Summer 2013: Villa Transfers, Speculation, Suggestions and Rumours

[pauliewalnuts]

It is absolutely crucial that we replace him with as little risk as possible. Punts on the likes of Westwood and Bennett are one thing, but the higher cost of getting this one wrong makes taking a gamble riskier.

Benteke at the time was a punt just as much as Westwood and Bennett were.

We certainly need to replace his goals, but it's not as if when we signed him he was some sort of 20-goals-per-season guaranteed success.

No, of course not, but we also had Darren Bent at that point, too.

Lambert has worked out he doesn't want him now, but there was no indication of that when we signed Benteke. Wasn't Bent even captain at one point?

Don't get me wrong, I am not writing off Helenius. How could I? I haven't seen him play.

What I am trying (and probably failing) to say is that writing him off would be nuts, but so would relying on him (assuming Bent and Benteke are not here).

[MoetVillan]

I dont get the impression that Lambert saw them as "punts"

[Dave]

Benteke was a £7m first choice pick for a top class Belgian side, and at the time we were playing two up top with gabby bent and Weimann competing for places.

When he signed for us, Benteke had two caps for Belgium, one in 2010 and one two weeks before he joined.

[ozzjim]

Benteke was a £7m first choice pick for a top class Belgian side, and at the time we were playing two up top with gabby bent and Weimann competing for places.

When he signed for us, Benteke had two caps for Belgium, one in 2010 and one two weeks before he joined.

Very valid point too. People making out he was a regular in that side are re-writing history. He was a punt so to speak, but I think Lambert will replace him AND Bent when they move.

[SamTheMouse]

Benteke was a £7m first choice pick for a top class Belgian side, and at the time we were playing two up top with gabby bent and Weimann competing for places.

When he signed for us, Benteke had two caps for Belgium, one in 2010 and one two weeks before he joined.

Very valid point too. People making out he was a regular in that side are re-writing history. He was a punt so to speak, but I think Lambert will replace him AND Bent when they move.

He was certainly a bit of a gamble, but it paid off spectacularly and yet we still only narrowly avoided relegation. Which sort of suggests that if the next gamble doesn't pay off, we could be up shit creek.

[Dave]

It is absolutely crucial that we replace him with as little risk as possible. Punts on the likes of Westwood and Bennett are one thing, but the higher cost of getting this one wrong makes taking a gamble riskier.

Benteke at the time was a punt just as much as Westwood and Bennett were.

We certainly need to replace his goals, but it's not as if when we signed him he was some sort of 20-goals-per-season guaranteed success.

No, of course not, but we also had Darren Bent at that point, too.

Lambert has worked out he doesn't want him now, but there was no indication of that when we signed Benteke. Wasn't Bent even captain at one point?

Don't get me wrong, I am not writing off Helenius. How could I? I haven't seen him play.

What I am trying (and probably failing) to say is that writing him off would be nuts, but so would relying on him (assuming Bent and Benteke are not here).

Last season we did have Bent (and technically still do), but we didn't have Weimann as a genuine goalscorer. Last season Weimann scored more than any one player scored in either of the previous two seasons.

Last season we started with a regularly injured Bent, an out-of-sorts Gabby, an underplayed Weimann, an underwhelming Delfouneso and this deadline day signing from Belgium who hadn't even top-scored for his club that year.

It's not like we were going into that season with an embarrassment of riches.

When Benteke goes, I'm absolutely certain that we'll sign another striker, but I disagree with those saying that there's no option but to forget how sensibly we've done our transfers for the last 12 months and start looking at the likes of Lukaku and Shane Long because doing what we've done up until now will be a massive risk. Also, if Helenius starts the season as first-choice I don't have any problem with it.

[ozzjim]

Benteke was a £7m first choice pick for a top class Belgian side, and at the time we were playing two up top with gabby bent and Weimann competing for places.

When he signed for us, Benteke had two caps for Belgium, one in 2010 and one two weeks before he joined.

Very valid point too. People making out he was a regular in that side are re-writing history. He was a punt so to speak, but I think Lambert will replace him AND Bent when they move.

He was certainly a bit of a gamble, but it paid off spectacularly and yet we still only narrowly avoided relegation. Which sort of suggests that if the next gamble doesn't pay off, we could be up shit creek.

