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

[eamonn]

According to the stone tablets we're after a Wigan player, Brian Little and Paul McGrath. Well I assume it's them as it mentioned Moses, some bloke who walks on water and God.

WIN as the young folk, [Peter, Bjorn and Jon] say.

I thought Annan was great at the World Cup (was it him whose goalbound shot was stopped by Suarez's handball?) but at club level he doesn't seem to have done much of note. One goal in his whole career according to Wiki! As long as he can win the ball and keep it.

[JUAN PABLO]

According to the stone tablets we're after a Wigan player, Brian Little and Paul McGrath. Well I assume it's them as it mentioned Moses, some bloke who walks on water and God.

WIN as the young folk, [Peter, Bjorn and Jon] say.

I thought Annan was great at the World Cup (was it him whose goalbound shot was stopped by Suarez's handball?) but at club level he doesn't seem to have done much of note. One goal in his whole career according to Wiki! As long as he can win the ball and keep it.

I dont think we would be buying him as a goalscorer .

[N'ZMAV]

McCarthy.

[Toronto Villa]

If Carroll wants to go to Newcastle despite knowing that they don't really need him, don't want to pay for him, and given what they already have up front then he has no ambition or desire. He wants to be in an environment where he is most comfortable and loved. I get that. But life very rarely presents you with perfect scenarios and he's likely going to have to accept a place that will help reignite his once very promising career. I don't know if that is us, but there's something good going on at Villa Park and if he can become focused he'd be a great addition.

I think you're getting ahead of yourself a little, Toronto. There's an upturn in optimism around the club at present, but we've not kicked a ball in anger yet so the "something good going on" comment is a little premature, in my opinion. It's perfectly understandable that he'd look on a move to Villa at present as a huge backwards step.

From a personal point of view I'm not too fused as I don't particularly rate him, if you've got him in your side it almost forces you to play one particular way as he doesn't have many strings to his bow.

Hold on a minute. How am I remotely getting ahead of myself? I said there was something good going on which is true. Nothing bad has happened since the end of the season. Getting ahead of myself would be to suggest everything is great. I have bever once said that. We are a million miles from the finished article. We're not a top 6 side and I think top 8 is realistis this season. There is nothing in that post to suggest I am overly optimistic but I am optimistic at what has happenedso far. I place a lot of stock in having a solid pre-season free of any controversy.

Consider yourself on the cautious side of that optimism Chris if you like but that's like me pointing out with your posts that you're not being optimistic enough. Neither position is wrong. It's like occupying the middle ground in politics, where one is slightly left and one is slightly right. Essentially it's the same thing yet that's twice you've pointed out that I am getting ahead of myself.

As for Carroll, he's hardly awash with clubs dying to sign him. I've just pointed out that if he wants to get his career back on track and it is a massive if because I'm not convinced at all that he has the motivation, then we are in as good a position as any of the clubs that could realsitically offer him that platform. We are in the middle cluster of clubs that might give him a chance because none of the top clubs will be interested. As for having him dictating style of play, I don't remember Newcastle playing exclusively long ball when they battered us 6-0 and he smashed a hattrick past us two years ago. Lambert has played with a target man in the past and it doesn't suddenly make us Stoke to have a player like him in there.

[tomd2103]

If Carroll wants to go to Newcastle despite knowing that they don't really need him, don't want to pay for him, and given what they already have up front then he has no ambition or desire. He wants to be in an environment where he is most comfortable and loved. I get that. But life very rarely presents you with perfect scenarios and he's likely going to have to accept a place that will help reignite his once very promising career. I don't know if that is us, but there's something good going on at Villa Park and if he can become focused he'd be a great addition.

I think you're getting ahead of yourself a little, Toronto. There's an upturn in optimism around the club at present, but we've not kicked a ball in anger yet so the "something good going on" comment is a little premature, in my opinion. It's perfectly understandable that he'd look on a move to Villa at present as a huge backwards step.

From a personal point of view I'm not too fused as I don't particularly rate him, if you've got him in your side it almost forces you to play one particular way as he doesn't have many strings to his bow.

Hold on a minute. How am I remotely getting ahead of myself? I said there was something good going on which is true. Nothing bad has happened since the end of the season. Getting ahead of myself would be to suggest everything is great. I have bever once said that. We are a million miles from the finished article. We're not a top 6 side and I think top 8 is realistis this season. There is nothing in that post to suggest I am overly optimistic but I am optimistic at what has happenedso far. I place a lot of stock in having a solid pre-season free of any controversy.

