Transfer Speculation / Gossip

[SteveN]

Watching Mexico last night, they played with three big centre backs and two full backs who kept to the touchline when Mexico had possession. As a team they defended pretty well.  We may not have the same quality across the board but I wonder if Lambert is thinking of using that system more next season?

Given the assumed financial restraints only one more signing would be required to complete the defensive options.  Playing Vlaar, Senderos and Okore across the back we would then have Lowton/Bacuna and Bennett/Luna as primarily attacking full backs (or wing backs if you prefer) to which they are better suited.  Baker and Clark as cover for the centre backs.

If we could sign a decent defensive midfielder who could play in front of the three that might work, with Clark as cover for that position.

I'll give PL a call. 

[Dave]

It's just a typical Villa transfer fuck-up. Player available on a free. Exactly what we currently need. Sign someone else and allow him to sign for local rivals.

Brilliant.

How exactly did we 'allow' him to sign for them and if it's typical when was the last time it happened?

Craig Gardner.

Actually, maybe not.

[Gareth]

It's just a typical Villa transfer fuck-up. Player available on a free. Exactly what we currently need. Sign someone else and allow him to sign for local rivals.

Brilliant.

How exactly did we 'allow' him to sign for them and if it's typical when was the last time it happened?

It's going to be a long old summer if everytime someone else signs or looks like signing a player we go into apoplexy over it.

For what it's worth I suspect PL wouldn't look to invest circa 50k a week in a position that he had a first choice p'ship 9 months ago that he has hardly seen yet...Senderos is back up to Vlaar / Okore, Lescott would have to go anywhere as 1st choice

[Rolta]

It's just a typical Villa transfer fuck-up. Player available on a free. Exactly what we currently need. Sign someone else and allow him to sign for local rivals.

Brilliant.

How exactly did we 'allow' him to sign for them and if it's typical when was the last time it happened?

It's going to be a long old summer if everytime someone else signs or looks like signing a player we go into apoplexy over it.

For what it's worth I suspect PL wouldn't look to invest circa 50k a week in a position that he had a first choice p'ship 9 months ago that he has hardly seen yet...Senderos is back up to Vlaar / Okore, Lescott would have to go anywhere as 1st choice

It's the same every summer and january. It also happens frequently that the other teams causing such jealous feelings end up getting relegated – see QPR and Fulham off the top of my head. I do think people like to wind themselves up on here.

[LeeB]

It's just a typical Villa transfer fuck-up. Player available on a free. Exactly what we currently need. Sign someone else and allow him to sign for local rivals.

Brilliant.

How exactly did we 'allow' him to sign for them and if it's typical when was the last time it happened?

It's going to be a long old summer if everytime someone else signs or looks like signing a player we go into apoplexy over it.

For what it's worth I suspect PL wouldn't look to invest circa 50k a week in a position that he had a first choice p'ship 9 months ago that he has hardly seen yet...Senderos is back up to Vlaar / Okore, Lescott would have to go anywhere as 1st choice

It's the same every summer and january. It also happens frequently that the other teams causing such jealous feelings end up getting relegated – see QPR and Fulham off the top of my head. I do think people like to wind themselves up on here.

It happens everywhere, probably less so here.

[RussellC]

It's just a typical Villa transfer fuck-up. Player available on a free. Exactly what we currently need. Sign someone else and allow him to sign for local rivals.

Brilliant.

How exactly did we 'allow' him to sign for them and if it's typical when was the last time it happened?

It's going to be a long old summer if everytime someone else signs or looks like signing a player we go into apoplexy over it.

For what it's worth I suspect PL wouldn't look to invest circa 50k a week in a position that he had a first choice p'ship 9 months ago that he has hardly seen yet...Senderos is back up to Vlaar / Okore, Lescott would have to go anywhere as 1st choice

It's the same every summer and january. It also happens frequently that the other teams causing such jealous feelings end up getting relegated – see QPR and Fulham off the top of my head. I do think people like to wind themselves up on here.

This is a very specific case of us signing a centre-back on a free-transfer and then a couple of weeks later, a better one being closely linked to our nearest rivals.  It's not apoplexy it's just sheer frustration.

My 'typical' comment was more an observation that when signings this obvious rear their head, we very rarely take them. Same as taking Barry back last season.

As for Okore, we're putting an awful lot of faith in a very young player with very little experience.

[RussellC]

And to clarify what I meant by "allowing" them to sign him, I'm working on the premise that the only way he'd sign for Albion instead of us was by being offered a better deal there. Therefore we're "allowing him to sign for them" by not matching their offer. Again, obviously based on the event of him actually going there.

[ADVILLAFAN]

Albion should have wages to sign players with, they've let all of theirs go. A bit like Blues (and Sunderland).

[sirlordbaltimore]

I'm not that bothered about Lescott at all. If we hadn't already signed Senderos than maybe, but we wouldn't sign Lescott on his wages and then have him playing back up to Vlaar and Okore. And neither Vlaar or Okore would be happy playing back up either

You can't have endless players for the same position whether they're on a free or not

We have to sort out far more pressing areas than CB right now

Owner
Manager
Left back
Creative midfielder

for a start

[sirlordbaltimore]

And to clarify what I meant by "allowing" them to sign him, I'm working on the premise that the only way he'd sign for Albion instead of us was by being offered a better deal there. Therefore we're "allowing him to sign for them" by not matching their offer. Again, obviously based on the event of him actually going there.

That's also assuming we even want him. He can't choose them over us if we aren't interested in him can he ?

[saunders_heroes]

And to clarify what I meant by "allowing" them to sign him, I'm working on the premise that the only way he'd sign for Albion instead of us was by being offered a better deal there. Therefore we're "allowing him to sign for them" by not matching their offer. Again, obviously based on the event of him actually going there.

We went for the cheaper option on Senderos, and ended up with a player known for his injuries and gaffes. Lescott would have been ideal for our team but to get the better players you have to pay the going rate in wages, and that's why he won't be playing in claret and blue next season.
Typical Villa over the last 4 years.

[ADVILLAFAN]

I think Creative Midfield and Midfield Terrier are the 2 most important positions to fill.

[RussellC]

We had the 4th worst defensive record in the league last season. The 3 worse than us were relegated. I'd say that Centre-back was a failry high priority.  I'd also say that signing one that was discarded from one of those 3 aforementioned teams isn't much of a solution.

[RussellC]

And to clarify what I meant by "allowing" them to sign him, I'm working on the premise that the only way he'd sign for Albion instead of us was by being offered a better deal there. Therefore we're "allowing him to sign for them" by not matching their offer. Again, obviously based on the event of him actually going there.

We went for the cheaper option on Senderos, and ended up with a player known for his injuries and gaffes. Lescott would have been ideal for our team but to Goethe better players you have to pay the going rate in wages, and that's why he won't be playing in claret and blue next season.
Typical Villa over the last 4 years.

It's not just the last 4 years though. it goes all the way back to bulking (allegedly) at the extra £500,000 that Wolves wanted for Robbie Keane. When you think about how much cash we've flushed down the toilet on the likes of Stephen Ireland since then, I think it's relatively fair to call it "typical" of Villa when we appear to be letting a player who would drastically improve us join one of our rivals instead of us.

[Dave]

Lescott would have been ideal for our team but to Goethe better players you have to pay the going rate in wages

But then we're back in the Faustian contracts of the O'Neill era.