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

[VillaAlways]

Given our desperate, desperate position, you'd think that two weeks into the transfer window, we'd have lined up some experienced players to bring in. But no.

That's because we've got to shift players before we can buy apparently.

[eastie]

Only the Guardian and Telegraph are reporting the same Greg. There has clearly been some communication from the club.

Pat murphy also said similar last night ,  , so I think it's pretty likely the club have had some sort of contact with a few chosen  journalists, of which I doubt nursey would be one.

[eastie]

Great comments again Brian.

Great post Brian.

[Greg N'Ash]

Yep top post from Brian. Think its all smoke and mirrors as well. Theoretically Lambert's got a budget of over 20m if he sells the likes Hutton, Warnock, Ireland, Bent etc.. but we know we can't shift them because of their wages. I reckon we've got about 5m plus whatever Lambert raises from sales so 5m. It will all pan out soon anyway. Either the likes of me will look stupid for doubting Lerner, or there's going to be a lot of disappointed people on here.

[eastie]

Yep top post from Brian. Think its all smoke and mirrors as well. Theoretically Lambert's got a budget of over 20m if he sells the likes Hutton, Warnock, Ireland, Bent etc.. but we know we can't shift them because of their wages. I reckon we've got about 5m plus whatever Lambert raises from sales so 5m. It will all pan out soon anyway. Either the likes of me will look stupid for doubting Lerner, or there's going to be a lot of disappointed people on here.

Sent you a pm Greg, regarding a pm received  from pelty yesterday.

[PaulWinch again]

I'm hoping it's not, but I think it might be too late. It would take seriously quality players to address this slide now, and we've been beaten at home by two relegation rivals. After more mockery at work today, I'm fucking sick of it.

[eastie]

The thing is while we've waited for signings we've  dropped vital points and that could be the defeat that come may is the difference between staying up or going down, we could have been 6 points clear but now we are in the drop zone . Players should have been signed by now given the state of our squad.

Bloody hell my car is covered in snow -yuk.

[Mazrim]

The only real option left to Randy now is to spend. It doesnt make sense to "protect the finances of this club" if the outcome is relegation - a financial disaster.
Get the players in that we need to stay up. Take the hit. If you can sell some players, great, if not, tough shit. There's no more time or room to manoeuvre.

Then I'm sorry to say but I suggest he looks to move the club on in the summer to somebody else if possible. Keep a stake maybe.
Or at the very least implement a complete leadership change in the boardroom.
Without football people in the upper echelons the club are looking like rank amateurs and its been the case for a while now.
So in times like this we are reactionary and indecisive.

[PaulWinch again]

We are complete reactionary and have been for some time, unfortunately short of something remarkable it may be too late.

[Mazrim]

I dont believe we are "doomed" at all. Not yet anyway.
So there's still a huge impact a few good players can have, as well as the return of Vlaar etc.

[Ron Manager]

As I said, Mr Micawber waiting for something to turn up in the form of buyers for the overpaid deadwood accumulated by previous managers.   The perfect do nothing cop out.

Brian are you saying Darren Bent is  'overpaid deadwood' because if you are there are many who would disagree with you.

Darren Bent is a consistent Premier League goalscorer, its in the record books.

For whatever reason the current manager doesnt appear to rate him or does not wish to play to his strengths that is putting a piece of leather in the net which by the way wins games if the defence does its job which ours patently cannot.

I agree with you in many respects  but think we will have two very cheap signings come in to help out unless Lerner shocks us with a sudden input of finance which I doubt .

Plenty of time left to get out of this mess but I certainly have no confidence in the Chairman, P.Faulkner and now much as I hate to say it Paul Lambert the manager I wanted.

Everything is in decline it seems to me.

Obviously in time something will happen but when it does it may be far far too late.

[PaulWinch again]

Problem is we've got into a cycle of defeat and feeling hard done by. I hope Lambert has a bit more that 'we go again' when it comes to addressing the team. It's going to take serious quality and a mentality change to turn this around. The only saving grace is we're not loads of points behind.

