Summer 2016: Transfer rumours and suggestions

[mattjpa]

So Leicester will be holding their victory parade soon. Back on planet Lerner, Aston Villa are dawdling around, scratching their arse.

Yes, they've because they've just won the league and we can't sign any new players yet anyway.

Can we scout any? No. Why? Because we have no manager, so no idea what players he wants, no scouting system to speak of because they're at school/surfing delete as applicable, no long term decisions or appointments being made because we have no board and no one running things, unless you count the suit guy with fuck all knowledge about sport who assembled a board that lasted roughly the same amount of time one of our clean sheets does.

So yeah, were sitting around scratching our arses.

The crux of the matter in one post and why I genuinely hope we have someone lined up. The beauty of changing the manager and getting the right man in is the effect it can have on players. Literally, get a guy in who knows how to utilise Gestede properly and get him 5-6 goals with his head early on and we could have a completely different player on our hands. Before you know it, his confidence is up, he is working harder, getting in better positions and trying things that are coming off due to increased confidence (look at Adebayor under Sherwood). Suddenly we only need a back up striker as opposed to blowing half our budget on a new striker. Before anyone tells me he is shit and always will be, take a look at Vardy, Soldado, Carroll, Origi when used correctly by the right manager.  Get the wrong man in who doesnt fancy him and we have the next nzogbia on our hands.

If the last season has taught us anything, as a complete system for bringing players, dictating players to a manager based on attributes simply does not work. It needs to be integrated with pulling out all the stops to give a manager the opportunity to get in his Generals, the men who will run the dressing room and get them going through brick walls. If we ever want to improve we cant do anything till we have a manager.

1. The very reason why a scouting system based entirely on a manager is not a good idea these days.
2. So because we f##ked up moving into the 21st century we should revert to the 1980's?  And we should also swallow every last morsel of howash and bullshit fed to the media by Nice but Tim?  The same Nice but Tim that was gushing to the media all through last summer about all the leg work he'd been putting in over the previous years top keep track of what felt like every player in Europe under the age of 25.

The only evidence that the scouting set up was dictating to Sherwood was what Sherwood started spouting when it was obviously going tits up with no way back.

There is plenty of evidence to back up what I said - namely both sides have given a variation of what happened. Tim said he did not choose the players, Villa said the players were put in front of him based on attributes he requested and he signed off after discussions with the transfer committee. I suspect the truth is somewhere in the middle and each player was evaluated on individual merits.

Back to what I was trying to say, you are missing my point I think. the key phrase i used was "as a complete system for bringing players" and using a hypathetic scenario to make my point, our scouting system highlight a talented midfielder like Affelay who is available for a bargain 8m and could potentially improve and make us alot of money in the future. We then appoint Sam Allardyce as manager who highlights Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble as the men he wants in  Midfield to get us back up and it turns out Affelay isnt really going to get a sniff. We then cant go out and invest 8m on a promising young centreback we have found in the dutch leagues because we have blown the money on a player who is spending the season on the bench.

Im not saying we should revert back to the 80's but we need a manager in who can assess the squad before anything is done, which is why I suspect as was mentioned originally, we are currently scratching our arses.

[saunders_heroes]

Let's just sign Robbie Keane and be done with it.

Well to be fair Joey Barton did a job for Burnley so...

I'd take Joey Barton in the Championship no problem. Did a fine job for Burnley.

[Chris Jameson]

If we're going to persevere with Gestede then Elmohamady at Hull seems to get plenty of good crosses in whenever I've seen him play.

Obviously I'd like us to build our side round Jay Spearing.

[Villa in Denmark]

So Leicester will be holding their victory parade soon. Back on planet Lerner, Aston Villa are dawdling around, scratching their arse.

Yes, they've because they've just won the league and we can't sign any new players yet anyway.

Can we scout any? No. Why? Because we have no manager, so no idea what players he wants, no scouting system to speak of because they're at school/surfing delete as applicable, no long term decisions or appointments being made because we have no board and no one running things, unless you count the suit guy with fuck all knowledge about sport who assembled a board that lasted roughly the same amount of time one of our clean sheets does.

So yeah, were sitting around scratching our arses.

