January 2016 - Transfer Rumours, Speculation & Suggestions

[ozzjim]

Bent kept us up. Along with an inspired Petrov in some games.

[Richard E]

According to the Torygraph we're trying to send Ilori back. I hope we kept the receipt, you know what retailers can be like about refunds around Christmas time.

[supertom]

Worth remembering though that it was reported QPR were paying Samba £100k a week and Remy over £70K. In addition to spending £20m on them.

Which we're never going to do in a million years at the moment.
If we did it would be strangely ironic given that the moment Randy gets a bit spend happy again is the point at which we're all but down so it would be his greatest misplaced spunking of cash ever.

The only thing which may help us with Remy is that Chelsea may pay some of the wages, though if Hiddink's insistence that he is staying is true, probably not.

[supertom]

According to the Torygraph we're trying to send Ilori back. I hope we kept the receipt, you know what retailers can be like about refunds around Christmas time.

Baffling really. That was a strange signing and it seems flits between being injured or just not fancied. Borrowing a kid from a shithouse club like Liverpool though...it was never going to work out was it?

[Matt C]

And we paid a reported £1m for the privilege.

[supertom]

And we paid a reported £1m for the privilege.

Sounds just the sort of silly thing we'd do.

What's happened to Crespo? Injured or just bombed? He was a bizarre signing to, to be honest. He's late 20's and has plodded around a bit. Not entirely sure why we even thought he'd be a useful squad option at this level.

[Toronto Villa]

Bringing in a player with the option to sign him permanently was never going be free. I don't see how it is in any way typical of something we would do. Like transfers or loans not working out is somehow exclusive to Aston Villa. It happens at every single club across the world. There are loads of other sticks to beat us with right now.

[curiousorange]

And we paid a reported £1m for the privilege.

Sounds just the sort of silly thing we'd do.

What's happened to Crespo? Injured or just bombed? He was a bizarre signing to, to be honest. He's late 20's and has plodded around a bit. Not entirely sure why we even thought he'd be a useful squad option at this level.

Sometimes you need somebody handy to drop library books back etc.

[Gareth]

And we paid a reported £1m for the privilege.

Sounds just the sort of silly thing we'd do.

What's happened to Crespo? Injured or just bombed? He was a bizarre signing to, to be honest. He's late 20's and has plodded around a bit. Not entirely sure why we even thought he'd be a useful squad option at this level.

Because the spreadsheet says he kicks it 4 times with his left foot and 3 times with his right foot every 45 mins, 93.7% of passes go to a team mate & he covers 8.3km a game....the numbers never lie :-)

Next summer we buy the upgrade module that includes character, backbone & leadership.

[supertom]

Bringing in a player with the option to sign him permanently was never going be free. I don't see how it is in any way typical of something we would do. Like transfers or loans not working out is somehow exclusive to Aston Villa. It happens at every single club across the world. There are loads of other sticks to beat us with right now.

True but we don't really have a good record when we buy from the scousers. They always seem to mug us off. At least in the last 20 years. I'd take a Deano or Stan right about now.

It just seemed as a signing a bit of a daft afterthought. We'd signed Richards and I think had either signed or were virtually wrapped up on Lescott and then there was Crespo who could play all along the back. We had Clark, Baker, Senderos and Okore on the books and then we piss a million to rent a kid who can't even get featured at Liverpool (who have a crap selection of defenders outside of their first choice). That's how it's a bit typical of us.
It's almost like spending for the sake of spending. Like when we pointlessly bought Beye (among many other pointless signings).
I'm not at all surprised Ilori hasn't worked out.

[tomd2103]

The signing of Walker and Bent was significant enough under Houllier to change our season. Now we had better players back then and we weren't in as dire a situation. But I still don't believe that this team is as bad as it appears to be. What it needs is some positive energy, some fresh faces to help change the environment. I know there is talk of Remy and Debuchy. Could they possibly be as influential as Walker and Bent in changing our fortunes?

I actually believe we'd have stayed up in 10/11 even without Bent. We still had Downing and Young at the club back then, we'd have strung a good run of form at some point like we did anyway.

The quality of the squad now is nowhere near 5 years ago, we are down.

Just had a look at the side that beat Liverpool on the final day of that season  (one of the brighter days of recent times):

                   Friedel

Walker    Dunne    Collins     L Young

                    Petrov

           Reo Coker     Delph


Downing         Bent          A Young


Not a great Villa side, but telling that I wouldn't replace any of them with a player from the current side

[supertom]

The signing of Walker and Bent was significant enough under Houllier to change our season. Now we had better players back then and we weren't in as dire a situation. But I still don't believe that this team is as bad as it appears to be. What it needs is some positive energy, some fresh faces to help change the environment. I know there is talk of Remy and Debuchy. Could they possibly be as influential as Walker and Bent in changing our fortunes?

I actually believe we'd have stayed up in 10/11 even without Bent. We still had Downing and Young at the club back then, we'd have strung a good run of form at some point like we did anyway.

The quality of the squad now is nowhere near 5 years ago, we are down.

Just had a look at the side that beat Liverpool on the final day of that season  (one of the brighter days of recent times):

                   Friedel

Walker    Dunne    Collins     L Young

                    Petrov

           Reo Coker     Delph


Downing         Bent          A Young


Not a great Villa side, but telling that I wouldn't replace any of them with a player from the current side

Not half bad that side.
Benty in fairness also kept us up the following season too with his goals in the first half of the season. We were nicking points because of his goals. He, Petrov and Dunne all got injured within a month and then of course we just couldn't win after that. We crawled over the line under McLeish. Bents 9 goals up until his injury were probably invaluable.

[tomd2103]

The signing of Walker and Bent was significant enough under Houllier to change our season. Now we had better players back then and we weren't in as dire a situation. But I still don't believe that this team is as bad as it appears to be. What it needs is some positive energy, some fresh faces to help change the environment. I know there is talk of Remy and Debuchy. Could they possibly be as influential as Walker and Bent in changing our fortunes?

I actually believe we'd have stayed up in 10/11 even without Bent. We still had Downing and Young at the club back then, we'd have strung a good run of form at some point like we did anyway.

The quality of the squad now is nowhere near 5 years ago, we are down.

Just had a look at the side that beat Liverpool on the final day of that season  (one of the brighter days of recent times):

                   Friedel

Walker    Dunne    Collins     L Young

                    Petrov

           Reo Coker     Delph


Downing         Bent          A Young


Not a great Villa side, but telling that I wouldn't replace any of them with a player from the current side

Not half bad that side.
Benty in fairness also kept us up the following season too with his goals in the first half of the season. We were nicking points because of his goals. He, Petrov and Dunne all got injured within a month and then of course we just couldn't win after that. We crawled over the line under McLeish. Bents 9 goals up until his injury were probably invaluable.

If I remember correctly, we weren't able to field that side too often as we had a terrible run of injuries from November to January and were fielding sides with the likes of Bannan and Hogg featuring regularly.  There was something to build on there though, but losing both Young and Downing that summer was a big blow. 

[PeterWithesShin]

Yep, this is the side that drew 2-2 at home to Manure Nov 2010

Friedel
L Young
Warnock
Dunne
Collins
Downing
A Young
Albrighton
Bannan
Hogg
G Agbonlahor
 
Subs
Guzan
Lichaj
Herd
Lowry
Osbourne
Johnson
Delfouneso

[ROBBO]

Ironic that when we are battling away in the championship next season Weimann and Bent could well be playing premiership football. It would be interesting to put together a side made up of ex Villa players that are now playing for other clubs. Probably be a pretty good side.