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

[walsall villain]

Really depends on his view of 'what we've got'. If that includes Bent we've every chance. If not we're fucked.

True, if it includes a fit Dunne and Vlaar, and Bent in the team with Benteke, then we stand a chance.

Not with the midfield we have. There has been post after post about the weakness of our midfield, for me it always has been and still is the problem. Get that sorted then we might have half a chance, as it is, no chance

[curiousorange]

Really depends on his view of 'what we've got'. If that includes Bent we've every chance. If not we're fucked.

i do hope so.. Though chaps im not convinced with dunne being able to return to any sort of form. Be tough for him to pick up match fitness be a few months and several games before he can be 100% and then how good wud he be? 

True, if it includes a fit Dunne and Vlaar, and Bent in the team with Benteke, then we stand a chance.

If Dunne can organise a defence better than Ciaran Clark, he can play on crutches and we'd still be better off.

[saunders_heroes]

Well, nothing in Saturday's papers regarding Villa and transfers.
Very worrying indeed.

[tomd2103]

Really depends on his view of 'what we've got'. If that includes Bent we've every chance. If not we're fucked.

True, if it includes a fit Dunne and Vlaar, and Bent in the team with Benteke, then we stand a chance.

Not with the midfield we have. There has been post after post about the weakness of our midfield, for me it always has been and still is the problem. Get that sorted then we might have half a chance, as it is, no chance

Agree WV - the midfield should protect the defence, break up play, provide creativity and make chances.  Our midfield hasn't done any of that for a couple of seasons now and central midfield has been our main problem since Milner left.     

[ciggiesnbeer]

Well, nothing in Saturday's papers regarding Villa and transfers.
Very worrying indeed.

Terrifying. Also rage inducing that Liverpool now seem in for Countinho. The club clearly have just given up.

[brian green]

As each day goes by I am more convinced that Lambert will get his own way and attempt to prove that he can get out of the mess of his own creation with the the squad he has.   He will be proved wrong but the owner does not have the will or the presence to front down the manager and in any well run football club the chief executive would fill that role for the owner but Faulkner is not up to the job.   We will go into February with essentially the same demoralized squad and that will be that.

If Lerner lived in Sutton Coldfield it might be different but he doesn't.   He lives on the end of a telephone line three thousand miles away.

[ozzjim]

As each day goes by I am more convinced that Lambert will get his own way and attempt to prove that he can get out of the mess of his own creation with the the squad he has.   He will be proved wrong but the owner does not have the will or the presence to front down the manager and in any well run football club the chief executive would fill that role for the owner but Faulkner is not up to the job.   We will go into February with essentially the same demoralized squad and that will be that.

If Lerner lived in Sutton Coldfield it might be different but he doesn't.   He lives on the end of a telephone line three thousand miles away.

The lack of public facing leadership is disconcerting in times of trouble. A football man above Lambert bridging football and business would be very helpful. As it is, we are climbing without a rope without an instructor at the bottom to tell people it is not a good idea. Faulkner is a decent business man, but a shocking football CEO.

[Merv]

Interesting, then, that I read Brian Marwood has been linked with a Director of Football role with us. Could be just another rumour mind..

[ozzjim]

I hate Marwood, but a role like that is something we need IMO.

[neo_Villan]

We could do with a DoF. I don't think PL would be opposed to it either. If we could have a football mind actually involved in the footballing decisions (which we currently don't) then that could help with the direction the club takes.

[Dave]

We could do with a DoF. I don't think PL would be opposed to it either. If we could have a football mind actually involved in the footballing decisions (which we currently don't) then that could help with the direction the club takes.

Is that not what this Karsa fellow was brought in over the summer to do? I thought that he was supposed to be the back-room footballing mind.

[Dante Lavelli]

Interesting, then, that I read Brian Marwood has been linked with a Director of Football role with us. Could be just another rumour mind..

That is good news.  We're desperate for such a person within the club (and I have no idea whether Marwood is good or not, but he has been about for a few years so brings a bit of experience and contacts).  I would not have a problem with Randy's absence if there was someone filling the void.  As it is Faulkner performs quite well with the commercial stuff but there is a complete absence of leadership in the football sense.

The manager seems to run the first team but there appears to be very little strategy in the transition from the good youth set up to first team football.

[Dante Lavelli]

We could do with a DoF. I don't think PL would be opposed to it either. If we could have a football mind actually involved in the footballing decisions (which we currently don't) then that could help with the direction the club takes.

Is that not what this Karsa fellow was brought in over the summer to do? I thought that he was supposed to be the back-room footballing mind.

I had him down as the scout and the person that sorts out the first team's administration. 

I still think there is room for someone that sits at board room level influencing the strategy from there.  Karsa would not do that.

[Ron Manager]

Sorry if this has already been posted but in the Saturday Digest column of this mornings Mail I came across this.

but when asked about the chances of signing players Lambert replied 'none whatsoever' 'Darren Bent and Jean Makoun? we are nowhere near that'

Could mean anything but he appears to be saying none whatsoever!

[neo_Villan]

We could do with a DoF. I don't think PL would be opposed to it either. If we could have a football mind actually involved in the footballing decisions (which we currently don't) then that could help with the direction the club takes.

Is that not what this Karsa fellow was brought in over the summer to do? I thought that he was supposed to be the back-room footballing mind.

Don't think so. A DoF works more above the managers head and deals with the board etc. Karsa is just one of PL's backroom staff even if he does have an impressive title (head of football operations isn't it?). Just a glorified scout from what I've heard.