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

[Dave P]

but a big no to Holt. We have Bent and Weimann...

And that's it though apart from an out of form Gabby.  Part of our downfall in the past few seasons has been strength in depth, especially when Bent got injured.  We cant pin our hopes on a player coming back from a bad injury and a kid and we shouldn't turn our noses up at a player who got 17 goals last season, who is available and who the gaffer knows well.

[Monty]

.but a big no to Holt. We have Bent and Weimann...

And that's it though.  Part of our downfall in the past few seasons has been strength in depth, especially when Bent got injured.  We cant pin our hopes on a player coming back from a bad inujury and a kid and we shouldn't turn our noses up at a player who got 17 goals last season, who is available and who the gaffer knows well.

And who is 31, limited, decent for a small club but my god we're Aston Villa! Our football's been stuck in the past for too long, and we've restricted ourselves to unimaginative options for too long. We need to branch out and think a little more ambitiously than someone who's had one good season at the end of his peak years.

[Percy McCarthy]

We all have our own opinions on players and have a bit of fun expressing them, but ultimately what we need is to employ a good manager and support him while he gets on wirh it.

[Monty]

We all have our own opinions on players and have a bit of fun expressing them, but ultimately what we need is to employ a good manager and support him while he gets on wirh it.

And be entitled to question his actions, of course. Also, to have the humility to admit we're wrong if we do get it wrong, as the manager we're employing appears to be able to do.

[Toronto Villa]

We all have our own opinions on players and have a bit of fun expressing them, but ultimately what we need is to employ a good manager and support him while he gets on wirh it.

Completely agree. Even though someone like Holt isn't the ideal signing, if Lambert feels on a short term deal he will help then so be it. I'm sure the are better options out there and I would rather we went and found a striker towards the end of the summer, but it won't be the end of the world if he signs. He's a lot better than Harewood that's for sure and would give us another option off the bench. Most importantly we have to sort out the defence and midfield, so I'll be interested to see how he handles that.

[Monty]

True TV, although Harewood is actually a very good example of the dangers of signing a striker on the basis of scoring goals in one season.

[The Situation]

I really don't want us to sign Holt. Credit where its due he did well at NORWICH last season but he's soon to be 32, we don't need him and have other more concerning priorities where money needs to be spent wisely. Signing Holt would not be spending money wisely.

[Toronto Villa]

True TV, although Harewood is actually a very good example of the dangers of signing a striker on the basis of scoring goals in one season.

For sure. Watching Holt he just is much better than Harewood. The difference is that unlike Harewood, if Lambert bought him he'd immediately know how to best use him which makes him more valuable.

[Monty]

True TV, although Harewood is actually a very good example of the dangers of signing a striker on the basis of scoring goals in one season.

For sure. Watching Holt he just is much better than Harewood. The difference is that unlike Harewood, if Lambert bought him he'd immediately know how to best use him which makes him more valuable.

It's a fair point. However, there really should be no argument as to whether or not he represents good value at the kind of figures being mooted (£6m, I believe!), certainly not good value within any budget we have.

[Toronto Villa]

True TV, although Harewood is actually a very good example of the dangers of signing a striker on the basis of scoring goals in one season.

For sure. Watching Holt he just is much better than Harewood. The difference is that unlike Harewood, if Lambert bought him he'd immediately know how to best use him which makes him more valuable.

It's a fair point. However, there really should be no argument as to whether or not he represents good value at the kind of figures being mooted (£6m, I believe!), certainly not good value within any budget we have.

That would be mental, and I can understand why Norwich would want top dollar. That's why I don't think we'll go for him because we have so many other priorities at the club to address.

[Monty]

Precisely. I'd say we have nearly a whole new defence to buy, maybe a keeper, certainly a midfielder (though I do think the returning Makoun would have a role to play).

[Summers]

I'd love to see Murphy in a Villa shirt. Model pro, great on the ball and works hard. He's older, yes, but we need some experience in the middle to help out the kids.

Also hope if we want a bigger forward we go for PavPog or Klasnic instead of Holt.

[Toronto Villa]

Despite the troubles of last year the kids also will be stronger for their experience last year. They'll be much happier with a change of environment and a positive outlook. We've got some lovely players at the club and I want to see their growth as much as I want to see new bodies arrives and the shit leave. I'm really looking forward to see how Gardner and Carruthers come on because the some serious talent there.

[Chipsticks]

List of players on free transfers:

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1084115/premier-league-free-transfers?dfg&cc=5739#

[ozzjim]

I think there are a few freebies that could do well at Villa this summer, but the wages have to be kept in check.

Grant Holt, hmm, on a 2 year deal for a fee of say 4 million, at 40k a week it is going to cost us 8 million. For that, if he scored 20 goals in 2 seasons, it would be better value than Heskey and Harewood were for sure. He would clearly be a short term option, but would I guess sort out a position fairly cheaply that after Bent, Gabby and Weimann we are light. If we sold Delfounesso for a couple of million to go towards the fee, then maybe it is worth it.

I see whoever comes in as wanting their own leader in the dressing room. Holt has been Lamberts for 3 seasons, and has scored 70 goals in those 3 seasons. If he came in as a short term measure to help us up the table while we build the side and squad, maybe it is not a bad move. Bent would certainly thrive from him being in the side I reckon.