The crux of the matter in one post and why I genuinely hope we have someone lined up. The beauty of changing the manager and getting the right man in is the effect it can have on players. Literally, get a guy in who knows how to utilise Gestede properly and get him 5-6 goals with his head early on and we could have a completely different player on our hands. Before you know it, his confidence is up, he is working harder, getting in better positions and trying things that are coming off due to increased confidence (look at Adebayor under Sherwood). Suddenly we only need a back up striker as opposed to blowing half our budget on a new striker. Before anyone tells me he is shit and always will be, take a look at Vardy, Soldado, Carroll, Origi when used correctly by the right manager.  Get the wrong man in who doesnt fancy him and we have the next nzogbia on our hands.

If the last season has taught us anything, as a complete system for bringing players, dictating players to a manager based on attributes simply does not work. It needs to be integrated with pulling out all the stops to give a manager the opportunity to get in his Generals, the men who will run the dressing room and get them going through brick walls. If we ever want to improve we cant do anything till we have a manager.

1. The very reason why a scouting system based entirely on a manager is not a good idea these days.
2. So because we f##ked up moving into the 21st century we should revert to the 1980's?  And we should also swallow every last morsel of howash and bullshit fed to the media by Nice but Tim?  The same Nice but Tim that was gushing to the media all through last summer about all the leg work he'd been putting in over the previous years top keep track of what felt like every player in Europe under the age of 25.

The only evidence that the scouting set up was dictating to Sherwood was what Sherwood started spouting when it was obviously going tits up with no way back.

There is plenty of evidence to back up what I said - namely both sides have given a variation of what happened.1 Tim said he did not choose the players, Villa said the players were put in front of him based on attributes he requested and he signed off after discussions with the transfer committee. I suspect the truth is somewhere in the middle and each player was evaluated on individual merits.

Back to what I was trying to say, you are missing my point I think. the key phrase i used was "as a complete system for bringing players" and using a hypathetic scenario to make my point, our scouting system highlight a talented midfielder like Affelay who is available for a bargain 8m and could potentially improve and make us alot of money in the future. We then appoint Sam Allardyce as manager who highlights Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble as the men he wants in  Midfield to get us back up and it turns out Affelay isnt really going to get a sniff. We then cant go out and invest 8m on a promising young centreback we have found in the dutch leagues because we have blown the money on a player who is spending the season on the bench.

Im not saying we should revert back to the 80's but we need a manager in who can assess the squad before anything is done, which is why I suspect as was mentioned originally, we are currently scratching our arses.

1. Tim also said he'd scouted them all for years.  Look back at the quotes attributed to him when the individual players signed.  I'd sooner place my trust in the tooth fairy or believe a 9/11 conspiracy nut than anything that came out of that chancers mouth. Once it got to the point of no return was when all of those stories circulating. Blatant self preservation and wearing of Teflon shoulder pads.  Nothing more. Nothing less.

2. I wouldn't argue with your Affelay / Allerdyce example.  But name me one example where we've done that, other than the mindf##k that was Ireland, which has nothing to do with this set up.

[peter w]

If we're going to persevere with Gestede then Elmohamady at Hull seems to get plenty of good crosses in whenever I've seen him play.

Obviously I'd like us to build our side round Jay Spearing.

But would Spearing come? Not sure we're ion the market for that level of talent just yet.

[mattjpa]

Maybe, I would rather not go back through Tiger Tim's steaming pile of quotes to find out if you dont mind, I found him irritating at the best of times. But whoever picked/signed off/scouted the players we brought in  it was a monumental disaster for 50m, probably the biggest the premier league has ever seen.

If we had dispensed with him after the cup final debarcle and brought in Pearson then it may have been a different scenario now. Imagine if instead of Bunn, Richards, Lescott and Traore we had brought in Fabianski, Huth, Shawcross and Carrick along with all of the other new lads we got in. I have tried to be realistic and I honestly dont think we would be down

[UK Redsox]

But would Spearing come? Not sure we're ion the market for that level of talent just yet.

Up and atom

[in exile]

But would Spearing come? Not sure we're ion the market for that level of talent just yet.

Up and atom

We need to buy some players to form the nucleus of a good midfield

[mattjpa]

But would Spearing come? Not sure we're ion the market for that level of talent just yet.

Up and atom

We need to buy some players to form the nucleus of a good midfield

We would be fine if we still Hadron Vlaar here

[Mister E]

Maybe, I would rather not go back through Tiger Tim's steaming pile of quotes to find out if you dont mind, I found him irritating at the best of times. But whoever picked/signed off/scouted the players we brought in  it was a monumental disaster for 50m, probably the biggest the premier league has ever seen.

