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

[PaulWinch again]

I'd rather we didn't raid Norwich, they've got a couple of good players but I think they very much overachieved.

[john e]

as much as i feel Lambert will be good for Villa, i think we might well be dissapointed in the players he brings in,

if he gets someone like Johnson who i see has been mentioned on here, then i will be amazed, he is exactly the type of player i mentioned in a earlier post about exciting players, but i fear we may not be going down that track.

Holt will be one of the first signings, and that will set the template for the way we are going to play, functional energetic types will be the order of the day, i'm nt saying thats all bad at all, but i just think we will feel a bit deflated by the end of the transfer window.

although good news if what Nursey had to say about bringing Macoun back, i think we should see what he can do.

[Concrete John]

I'd take Pilkington from Norwich.

And perhaps the plan is to get our existing exciting players some freedom again by buying 'functional energetic types'.  So we play Bent with Ireland behind and Gabby and N'Zog wide.  Get that working well and sort the defence and central midfield behind them and we'll win a lot more than we lose!

Given

Hutton/Lichaj
New CB
Clark
New LB

Gardner/Herd
New DCM

N'Zogbia
Ireland
Gabby

Bent

Subs from: New reserve GK, Stevens, Collins, Hutton/Lichaj, Herd/Gardner, Bannan, Holman, Super Marc, Weimann

[N'ZMAV]

I'm really not sure who half of these Norwich players are.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I think buying Grant Holt twice is an extravagant waste of resources.

Buying him once would be.

I believe it would be a big, big mistake.

[PaulWinch again]

I think buying Grant Holt twice is an extravagant waste of resources.

Buying him once would be.

I believe it would be a big, big mistake.

Agreed, I'll be a bit gutted if we sign him.

[Mazrim]

I can't say I'd be overjoyed because we're starved of exciting football and Holt is not going to provide that but then again we have the guy who knows him best and is Darren Bent exciting? Only when he's scoring.

I'd rather we went for some sort of tricky number 10 but if Lambert wants to bring Holt in, fair enough.
We do lack a big strong bloke option up front now I suppose.

[N'ZMAV]

Ok, bring Holt in. But let's still try and play Football. I don't want us to start lumping it up to the big man, it get's boring.

[Concrete John]

Holt is a journey man number 9 that has just had his best ever season.  See Harewood, Marlon.

I know it's Wikipedia, but checking into it Holt was signed at Norwich before Lambert got there?  It says 24/07/2009 and that he made his debut in the 7-1 loss to Lambert's Colchester before he took over at Norwich?

[fredm]

Wasn't Holt club captain at Norwich?  If so, PL might want him to sort things out in the dressing room and have him as a back up player.

[Monty]

Holt would just be a classic bad signing. Strikers are always overvalued compared to what they can contribute, and it isn't a priority. He's scored some goals but in a one season sample which, as many have said, makes him no different from Marlon Harewood. He's 31, right at the end of his peak years, so you'd be paying top money for an inevitably declining player - the opposite of what you should aim for in the market. Also so many "go with what you know" signings don't work as the player fails to adapt to his new surroundings and teammates, and can sometimes act as a millstone around the new manager's neck. His signing would possibly indicate a worrying lack of imagination, which I hope will be the least of our worries given Lambert's impressive record of signing naebodies and turning them into players.

Worst of all, though, his signing would be a concession to overly direct football, a style which almost cannot work at a club like Villa. Teams will come to Villa Park to park the bus and hit on the counter, and a big diagonal ball to the big target man gives the opposition many advantages - and the ball. We need something different to what we've had in a long time, and something different to what Norwich had for spells of last year. Let's not waste some of our transfer budget only to learn that the hard way.

[JJ-AV]

Two centre midfielders should be the priority. Then a full-back, centre back and a forward.

A goalie and wide player are also needed, but not as important as the above.

Centre midfield is the most important part. Hopefully Makoun can be one of them. Howson looks a good player to me. As does Pilkington. I'd take Holt if the contract was right (2 years on half of Heskey's wage can't be a bad shout, can it? Replace Heskey's squad place with someone who will certainly contribute more and would still save £1.5 per year off the wage bill, which would probably cover the vast majority of Holt's fee).

We've lost alot of experience, and don't have much left. He's a captain and a leader and we lack that further up the pitch.

[JJ-AV]

Naughton shouldn't be too difficult to get. Spurs would probably sell and I doubt Norwich would be much competition now we've got Lambert.

Naughton, Holt, Holman and Makoun returning would be a nice start. All could realistically be there for the first day of pre-season which would have freshened the squad up, alot and leave money in the kitty.

Then put the effort and imagination into getting a partner to compliment Makoun.

[Holy Trinity]

holt would be possibly the worst signing we have made since beye. please just no, they want 8 million for him for gods sake, thats what huddersfield want for rhodes and he has a potential sell on for mega bucks if he hit 20 a season for 2 season in the prem, and please dont spout the line that rhodes has never scored in the prem and holt has, marcus stewart was it 20 in his first season in the prem and didnt score at all his second season or he may have got 1.

i would prefer we went to the continent to sign a striker but if all else failed i'd take rhodes but first choice would be free transfer prognyback(sp)

[Concrete John]

Even at £2m and circa £30k a week, I think we could get a better, and younger, striker than Holt.  OK, maybe a bit more in the initial fee, but certainly better value for money.