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

[hawkeye]

Rumours abound that Hernandez may be out of United come January.  IF we lost Bent would be an interesting acquisition.

i guess he would run down the M6 to join us

[eastie]

Could do worse than try and tempt Gareth Barry back to villa, ok he lacks pace but he's an experienced head in midfield with a decent pass on him and although a squad player now at city he's far better than any midfielder we have at the moment.

His experience could be valuable.

[Ads]

Gareth Barry was the best player in last seasons title winning side.

We need his quality, but the custard pants wearer wont be coming back.

We'll sign some fantastic, but little known German based midfielders. Hopefully.

[VWBelgian]

M'vila would have been a good addition last season... or i would have jean II a chance but he's off to stade rennes i've read.

[richardhubbard]

Could do worse than try and tempt Gareth Barry back to villa, ok he lacks pace but he's an experienced head in midfield with a decent pass on him and although a squad player now at city he's far better than any midfielder we have at the moment.

His experience could be valuable.

Barry not going leave playing regularly for a champion chasing team to play for us

[paulcomben]

Hernandez and Barry?! Have you been asleep as our wages bill is slashed to nothing??!!

[PaulTheVillan]

Barry back to Villa? Haha.

[Shrek]

We need width, Matt Phillips, Tom Ince or a Nathan Dyer, all are possible because even with our controlled wage bill we will pay more than Swansea and Ince would continue to play every week so would have nothing to lose.

[tomd2103]

Could do worse than try and tempt Gareth Barry back to villa, ok he lacks pace but he's an experienced head in midfield with a decent pass on him and although a squad player now at city he's far better than any midfielder we have at the moment.

His experience could be valuable.

Barry not going leave playing regularly for a champion chasing team to play for us

You forgot to add "where he's paid £100,000 a week" in your post!!

[KevinGage]

Like the look of Phillips.  But it concerned me a while back that Lambert said he doesn't think there is a place for wingers in the modern game any more. An over-reliance on wingers would - I agree- be far from ideal.  And that's maybe something we've suffered from in the past.  But now it seems we've gone too far the other way.

Rather than the current tactics owing to a 'make do and mend' situation, it very much seems to be a part of his new philosophy- and marks a departure from his set up at Norwich, when Pilkington was a big player for him.

I could wear the current narrowness of our midfield if I thought it was a temporary situation, or if our fullbacks were so good going forward that we could get away with it.

I also thought he was a bit more tactically astute/ versatile, ie: some games would be played with wingers/second strikers and some without- depending on how the opposition line up.   

The personnel has changed quite often game to game, but over-reliance on this rigid diamond system has been consistent.  And it hasn't served us particularly well.

[curiousorange]

Let me get this straight - we bemoan the fact we're in the shit because we've bought Championship players, so the solution is to go out and buy players from the Championship?

[Steve R]

Let me get this straight - we bemoan the fact we're in the shit because we've bought Championship players, so the solution is to go out and buy players from the Championship?

It's October, it's more compost than shit. Being in the shit is when we are a few points or worse above relegation come end Feb.

If things are not going so well right now it is not because we have bought championship players, but because we have had to all but go out and get a new team.

I wouldn't argue with any one or all of Lambert's acquisitions to date. I don't think we have reached or are anywhere near the point where we have to revert to buying clapped out misfits.

Having said that I don't think wingers should be top of the list either. We need midfielders. I don't really care where they come from provided they want to play for the club rather than merely be on the payroll and are good.

[tomd2103]

Let me get this straight - we bemoan the fact we're in the shit because we've bought Championship players, so the solution is to go out and buy players from the Championship?

I can't see many quality players from other Premier League clubs wanting to join us at the minute to be honest, especially as we are no longer throwing stupid money around on wages.   

[Toronto Villa]

Let me get this straight - we bemoan the fact we're in the shit because we've bought Championship players, so the solution is to go out and buy players from the Championship?

I can't see many quality players from other Premier League clubs wanting to join us at the minute to be honest, especially as we are no longer throwing stupid money around on wages.   

We are still Aston Villa and despite our recent poor run still a damn site more attractive than most clubs in the division. Look at the other clubs in this division outside the top 5 or 6 and they all have one or two very good players or players with a decent established reputation that have joined them for one reason or another. Off course PL players will want to join us, just not the ones at the very top.

[Chipsticks]

Could do worse than try and tempt Gareth Barry back to villa, ok he lacks pace but he's an experienced head in midfield with a decent pass on him and although a squad player now at city he's far better than any midfielder we have at the moment.

His experience could be valuable.

Naaaaaah.