January 2016 - Transfer Rumours, Speculation & Suggestions

[Percy McCarthy]

Do Stoke really have Shaqiri, Imbula, Bojan, Arnatouvic, Afellay, Muniesa.....
Fair play to them.

Not appointing Mark Hughes seems a great decision in hindsight too.

was just thinking that ;(

I spent pages and pages arguing on here that he wasn't crap after he quit Fulham.

The theory was that Lerner didn't like the way he treated Fulham, so we threw a few million at TSM1 to make him treat Small Heath arguably worse.

[ez]

Totally shocked. Not even 1 loan deal. So Remi walks or carries on with someone else's players, players he probably doesn't rate.

[mr underhill]

I wouldn't think any less of Garde if he packed his suitcase tonight. A monumental shambles.

[tomd2103]

I wouldn't think any less of Garde if he packed his suitcase tonight. A monumental shambles.

He would go up in my estimation to be honest.  I would rather that then he continue if his heart isn't really in it anymore.  I still cannot believe we didn't muster one single signing (permanent or loan) this month.   

[Salsa Party Animal]

He could be waiting to resign until after the match tonight.

[ozzjim]

I wouldn't think any less of Garde if he packed his suitcase tonight. A monumental shambles.

He would go up in my estimation to be honest.  I would rather that then he continue if his heart isn't really in it anymore.  I still cannot believe we didn't muster one single signing (permanent or loan) this month.   

Get tonked tonight I think he will walk tomorrow.

[Small Rodent]

God you have made me angry aj2k77, comparing me to an Iraqi war criminal.

Oops, I've likened the club to Downfall further up, but not the fans.

The petrol cans are lined up outside, we've just married Eva Braun, and poisoned the dog.

I should also add that Mrs Goebbels has also really screwed up being nominated for "Mother of the Year".

Maybe Nero is a better historical comparison.

[DeKuip]

Months discussing something that never happened. Reminds me of being married.

[pbavfckuwait]

Nargh DeKuip your on about sex

[KevinGage]

Has any other big club surrendered so meekly?

I can recall in fairly recent history Man Citeh, Leeds and Newcastle all going down, but even they took it to the last game of the season.

I haven't been entirely convinced by Garde, but he has been stitched up here.

Our current league position would be a barrier to bringing some players in, no question.  But even in the state that we currently find ourselves, Aston Villa would still represent career progression for about 90 per cent of the world's professional players.  Be that players who want to be part of a big club rebuilding in the championship or even those who just want a few months in England to put themselves in the shop window.

And out of that lot, are we to really believe that an upgrade on Westwood or Gestede doesn't exist? If so, the game is in a worse state than I thought.

[aj2k77]

I preferred when the optimistic posters were being like comical ali and telling us everything was going to be ok.

I guess what is happening is less of a shock for people who lost faith in this shower many years ago.

I think this regime is exposed now for what it is. No hiding it now.

All the signs were their though that they didn't and never have known what they are doing. It's Ok trying to sugar coat every bad decision or making excuses for them but eventually there was always going to be a tipping point where the mistakes, unchecked, reach the point of no return.

That was last night, bottom of the league, 2 wins in 23, no signings.

[paul_e]

Has any other big club surrendered so meekly?

I can recall in fairly recent history Man Citeh, Leeds and Newcastle all going down, but even they took it to the last game of the season.

I haven't been entirely convinced by Garde, but he has been stitched up here.

Our current league position would be a barrier to bringing some players in, no question.  But even in the state that we currently find ourselves, Aston Villa would still represent career progression for about 90 per cent of the world's professional players.  Be that players who want to be part of a big club rebuilding in the championship or even those who just want a few months in England to put themselves in the shop window.

And out of that lot, are we to really believe that an upgrade on Westwood or Gestede doesn't exist? If so, the game is in a worse state than I thought.

bold bit - it's true but then it's also true that 89.999% of the worlds professional players would either not be good enough to improve us or wouldn't be wanted by the manager or won't have been scouted by the club at all.  All things considered if we went into this window with a list of 10-11 players in your 90% that Garde had identified as wanting to talk to I wouldn't be surprised.  It's then an easy guess that 4-5 of those were at clubs who didn't want to sell/loan them in January so that leaves 5-6 who we could even speak to, we know that we had long discussions with 2, had an offer on the table for another who decided to wait it out for a better offer and had at least inquired about a 4th, so that's not far off what I'd expect in the situation we found ourselves.

