Summer 2013: Villa Transfers, Speculation, Suggestions and Rumours

[eastie]

Can anyone confirm whether shay given has gone or not ?

[Jarpie]

Can anyone confirm whether shay given has gone or not ?

Not gone.

[eastie]

Can anyone confirm whether shay given has gone or not ?

Not gone.

Cheers pal.

[Jarpie]

Liverpool wouldn't pay all of his wages so loan didn't happen. I guess they were haggling over the percentages but time ran out to make a deal. Makes me wonder if Stoke is paying all of Ireland's wages if we wanted that from Liverpool.

[SamTheMouse]

TSM - like other managers before him - never played him in the role where he's most effective. He's tended to get stuck out wide, whereas his unplayable spell at Wigan saw him play in the channels or even centrally, attacking the space behind the forward and driving into the box. A run of games in that position might see us get the best from him finally.

The issue there is that we don't play in a way that suits someone playing in that role.  As I said last night, he did well when Wigan had nothing else to lose and set their team up to suit him, we're never going to do that because we have so many good attacking players that there's no need and it would almost certainly have a negative effect on our results.  He will never fit in to the squad we're building, if we can get anything for him we should take it.

On the contrary, I think that the role I was describing is essentially the one performed by Gabby and Andi. TSM played a flatter formation lying deep, meaning Zog started on or behind the halfway line, out on the touchline and had to beat one or two defenders before getting anywhere near the box and most of the time he had nobody to link up with anyway. Whereas under Lambert, both Weimann and Gabby have the licence to play further forward and make diagonal runs towards the box, using Benteke as a fulcrum to create space. I think that is exactly what Zog is best at and there's no reason he can't provide solid competition for Weimann, cutting in from the right channel on his left foot.

[Jarpie]

TSM - like other managers before him - never played him in the role where he's most effective. He's tended to get stuck out wide, whereas his unplayable spell at Wigan saw him play in the channels or even centrally, attacking the space behind the forward and driving into the box. A run of games in that position might see us get the best from him finally.

The issue there is that we don't play in a way that suits someone playing in that role.  As I said last night, he did well when Wigan had nothing else to lose and set their team up to suit him, we're never going to do that because we have so many good attacking players that there's no need and it would almost certainly have a negative effect on our results.  He will never fit in to the squad we're building, if we can get anything for him we should take it.

On the contrary, I think that the role I was describing is essentially the one performed by Gabby and Andi. TSM played a flatter formation lying deep, meaning Zog started on or behind the halfway line, out on the touchline and had to beat one or two defenders before getting anywhere near the box and most of the time he had nobody to link up with anyway. Whereas under Lambert, both Weimann and Gabby have the licence to play further forward and make diagonal runs towards the box, using Benteke as a fulcrum to create space. I think that is exactly what Zog is best at and there's no reason he can't provide solid competition for Weimann, cutting in from the right channel on his left foot.

I think the problem with N'Zogbia is that he doesn't track back and his workrate is much lower than Gabby's or Weimann's. Unfortunately a lot of the creative flair players are like that, and those kind of players who works much harder and tracks back like Gabby are rare and will cost a pretty penny.

[olaftab]

An excellent TF for AVFC. Very pleased with work done by Lambert and Faulkner. One thing is clear that neither  ITK here or elsewhere or media are going to guess what Paul Lambert will do in the market. He knows and has good scouting support to pick players without anyone getting a sniff. Even our eastie has struggled!
Well done Villa.

Sorry if I'm being thick, but what does TF stand for? I've seen it a couple of times and it just summons up the devil for me.

I just guessed at titty f**k

A nice thought. Is this what you mean olaftab? Or one of the more refined suggestions?

I have just seen this at work and Malandro's explanation has sent me in a spin as a few minutes ago I was having a water cooler conversation with a colleague and she is "dressed for summer"...
Anyway Percy TF is an error I meant to say TW as in transfer window!

[olaftab]

I still think that I would prefer NZogbia coming on with half an hour to go than anyone we have really to make something happen.

