting my team because I do so from a positive position, rather than a bitter persona who shouts at the rain because it just won't stop. Will it ever stop? Greavsy: Requiem for a Troubled Mind retails at Sod All from No Bookshop of Note. Free downvote with every purchase.

Grand scheme of things, it's job done, but it's all a bit bland isn't it? Perhaps we are spoilt as fans of a club who employ a particular brand of pressing, attacking football but I do find England under Southgate a tough watch. Still, let's hope we start really performing as we get into the knock outs.

How was the Van Wolfswinkel signing not ambitious? It turned out to be a bad one for us and player, but it was clearly ambitious, so is this.

Reminds me of a certain little Austrian who manipulated himself into power in someone else’s country, then stirred nationalism and United his old empire by annexing Austria, parts of France, the Sudetenland and then went on to try the rest of the world! Nationalism, the path for fanatics, for extremism and ultimately division! Funny how history does repeat itself in a manner of speaking! Our very own foreign prime minister campaigning for Nationalism!

Have we told you how good Emi is at set pieces? Make sure he’s put on free kicks and corners.

I really don't get the reservations. £2.5m up front, £2.5m over time. 25 years old, one of our own, capable of being our number one keeper for next ten years. It's a deal that makes absolute sense to me. Think of it not as a new number two, but as Krul's long term replacement. I think it's an absolute steal.

Agreed Wacky, think we could do with a bunch of Gilmour related vids for our fellow posters to wake up to 👍 ☕️

Why ever would you feel you need to apologise for calling him out. It’s far worse than nonsense. It’s totally disgusting, selfish and ignorant .

You are very fortunate. I know of a man I'm friends with who lost his wife. She suffered from bronchitis her entire life. Leaves behind a 7yr old daughter whose mother was her world. Sorry I called your view "nonsense" but I just worry that 1% you speak of who do succumb to this virus will be forgotten as they are "only 1%" - when in reality they are people whose families are destroyed by this.

You're right, we shouldn't trivialize a disease that has a 99% survival rate. We should over hype it and use it to chip away at the rights our great-grandparents fought to secure.

I thought we were the Popular Peoples Canaries Trust ?

Burn 🔥🔥🔥

Honestly would not mind Berge, given we need you know more strength and physicality in the middle. Yes, yes he went down with the blunts and got relegated but if anything that means he has something to prove to the world, and we do seem to love signing players with something to prove. And I mean just look at this photo of the guy, what a unit!

Oddly I think the 'boat' saga is very informative of the Brexiteer mentality. As we've now effectively relegated ourselves from the top economic tables of power (China, USA, EU etc.) where any diplomatic visits will now be just sidelines in the respective international press when somebody visits (rather like as in our press Orban's visit to the UK) of little public interest - then yes perhaps a Disney Land twee boat would generate some interest.

Think people need to start getting past infections. Even the government have said hospitalisations and deaths are what’s important. The infections have been going up for weeks. The hospital/death “lag” has had more than enough time to have caught up. Pre-vaccines the deaths and hospitalisations would already have been increasing significantly (and would already be significantly higher than they are now we have vaccines). But they’re not. Vaccines clearly working, hospitals not at risk of being overwhelmed, tens of thousands more vaccinated by 15 July.

I read it as Keith Scott and thought "Oh good, let him go".