Who should we sell?

[pedro25]

I wouldn't sell anyone, we are probably losing Heskey, Cuellar, Petrov, Jenas, Guzan and Marshall for various reasons anyway and we hardly had an enormous squad anyway.  So we need a minimum 5/6 new players in, if we sell others then we would need bigger numbers coming in which could be difficult.   

[NiiLamptey]

I am only Fussed on keeping:

Guzan & Given

Baker, Clarke, Lichaj

Ireland, Bannan, Irelan, Albrighton, Makoun, NZogbia, Herd, Gardner, Carrruthers

Wiemann, Bent

Ones you cant comment on (so I guess Keep):

Edna Stevens, Derrick Williams, Daniel Johnson, Graham Burke, Andy Marshall

So for me guess that means sell / let leave

Hutton, Warnock, Dunne, Collins, Cuellar

Jenas, Delph, (Petrov)

Gabby, Delfounso, Heskey

 

[VILLA MOLE]

jenas isnt ours to sell but we could try

[NiiLamptey]

jenas isnt ours to sell but we could try

hence the "/ let leave"

[Concrete John]

I think the question in the thread title should only be asked after two others are answered:-
1.  Who will be our new manager?
2.  How much money will he have to spend?

Presuming it's Lambert, my personal choice and pretty high in the betting, then here's how I see it:-

With little or no money
He needs to try and get more out of the current squad, which is a similar mandate to The Scottish Manager. 

Firstly, I think we should try and get Guzan to stay, but if not then we just look for a free reserve keeper.

Defensively, Hutton stays and fights with Lichaj for RB.  One of Dunne & Collins stays, making 4 CBs with Clark, Baker and a new signing.  Warnock goes if a decent offer comes in, when we then buy a new LB, but if not he stays.  Stevens is LB cover in either scenario.

In midfield we bring Makoun back and try him in the holding role and revert to Herd if it isn't working.  Ireland plays alongside one of them, with Gardner as his cover/competition.  We sell Gabby and use the funds to buy a new winger.  The offensive midfield option are then this new winger, N'Zogbia, Holman, Super Marc and Bannan, with the likes of Carruthers also pushing.

Bent plays as the striker, with Weimann in reserve.

So, it's a new LB, CB and winger, which is to be funded by the sales of Warnock, Collins or Dunne, Gabby, Delph and Delfouneso.

Given

Hutton/Lichaj
New CB
Clark
New LB

Makoun
Ireland

New Winger
Holman
N'Zogbia

Bent

Bench from Guzan or new reserve keeper, one of Collins or Dunne, Baker, whichever of Hutton/Lichaj aren't playing, Stevens, Herd, Gardner, Albrighton, Bannan, Carruthers and Weimann.   

With a decent bit of money
A real overhaul!

Pretty much same for the keepers, but don't be afraid to spend a few million on an up and coming reserve keeper from the lower leagues.

Get rid of Hutton, Warnock, Collins and Dunne.  Three of them only have a year left, so if no takers let them rot in the reserves.  Whole new defence, with Lichaj, Clark (although would like him to start fairly often), Baker and Stevens as cover.

In midfield move on Makoun and Delph, with a new DCM coming in to sadly replace Petrov.  Still buy a new winger, but also look for a new No 10 type player - that should be the glamour signing of the summer and mean to play more of a 4-4-1-1.

Bent as striker again, but with Gabby and Weimann in reserve and try 4-4-2 at times to keep them involved.

Given (new reserve GK)
New RB (Lichaj)
New CB (Baker)
Clark (new reserve CB)
New LB (Stevens)

New Winger (Marc)
Ireland (Gardner)
New DCM (Herd)
N'Zogbia (Bannan/Carruthers)

New No 10 (Holman)
Bent (Gabby & Weimann)

Secret option three
Even if we have a chunck of cash to spend, the new manager (Lambert!!) may want to try out some players anyway before spending.  So we'd still buy a few and still give a chance to the likes of Lichaj and Makoun, with the balance of the funds held back to January or next summer to see what strenthening is needed then?   

[Broughty-Villian]

Sorry id still keep warnock...new manager, bit of confidence, he'll be back to his best.

[tomd2103]

Sorry id still keep warnock...new manager, bit of confidence, he'll be back to his best.

