Aston Villa's ludicrous £50m transfer spree ripped to shreds

[villan from luton]

Don't like Gestede as a starter.

Rarely for us has he been effective from the start, much better as an impact sub.

Think he scored a few as a starter for Blackburn to be fair

[Matt Collins]

I wondered if McCormack was bent mark 2 - a striker who has to play with another and who does little except score

But as anyone with eyes can see he clearly isn't that player

[villan from luton]

I think we have three excellent strikers at this level, but reckon the new manager will show balls and select a team that he think will win a game with the correct tactics. Heard Warnock saying he managed Ross and thought he had to work the team around him, not sure Bruce has to do that as there are other good players.

[SoccerHQ]

Don't like Gestede as a starter.

Rarely for us has he been effective from the start, much better as an impact sub.

Gestede's only scored 8 league goals for us and at least four of those have been when he's started (Liverpool last year, Rotherham this).

His best performances for us though have tended to come as a sub though. Bournemouth on his debut.....he was good up at Newcastle when he came on at half time, same v Leicester at home and even this season he turned the Forest game around while I didn't think he was that great from the start v Brentford three days later.

Rotherham are terrible, they're the only team to lose to us this season which is some going so at least one team who'll finish below us this season.

[Ad@m]

Don't like Gestede as a starter.

Rarely for us has he been effective from the start, much better as an impact sub.

Gestede's only scored 8 league goals for us and at least four of those have been when he's started (Liverpool last year, Rotherham this).

His best performances for us though have tended to come as a sub though. Bournemouth on his debut.....he was good up at Newcastle when he came on at half time, same v Leicester at home and even this season he turned the Forest game around while I didn't think he was that great from the start v Brentford three days later.

Rotherham are terrible, they're the only team to lose to us this season which is some going so at least one team who'll finish below us this season.

How can you say the two games in his entire time with us where he's scored more than 1 goal are not some of his best performances? He could've had more against Rotherham too - yes, they're crap but I didn't see any of our other players giving them as much trouble.

[SoccerHQ]

Don't like Gestede as a starter.

Rarely for us has he been effective from the start, much better as an impact sub.

Gestede's only scored 8 league goals for us and at least four of those have been when he's started (Liverpool last year, Rotherham this).

His best performances for us though have tended to come as a sub though. Bournemouth on his debut.....he was good up at Newcastle when he came on at half time, same v Leicester at home and even this season he turned the Forest game around while I didn't think he was that great from the start v Brentford three days later.

Rotherham are terrible, they're the only team to lose to us this season which is some going so at least one team who'll finish below us this season.

How can you say the two games in his entire time with us where he's scored more than 1 goal are not some of his best performances? He could've had more against Rotherham too - yes, they're crap but I didn't see any of our other players giving them as much trouble.

I just think he offers more as an impact sub....as I've said the Forest game is the best example of that. He really did shake things up at 1-0 down.

So if you're saying he starts and McCormack's great then are we going back to playing four forwards in with Kodjia and Ayew aswell?

[Ad@m]

I'm not advocating him starting every game, I was just disputing the assertion that he's rarely been effective when he's started. The stats prove otherwise.

We have enough strikers to rotate and pick options to punish the weaknesses our scouts should be identifying in the opposition defences.

[ChicagoLion]

I think Millls has got it right having seen them close up.
I would also agree that Gestede is the only real centre forward in the squad, all the other forwards seem better playing off or behind.
So we have 4 players for 1 position.

[oldhill_avfc]

"They've so overspent on players," Murphy said.
"Some of the money they have spent on average players is ridiculous, absolutely ludicrous."

Sad to say but these are looking more and more accurate with each game.

It takes a special kind of genius to scout out and pay top £ for worse players than Lescott, Clark, Okore, Gill, Vertoute, Sanchez and arguably Guzan.

[brian green]

Did we buy Clark?  And Veretout and Sanchez are playing well at their new clubs.  Otherwise agree Oldhill and would add the names of Jedinak, Elphick and McCormack (due to age and woeful condition, not ability)

As for Gestede I think he does better in the last half hour because he is so slow and defences are tiring.

[oldhill_avfc]

 I was trying to say that Lescott, Clark, Sanchez et al were woeful last year.

We then had a significant net spend on the likes of Jedinak, Elphick and Chester who are even worse.

That really does take some doing.

[Gregorys Boy]

Don't like Gestede as a starter.

Rarely for us has he been effective from the start, much better as an impact sub.

Gestede's only scored 8 league goals for us and at least four of those have been when he's started (Liverpool last year, Rotherham this).

His best performances for us though have tended to come as a sub though. Bournemouth on his debut.....he was good up at Newcastle when he came on at half time, same v Leicester at home and even this season he turned the Forest game around while I didn't think he was that great from the start v Brentford three days later.

Rotherham are terrible, they're the only team to lose to us this season which is some going so at least one team who'll finish below us this season.

That was the in the PL though.  I think at Championship level he's a consistent threat.  I understand the impact sub argument, but its important that if we use him like that than he comes on when we are still in the game which wasn't the case at Preston.

[Gregorys Boy]

He will score goals but there must be a reason he scored 20 season in season out at Fulham and yet they never came close to making the play offs...same at Leeds.

I really don't get how you can blame a striker who scores 20 goals a season for the rest of the team's inability.

It's a bit like Bent to me.

Scores his goals but does little else with the team regarding link up play and stretching defences so is overall to the detriment unless you're looking at things very black and white.

McCormack is better at that but of the two I'd rather go with Kodjia as he's quicker, can play the channels and has shown he too can score regularly in this division at his previous club.

I get that, but I also think those natural sort of goalscorers are a rare breed in modern football.  And I think in a tough league like this than someone like McCormack being in the right place at the right time could be the difference between a 0-0 and a 1-0 win.  For me he has played out of position too often and hasn't been given his chance yet.

[brontebilly]

I think our two strikers should Rudy and Ross.  Their both experienced Championship players with consistent scoring records and their constrasting styles compliment each other well.

They would be the slowest forward pairing in the division

Too many here trying to find excuses for McCormack, he has ability for sure but his conditioning is diabolical. Might be the reason he has been at the likes of Leeds and Fulham, bloated fish in a small pond. He won't get away with that at perennial crisis club AVFC.

I don't think we signed bad players really but Murphy was right we totally overpaid for them. But there are bigger macro issues that obviously are still unaddressed at Villa Park.

Look at Newcastle, Clark, Shelvey and Gayle were all diabolical last year but flying now under Benitez.

[ASHTONVILLA]

I don't think it's a case of the players are not collectively worth what we paid for them (although we probably paid a little over the top for some), more that for £50m you would hope to have a half decent team. It boils down to three things. 1. It was bad to begin with and we needed a lot of players. 2. We clearly did not address midfield properly and it puts a strain on both defence and attack. 3. We let a lot of players go (not all by choice).

Looking at the signings individually, I would say McCormack, Kodjia and Chester are all good signings that we paid top whack for.

Tsibola and Golini  we didn't pay a massive amount for and both have good potential. However we needed experience in those two positions and instead took a punt.

Adomah and DeLaet jury is out on. I think they were odd signings as they are both positions we really didn't need anyone in. A winger where we don't have a squad that suits wingers, and a fullback that can't defend to play behind him. You can't really play both.

Jedinak and Elphick sadly look like poor signings. I was chuffed with both of these as I thought they looked good at Championship level and would add character and bottle. They have been the biggest let down so far, but hopefully will turn it around and become heroes.

So a mixed bag of signings, but probably worth near enough the outlay as individuals. Problem is we can't fashion a team out of them.