Will Sylla & Dawkins help Villa stay up?

[5ft811st2 Durham]

As many will recall back in 87  there was serious speculation that we might sign  David Speedie  as a last throw of the dice albeit with Tony Dorigo going to Chelsea in part exchange.

In the end we bought Warren Aspinall a chubby 19 year old Everton reserve inside forward  who had never started a top flight game or scored any goals.

We all knew the game was up if that was the best we could do and  not surprisingly Aspinall made no impact at all, although in fairness he did pretty well in the 2nd division the following season.

Twenty six years on and history appears to be repeating itself and we are hoping for miracles from a couple of players who we have no way of knowing are even good enough to play at this level.

With these signings Lerner has placed his cards firmly on the table, and for reasons known only to him and his inner sanctum he sees the preservation of his long term stategy as far more important than avoiding relegation. 

[Clampy]

As many will recall back in 87  there was serious speculation that we might sign  David Speedie  as a last throw of the dice albeit with Tony Dorigo going to Chelsea in part exchange.

I was thinking about that the other day. Speedie did'nt come and Birchy was sold to Wolves on the same day. I was gutted.

[paul_e]

I've voted yes mainly becuase I refuse the adopt the "we're already down so might as well stop caring" attitude which is gripping the site.  We don't look good but 1 lucky win from nothing could turn our season around and at the moment we're not adrift, if in 10 games time we're still down there and struggling then I'll start to change my tune but for now there's too many points to play for.

[eastie]

As many will recall back in 87  there was serious speculation that we might sign  David Speedie  as a last throw of the dice albeit with Tony Dorigo going to Chelsea in part exchange.

I was thinking about that the other day. Speedie did'nt come and Birchy was sold to Wolves on the same day. I was gutted.

Speedie went to coventry and was a huge success there - i agree it was a bad mistake to miss out on him.
Please clampy could you tell me when you first began watching villa ?

Birchy didnt leave in 87 - he was with us when we won promotion.
I think  he left in 90/91?

[Richard E]

IF we stay up and they have played then in one sense they will have helped, yes. Are they the difference between us staying up and going down? Doubt it very much. 

[glasses]

Sylla might. Just.

A bit of stability in our midfield could really help out at both ends of the pitch. I've always believed that the centre midfield is the most important part of the team. It needs to be able to help with the defence when it's under pressure, and support when we are attacking.

Sylla in there with an improving Delph, and Westwood might give us a more solid core. Emphasis on the word might.

It's more hope than anything. We'll see.

[PaulWinch again]

We have 2 points from the last 21 available, it will take an absolute miracle to turn us around.

[Clampy]

As many will recall back in 87  there was serious speculation that we might sign  David Speedie  as a last throw of the dice albeit with Tony Dorigo going to Chelsea in part exchange.

I was thinking about that the other day. Speedie did'nt come and Birchy was sold to Wolves on the same day. I was gutted.

Speedie went to coventry and was a huge success there - i agree it was a bad mistake to miss out on him.
Please clampy could you tell me when you first began watching villa ?

Birchy didnt leave in 87 - he was with us when we won promotion.
I think  he left in 90/91?

I don't know why i have it in my head that Birch left the same day we failed to get Speedie. It was a long time ago but yeah, Birch would have left early 90's.

Anyway, my dad first took me around 1983-ish. I started properly going around a couple of years after.

[eastie]

As many will recall back in 87  there was serious speculation that we might sign  David Speedie  as a last throw of the dice albeit with Tony Dorigo going to Chelsea in part exchange.

I was thinking about that the other day. Speedie did'nt come and Birchy was sold to Wolves on the same day. I was gutted.

Speedie went to coventry and was a huge success there - i agree it was a bad mistake to miss out on him.
Please clampy could you tell me when you first began watching villa ?

Birchy didnt leave in 87 - he was with us when we won promotion.
I think  he left in 90/91?

I don't know why i have it in my head that Birch left the same day we failed to get Speedie. It was a long time ago but yeah, Birch would have left early 90's.

Anyway, my dad first took me around 1983-ish. I started properly going around a couple of years after.

