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

[pauliewalnuts]

We don't do deals in public. We got out of our way to avoid any leaks and it's only people at airports or fans with camera phones that are opportunist that leak stories. Even this years kit was a complete secret. Just because nobody is saying anything doesn't mean at all, especially with this club that nothing is happening.

We're not some fantastically secretive club, we do deals exactly the same as everyone else does, we don't say anything unless we need to. We are no different from anyone else in that way.

You make it sound like we have some code of silence that other clubs do not have.

Ultimately, we'll find out how much money we've got to spend in the next two weeks.

No I'm not. I'm just saying we're hardly going to spouting off to all and sundry how much we've got and who are targets are. We don't talk about sit o why get upset if the manager says nothing. McLeish said nothing, Houllier didn't say much and neither did MON. And with MON the only thing we knew was nothing was happening until the very end.

I'm not claiming at the its the bloody KGB, I'm simply saying on the back of there's no injury or transfer updates, that we're not going to be talking about them. And yes, if you were to rank us with everyone else, I would say we say less than others and much less than some. Surely if everyone was the same nobody would be complaining that the club says nothing?

Clubs never go out of their way to publicise transfers. Why would they? Managers, with the exception of Redknapp, never say anything on deals if they don't have to.

Sorry, but your "especially with this club" line made it sound like you thought we were especially secretive, when we're really not.

[nigel]

Yes, i agree that its not right promoting your own blog, but talking about etiquette then insulting someone and telling them to fuck off seems a tad contradictory.

I might be missing something here, and no offence intended, but, is this not the same as Dave Woodhall posting his 'Mail Report'?

Bearing in mind Dave set up H&V in the first place, then no.

Why?

Because I wanted to make money from Villa fans of course. Why else did you think?

This time next year, you'll be a millionaire eh

I was only asking, Dave, as you do a great read in your article, which you put a link to.
Yet a couple were getting uptight about someone else doing the same, also a decent read too.
That's all, mate.

[ozzjim]

We are much less speculated about and have less leaks, but that IMO is due to not being Liverpool, United or London based.

People often know around the time it is about to happen. Benteke was well picked up 10 days before he signed. Only Westwood came from nowhere on deadline day.

I think Lambert is playing a very coy game too. If I was betting I would still say we will get 3 at a minimum this window, maybe 4 with a loan on deadline day.

He knows what we need, so does everyone else, so pleading poverty in public is just a bargaining tool.

[Toronto Villa]

We are much less speculated about and have less leaks, but that IMO is due to not being Liverpool, United or London based.

People often know around the time it is about to happen. Benteke was well picked up 10 days before he signed. Only Westwood came from nowhere on deadline day.

I think Lambert is playing a very coy game too. If I was betting I would still say we will get 3 at a minimum this window, maybe 4 with a loan on deadline day.

He knows what we need, so does everyone else, so pleading poverty in public is just a bargaining tool.

that's what I'm getting at. Maybe also the other clubs dealings more know is that there are more people reporting on them. I just happen to think we don't talk about what we do, and it's a matter of opinion as to how good or bad that is especially from a fan's perspective.

[Greg N'Ash]

well he's leaving it late if its a bargaining tool. We need players in NOW.  Tommorow we could be in the bottom 3 after a relegation 6 pointer. I can give people time but honestly the way we've been playing is as bad as anyone who's turned up at Villa since McNeils time. If we were still trying to play good football that would be one thing, I could even probably live with the TSM "try to get a draw" master plan., but the disorganised rabble he's been putting out recently is a new low. If he loses tomorrow i'm joining the Rissoettes

[LeeB]

well he's leaving it late if its a bargaining tool. We need players in NOW.  Tommorow we could be in the bottom 3 after a relegation 6 pointer. I can give people time but honestly the way we've been playing is as bad as anyone who's turned up at Villa since McNeils time. If we were still trying to play good football that would be one thing, I could even probably live with the TSM "try to get a draw" master plan., but the disorganised rabble he's been putting out recently is a new low. If he loses tomorrow i'm joining the Rissoettes

The players we need might not want to come NOW. They may be waiting to see if this club or that club who are better off than us firm up their interest before the month is out.

[Greg N'Ash]

well he's leaving it late if its a bargaining tool. We need players in NOW.  Tommorow we could be in the bottom 3 after a relegation 6 pointer. I can give people time but honestly the way we've been playing is as bad as anyone who's turned up at Villa since McNeils time. If we were still trying to play good football that would be one thing, I could even probably live with the TSM "try to get a draw" master plan., but the disorganised rabble he's been putting out recently is a new low. If he loses tomorrow i'm joining the Rissoettes

The players we need might not want to come NOW. They may be waiting to see if this club or that club who are better off than us firm up their interest before the month is out.

