Transfer Speculation / Gossip

[eamonn]

Robbie Keane three decades ago? C'mon, one and a half!

[Gregorys Boy]

I respect trying to run things on a budgit but you have to get the right balance between that and actually moving the team forward on the football pitch, and at the moment we don't seem to be getting that balance.  If we go down that is not going to be good for business surely.

The point about us and West Brom is that awhile ago certain people on this board claimed that Lescott was an unrealistic target for Villa, but that West Brom have signed him surely shows than if wanted him we may well have got him.  The guy just wants to play football at the top level.

Maybe that's the reason - they've guaranteed him that he'll be first choice, we're going with Okore and Vlaar.

I agree. Vlaar and Okore with Senderos as back up is a move in the right direction.

Well we still don't know about Okore but I am willing to give him a chance.  But Dave made my point for me, because we should be offering someone like Lescott first team football as it would improve our defence in the present, we can still develop the younger players at the same time.

You still haven't said what the difference is you can see between us and a team that finished below us last season and whose supporters are protesting about their new manager.

At the moment very little, but that is partly my point because them signing Lescott is far more ambitious than who we have signed.  If they can get a decent ten goal a season striker (don't know why they let Long go) then I fancy their chances more than ours right now.

[RussellC]

One thing I'm fairly sure of - if Albion's last 3 signings had been Grant Holt, Philippe Senderos and Joe Cole, we'd all be laughing at them.

[dave.woodhall]

I respect trying to run things on a budgit but you have to get the right balance between that and actually moving the team forward on the football pitch, and at the moment we don't seem to be getting that balance.  If we go down that is not going to be good for business surely.

The point about us and West Brom is that awhile ago certain people on this board claimed that Lescott was an unrealistic target for Villa, but that West Brom have signed him surely shows than if wanted him we may well have got him.  The guy just wants to play football at the top level.

Maybe that's the reason - they've guaranteed him that he'll be first choice, we're going with Okore and Vlaar.

I agree. Vlaar and Okore with Senderos as back up is a move in the right direction.

Well we still don't know about Okore but I am willing to give him a chance.  But Dave made my point for me, because we should be offering someone like Lescott first team football as it would improve our defence in the present, we can still develop the younger players at the same time.

You still haven't said what the difference is you can see between us and a team that finished below us last season and whose supporters are protesting about their new manager.

At the moment very little, but that is partly my point because them signing Lescott is far more ambitious than who we have signed.  If they can get a decent ten goal a season striker (don't know why they let Long go) then I fancy their chances more than ours right now.

One minute you're saying there's a difference, now you're saying there isn't, but there will be if they sign more players. You could say that about anyone.

[Gregorys Boy]

I respect trying to run things on a budgit but you have to get the right balance between that and actually moving the team forward on the football pitch, and at the moment we don't seem to be getting that balance.  If we go down that is not going to be good for business surely.

The point about us and West Brom is that awhile ago certain people on this board claimed that Lescott was an unrealistic target for Villa, but that West Brom have signed him surely shows than if wanted him we may well have got him.  The guy just wants to play football at the top level.

Maybe that's the reason - they've guaranteed him that he'll be first choice, we're going with Okore and Vlaar.

I agree. Vlaar and Okore with Senderos as back up is a move in the right direction.

Well we still don't know about Okore but I am willing to give him a chance.  But Dave made my point for me, because we should be offering someone like Lescott first team football as it would improve our defence in the present, we can still develop the younger players at the same time.

You still haven't said what the difference is you can see between us and a team that finished below us last season and whose supporters are protesting about their new manager.

At the moment very little, but that is partly my point because them signing Lescott is far more ambitious than who we have signed.  If they can get a decent ten goal a season striker (don't know why they let Long go) then I fancy their chances more than ours right now.

One minute you're saying there's a difference, now you're saying there isn't, but there will be if they sign more players. You could say that about anyone.

No that is not what I said at all.  I said that with signings like Lescott the future would look brighter for WBA than for us.  The way football is we could have a decent season and they might go down, but I am just saying than that sort of player would have been a good signing for us.  I have never rated Senderos, so with the exception of more experience I don't know what he brings to the team.

[RussellC]

A lot of you seem to be very calm and relaxed about the club at the moment. You must all be seeing things very differently to me. I'm all for "seeing what happens over the rest of the summer" but the signs are that the majority of the clubs around us will be dipping into their newly acquired TV cash, whilst we'll be looking to fill the holes in our already sub-standard squad with bargain-bin options.

