Summer transfer rumours, speculation and out-and-out b*ll*cks.

[Gervilla81]

I'd be more inclined to go 4,5,1 - 4.,3,3 next season

I feel Darren Bent works better as a lone striker, and hope that McLeish can strike a cord with Stephen Ireland cause if his head is right he is a brilliant option from midfield and would compliment Darren Bents style imo.

only concern though with going 4,5,1 is we'd need at least 2 quality defensive midfield arrivals this summer

personally I'd like to see Kayal (celtic) and long shot maybe Michael Carrick from Man Utd

[ozzjim]

After his comments on Birmingham etc, Ireland should be moved on. I hope after an hour in his company, Eck will get shut.

[JJ-AV]

Cazorla's going to Malaga, not been linked but he's someone I'd always hoped we'd sign if Ash ever went.

[eamonn]

Scott Carson off to Buraspor in Turkey...odd.

"The place is second to none, with as good a training ground that I've seen," Carson told Bursaspor TV.

What, better than Bodymoor? Impossible!

[The Situation]

After his comments on Birmingham etc, Ireland should be moved on. I hope after an hour in his company, Eck will get shut.

His comments on Birmingham? I'm unaware.

[TheSandman]

I'd be more inclined to go 4,5,1 - 4.,3,3 next season

I feel Darren Bent works better as a lone striker, and hope that McLeish can strike a cord with Stephen Ireland cause if his head is right he is a brilliant option from midfield and would compliment Darren Bents style imo.

only concern though with going 4,5,1 is we'd need at least 2 quality defensive midfield arrivals this summer

personally I'd like to see Kayal (celtic) and long shot maybe Michael Carrick from Man Utd

Kayal is a good shout. Really impressed me last season for them and is the kind of player that is what we need. I was thinking he'd be going for a lot more but paper speculation is linking him with Bolton for £4million and at that price he is a more than decent player.

I read Stoke are after Sturridge and will offer £6million. If Chelsea are daft enough to accept that (probably not) we should match it. We may not be after or particularly need another striker but he could improve us and be a good partner for Bent. That said I don't really see £6million being a goer in this market.

[supertom]

I still think that Gabby can be effective as a wide forward, if we play direct and quick enough. He played very well there in O Neill's first season. Often under Houllier, when Gabby played wide, our pace of play wasn't nearly quick and direct enough. We couldn't really use Gabby's pace effectively enough. If we play Gab as a proper right winger/forward, as opposed to right side midfielder, he can play in the 4-3-3 effectively, and be on the teamsheet alongside Bent. Houllier's style was far to contemplative. Too much tippy tappy in the middle third, without penetration. Gabby is always best playing at full pelt. Under O Neill, we were always at our best on a quick counter. Ash and Gab were both effective then, particularly in unison. I think that style suits Benty too. Him and Gabby are very instinctive players. Gab in particular isn't effective when he's got too much time to think about what he's doing. His composure deserts him. When he's bish, bash, bosh, he's very good.

That said, I'd still like another player capably of playing wide, to replace Ash. In terms of making sure we've enough competition for places. We have Downing (fingers crossed), Albrighton and Gabby who could play wide in the 4-3-3. One more would be useful. N' Zogbia hopefully.

[Monty]

I still think that Gabby can be effective as a wide forward, if we play direct and quick enough. He played very well there in O Neill's first season. Often under Houllier, when Gabby played wide, our pace of play wasn't nearly quick and direct enough. We couldn't really use Gabby's pace effectively enough. If we play Gab as a proper right winger/forward, as opposed to right side midfielder, he can play in the 4-3-3 effectively, and be on the teamsheet alongside Bent. Houllier's style was far to contemplative. Too much tippy tappy in the middle third, without penetration. Gabby is always best playing at full pelt. Under O Neill, we were always at our best on a quick counter. Ash and Gab were both effective then, particularly in unison. I think that style suits Benty too. Him and Gabby are very instinctive players. Gab in particular isn't effective when he's got too much time to think about what he's doing. His composure deserts him. When he's bish, bash, bosh, he's very good.

Tom, I think you've fallen into a bit of an old trap there. If we're at home and we want to play on the front foot, we cannot rely on the counter-attack as teams will come to VP, just shut up shop and counter us instead (a potential problem made worse if we play 4-4-2 because of the space it leaves on the counter). It's all very well to say we're good on the counter, but the counter-attack is a weapon, not a style. You cannot play attacking football if you're set up to play on the counter because, by necessity, to counter you have to sit back and wait for the opponent to overcommit and lose the ball. You can't just attack the same way with the same pace and directness whether the opponent has 11 or 5 men behind the ball, because if you do you'll just lose the ball and all of a sudden you're no longer attacking, you're defending. If you play on the front foot, this 'tippy tappy in the middle third' is necessary, and known as 'keeping possession'. By all means have the counter as a weapon, indeed every good team does, but you can't have it as your only weapon because you can't just rely on other teams to play as open as you want them to.

