Huge Summer....

[N'ZMAV]

the biggest for a while.... or do we always say that?.... Depends on if the Managerial situation stays the same, and/or what funds Randy gives McLeish...

squad list taken from BBC website.
 
Goalkeepers

1 Given - Stay. Has had a decent start to his Villa contract, not vocal enough for my liking, quality though.
22 Guzan - Unlucky to be back on the bench. Could look to get first team Football elsewhere, has enough quality to stay in the PL.
33 Marshall - Contract will expire, Probably kept on in some sort of coaching role.

Defenders

2 Hutton - Not been a great start to his Villa career. I expect he'll stay. Improvement needed. Can't see anyone taking him off our hands if we decide to cash in.
3 Warnock - really off form lately, could see him leave this summer. Hasn't lived up to his £8million price-tag, thanks MON.
5 Dunne - I think he'll leave. Not sure where he'd end up though. Big wages and in his 30's.
6 Collins - Not as good as he was last season. Past his best I believe. I think he'll also leave.
21 Clark - Will stay. We'll have a problem hanging on to him in 2-3 years time. Top class centre back in the making.
23 Beye - GONE!
24 Cuellar - Contract is up this summer. Don't think he'll get another one. Don't really think he deserves one. Average defender. Terrible right back. Hasn't had a good run in the side since he signed though. Probably go back to Spain or Rangers.
29 Stevens - Stay. New signing.
30 Lichaj - Stay. Could push for first team RB slot next season.
32 Baker - Stay. Could push for first team LB or Centre Back slot next sason.

Midfielders

7 Ireland - Depends on how much first team Football he's going to get. He's done well the past couple of months. Niggling injuries keep coming back. I think he'll stay.
8 Jenas - Won't come back.
10 N'Zogbia - Recently had a moan and stated how unhappy he is. Despite starting to show some good form. Strange. I think he'll stay and work his differences out. I think if he does want to go we'd manage to find a buyer, probably wouldn't make a profit on him though.
12 Albrighton - Depends on how much first team Football he get's between now and the end of the season, took a long time to break in to the team this season. I think he'll stay, but may want reassurances on his long term future.
19 Petrov - Will leave. Think he'll have had enough by the end of the season. Back to Bulgaria, or even Celtic?
25 Bannan - Seems to have fallen out of favour a bit after his drink driving act. I think he'll stay. Although, I'd sell if a good offer came in.
31 Herd - Stay. Will end up a first team regular, Clark will move to centre back and Herd will play midfield role.
38 Gardner - Stay. But, it's only a matter of time till the bigger clubs come sniffing. He'll probably be here a few more years yet though...

Forwards

9 Bent - I think he'll be off this summer.
11 Agbonlahor - Stay. Loyal. Also, can't see anyone coming in for him either.
14. Delfouneso - Could be useful. Think he may go. Championship may be his level.
18 Heskey - Bye, Emile, end of contract.
20 Keane - Unfortunately, won't be here much longer.
36 Weimann - Not seen enough of him to know if he has a future at the top level or not...

When you go through the squad there doesn't seem to be many players that you expect to stay...

[levico]

A good analysis but it all depends which league we are in next season. A lot of these players would be quite good in the Championship if we could keep hold of them.

[Mazrim]

What I imagine next years squad to be:

GK- Given, Guzan, Siegrist.
DF- Hutton, Lichaj, Stevens, Williams, Baker, Clark, *New left back*, *New centre half*, *New centre half*.
MF- Ireland, Gardner, Johnson, Carruthers, N'Zogbia, Albrighton, Delph, Herd, Bannan, *New midfield general*
F- Bent, Agbonlahor, *New #10 forward*, Delfouneso, Weimann, Burke.

I've heard that Warnock is off regardless. I expect Dunne and Collins to leave. I would offer Cuellar a new contract but I doubt that will happen. So we need at least two experienced centre halves and a senior left back.
One of Weimann or Delfouneso may have to leave but perhaps not.

So out from this years squad will go:
Marshall, Beye, Warnock (I've heard he is definitely off), Dunne, Collins, Cuellar, Jenas (although I reckon McLeish might try and sign him), Petrov, Keane (see Jenas) snd Heskey.

The resulting squad should see a very young group that will need very selective additions to guide them and take pressure off them.
But that's a saving in the region of 400k p/w before any acquisitions.

[Duncan Shaw]

If you've heard that about Warnock (and fingers crossed it's true) do you think we'll see him blooding Baker/Lichaj/Stevens there for the rest of the season.  If the decison has been taken and his form is so wretched, I don't see any vlaue whatsoever in keeping him in the team.

[Mazrim]

Once we've a few more points on the board maybe. I agree it would seem pointless to persist with him otherwise.

[Risso]

Warnock is costing us points on a regular basis. I've rarely seen a player deteriorate so badly.

