Philippe Senderos

[Sexual Ealing]

Well I like it when we sign hilarious players. Obviously I'd rather we signed good players but we never really do that consistently. I liked it when we were linked with Dickson Etuhu a few years back for similar reasons. Give me Senderos over Calderwood and Harewood over Baros any day.

[LeeB]

One of the worst CD that I have ever seen. I did not think that we could  sign someone worst than Richard Dunne but probably we did it.
Sadness.

Indeed.

He's rubbish. A big, gormless lump. I appreciate those trying to put a positive spin on it, but really, it's hard to get excited about this sort of signing.

We'll probably sell Vlaar now and he'll turn out to be his replacement. Imagine that.

Come on. You're now in danger of becoming the villa kicks antithesis.

Au contraire.

I'm far from automatically anti our signings or players, I've spent most of tonight defending Chris Herd, even, but I just look at Senderos and see a big, unaware lump who really isn't very good.

I'll wait and see if we start to do what we need to - buy starters better than those we have - this summer before I dive off any bridges, but I'm not going to pretend I don't think he's rubbish.

Maybe he's coming to be our third choice, but even if that's the case, why are we wasting time and money pissing about on third choice centre backs when we're already one CB better off than last year with Okore?

Anyway, fuck it, I think he's shit, but I genuinely don't care too much.

Everything you've said is true, and he's still better than Baker and Clarke. Together.

We'll have to take the Dave Brailsford approach, small percentages and all that.

[citizenDJ]

It's a strange one, this. I think he's shit, but also better than Clark or Baker. So, on balance, a player that improves our defence, but only to the level of fucking rubbish.

How far have we fallen etc etc.

[peter w]

One of the worst CD that I have ever seen. I did not think that we could  sign someone worst than Richard Dunne but probably we did it.
Sadness.

Indeed.

He's rubbish. A big, gormless lump. I appreciate those trying to put a positive spin on it, but really, it's hard to get excited about this sort of signing.

We'll probably sell Vlaar now and he'll turn out to be his replacement. Imagine that.

Come on. You're now in danger of becoming the villa kicks antithesis.

Au contraire.

I'm far from automatically anti our signings or players, I've spent most of tonight defending Chris Herd, even, but I just look at Senderos and see a big, unaware lump who really isn't very good.

I'll wait and see if we start to do what we need to - buy starters better than those we have - this summer before I dive off any bridges, but I'm not going to pretend I don't think he's rubbish.

Maybe he's coming to be our third choice, but even if that's the case, why are we wasting time and money pissing about on third choice centre backs when we're already one CB better off than last year with Okore?

Anyway, fuck it, I think he's shit, but I genuinely don't care too much. It's not as if we've signed Altidore.

Yet.

Maybe because after Okore got injured our 3rd and 4th choice players became crucial. As they have done for the last few seasons. i'm no Senderos apologist but, again, who would you prefer having to fill in? Baker or Senderos?

[pauliewalnuts]

Maybe because after Okore got injured our 3rd and 4th choice players became crucial. As they have done for the last few seasons. i'm no Senderos apologist but, again, who would you prefer having to fill in? Baker or Senderos?

That's not the question at hand, though.

We've got - clearly - a small amount of money to be spending, not just on fees, but also on wages. Senderos has come on a free, yes, but that is going to be reflected in higher wages.

If he's on 20 or 30k a week, then to be honest, I can see lots of other positions I'd rather we allocated wages money to.

My issue with Baker and Clark isn't so much that I don't want them ever to play for us, it is that I don't want them to play for us every week, and certainly not both of them.

To illustrate what I mean, I'd rather we paid someone like Lescott 50k a week than Senderos 20 or 30k, because Lescott would dramatically improve our defensive options, whereas Senderos would marginally improve them.

[not3bad]

According to Arsenal mania.com:

"His greatest asset is his innate ability to read the game, but often times he has been criticised for lacking pace and strength."

[peter w]

It's absolutely the question. if we were after a first choice centre-half and the answer was Senderos it would be time to question the sense and logic of the signing. As it is, we're looking at an improvement on Clark and Baker. We have over relied on these two over the past two years and Senderos is an improvement. even if it is fro a Midland Comb to a Southern midland league type improvement. But still, improvement it is and I'd rather Senderos fill in for 25 games a season than the other two.

that's all we're saying. not our brave newworld signing. Just better than what we have in reserve. I see nothing wrong with it.

