The Transfer Window - The Verdict.

[martyn ellis]

Brilliant window, when you sit back and remember where we are as a club, we've done such good business.
With a mix of new signings, bringing people back and people getting fit, we've added 8 players to the squad. And most of them have improved the squad and we still have Benteke and Kozak to come back.
Also Grealish looks like he will step up to the mark this year, so we've a lot more to be optimistic about this season.
Hutton
N'Zogbia
Cissoko
Senderos
Given
Bent
Cole
Sanchez

Well Done Lambert.

Agree with this. Interesting how Richardson always slips through the mentions list, probably because that's the kind of player he is - a steady Eddy who you don't notice because he keeps things ticking over in midfield. I'm pleased with him. Intelligent footballer who gets on with it.

[RussellC]

Defensively we've done well, and a big part of that is bringing Hutton back. If we can keep that back 4 fit for the majority of the season we'll have a much defensive record than last season.

Sanchez will also contribute towards this, and I'm hopeful that we'll see a vast improvement in Westwood's game with a dedicated holding player behind him. He certainly seems to have been given a licence to play further up the pitch in the first few games.

However, I really am annoyed about the lack of creativity brought in. Granted, it's only really the Orient game but Cole looks a really poor signing, in an area that we crucially needed to address. We've had all summer to sort this out, and have seen players like Moses, Assaidi, Ben Arfa, Ramires and Zarate go elsewhere. Granted the likes of Holtby were understandably out of our reach, but I would probably have rather kept hold of Tonev and/or Albrighton then bring Joe Cole into the squad. I'm surprised that nobody at the club seemed to think that signing a flare-player might have had an impact on ticket-sales either - or at least didn't act on it if they did.

Obviously the success of the window will ultimately be based on how many points we accumulate pre-January, but as it stands I'd say 4/10, 5 if we're crediting the re-birth of Hutton to Lambert rather than necessity.

[Brian Taylor]

Oldtime
'the best bit of transfer deadline day is the wit and humour exhibited on this website'

Without it we would not be the Villa! Sometimes you need a lot of it to fend off the reality..cor nearly said the Bl*es..

[JD]

If Gary Gardner gets some decent game time at Brighton and starts to meet the potential we believe he may have, what's the odds on him being recalled from his loan spell to play for us.
Hopefully the agreement means we can recall him. 

[Malandro]

No plan B. I think that's a bit simplistic.

What do you do if you are trying to buy an 8 million pound player and it falls through on deadline day? Ring up another at 10pm?
Perhaps you should do your shopping earlier, but the whole transfer setup has made it a bit of a game.

[ozzjim]

I would say 5. More experience, solid and organised. Richardson, cissokho and Senderos look like good footballers. Sanchez is a good signing by the look of him.

Cole might give us some Berger bench moments.

[JD]

I'd give it 6 out of 10. The squad looks stronger and more balanced than last year and we still have three key players to come back in Okore, Kozak and the Beast. Once they are back and with us not selling any key players I think we will have a fairly decent squad.
 

[dekko]

I'd probably go for 6.5 out of 10.  The only area that we haven't strengthened that we really needed to is attacking midfield (Cole and Grealish is a start but one is too old and the other too young) and up front (although this is mitigated by players coming back from injury soon).  Would've been nice to have brought in another CM for cover, but I suppose we can always recall Gardner.

Overall - fairly uninspiring but considering the owner wants out and hasn't spent any significant amount of money, I'd say we've done ok.

[levico]

I'll go for 6 but suspect that I'll want to reduce that by December when the lack of midfield creativity will be more evident.

[not3bad]

No plan B. I think that's a bit simplistic.

What do you do if you are trying to buy an 8 million pound player and it falls through on deadline day? Ring up another at 10pm?
Perhaps you should do your shopping earlier, but the whole transfer setup has made it a bit of a game.

I thought this Canales guy was plan B?

[PaulWinch again]

I think the squad is stronger than last year, principally because we've abandonned our previous strategy and realised that experience is important to a team. Therefore hopefully we'll be in a much better position this year. However the lack of money spent addressing the creative side of our team is still a big worry and we need a new owner in soon.

[RussellC]

Cole might give us some Berger bench moments.

