Summer 2010 Transfer Thread: B*llsh*t, Rumours & Wishes

[Concrete John]

The thing with squad rotation for is Martin could, and probably should, do it more, but not to the extend some on here seem to think.  We do lack adequate cover for certain players and would be significantly weaker if we left them out - mainly Milner, Ash & Gabby.

When the Fonz came on early against Sunderland at home the general consensus was 'not ready yet', which I agreed with.  Despite what we may think, Luke Young still played 16 games last season, so was used, and there is a good argument that we didn't need to/should not have disrupted a very good defence too much.  He did swap and change between Carew and Heskey.  So the only players I feel SHOULD have been used more were Delph and NRC, where in fairness one was injured for a decent chunk and the other needed time to adjust as evidenced by a poor openeing game against Wigan.

So Young, NRC when fit and Delph in the 2nd half of the season only, should have been used more.  He could have given Delfouneso more sub time when we were comfortable, but that's a different issue to true rotation of the starting 11.

[cheltenhamlion]

On the cricket theme:

Malcolm Marshall was bowling to David Boon who had played and missed a couple of times. Marshall : “Now David, Are you going to get out now or am I going to have to bowl around the wicket and kill you?”

Fred Trueman bowling. The batsman edges and the ball goes to first slip,and right between Raman Subba Row’s legs. Fred doesn’t say a word. At the end of the over, Row ambles past Trueman and apologises sheepishly. “I should’ve kept my legs together, Fred”. “So should your mother” he replied

Mark Waugh standing at second slip, the new player (Adam Parore) comes to the crease playing and missing the first ball. Mark - “Ohh, I remember you from a couple years ago in Australia. You were shit then, you’re fucking useless now”. Parore- (Turning around) “Yeah, that’s me and when I was there you were going out with that old, ugly slut and now I hear you’ve married her. You dumb ******”.

James Ormond had just come out to bat on an ashes tour and was greeted by Mark Waugh……. MW : “Fuck me, look who it is. Mate, what are you doing out here, there’s no way you’re good enough to play for England” JO : “Maybe not, but at least I’m the best player in my family”

[VillaZogmariner]

Have we signed Higuen yet?

[supertom]

Have we signed Higuen yet?

Yes we have. Go get your shirt printed mate.

(Tee-hee).

[KevinGage]

I'd still rather keep NRC around.

Agreed Maz.

But if he's only going to feature as he did last year (barely, in other words) we might be wise to cash in.

That said, I could see NRC remaining and running his contract down.

[Concrete John]

I'd still rather keep NRC around.

Agreed Maz.

But if he's only going to feature as he did last year (barely, in other words) we might be wise to cash in.

That said, I could see NRC remaining and running his contract down.

If we're not going to get much for him, that would probably be worth it especially with Delph being injured.

[ozzjim]

Reo Coker should be doing what Palacios does. No one will convince me Palacios is a better player, he is just as limited. At Anfield last season he played that role and was MOM by a street. Petrov should be teh one we are looking to replace, NRC should be holding midfield and quite possibly captain. Not a great footballer, but a good leader and has the energy to play the role.

[SPENTFORCE]

Have to diagree. NRC should be on the first bus out of B6

He has the footballing ability of a cake

[Gareth]

Reo Coker should be doing what Palacios does. No one will convince me Palacios is a better player, he is just as limited. At Anfield last season he played that role and was MOM by a street. Petrov should be teh one we are looking to replace, NRC should be holding midfield and quite possibly captain. Not a great footballer, but a good leader and has the energy to play the role.

Couldnt agree more...the negative with NRC is his passing, but that is the case with 90% of these perceived 'holding midfielders', they have a technical difficiency be it passing or pace or nowadays someone like Scholes 'sits' and he couldnt tackle a fishing rod.  

For me when he is on the field NRC is the one who sets the tempo and gets stuck in.  Friedel / Dunne & NRC is a good leadership spine to the team.

[glasses]

Im with you ozzjim

[citizenDJ]

Yup, me too. I  think NRC could play an extremely important role in our team; as pointed out above, when used as he was against Liverpool at Anfield, he's extremely effective and allows other 'cogs' in the team to spin better, too.

I think he'll go, mind, and I think it'll be a real shame when he does

[pedro25]

NRC's energy is his best asset, so when he is allowed freedon as one of 3 centre mids, he fluorishes, like at the end of the 07-08 season, Petrov holding, with Barry and Coker bombing up and down.  I don't think he has the discipline to hold, nor the technical/passing ability, like Petrov does.  He started his Villa career holding and did ok, but no more than ok for me, it meant he wasn't able to use his best asset, his energy, to get up and down the park.  He isn't a goal threat but I'd be happy to see him and Petrov in our midfield together with Milner pushed up a bit, there should be enough goals in our front 4 to compensate.  Although Downing would need to get more for a start.

[KevinGage]

Reo Coker should be doing what Palacios does. No one will convince me Palacios is a better player, he is just as limited. At Anfield last season he played that role and was MOM by a street. Petrov should be teh one we are looking to replace, NRC should be holding midfield and quite possibly captain. Not a great footballer, but a good leader and has the energy to play the role.

I think part of that decent performance was that it was Petrov and NRC - plus Sidwell, as part of a three man midfield.

I wouldn't want one or t'other, I think Petrov is a canny footballer who is far better in the holding role than NRC could ever be. Primarily because he reads the game well and rarely wastes possession.

NRC has a more obvious impact, in in so far as he flies into tackles and is an all action bustling midfielder. Yet as last line screening the CB's and joining up play he is a liability because he gives the ball away.
They have both played together as a central two and it didn't really work. Yet on the (admittedly limited) basis of that game at Anfield, playing a midfield three gets the best out of both. Even when that third player is as poor as Sidwell.

Sometimes football is a complicated game, sometimes it's beautifully simple. If you have more bodies in midfield you have a greater chance of seeing the ball more often there, and can dictate play accordingly. Our use of possession wasn't always great in that game (a common gripe). But everytime there was a breaking ball there seemed to be a Villa player getting to it.

NRC given free reign to hassle the opposition in his own terrier-like way and providing the midfield with drive and athleticism, Petrov linking up play and anticipating danger; and an upgrade on Sidwell would provide the midfield with good, allround balance.

[SoccerHQ]

It comes down to formation again dosen't it?

4-4-2 and when our wingers are off form, a combination of Petrov and NRC say I don't think would be good enough so we would need better.

That said, if we played 4-5-1 with Petrov, NRC and Milner then that has a really nice balance to it. Heck we even won at Anfield with Sidwell playing the Milner role. And the year before at the emirates so possibly more about formation than personnel again.

[eastie]

Keep nige but let sidwell, heskey, shorey , davies and luke go ,a lot of the squad strenghtening will depend on how seriously we intend taking Europe this season , if we go far we will need a strong squad, I don't think we could have finished 6th last season if we'd had maybe 10 European games rather than 2!