That's done, now it's time to kick on

I'm not a fan of this 'players need time to gel' line. I think it's true, but it's too easy to use and in the modern day when players are paid so much, if they're not 'gelling' they should spend more time working on it. I believe a relationship grows over time between players, but I firmly believe it's also the way the team plays and about opportunity creation.

What I think we need to work on is converting opportunities into goals and I believe we are. I also still firmly believe we'll be promoted this season in one of the two automatic promotion places.

And lastly I think we've got possibly the best squad in this League, so there can be no excuses if we don't make it. Or there can be, but it's not something I want to talk about at the moment, because I've littered the site with my thoughts on it in the past few months and this is really when the season starts, in the sense that after this international break, what excuse can we use if we don't start winning?

And there has been so much written about players leaving and players coming in. I had a thing with someone on Twitter about why so many had to go and my view is, as you all know, that it's about the manager. However, I do believe we had two bad apples at the Club last season, but we still have them at the Club. I imagine though that they'll not be playing any part this season and it may even be the case that they don't mix with the squad.

So I'm not going to list any players. I'm not going to say who I'm most looking forward to seeing score or play. I am going to write that they will all know by now, if they didn't already, how big Aston Villa and how big the task ahead of them is. It's going to be an interesting season and I for one can't wait for Nottingham Forest.

And on that, I leave you with the video of the day. Enjoy.