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Not disagreeing with ye Rev but I'm not convinced we are that short at the back bar the need for one more centre half.

Options:
RB: Jara, Lichaj, Halford
LB: Cohen, Harding, Lichaj
CB: Halford, Lascelles, Collins, Lichaj + signing!

Villa fans were suprised to see Lichaj leave and rated him highly, he's a speedy defender and at 5.11 and 24 you'd imagine he'd most likely move to centre half at some point. Personally I'd like to Lascelles get his chance this year as its surely his time to shine. He's looking fit, big and lean in training in the Portugal pics, just needs his chance!

Personally my back four to start the season would be:

Jara, Halford, Lascelles, Cohen

Sadly, Len, Lichaj can't play in three positions at once. From what Villa fans have said, too, he's a good right back, a less than average left back, and nobody has ever mentioned him as a centre back before.

Halford ain't a great right back, and he's an only slightly better than average centre back.

Lascelles is untested and we really don't know enough about him. Definitely want him to get games this season, but we shouldn't rely on him.

Collins is bang average at best.

Cohen, while he does a steady job at left back, isn't really a left back. He's okay. Harding's sh --- ite.

So, by my reckoning, that's leaves us happy at right back withe Jara and Lichaj. Concerned at centre back with numbers and quality short. And without a left back I'd be happy to trust all season.

At centre mid we're more than happy. It's like our scouts can on;y seee centre mids.

Exactly SHH, I'd like to see us sign two CBs and a LB although that won't happen. It's possible Cohen will stay at LB and with Lichaj, Harding and even Halford as cover, perhaps Billy thinks that's enough. Surely we have to sign at least one CB though. Collins and Halford are quite similar to me and neither at top quality defenders in this league.

It bothers me when people moan about us signing one position saying we need another. Buying a midfielder doesn't stop us buying a defender or striker.

I hope/expect Lascelles to be playing more of a role this season.

Its just a case of options, to break it down into simpler terms:

Rb's x 2: Jara + Lichaj
Lb's x 2: Cohen + Harding
CB's c 4: Halford, Lascelles, Collins + one more

Two options for each area is what a squad can financially and realistically expect to have especially with financial fair play. Whilst people might not rate Collins and Harding there here to stay and no ones gonna come in for them so we have to utilise them as back up.

I wouldnt complain if we signed a new left back I just dont see it happening with FFP and currently we have 3 options to play there with Cohen, Harding & Lichaj. People cant complain about Cohen as left back but Billy put him in there first time he came back so clearly he rates Cohen as a left back over midfield. Billy has funds but if he chooses not to use them for a new left back then thats a clear statement from him to say Chris Cohen is our left back. No point moaning about it!

It might stop us Lloyd if there is only a finite amount of cash. And we don't seem to be off-loading the players we don't need. Is Lascelles good enough? It's not like he's been given a chance in the first team over the last two seasons. If he was seen as a future prospect than surely he would have been given a few starts and several sub appearances. He's never been used so it makes you wonder why.

Also Halford is a very decent centre back, he's a good footballer in general which is why he's been moved around all his career into different positions which other centre back types could never have done. He's a man mountain and at an age where he needs to stay in his natural position of centre back and not be moved about anymore. He's experienced, big in stature, composed and at 27 he would help lascelles along perfectly. People moan about youth never getting a go at forest and rightfully so but Lascelles is an England u-20 international, subject of £5m bids, is now 21, big and powerful and yet people say he's untested!!! He needs blooding, simple as.

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We're stuck with him Rev!! He's had some decent games to be fair but he's woefully inconsistent. O'Driscoll signed him on a 3 year deal so not much Billy can do is there? Just read our second bid for Hearts Jason Holt was £75k??? If thats true then WTF are we playing at!!! Offering buttons for decent young players, we wont sign anyone at those 1970's transfer fees...

if we're throwing out bids like that clearly money isnt freely available and squad players like Harding, Derbyshire, Collins, Gillett, etc are more likely to have to be utilised if no one wants then, which I'm sure is the case!!!

Have we not seen this all before, if we want them then pay the price stop taking the pizz, nothing now for 10 days time ticks on do we have any money !!!!

Hearts are broke and have put their squad up for sale haven't they? Or am I confusing them with another Scottish club? If they are skint then why not go in cheap as we're in the stronger position.

They're broke but clubs don't let decent players go for peanuts, their administrators aren't idiots. They may as well hold onto the bloke than sell him for that!

It's all profit though so they may have to sell. But that does seem ridiculously low.

Anyway, do we really want another Holt after the last two?

theres cheap and cheap are we that cheap at least thought we might have tried to make a statement of intent and flash the cash iam broke but still have to pay the full price for me san Miguel think on

Yeah but waggy, san Miguel is only 0.53€ a can from the chinos....

it would cost me a fortune to get there EL so I will use lidl 26 cents a can

You've gotta haggle, play tough - otherwise you get your card marked...

"Give the asking/market price"?

You're obviously not in business...love...