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

[Percy McCarthy]

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.

Hopefully there will be other additions that were conspicuous by their absence last season. Namely: man-management, motivation, defensive organisation and discipline. All very valuable qualities.

[Greg N'Ash]

All ties in with what they've been saying for more than a year. Insane wages and spending under MON in a pointless chase for the CL when you haven't actually got a manager good enough to get into the CL.. Now they realise its not that easy and so we have the bargain basement manager (at least in transfer spending and the money he'd want with his record, if not in what he cost us)., the media bites from faulkner about turning us  into England's AJax (LARF!), the huge (13-14 players) squad loss since last year.I' m afraid we're in a fairly shitty place and next season won't be much fun - as someone said earlier - we lost 36m -a big loss even if you're one of the big clubs. I just wish we could go back to 2006 and appoint a good manager.

[Dante Lavelli]

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.

Hopefully there will be other additions that were conspicuous by their absence last season. Namely: man-management, motivation, defensive organisation and discipline. All very valuable qualities.

I remember reading on a few post match threads that there seemed to be a lot of arguing going on amongst the players (collins to Albrighton is a specific example) and also that players appeared to not play as a team (people on here claimed that Young refused to pass to Ireland).

If we can get all the players united, committed and playing for each other (rather than a transfer to Man U/Liverpool etc) then I think there is already enough quality to stay up.

[Greg N'Ash]

we'd probably stay up but an AM controlled team  bobbing along the bottom with that squad. As i've said before - car-crash. if you're going to downsize people's expections then fair enough - but don't put an ex-blose manager in charge who no-one rates to do it.

[ozzjim]

Kyle Naughton linked tonight, he would be a very, very sensible addition as would cover both full back roles well and is young so would likely turn a profit in 3-4 years time. The club simply cannot say no more after this one when there is gaping holes. Yes be pragmatic with who is bought, put limits on age etc and wages, but players like Naughton at 3-4 million for a 22 year old who has a alot of promise should still be sanctioned.

[Mazrim]

Yep, mentioned Naughton today. He'd be a good target.

[Toronto Villa]

The thing with the transfer market is that there's really fuck all going on. I'm betting that behind the scenes are a bunch of clubs and agents being dicks in negotiating player deals. There's not rush right now, and the prices will all reflect the lack of real urgency. As the window winds down the urgency increases and as such obstacles that existed weeks before start to come down. The Dave Whelan's of the world realise, let's sell to Villa now because nobody has come in with more.

I'm betting McLeish's statement reflects the current state of affairs. They've probably looked at it and said, let's take a step back, go with what we've got and go back in a week or so. Agents will continue to do their job and if a player Villa want suddenly becomes available and the selling club want to do business, the deal will get done.

[Greg N'Ash]

lets face it  with one player coming in, you could make an arguement for any area of the team - they all need stengthening.Think we can dismiss the 'keeper position though

[KRS]

"We're trying to sign another one, and trying to replace the players who have left with players who are at the club," he said.
"For the time being, it will just be one and we'll be doing further assessment of the squad over the next few weeks.

Considering millions have been spent on squad members that dont contribute then it makes sense to give AM time to asses what he's got, see if he can work with them and if they are good enough to do the job, however he needs to be 110% positive on each player. If they arent good enough and we dont make more signings, then we're going to be right deep in the shit come the January transfer window.

I would like to think that we have enough going forward till at least January, the defence could be patched up with Warnock and getting them playing as a unit again, but midfield is looking very weak even if Ireland makes a miraculous recovery from the asylum. A few injuries though and we are weak all over the park and relying too much on the kids.

[eamonn]

The Given press conference is on AVTV now, where the transfer questions were asked to AM, for those who want to see it. I think season-ticket holders have that free now.

Anyway, he was asked quite a bit about signings/replacements for Downing and Young. Interesting to note his body language when talking about Ireland and Warnock. Moving back in his chair and shifting his arm at the sheer lunacy of both being ''dormant'' (a word he used a lot to describe them last season) under Houllier's reign. He made specific reference to the wage bill, Randy has obviously drummed it into him that these guys and Beye, were draining his wealth last year and he doesn't want a repeat of it.
To be fair, AM seems to be the most pragmatic manager we've had in quite a while and I think rather than meekly agreeing to Lerner, he actually does hold the same view. He knows how good Ireland is and he wants to test his own managerial abilities by getting the ''world class'' (again, his words) player at Man City of a couple of years ago, back to his best again.

Shay Given, by the way, also came across very well. Hardly anything in the way of usual footballer clichés. As he said, he is ''raring to go''.

The ''unless we spend all the money from Young and Downing plus 20% then Randy isn't interested anymore and should sell-up and fuck off'' attitude that so many are expressing is really starting to get dull.

Yes we do need more quality in, but there's still a fair bit at the club who have yet to show their true potential (Makoun, Ireland, Delph, Warnock, the young lads who made an impression last season). It makes sense for them to be given a real crack of it. Get a couple more real quality players in (N'Zogbia, an upgrade on Cuellar if he goes and Parker if we're lucky) and we'll give anyone outside the Manchester teams and Chelsea a run for their money.

[The Situation]

How can we only be signing one more player?

I'd rather spend the money now on the players we need ready for the new season rather than potentially putting ourselves in the position of having to spend "emergancy money" in January because that money wasn't spent in the summer on players we need now.

[ROBBO]

To rely on the kids more used to the reserve team would lead us to relegation, of all the promise over the last five years only Albrighton and Clark appear to have the ability and even then Albrighton faded badly toward the end of the season. We virtuall have the same squad that flirted with relegation last year and have lost the two best players at the club plus the best midielder. So what are we relying on? a full back who lost us games in the last six months he played, a midfielder who really doesnt want to be at Villa and will spit the dummy at the first opportunity and a midfield easier to cut than butter. I am hoping that it is all bluff and that we will see at least four quality players come in otherwise we will struggle.

[KevinGage]

You're talking far too much sense eamonn. I came here for the irrational 'we're doomed!' transfer thread I know and love.

[The Situation]

El Loco living up to his name... just got sent off for Peru for elbowing a Uraguay player.

[KRS]

Despite my earlier optimism, I've now come to my senses and being more realistic...if we go into next season with the current squad + 1, then we're going to be in a relegation battle for most of the season. Its going to take AM to work a few minor miracles to get the defence playing to the form of 2 seasons ago, get Ireland performing and get our relatively untried and untested kids playing out of their skin.

Work your magic Alex Potter...