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

[johnny from donny]

didn't we have sturridge on our books as a schoolboy?

[Hookeysmith]

We have to realise that he will not (PL that is) come in and make huge sweeping changes -

Not really because that's exactly what I'm expecting him to do. It depends on your definition of huge though.

If you assume replacing what we have  / had like for like then we would only stand still

Gone

Heskey
Guzan
Beye

Suggested by most on here to go / needs to be replaced

Dunne
Collins
Warnock
Stan
Fonz
Hutton

That is 9 players just to stand still - i dont know of any club that would have such a huge player turnaround in one hit. So my assumption is that we have 3 actually gone we will need 3 in. Of those to be got rid of i really cannot see any more than one maybe 2 to go so that would mean 5 to come in just to stand still.
As i said i cannot see 5 decent quality 1st teamers joining at this time

[Merv]

I liked the other Ukrainian winger, Yarmolenko. Played on the right but left-footed.

The two Italian full backs/wing backs v Ireland impressed me, too. Balzaretti and Abate. Abate plays for Milan though, not really gettable.

[James]

Any team managed by Steve Bruce usually signs a new team each summer! 

Holman is already in, that's one done anyway. You could argue that Beye was replaced by Hutton, so only needs replacing again if Hutton ships out. We still have Andy Marshall as reserve GK too and you could further argue that Weimann replaces Fonz! Also, Makoun is coming back, so it's not as bad as you're making out, more a case of shipping out the end of contract players and replacing with younger, hungrier ones who have a bit more experience than the young hungry ones already on the books. Not a bad thing, and certainly do-able.

[ozzjim]

Villamatt off talk sport on twitter saying we are offering a new deal to Guzan, as are vital Ipswich as they are in for him apparently.

I would be happy enough with Guzan back, I think in time, Guzan could be a class keeper, and needs to get some football under his belt, but we looked better as a defensive unit with him than Given last season IMO, as he actually came to collect the ball and is very vocal.

[nigel]

Villamatt off talk sport on twitter saying we are offering a new deal to Guzan, as are vital Ipswich as they are in for him apparently.

I would be happy enough with Guzan back, I think in time, Guzan could be a class keeper, and needs to get some football under his belt, but we looked better as a defensive unit with him than Given last season IMO, as he actually came to collect the ball and is very vocal

Agree,
I mentioned something similar earlier in the thread.
N'ZMAV also mentioned Robert Huth (page 215), think he'd be an excellent addition.

[James]

Huth signed a new contract at Stoke didn't he?

I wouldn't be averse to having Guzan back, but I thought he wanted to be #1, in which case Ipswich might just have the edge for him, unless Given is going to fulfill his wish of moving to Celtic!

[JJ-AV]

It'd be good to have Guzan back. He should have kept his place when Given came back from injury, he'd done nothing wrong.

If he's only got an offer from Ipswich, hopefully he'll look at Given's recent form, age and injury record and think he can get the shirt off him.

[dave.woodhall]

It'd be good to have Guzan back. He should have kept his place when Given came back from injury, he'd done nothing wrong.

If he's only got an offer from Ipswich, hopefully he'll look at Given's recent form, age and injury record and think he can get the shirt off him.

I've lost count of the number of times I've seen a Villa reserve keeper come into the side, play well for a few games then lose his place when the number one is fit again. We moan about it, moan a bit more when he leaves a couple of years later but none of them have ever gone on to be a success anywhere better.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

It'd be good to have Guzan back. He should have kept his place when Given came back from injury, he'd done nothing wrong.

If he's only got an offer from Ipswich, hopefully he'll look at Given's recent form, age and injury record and think he can get the shirt off him.

I've lost count of the number of times I've seen a Villa reserve keeper come into the side, play well for a few games then lose his place when the number one is fit again. We moan about it, moan a bit more when he leaves a couple of years later but none of them have ever gone on to be a success anywhere better.

I agree.
People were slating Guzan after the Blackburn League cup semi and rightly so, Given is a much better keeper. No contest.

[JJ-AV]

Maybe not, but how do you build a competitive atmosphere when a manager does something like that? It'd be understandable if we were playing for anything.

Also it's worth considering Given's questionable injury history. We really do need a solid number 2, it wasn't as important when we had Brad Snr.

/

I see Flamini is on a free, he'll probably have better suitors and I assume his wages are astronomical as it'll be the third free transfer of his career, but stranger things have happened.

[villadelph]

Maybe not, but how do you build a competitive atmosphere when a manager does something like that? It'd be understandable if we were playing for anything.

Also it's worth considering Given's questionable injury history. We really do need a solid number 2, it wasn't as important when we had Brad Snr.

/

I see Flamini is on a free, he'll probably have better suitors and I assume his wages are astronomical as it'll be the third free transfer of his career, but stranger things have happened.

I dont know if Flamini would be an effective player in the prem at this point in his career. I really hope we reel in Johnson and Naughton.

[Redsamurai]

rumour on internet west spam bid for holt been accepted
- might end us been linked to him now

[JJ-AV]

Maybe not, but how do you build a competitive atmosphere when a manager does something like that? It'd be understandable if we were playing for anything.

Also it's worth considering Given's questionable injury history. We really do need a solid number 2, it wasn't as important when we had Brad Snr.

/

I see Flamini is on a free, he'll probably have better suitors and I assume his wages are astronomical as it'll be the third free transfer of his career, but stranger things have happened.

I dont know if Flamini would be an effective player in the prem at this point in his career. I really hope we reel in Johnson and Naughton.

How come? He's only 28.

Can't say I've followed him closely at all since he's been at Milan though.

[tomd2103]

Huth signed a new contract at Stoke didn't he?

I wouldn't be averse to having Guzan back, but I thought he wanted to be #1, in which case Ipswich might just have the edge for him, unless Given is going to fulfill his wish of moving to Celtic!

Would think he would probably have a few offers to go back to the US as well.