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

[Phil from the upper holte]

Well said Sonlyme - I'm off to off-topic til September as I cant cope with anymore of this hysteria

You'll be back before then

[dave.woodhall]

Nope, looks like he's learned a few things from Peter Ridsdale though.....

I would hope every owner has learned something from Peter Ridsdale. I'm certainly glad Villa are nothing like Leeds under that idiot. 

[boboonthecorner]

So this is the holy grail we were aiming for at the end of 5 years?

[Steve67]

I hope we are being clever with what McLeish has said.  Blues think we are trying for Dann as our only signing, Wigan think we are after N'Zogbia.  Sign them both on the same day.  Wishful thinking I know but "just imagine what a Manager could do if he was backed by his board."

Champions League, here we come!!

[mrfuse]

So we've gone from delight at Given's arrival to despair within 24 hours; fickle anyone?

I wouldnt say weve gone from delight from signing Given, we needed a keeper we got a decent one.

[Chris Smith]

“For the time being, it will just be one and we’ll be doing further assessment of the squad over the next few weeks.

Doesn't seem unreasonable.

[Mister E]

God, some of you lot really are amazing!
- McMinge has laid out his thinking for the close season; 2 players in and let's see how they and the rest of the squad get on ...
- The transfer market is bunged up; no-one's really moving (or, at least, the players that we might be interested are at clubs where the trading has not started).
- he clearly believes that CNZ is on his way to B6.

Give the man some slack, FFS!!

Re RL:
- pay-offs to ex-managers / clubs are not budgeted through the transfer pot; he'll have charged that from other expenses and he'll have made allowances for those contingencies;
- charging a management fee of £11m for £180m investment is not excessive;
- he ain't about to dump us or sell up (who wouldd he sell to).

Chill out, everyone!

[olaftab]

Aftab: Wouldn't he understand the squad's strengths & weaknesses from speaking to his colleagues (eg Sid), looking at previous matches, remembering how he prepared his team to cope with us last season, etc. Also, I'm sure he'll have spoken to Ged before and after joining Villa. Waiting absolute ages before signing somebody is a MoN excuse. A few injuries and we'll be screwed.

Yes he can get info from other people but he is the appointed Manager. His job is to get as much as possible from some  older players like  Warnock, Ireland and Makoun and youngsters like Fonz, Bannan and Albrighton. Surely if he make them contributing members of the squad that is like having 6 new players.

[Matt Collins]

The man u game was the highlight of our young team's break through. But let's remember the goals were still prefominantly down to young downing and to a lesser extent gabby. Albrighton was pretty good that day; downing sensational. It's a big jump up for our youngsters to be bossing these games.

It's partly exciting - it would be wonderful if our kids really are that good, and in hindsight we'd have been better holding on to Cahill and Gardner. But apart from albrighton and to a lesser extent Clark,  bone of them have ever really done it in the prem. Bannan and delph are very much in the cameo camp.

[Mazrim]

Albrighton was the best player on the pitch vs Man Utd.

[Matt Collins]

No, downing was a complete level above I promise you.

[pauliewalnuts]

Churchill Redknapp is the king of saying "I don't expect anyone in" before signing 2 or 3. McLeish might be the same. Might only be 1 but if he gets Warnock and Ireland onside aswell as giving Bannan and co a good chance I'm optimistic that we might surprise one or two. Get N'Zog and a battling midlfielder (although this could be Delph) and we will be ok. 

The problem is, there are some pretty chunky "ifs" in there - assuming we'll get anything out of Warnock and Ireland is highly risky.

The only way we're going to surprise anyone if we really do just make the one addition to the squad is going to be in a bad way, I'm afraid.

This will be the squad which spent almost all last season just outside the relegation places, minus the ten or so players released a few weeks ago, minus Ashley Young and Stewart Downing, and plus Given and (assume) N'Zogbia.

What on earth do we expect AM to achieve with that?

[bob]

Uh-oh, we're hoping to ride our luck.

Gonna be a long season.

[Steve67]

The man u game was the highlight of our young team's break through. But let's remember the goals were still prefominantly down to young downing and to a lesser extent gabby. Albrighton was pretty good that day; downing sensational. It's a big jump up for our youngsters to be bossing these games.

It's partly exciting - it would be wonderful if our kids really are that good, and in hindsight we'd have been better holding on to Cahill and Gardner. But apart from albrighton and to a lesser extent Clark,  bone of them have ever really done it in the prem. Bannan and delph are very much in the cameo camp.

I agree with this assessment.  Whilst I also agree with Mazrim's sentiment that Albrighton was te best player on the pitch against United too.  Clark is good but getting booked so often is a sign of not quite being up to the pace of the Premiership, yet.  Bannan and Delph underwhelm me.  Both could come good, but they need to work on their game.  Delph how not to get injured and Bannan to make simple passes as well as the hollywood ones.  They are decent players but not top six material now or dare I say, at all.

[Mazrim]

No, downing was a complete level above I promise you.

No he wasn't. I dont care about your promises.