I hope he comes back from his injury in that kind of form and with the need to prove that he can be that kind of game-changing player. I like him as well.

I am pleased  N'Zog is still with us. We need players like him on the bench. I saw him destroy tesco bags away last season. If he can play like that he will provide a huge threat to opponents.

[Damo70]

An excellent TF for AVFC. Very pleased with work done by Lambert and Faulkner. One thing is clear that neither  ITK here or elsewhere or media are going to guess what Paul Lambert will do in the market. He knows and has good scouting support to pick players without anyone getting a sniff. Even our eastie has struggled!
Well done Villa.

Sorry if I'm being thick, but what does TF stand for? I've seen it a couple of times and it just summons up the devil for me.

I just guessed at titty f**k

A nice thought. Is this what you mean olaftab? Or one of the more refined suggestions?

I have just seen this at work and Malandro's explanation has sent me in a spin as a few minutes ago I was having a water cooler conversation with a colleague and she is "dressed for summer"...
Anyway Percy TF is an error I meant to say TW as in transfer window!

I'm glad we've cleared that up. Although for me, we have just gone from titty f**k to titty w**k.

[Mister E]

I still think that I would prefer NZogbia coming on with half an hour to go than anyone we have really to make something happen.

I hope he comes back from his injury in that kind of form and with the need to prove that he can be that kind of game-changing player. I like him as well.

My problem with Charles, Louise, is that he has only rarely shown the consistently-high levels of play for which he is known. For around 6 months at Wigan he was almost unplayable .... but not much either side of that, IMO.
I personally think TSM bought him because he could (not having been able to at The Other Place) rather than because he was the right player for us at the time.

TSM - like other managers before him - never played him in the role where he's most effective. He's tended to get stuck out wide, whereas his unplayable spell at Wigan saw him play in the channels or even centrally, attacking the space behind the forward and driving into the box. A run of games in that position might see us get the best from him finally.

Disagree, actually.  I think both TSM and PL have tried CNZ in a fe wpositions and he has - frankly - remained unconvincing in all.
He is flaky, IMHO - and not suitable for where we're going.

[Duncan Shaw]

So do we think Shay might go out on loan to a lower league club this week?  Seems a real waste of talent him not even being on the bench for us.

[bobdylan]

So do we think Shay might go out on loan to a lower league club this week?  Seems a real waste of talent him not even being on the bench for us.

Also Hutton, even if we have to pay most of their wages they will be more saleable/lettable in Jan or next Summer with some games under their belts I'd say, especially as they would not be playing for a league rival of ours.

Also looking at our squad now we have 21 players excluding Albrighton, Bowery, Gardner and Herd, so I wonder if we might loan a couple of these guys out also as not being in Europe I don't think we need a 25 man squad.  We also possibly have N'Zog to return after injury to boost the no.'s if required.

[Concrete John]

TSM - like other managers before him - never played him in the role where he's most effective. He's tended to get stuck out wide, whereas his unplayable spell at Wigan saw him play in the channels or even centrally, attacking the space behind the forward and driving into the box. A run of games in that position might see us get the best from him finally.

The issue there is that we don't play in a way that suits someone playing in that role.  As I said last night, he did well when Wigan had nothing else to lose and set their team up to suit him, we're never going to do that because we have so many good attacking players that there's no need and it would almost certainly have a negative effect on our results.  He will never fit in to the squad we're building, if we can get anything for him we should take it.

On the contrary, I think that the role I was describing is essentially the one performed by Gabby and Andi. TSM played a flatter formation lying deep, meaning Zog started on or behind the halfway line, out on the touchline and had to beat one or two defenders before getting anywhere near the box and most of the time he had nobody to link up with anyway. Whereas under Lambert, both Weimann and Gabby have the licence to play further forward and make diagonal runs towards the box, using Benteke as a fulcrum to create space. I think that is exactly what Zog is best at and there's no reason he can't provide solid competition for Weimann, cutting in from the right channel on his left foot.

