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

[rob_bridge]

The Newcastle comparison wasn't that they were resigned to relegation. More that, having spent years spending big on players and wages, the brakes were put on, the owners clearly couldn't care less what the fans thought, made a series of unpopular decisions, the club were relegated, which really then allowed them to cut the squad right down - nothing like dropping out of the PL to motivate the lazy arses in the comfort zone to find a new club - rebuild, gain promotion and then re-enter the Premier League a tighter and more efficient unit. Things haven't gone to plan for them this season but they do appear to run more prudently, and obviously have budget available for players when required. Their transfer investment is now very modest and sensible, rather than it had been previously.

Not endorsing it, just guessing and wondering whether RL, PF et al have it as example of how relegation can't work out for the better. Then again, as has been said earlier, it's nigh on impossible to know what Randy is thinking because we never hear from him, in any capacity, and the last three seasons have been so turbulent it's difficult to identity a coherent plan.

Like you not endorsing it the difference is aside from the Big Name forwards Bent(&eke) none of other players would be perceived as worth buying. And we'd probably get 15m for th pair at best.

No-one will buy Given, Dunne/Warnock (though they would be gone I think), Hutton, Ireland, Gabby or CNZ(?). We wouldn't be able to give some of those away because 1) They are on too much money 2) I'm assuming people would have seen them play recently.

[damon loves JT]

Not once under Houllier or McLeish did I ever feel this way, but I do now.

I agree. The last two seasons I was completely convinced that we would ultimately be fine (when we were being told that it would be a certainty we would go down then), but this year is looking to be the one that does it.

Don't know Dave.  I left Villa Park after the Bolton game towards the end of last season thinking we'd had it.  It crept up on us last season though and it was only in the last couple of months where we were in real danger.  This season has been a struggle from the off (though there have been the occasional bright moments) and there's just a sense of inevitability about it all.  In boxing terms, we got into trouble in the later rounds last season, but this season has been like one of those fights where someone takes a beating straight from the bell, but just hangs on in there enough so it isn't stopped.  Those are always the worst ones to watch.     

Unless the person being beaten up is Chris Eubank.

[neo_Villan]

I don't think many of us actually even thought we may go down last season until the Bolton game. During the Houllier season, most doubts went after we won that must-win Newcastle game. This season, I personally knew we would be in a dogfight all season after the Everton game.

[DerHammer]

Based on the fact that this thread is for transfers, shouldn't it be locked indefinately?

[fbriai]

That's a very good point. 409 pages on a non-existent topic.

[levico]

Based on the fact that this thread is for transfers, shouldn't it be locked indefinately?

Absolutely. We're wasting our time here.

[Mazrim]

You could always stop posting non transfer stuff in it I suppose and leave it open just in case.

[tomd2103]

I don't think many of us actually even thought we may go down last season until the Bolton game. During the Houllier season, most doubts went after we won that must-win Newcastle game. This season, I personally knew we would be in a dogfight all season after the Everton game.

The pre-season game at Forest game was the one that set the alarm bells ringing for me.   

[mr-villa]

Seems we've got another "yes-man" as manager. If Lambert's happy to go with the current players on the strength his job is safe, he should look at what happened to the last guy in the hot-seat and he managed to keep us up!  He should ask for money and if not forthcoming, walk away with a bit of his reputation intact, because if he takes us down he won't be getting offered the Forest job next or anything like it. Sadly i don't think he's got the bollocks to stand up to our owner.

What you mean like MON?  Apparently he asked Lerner for more money, didn't get it, walked away then took the club to the cleaners via a tribunal under the guise that he was forced to leave because his job had become untenable.  Bloody brilliant this European employment law nonsense.  No Greg N'Ash he should not walk, he should get his head down and get on with the job he is paid to do which is coach the players and manage the day to day playing side.  If he does that and it proves that over a 38 game season we are not good enough to remain in the division then so be it.  Running away when the going gets tough, rather than proving your managerial ability to ride a crisis and come through it stronger is not the thing to do, only weak lily livered folk like MON do that and PL is not cut from the same cloth i'm sure of that.

[MonsXI]

 Ivan Gaskell @IvanGaskell1

#avfc Apologies for earlier PL quote responding to q's regarding other clubs spending and Villa not. PL was talking about other clubs.

[PaulWinch again]

Ivan Gaskell @IvanGaskell1

#avfc Apologies for earlier PL quote responding to q's regarding other clubs spending and Villa not. PL was talking about other clubs.

That is such a poor written tweet, it's virtually unreadable.

[MonsXI]

Ivan Gaskell @IvanGaskell1

#avfc Apologies for earlier PL quote responding to q's regarding other clubs spending and Villa not. PL was talking about other clubs.

That is such a poor written tweet, it's virtually unreadable.

I think Gaskell was trying to create a story earlier but didn't like the heat he got on twitter from Villa fans now he's backtracked.

[MonsXI]

Ivan Gaskell ‏@IvanGaskell1

#avfc PL said it was perogative of other clubs to spend money,but that might lead to financial probs if THEY(others) were relegated.

[PaulWinch again]

Right but those clubs are trying to avoid being relegated unlike us. If we go down we're still fucked regardless of whether we spend money now or not.

[eastie]

At last -


 Villa bid 2 million for Swansea ball boy after seeing him keep possession of the ball for more than 10 seconds !