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

[johncvilla88]

Makoun gone on loan with view to making it permanent at the end of the year. Wait to see movement on Cresswell or Bennett tomorrow

http://www.staderennais.com/index.php?rb=22&id=AT7560

[pauliewalnuts]

EDIT - having just read the news of Gary Gardner's injury, it's even more threadbare now.

If there was one area where we most certainly aren't "threadbare" is midfield.

Regarding transfers, I see this season being what last season should have been, a chance to really evaluate the youngsters and decide who to keep or replace. We're all very proud of them and talk them up but the reality is some are now 22, 23 years old and should be showing signs to being capable to step up. The last thing we want is another case of buying a Zat Knight and letting go an England international/Champions League winner.

If "threadbare" is needing a left back and maybe another striker, then I agree with you but let's not go heavy on the rouge just yet, Paulie.

Midfielders who can create something are what we lack, and we've one less option now than we had yesterday.

KEA, Holman, Ireland, Delph, N'Zogbia, Bannan, Herd.

Have I missed someone? Not many options there.

[villadelph]

I brought him up about 200 pages ago and was told we wouldn't be able to afford the fee or his wages but Ki Sung-Yeung has moved from Celtic to Swansea for £5.5 million. Can't believe Swans ended up with him, I think he is a good player that could have greatly helped our squad.

[nick harper]

That squad has relegation written all over it. Much work to be done by this time next week.

We are a couple of injuries away from a crisis and we're not out of August.

[ozzjim]

We are very short of quality in fairness. If there is not a lot of cash, then 2-3 more in the mould of what we have signed in more attacking positions would be fine.

[PeterWithesShin]

By my reckoning this is our current fit squad to pick from. With question marks over Hutton and Warnock being picked and Fonz having a minor knock it's a bit worrying if i'm honest.

1 Shay Given
2 Alan Hutton
3 Stephen Warnock
4 Ron Vlaar
5
6 Ciaran Clark
7 Stephen Ireland
8 Karim El Ahmadi
9 Darren Bent
10 Charles N'Zogbia
11
12
14 Brett Holman
16 Fabian Delph
19
22 Brad Guzan
23 Nathan Delfouneso
25 Barry Bannan
26 Andreas Weimann
29 Enda Stevens
30 Eric Lichaj
31 Chris Herd
32 Nathan Baker
33 Andy Marshall
34 Matthew Lowton
35 Daniel Johnson
38 
39 Benjamin Siegrist
40

I should point point that I took the currently injured players out of the squad, just in case anyone misreads it and takes it as our full squad for the season.

[Monty]

That squad has relegation written all over it. Much work to be done by this time next week.

We are a couple of injuries away from a crisis and we're not out of August.

You mean the squad which has slightly improved on last year in terms of personnel and which stayed up last year under a far, far inferior manager?

[JUAN PABLO]

By my reckoning this is our current fit squad to pick from. With question marks over Hutton and Warnock being picked and Fonz having a minor knock it's a bit worrying if i'm honest.

1 Shay Given
2 Alan Hutton
3 Stephen Warnock
4 Ron Vlaar
5
6 Ciaran Clark
7 Stephen Ireland
8 Karim El Ahmadi
9 Darren Bent
10 Charles N'Zogbia
11
12
14 Brett Holman
16 Fabian Delph
19
22 Brad Guzan
23 Nathan Delfouneso
25 Barry Bannan
26 Andreas Weimann
29 Enda Stevens
30 Eric Lichaj
31 Chris Herd
32 Nathan Baker
33 Andy Marshall
34 Matthew Lowton
35 Daniel Johnson
38 
39 Benjamin Siegrist
40

I should point point that I took the currently injured players out of the squad, just in case anyone misreads it and takes it as our full squad for the season.

and of course Warnock and Hutton will not be playing.   Ireland and Nzogbia need to prove themselves and other injury prone players can easily get *injured*   .      Bent is class but needs supporting and others are in their first Prem season .

We need to buy !!

[JUAN PABLO]

p.s   Other teams we would have been in competition with , have got a lot stronger this weekend.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

EDIT - having just read the news of Gary Gardner's injury, it's even more threadbare now.

If there was one area where we most certainly aren't "threadbare" is midfield.

Regarding transfers, I see this season being what last season should have been, a chance to really evaluate the youngsters and decide who to keep or replace. We're all very proud of them and talk them up but the reality is some are now 22, 23 years old and should be showing signs to being capable to step up. The last thing we want is another case of buying a Zat Knight and letting go an England international/Champions League winner.

If "threadbare" is needing a left back and maybe another striker, then I agree with you but let's not go heavy on the rouge just yet, Paulie.

Midfielders who can create something are what we lack, and we've one less option now than we had yesterday.

KEA, Holman, Ireland, Delph, N'Zogbia, Bannan, Herd.

Have I missed someone? Not many options there.

Well if Holman, Ireland, N'Zogbia and Bannan can't create anything, what are they doing in the team, as none of them are defensive midfielders. We know each of them has the talent so let's trust them on that and what Lambert can get from them, rather than what TSM failed to do.

[nick harper]

That squad has relegation written all over it. Much work to be done by this time next week.

We are a couple of injuries away from a crisis and we're not out of August.

You mean the squad which has slightly improved on last year in terms of personnel and which stayed up last year under a far, far inferior manager?

Yes. I don't think the young players, of whom we are now more reliant, are good enough.

[Risso]

We're only 5-1 with most bookies to go down this year.  I know that reflects a lot of things, and you can't read too much into it, but bloody hell, depressing nonetheless.

[Ads]

Half of Villa Talk lumping on it.

[Mister E]

Gardner will not be fundamentally missed in terms of first-team performance: for him, this would have been the season where he graduated into a first-team player. And to that extent his injury is bad news, for him and the future. I wish him well.
KEA will do fine for us this season, as long as we keep him fit. But the other midfielders are less secure; they could be our salvation - but there are lots of conditionals there:
- is Charles really a player for us? I don't think he's got the commitment; shame but true.
- will Holman step up to the EPL pace / standard? I think he will do, and he will be a key player by the end ofthe season.
- Will Ireland find some consistency? My view that he will not, which is a problem for us.
- Can the likes of BB and Herd build on last season and get better? I think Herd can; not so sure about Bazza.
- Will Daniel Johnson step up to the plate? Will Carruthers mature into a tricky winger?
- Can Delph mature into a feisty ball-carrying midfielder?

There are too many variables here which is why - in a change to recent posts I've made - I do think an additional MF this window would benefit us, along with a LB.
I'd like to see us offload Charles (and possibly Ireland) at the same time, though.

[rob_bridge]

I brought him up about 200 pages ago and was told we wouldn't be able to afford the fee or his wages but Ki Sung-Yeung has moved from Celtic to Swansea for £5.5 million. Can't believe Swans ended up with him, I think he is a good player that could have greatly helped our squad.

Delph - I saw him at Cov during the Olympics. He ran the game from start to finish v Switerland. Much more influential than the Captain who plays for Arsenal. The lad Cardiff signed looked good too.

The missus is South Korean and she said 2 years ago that they expected him to be as good as Park Ji Sung. In Korea they basically show games with Korean players as a priority.

Ah well at least she will see a proper English football ground tomorrow.