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

[dave.woodhall]

But Houllier getting ill was hardly bad luck, he'd a history of ill health.

If you insisted on your every arrival having a perfect health record I plead the McGrath Defence.

Indeed, but you can't blame bad luck if a man with a history of heart trouble falls ill with heart trouble.

You can't necessarily, but at the same time you can't steer clear of everyone with less than perfect health. Martin Laursen came to us with a dodgy track record of injuries and there were rumours of his medical being a bit less than thorough but nobody would say we shouldn't have signed him.

[saunders_heroes]

TATA?

Rumours from where?

It would be JLR as our sponser.   My source via India reckons its in talks.

Now that would be beautiful.

[Stu]

TATA?

Rumours from where?

It would be JLR as our sponser.   My source via India reckons its in talks.

Now that would be beautiful.

Too good to be true.

[hilts_coolerking]

You can't necessarily, but at the same time you can't steer clear of everyone with less than perfect health. Martin Laursen came to us with a dodgy track record of injuries and there were rumours of his medical being a bit less than thorough but nobody would say we shouldn't have signed him.

If Houllier had just come off the back of winning three trophies in a season then I'd have said fine, gamble away.  But he hadn't had a good season in English football for 10 years.  He hadn't had a season in club football of any sort for 3 years.

It was always a risky appointment because of his health but because he'd been away for so long it was taking a huge risk on someone who might not still have what it took anyway.  And as it turned out, his heart problems came back, we had to appoint another manager and it's been downhill ever since.

[saunders_heroes]

TATA?

Rumours from where?

It would be JLR as our sponser.   My source via India reckons its in talks.

Now that would be beautiful.

Too good to be true.

I don't care. I'm believing it already!

[Des Little]

They'll be off like a shot when we say TATA to the Prem

[Greg N'Ash]

They'd have to be mental to pay Lerner what he's put in, or Lerner would have to be mental to cut his losses. Don't make sense.

[spk]

Yes TATA are in talks with aston about a take over,thats fact,ASTON MARTIN !!

[tomd2103]

Houllier getting ill was awful luck. For me he was on the verge of making us better, getting rid of some of the wasters and lining up quality Cabaye etc. We could have been a very different side if that hadn't happened.

yep. I know a lot of villa fans disliked him a lot but you could see what he was trying to do long term

I was a big fan. I think we would be a very good side now if he were here.

I would admit that he lost me as manager but I wouldn't have been adverse with him moving upstairs as DOF or something to enable his scouting network and football experience to be kept. But if I had known then what we know now, I would have been begging him to stay.

In hindsight (I have to say that I wanted him gone at the time), allowing him to stay in a DoF role would have probably been best for the club.  He certainly would have got rid of some of the wasters who are still lingering around and if rumours are to be believed, he also had some decent talent lined up to bring in. 

[john2710]

TATA?

Rumours from where?

It would be JLR as our sponser.   My source via India reckons its in talks.

Can't see them having the remotest interest in being a sponsor to a football club. Least of all one that may be in the Championship next season.

[dave.woodhall]

You can't necessarily, but at the same time you can't steer clear of everyone with less than perfect health. Martin Laursen came to us with a dodgy track record of injuries and there were rumours of his medical being a bit less than thorough but nobody would say we shouldn't have signed him.

If Houllier had just come off the back of winning three trophies in a season then I'd have said fine, gamble away.  But he hadn't had a good season in English football for 10 years.  He hadn't had a season in club football of any sort for 3 years.

It was always a risky appointment because of his health but because he'd been away for so long it was taking a huge risk on someone who might not still have what it took anyway.  And as it turned out, his heart problems came back, we had to appoint another manager and it's been downhill ever since.

You could equally argue that having had time off might have made him a better proposition, but it's all history now. Sadly it didn't work out, which was a pity as there were times when his team looked like they were going to work.

[hilts_coolerking]

You could equally argue that having had time off might have made him a better proposition, but it's all history now. Sadly it didn't work out, which was a pity as there were times when his team looked like they were going to work.

I think history tends to show that that amount of time away from the game doesn't increase your skills.  Dalgleish was a horror show back at Liverpool, for instance.  But as you say, there were times when we looked quite promising.  In retrospect I think appointing him as DoF rather than manager would have been the smartest move.

[tomd2103]

TATA?

Rumours from where?

It would be JLR as our sponser.   My source via India reckons its in talks.

TATA linked in a season where we face relegaton?  That's got to be someone on a wind up hasn't it? 

[WarszaVillan]

You can't necessarily, but at the same time you can't steer clear of everyone with less than perfect health. Martin Laursen came to us with a dodgy track record of injuries and there were rumours of his medical being a bit less than thorough but nobody would say we shouldn't have signed him.
[/quote]

Hardly the same thing though. We had at least 2 seasons when Laursen barely played for us. You can't exactly do that with a manager can you?

[danno]

You could equally argue that having had time off might have made him a better proposition, but it's all history now. Sadly it didn't work out, which was a pity as there were times when his team looked like they were going to work.

I think history tends to show that that amount of time away from the game doesn't increase your skills.  Dalgleish was a horror show back at Liverpool, for instance.  But as you say, there were times when we looked quite promising.  In retrospect I think appointing him as DoF rather than manager would have been the smartest move.

Two cup finals? I'd take that horror show!
The money that was spent was ridiculous, but wasn't that Commoli's job?