Reluctant Striker

Almost agree with England's line up today. Hemp & James feel clearly ahead of Kelly. And Rachel Daly now in the midfield.. getting closer to striker.. Still feels less stressful to me than the men would do, but I want a star in my lifetime & long past caring too much about genders.

Well, it's been Villa & Brentford linked this summer. If Forest finish comfortable mid table, and he's a star feature, next summer it could be clubs going for multiple trophies every season. Any Forest to Brentford move is all going to be on individual player variables.

Neves really has been their star player the last few years. I'm not sure Wolves could replace him particularly easily. The club has spent lots in recent transfer windows. Dawson was already in to replace Coady. They spent lots on the likes of Cunha, Kalajdzic, Sarabia, Nunes & more besides. And Doherty is back on a free. But always a very worrying sign when a side that just finished bottom half is apparently looking to tread water. They really are hoping a few of the names above start to perform like real team leaders.

Bizarre. Any footballing or finance person would surely look at the situation of the manager choosing left backs ahead of him & take any money asap.

Wesley to Stoke City from Aston Villa on a permanent transfer. He was never the same player after being horrifically hacked down Vs Burnley. Scored 1 memorable hat trick vs Norwich. And has 1 full cap for Brazil.

England dropping 1 of the front 3.. but it is Hemp. Also, Rachel Daly comes in.. but as left back. Not at all the changes I would have been making. I will wait & hope to be proved wrong, but does feel like too much stock being placed in Russo (the back heel) & Kelly (the winner)

I'd be shocked if it's not Real Madrid or Barcelona. He supposedly prefers being number 9. It should be made globally illegal for any one club to have both Mbappe & Haaland.

Thought starting Russo as striker & Kelly as winger didn't look as good as retired White & injured Mead. Personally, I would get Rachel Daly in as starting number 9. She's had a far, far better season than any other England forward.

Umbro would have done. When they were making England & Barcelona kits. But that's American too now. Not sure why they stick with Nike really. May aswell be trying New Balance, Castore, Asics, Canterbury, even Adidas & Puma. Apparently even the mens keeper tops are not sold via England FA store.

Fabrizio Romano & Sky Sports Germany seem confident Moussa Diaby is choosing Villa over Al Nassr.

Have not seen him waste possession once for Villa. But does not offer much at all going forward. Think that was what ultimately kept him behind direct corner scoring Douglas Luiz, McGinn & then other more recent players like Kamara & Ramsey. Add Tielemans & he was jostling for 6th choice with Sanson, who has returned from his loan back to France. I remember predicting he'd seem like Kante in the Championship. Not sure how close that was to what happened, but Luton very happy to get him. And I hope he does well & gets regular playing time.

Sort of disappointed it's not the Football Focus Alex Scott joining the mens game.

The target has to be another title challenge. It is a lot of money for England's CM. And Havertz does not seem quite the player he was supposed to be, but he is certainly not a striker. I that has been obvious for a long time to everyone outside Chelsea. I would be very surprised if Arsenal play him there, except in any emergency. But for me, I do see them staying ahead of Man United & Liverpool. I think Chelsea & Spurs have a journey ahead to get to where they may want to be. Newcastle still have not really made a crazy game changing signing.

League Positions: Man City Arsenal Liverpool Man United Aston Villa Newcastle Chelsea Brighton Spurs West Ham Crystal Palace Fulham Wolves Nottingham Forest Brentford (because Toney seems very significant) Sheffield United Burnley Bournemouth Everton Luton Town Top Scorer - Haaland Golden Glove - Martinez Most Goals From Outside the Box - Son Most Assists - Gabriel Jesus Most Red Cards (Player) - Dunk Most Red Cards (Club) - Everton Most Penalties Conceded (Club) - Bournemouth Most Own Goals (Club) - West Ham

I suppose Villa & Leicester would have been laughed at if predicted correctly last season.

I feel sure he would not have lasted anywhere near as long at Chelsea or Man City. A sign of how far wrong it's all been going at Man United.

I was not especially impressed to see Ashley Young back at Villa while he was there. But, he did put in a number of more than adequate performances, as RB, LB, CM & on the wing. Its almost a player Everton may aswell have in the squad, rather than see what he does at Luton. Who were reported to also be interested. And he's not too much older than Milner.. who has somehow got a job at Brighton.

In the years leading to relegation, Villa had an ongoing story with full back Alan Hutton. He was actually released at one point, at the end of one contract. Did not quickly find a new club. Before the new Villa manager re-signed him, as there was nobody any better possible.

I have watched most of the 2 tests so far. Feels to me like the end of the unusual era of England being quite reasonable at cricket. Certainly no chance of England winning the series from 0-2. The top 6 would be weak without Root & Stokes. And Anderson & Broad are not at all the match winning bowl attack they used to be. Which is to be expected at around 36 ? and 40?

The new badge, that won the vote, is my current avatar pic. I had always felt the previous 1 was too strongly yellow. I never really adapted to it. I think there were 4 choices in vote & was 2 shields, 2 round ones, with mostly claret & blue, opposing ways round. The round one is a bit 80's retro, and does kind of make us a bit samey with a large number of the clubs. Not just Chelsea.

I'm sure there are design ideas going on. The way it's often in some basic outline form on training & coaching tops. Usually available just slightly cheaper than the ever more expensive replica kit shirts. I guess intricate & detailed, impressive looking badge designs are just not the way people are generally going.

I was a bit disappointed on the sponsor, before suggestions they were dodgy. I had enjoyed Cazoo, just feeling like a change from betting companies. But, apparently signed up until a main front of shirt gambling sponsor ban comes in. The round badge won a fan vote. I would have preferred a new take on the 90's striped crest. But was not an offered choice.

Personally, I would be fascinated to see what Unai Emery could get from him, in this Villa team. I think I read somewhere Villa were reluctant to go beyond £40m. Which as things stand is club record area of the spend on Buendia. And read since then, that Spurs might be interested too. If any remember, fairly sure Villa paid around half the Sancho fee at the same time, for Leon Bailey, from Leverkusen, and he has had trouble seeming like a starting 11 player, for Villa. I also feel Bellingham has made a smart choice to go to Real Madrid.

I get the feeling the club would like to bring in a headline signing or 2 over the summer. But those who would qualify as a headline signing will have many interested clubs to choose from. Ashley Young is being released, so a new 2nd right back needed. Of the names in the rumour & gossip stories, the most plausible so far has seemed like Harvey Barnes.

I see there has finally been a UK-EU agreement on Northern Ireland. That seems like it may just be accepted by all the political parties of Ireland. Supposedly involving a green lane for Britain to supply into Northern Ireland, for Northern Ireland use only. Anything to continue on into the rest of Ireland / EU, still subject to checks. When it all kicked off several years ago I expected country of origin & decision on EU/UK at business level to be part of the answer. Why it's taken quite so long is utter insanity.