Summer 2016: Transfer rumours and suggestions

[peter w]

George Friend and Jordan Rhodes have been stand out players though and linked with Premier league moves for a long time. Boro have been helped by Downing and Gaston Ramirez being miles better than the championship. Much like Traore, Gil, Grealish and Veretout are if we keep hold of them and have a manager with some sort of ability to actually manage, organise and motivate a team.

As Paulie says, a lot of our players are easily better than a lot down there already. The big thing for me is getting 3-4 leaders through the spine of the team. We have Gestede, a goalscorer alongside him with experience of the league makes sense, so McCormack must be worth a look. Burnley went out and got the stand out striker in that division when they were relegated and it basically ensured promotion. A defender of experience and quality to sit alongside Clark and lead the back line - no idea who, but someone in the ilk of the hairy Pole at Leicester would be useful. Someone versed in the dark arts. Wilson at Stoke would be worth a look as a utility defender across the back too IMO. Morrison from Albion might be worth a go if he doesn't sign his deal there. 3-4 well thought out loan deals too. Ramirez at Boro being a good example. How much longer have Dawson and Davies got on their deals at Hull - easily better than Championship and good enough for our side. If they don't go up they might be forced to shed some players. Diame and Livermore (looked very good 2 years ago in midfield) might also be worth a look. Bamford up front if Chelsea are selling - although Boro may well go back in for him.

Gil?

[tomd2103]

If you buy into that then maybe, maybe, our players are just not good enough to get us promoted and we do need to recruit the best players from the Championship or beyond.

Yes, the best players from the championship, players who are too good for that level - people seem to be looking at players who have been at that level for years and saying "he knows the league". Yes, they know the league because they've spent most of their careers there. For a reason.

I agree.  We should not only be looking at players for next season, but also hopefully when we are back in the top flight the season after that. 

[brian green]

It's the old Tony Pulis dilemma.  Do we prepare for the immediate future and do whatever is needed to get back up or do we take the longer view and regard the main agenda as getting back up and staying up.  If it is the Chinese owners I suspect the intense pragmatism they apply to business generally will see them focussing on getting back up and banking the added value before the long term is contemplated.

[passitsideways]

George Friend and Jordan Rhodes have been stand out players though and linked with Premier league moves for a long time. Boro have been helped by Downing and Gaston Ramirez being miles better than the championship. Much like Traore, Gil, Grealish and Veretout are if we keep hold of them and have a manager with some sort of ability to actually manage, organise and motivate a team.

As Paulie says, a lot of our players are easily better than a lot down there already. The big thing for me is getting 3-4 leaders through the spine of the team. We have Gestede, a goalscorer alongside him with experience of the league makes sense, so McCormack must be worth a look. Burnley went out and got the stand out striker in that division when they were relegated and it basically ensured promotion. A defender of experience and quality to sit alongside Clark and lead the back line - no idea who, but someone in the ilk of the hairy Pole at Leicester would be useful. Someone versed in the dark arts. Wilson at Stoke would be worth a look as a utility defender across the back too IMO. Morrison from Albion might be worth a go if he doesn't sign his deal there. 3-4 well thought out loan deals too. Ramirez at Boro being a good example. How much longer have Dawson and Davies got on their deals at Hull - easily better than Championship and good enough for our side. If they don't go up they might be forced to shed some players. Diame and Livermore (looked very good 2 years ago in midfield) might also be worth a look. Bamford up front if Chelsea are selling - although Boro may well go back in for him.

Gil?

I honestly have no idea what to make of him and how he'd do a division below: he always seems to receive the ball so deep, which means that even when he beats someone, he still has half the pitch + three or four more defenders ahead of him to navigate. I don't know whether it's because of physical limitations, or because of how poorly we're set up. Might not be useful for the derbies we'll have but I think there'll be plenty of occasions where teams sit back against us and in those cases his ability to play quick one-twos and pick out a pass should be useful.

[WarszaVillan]

It's the old Tony Pulis dilemma.  Do we prepare for the immediate future and do whatever is needed to get back up or do we take the longer view and regard the main agenda as getting back up and staying up.  If it is the Chinese owners I suspect the intense pragmatism they apply to business generally will see them focussing on getting back up and banking the added value before the long term is contemplated.

It's going to have to be a mix of both. Like Taylor buying players both like Platt and Simms. If there is one thing the Chinese are known for it's their long-term thinking.

[paul_e]

It's the old Tony Pulis dilemma.  Do we prepare for the immediate future and do whatever is needed to get back up or do we take the longer view and regard the main agenda as getting back up and staying up.  If it is the Chinese owners I suspect the intense pragmatism they apply to business generally will see them focussing on getting back up and banking the added value before the long term is contemplated.

