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

[philthebar]

There's so much good news on this page, it's difficult to pick my favourite part.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19076460

Yes a great story on a number of levels.

Agreed ,lots of positive stuff there.

[brontebilly]

I think we assumed Collins would be a reserve as he effectively replaced Zat Knight, with Dunne seen more as the Laursen replacement.  We also signed Luke Young, so the defense most were expecting was him at RB, Warnock LB and a rotation of Davies and Cuellar alongside Dunne, with Collins as 4th choice CB.  What happened was Davies sent to shit, we played Carlos at RB and, in his defence, Collins did very well alongside Dunne.

I think Curtis Davies was in need of a shoulder operation at the time and obviously Laursen had retired before that. Pretty sure the game before we signed Dunne and Collins, we beat Liverpool 3-1 at Anfield with Davies in particular being outstanding. But we ended the season before at in a bit a shambles at centre half and it was the same at the start of that season with the exception of that game.

Cuellar had been poor before that when given chances at centre half but Im not sure if it warranted buying 2 new centre halves. Both Dunne and Collins had excellent seasons but Cuellar had improved at centre half too next to Dunne on occasion but MON classic fudge, moved our best right back in 10 years, Luke Young, to left back in order to accomodate Cuellar in the side at right back.

[VILLA MOLE]

There's so much good news on this page, it's difficult to pick my favourite part.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19076460

Yes a great story on a number of levels.

Agreed ,lots of positive stuff there.

too much information, about to explode with happiness 

[Concrete John]

I think we assumed Collins would be a reserve as he effectively replaced Zat Knight, with Dunne seen more as the Laursen replacement.  We also signed Luke Young, so the defense most were expecting was him at RB, Warnock LB and a rotation of Davies and Cuellar alongside Dunne, with Collins as 4th choice CB.  What happened was Davies sent to shit, we played Carlos at RB and, in his defence, Collins did very well alongside Dunne.

I think Curtis Davies was in need of a shoulder operation at the time and obviously Laursen had retired before that. Pretty sure the game before we signed Dunne and Collins, we beat Liverpool 3-1 at Anfield with Davies in particular being outstanding. But we ended the season before at in a bit a shambles at centre half and it was the same at the start of that season with the exception of that game.

Cuellar had been poor before that when given chances at centre half but Im not sure if it warranted buying 2 new centre halves. Both Dunne and Collins had excellent seasons but Cuellar had improved at centre half too next to Dunne on occasion but MON classic fudge, moved our best right back in 10 years, Luke Young, to left back in order to accomodate Cuellar in the side at right back.

I forgot about Davies' shoulder injury!

But we lost Laursen, so that was one needed, and also sold Knight and some youth player to Bolton.  So, if you're working on 2 players for each position, that meant two were needed alongside Carlos and Davies.  How he them managed them was baffling at times, but it still worked out to be one of the best defences in the league that season.

[paul_e]

I think we assumed Collins would be a reserve as he effectively replaced Zat Knight, with Dunne seen more as the Laursen replacement.  We also signed Luke Young, so the defense most were expecting was him at RB, Warnock LB and a rotation of Davies and Cuellar alongside Dunne, with Collins as 4th choice CB.  What happened was Davies sent to shit, we played Carlos at RB and, in his defence, Collins did very well alongside Dunne.

I think Curtis Davies was in need of a shoulder operation at the time and obviously Laursen had retired before that. Pretty sure the game before we signed Dunne and Collins, we beat Liverpool 3-1 at Anfield with Davies in particular being outstanding. But we ended the season before at in a bit a shambles at centre half and it was the same at the start of that season with the exception of that game.

Cuellar had been poor before that when given chances at centre half but Im not sure if it warranted buying 2 new centre halves. Both Dunne and Collins had excellent seasons but Cuellar had improved at centre half too next to Dunne on occasion but MON classic fudge, moved our best right back in 10 years, Luke Young, to left back in order to accomodate Cuellar in the side at right back.

I forgot about Davies' shoulder injury!