[Concrete John]

I think we could be a little too eager to get rid of some players.  I'd like a new CB and DCM to stiffen the spine of the side and hopefully stop us leaking goals, but I don't want it to be just kids to replace them, so I'd be looking to keep Petrov and one of Cuellar, Dunne or Collins as the experienced back up, with the likes of Clark, Gardner and Herd being the more regular starters alongside the new men.  New LB, too.

Forward wise, once Heskey goes, it'll be any 4 from Bent, Gabby, Ireland, N'Zogbia and Super Marc and Bannan, with the Fonz and Weimann as the juniors.  Keane has shown us what an extra addition of quality can bring, but for me another forward would be bottom of the list of priorities after getting the defence sorted. 

[brontebilly]

Not sure why people are saying sell Dunne and Collins and bring in the likes of Bassong and Dann. I'd rank our duo better than those two. Wouldn't be averse to the likes of Petrov and Cuellar staying for another year. Fair enough the likes of Dunne are on big wages and on the wrong side of 30 but defo don't think the players linked are any better.

Warnock has to go. Lichaj and Baker didn't do enough last season to convince me that we didn't need to bring in another left back or right back.

Big issue - we need to find a player with presence, stamina, capable of taking the ball off the back and winning the ball. A Xabi Alonso type player for about 5m lol

Makoun will leave too.

Honestly think we have the makings of a good side. If Delph could discover form it would be a big benefit. Nzogbia has huge ability but so frustrating. Ireland is a cracking player but injury prone. We still need a manager to make a team out of them though. That might mean replacing some MON loyalists but I'm not sure the players we are linked with are any better.

Keane would be a great permanent signing as captain. He is a Villa type player and a lot of people on here got it badly wrong about him. Would be surprised if it happened though. We need experience too and he has it in droves.

It's so frustrating at the moment as I think we are almost there in having a good side.

[N'ZMAV]

Makoun & Delph are interesting. There's decent players in there somewhere, it's just finding the right role for them in the team. Delph as a tackling or holding midfielder isn't going to work, a box-to-box player... maybe?

[Toronto Villa]

Warnock is costing us points on a regular basis. I've rarely seen a player deteriorate so badly.

What's more he's forcing others to do double their work, or be pulled out of position in trying to compensate. Other coaches have picked up on the "let's target Warnock" strategy and it has become our Achilles heel. This team, with it's attacking potential is more than capable of winning games but is undone week after week by stupid goals for a number of different situations. We it those out, the confidence will improve, and not only will we start climbing the table, remarkably all the back chat and general malaise will quietness down too.

[Concrete John]

Makoun & Delph are interesting. There's decent players in there somewhere, it's just finding the right role for them in the team. Delph as a tackling or holding midfielder isn't going to work, a box-to-box player... maybe?

Yes, playing a more attacking role suits him, but with Ireland and Gardner in his way I can't see how he'll get much game time here.

I'd reluctantly sacrifice him and Makoun in order to help release the funds, both fees and wages, for what we need to do at the back.

[mattjpa]

Out of the squad id like to see leave;
Petrov - For his benefit more than ours. He has been a great servant and captain. I want to remember him with fond memories rather than a player that stayed too long. If he was prepared to take a hit on his wages and drop to a squad player with a view to joining the youth/coaching team id love him to stay but I think he still has a lot to offer another team full time at a slightly lower level. Its time for a changing of the guard though as a lot of the younger lads may seek a move away otherwise (like Cahill did)
Heskey - Ive never minded Emile and he gives alot IMO but large wages combined with not fitting our system mean its time to go, tumbling bear.
Collins - Meh. I cant put my finger on why, but this guy was a trojan under MON and has never been the same since he left. Sunderland is calling Ginge....
Dunne - The complete 85min footballer. Too many errors and too many points dropped. again see, collins - why is he so different to the player we had under MON or that we see for Ireland?
Warnock - A dropping in confidence by this much should only be rectified by moving on im afraid -a shodow of the player we had. I hope he goes somewhere fresh and gets it together again as ive nothing against him...
Beye - Obviously.

[N'ZMAV]

Makoun & Delph are interesting. There's decent players in there somewhere, it's just finding the right role for them in the team. Delph as a tackling or holding midfielder isn't going to work, a box-to-box player... maybe?

Yes, playing a more attacking role suits him, but with Ireland and Gardner in his way I can't see how he'll get much game time here.

I'd reluctantly sacrifice him and Makoun in order to help release the funds, both fees and wages, for what we need to do at the back.

Me too, if we could (somehow) get £10mil for Delph & Makoun then that would be excellent.

[olaftab]

Warnock is costing us points on a regular basis. I've rarely seen a player deteriorate so badly.

I think he has developed unprofessional "lifestyle" and that is letting him down on the pitch. I wonder how long before he seeks help?

[Hoppo]

So reading between the lines Warnock is a piss head? Collins and Tonne have both got previous there. Get Peter Barlow in to complete the set! On a more  upbeat note Joshua Webb Callum Robinson and Jordan Graham all performed well for England U17 the weekend.