If we had dispensed with him after the cup final debarcle and brought in Pearson then it may have been a different scenario now. Imagine if instead of Bunn, Richards, Lescott and Traore we had brought in Fabianski, Huth, Shawcross and Carrick along with all of the other new lads we got in. I have tried to be realistic and I honestly dont think we would be down

Controversial perhaps, but many of the summer's purchases may not be as bad as you imply. The challenge - as ever - has been in the coaching and management of the players.

[BOB MANSFIELD]

Evening. 
Mr E you have a great point there that has annoyed me for several years. The " coaching " skills of turning average players into good players and good players into a great team.
That's what we've had when we've enjoyed success before........and what has been sadly lacking since O'Neil-now-I'm-off.
Too many players don't take coaching advice. They think they know it all because they have had a few good games and been told by their agents they are brilliant. And don't get me started on so-called professional players who can't or won't kick a ball with either foot !
Where does the improvement of players come in ?

[Dave P]

If we're going to persevere with Gestede then Elmohamady at Hull seems to get plenty of good crosses in whenever I've seen him play.

Obviously I'd like us to build our side round Jay Spearing.

I mentioned Elmohamady a few pages back. A great crosser of the ball.

[Villa in Denmark]

Maybe, I would rather not go back through Tiger Tim's steaming pile of quotes to find out if you dont mind, I found him irritating at the best of times. But whoever picked/signed off/scouted the players we brought in  it was a monumental disaster for 50m, probably the biggest the premier league has ever seen.

If we had dispensed with him after the cup final debarcle and brought in Pearson then it may have been a different scenario now. Imagine if instead of Bunn, Richards, Lescott and Traore we had brought in Fabianski, Huth, Shawcross and Carrick along with all of the other new lads we got in. I have tried to be realistic and I honestly dont think we would be down

Controversial perhaps, but many of the summer's purchases may not be as bad as you imply. The challenge - as ever - has been in the coaching and management of the players.

I think we pretty much agree on the players we should have improved on.

Simplistically I'd have kept Bunn as a backup and have found a better No. 1 than Guzan and looked for a better alternative to Gestede.
That with someone who knew what they were doing during pre season and once we were under way would at least have given us a chance.

[passitsideways]

Maybe, I would rather not go back through Tiger Tim's steaming pile of quotes to find out if you dont mind, I found him irritating at the best of times. But whoever picked/signed off/scouted the players we brought in  it was a monumental disaster for 50m, probably the biggest the premier league has ever seen.

If we had dispensed with him after the cup final debarcle and brought in Pearson then it may have been a different scenario now. Imagine if instead of Bunn, Richards, Lescott and Traore we had brought in Fabianski, Huth, Shawcross and Carrick along with all of the other new lads we got in. I have tried to be realistic and I honestly dont think we would be down

Controversial perhaps, but many of the summer's purchases may not be as bad as you imply. The challenge - as ever - has been in the coaching and management of the players.

Yep - I mean, as an example, it just showed up in my Twitter timeline that Jonny Evans, who of course we were quite strongly linked with (I think), who a lot of people here were unenthusiastic about, just won Albion's player of the year vote; yet I can't help but feel that if he had signed for us, he would've been made to look as poor as the Albion defender we did end up signing.

[Risso]

Maybe, I would rather not go back through Tiger Tim's steaming pile of quotes to find out if you dont mind, I found him irritating at the best of times. But whoever picked/signed off/scouted the players we brought in  it was a monumental disaster for 50m, probably the biggest the premier league has ever seen.

If we had dispensed with him after the cup final debarcle and brought in Pearson then it may have been a different scenario now. Imagine if instead of Bunn, Richards, Lescott and Traore we had brought in Fabianski, Huth, Shawcross and Carrick along with all of the other new lads we got in. I have tried to be realistic and I honestly dont think we would be down

Controversial perhaps, but many of the summer's purchases may not be as bad as you imply. The challenge - as ever - has been in the coaching and management of the players.

Yep - I mean, as an example, it just showed up in my Twitter timeline that Jonny Evans, who of course we were quite strongly linked with (I think), who a lot of people here were unenthusiastic about, just won Albion's player of the year vote; yet I can't help but feel that if he had signed for us, he would've been made to look as poor as the Albion defender we did end up signing.

Well the last WBA player of the year hasn't exactly been a resounding success.