I'd love to think so, but I can't see it. Against Orient he looked completely shot after 15 minutes. He's never had explosive pace but he looks like he's even lost the bit of acceleration that he had to get away from players in tight spaces. If anything, when everyone's fit, I think he's going to struggle to even get onto the bench.

[paulcomben]

Ask me again, once we are safe from relegation. By March - brilliant summer window. By April - clever summer window. In May - we'll take any new owner at all, even that lunatic currently at Leeds.

[Holte L2]

Brilliant window, when you sit back and remember where we are as a club, we've done such good business.
With a mix of new signings, bringing people back and people getting fit, we've added 8 players to the squad. And most of them have improved the squad and we still have Benteke and Kozak to come back.
Also Grealish looks like he will step up to the mark this year, so we've a lot more to be optimistic about this season.
Hutton
N'Zogbia
Cissoko
Senderos
Given
Bent
Cole
Sanchez

Well Done Lambert.

Agree with this. Interesting how Richardson always slips through the mentions list, probably because that's the kind of player he is - a steady Eddy who you don't notice because he keeps things ticking over in midfield. I'm pleased with him. Intelligent footballer who gets on with it.

I'm really pleased with the business we've do
Defensively we've done well, and a big part of that is bringing Hutton back. If we can keep that back 4 fit for the majority of the season we'll have a much defensive record than last season.

Defensively we've done well, and a big part of that is bringing Hutton back. If we can keep that back 4 fit for the majority of the season we'll have a much defensive record than last season.

Sanchez will also contribute towards this, and I'm hopeful that we'll see a vast improvement in Westwood's game with a dedicated holding player behind him. He certainly seems to have been given a licence to play further up the pitch in the first few games.

However, I really am annoyed about the lack of creativity brought in. Granted, it's only really the Orient game but Cole looks a really poor signing, in an area that we crucially needed to address. We've had all summer to sort this out, and have seen players like Moses, Assaidi, Ben Arfa, Ramires and Zarate go elsewhere. Granted the likes of Holtby were understandably out of our reach, but I would probably have rather kept hold of Tonev and/or Albrighton then bring Joe Cole into the squad. I'm surprised that nobody at the club seemed to think that signing a flare-player might have had an impact on ticket-sales either - or at least didn't act on it if they did.

Obviously the success of the window will ultimately be based on how many points we accumulate pre-January, but as it stands I'd say 4/10, 5 if we're crediting the re-birth of Hutton to Lambert rather than necessity.

Sanchez will also contribute towards this, and I'm hopeful that we'll see a vast improvement in Westwood's game with a dedicated holding player behind him. He certainly seems to have been given a licence to play further up the pitch in the first few games.

However, I really am annoyed about the lack of creativity brought in. Granted, it's only really the Orient game but Cole looks a really poor signing, in an area that we crucially needed to address. We've had all summer to sort this out, and have seen players like Moses, Assaidi, Ben Arfa, Ramires and Zarate go elsewhere. Granted the likes of Holtby were understandably out of our reach, but I would probably have rather kept hold of Tonev and/or Albrighton then bring Joe Cole into the squad. I'm surprised that nobody at the club seemed to think that signing a flare-player might have had an impact on ticket-sales either - or at least didn't act on it if they did.

Obviously the success of the window will ultimately be based on how many points we accumulate pre-January, but as it stands I'd say 4/10, 5 if we're crediting the re-birth of Hutton to Lambert rather than necessity.

That's the Albrighton and Tonev that are yet to make an impact at Leicester and Celtic.  If nothing else, from reading the recent players interviews Cole will have a positive affect in the dressing room.  And will be a great mentor for Grealish.

I'm delighted we didn't panic last minute and sign a Ben Arfa.  Further creativity is required in midfield but hopefully we'll have enough to get us through until Janaury.  I'd also like to see Clark cover in midfield. 

[tomd2103]

but I would probably have rather kept hold of Tonev and/or Albrighton then bring Joe Cole into the squad. I'm surprised that nobody at the club seemed to think that signing a flare-player might have had an impact on ticket-sales either - or at least didn't act on it if they did.

Wasn't his biggest fan and obviously don't know about his wage demands or what he was offered elsewhere, but seeing as we only now have N'Zogbia as a wide option it might have been worth keeping him.