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

[Mazrim]

I must admit I'm at a loss to explain this summer. I know weve been spending beyond our means for a while but appointing McLeish, selling Young and Downing after selling Milner, letting plenty of other players go to further reduce the wage issue and also signing the best commercial sponsorship we've ever had and also larger than ever TV rights money and so on. Something doesn't add up.

Scratching around trying to flog a player or two in order to bring in a player we desperately need isnt worthy of us I'm affraid and though I've been critical of those abusing the general, I get the feeling the mixed messages from him, at odds with McLeish, coupled with the complete absence of any info at all from the chairman and CEO is causing genuine alarm.

Still we can put out a pretty decent team out and I'll still get that excitement when Villa take the field but my enthusiasm has taken a blow this summer.

[Chris Smith]

I think if that's where we at chris then we no choice but to accept it- it's just a bit galling that one board mber spouts how randy will give his manager great backing and imagine what mcleish can do with such backing , when it clearly isn't true - maybe with a view to ticket sales or not I cannot say , but it would help if they were singing from the same hymn  sheet- could this maybe be why the general doesnt post much on here?

It wouldn't be the first time that the General has been 'off message'. I don't think he's one of the key decision makers.

Randy's letter is a different matter. I know it's not likely to set the pulses racing but it does tell us what they want to do, i.e. improve our commercial operation in order to fund improvements on the pitch. 

[Risso]

I think if that's where we at chris then we no choice but to accept it- it's just a bit galling that one board mber spouts how randy will give his manager great backing and imagine what mcleish can do with such backing , when it clearly isn't true - maybe with a view to ticket sales or not I cannot say , but it would help if they were singing from the same hymn  sheet- could this maybe be why the general doesnt post much on here?

It wouldn't be the first time that the General has been 'off message'. I don't think he's one of the key decision makers.

He's a non-executive director tasked with communicating with supporters.  If he's "off message" then it's more evidence of the rank bad management at the club.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Reading many of the posts on here at present I'm trying to recapture how excited I felt at the end of last season and early part of the summer with all the speculation re new manager/names touted. Even following AM's appointment I still felt optimistic particularly after what the General said about backing AM and my own perception that Randy would be obliged to support his controversial choice.
On the eve of the new season I'm feeling disheartened and a bit let down by the whole thing.
I think we're gonna struggle and see a repeat of last season but without the flourishing finale!   

[Ger Regan]

This has to be the most pointless thread on here since last summer's one.

[PaulWinch again]

I must admit I'm at a loss to explain this summer. I know weve been spending beyond our means for a while but appointing McLeish, selling Young and Downing after selling Milner, letting plenty of other players go to further reduce the wage issue and also signing the best commercial sponsorship we've ever had and also larger than ever TV rights money and so on. Something doesn't add up.

Scratching around trying to flog a player or two in order to bring in a player we desperately need isnt worthy of us I'm affraid and though I've been critical of those abusing the general, I get the feeling the mixed messages from him, at odds with McLeish, coupled with the complete absence of any info at all from the chairman and CEO is causing genuine alarm.

Still we can put out a pretty decent team out and I'll still get that excitement when Villa take the field but my enthusiasm has taken a blow this summer.

Pretty much my view on things as well.

[hawkeye]

If our finances really have got that bad that quickly, then you do have to wonder what kind of strategist Randy is, if it came down to "splurge it all in a few years and we're fucked if it doesn't work".
[/quote]I think this is where it is at. They expected MON achieve CL and gave him what they considered was the backing to do it. It did not work. So now is consolidation and hope.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

I must admit I'm at a loss to explain this summer. I know weve been spending beyond our means for a while but appointing McLeish, selling Young and Downing after selling Milner, letting plenty of other players go to further reduce the wage issue and also signing the best commercial sponsorship we've ever had and also larger than ever TV rights money and so on. Something doesn't add up.

Scratching around trying to flog a player or two in order to bring in a player we desperately need isnt worthy of us I'm affraid and though I've been critical of those abusing the general, I get the feeling the mixed messages from him, at odds with McLeish, coupled with the complete absence of any info at all from the chairman and CEO is causing genuine alarm.

Still we can put out a pretty decent team out and I'll still get that excitement when Villa take the field but my enthusiasm has taken a blow this summer.

Pretty much how I feel too Maz, but you convey it much more eloquently!

[Hookeysmith]

Now we know how Everton fans feel   

Why have we not bought a player for over 2 years then?
Lets not get carried away eh  as i said earlier we have spent the 7th most on transfers this summer - not what we wanted to hear, not what we was sold by Gneeral and not what we think is good enough to be chasing the pack of 4/5/6/7 teams above us

But lets not forget we have some bloody good players here already

Top GK and International

2 x International CB's

Both full backs have been full internationals

Some fantastic kids who are a year more experienced and wiser

A brilliant goal machine up front

Could be better but lets face it could be sooooooooooooooooo much worse as well

[JJ-AV]

We should have let Cuellar go when Rangers first offered £1.5m and got Upson or Woodgate on a free to replace him.

1 out, 1 in and we're £1.5m up which could have gone toward a Hitzlsperger's wages.

As for Tommy, it makes sense to me. We've got some good kids but after Stan and Makoun we've got no experience. He can cover LB too.

[JJ-AV]

I still think there's a possibility we can get Barton/Parker but only late on in the window when the player and Club (in West Ham's case) will have more realistic expectation of his value.

Likewise Hutton. There are 3 players there that almost certainly have to move on before August 31st.

[ozzjim]

Linked with Adam Johnson on loan today too - that would be the best signing I can see us making at the moment. He would be a start for us, but then it would be disappointing to see him going back.

[Grande Pablo]

Tuncay wouldn't have been a bad shout, but Bolton are buying everyones cast-offs at the moment.

Michael Johnson from Citeh?

[Toronto Villa]

Tuncay wouldn't have been a bad shout, but Bolton are buying everyones cast-offs at the moment.

Michael Johnson from Citeh?

didn't he go to Leicester on loan?

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

I still think there's a possibility we can get Barton/Parker but only late on in the window when the player and Club (in West Ham's case) will have more realistic expectation of his value.

Likewise Hutton. There are 3 players there that almost certainly have to move on before August 31st.

But if what AM says is the case, and we have no reason to think he's not being honest, we ain't gonna be going for anybody cos we got no money!