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

[OCD]

It wouldn't surprise me if Liverpool were trying to do that but I imagine we would push for a permanent deal. It would be good to get the sort of fee that Liverpool paid the last time they bought a striker in January.

[dave.woodhall]

Have Liverpool now bought Darren Bent more times than we bought Steve Bull?

[ozzjim]

On the Dempsey thing, with the way we are playing, do you not feel that Dempsey was a very serious move by Lambert, a forward that could play in the midfield 3 at the tip or either wide role of Benteke and carry a genuine experienced goal threat. I think he would have fitted into our side perfectly the way we are lining up, and would be doing very well actually.

[dekko]

On the Dempsey thing, with the way we are playing, do you not feel that Dempsey was a very serious move by Lambert, a forward that could play in the midfield 3 at the tip or either wide role of Benteke and carry a genuine experienced goal threat. I think he would have fitted into our side perfectly the way we are lining up, and would be doing very well actually.

I think it was a serious bid, but not one anyone on our end expected to actually get.  Wishful thinking.

[ozzjim]

Maybe so, maybe unaware of Spurs interest and knowing Liverpool could not afford him we tried our luck, but you can certainly see the thinking now the formation has settled down. I would expect going after a couple of options like that with experience will be high on the list come january, even if not necessarily in the prem.

[eamonn]

Fulham confirmed they accepted our offer for Dempsey. He hasn't hit the heights for Spurs yet but he was brilliant against West Ham on Sunday. That scooped ball for Bale's goal was top-class. Something Ireland could do if he was on top-form you'd like to think.

[JD]

Can we please sign Thomas Rogic from Central Coast Mariners in the Australian League. He is going to be a big star. Attacking and creative midfielder and only 19 (6ft 2). He looks an outstanding prospect. 

[sid1964]

If we signed every player, who every fan wanted us to buy - we would have a squad of a 1,000

[Percy McCarthy]

Yeah, close the thread.

[Mister E]

Cowans said the other day he hopes we bring in a 2 or 3 or maybe more in January. If the message is no money to spend, people as close as Sid are to it would not be talking like there is funds. Lambert said a week ago we have players in mind. There will be 3-4 I reckon.

Will that mean another 12 games' running-in time to get the players and chosen formation up to speed?

Here's a view on PL from today's Guardian ...

[fbriai]

Have Liverpool now bought Darren Bent more times than we bought Steve Bull?

I think there's still some way to go before we reach that stage, Dave. Particularly considering the number of times Big Ron signed him.

[Percy McCarthy]

Could a kind soul copy and paste the Guardian article please?

[not3bad]

Paul Lambert calls tune at Villa and Bent cannot make chorus line
Aston Villa face Reading as the division's joint lowest scorers but still cannot find a place on the bench for £24m Darren Bent

Most clubs would breathe a sigh of relief after ticking off back-to-back fixtures against Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal, but for Aston Villa the pressure is just about to be cranked up. Third from bottom in the Premier League, Villa host a struggling Reading side on Tuesday, who are one place below them, before travelling to Loftus Road on Saturday to face bottom-of-the-table Queens Park Rangers in Harry Redknapp's first home game as manager.

Forget all the talk of long-term projects, promising youngsters and spirited performances in defeat, Villa badly need some points. They have collected only 10 from 13 matches and have a goal difference of minus 12, which represents their worst ever Premier League record at this stage of a season. Broaden the picture a little and it is hard to escape the feeling that 2012 will go down as an annus horribilis for Villa, who have picked up a paltry 25 points from 32 matches this year. West Bromwich Albion have picked up more points than that this season.

With solid support from the board and no shortage of goodwill from the fans to fall back on, the only pressure Paul Lambert is under at the moment is the pressure that the Villa manager puts on himself. From the outside, there is no sign that he is overly concerned. Although understandably unhappy with the team's league position, Lambert has no doubt his team will pull clear without offering any real justification for that confidence beyond saying that he has faith in the ability of the players.

Villa, to give them due credit, were excellent against United for two thirds of a game they lost 3‑2 while the least they deserved against Arsenal on Saturday, when once again there was a decent tempo to their play, was a draw. Before anyone gets carried away, though, it is worth remembering Norwich City recently defeated United and Arsenal at home.

There have been a few positive signs for Villa fans. Ciaran Clark is maturing into a decent centre-half, Ashley Westwood has made the leap from League One to the Premier League with the minimum of fuss and Christian Benteke looks a real handful up front. Yet Lambert's policy of signing, and selecting, younger players from lower leagues seems like a high-risk strategy, especially with a relegation battle on the horizon.

While few Villa supporters will complain at Alan Hutton and Stephen Warnock being sent out on loan, Lambert's treatment of Darren Bent seems particularly odd. Villa lack a goal threat – they are the joint-lowest scorers in the division – and yet Bent, the £24m club-record signing who has 102 Premier League goals to his name – at a rate of one every 181 minutes – and is nicknamed "The Mailman" by Randy Lerner, the club's owner, because he always delivers, cannot get a game. On Saturday Jordan Bowery, a 21-year-old signed from Chesterfield in August and whose Premier League career consists of seven minutes at the Etihad Stadium, was named on the bench ahead of Bent.

Afterwards Lambert was asked five times about Bent's omission and in four of his five answers mentioned either "the most important thing is Aston Villa football club" or "the football club is my main priority", which seemed like an odd choice of words.

It is, of course, the manager's prerogative to pick whoever he wishes – something that Lambert pointed out – but even if he decides that he wants to start without Bent, would it not be in Villa's best interests if the striker bought to keep them up two years ago was at least available to come on from the bench? And if Lambert has decided to get rid of Bent, which is the natural conclusion many have drawn (even if the manager has never said that is his intention), what is the current situation doing to Villa's negotiating position when the transfer window reopens? It is, after all, difficult to see how Villa can play hardball over Bent's valuation when he is not among the 18 names on the manager's team-sheet.

It is all rather peculiar, not least because it is easy to imagine Bent's predatory instincts and Benteke's physical presence complementing one another and giving Villa a real cutting edge in attack. Lambert, however, sees things differently. Since their one and only start together, against Southampton in September, Bent and Benteke have been on the pitch at the same time for a total of 24 minutes in the Premier League.

It remains to be seen what team Lambert picks against Reading – the players generally find out a little more than an hour before kick off – but whichever path he decides to go down, whether Bent is on the pitch, sat behind him in the dugout or suited and booted up in the stand, the end result needs to be a Villa win.

[PaulWinch again]

I personally think we should be doing our best to get Bent in the side scoring, but that seems unlikely now. If he's leaving don't let him go to an immeadiate rival and we need to reinvest the money in quality experienced players.

[eastie]

Wouldn't mind trying to get Scott Sinclair on loan from city, he is an attacking wide player with an eye for goal and far off the starting line up at city- might be worth a try .