[pauliewalnuts]

It's absolutely the question. if we were after a first choice centre-half and the answer was Senderos it would be time to question the sense and logic of the signing. As it is, we're looking at an improvement on Clark and Baker. We have over relied on these two over the past two years and Senderos is an improvement. even if it is fro a Midland Comb to a Southern midland league type improvement. But still, improvement it is and I'd rather Senderos fill in for 25 games a season than the other two.

that's all we're saying. not our brave newworld signing. Just better than what we have in reserve. I see nothing wrong with it.

Surely the question isn't whether he's an improvement, more whether he's enough of an improvement to make it worth chucking 20k a week at him.

When the question is "are you better than Nathan Baker?", it's not really the toughest of criteria.

Anyway, I agree in that he's not the brave new world signing, so let's wait and see. I'm just resigned to the fact that this is the level of signing we'll make.

[LeeB]

It's absolutely the question. if we were after a first choice centre-half and the answer was Senderos it would be time to question the sense and logic of the signing. As it is, we're looking at an improvement on Clark and Baker. We have over relied on these two over the past two years and Senderos is an improvement. even if it is fro a Midland Comb to a Southern midland league type improvement. But still, improvement it is and I'd rather Senderos fill in for 25 games a season than the other two.

that's all we're saying. not our brave newworld signing. Just better than what we have in reserve. I see nothing wrong with it.

Surely the question isn't whether he's an improvement, more whether he's enough of an improvement to make it worth chucking 20k a week at him.

When the question is "are you better than Nathan Baker?", it's not really the toughest of criteria.

Anyway, I agree in that he's not the brave new world signing, so let's wait and see. I'm just resigned to the fact that this is the level of signing we'll make.

In real terms, 20-30k a week gets you fuck all, not in the free market, and I'll bet when you filter the free market with our wage restrictions his name would stick out like a beacon, an international experienced in your league.

We need to ensure both Baker or Clarke are employed at centre half as little as possible.

[peter w]

It's absolutely the question. if we were after a first choice centre-half and the answer was Senderos it would be time to question the sense and logic of the signing. As it is, we're looking at an improvement on Clark and Baker. We have over relied on these two over the past two years and Senderos is an improvement. even if it is fro a Midland Comb to a Southern midland league type improvement. But still, improvement it is and I'd rather Senderos fill in for 25 games a season than the other two.

that's all we're saying. not our brave newworld signing. Just better than what we have in reserve. I see nothing wrong with it.

Surely the question isn't whether he's an improvement, more whether he's enough of an improvement to make it worth chucking 20k a week at him.

When the question is "are you better than Nathan Baker?", it's not really the toughest of criteria.

Anyway, I agree in that he's not the brave new world signing, so let's wait and see. I'm just resigned to the fact that this is the level of signing we'll make.

Withour trying to go around and around surely this can be seen for what it may be. The possibility of a cheap replacement for our reserves coming onto the market who wants to come to Villa Park. And, in Prem terms £20k per week isn't a lot. I saw odemwingie's wages the other day and trust me £20k per week is highly unlikely a figure but who knows.

As it is, it's not the end of the transfer deadline but pre- World Cup. We're filling in some blanks that may or may not come off. We may, or may not, buy another defender or two. I wouldn't panic in early June about our strange signings.

[pauliewalnuts]

No, that's a fair point, let's wait and see how the window pans out.

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

I feel the same as I did when we signed Grant Holt. Can we just pause everything now and come back when we have new owners?

[supertom]

As long as the 40k-ish a week he'll probably cost us won't significantly reduce our budget for more pressing positions, then I'm not too fussed on this.
If however we come to August 31st and are left short in positions we're desperately lacking quality in, then it'll be yet another howler from Lambert.

Better than Baker, on a par perhaps with Clark. But should we be putting those wages to better use? Probably.

Seems patently obvious though that we were never, ever in with a shout for Lescott.

[pauliewalnuts]

As long as the 40k-ish a week he'll probably cost us

If we are paying Senderos 40k a week, then we have learned nothing and never will.

[supertom]

As long as the 40k-ish a week he'll probably cost us

If we are paying Senderos 40k a week, then we have learned nothing and never will.

Just a guess given his age, previous clubs and experience. Probably more likely 30ish you'd hope, but even so, he's not going to come cheap.
Would think he'll be on at least parity with Vlaar.