Transfer Speculation / Gossip

[Toronto Villa]

Clearly the one thing absolutely everybody agrees with is that the midfield 'needs some work'.

100%. I would also argue nobody had as crippling an injury list to key players as we did. Couple that with the ludicrous bomb squad concept and that is a decent group of players coming back. Every club has ifs and buts, and we can have a healthier season plus those players like Bent willing to contribute then we are already better off. What is critical is that we do add quality to the midfield. Delph aside we have issues, and while KEA, Westwood, Cole etc are all capable of playing a blinder on any given day the consistency isn't there. We need two players to add to Delph to really give us some proper belief.

[mr underhill]

Grant Holt's been left at home by Wigan. Poor lad, there's even talk of him interesting the pornmeisters. Big Sam v Big Grant, a match made in heaven.

[PeterWithesShin]

Most of them may have been Villa players last season but between them they managed about 10 appearances. The squad still isn't strong enough, but it's better than it was last season.

[bobdylan]

Our squad is nothing like good enough - it wasn't last year or the year before, either.

Injured players coming back is nice, yes, but that's still a dreadful line up of midfield options, for example.

At the end of last season, it looked pretty clear we needed significant strengthening, in several positions. I can't see the addition of Cole, Senderos and Richardson as being anything like enough, sadly, so I really hope we've got more business to do.

I also think it is very, very dangerous to fall back on the concept that we just need to keep our heads above water until someone buys us - when is that likely to happen? It might be tomorrow, but then again, it might not be for a season or more. That's very, very risky.

Our squad is considerably stronger than the end of last season, we've basically an entire new team available that for various reasons were not available at the end of last season.

Given
Hutton Okore Senderos Stevens
N'Zogbia Herd Gardner Richardson
Cole
Bent

Probably half of those at least improve the first 11 nevermind the squad.

Barring three of them, they were all here last season.

What's more, that midfield looks every bit as poor as the one we used most games last season.

But they were not considered for selection so were not part of the squad, they are now.  The squad imo is definitely stronger and the team is too, but obviously not as much as it needs to be.  Okore and Senderos in the team over Clark and Baker improves us and Cole, N'Zogbia, Bent, Given and Hutton on the bench instead of Bowery, Robinson, Steer, Sylla and Tonev etc. also strengthens us.  Benteke and Kozak to return with say 2 new signings and we ought to be ok.

[paul_e]

As I said, add a defensive midfielder and a wide-forward who are both straight into the match day squad and we're in a much stronger place.

For example add Ki and Young (just using names mentioned fairly recently on this thread) and we look to have options everywhere.  Add to that a new willingness to hold on to the ball and we'll be a significantly better side than last season.

[Dante Lavelli]

Tonev could also be a candidate to go on loan. 

We seem to expect young foreign players to come over, learn the language and fit in in less than a season.  Would we lose anything from Tonev, Sylla or Helnius joining championship clubs for the season?  I doubt it (their value is rock bottom anyway), but we could easily gain something.

Helenius has gone back to Denmark already, and Sylla has been packed off to Turkey.

(ignoring that this thread has moved on three pages)

I knew about Sylla, not Helenius, but understood it was on the cards.  Regardless, in both instances I feel they'd be better off staying in England at a clubs like MK Dons / Walsall / Forrest i.e. where the trajectory of their development may help Villa.  Sending them abroad just creates futher turmoil in their lives and cuts the ties with the club more than is necessary (imo).

[Toronto Villa]

I'm sure Sylla would have loved it if Walsall had come in for him. Unfortunately by his own admission his form at the end of last season reduced him to taking the only offer on the table from some no name Turkish outfit. As for Helenius, the deal makes complete sense for him, going back home even if just to get his confidence back.

[Damo70]

Tonev could also be a candidate to go on loan. 