Consider yourself on the cautious side of that optimism Chris if you like but that's like me pointing out with your posts that you're not being optimistic enough. Neither position is wrong. It's like occupying the middle ground in politics, where one is slightly left and one is slightly right. Essentially it's the same thing yet that's twice you've pointed out that I am getting ahead of myself.

As for Carroll, he's hardly awash with clubs dying to sign him. I've just pointed out that if he wants to get his career back on track and it is a massive if because I'm not convinced at all that he has the motivation, then we are in as good a position as any of the clubs that could realsitically offer him that platform. We are in the middle cluster of clubs that might give him a chance because none of the top clubs will be interested. As for having him dictating style of play, I don't remember Newcastle playing exclusively long ball when they battered us 6-0 and he smashed a hattrick past us two years ago. Lambert has played with a target man in the past and it doesn't suddenly make us Stoke to have a player like him in there.

On a purely football basis, it would be a good move for him to come to us.  He would be playing regularly and would be lining up alongside someone who could be a potential partner in the England set up.  A couple of good seasons at Villa and he 'd be in demand again and would be an England regular under Hodgson.  That said, it seems modern footballers and their agents can't see past the money, and he's more likely to sit on the bench at Liverpool than take a drop in wages and join another club.

[peter w]

I think he'd take a drop in wages to join the right club. but as well as the money there's more prestige at being on Liverpool's bench than most Premier clubs first team. Yes, footballers want to play first and foremost, or at least they did, but if you were Carroll why would you move to Wigan, Stoke, WBA from liverpool? Bearing in mind they all finished above is last season how many clubs, realistically, would Carroll want to leave Liverpool for? If he can prove himself there he puts himself on the biggest stage.

I don't think a return back to Newcastle shows no sign of ambition whatsoever it may be him attempting to rediscover his form, it may be him playing where he was comfortable yes, but going back to a team playing in Europe who finished higher up the table than Liverpool. As it is I think they'll finish 8th or 9th this season but a move back to Newcastle makes sense for him and his football. Whether we can make an impression on his decision making process remains to be seen.

[supertom]

I actually hope we don't get Annan. If he plays next to El-Ahmadi that's two of our midfield out for around a month and a bit at The African Nations from January.

Fook. Completely forgot about that.

[Phil from the upper holte]

So did I tom, Bit stupid

[supertom]

So did I tom, Bit stupid

Beckham on a one month loan to cover him?

[Dave]

It's not ideal, but if he is someone that Lambert wants then it's an annoyance that we just have to put up with.

I'd happily take Toure, Cisse or Eto'o even if we have to go without them for a month.

[Chris Smith]

Toronto, as I stressed in my post it's my opinion. I don't think there's enough hard evidence from a few warm up games to make claims that we're a top 8 side. We've signed pretty much unknown quantities so far who will need to make the adjustment to the unique demands of PL football and that usually takes time.

Of course they might surprise us and click straight away but logic suggests that it will take longer for them to settle in. Similarly existing players are going to have to adjust to the new manager and how he wants us to play as well as getting used to the new signings. I'd say a solid mid table finish is the most likely outcome.

[N'ZMAV]

The Villa teamtalk page on teletext says that we are making an audacious move to bring Christian Vieri to Villa Park.

New Manager John Gregory is thought to want to create a dream team strike partnership of Vieri and Ariel Ortega.

[Concrete John]

The Villa teamtalk page on teletext says that we are making an audacious move to bring Christian Vieri to Villa Park.

New Manager John Gregory is thought to want to create a dream team strike partnership of Vieri and Ariel Ortega.

If we could get someone like Juminho to play behind them that might be a top combination!

[Phil from the upper holte]

Ortega, I'd still take him now, even though he's probably fatter than Dunne

[LeeB]

The Villa teamtalk page on teletext says that we are making an audacious move to bring Christian Vieri to Villa Park.

New Manager John Gregory is thought to want to create a dream team strike partnership of Vieri and Ariel Ortega.

If we could get someone like Juminho to play behind them that might be a top combination!

Talk is Gareth Farrelly is regretting leaving and is being lined up for a shock return.