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

[David_Nab]

Obviously Randy still pissed over the Jenas fiasco ..however the other loan Keane prob kept us up !!

[KevinGage]

Fear not, Drama Queens:

clicktown

Villa need Lerner lifeline: Billionaire owner will foot the bill to ensure Premier League safety
By NEIL MOXLEY
PUBLISHED: 22:52 GMT, 13 January 2013 | UPDATED: 22:52 GMT, 13 January 2013
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Randy Lerner viewed the latest episode in Aston Villa's descent with growing worry, reluctantly admitting to himself that he will again be called upon to safeguard his club's Premier League status.
The American billionaire has a live feed of every Villa match beamed to him via satellite link and, within minutes of the final whistle, he swaps his thoughts with chief executive Paul Faulkner.
His verdict after watching yet another defeat was that 'doing nothing is not an option' after Rickie Lambert's penalty divided the teams during this desperate relegation dogfight.

Help: Lerner (right) is willing to spend to save Aston Villa from relegation
The message from across the Pond on Saturday night was that Lerner is ready and willing to foot the bill, should Villa boss Paul Lambert find the experienced centre-half and midfielder he desperately needs to add know-how to a side that is lacking direction and organisation.
There have to be limits. But there is now a realisation that the purse-strings will have to be relaxed a little more to avert a third brush with relegation.
Lerner, who purchased the club in 2005 for £65m, has pumped at least another £150m into Villa and most notably used his wealth to positive effect when signing Darren Bent in a £24m package two years ago.
That move paid off and the other key message from the hierarchy on Saturday evening was that the club would not panic over the managerial situation.


The decision-makers would be well within their rights to do so - Villa are now in desperate straits.
In the short-term, the statistics are damning. As are performances. And results.
In the medium-term they paint a picture of steady decline. It is little wonder to 30,000 regular visitors they are in such a mess.
In the last 38 games - a Premier League season - Villa have collected just 30 points.
They stayed up by the skin of their teeth last term. Alex McLeish was relegated with Birmingham City in 2010-11 having garnered one point more than Villa used to survive.



Current boss Lambert's grand plan is sensible in conception but is proving disastrous in execution.
The Scot keeps beating the drum, maintaining his belief that his club are close to mid-table safety. The fact is, Villa are closer to the bottom of the table. And QPR and Reading are picking up results.
Eight goals conceded without reply in three home defeats to Spurs, Wigan and Southampton have caused Lerner's worry.
And Lambert's repeated platitudes smack of the orchestra playing while the Titanic sinks.

Worried: Lambert's side have lost four of their last five league games
While the youth in Villa's ranks has been trumpeted - the average age of the back four was 22 - it has taken a few words from striker Gabby Agbonlahor to put it into perspective
'It's not like they are 16 or 17,' he said, 'people say they are young but that doesn't matter.'
It is the quality that counts. To this eye, Southampton defender Luke Shaw, 17, looks an England prospect already. Villa are coming up short.
As Southampton striker Rickie Lambert said: 'When we got promoted, we knew we didn't have much Premier League experience in the squad, only a couple who had played Premier League.
'We knew it was going to take us a while to get used to it. Now I feel we are getting used to it and improving every game.'
Villa aren't. They are stuck in reverse. And, once more, the club needs to call upon its' well-heeled American patron to shift them into gear. And quickly.

Moxley's normally pretty reliable.

[ROBBO]

Said all along that Lerner is not stupid enough not to back the manager the point is though that we cannot wait until the end of the month for decent additions. I support the manager but think he himself would recognise he overestimated the quality he had to work with.

[Greg N'Ash]

moxley ought to move into writing fiction if he hasn't already started. there is absolutely nothing there of any substance, unless he has some sort of vulcan type mind-meld with Lerner

[Irish villain]

Please Randy spend and keep this proud and great club where it belongs.

[ozzjim]

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

[KevinGage]

His verdict after watching yet another defeat was that 'doing nothing is not an option' after Rickie Lambert's penalty divided the teams during this desperate relegation dogfight.

That sounds pretty specific, and it's generally how the club operates - leaks to the chosen few, but rarely direct quotes.

[Greg N'Ash]

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

the fuckers should try talking to us then.

Sorry. man flu.

[Hoppo]

Who cares who reports what.. Lerner backs his managers the grief he gets is mad.. Im not blindly led he got it wrong with Houllier and McLeish but he has put his money in when needed.

[Monty]

His verdict after watching yet another defeat was that 'doing nothing is not an option' after Rickie Lambert's penalty divided the teams during this desperate relegation dogfight.

That sounds pretty specific, and it's generally how the club operates - leaks to the chosen few, but rarely direct quotes.

Agreed. As an aside, their Lambert said that, after how we played second half, that 'we should stay up easily'. Now, it's very easy to be magnanimous in victory, but the use of the word 'easily' implies something about the quality of those players that it might be harder to see from inside our panic bubble.

[Matt C]

So, judging by today's media reporting they've been briefed Lambert goes nowhere and he'll be backed with funds this window.

[Californian Villain]

So, judging by today's media reporting they've been briefed Lambert goes nowhere and he'll be backed with funds this window.

Looks like it. Let's see who he can attract to the club.....

[ciggiesnbeer]

So, judging by today's media reporting they've been briefed Lambert goes nowhere and he'll be backed with funds this window.

I bloody hope so. It needs to be fast though.

[Rigadon]

So, judging by today's media reporting they've been briefed Lambert goes nowhere and he'll be backed with funds this window.

I bloody hope so. It needs to be fast though.

If it's taken anybody at the club until Jan 12th to see that something needs doing then they can't have watched the last month of football. 

Anyway, get it done and we have half a chance of staying up. 

[ROBBO]

Money was always there many wasted pages talking about nothing when we could have spent our time speculating on the top names who won't sign for us.