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

[KevinGage]

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?

The fact that the players started out in the Championship doesn't automatically mean that's their level.

See Walcott, Bale, Huddlestone and countless many others. 

But by the same token, packing a squad out with jobbing Championship or League One players is hardly a recipe for success either. 

On the specific merits of Matt Phillips, I've seen enough of him to think he'd be worth taking a gamble on.  Plus it's easier for a team to carry an occasionally inconsistent winger or front player than it is a full back, centre back or central midfielder.

The players we've signed from the Championship and lower don't -to date-  look like they were playing in a league below their talents. And they didn't exactly have a whole host of top flight clubs beating a path to their door.  Most of us were happy enough with the arrival of Lambert though (not my first choice, I have to admit)  so he at least deserves the breathing space to shape the side as he sees fit.

[Shrek]

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.

Being Aston Villa was all good when we signed Bent, but now, if you was an outsider would you be jumping at the chance to join Villa?

Our reputation and perception from others has absolutely plummeted, we have been a shambles since Martin left. We are just starting to steady the ship under Paul Lambert, but it looks like being a very rocky road this season.

[olaftab]

Being Aston Villa was all good when we signed Bent, but now, if you was an outsider would you be jumping at the chance to join Villa?

Our reputation and perception from others has absolutely plummeted, we have been a shambles since Martin left. We are just starting to steady the ship under Paul Lambert, but it looks like being a very rocky road this season.

Remind me again when did we sign Bent? 1910? 1957? 1981? Or about a year and half ago?

[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?

The fact that the players started out in the Championship doesn't automatically mean that's their level.

See Walcott, Bale, Huddlestone and countless many others. 

But by the same token, packing a squad out with jobbing Championship or League One players is hardly a recipe for success either. 

On the specific merits of Matt Phillips, I've seen enough of him to think he'd be worth taking a gamble on.  Plus it's easier for a team to carry an occasionally inconsistent winger or front player than it is a full back, centre back or central midfielder.

The players we've signed from the Championship and lower don't -to date-  look like they were playing in a league below their talents. And they didn't exactly have a whole host of top flight clubs beating a path to their door.  Most of us were happy enough with the arrival of Lambert though (not my first choice, I have to admit)  so he at least deserves the breathing space to shape the side as he sees fit.

I wasn't discounting the idea of buying Championship per se, but it seems everyone is so up in arms about us not buying quality and then we have others suggesting the solution is to look for the better players of that league as a solution. Lambert didn't go looking for slightly good lower league players, he went out and bought the best ones he saw fit with the money he had available. I can imagine the cries of despair if his answer come January is to try the same thing.

[hawkeye]

No need to worry when Barry, Milner and Fernandez have signed.

[darren woolley]

I would like us to sign Matt Phillips I think he would be good for us.

[Chris Jameson]

I would like us to sign Andres Iniesta I think he would be good for us.

[Shrek]

Being Aston Villa was all good when we signed Bent, but now, if you was an outsider would you be jumping at the chance to join Villa?

Our reputation and perception from others has absolutely plummeted, we have been a shambles since Martin left. We are just starting to steady the ship under Paul Lambert, but it looks like being a very rocky road this season.

Remind me again when did we sign Bent? 1910? 1957? 1981? Or about a year and half ago?

When we signed Bent we had a team that had just finished 6th, but had lost its manager and had horrendous injuries.
Now we are a poor team, with average players, so yes it was a year and a half ago but as I said, our reputation is massively different/worse than it was when we signed Bent.

[pedro25]

When we signed Bent we were in a similar league position to what we are now, but that was January, it's only October now, so I would say we were in a worse position then than now.  Finishing 9th under Houllier/GMac felt like an awful time, following relative success of previous years, I'd bite someone's arms off for 9th this year however.

[Percy McCarthy]

I would literally bite someone's* leg off for ninth place this season.

*Preferably a lamb or a chicken.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I would literally bite someone's* leg off for ninth place this season.

*Preferably a lamb or a chicken.

I think a 1 in front of that final position is not out of the question.

I can't see anybody amongst this current squad, capable of digging in.

Worrying.

[Irish villain]

When we signed Bent we were in a similar league position to what we are now, but that was January, it's only October now, so I would say we were in a worse position then than now.  Finishing 9th under Houllier/GMac felt like an awful time, following relative success of previous years, I'd bite someone's arms off for 9th this year however.

I keep getting into rows with Dave about this but  we finished ninth but we weren't ninth until the last game of the season. With three or four games remaining we were still looking over our shoulders at the trap door given that our last two games were Liverpool and Arsenal. That was by and large a season of struggle up until April when it clicked just in time. 

[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.

Being Aston Villa was all good when we signed Bent, but now, if you was an outsider would you be jumping at the chance to join Villa?

Our reputation and perception from others has absolutely plummeted, we have been a shambles since Martin left. We are just starting to steady the ship under Paul Lambert, but it looks like being a very rocky road this season.

You are looking at the situation like a fan of the club. Firstly, we peer into the club with far more scrutiny than anyone else. Most most fans of other clubs don't really care about Villa. We might think they do, but they really only care about their club. Just like we know next to nothing about the deeper issues at clubs like Stoke, Everton, Sunderland etc. And when it comes to players, for the most part the great majority of players don't care either. That's why players like Anelka can join Bolton back in the day, or even Darren Bent when he joined Steve Bruce's mid table Sunderland team or us for that matter. The very top players are a lot more fussy about where they go because they can be. Even if we had all the money Messi isn't coming. Just like Man City got and are still turned down by the true elite of the game despite offering the earth.

We are a PL that still has a tremendous standing in the game, a huge fan base, great stadium and is still a big draw for the great majority of players. We've had two poor years on the back of some good ones in front of full houses and media attention that helped a number of players attain England recognition. There is lots and lots of upside in joining and doing well with Aston Villa.

[KevinGage]

We were something like three points off the bottom of the league after losing at home to Wolves mid>late March.   Any season when you are that far down the league that late into the season can safely be described as a season of struggle.

[supertom]

When we signed Bent we were in a similar league position to what we are now, but that was January, it's only October now, so I would say we were in a worse position then than now.  Finishing 9th under Houllier/GMac felt like an awful time, following relative success of previous years, I'd bite someone's arms off for 9th this year however.

I keep getting into rows with Dave about this but  we finished ninth but we weren't ninth until the last game of the season. With three or four games remaining we were still looking over our shoulders at the trap door given that our last two games were Liverpool and Arsenal. That was by and large a season of struggle up until April when it clicked just in time. 

We had some luck too. We played Arsenal at a good time. They'd been struggling with their form a little and with naff all to play for had pretty much half a mind on their hols. Liverpool were just typically inconsistent, and again, we caught them on a day well below par. That 9th placing really masks how poor we were for most of the season. We were by no means worthy of a mid-table finish.