Summer Transfer Thread: Speculation, Lies, Absolute Cr*p and Bosman Rumours

[Monty]

Goalscoring is all about movement in the box...Lineker was a master at it but did sod all outside it. If he scores 20, there's a good chance he will miss 20 as well, buit I'd take that.

Football has changed in the last twenty years. You can't ignore the stats that playing Bent's way makes a team score fewer goals overall. Bent needs to adapt.

The statistics show that when Bent scores more goals in a season, the team will have an overall lower goals total.

Is that true?  It’s believable but have you/anyone crunched the numbers to test the theory?

Weirdly enough I first did it a few years ago when people on here were saying we should sign Bent. This is mostly based on his time at Tottenham, where they noticeably scored fewer goals when he played more and scored more.

[avfcpg]

I think it's gonna be a case of you will never know. Who's to day they would have scored more goals wothout him in the side?

Personally, I would keep him...goals win game and he scores them. We've been crying out for one for years. However, he does need someone alongside him...

[eastie]

Bent needs a strike partner who offers a tactical change when needed but also can set him up. Someone like Jones may not be a long term desire but it meets what we need now in my opinion. And is someone Bent knows and can play well with.

Agree with this, get kenwynne in asap .

[Percy McCarthy]

Monty is right about Bent. He scores goals but makes the team in general score less. Don't understand why people would take that equation.

Our midfielders don't commit to forward runs when he's on the ball because they're pretty sure he'll lose it and they're preparing to defend. Watch them.

[john2710]

The team we started with yesterday was more or less the best available, which is a worry. The football / possession was promising but;

We have too much reliance on young players who have not been proven at this level and may never be good enough.

We need to get the players / system that gets the best out of Darren Bent. There are no goals anywhere else in the team & no width.

We need a left back, winger & target man as a minimum.

With those players we will comfortably finish mid-table.

Gabby, Albrighton and Dunne were all unavailable so even without buying anyone that team can be improved significantly. It's going to take a few weeks at least before we know how good the new signings are going to be. I think we might see one or two more come in but those expecting instant results are probably going to be disappointed.

Gabby would have made a difference yesterday. As a minimum we must buy a left back and another forward. Anyone who thinks that going into a 38 game season with only Bent, Gabby as our reliable forward options is going to be proved badly wrong. Delfouneso and Weimann are either not good enough or not ready.

[Monty]

Monty is right about Bent. He scores goals but makes the team in general score less. Don't understand why people would take that equasion.

Our midfielders don't commit to forward runs when he's on the ball because they're pretty sure he'll lose it and they're preparing to defend. Watch them.

Very perceptive Perce, you're completely right. Ireland, Holman and Zog are known for goals from attacking midfield, but none of them seemed to trust Bent in the build up.

[Dante Lavelli]

he [Bent] does need someone alongside him...

At Charlton he played upfront on his own which was arguably his best form.

[Monty]

he [Bent] does need someone alongside him...

At Charlton he played upfront on his own which was arguably his best form.

Indeed, but crucially they were a defensive, counter-attacking side. On the counter, you already have players running towards their own goal and more space around the defenders, so Bent has more freedom of movement and will get more chances. However, this is clearly a limited way of playing and when teams set up 11 behind the ball and don't let you counter-attack, you need everyone to contribute in the build-up. Bent has done this, but needs to be much more consistent.

[tarzansbrother]

Villa will not make anymore signings. Priority will be shedding Makoun,Hutton and Warnock. If Fletcher is being valued at £15m then with a similar record it makes sense to stick with Gabby. Any budget we do have I would spunk on Adam  Johnson on loan for the season. He really would make a massive difference.

[john2710]

Villa will not make anymore signings. Priority will be shedding Makoun,Hutton and Warnock. If Fletcher is being valued at £15m then with a similar record it makes sense to stick with Gabby. Any budget we do have I would spunk on Adam  Johnson on loan for the season. He really would make a massive difference.

So we go without a left back or are you suggesting Johnson could play there??

[rawly66]

Anyone can see we have to spunk it on a LB and a wide man ,, jarvis or johnson wide , left Back I'm not sure who,, but still think Eric is better option than Nathan

[pauliewalnuts]

In the last three season’s published accounts (listed on Swiss Ramble) we have lost 54m, 37m and 46m which Randy has effectively paid from his own pocket (via loans to the club I think).  That’s 137m in three seasons, yet we demand more money from him.

The club has been poorly managed to have consumed that amount of money and still have a dreadfully weak squad.

I'm sure Randy doesn't like spending that kind of money, but if he carries on slamming the brakes on as he has done recently, we will get relegated. That's not hyperbole, either, look how close we sailed to the wind last season.

You can moan all you like about fans clamouring for more money, but we just want the club to do well, and not have more seasons like the last two.

It's also worth pointing out that it was his stewardship of the club that turned that kind of investment into gigantic losses and ending up largely back where we are when we started six years ago, it wasn't the fault of the fans.

I don't expect or want him to throw huge amounts at the club in a futile chase for glory, but if he is envisaging some kind of Ajaxesque system where you consistently grow your own success, thus avoiding the need to invest in players, then he's in for a rude awakening.

We have a switched-on, progressive young manager, but if he is not backed soundly, then he'll achieve not much more than the previous, less progressive manager.

[tarzansbrother]

Villa will not make anymore signings. Priority will be shedding Makoun,Hutton and Warnock. If Fletcher is being valued at £15m then with a similar record it makes sense to stick with Gabby. Any budget we do have I would spunk on Adam  Johnson on loan for the season. He really would make a massive difference.

So we go without a left back or are you suggesting Johnson could play there??

I think we need creativity more than a left back.

[rawly66]

Agree. , but priority has to be a wide man who take his man on and get DB the service he needs

[KRS]

Any budget we do have I would spunk on Adam  Johnson on loan for the season. He really would make a massive difference.

I'd go with that...I cant think of a more attack minded player than Adam Johnson. He only has one thing on his mind and that is create space for a shot or a cross at pace...with Bent lurking in the box for tap ins, then Adam Johnson is exactly the kind of player we need.