So what have we learnt from this transfer window?

[Concrete John]

What have we learned?  That for January H&V shouldn't bother with a transfer thread as we never sign anyone we've heard of before, making all speculation redundant.

[LeeB]

Paul Lambert is the new Martin Lewis.

[Tuscans]

Natalie Sawyers lost to much weight

She had great boobs til she married Sam Matterface

[PaulWinch again]

Overall a good window for us, and I think we're much stronger than this time last year through a combination of signings and experience gained from the players at the club already. We do really need to press on and get a quality attacking midfielder at some point though.

[eamonn]

Natalie Sawyers lost to much weight

She had great boobs til she married Sam Matterface

Her face was all that ever mattered to him.

[Clampy]

All things considered, it's been a decent enough window. If i'm being overly picky, i'd have liked to have seen another wide attacker with a bit of pace to cover for Gabby but i'm happy apart from that.

[adrenachrome]

Natalie Sawyers lost to much weight

She had great boobs til she married Sam Matterface

Her face was all that ever mattered to him.

Shurely shome mishtake. Sounds like Wassaface is obsessed by teets and a heavy suckler.

[not3bad]

Villa have strengthened enough to do much better this season that we did last (top 10 a realistic target).  We are still short in some areas, but as the OP said, we're a work in progress.  I look forward to seeing how the new players get on this season, and seeing if some of the youngsters can break into the first team.  Gonna be a good season I think.

The point about continuity planning is a very good one.  I don't think Lambert will be tempted away until he has fulfilled some of the targets that a team like Aston Villa should aim for - i.e. top 6 finishes, trophies, European football etc.  But once a buzz has been built up and links start getting made then I hope Lerner and Faulkner will be prepared.

[sirlordbaltimore]

The main thing I think i've learned is our managers Plan B appears to be throw on as many strikers as possible.

Not sure i'm looking forward to that kind of panic reaction again after the Bradford debacle to be honest

I was hoping for a sign that we'd be trying to play more football through the middle with the addition of a playmaker

[UK Redsox]

We learned that even though you could have bought the player you wanted a month earlier for £23m and had him available for the first three games of the season, if you wait long enough you can get him for £27m.

I wonder if Everton have stopped laughing yet ?

[darren woolley]

I've been happy with our transfer dealings this window well done Paul.

[Concrete John]

The main thing I think i've learned is our managers Plan B appears to be throw on as many strikers as possible.

Not sure i'm looking forward to that kind of panic reaction again after the Bradford debacle to be honest

I was hoping for a sign that we'd be trying to play more football through the middle with the addition of a playmaker

To be fair that was Bradford only and hasn't been repeated, so I think it's harsh to conisder it his plan B.

I agree with the last bit about a playmaker, but you can't have everything.  There's enough ability to create and score goals in our side that it shouldn't impact us too badly.

[Jarpie]

I think that the prices wanted for the playmakers we were after were so high that we couldn't make the deals, Lambert obviously feels that they weren't good enough for the prices asked. I can understand that very well, didn't we always whine how MON, Houllier and TSM paid over the odds for the players they wanted?

[Monty]

I think that the prices wanted for the playmakers we were after were so high that we couldn't make the deals, Lambert obviously feels that they weren't good enough for the prices asked. I can understand that very well, didn't we always whine how MON, Houllier and TSM paid over the odds for the players they wanted?

I can well understand that. We shouldn't be in relegation trouble this year so no improvements to the side needed are particularly desperate ones, so we can take our time. I wouldn't be surprised if we're doing what Spurs have done and what Lyon did for years and waiting to spend next year's Benteke money - which, let's face it, should be considerable.

[exigo]

We learnt that shopping early for targets you've spent months scouting is far better than hoying money around on deadline day like a burst hydrant.