Transfer Speculation / Gossip

[supertom]

Marc Albrighton and Nathan Delfouneso both released according the OS.

What I don't get is, that frees up more than enough on our wage budget to offer new deals to Delph, Vlaar and Gabby. Delph for certain has to be a priority. The other two, in a years time, hopefully we could live without.
It's absolutely crazy from Lerner to potentially see us lose some of the few players we have who'd pick up a reasonable transfer fee. Delph in today's market is a 10 million pound player, IF he's on a long contract. If we sell him now, we'd be lucky to get 5. Lerner could well be here for years yet, there's no certainty of a takeover. He's still got to look after our squad, and do his best to keep our best players on board.

I'm fucking glad we got Benteke tied down last year, that's for sure.

[PaulWinch again]

I don't mind Albrighton or Fonz leaving to be honest, Marc looked decent in a dreadful side towards the end of the season. He's a decent player but nothing more. We do however need to get Delph and Vlaar new deals.

[john2710]

Delfouneso is no loss & in truth I'm not too bothered about Albrighton either. If he can get £35k / week at Leicester, good luck to him but he's not a premiership player.

I doubt that Delph or Vlar will be sorted out until after the World Cup, by which time we'll hopefully be sold. If by that time any sale is not in place then I'm not sure what we'll do?

Gabby - I don't think he's shown enough last season to earn a new contract.

[Bully2345]

Delfouneso is no loss & in truth I'm not too bothered about Albrighton either. If he can get £35k / week at Leicester, good luck to him but he's not a premiership player.

I doubt that Delph or Vlar will be sorted out until after the World Cup, by which time we'll hopefully be sold. If by that time any sale is not in place then I'm not sure what we'll do?

Gabby - I don't think he's shown enough last season to earn a new contract.

Agree with this completely

[brontebilly]

Would be just our luck if Lescott came in and Vlaar left!

dont have much time for Lescott but would prefer him over Vlaar if that were the choice

[brontebilly]

I don't mind Albrighton or Fonz leaving to be honest, Marc looked decent in a dreadful side towards the end of the season. He's a decent player but nothing more. We do however need to get Delph and Vlaar new deals.

Vlaar is too poor a leader and too injury prone to be our first choice centre half.

If we get half decent offers Gabby and Vlaar should be two of the first players out of the club.

Dont see the love in for captain Vlaar at all. Woeful in his first season, better last season but not by that much.

Im hoping that he will have a good World Cup to get his value increased but the fact that he is one of their main defenders shows how average a Dutch side this year's is. He was exposed to ridicule at Euro 2012.

Delph should be given a new contract for sure. Has come back from bad injuries, poor form, abuse from his fans etc to be our best player. I think he is a good character to have around the club and should be rewarded.

Last season was the worst Villa side since 86/87. Delph and Guzan are the only two of the current squad that deserve consideration for new deals.

[PaulWinch again]

Vlaar is fine and the least of our problems.

[brontebilly]

Vlaar is fine and the least of our problems.

Granted we have a lot of problems but surely it is worth reviewing the efforts of our captain at the back over the past two seasons (130 league goals conceded)?

How good do others think Vlaar is?

Id rank him somewhere between average at best and a lumbering, injury prone, responsibility dodging, charlatan at his worst

The same description could apply to our "leader" up front - Gabby Agbonlahor

[supertom]

Vlaar is fine and the least of our problems.

Granted we have a lot of problems but surely it is worth reviewing the efforts of our captain at the back over the past two seasons (130 league goals conceded)?

How good do others think Vlaar is?

Id rank him somewhere between average at best and a lumbering, injury prone, responsibility dodging, charlatan at his worst

The same description could apply to our "leader" up front - Gabby Agbonlahor

I'd agree on both fronts (wouldn't go as far as charlatan). Vlaar is certainly a player we need for the here and now. A year down the line? Hopefully we'll be looking for much better. I mean I like Rons attitude but he's an average player with a very poor injury record. I think despite missing a few games this season, the final couple of months did seem a struggle for him. He struggles to play week after week and for 90 minutes IMO.

The same might be said of Lescott to be fair, but on his day he's a better player and you'd hope that with two experienced defenders on the books, when one is injured the other can step in.

I'd not be disappointed to see us just run Vlaars deal out. He's never going to attract a big fee given his ability, age and injury record.

[PaulWinch again]

Vlaar has largely been stuffed by trying to cover for Baker or Clark, he's a good player. If you put him next to another good centre half he'd be fine.

[UK Redsox]

Count me as another who's not convinced by Vlaar.

He's good enough for Villa at the moment but no way is he of the standard that a rebuilding Man Utd should be looking at.

However, if LVG does for some reason want him, Villa should seriously consider selling.

[supertom]

Vlaar has largely been stuffed by trying to cover for Baker or Clark, he's a good player. If you put him next to another good centre half he'd be fine.

I think with his legs he's coming to a point where he should be playing 20 games a season, rather than 30 plus. Bring in Lescott. Partner him and Vlaar for big games, and rotate Okore with them. Clark as 4th choice.
Next year see what market we're shopping in, if we're still in this predicament, we can offer Vlaar a 1-2 year extension. If we've got a budget then I'd be look at a better quality CH as our new first choice.

[SamTheMouse]

Blimey, you lot are hard to please. Vlaar's been the only decent defender in a team of players who are surprisingly bad at defending. I think given the circumstances, he's done extremely well. Aside from Benteke, Delph and Guzan, he's one of the few players I'd be genuinely disappointed to see leave.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Not really upset they are both leaving. Good lads and I hope they do well elsewhere but honestly they never really impressed for us. Albrighton had a few decent games towards the end of this season but I would hope we can do better.

The fact that the club are letting him leave gives me some hope that in fact we are going to buy buying players this window. No way would you let a cheap workmanlike academy grad like Marc go if you have no plans to strengthen in his position...... right?

[ozzjim]

Vlaar is a decent player. Vidic would have looked a mug alongside Baker and Clark most of the time.


Give him a decent partner and we will see him improve, which in fairness he did immensely much of the season.