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

[Monty]

4-4-2 hasn't gone out of fashion, it's become outdated. It's a results business, and the best results are not achieved by 4-4-2. The pyramid became outdated, the W-M became outdated, the libero became outdated and now 4-4-2 is going the same way.

Why? Because it's like putting straitjackets on your central midfielders. If you play with two wide players and two genuine forwards, there is no link between those forwards and the midfield. Either you're presented with two banks of four to play through (which is why games between two such 4-4-2s often produce boring stalemates) or, even worse, you're outnumbered by an opposition midfield three. Those numbers cannot be overcome.

What will often happen is central midfielders will receive the ball from defenders in, say, the centre circle, turn around and be presented with two forward-going options: 1) play it to a wide man and hope he can get in a cross, or 2) pump it over the lines to a striker, who will hopefully win the ball in the air. Option 1) almost never works because the winger is faced with similar numerical problems to the central midfielder. Option 2) often leads to the dreaded Flick-On to Nowhere, but let's say the striker takes the ball down on his chest, back-to-goal on the eighteen yard line. What does the central midfielder do? Does he get forward to support the forward? If he does that and the move goes wrong, we could be facing a 5-on-1 situation in the midfield on the counter-attack. However, if he stays back, there won't be many options for the winger (who will inevitably receive the ball from the striker) to cross to, rendering a cross often more hopeful than accurate.

Of course, there is option 3): pass the ball sideways to your fellow central midfielder endlessly until the ball goes back to the defence or goalkeeper, who will attempt option 1) or 2) and often give the ball away. Comparing that midfield situation to one where the player receives the ball in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, he has far more options, more opportunities to make a mistake with team-mates backing him up behind him. Option 2) then becomes a real possibility as well, as the striker will have someone coming from deep to support him, as opposed to someone wasting space standing 5 yards adjacent, also man-marked. There's no competition here, none at all.

[Toronto Villa]

I've figured out what happened to Blackwell. Clue. He's dead but didn't back here as a butterfly


WINKY

[Monty]

I've figured out what happened to Blackwell. Clue. He's dead but didn't back here as a butterfly


WINKY

Aye, I've got that before. Not sure if stating the bleedin' obvious is the same as suggesting Rivaldo should be our assistant manager, but there we go .

[ozzjim]

Looks like he is likely to back to Newcastle anyhow. Ba, Carroll and Ciise. Interesting, especially as they only really play 1 up with 1 wide, and go through sides with passing much of the side. For us he would be interesting, but I would say he is very much a backward step for Newcastle

[cdbearsfan]

I think if Newcastle are in for him and Liverpool are willing to loan him, he'll go there. The only way we'd get him is if Liverpool want to sell rather than loan and we stump up the cash.

[Monty]

Looks like he is likely to back to Newcastle anyhow. Ba, Carroll and Ciise. Interesting, especially as they only really play 1 up with 1 wide, and go through sides with passing much of the side. For us he would be interesting, but I would say he is very much a backward step for Newcastle

That's what I think. Unless they think Ba is off, it's a surprising move.

[KRS]

Would actually be a good move for Carroll if he ends up back there. We have more important playing positions to address so I'll consider it a bullet dodged if he doesnt come to VP.

[villadelph]

Ron Vlaar confirmed to be at Villa Park today.

Feyernoord center back and captain, started for the Netherlands in the Euros against Denmark and Portugal. Villa could be the team to snap him up on a Bosman, el Ahmadi helping with talks.

[BedsVillain]

Ron Vlaar confirmed to be at Villa Park today.

Feyernoord center back and captain, started for the Netherlands in the Euros against Denmark and Portugal. Villa could be the team to snap him up on a Bosman, el Ahmadi helping with talks.

Wow! Where's this confirmed VillaDelph?

[VILLA MOLE]

Ron Vlaar confirmed to be at Villa Park today.

Feyernoord center back and captain, started for the Netherlands in the Euros against Denmark and Portugal. Villa could be the team to snap him up on a Bosman, el Ahmadi helping with talks.

on villa blog somebody on a stadium tour said they saw lambert showing someone around VP , oohhh i do get excited 

[Monty]

Ron Vlaar confirmed to be at Villa Park today.

Feyernoord center back and captain, started for the Netherlands in the Euros against Denmark and Portugal. Villa could be the team to snap him up on a Bosman, el Ahmadi helping with talks.

Now that would be exciting! It's a rumour mill cliche, but we appear to actually be raiding Holland, and I for one approve.

[SHEPS]

Would actually be a good move for Carroll if he ends up back there. We have more important playing positions to address so I'll consider it a bullet dodged if he doesnt come to VP.

Agreed. From almost every way I think of the relative merits of AC at Villa it's a bullet dodged.

If we needed a CF I'd put him last on the wish list.

[Toronto Villa]

Ron Vlaar confirmed to be at Villa Park today.

Feyernoord center back and captain, started for the Netherlands in the Euros against Denmark and Portugal. Villa could be the team to snap him up on a Bosman, el Ahmadi helping with talks.

on villa blog somebody on a stadium tour said they saw lambert showing someone around VP , oohhh i do get excited 

Showing someone has become Ivan Ramis on one site and now Ron Vlaar. Blimey. Let's hope it isn't the bloke just repositioning the dugout seats. Let's hope there is a CB on the way though. I do love it though how someone has the info that our Karim is also now part of the negotiating team.

Edit- great news. Ron Vlaar is now a Villa player - according to Wiki

[JJ-AV]

From what I've seen there's a picture of a couple of blokes with Lambert. Could be anyone.

Hope it is Vlaar though, ball playing centre half isn't he? Although the Dutch defence was horrific at the Euros.

[mrastonvilla]

The photos are on villa talk. Sounds right, Lambert did say some of the targets were at the euros!