Remi Garde - Departs Aston Villa

[Phil from the upper holte]

I really hope we don't drive away Garde with our inability to get players he wants in.

We are bottom of the league after all

[PaulWinch again]

It sounds like he is resigned to not getting people in.  He commented that he likes Kharzi before the window opened and he is now off to Sunderland for big money. It does look like there is bugger all too spend

And that's the thing, we're only 6 points behind Sunderland and they don't appear to have given up. I feel we're using our position as an excuse.

[CJ]

We're only 6 points behind Sunderland but 10 points behind Norwich in 17th place, so realistically we have to win 4 and hope Norwich lose 4 just to catch them up, assuming Sunderland and Newcastle also drop points. Sunderland are only 4 behind Norwich so have a more realistic chance of catching them. Attracting decent players when we look like nailed on for the Championship was always going to be a big ask, and I guess we'll never know whether it was lack of funding or lack of interest from potential targets that's left us with what we've got.

[old man villa fan]

It sounds like he is resigned to not getting people in.  He commented that he likes Kharzi before the window opened and he is now off to Sunderland for big money. It does look like there is bugger all too spend

And that's the thing, we're only 6 points behind Sunderland and they don't appear to have given up. I feel we're using our position as an excuse.

I think one of the issues is that Sunderland (and Newcastle) have a smaller gap to bridge and stay above the likes of Norwich for example. The clubs like Norwich, Bournemouth are buying to stay ahead of Sunderland and Newcastle.

If the other clubs had not been buying, we could get an advantage by bringing players but now we would have to improve more against improved squads. There are a lot of ifs and buts there as it depends on quality and whether buying improves a squad or just adds more reserve.

We have a difficult situation. Some people suggest we should at least try, which is fine, if it does not wreck our future. I believe one thing we should not do is drastically over pay just to get players in.

[AVH87]

I think one of the issues is that Sunderland (and Newcastle) have a smaller gap to bridge and stay above the likes of Norwich for example. The clubs like Norwich, Bournemouth are buying to stay ahead of Sunderland and Newcastle.

If the other clubs had not been buying, we could get an advantage by bringing players but now we would have to improve more against improved squads. There are a lot of ifs and buts there as it depends on quality and whether buying improves a squad or just adds more reserve.

We have a difficult situation. Some people suggest we should at least try, which is fine, if it does not wreck our future. I believe one thing we should not do is drastically over pay just to get players in.

A very fair summary. I'm as pissed off as anyone that a crap squad is not being added to. However, we may have to accept that we haven't reached the end of our downward cycle yet, that comes in May. We could throw a few million around, increase the wage bill and get a bit closer to safety points wise but still finish 19th or 20th, this would harm the start of our upward trajectory which has to begin in May, for the first time in over 5 years.

[PaulWinch again]

It sounds like he is resigned to not getting people in.  He commented that he likes Kharzi before the window opened and he is now off to Sunderland for big money. It does look like there is bugger all too spend

And that's the thing, we're only 6 points behind Sunderland and they don't appear to have given up. I feel we're using our position as an excuse.

I think one of the issues is that Sunderland (and Newcastle) have a smaller gap to bridge and stay above the likes of Norwich for example. The clubs like Norwich, Bournemouth are buying to stay ahead of Sunderland and Newcastle.

If the other clubs had not been buying, we could get an advantage by bringing players but now we would have to improve more against improved squads. There are a lot of ifs and buts there as it depends on quality and whether buying improves a squad or just adds more reserve.

We have a difficult situation. Some people suggest we should at least try, which is fine, if it does not wreck our future. I believe one thing we should not do is drastically over pay just to get players in.

The problem with that is the assumption that all signings in January are panic buys. That's not the case if you assess your targets correctly and it's not just about survival we could do with getting some players in now so they're bedded in by the time we're potentially facing up to the Championship next season. I agree we shouldn't be bidding £20 million for someone who normally would be valued at £8 million, but there is a middle ground. We should be trying to recruit now to start our preparations for next season whichever league we're in.

[aj2k77]

John Carew, Ashley Young. Not panic buys and no money over the odds. Charlie Austin, not a panic buy. There's deals to be done, not that I'm expecting them to be at that end of the scale but Europe is full of players who would jump at the chance of coming to England. I don't expect that all our summer signings will be English based players, I'd be very surprised. I don't think we've scouted much the players at the level who would join us no matter what division we are in.

[supertom]

I think we'll get 1-2 in on the last day. Until then I suspect any player we sniff at will wait to see if a better option comes along.

[PeterWithesShin]

Charlie Austin wouldn't be a panic buy, but why would he join us to probably end up back in the Championship a few months later, and almost certainly on less money than he was on at QPR never mind what he's now earning at Saints? I agree that there are players around Europe who'd join us but I don't get the regular Austin comments when there was zero chance he's join us, and if any of us were him, we wouldn't have come either.

[aj2k77]

I guess Austin gets brought up as an example that all transfers in January don't have to be donkeys for the price of racehorses.

[ez]

Surely Garde wouldn't have joined if there was no money to spend. He would have made it a condition.

[Sexual Ealing]

Surely Garde wouldn't have joined if there was no money to spend. He would have made it a condition.

Surely we wouldn't have given him the job if he was demanding lots of money though?

[tomd2103]

What about using Amarvi when he's fit as a replacement for Westwood?

Amavi played midfield for the french under 21 team.

Interesting.  I think one of the positions we are struggling in at the moment is the left side of the midfield three.  Westwood is currently playing there, but is not what we need.  We need someone with a bit of pace and drive, qualities that Amavi definitely has.

Didn't see a lot of him so it might be a rash call, but I wasn't sold on him as a left back fro what I saw as he looked very fragile when defending.  Cissokho is the other way round really, decent defensively but poor on the ball and going forward.

[ciggiesnbeer]

It sounds like he is resigned to not getting people in.  He commented that he likes Kharzi before the window opened and he is now off to Sunderland for big money. It does look like there is bugger all too spend

And that's the thing, we're only 6 points behind Sunderland and they don't appear to have given up. I feel we're using our position as an excuse.

My feeling as well. The Board have decided we are going down and they do not want to spend any money for this season or next season this window. I still believe Garde is going to walk over this, he doesnt seem like the kind of guy who takes a switcheroo lightly. I guess we will find out.

It is all pretty grim though. I find it very hard to take when the board have decided we cant compete with the likes of Sunderland or Newcastle. I mean, thats pretty fucking bad.

[Villa in Denmark]

Surely Garde wouldn't have joined if there was no money to spend. He would have made it a condition.

Surely we wouldn't have given him the job if he was demanding lots of money though?

It might be my memory (again), but I'm sure when he joined Garde said that they'd discussed budgets for now and the summer and that regardless of the outcome of this season they were all agreed on what needed to be done to turn the club around.

I'm pretty convinced there were deals lined up in December, but the whole thing fell apart on the back of the double f##k up against Sunderland and Norwich.