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

[cfetters]

I'd love to play poker with all you guys.  This is just McLeish putting the screws to Whelan, nothing more.  Now Whelan has to figure out what McLeish means - is the one signing his guy?  Or has he moved on?  Or the fact that he's open to other possibilities and AVFC looking to other creative midfielders mean N'Zogbia is a distant memory?  Or has McLeish laid out his line in the sand, and that's that?

Brilliant move by AMC to get the git thinking.  And the longer this goes on without another serious bidder in the mix, the more it favors AVFC getting N'Zogbia for the original asking price.  Should put an end to this 'haggling' for CNZ.

Reading all these pages, and hardly a backbone among the lot here.  I could take all you for thousands.  Anyone in here even remotely experienced in the art of the negotiation? 

-C.

Do you think its wise, after the summer us fans have had to suffer so far, for the club to send the manager out to make a statement such as this if not true?

I certainly don't

I don't think it's going to matter one bit in a few days, because then the story will be something different.  That's the way news cycles work. 

IMHO, this is nothing more than what Redknapp does every day of the week during windows - negotiate through the press.  And when an ass like Whelan is screwing around with prices that had already been agreed to earlier, it's time to fight back.

And despite what many here think, it's not as if Lerner has a mil in his back pocket to just splash around, simply because we're negotiating against ourselves.  Who else is in the chase?  To those who just say pony up because the fans have had a miserable summer is just lack of business 101 accumen, plain and simple. 

Let the man do his business, and then tally it up at Craven Cottage for the first game.  All the rest is just hot air and entertainment to keep folks like us interested in the game. 

-C.

I'd love your opinion to be true, really I would.

I just can't see the sense in McCleish saying this if not true.  Firstly, as seen on this thread, it doesn't exactly impress the supporters.  Secondly season ticket sales are hardly going to sky rocket on the back of it.

People aren't saying that Randy should splash the cash as we've had a miserable summer.  We need to buy a no of players as without them, we have at best a very average squad that with a few injuries would be very close to going down. 

As I said before, if Randy can't / won't do that, he should be looking at selling the club.

I'm desperately hopeful i'm wrong (sorry Mazrim, I know that pisses you off)

As a mis-placed American on this board, the thing that helps ticket sales is winning - nothing less.  Maybe it's different in Birmingham, but I doubt it. 

RL has ALWAYS supported his managers in the transfer market, and I don't expect any different with AMC.  That's why I think today's comments by AMC weren't directed toward the Villa fans.  It's just posturing and negotiating, nothing more. 

AMC will get the players he needs, whether it's now or in January - and RL will give him the backing.  He always has.

-C.

[VillaZogmariner]

NRC - We offered him a new contract but he turned it down.
Friedel - As NRC
Young - 1 year left and went to Champions.
Downing - Made it clear wanted out and we got silly money for him.
Walker - Was only at the club on loan.

Nothing we could really have done about any of them is there.

Doesn't matter really matter how they left, the fact is that all five played a reasonably significant part throughout last season and none will be available next season.  Given + 1 would leave some alarming gaps, if true, and would mean we're relying on some rather unreliable characters coming good to get us through the season.

I think we need a minimum 4 players (Left Back, Centre Back, Defensive Midfielder, Left Winger), ideally another 3 on top of that (Right Back, Creative Midfielder, Right Winger). And that is assuming nobody else leaves after Carlos.

[tarzansbrother]

Makes sense that when we go on tour Nzogbia will join Given with us. As has been stated another part of the mind games in signing him with the Wigan chairman

[nick harper]

Defence and up front we may just get away with it if we get N'Zogbia but our midfield options are simply not good enough. I'd have NRC back like a shot at the moment.

[asgpaul]

I wouldn't read too much into comments made today, if the right players AM wants become available, I'd still WANT to believe he'd be backed (within reason) to go and get them.  At least we'll know end of August if indeed this is the case. 

Infact I'd be more concerned if AM had annouced he was going on a spending spree, giving all and sundry the opportunity to put a mark up on any players we'd show an interest in.

