It's been coming for quite a while now.

[ex_pat_magpie]

I'm talking about the situation we are in at this moment in time, and it sums up where we have come from, and to in a couple of seasons.

a) We have progressed far more rapidly, and achieved much more than most of us would have expected.

b) The club have been, to a large extent, frugal in the transfer market, despite the club's apparent wealth, and the criticism that went with it from the media and particularly, clubs and fans of the phoney big six.

c) We have been rather restricted, in spite of having the so called wealth, by the anomaly of the so called fair play rules which appear to apply to the up and coming unfashionable clubs but not to the existing hierarchy, who in the past, and still are getting away with murder.

d) We have quickly discovered that to get anywhere two main things. Firstly the eventual first squad need to be full of players, each capable of being a first team selection and secondly the youth system, largely neglected by the previous owner, needs to be capable of producing up and coming players, some of whom, can step into the breach as needed in critical injury times as we have experienced over the past couple of months.

To conclude, in my opinion, to perform successfully at the position we are in now, has come a couple of seasons too soon, and it will take about two years of building and developing the academy, and a similar time of 3,4 or even 5 transfer windows to get a total competitive squad full of first team players.

[Kal]

Villa have also made rapid progress.

[toptoon]

Well, my take is that the owners, manager and players have all done a fantastic job since the takeover. Full stop.

[toptoon]

…all we need to do is show a bit of patience which is clearly too much to ask for some of our support.

[ex_pat_magpie]

…all we need to do is show a bit of patience which is clearly too much to ask for some of our support.

Exactly this. That is a good summing up of my opening post. i.e. It's going to take a couple of seasons and four more good transfer windows before we can really settle down and enjoy what has eventually been moulded into a constructive unit of a good all round squad which most, if not all, of the opposition will hold in awe.

[Jammy89]

Great post Pat.