January Transfer Window - Rumours, Links, B*llsh*t and Made-Up Nonsense

[PaulTheVillan]

So is Brad Friedel going to retire in the summer?

If so, I think we should go for Shay Given.

Lescott wouldn't be a bad signing as I think Davies will be leaving.

We could really do with another left back. Warnock is really getting on my tits lately.

A striker is a must.

[PeterWithe]

Here is the challenge.

It's the worst I've ever seen, not for the faint hearted.

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Have you ever seen Neil Simpsons that more or less ended Ian Durrants career? Was a few years ago mind.

[N'ZMAV]

Kirkland is a good shout. Keep him fit and you've got a very good keeper.

[Shrek]

If we are signing a goalkeeper, I think McGregor is the beat shout because he would cost less than Given and would not comand as high wages as Given.

[Concrete John]

It is usually based on profit for sell ons so sounds about right.

Seriously doubt we could 1. afford Shawcross, or 2. Get him to come when he may be waiting for a top 4 side to come in.

I might be tempted to make a cheeky one for Lescott from Man City you know.

Don't understand that?  We have circa £20m sitting in the bank from recent sales and Randy is hardly shy with his own cash.  I'm expecting something like a £40m outlay over these next two windows.

[Mazrim]

I agree John. Houllier will be properly backed, I'm sure.

[N'ZMAV]

Shawcross would fancy a move to Villa, surely. It's a step up from Stoke. I doubt very much if a top 4 club would go in for him, he's not at that level, maybe one day?

As for Lescott, that would make sense. Would he fancy a move to us? I could see 'Arry going in for him.

[Mazrim]

I think a move for Lescott would make perfect sense. Centre half and left back cover. Obviously the price would have to come right down from what they paid and yes, others would be very interested too. We could hope that he'd want to come "home".
Aston Villa that is, not the Klingon homeworld.

I like the look of Shawcross too. Have done for a while.
Not literally of course, he's a big ugly bastard.
I see Clark as the future and a cultured ball playing defender. Now we need a bruiser of sorts to read the game attack the ball and partner him. Collins does well enough at the moment though I'm still not 100% convinced.
I'm looking forward to getting Cuellar back too.

[N'ZMAV]

Striker is the key one. It's pretty obvious to me that Gabby will be our first choice when fit, with Heskey in and around the team. Carew will be off. Not sure about Delfouneso yet. His game seems very similar to Angel's to me. Likes to drop a bit deep and get the ball and link play a bit.

[Monty]

For me, it seems obvious that our full-backs are a huge weak link. Neither stays on his feet nearly enough, neither is comfortable enough on the ball, neither can really attack properly, neither has anywhere near good enough positional sense. This is an area we desperately need to improve on, in my view.

[VWBelgian]

On Sky Houiller is saying that he will bring in 2 new faces on january transfer window...

[N'ZMAV]

just 2?

Djibril Cisse?

[KevinGage]

For me, it seems obvious that our full-backs are a huge weak link. Neither stays on his feet nearly enough, neither is comfortable enough on the ball, neither can really attack properly, neither has anywhere near good enough positional sense. This is an area we desperately need to improve on, in my view.

Before this campaign I would say that's utter rot.

I'm still of a mind that the form Warnock attained last season is possible again.  He looked like an all action buccaneering left back, read the game well, timed his challenges better and could control and pass the ball even in a tight space.

When a player has already shown what he can do and is not currently doing it (for whatever reason) I'm more inclined to think it's purely down to form or carrying an injury of some sort rather than an irreversible decline.

But with each passing game it becomes more and more difficult to excuse his mistakes. The defensive unit as a whole looks unbalanced, or like they haven't played together all that often. I don't know what the exact cause of that is but you generally take your lead from your CB's. They can see the play better and the onus is on them to be solid and communicate more, tying the back line together. Perhaps part of the reason Warnock is rushing into challenges is he doesn't have much confidence that whatever is behind (or to the side of him) can deal with it at present.

Luke Young is more a steady eddie type, at his best a 7/10 performer who would rarely get turned inside out and who can also bomb forward and change the momentum of attacks. Moreso in the sense that he can overlap and then play a relatively simple ball, rather than bomb forward and whip crosses in all day. That was never his game.

Both our fullbacks are good players and have shown good form for extended periods for the club in the past. But you can't live off past performances.

[Mazrim]

2 new players plus the several hundred we have missing through injury back would be a good start in the new year.
We need a couple more than 2 new players though, I think.

Striker, defensive midfielder, left back cover/competition, goal keeper.

[Concrete John]

2 new players plus the several hundred we have missing through injury back would be a good start in the new year.
We need a couple more than 2 new players though, I think.

Striker, defensive midfielder, left back cover/competition, goal keeper.

I'd go with that, but all of them in Jan would be a big ask.  If we do get two I'll be ecstatic and then it's a case of the rest of 'em in the summer, plus whatever else Gezza may have in mind.