[dave.woodhall]

No that is not what I said at all.  I said that with signings like Lescott the future would look brighter for WBA than for us.  The way football is we could have a decent season and they might go down, but I am just saying than that sort of player would have been a good signing for us.  I have never rated Senderos, so with the exception of more experience I don't know what he brings to the team.

You said, "That West Brom have got him and we have settled for Senderos just shows the difference between the two clubs right now." Not in the future, or potentially, but now.

[RussellC]

You said, "That West Brom have got him and we have settled for Senderos just shows the difference between the two clubs right now." Not in the future, or potentially, but now.

They paid the higher salary to get the better player. That's a fairly clear difference isn't it?

[dave.woodhall]

You said, "That West Brom have got him and we have settled for Senderos just shows the difference between the two clubs right now." Not in the future, or potentially, but now.

They paid the higher salary to get the better player. That's a fairly clear difference isn't it?

Not in the slightest, not least because you don't know what they're paying or what the criteria for the two players are.

[RussellC]

You said, "That West Brom have got him and we have settled for Senderos just shows the difference between the two clubs right now." Not in the future, or potentially, but now.

They paid the higher salary to get the better player. That's a fairly clear difference isn't it?

Not in the slightest, not least because you don't know what they're paying or what the criteria for the two players are.

I can't think of any criteria that would make Senderos a better signing that Lescott. If it's age and finance then I would honestly rather we just stuck with the 4 centre-backs we currently have.

[dave.woodhall]

You said, "That West Brom have got him and we have settled for Senderos just shows the difference between the two clubs right now." Not in the future, or potentially, but now.

They paid the higher salary to get the better player. That's a fairly clear difference isn't it?

Not in the slightest, not least because you don't know what they're paying or what the criteria for the two players are.

I can't think of any criteria that would make Senderos a better signing that Lescott. If it's age and finance then I would honestly rather we just stuck with the 4 centre-backs we currently have.

As I said above, it might be that he was willing to be third/fourth choice and Lescott isn't. Maybe Lescott didn't like the way we got rid of his brother, or he thinks claret and blue doesn't suit him, or any one of another hundred reasons why he's going to them instead of one of the other clubs he was linked with. Whatever the reason, I don't think not signing a 31 year old on a free transfer is indicative of any club's ambition, nor is it any reason to start saying We Know What They Am. 

[Steve R]

I have no idea who Nick Mashiter is (other than a journalist) or why he would be privy to contract negotiations. I can think of a number of good or bad reasons (from our point of view) as to why Lescott did not sign for Villa. To subscribe to one particular one is just to choose the one that suits your overall view of the club.

Personally I would rather see Okore and Vlaar playing at cb for us next season; and also for Donacien to be given serious game time. This will serve our longer term interests better.  Senderos/Lescott may represent necessary contingency but of the two Senderos will be more likely to accept and less likely to block the path that I hope we are taking.

[Mister E]

A lot of you seem to be very calm and relaxed about the club at the moment. You must all be seeing things very differently to me. I'm all for "seeing what happens over the rest of the summer" but the signs are that the majority of the clubs around us will be dipping into their newly acquired TV cash, whilst we'll be looking to fill the holes in our already sub-standard squad with bargain-bin options.

You're absolutely right but there's only so much pain that the brain can deal with before going into distraction / displacement mode.
I'm still trying to work out why the hell I renewed ...

[supertom]

A lot of you seem to be very calm and relaxed about the club at the moment. You must all be seeing things very differently to me. I'm all for "seeing what happens over the rest of the summer" but the signs are that the majority of the clubs around us will be dipping into their newly acquired TV cash, whilst we'll be looking to fill the holes in our already sub-standard squad with bargain-bin options.

I'm calm right now, but come late August, if we haven't been more ambitious with the remaining signings I'll certainly be in less than optimistic mood over our chances this coming season.

But after three years of stomach churning frustration I'm going to leave all the worrying until the last minute and (try) and enjoy the rest of the summer break.

England sadly haven't helped the situation...

[Salsa Party Animal]

Albion probably offer more money and the chance for first team regular and Villa can't offer him what he want plus maybe family history made him turn against Aston Villa.