Summer 2016: Transfer rumours and suggestions

[Gregorys Boy]

But rumours like McCormack come from the age old myth that to be successful in the Championship you have to be some battle hardened warrior. People forget that most of the teams promoted in recent years have done so playing attractive flowing football that is of better quality than the bottom 10 PL sides. Buying Championship players is a sure fire way of ensuring you become a Championship team that never get past the play offs and there's plenty of examples of clubs like that.

You make a good point, except that if you flip it around then a team of Bournemouths' irk could be playing the slow build up game to death, but lacking in goals because they don't have that clinical target man to finish off the moves.  You need a balance is all I'm saying, and depending on the team you are playing then a more direct style of play sometimes is a good idea too. Look at what Defoe did this year for Sunderland.  Also, I don't see the issue with this idea that to be sucessful in a certain division that it helps to buy players who have a history of doing well in said divison.  Not saying that you are sure fire to go up as result, but it must help, and besides if they do a job and get you promotion, the manager is still free to use the extra money to buy someone who might be more suitable for the top flight, but now I am getting ahead of myself!

[supertom]

But rumours like McCormack come from the age old myth that to be successful in the Championship you have to be some battle hardened warrior. People forget that most of the teams promoted in recent years have done so playing attractive flowing football that is of better quality than the bottom 10 PL sides. Buying Championship players is a sure fire way of ensuring you become a Championship team that never get past the play offs and there's plenty of examples of clubs like that.

You make a good point, except that if you flip it around then a team of Bournemouths' irk could be playing the slow build up game to death, but lacking in goals because they don't have that clinical target man to finish off the moves.  You need a balance is all I'm saying, and depending on the team you are playing then a more direct style of play sometimes is a good idea too. Look at what Defoe did this year for Sunderland.  Also, I don't see the issue with this idea that to be sucessful in a certain division that it helps to buy players who have a history of doing well in said divison.  Not saying that you are sure fire to go up as result, but it must help, and besides if they do a job and get you promotion, the manager is still free to use the extra money to buy someone who might be more suitable for the top flight, but now I am getting ahead of myself!

In the championship a half decent keeper and a goalscorer will get you a long way.

[SamTheMouse]

The players who have done best in the Championship are presumably the ones who have only ever spent one season in it.

[supertom]

The players who have done best in the Championship are presumably the ones who have only ever spent one season in it.

The ideal balance we need is a few who have played in that league for a few seasons, a couple of decent Premiership players who may be looking for a fresh start, or to wind down (but still with the desire to keep on playing regularly and performing) and then decent youngsters. In recent years Villa haven't done balanced. We've done car crash to varying degrees of self destruction. Now is the time we need balance.

[Phil from the upper holte]

I saw earlier were bidding for Robbie Brady apparently

[ozzjim]

If we are playing Gestede up top Brady is not a bad shout.  Good delivery and works.

[Phil from the upper holte]

On twitter said £7.5m

[Steve R]

I wonder who made the bid. The new owner hasn't taken over yet, the old one is planning a trip to Vegas to try to get all his money back, most of the board cleared off weeks ago, there's no manager, a whole raft of other staff have been made redundant and every coherent member of the squad is talking feverishly to his agent. With Grealish not yet back from Toulon, my guess would be Gabby.

[Dave]

I wonder who made the bid. The new owner hasn't taken over yet, the old one is planning a trip to Vegas to try to get all his money back, most of the board cleared off weeks ago, there's no manager, a whole raft of other staff have been made redundant and every coherent member of the squad is talking feverishly to his agent. With Grealish not yet back from Toulon, my guess would be Gabby.

Our Head Of Recruitment is still very much in situ.

[Ads]

He played left back for Norwich. Can't see it myself.

[ozzjim]

But he is one of those players who is probably too good for the championship and not really much better than lower mid table premiership.

As for proven championship players you ideally want the players who are just on that upward curve. Afobe, Wilson at Bournemouth are good examples. Grealish might be one for us next season, as might Veretout if they stay. Andre Grey for Burnley this season certainly. Young ish, but know the league, with some obvious potential.

[sickbeggar]

Don't want loads of young players coming in to be honest. One of the reasons we're in this mess is buying unproven young players with "potential". A few in the 27-30 age group please. Players that are established in the Championship or better still the PL. Especially in midfield where the absence of any leaders who could dominate the opposition last season was probably the main reason we went down. However bad the defence was or is, it didn't help that they were continually put under pressure by having a midfield that just let them walk through it.

[Gregorys Boy]

Don't want loads of young players coming in to be honest. One of the reasons we're in this mess is buying unproven young players with "potential". A few in the 27-30 age group please. Players that are established in the Championship or better still the PL. Especially in midfield where the absence of any leaders who could dominate the opposition last season was probably the main reason we went down. However bad the defence was or is, it didn't help that they were continually put under pressure by having a midfield that just let them walk through it.

Agreed. I think there are enough good prospects at the club now who with a bit of luck will grow in years to come, but we need to balance that out with those middle-ground players who are in their primem, have experience and who we could get at least two good seasons out of, while also phasing out the over the hill dead weight such as Richardson, Lescott etc...

[N'ZMAV]

He played left back for Norwich. Can't see it myself.

Neither can I. He's got more chance of promotion with Norwich than with us.

[Ads]

I'm not having that.

Norwich are said to need to shed a lot of players with issues with their ownership or something, so linking players away seems like and easy story to generate.