The problem with N'Zogbia was that he didn't wait for the ball before cutting in and just went on a wander, never holding his position.  As Jarpie said, tracking back is also an issue.

A lot was made of Lambert's comments about 'traditional wingers' a while back, but in many respects I think that was misunderstood.  The style now is not to have two wingers getting chalk on their boots and crossing to a striker, but rather once they get the ball they drive inwards and link up.  This is partly to create space for the modern fullbacks overlapping.  That means you do have width in the side off the ball, but then do different things with it once they recieve the ball.  And as I said, Charlie doesn't wait wide to get the ball, so we'd be a bit of a lopsided mess with him in for Gabby or Weiamnn.

Lambert had it right playing him centrally behind Benteke and that's how I'd use him when he's fit again, probably as an option from the bench if we need to change the shape of the midfield three.

[Concrete John]

So do we think Shay might go out on loan to a lower league club this week?  Seems a real waste of talent him not even being on the bench for us.

Also Hutton, even if we have to pay most of their wages they will be more saleable/lettable in Jan or next Summer with some games under their belts I'd say, especially as they would not be playing for a league rival of ours.

Also looking at our squad now we have 21 players excluding Albrighton, Bowery, Gardner and Herd, so I wonder if we might loan a couple of these guys out also as not being in Europe I don't think we need a 25 man squad.  We also possibly have N'Zog to return after injury to boost the no.'s if required.

What gets me about Given was he was going to Liverpool to be number three - what's the point of that?  Surely he'd only want to move in order to go up the pecking order and be 1st or 2nd choice?

I think Bowery will be out on loan soon.

[LeeB]

TSM - like other managers before him - never played him in the role where he's most effective. He's tended to get stuck out wide, whereas his unplayable spell at Wigan saw him play in the channels or even centrally, attacking the space behind the forward and driving into the box. A run of games in that position might see us get the best from him finally.

The issue there is that we don't play in a way that suits someone playing in that role.  As I said last night, he did well when Wigan had nothing else to lose and set their team up to suit him, we're never going to do that because we have so many good attacking players that there's no need and it would almost certainly have a negative effect on our results.  He will never fit in to the squad we're building, if we can get anything for him we should take it.

On the contrary, I think that the role I was describing is essentially the one performed by Gabby and Andi. TSM played a flatter formation lying deep, meaning Zog started on or behind the halfway line, out on the touchline and had to beat one or two defenders before getting anywhere near the box and most of the time he had nobody to link up with anyway. Whereas under Lambert, both Weimann and Gabby have the licence to play further forward and make diagonal runs towards the box, using Benteke as a fulcrum to create space. I think that is exactly what Zog is best at and there's no reason he can't provide solid competition for Weimann, cutting in from the right channel on his left foot.

The problem with N'Zogbia was that he didn't wait for the ball before cutting in and just went on a wander, never holding his position.  As Jarpie said, tracking back is also an issue.

A lot was made of Lambert's comments about 'traditional wingers' a while back, but in many respects I think that was misunderstood.  The style now is not to have two wingers getting chalk on their boots and crossing to a striker, but rather once they get the ball they drive inwards and link up.  This is partly to create space for the modern fullbacks overlapping.  That means you do have width in the side off the ball, but then do different things with it once they recieve the ball.  And as I said, Charlie doesn't wait wide to get the ball, so we'd be a bit of a lopsided mess with him in for Gabby or Weiamnn.

Lambert had it right playing him centrally behind Benteke and that's how I'd use him when he's fit again, probably as an option from the bench if we need to change the shape of the midfield three.

I like your thoughts re: wingers John, it puts me in mind of the cup game at Norwich last season.

In that game, I think two of the goals came from periods when we we're camped outside Norwich's box, switching the ball left to right and back again. Eventually, we got the full back in room to cross, and the defenders who had been ball watching for a couple of minutes were static, had lost the players they'd picked up when the attack started, and Weimann tapped in a couple of easy finishes.

It gives me hope that we'll be able to find our way through the park-the-bus merchants this season.