 

[TheSandman]

I think we need a minimum 4 players (Left Back, Centre Back, Defensive Midfielder, Left Winger), ideally another 3 on top of that (Right Back, Creative Midfielder, Right Winger). And that is assuming nobody else leaves after Carlos.

Agree with that. One is almost certainly not sufficent.

[malckennedy]

Radio WM with doom and gloom commentary from Paul Franks ("Randy's not interested any more") and everyone turns into a cross between a lynch mob and a suicide squad. God, I'm so glad that the main contributors (whingers and moaners) on this site aren't representative of the majority of Villa fans I know. Although, no doubt, they are the vocal minority of boo boys at matches that make our club look so silly in the press and on TV by turning on our own people at the slightest excuse, thereby exacerbating the problems that they're so worked up about (like conceding a goal, for example). Moyes is on record commenting on this trait at VP, which may have influenced the fact that he never ever had the slightest intention of coming here.

Why don't those of you who have threatened to, just give your season tickets up and leave the rest of us to suport the team?

It's been a few days since we last had a "I'm a better supporter than you" post on here.

What a strange comment?

[hilts_coolerking]

I think we need a minimum 4 players (Left Back, Centre Back, Defensive Midfielder, Left Winger), ideally another 3 on top of that (Right Back, Creative Midfielder, Right Winger). And that is assuming nobody else leaves after Carlos.

Agreed.  I'd maybe consider a centre forward too.  The only cover for Gabby / Bent is two rookies.*

* ETA: I'm not counting Emile.

[timeoutbigbar]

Defence and up front we may just get away with it if we get N'Zogbia but our midfield options are simply not good enough. I'd have NRC back like a shot at the moment.

Yep.  A midfield 3 of

Makoun/Delph      NRC/Petrov        Ireland/Bannan

would be ok(ish), but with no NRC i'm not sure we'll have enough physical presence in there.

[Clampy]

Makes sense that when we go on tour Nzogbia will join Given with us. As has been stated another part of the mind games in signing him with the Wigan chairman

Who knows, it may not just be mind games with Wigan, maybe there's another club out-pricing us for a player. Let's just say for the sake of argument that we've bid for two players and both clubs are not budging on their asking price. By saying we're only planning to bring in one more may cause some movement. I'm just guessing here and it's in hope i suppose.

We need three more in me thinks.

[mrfuse]

I dont like having to rely on only 1 proven midfielder! which happens to be Petrov!

Delph could be a good player, Ireland may be able to get back to some kind of of form and Makoun has had only a bit of premiership experience.

Theirs a lot of ifs and maybes too many for my liking!

[VillaZogmariner]

Given, Guzan, Marshall - Only Given good enough, but can he be trusted to be fit for about 50 games over 9 months?

Young, Lichaj, Beye - Lose Young to injury for any length of time and we'll struggle, not sure Lichaj is Premier League ready yet. Beye is just an oxygen thief.

Warnock, Baker - Very weak

Dunne, Collins, Clark - Lose one of them and we're on our bare bones, lose two and we're fucked.

Petrov, Makoun, Delph, Gardner, Hogg, Herd - Stan on his last legs, Makoun I think will do well and hopefully Delph is over his injuries. Gardner and Herd not ready yet and Hogg not good enough.

Albrighton - Need more width in the squad

Ireland, Bannan - Neither work in a 4-4-2, but will do in a 4-3-3/4-4-1-1. Just got to hope Ireland gets his head right.

Bent, Agbonlahor, Heskey, Delfouenso, Wiemann - I think we should be able to cope with these.

[VillaZogmariner]

I think we need a minimum 4 players (Left Back, Centre Back, Defensive Midfielder, Left Winger), ideally another 3 on top of that (Right Back, Creative Midfielder, Right Winger). And that is assuming nobody else leaves after Carlos.

Agreed.  I'd maybe consider a centre forward too.  The only cover for Gabby / Bent is two rookies.*

* ETA: I'm not counting Emile.

If he decides to play 4-4-2 then I'd agree, however I think with the squad of players we have that is not a formation that would suit us. 4-3-3/4-5-1/4-4-1-1 hybrid thing would suit us better.

[Drummond]

Doesn't the season start with the first friendly?

[eastie]

Very good Analysis of things vs!