But we lost Laursen, so that was one needed, and also sold Knight and some youth player to Bolton.  So, if you're working on 2 players for each position, that meant two were needed alongside Carlos and Davies.  How he them managed them was baffling at times, but it still worked out to be one of the best defences in the league that season.

Selling the youth player to Bolton was the biggest mistake, he'd have made a good replacement for Laursen in the side, which was always something we were going to need given his injury history.  A fully fit |Laursen was immense but he was an absolute timebomb, was so naive to not plan around him going out injured.

[Concrete John]

Laursen and Cahill are different types of defender, so one would not have been a replacement for the other.

[nigel]

Selling both Cahill and Ridgewell was a mistake, in my opinion.
They complimented each other and understood each others game really well.
I reckon had MO'N had a little patience in that first season we'd have had an excepional c/b pairing, saving us £20m as well (Davis £10m, Collins & Dunne £5m each)

[Toronto Villa]

Ridgewell?? Really? Wow...

[saunders_heroes]

Selling both Cahill and Ridgewell was a mistake, in my opinion.
They complimented each other and understood each others game really well.
I reckon had MO'N had a little patience in that first season we'd have had an excepional c/b pairing, saving us £20m as well (Davis £10m, Collins & Dunne £5m each)

Ridgewell was a bomb scare. He was no loss.

[Clampy]

I still believe we were a bit hasty in getting rid of Davies as soon as we did. He was looking good up until his shoulder injury up at Liverpool and i thought he took too much criticism for that awful game he had against Rapid Vienna. I don't think he was ever as bad as Warnock and Hutton have been. Maybe i'm in the minority but i thought there was a decent defender in there somewhere who just cost us far far too much.

[Merv]

I think we assumed Collins would be a reserve

That was certainly my take on it, John. I remember one of my mates, totally obsessed by Fantasy Football, who asked if Dunne-Collins would be our first choice pairing. I told him it would Dunne plus one other, thinking Cuellar until Davies recovered from his shoulder op. Collins floating around as back-up. Never thought he'd be first choice...

Collins certainly had some good moments but he was too erratic defensively, for me, during the last season or so. Composure seemed shot.

[Concrete John]

I still believe we were a bit hasty in getting rid of Davies as soon as we did. He was looking good up until his shoulder injury up at Liverpool and i thought he took too much criticism for that awful game he had against Rapid Vienna. I don't think he was ever as bad as Warnock and Hutton have been. Maybe i'm in the minority but i thought there was a decent defender in there somewhere who just cost us far far too much.

If you are, it's a minority of at least two!

He got his first run in the team alongside Laursen and looked very good and an England call up was spoken of.  When Laursen got injured he played with Carlos, which didn't work as both their natural game is to sweep behind the bigger man who attacks the ball.  He might have worked well again with Dunne, but he had that shoulder injury and the rest is history.

He's a real 'what might have been?' player to me.   

[Le Lapin]

Thought Collins might have given us some acknowledgement for the time he was here instead of bleating that he didn't want to leave West Ham in the first place.
Ah well. Best of luck to him. Hope he maintains his Villa form from last season against us.

[paul_e]

I still believe we were a bit hasty in getting rid of Davies as soon as we did. He was looking good up until his shoulder injury up at Liverpool and i thought he took too much criticism for that awful game he had against Rapid Vienna. I don't think he was ever as bad as Warnock and Hutton have been. Maybe i'm in the minority but i thought there was a decent defender in there somewhere who just cost us far far too much.

If you are, it's a minority of at least two!

He got his first run in the team alongside Laursen and looked very good and an England call up was spoken of.  When Laursen got injured he played with Carlos, which didn't work as both their natural game is to sweep behind the bigger man who attacks the ball.  He might have worked well again with Dunne, but he had that shoulder injury and the rest is history.

He's a real 'what might have been?' player to me.   

This is what I meant about Cahill replacing Laursen, I agree they weren't like for like but I think him and Davies could've made a good pairing.

[Mazrim]

It's spin. He was forced out of West Ham and had to slum it at Aston Villa until the chance came to go back.

The truth is that he couldn't get up here fast enough when we went for him and now he's surplus to requirements and unpopular with most Villa fans delighted he's gone.