The problem with the likes of Warnock are the wages they are on.  I'd maybe consider keeping him if he was on low wages, but he is reported to be on around £50,000 a week.  I'm sorry, but surely we could find a better player for less than that.  The same goes for Dunne and Ireland.

I would personally task MacDonald and Cowans with making the necessary changes now, so the new manager has a clean slate to work with.  If not, we will have the same as last summer when players who should have been moved on were kept at the club so the new manager could have a look at them and they underperformed again. 

[OzVilla]

I am only Fussed on keeping:

Guzan & Given

Baker, Clarke, Lichaj

Ireland, Bannan, Irelan, Albrighton, Makoun, NZogbia, Herd, Gardner, Carrruthers

Wiemann, Bent

Ones you cant comment on (so I guess Keep):

Edna Stevens, Derrick Williams, Daniel Johnson, Graham Burke, Andy Marshall

So for me guess that means sell / let leave

Hutton, Warnock, Dunne, Collins, Cuellar

Jenas, Delph, (Petrov)

Gabby, Delfounso, Heskey

 

Agreed apart from Gabby and Delph - but they both need a rocket.  Time for Delph to stand up and for Gabby to get back to where he once was.

[NiiLamptey]

I didnt think delph was all that when people where going mad about him earlier this season... just isnt showing as much potential as our kids and he i a lot older now, was a gamble... just didnt work out!

Gabby is a top super sub but these reports of sunderland and 10 million seem to goo to turn down! although mark my words... he will score against us!

[mikeb1982]

Everyone seems very keen to get rid of a large chunk of our very thin squad.  After the season we've just had, who exactly are we going to attract to replace all these?

Obviously we will have a new manager, so that will raise our chance of signing decent players from nil to ok, but there's still the issue of we've run out of money, and I think the confidence that a new manager will bring will rejuvenate a lot of the underperfomers.  Easing the wage bill will be handy too, but again only if a decent offer comes in.

Also to those who are having a go at young players, remember how hard this season has been, how much pressure they've been under, how negatively they've been told to play, and how they've only had one full season.  Some on here are being incredibly harsh.  Imagine you're 19 or 20, trying to get your career underway in difficult circumsatnces and having 30,000 people have a go at you

[NiiLamptey]

I am not fussed on seeing a large part of our squad wearing a villa shirt again... I dont think mcleish is wholly responsible for this, the attitudes of some of our senior players stink!

For me I think we need to hold onto the core to build a future around, the rest, if an offer comes in thats sensible cash in!

Would rather "swap" them out for hungrier - cheaper waged - players!

[Lambert and Payne]

Getting rid of Hutton is a worry, I'd take a financial hit on this

Who is out of contract this summer?

[tomd2103]

I think the confidence that a new manager will bring will rejuvenate a lot of the underperfomers. 

Also to those who are having a go at young players, remember how hard this season has been, how much pressure they've been under, how negatively they've been told to play, and how they've only had one full season. 

Mike, we said exactly the same about the underperformers last summer and they have been even worse this season.  The fact that the majority of them are the top earners at the club, means they have to be moved on if we are going to move forward.

I think many Villa fans are going to have to face the fact that many of "the kids" just aren't going to make it at the club.  Yes, one or two will go on to become regulars at Villa Park, but the majority won't be good enough to take us where we want to be.  The sooner everyone realises this fact (including the heirarchy of the club) the better shape we will be in. 

[Duncan Shaw]

Warnock is the main one for me, get whatever we can for him.  Those saying he'll be rejuvenated, it will only be for a while then he'll be back to his old self.  The only consideration for keeping him is for holding midfield.
I'd like to build the defence around Clark and Baker, keeping Collins to aid their development.
I'd keep Gabby, he'll get his mojo back, then build the attack around Bent.

[Rick_avfc]

As players like Collins, Dunne and Warnock are in their final year of their contracts, I would probably offload them to 1) get them off the wage bill 2) use the funds to reinvest elsewhere.  Although saying that, I do feel that Warnock has been better playing in midfield than left back.  He seemed to have more confidence and gave some solid performances. 

Id also consider getting rid of gabby as he is not going to get any better and I think a move away will do him some good.