I'm not making excuses for the board I'm just pointing out that players having been scouted and judged good enough by the scouts to be presented as options for Garde and Garde seeing enough to want to talk to them plays a huge part in the process and seems to be completely ignored by the 'Bamford/Afobe/Whoever was available we should have got him' thought process.  To shorten that, just because you think a player would've improved us it doesn't mean the manager agrees, to then slate the board for not backing the manager by bidding for a player he didn't want is just wrong.

[chrisw1]

I wouldn't think any less of Garde if he packed his suitcase tonight. A monumental shambles.

He would go up in my estimation to be honest.  I would rather that then he continue if his heart isn't really in it anymore.  I still cannot believe we didn't muster one single signing (permanent or loan) this month.   

I'd rather he roll his fucking sleeves up and gets on with the job he is paid to do.  I know he's had a very difficult job, but if he had managed to eek out another one or two wins we might be in a completely different position now.

[KevinGage]

Has any other big club surrendered so meekly?

I can recall in fairly recent history Man Citeh, Leeds and Newcastle all going down, but even they took it to the last game of the season.

I haven't been entirely convinced by Garde, but he has been stitched up here.

Our current league position would be a barrier to bringing some players in, no question.  But even in the state that we currently find ourselves, Aston Villa would still represent career progression for about 90 per cent of the world's professional players.  Be that players who want to be part of a big club rebuilding in the championship or even those who just want a few months in England to put themselves in the shop window.

And out of that lot, are we to really believe that an upgrade on Westwood or Gestede doesn't exist? If so, the game is in a worse state than I thought.

bold bit - it's true but then it's also true that 89.999% of the worlds professional players would either not be good enough to improve us or wouldn't be wanted by the manager or won't have been scouted by the club at all.  All things considered if we went into this window with a list of 10-11 players in your 90% that Garde had identified as wanting to talk to I wouldn't be surprised.  It's then an easy guess that 4-5 of those were at clubs who didn't want to sell/loan them in January so that leaves 5-6 who we could even speak to, we know that we had long discussions with 2, had an offer on the table for another who decided to wait it out for a better offer and had at least inquired about a 4th, so that's not far off what I'd expect in the situation we found ourselves.

I'm not making excuses for the board I'm just pointing out that players having been scouted and judged good enough by the scouts to be presented as options for Garde and Garde seeing enough to want to talk to them plays a huge part in the process and seems to be completely ignored by the 'Bamford/Afobe/Whoever was available we should have got him' thought process.  To shorten that, just because you think a player would've improved us it doesn't mean the manager agrees, to then slate the board for not backing the manager by bidding for a player he didn't want is just wrong.

Yes, we can all indulge in flights of fantasy where we think 'x player would improve us, so we should sign him.' 

The whole thing gets exacerbated when that player then moves for a fee that should (normally) be within our budget, or to a club historically weaker than us.

So I wouldn't hold the lack of bids for Afobe or whoever else against the board if they weren't even on Garde's radar.

But he strikes me as sharp on the uptake, so  I can't imagine he felt it was Doumbia or nobody.

[glasses]

I wouldn't think any less of Garde if he packed his suitcase tonight. A monumental shambles.

He would go up in my estimation to be honest.  I would rather that then he continue if his heart isn't really in it anymore.  I still cannot believe we didn't muster one single signing (permanent or loan) this month.   

I'd rather he roll his fucking sleeves up and gets on with the job he is paid to do.  I know he's had a very difficult job, but if he had managed to eek out another one or two wins we might be in a completely different position now.

Spot on for me, Chris.

For me, Garde has to shoulder some of the blame for us not being able to get players in. He may have been given assurances he'd be backed in the transfer market, but being 10 points adrift gives you no bargaining power whatsoever. He's played his part in that.

I hope he sticks around, I like him and he is in an awfully hard job, but I won't be waving him off if he jacks it in.