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

[eamonn]

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.

Wasn't our form from January-May fifth or sixth best in the division?
Ash will be missed a lot, Downing less so, though he had a good season. Maybe I'm becoming more happy-clappy but Ireland, Albrighton and N'Zogbia (or whoever we get of at least a similar quality), on form will be as productive for us as the two we've sold. I know some feel Ireland/Marc being on-form consistently is a big 'if' but they've got the talent, and now a manager who (in Ireland's case) will give them every opportunity and encouragement to shine.

As for NRC being our best midfielder...hmm, we will miss his tackling and energy but little else and I think we'll replace him anyway. Delph and Makoun will add more to our game especially going forward.

If you're expecting four quality players to come in, prepare to be disappointed. A really good winger and midfield-stopper (or all-rounder like Parker) and maybe a solid defender is as good as it's likely to get. And I'm quite at ease with that. I have every condfidence that McLeish will put that defence back into shape - Warnock, Collins and Dunne fit, happy and motivated like in MON's last season and that he'll give our attacking players the confidence to deliver the goods.

[brontebilly]

Very worried if we dont sign a replacement in centre midfield. Think we should offer Petrov as bait for someone. Without Reo Coker our midfield could be bullied badly next season.

If Ireland, Makoun, Warnock, Delph could improve to be certain first team players, then it would be like four new signings but Id have doubts about all four.

[Dante Lavelli]

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.

There you go! The rallying call we should all bow down to.
I can't wait for the season to start.

[Maradona10]

It's not about being hysterical, the bottom line is the club tries to set itself up with all these promotional campaigns for renewals and new shirts but no one seems to answer including PF that we have lost two of our best players and they have not been replaced but yet were sold this corporate bollocks. General stated we would see ACTION, it's a joke, what did PF say after selling Downing, they could replace him? It's going to be a long season, if we're relying on kids who I believe are not even that good, we all have this hype over Albrighton, until he starts looking up and becoming a better footballer I can't see him being a world beater and it's crazy we're putting all our hopes of creativity on him. I'm not worried on the defence as we'll be organised but expect hoofball under Tin Tin!

[eastie]

A good point earlier - randy could spend another £30m and maybe finish 7th and earn an extra £3m in finishing position or spend no more and finish maybe 10th and thereby save his £30m investment.

To make the champions league would cost massive £100m minimum, maybe we have accepted mid table is as good as it gets.

[KevinGage]

If you're expecting four quality players to come in, prepare to be disappointed. A really good winger and midfield-stopper (or all-rounder like Parker) and maybe a solid defender is as good as it's likely to get.

It depends on the individual interpretation of quality I guess, but for me Parker would be in that catergory. As would N'Zog and Dann (and Given).  They might not be fending off interest from Barcelona or the like, but they're good players at Prem level and would all pretty much walk into our starting XI from the get go.

The yardstick I would use is that if they go to other clubs, I'd be disappointed, rather than relieved. And perhaps fans at Everton, Sunderland and the like will feel that way if/ when some (or all) of the above arrive at Villa.

[robbyfvillain]

cannot see Parker coming to VP. Nearly 31, approx 8m transfer fee, huge wages 60-80k per week, 3 or 4 year contract and no resale value is not where we are at the moment.

Total cost in the region of 20m on a player with a history of injuries and who can only get worse is simply not realistic. 

[garyshawsknee]

I understand the need to cut the cloth,and curb our spending with the new rules coming in,but to replace 40 million worth of talent with one 10 million winger is really risky.

I don't have a problem with using promising youngsters,but the idea of using two players at 33 who are way past it in Heskey and Beye scares the shit out of me. It's also risky not to back a manager who'll be under immediate pressure.

[Clampy]

I'm not surprised all the Downing and Young money is not being re-invested but i thought a chunk of it would be, say £25m, because we needed to. If he brings in the player he's after, then maybe a loan or two towards the end of the transfer window, then it may not look so bad. Once he's watched a few pre-season and first couple of league games, he may decide he needs to strengthen in areas anyway. I think we can discount the likes of Parker, Vargas etc.

[VillaAlways]

I'm hoping that this is the same as when GH said we don't need any new strikers and then up popped Darren Bent.

I can but hope 

[ozzjim]

I think there has to be a policy to bring in players like Walker and Naughton at the age Spurs did though. Walker will triple his fee already and that is just from loan spells.

I hope that Eck has the remit to find young gems that are likely to make the profits we have on Young and Downing and Milner.

[Dante Lavelli]

A good point earlier - randy could spend another £30m and maybe finish 7th and earn an extra £3m in finishing position or spend no more and finish maybe 10th and thereby save his £30m investment.

To make the champions league would cost massive £100m minimum, maybe we have accepted mid table is as good as it gets.

Eastie, I've not read the 5-10 posts after my last but what you say is exactly my point and strangely contrary to what you normally demand. We should unite the club from the fans up in a relegation battle and then give our youngsters a bash. We might come 17th but at least we'd know how good Bannan, Clark, Albrighton are without spending 10-15m hedging our bets on unknown replacements.

Let's imagine Bannan is awesome next year........ That'd save us £20m (Henderson) if it works which would mean we could paper over all sorts of cracks....

[Mister E]

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.

Yep, that's where I'm at, TV (see my post of a few pages back). Lots of needless stressing on here, whereas the guy in the hotseat has taken a step back.

[Chris Smith]

To have a good look at Clarke, Bannan, Delph, Delf etc they are need to play games. This is a big season for them, one in which they have to show that they have what it takes. I can see the logic in giving them the opportunity before deciding where to strengthen.

I'm concerned that we're short at full back and in a ball winning midfielder, other than that if the youngsters feature, the rejects produce what they are capable of and we sign CNZ I think we have a decent squad, at least enough for top 8.

[paul_e]

A good point earlier - randy could spend another £30m and maybe finish 7th and earn an extra £3m in finishing position or spend no more and finish maybe 10th and thereby save his £30m investment.

To make the champions league would cost massive £100m minimum, maybe we have accepted mid table is as good as it gets.

Eastie, I've not read the 5-10 posts after my last but what you say is exactly my point and strangely contrary to what you normally demand. We should unite the club from the fans up in a relegation battle and then give our youngsters a bash. We might come 17th but at least we'd know how good Bannan, Clark, Albrighton are without spending 10-15m hedging our bets on unknown replacements.

Let's imagine Bannan is awesome next year........ That'd save us £20m (Henderson) if it works which would mean we could paper over all sorts of cracks....

Yet again, that only applies if you have kids with potential to give a look to.  If we sign nzogbia and stop we'll be in a situation where injuries to nzogbia, albrighton or warnock will force us to play one of the youngsters out of position to fill the hole.  That's not fair on the kids and is going to do nothing for their development in most cases.

2-3 players to fill these gaps and an extra central defender (if cuellar is sold) are needed if only to have injury cover.  If this involves signing players like Naughton on loan then I can live with that but we do need to get some numbers in, be it as young backup on the cheap or as established players to challenge for starts.