It's going to have to be a mix of both. Like Taylor buying players both like Platt and Simms. If there is one thing the Chinese are known for it's their long-term thinking.

I'd like the 'safe' signings to be a keeper and a defensive midfielder where they use their experience and knowledge to build the confidence of the team and provide that leadership which we've just not had this year.  The rest of the signings should be of the the 'young enough to improve' mould so a year in a slightly less pressured environment can build their confidence ahead of a return to the premier league.

[PaulWinch again]

We need the best possible players we can get, that's not the best players from Championship hopefully in most cases. We need to attract players, who as others have said, have not spent years plying their trade in the Championship. We need better than that.

[OCD]

We've probably got a fair few young players that we could use and could get the best out of if we sign a few older pro's for key positions to work with them and step in when they're off form. There will be a lot of games so we need a big squad, which with a restricted budget means kids getting chances.

[BegbieAV]

Britt Assombalonga from Forest, he seems to have got over his bad knee injury. Big man little man up front with Gestede,with Amavi and Adama giving them the ammunition we would have no problem scoring. I would expect at least 30 between them.

[mr underhill]

the problem being that Amavi  won't be here a minute longer than he has to, and if we can find a mug punter to pick up Adama's monstrous weekly wedge, neither will he.

[robbo1874]

It's the old Tony Pulis dilemma.  Do we prepare for the immediate future and do whatever is needed to get back up or do we take the longer view and regard the main agenda as getting back up and staying up.  If it is the Chinese owners I suspect the intense pragmatism they apply to business generally will see them focussing on getting back up and banking the added value before the long term is contemplated.

my view entirely Brian. We need to totally focus on the goal of getting straight back up next season. If we can put some things in place to consolidate in the following few seasons, great. But focus has to be on turning this steaming pile of shit tanker round and climbing back up, first time of asking.

[pbavfckuwait]

A good experienced centre half, who is also a leader, tough tackling no nonsense centre midfielder again who is also a leader and a new goalie.
Not sure if he will still be here and also his injury record is awful, but a player I think could have a field day next year goals wise is Kozak, his movement is better than Rudy and I think he has a sharper football brain.

[old man villa fan]

It's the old Tony Pulis dilemma.  Do we prepare for the immediate future and do whatever is needed to get back up or do we take the longer view and regard the main agenda as getting back up and staying up.  If it is the Chinese owners I suspect the intense pragmatism they apply to business generally will see them focussing on getting back up and banking the added value before the long term is contemplated.

my view entirely Brian. We need to totally focus on the goal of getting straight back up next season. If we can put some things in place to consolidate in the following few seasons, great. But focus has to be on turning this steaming pile of shit tanker round and climbing back up, first time of asking.

You need to build a team to get out of the Championship but it must have more than half that will be comfortable back in the PL.

[Villa in Denmark]

It's the old Tony Pulis dilemma.  Do we prepare for the immediate future and do whatever is needed to get back up or do we take the longer view and regard the main agenda as getting back up and staying up.  If it is the Chinese owners I suspect the intense pragmatism they apply to business generally will see them focussing on getting back up and banking the added value before the long term is contemplated.

my view entirely Brian. We need to totally focus on the goal of getting straight back up next season. If we can put some things in place to consolidate in the following few seasons, great. But focus has to be on turning this steaming pile of shit tanker round and climbing back up, first time of asking.

You need to build a team to get out of the Championship but it must have more than half that will be comfortable back in the PL.

I agree with the principle, but I think you're looking at probably 75% of the squad and 8 or 9 out of your first choice 11, otherwise the rebuild is too big and expensive and the alterations to the first 11 too disruptive.

The alternative is to do a Burnley due to lack of quality all round.

[old man villa fan]

It's the old Tony Pulis dilemma.  Do we prepare for the immediate future and do whatever is needed to get back up or do we take the longer view and regard the main agenda as getting back up and staying up.  If it is the Chinese owners I suspect the intense pragmatism they apply to business generally will see them focussing on getting back up and banking the added value before the long term is contemplated.

my view entirely Brian. We need to totally focus on the goal of getting straight back up next season. If we can put some things in place to consolidate in the following few seasons, great. But focus has to be on turning this steaming pile of shit tanker round and climbing back up, first time of asking.

You need to build a team to get out of the Championship but it must have more than half that will be comfortable back in the PL.

I agree with the principle, but I think you're looking at probably 75% of the squad and 8 or 9 out of your first choice 11, otherwise the rebuild is too big and expensive and the alterations to the first 11 too disruptive.

The alternative is to do a Burnley due to lack of quality all round.

I was thinking of 6 or 7 so that you could go out and buy the real quality in 3 or 4 players that you would then need in the PL.  One of those would definitely be a striker.  Wouldn't disagree with the 75% of the squad.