[Slick_Footwork]

Phil Penn, what gives you the impression we are 'selling everyone and replacing them all for free' or Lai is 'asset stripping'?

I don't see any evidence to back up these statements.

Now, they might prove to be correct, but evidence so far this summer doesn't suggest that.

So far... Unless I've missed any massive sales, we have sold 3 players in Foster, McClean and Evans. We have also released 3 important players in Myhill, Yacob and McAuley. In the case of the latter, there's not a lot you can do as he is 38 and soon to turn 39.

Myhill has been replaced by Bond, like for like reserve keeper.

Foster and been replaced by Sam Johnstone, who I've been assured by Villa fans at work is a more than ample replacement. If press reports are to be believed, Foster was sold for circa £4m and Johnstone cost us £6m. Doesn't sound much like asset stripping, we could've picked up a goalkeeper on a free if this was the case.

Evans has been replaced by Kyle Bartley, who apparently cost circa £4m, which was more than Evans was sold for.

If the lad from Leciester does come in to replace McClean, this will actually be the first deal we have done so far where we've sold someone for cash and replaced them for nothing. However, quality wise, we're replacing McClean with a better player. Loans didn't seem to harm the dingles last season, or Fulham for that matter.

Lastly, I know that we also matched Cardiff's bid of £10m for Bobby Reid but the player chose to go to the Premier League. The fact we were in the mix suggests we harbour reasonable ambitions of going back up, I hope.

So while your statement might well prove correct - as there's still time for Chadli, Rondon, Rodriguez, Dawson, Hegazi etc to go and be replaced by nobody or free transfers - I simply don't see any evidence at all that suggests this. It seems you're either incredibly pessimistic or trolling. We have spent a large portion of what has come in.