I don't agree at all. I think we are a much better side now, and yeah Benteke is very important but he has helped get us to a point where the rest of the side is much better. Add in another striker of a similar ilk even if not as good and he will score goals.

[pauliewalnuts]

True, but then again, last season, we also nearly got relegated.

I don't have any problem with Helenius playing week in, week out, if he's scoring goals.

The point is, whoever we play there, they're going to have to score a lot of goals, because even with Weimann established and Gabby playing well, I still don't think there are enough goals in that side.

That's a big expectation on Helenius, unfair expectation in my opinion.

I also take your point re Lukaku and Shane Long, but it's not as if they're the only options if we're looking for a decent replacement for Benteke. Going out and replacing a good striker with another good one is not easy to do, but we at least need to try. There's no rule that we can't be sensible and also look for more proven players, they're not mutually exclusive.

[Toronto Villa]

The fact that Lambert was able to find this bloke amongst rocks and convince the board who were in major cost restriction to part with 7m is a testament to how much he believed in him. But he was a gamble and a significant chunk of our budget at the time. That for me is the most disappointing thing. That Benteke could still be scoring goals at Genk now and not sitting on his arse waiting for his next big move. The fact that Lambert found him (I don't mean to say that like he's some native tribe in Brazil that has yet to discover the wheel) gives me plenty of faith there are other players in the world that with proper scouting we will be able to replace him.

Where we will be set back a bit is that you cannot simply replace the chemistry that Gabby and Weimann, and the other players had built up with Benteke.

[Dave]

I also take your point re Lukaku and Shane Long, but it's not as if they're the only options if we're looking for a decent replacement for Benteke.

At the time I joined this conversation, that is exactly what was being said. And the point that I disagreed with.

Edit: actually, not exactly what was being said. But there have been a fair few 'Lukaku is the only player who can play the same role as Benteke'. Which is just silly.

[ozzjim]

True, but then again, last season, we also nearly got relegated.

I don't have any problem with Helenius playing week in, week out, if he's scoring goals.

The point is, whoever we play there, they're going to have to score a lot of goals, because even with Weimann established and Gabby playing well, I still don't think there are enough goals in that side.

That's a big expectation on Helenius, unfair expectation in my opinion.

I also take your point re Lukaku and Shane Long, but it's not as if they're the only options if we're looking for a decent replacement for Benteke. Going out and replacing a good striker with another good one is not easy to do, but we at least need to try. There's no rule that we can't be sensible and also look for more proven players, they're not mutually exclusive.

I don't think we will go near Long or Lukaku (as much as he would suit). I think a number 10 will be signed to replace Bent, and number 9 to replace Benteke. Giving us 2 players with goalscoring expectations. Coupled with Tonev, Gabby, Weimann, and I think Delph this season.

[Ads]

 Everything in life is a gamble, but I don’t think there was anything unplanned or researched about what Lambert did last season.

If anything, I think he feels disappointed that we got off to such a slow start. He was part of that reason of course, as he didn’t pick up on our best formation until the final few months where hey presto, we looked worlds apart from what we looked like pre-January.

I think the same applies to the new signings. Don’t expect world beaters (you never know?) but given how meticulously they will have been researched, I expect more of what we saw post-February.

[Toronto Villa]

I think he now knows the system he wants to play which is a big step forward to where we started last year. He has now purchased players this summer that will be able to play in that system as opposed to making do with what he had this time last year.

[eastie]

I think he now knows the system he wants to play which is a big step forward to where we started last year. He has now purchased players this summer that will be able to play in that system as opposed to making do with what he had this time last year.

Indeed, I have no idea how helenius will slot in but I'm sure lambert has researched him well and believes he will fit into our style , no question he will look to add another striker too if benteke and bent both go.

[Toronto Villa]

I think he now knows the system he wants to play which is a big step forward to where we started last year. He has now purchased players this summer that will be able to play in that system as opposed to making do with what he had this time last year.

Indeed, I have no idea how helenius will slot in but I'm sure lambert has researched him well and believes he will fit into our style , no question he will look to add another striker too if benteke and bent both go.

Indeed