The January 2015 Transfer Rumour Thread

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

We had the winnable games over December and Xmas and we didn't turn up.
Shambles.

The pathetic return we got from those games - games where we all thought we would pick up a handsome collection of points - is all the evidence we need to see how poor our performances have become.
After the win against Leicester at home, we played WBA, Sunderland, Palace, Leicester again...all "winnable" games against teams below us.
Out of a potential 12 points we gained TWO and scored NO GOALS.

If it was any other team I'd say they deserved to go down.
Struggling to deal with the reality that the team in question is mine.

[LeeB]

I can only assume with the utterly twattish manner in which Lerner runs the club that he has a bet with some super rich New England chums that he can spunk a quarter of a billion sterling up the wall in the most ridiculous manner possible. I can picture them all guffawing over their soup as our esteemed owner formulated another masterstroke of rank stupidity and edges ever closer to his goal of the total obliteration of Aston Villa for a bet

Randy> Randolph > Randolph & Mortimer



Think you're onto something there pal.

[JUAN PABLO]

I can't believe people still use the phrase "winnable games" with regard to us.

I know

Or the ' it was arsenal' bs

Yes they are good but Sunderland , palace , Leicester and west brom are not arsenal are they

[silhillvilla]

We had the winnable games over December and Xmas and we didn't turn up.
Shambles.

The pathetic return we got from those games - games where we all thought we would pick up a handsome collection of points - is all the evidence we need to see how poor our performances have become.
After the win against Leicester at home, we played WBA, Sunderland, Palace, Leicester again...all "winnable" games against teams below us.
Out of a potential 12 points we gained TWO and scored NO GOALS.

If it was any other team I'd say they deserved to go down.
Struggling to deal with the reality that the team in question is mine.

If we'd lost 5-0 at bottom placed Leicester it wouldn't have been unjust.
That's how shambolic we've become.

[olaftab]

I can't believe people still use the phrase "winnable games" with regard to us.

Any game is winnable! Saturday's game for example is winnable but.....

[silhillvilla]

I can't believe people still use the phrase "winnable games" with regard to us.

Any game is winnable! Saturday's game for example is winnable but.....

Palace & Sunderland at home ! If they aren't winnable we don't belong in the division.

[mr underhill]

don't tempt fate

[ciggiesnbeer]

We've brought two new players FFS.  Since buying them we've had one league game against one of the best teams in the league where only one of them started and he looked quite bright.

Do you really think it's beyond the realms of possibility that Gil & Sinclair may have a positive influence?  That Benteke may find his mojo?  Lets see what happens after Chelsea, when both have had time to settle in before slashing our wrists.

Completely true and under normal circumstances I would agree with you that we can shrug it off and slowly build. But these are not normal circumstances. Our form is appalling and in the league is actually getting worse.

For me January was the opportunity to spend big to desperately reverse the decline. Randy didnt do that, he went for a couple of reasonable affordable additions to the squad. In my opinion we needed dramatic spending. I do not believe we are fine or that there are three teams worse than us.

Lerner, Fox & Lambert were calm and measured in January. IMHO they should have been in complete panic because that is what the season warrants.

[eamonn]

This is a good take on Jim White's Deadline Day hysterics mashed-up with the deadline for water charges in Ireland:

http://www.todayfm.com/player/podcasts/The_Ian_Dempsey_Breakfast_Show/The_Ian_Dempsey_Breakfast_Show/27679/0/gift_sky_water_transfer_deadline

[tomd2103]

We've brought two new players FFS.  Since buying them we've had one league game against one of the best teams in the league where only one of them started and he looked quite bright.

Do you really think it's beyond the realms of possibility that Gil & Sinclair may have a positive influence?  That Benteke may find his mojo?  Lets see what happens after Chelsea, when both have had time to settle in before slashing our wrists.

Completely true and under normal circumstances I would agree with you that we can shrug it off and slowly build. But these are not normal circumstances. Our form is appalling and in the league is actually getting worse.

For me January was the opportunity to spend big to desperately reverse the decline. Randy didnt do that, he went for a couple of reasonable affordable additions to the squad. In my opinion we needed dramatic spending. I do not believe we are fine or that there are three teams worse than us.

Lerner, Fox & Lambert were calm and measured in January. IMHO they should have been in complete panic because that is what the season warrants.

That was never going to happen was it. 

[ciggiesnbeer]

That was never going to happen was it.

With the new Lerner austerity regime no. Probably not. But I had hoped things were so bad it might get a response.

[Malandro]

We had the winnable games over December and Xmas and we didn't turn up.
Shambles.

Out of a potential 12 points we gained TWO and scored NO GOALS.

On a positive note, two points out of two games, when you fail to score, is a good return

[Walmley_Villa]

We had the winnable games over December and Xmas and we didn't turn up.
Shambles.

Out of a potential 12 points we gained TWO and scored NO GOALS.

On a positive note, two points out of two games, when you fail to score, is a good return

I actually thought we would pick up 6 more points over that period and would go onto the new year with optimism and head for a fairly comfortable mid table finish. The fact we dudn't is my worry and why we will be teetering on the brink.

[berneboy]

An interesting piece about Mr Lambert of Liverpool FC

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/exclusive-rickie-lambert-turned-down-8666431?

'The striker speaks out.

There were strong rumours during the recent January transfer window that Rickie Lambert would be leaving for Aston Villa, just six months after joining the club. In the end a move did not materialise, but Lambert says that it was in fact close and has also revealed the reasons about why he chose to stay at Liverpool.

“I got a phone call from the gaffer saying Aston Villa had come in,” the 33-year-old told the club’s website.
“He said he didn’t want me to go. He basically offered me the chance if I wanted to play football, which is fair enough.
“The phone call was about four o’clock on that day. I spoke to my agent, I spoke to my wife, spoke to Aston Villa and it was close.
“But it was something I just couldn’t do. It was too short notice. I’m at Liverpool and I didn’t want to leave after six months. That’s something I might have looked back on when I’d retired and regretted more than anything really.
“In the end, it came down to the amount of time I had to think about it and the thought of leaving Liverpool after six months.”

Lambert has hardly been a rousing success since arriving from Southampton last summer for £4.5m and it sounds like the striker has more affection for the club than we have for him currently.

The England international’s failings have been highlighted more than perhaps would have been the case because of no one else playing well in attack for much of the season.

However, the return of Daniel Sturridge has also appeared to have reinvigorated Mario Balotelli and if the two can strike up a partnership then Lambert’s first team opportunities could be even more limited.

Maybe Villa wouldn’t have been such a bad option.'

[Dave]

“The phone call was about four o’clock on that day"

Good that we're getting our irons in the fire nice and early.