January Transfer Speculation (or lack of) Thread

[Risso]

I think peope are upset by the Robbie Keane deal is because it smacks of amuterism. We dont need a past it centre forward who failed at the PL level for 2 years before going for the soft  money option (where he has not exactly been pulling up trees except when he is counting) , but the people running the club probably believe that this deal will somehow apppease the fans. Lack of real investment and ambition = Robbie Keane on loan.

For two months. Why anyone can get so worked up about it is beyond me.

You said the same about Pires, its about the message the club are sending out "let them eat cake" its just papering over the cracks, we have the keystone cops playing at the back, if they really wanted or understood how to make the current team more competitive, they would address this problem, but no we get Robbie Keane on loan- Brilliant

I said the same about Pires, although the situation was different. We were desperate for bodies at the time and he was just about the only one available. He came, he left. Nothing to get worked up about.

except as with Pires the Manager felt duty bound to play him, he came on against Wolves and lost us the game and was an embaressment when he did play.

Of course he was.

He absolutely was an embarrassment.  For 95% of the time he looked land played ike my granddad immediately after his hip operation.

[ozzjim]

Left back is the one position we have to get. Anyone that is solid and can pass to a team mate. There has to be one or two out there, again even Championship full backs are better than ours.

[JUAN PABLO]

I think peope are upset by the Robbie Keane deal is because it smacks of amuterism. We dont need a past it centre forward who failed at the PL level for 2 years before going for the soft  money option (where he has not exactly been pulling up trees except when he is counting) , but the people running the club probably believe that this deal will somehow apppease the fans. Lack of real investment and ambition = Robbie Keane on loan.

bit like Scholes really

not really, Scholes has continued to train at Carrington, he is an ex player who has signed for the rest of the season, no comparison

yes but we are Villa

[ozzjim]

Maybe we could set up a scouting thread, one that brings forward players we have not heard of but could keep an eye out for from our various posters around the country. Do we have one already? Anyway... if someone could start with a left back that would be dandy.

[old man villa fan]

I think peope are upset by the Robbie Keane deal is because it smacks of amuterism. We dont need a past it centre forward who failed at the PL level for 2 years before going for the soft  money option (where he has not exactly been pulling up trees except when he is counting) , but the people running the club probably believe that this deal will somehow apppease the fans. Lack of real investment and ambition = Robbie Keane on loan.

For two months. Why anyone can get so worked up about it is beyond me.

You said the same about Pires, its about the message the club are sending out "let them eat cake" its just papering over the cracks, we have the keystone cops playing at the back, if they really wanted or understood how to make the current team more competitive, they would address this problem, but no we get Robbie Keane on loan- Brilliant

I said the same about Pires, although the situation was different. We were desperate for bodies at the time and he was just about the only one available. He came, he left. Nothing to get worked up about.

except as with Pires the Manager felt duty bound to play him, he came on against Wolves and lost us the game and was an embaressment when he did play.

I seemed to remember him being man of the match in one game and going off to a standing ovation.  Not saying much about other appearances though.

[ozzjim]

Blackburn home. He was fecking brilliant. And in fairness, for me, worth signing for that afternoon.

[Ian.]

Maybe we could set up a scouting thread, one that brings forward players we have not heard of but could keep an eye out for from our various posters around the country. Do we have one already? Anyway... if someone could start with a left back that would be dandy.

Luke Young played well at left back for us. Better than Warnock anyway. But yeah we need one and I have not a clue who's out there and I'm hoping we are looking.

[villan1975]

Left back is the one position we have to get. Anyone that is solid and can pass to a team mate. There has to be one or two out there, again even Championship full backs are better than ours.

My mate Steve is left footed.Not overly inspiring I know but it is a start.
He a bit on the heavy side and short sighted but he really cannot do a lot worse
than our current left back.

[pauliewalnuts]

Pires was embarassing bar that Blackburn cup game. Mark Fletcher got it right in one match thread when he said "it looked like a fan had run on the pitch".

However, Houllier signed Pires when we were suffering one of the worst injury crises we've ever suffered, and could only sign unattached players. I entirely understand why he took a gamble. It's not as if he had many options. We desperately needed bodies.

Keane is being signed during a transfer window, after several months of being told we can't buy until we sell, and we can't add to the wage bill.

General Krulak said of McLeish (just before he disappeared from view) "imagine what he could do with a chairman who backed him".

No wonder he did a bunk, I'd like to see how he'd justify this as "backing" the manager.

[saunders_heroes]

Comparing Keane to Pires is a bit unfair. Keane's 31. Pires was about 37 when he joined us.

[olaftab]

Again no point in making any signings in Jan for 3 reasons:
1. You pay too much  for mediocre
2. Eck needs to get the best out of current crop so that we can trust  him to spend money wisely
3. Give our youth a chance

We haven't really got any youth who can play left back though have we?

Where is Nathan Baker?

[saunders_heroes]

Again no point in making any signings in Jan for 3 reasons:
1. You pay too much  for mediocre
2. Eck needs to get the best out of current crop so that we can trust  him to spend money wisely
3. Give our youth a chance

We haven't really got any youth who can play left back though have we?

We've been giving our youth a chance for years now. They're just not good enough.

[PeterWithesShin]

Pires was probably the best player available to us, or indeed anyone, who needed to get a body in at that moment in time.

Keane isn't.

[Matt C]

At Millwall.

[saunders_heroes]

Pires was probably the best player available to us, or indeed anyone, who needed to get a body in at that moment in time.

Keane isn't.

It's pretty obvious we haven't got any money to spend in January, so Keane is probably our best bet. Not much difference to the Pires signing really.