Can we wait till the end of the month?  and if we can what if this or that club do come in for them at the end of Jan?  We're bolloxed that's what. Plus you have to agree a fee with their club first - now that normally leaks out in the press.  Nowt.

[hawkeye]

Yes, i agree that its not right promoting your own blog, but talking about etiquette then insulting someone and telling them to fuck off seems a tad contradictory.

I might be missing something here, and no offence intended, but, is this not the same as Dave Woodhall posting his 'Mail Report'?

Bearing in mind Dave set up H&V in the first place, then no.

Why?

Because I wanted to make money from Villa fans of course. Why else did you think?

This time next year, you'll be a millionaire eh

I was only asking, Dave, as you do a great read in your article, which you put a link to.
Yet a couple were getting uptight about someone else doing the same, also a decent read too.
That's all, mate.

I was wrong to tell Curious Orange to F off, sorry. Dave has every right to publicise his writing, he has permission. Curious Orange did not.

[dave.woodhall]

Yes he did. He asked some time ago.

[hawkeye]

Yes he did. He asked some time ago.

it was still pissing me off, sorry again then

[Villafirst]

The silence from the boardroom is deafening but the message seems to be coming across loud and clear. We have no money and we are not prepared to speculate to stay in the Premier League.  Madness.  Fail tomorrow and I fancy chants of "Lerner Out" rather than "Lambert Out".  I wonder if Lerner will even be there.
[/quote


No chance

[VinnieChase84]

The silence from the boardroom is deafening but the message seems to be coming across loud and clear. We have no money and we are not prepared to speculate to stay in the Premier League.  Madness.  Fail tomorrow and I fancy chants of "Lerner Out" rather than "Lambert Out".  I wonder if Lerner will even be there.
[/quote
Lerners not back until 2nd leg Bradford

No chance

[curiousorange]

I've had to have a read back through the thread otherwise i'd have missed all the fun and games! If i'd have logged in an hour from now i'd have pottered along in blissful ignorance...

It would be no problem at all to post the article up, but the reason I link to it is because the site is a start-up and the figures help attract prospective backers, I guess. For what it's worth, my colleague seanthevillain and I don't recieve any money at all for our work - we do it to expose our work to a wide audience and because we're huge Villa fans who want to write considered, intelligent stuff that goes some way to opposing the general low opinion of the media in general of the Villa. As a side issue, our editor asks us to post links to our articles on Villa forums; we post only here because generally people know what they're talking about and react, rather than try and outdo one another on other forums.

I'm sorry if I have transgressed: to break house rules isn't my thing. If there's a format the mods are happier with Sean and I would be willing to follow. If it's a consolation, then pickourteam is Premier League only - if Villa drop, then I guess we would too.

In terms of the content, I'm not looking for apologies. I'd like to know why Hawkeye thinks it's badly written given my editor, a current broadsheet journalist, doesn't hold that opinion. Criticism's only useful to me if learn something - if it's just an insult, I'm likely to follow the same line just to be perverse. I will say that some of my opinions on Villa find themselves in H&V occasionally, under my actual name. I wonder if it's the style that's really winding you up or the method of delivery?

Put simply, I won't be stopping writing and i'm not going to cry. I've been a writer for nearly a decade and i've taken hits that have hurt more than that. The worst of it is that I do it because I love the club as much as any fan and this small part of my own time is what I want to share. If that's going to meet with criticism because some are having a bad day then I guess it makes me love being a part of the Villa family slightly less.

[David_Nab]

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-fans-can-forget-851350

Pretty blunt from PL there ..not expecting much to happen now.Loans perhaps best option

[ozzjim]

He says not more than 6 million on a player, not really a shock, but the emphasis without saying it is all about wages I am sure, especially ending up with a player you don't want. Beye, Sidwell, Davies, Hutton, Warnock, Reo Coker, Cuellar, etc etc, all players who have left for nothing or huge losses, after being on big wages and then never played. We might not like it very much, but he is right in the way we do have to box clever so to speak.

If we spend 10m on 3 players, but they are through the middle and give us a bit more of a physical edge and help us calm down a bit, we will be fine. It is not about huge money, it is about getting 3-4 of the right players through the spine of the team to make us stronger, which he has said himself.