[eastie]

Problem is we've got into a cycle of defeat and feeling hard done by. I hope Lambert has a bit more that 'we go again' when it comes to addressing the team. It's going to take serious quality and a mentality change to turn this around. The only saving grace is we're not loads of points behind.

I really think a win against bradford and Wembley would see a huge lift and we could take  confidence and go on a run from there but if we lose it could be an enormous blow from which we may not recover - so much at stake on Tuesday night.

[brontebilly]

I hope that we can get rid of our high earners, but to be honest who would want them!

They have let this club down big style.

I will never forgive the likes of Ireland, Bent, Hutton, Warnock, Dunne for the way that they have both played for our club, with there half hearted effort and the way that they have behaved off the pitch  (slagging off Cowans etc...) and yet fans say give them another chance... FFS if I were the manager they would all be training by themselves after everyone else had gone home.

I don't understand how or when Dunne has ever let us down ?
Injury prone maybe, but letting us down ? 

Really ? Do you remember Houlliers season when he turned up about 2 stone overweight?

He was disgrace at the start of that season. Never forget the home game v Bolton where he looked and played like a whale. Was one of our best players when he came back into the side around Xmas time and turned things around.

Injured a lot last season too. I dont think Dunne has much time left as a professional footballer. He didnt look after himself when he was younger (honey monster), now has suffered about 12 months of injuries and is 33. Id be surprised if he plays any more than one more season with a club after Villa.

Stephen Ireland is finished as a top level player. Considering the wages we pay him, the best we can expect is that he can on loan and we pay some of the wages. He will leave on a free to go play in Australia or Qatar when his contract runs out.

Not happening for Nzogbia at all at the club. Might find someone to take him off our hands but we are talking about about a 6m hit.

Given has suffered a run of injuries over the last few years and doesnt seem to have put the Euros debacle behind him. To be honest Im getting less convinced by Guzan of late so might see Given back in goal soon enough.

Gabby - 5m or so is all we can expect for him. Swap deal for Gardner is our only play with him I feel.

Warnock off at the end of the season, will bleed the club dry for the last few months. McLeish didnt even want to keep Hutton on at Forest. Makoun wont play for the club again.

Bent is injured again and we would be mental to sell him before the summer to another side in the relegation dogfight anyway.

We will do very well to shift even one of the big earners before the summer.

[eastie]

I hope that we can get rid of our high earners, but to be honest who would want them!

They have let this club down big style.

I will never forgive the likes of Ireland, Bent, Hutton, Warnock, Dunne for the way that they have both played for our club, with there half hearted effort and the way that they have behaved off the pitch  (slagging off Cowans etc...) and yet fans say give them another chance... FFS if I were the manager they would all be training by themselves after everyone else had gone home.

I don't understand how or when Dunne has ever let us down ?
Injury prone maybe, but letting us down ? 

Really ? Do you remember Houlliers season when he turned up about 2 stone overweight?

He was disgrace at the start of that season. Never forget the home game v Bolton where he looked and played like a whale. Was one of our best players when he came back into the side around Xmas time and turned things around.

Injured a lot last season too. I dont think Dunne has much time left as a professional footballer. He didnt look after himself when he was younger (honey monster), now has suffered about 12 months of injuries and is 33. Id be surprised if he plays any more than one more season with a club after Villa.

Stephen Ireland is finished as a top level player. Considering the wages we pay him, the best we can expect is that he can on loan and we pay some of the wages. He will leave on a free to go play in Australia or Qatar when his contract runs out.

Not happening for Nzogbia at all at the club. Might find someone to take him off our hands but we are talking about about a 6m hit.

Given has suffered a run of injuries over the last few years and doesnt seem to have put the Euros debacle behind him. To be honest Im getting less convinced by Guzan of late so might see Given back in goal soon enough.

Gabby - 5m or so is all we can expect for him. Swap deal for Gardner is our only play with him I feel.

Warnock off at the end of the season, will bleed the club dry for the last few months. McLeish didnt even want to keep Hutton on at Forest. Makoun wont play for the club again.

Bent is injured again and we would be mental to sell him before the summer to another side in the relegation dogfight anyway.

We will do very well to shift even one of the big earners before the summer.

Gabby for Gardner may be a possibility.