.

Good to hear my old friend, maybe you are thinking of the time we were linked with him before he joined liverpool - that would be around the time birchy left?

[Clampy]

As many will recall back in 87  there was serious speculation that we might sign  David Speedie  as a last throw of the dice albeit with Tony Dorigo going to Chelsea in part exchange.

I was thinking about that the other day. Speedie did'nt come and Birchy was sold to Wolves on the same day. I was gutted.

Speedie went to coventry and was a huge success there - i agree it was a bad mistake to miss out on him.
Please clampy could you tell me when you first began watching villa ?

Birchy didnt leave in 87 - he was with us when we won promotion.
I think  he left in 90/91?

I don't know why i have it in my head that Birch left the same day we failed to get Speedie. It was a long time ago but yeah, Birch would have left early 90's.

Anyway, my dad first took me around 1983-ish. I started properly going around a couple of years after.

.

Good to hear my old friend, maybe you are thinking of the time we were linked with him before he joined liverpool - that would be around the time birchy left?

Possibly.

[LeeB]

I've voted yes mainly becuase I refuse the adopt the "we're already down so might as well stop caring" attitude which is gripping the site.  We don't look good but 1 lucky win from nothing could turn our season around and at the moment we're not adrift, if in 10 games time we're still down there and struggling then I'll start to change my tune but for now there's too many points to play for.

Same for me.

[supertom]

We have 2 points from the last 21 available, it will take an absolute miracle to turn us around.

And the trouble is, it could easily be 2 points from our next 21 available, and the same for the last 21 available. I can't see us making 30 points.

[mr woo]

Well, a bloke of Syllas build is what we've been crying out for all season.
Whether he turns out to be Yaya Toure or Isaiah Osbourne is another question...

Regardless, we'll still go down. With a whimper.

[JUAN PABLO]

Yacouba Sylla has been backed to bring much-needed "steel" to Villa's midfield after completing a deadline-day move from Clermont Foot.

Manager Paul Lambert insists Sylla is raring to go in claret and blue - and he has backed the French midfielder to adapt quickly to the rigours of the Barclays Premier League.

Lambert says the 22-year-old - who is eligible to make his debut against Everton on Saturday - will provide the "bite" in the central ground that his team have been lacking in recent weeks.

"He is a strong lad that we think might add a bit of bite in the middle of the pitch," said the Villa boss.

"We needed someone like that in there and hopefully he can adapt quickly.

"The lad will come in and give us something we don't have - a bit of steel there.

"He is someone who I think is raring to go and do it.

"As I say, he will give us something we haven't got in the middle."

Sylla, who was tracked by a host of clubs while playing in France's Ligue 2, has been labelled as a 'midfield destroyer'.

However, Lambert is reluctant to place unnecessary pressure on the Frenchman by comparing him to other players.

"I don't compare - it is an unfair judgement saying he is going to be like somebody," added Lambert.

"He will be his own player and his own man, which is all I want him to do - just be yourself, don't be anybody else."

[eastie]

Paul Lambert reckons new signing Simon Dawkins has the potential to "surprise a lot of people" during his loan spell at Villa.

Dawkins is ready to go straight into the squad for Saturday's clash at Everton after joining on a temporary basis from Tottenham Hotspur.

The 25-year-old arrives in B6 as something of an unknown quantity, having played all of his competitive football over the last couple of seasons in the MLS with San Jose Earthquakes.

Having tracked the attacking midfielder's progress during his stateside spell, Lambert believes he can be a surprise package for the claret and blues.

"He is a good player, Dawkins," the Villa chief said.

"If you look at his story, it is a great story, going from Spurs to San Jose.

"For the last couple of years he has been excellent over there and the MLS I think is a very underrated league when you look at it. "He will give us something a bit different.

"Dawkins will be a surprise to a lot people - just the way he plays the game.

"I think he will create things that can happen.

"He can play anywhere, which is good. He has had a spell out in America where he has been incredible.

"The lad is on loan and an unknown is sometimes a good thing because a lot of people won't know him."