[tom villa]

http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/8562/3/new-villa-boss-mcleish-targets-%C2%A35m-dutch-winger-replace-yes

[TheSandman]

Is he good? Or are you his agent and looking forward to your 10%?

[supertom]

I still think that Gabby can be effective as a wide forward, if we play direct and quick enough. He played very well there in O Neill's first season. Often under Houllier, when Gabby played wide, our pace of play wasn't nearly quick and direct enough. We couldn't really use Gabby's pace effectively enough. If we play Gab as a proper right winger/forward, as opposed to right side midfielder, he can play in the 4-3-3 effectively, and be on the teamsheet alongside Bent. Houllier's style was far to contemplative. Too much tippy tappy in the middle third, without penetration. Gabby is always best playing at full pelt. Under O Neill, we were always at our best on a quick counter. Ash and Gab were both effective then, particularly in unison. I think that style suits Benty too. Him and Gabby are very instinctive players. Gab in particular isn't effective when he's got too much time to think about what he's doing. His composure deserts him. When he's bish, bash, bosh, he's very good.

Tom, I think you've fallen into a bit of an old trap there. If we're at home and we want to play on the front foot, we cannot rely on the counter-attack as teams will come to VP, just shut up shop and counter us instead (a potential problem made worse if we play 4-4-2 because of the space it leaves on the counter). It's all very well to say we're good on the counter, but the counter-attack is a weapon, not a style. You cannot play attacking football if you're set up to play on the counter because, by necessity, to counter you have to sit back and wait for the opponent to overcommit and lose the ball. You can't just attack the same way with the same pace and directness whether the opponent has 11 or 5 men behind the ball, because if you do you'll just lose the ball and all of a sudden you're no longer attacking, you're defending. If you play on the front foot, this 'tippy tappy in the middle third' is necessary, and known as 'keeping possession'. By all means have the counter as a weapon, indeed every good team does, but you can't have it as your only weapon because you can't just rely on other teams to play as open as you want them to.

That is true, but even at home, on the front foot, we didn't move the ball quickly enough. In part of course, we don't have a play maker.

Theo Walcott for example played well for Arsenal on their own patch, even when his blistering pace wasn't used fully on counter attacks. It's not merely counter attacking I think we need to rely on, but we do need to ensure we more forceful with our possession. Not merely because it suits Gabby, but also because getting the ball effectively and quickly, to Bent, also suits him. Obviously I don't means pelting it forward at every given opportunity, and some tippy tappy is required, but seriously, how many games under Houllier petered out when we pretty much only meandered in the middle third.

I'd still be quite happy to have Gabby playing with Bent, in a 4-3-3. What would help is having a quality playmaker in the middle who can move the ball quickly. Who can think one step ahead. Petrov for example slows everything down to a canter. We can never build momentum when we're on the front foot. This might be Delph or Bannan, or at a push Ireland. Or we may just get someone a bit more mecurial in the transfer market.

But yeah, 4-3-3, should by no means mean Gabby is relegated to bench warmer/impact player. We're not in a position to fill in with a purchase with the sort of ability that would mean he's nowt more than a squaddy. I hope he's still a big player for us, for years to come.

[Monty]

I agree in that the fault wasn't with the style but with the personnel. Young as the second striker would all too often make runs beyond the main forward, leaving the midfield two isolated and without a link to the frontline, essentially becoming a static 4-4-2. What we need is a midfield 3 where each player is more prepared to make short, 5-10 yard runs forward off the ball to provide more of a link and an unpredictable variety of threats. Also, the better you can boss the centre increases the space you can get for your wingers with a well-timed pass out wide in the final phase of the attack. We do need technically better midfielders to do this, but not many as a couple of the youngsters we have can play that way.

Not that we will play that way. I predict thrusty, ineffective, predictable, static 4-4-2 MON-ball until McLeish a) goes or b) learns from his mistakes. Hopefully he's less stubborn than MON.

[curiousorange]

Wesley Verhoek in 2010-11 - 35 games, 8 goals, 18 assists. Sounds pretty tidy to me.

[tom villa]

Wesley Verhoek in 2010-11 - 35 games, 8 goals, 18 assists. Sounds pretty tidy to me.

Thats what i thought

[JJ-AV]

Never heard of him, be nice to sign an experienced player from abroad who's a bit unknown. I really can't remember the last time we did that... Well someone who'd come in and actually affect the first team.