We seem to expect young foreign players to come over, learn the language and fit in in less than a season.  Would we lose anything from Tonev, Sylla or Helnius joining championship clubs for the season?  I doubt it (their value is rock bottom anyway), but we could easily gain something.

Helenius has gone back to Denmark already, and Sylla has been packed off to Turkey.

(ignoring that this thread has moved on three pages)

I knew about Sylla, not Helenius, but understood it was on the cards.  Regardless, in both instances I feel they'd be better off staying in England at a clubs like MK Dons / Walsall / Forrest i.e. where the trajectory of their development may help Villa.  Sending them abroad just creates futher turmoil in their lives and cuts the ties with the club more than is necessary (imo).

Helenius' agent was very vocal and specific that he wanted to return to his old club. Preferably permanently but they couldn't afford it. Judging by the club Sylla went to, it would suggest he wasn't inundated with offers.

[pauliewalnuts]

Our squad is nothing like good enough - it wasn't last year or the year before, either.

Injured players coming back is nice, yes, but that's still a dreadful line up of midfield options, for example.

At the end of last season, it looked pretty clear we needed significant strengthening, in several positions. I can't see the addition of Cole, Senderos and Richardson as being anything like enough, sadly, so I really hope we've got more business to do.

I also think it is very, very dangerous to fall back on the concept that we just need to keep our heads above water until someone buys us - when is that likely to happen? It might be tomorrow, but then again, it might not be for a season or more. That's very, very risky.

Our squad is considerably stronger than the end of last season, we've basically an entire new team available that for various reasons were not available at the end of last season.

Given
Hutton Okore Senderos Stevens
N'Zogbia Herd Gardner Richardson
Cole
Bent

Probably half of those at least improve the first 11 nevermind the squad.

Barring three of them, they were all here last season.

What's more, that midfield looks every bit as poor as the one we used most games last season.

But they were not considered for selection so were not part of the squad, they are now.  The squad imo is definitely stronger and the team is too, but obviously not as much as it needs to be.  Okore and Senderos in the team over Clark and Baker improves us and Cole, N'Zogbia, Bent, Given and Hutton on the bench instead of Bowery, Robinson, Steer, Sylla and Tonev etc. also strengthens us.  Benteke and Kozak to return with say 2 new signings and we ought to be ok.

I don't see how them not being considered for selection (which in any case only means three of them, Bent, Given, and Hutton) means they were part of the squad.

It is stronger, yes, because we have brought in three players, but we need to improve starting positions, not arses on benches alone, that isn't going to be enough.

if Richardson is here as a LB, then that's an improvement on that position starter, but what about elsewhere? We've not done anything like enough to improve the rest of the side yet.

[Matt C]

I'd say the squad now is stronger than last season definitely but it still has more than a whiff of bottom six about it.

Still, plenty of time left in this window.

[N'ZMAV]

Mbia linked now.

[Dave]

That would be a very decent signing, but I can't see why he would bother leaving QPR now that they have been promoted, or if he did why he wouldn't go back to Spain.

[N'ZMAV]

That would be a very decent signing, but I can't see why he would bother leaving QPR now that they have been promoted, or if he did why he wouldn't go back to Spain.

He's without a club.

[john2710]

The midfield needs improvement, we don't offer any real, defensive or creative support from those currently there. I can seriously see us & a lot of other teams playing with 3 at the back.

Up front, we may have Benteke / Kozak but both are coming back from serious injuries & who knows how long they will take to get up to the level required. Without Benteke I can't see who is going to score the goals we need, it certainly won't be be Gabby or Weimann & Bent didn't seem to do it at Fulham.

[Dave]

That would be a very decent signing, but I can't see why he would bother leaving QPR now that they have been promoted, or if he did why he wouldn't go back to Spain.

He's without a club.

In which case I'd be very happy with him. Would certainly be an upgrade on Sylla and El Ahmadi.

Although I still don't see why Sevilla wouldn't want him to sign with them permanently and why he then wouldn't want to.