Summer 2013: Villa Transfers, Speculation, Suggestions and Rumours

[pauliewalnuts]

No way should we offer Dunne anything other than the way to the door. I think we'll see a big turnover of players this summer. Lambert has had a year to have a look at things and will now have a perfect picture of who to move on and who to keep.

In my opinion, out will be:
Bent, Ireland, Given, Dunne, Bannan, Holman, Delfouneso, Hutton, Makoun, Marshall, Petrov (sadly) and possibly the likes of Lichaj, Stephens, Albrighton etc.

That would free up something in the region of £400k p/w and bring in circa £17m - £20m too. Sounds easy, I know but that's something like what needs to happen.

As for who comes in, well I haven't the foggiest. I reckon we might go for Weimanns mate Dragovic. He fits the profile of the type of player I reckon we're looking at. We're clearly after a skillful playmaker. Who this will be is anybody's guess but probably a virtual unknown who turns out to be ace. Apart from that, replacements for those outgoing who will actually figure more, a senior left back, another senior centre half maybe.

A few will go out on loan, like Bowery. Also a few wil be promoted from the academy, or will figure more. Like Carruthers, Johnson, Drennan, Burke and Williams. Maybe on short loans too.

The only way it'll free up wages is if some other mug team is dumb enough to pay the likes of Ireland and Given what they're currently earning, or very close to.  If we cancel their contracts we'll have to pay them off so it'll free up nowt.

Not necessarily, it also depends on the length of contract they're offered elsewhere.

The other thing to remember is that whilst we supporters can look at these things and reflect that no club would be nuts enough to take on certain players, there is always a decent supply of people who run football clubs who really are significantly more nuts than we are.

I bet we get takers for Given and Bent, quite easily. Ireland might be trickier, but someone will take him. i wouldn't be at all surprised if he fucked off to the MLS or some other "last chance to coin it in" graveyard.

[Dave]

Bent probably, Given - I'm not so sure.

He has a good contract here until he's 40. I can't think of any club that desperate for a fairly good goalkeeper that they are going to improve that contract.

I still can't work out why we gave him that contract.

[SoccerHQ]

Partly to offset his wage decrease from leaving Man. City and also I think so we wouldn't have to offer him as we had to do with Friedel (as I think we all assumed he'd just retire when his 3 year deal finished).

I think we may have to loan out Given for a season tbh.

[Hoppo]

I saw a piece about Reo Coker over in the MLS. He is on 130k a year! They gave the obvious comparison of him being on 130k a month with us.

[mr woo]

If I was Di Canio, and assuming Sunderland stay up, I'd be more than willing to pay a couple of million for Given. I thought their keeper was bloody shocking the other night.

[Dave]

Partly to offset his wage decrease from leaving Man. City and also I think so we wouldn't have to offer him as we had to do with Friedel (as I think we all assumed he'd just retire when his 3 year deal finished).

I understand why we had to if we wanted him to leave Man City for us.

I don't understand why we did it.

[Steve R]

Of the three that signed two years ago I would have thought Hutton would have been the hardest to move on. I don't know whether Mallorca have made decision yet but at least we got a serious nibble. If we could shift him we could probably shift anyone bar Ireland.

Is it true Ireland was not at the end of season dinner?

Maybe if he woke up and found the cylinder head of a Range Rover on his pillow he would be better disposed towards moving on.

[Mazrim]

Heheheh.

[Mazrim]

Apparently, "Rooney could be persuaded to stay".
So Moyes first job is to source a vein of 70year old shell suited grannies and the 200 Sovereign each claim as payment.

[Matt C]

All the ability, none of the application. As one of the Man City coaches once said of him - in terms of natural ability he was their best player, but in terms of training application and mentality, one of their worst.

I can see him ending up at QPR on loan next season.

You would think they would have learnt their lesson. They're in enough of a mess already with how they've been running.

Now they've got a really responsible manager in charge at least. Oh, wait..

[ozzjim]

I am hoping Hughes gets Everton! Then Ireland might be off!

I can see Given and Ireland going to the MLS, and the former possibly Celtic - their keeper will be a target for Prem clubs soon enough.

[OzVilla]

He's not crap. Not at all. He's just not interested in producing what he is capable of.

Yep very talented player, just no application.

A few months of good form in a poor Man Citeh side years ago - and that's it.  Sorry fellas but would you say J Lloyd Samuel is a very talented player, had the same purple patch at about the same time and has also done fuck all since also with a shit attitude thrown in.  They are no better thanone another imo.

Most overrated player we've ever had imo.

[cheltenhamlion]

They won't pay anywhere near as much as we do but we might be able to shift Ireland on to Celtic if we pay some of his wages. You never know.

[Mazrim]

Ireland would thrive in Italy. Slow, ponderous football where teams have plenty of time on the ball. Plus his cars are only made down the road. USA would seem another likely destination but we'll see where the mini tennis watcher rocks up. He'll want him.

Given will take a pay cut to play I think. He's a model pro and a few grand wont matter much to him vs spending his twilight career on the bench. And he still has a good reputation so there will be takers.

[Jarpie]

Ireland would thrive in Italy. Slow, ponderous football where teams have plenty of time on the ball. Plus his cars are only made down the road. USA would seem another likely destination but we'll see where the mini tennis watcher rocks up. He'll want him.

Given will take a pay cut to play I think. He's a model pro and a few grand wont matter much to him vs spending his twilight career on the bench. And he still has a good reputation so there will be takers.

From the four players we're bound to get rid of (Hutton, Ireland, Bent and Given), Given will probably easiest to get rid of and would probably take biggest pay cut. When I've seen him interviewed he's always come out as utter professional.

I saw him in Goals on Sunday in the fall and he said that Lambert had talked with all the keepers several times and talked things through with them which he seemed to really appreciate - in contrast of what Mancini who just dropped him without talking with him at all.