Summer 2016: Transfer rumours and suggestions

[old man villa fan]

Usually you need some continuity with players and we are no exception, regardless of last season.  I do not understand people saying we should sell anyone we get an offer for. Surely, we should be looking to do our best to hang on to the better players as at least we know the minimum they are capable of.

On the other side, I don't understand people saying we will be stuck with this player or that player. If you want it badly enough, you make it happen.

[Nastylee]

Whilst we may want to get rid of people, I don't think selling anyone and everyone at a loss is the answer. We always seems to sell cheap (except for the good players we lost post MON). There are players that are toxic and those that are perhaps not good enough for us down the line. Yes, if the toxic ones get an offer then take it but selling players on the cheap for the sake of it isn't an answer. The likes of Westwood could be useful in the Championship so I'd not be in a rush to get rid. Look at Lowton, good player that was moved on because he was deemed crap (for me, he was decent but was at the club at the wrong time) yet he's a PL player and we're in the Championship.

[Steve67]

If only we could get the Richards from him Man City and England days. To see him and Amavi marauding from full back would be pretty useful in any division.  Sadly, I think he's done. 

Great to be back talking more positively about transfers again! 

[oswald funkletrumpet]

Whilst we may want to get rid of people, I don't think selling anyone and everyone at a loss is the answer. We always seems to sell cheap (except for the good players we lost post MON). There are players that are toxic and those that are perhaps not good enough for us down the line. Yes, if the toxic ones get an offer then take it but selling players on the cheap for the sake of it isn't an answer. The likes of Westwood could be useful in the Championship so I'd not be in a rush to get rid. Look at Lowton, good player that was moved on because he was deemed crap (for me, he was decent but was at the club at the wrong time) yet he's a PL player and we're in the Championship.

the thing with westwood is he might do a job in the championship but he is nowhere near good enough for the pl.

if we get an offer of a couple of million fuck him off and he can go and point at another club

[old man villa fan]

Whilst we may want to get rid of people, I don't think selling anyone and everyone at a loss is the answer. We always seems to sell cheap (except for the good players we lost post MON). There are players that are toxic and those that are perhaps not good enough for us down the line. Yes, if the toxic ones get an offer then take it but selling players on the cheap for the sake of it isn't an answer. The likes of Westwood could be useful in the Championship so I'd not be in a rush to get rid. Look at Lowton, good player that was moved on because he was deemed crap (for me, he was decent but was at the club at the wrong time) yet he's a PL player and we're in the Championship.

the thing with westwood is he might do a job in the championship but he is nowhere near good enough for the pl.

if we get an offer of a couple of million fuck him off and he can go and point at another club

He is not the driving force we need.  Would be ok as a reserve but he is one PL wages, so and expensive luxury.  We need to move him on.

[Toronto Villa]

Selling players is easier said than done. There has to be a buyer first who is willing to pay a few and then absorb the wages of a player formerly of the PL. If we find a PL buyer then great, but then the challenge will be that the players we want to sell hardly did themselves any favours at that level last season. And getting a player who is on a very good salary to just go away isn't going to happen. What we can't have is a bomb squad distraction and neither can we have a situation that if Bacuna or Richards is still here in August the fans giving them abuse. It simply won't help the situation and our ultimate goal of getting promoted.

[old man villa fan]

Selling players is easier said than done. There has to be a buyer first who is willing to pay a few and then absorb the wages of a player formerly of the PL. If we find a PL buyer then great, but then the challenge will be that the players we want to sell hardly did themselves any favours at that level last season. And getting a player who is on a very good salary to just go away isn't going to happen. What we can't have is a bomb squad distraction and neither can we have a situation that if Bacuna or Richards is still here in August the fans giving them abuse. It simply won't help the situation and our ultimate goal of getting promoted.

There is always a way to get rid of a player.  At the one extreme is to just pay him off.  At the other, you get the market rate for the player.  In the case of somebody like Westwood now, you are looking at the middle ground where we make a financial offer for him to accept lower wages elsewhere.  How much that would be will depend on any relegation clause in his contract.  I would imagine that we might break even on the deal but going forward, we could gain by bringing in a better up and coming player at a lower cost in wages.

Although nothing is easy, if you want to make it work, you will always find a way.  We cannot allow short term thinking to put at risk building a squad to get promoted.

[in exile]

I'm sure Burnley were interested in Westwood

[KevinGage]

If only we could get the Richards from him Man City and England days. To see him and Amavi marauding from full back would be pretty useful in any division.  Sadly, I think he's done. 

Great to be back talking more positively about transfers again! 

He has some outstanding attributes, ie pace and strength. And the belief was there a few years back that the other stuff (positional sense/ allround awareness)  would come in time.  But it never did. Citeh eventually clocked that and Fiorentina clocked it pretty much straight away.

He might still get away with that somewhere as a pacy fullback, but not as a regular centre-half - his favoured position.

He'll do things during games that look good in the highlights -it's always dramatic to see a centre half charging up field to link up play and join in attacks. For the elite sides, it probably makes the difference between the good teams and the great ones.

Maybe that was part of Sherwood's thinking.

But you need to be able to do the basics first.  In Richard's case, that is actually reading the game. Rather than just charging around like a Bullmastiff.  In Sherwood's case, it's doing boring things like planning and having a proper pre season. 

[Steve R]

I'm sure Burnley were interested in Westwood

I read that in a few places too. We probably told them to fuck off. He's our best pointer.

[ozzjim]

Thing is Westwood will be useful next season.  Selling him means another one to replace.  Sure next summer if we come up we can go for better but this summer we need to be careful not to just flog everything that moves.

The ones who openly want to go fine.  The ones who we get big offers that will be too hard for the player to refuse fine.  But those who will do a good job in that division we should keep.

[brontebilly]

I think Westwood at Sheffield Wednesday would be a decent shout for keeper.

He is a fine shot stopper and great one on one. For a big unit though very shy on his line when crosses come in I've noticed. Has had a lot of injuries during his career so we would need a decent second choice keeper at the club.

Being rumoured in Ireland that he could be parachuted in as first choice for the Euros which would be quite the turnaround after a difficult relationship with MON going back to his Sunderland days.

[Monty]

I agree with Ozz about Westwood. Continuity is important, and Westwood will probably be fine in the Championship. He also doesn't strike me as a bad 'un, unlike the likes of Gabby, so there's no reason for him to go on that sort of basis.

[Ger Regan]

I agree with Ozz about Westwood. Continuity is important, and Westwood will probably be fine in the Championship. He also doesn't strike me as a bad 'un, unlike the likes of Gabby, so there's no reason for him to go on that sort of basis.

Agreed. He's fine for where we are, but not for where we want to be. There are a number of positions that are a greater priority.

[aj2k77]

Westwood makes a great sub, he can sit next to the manager pointing out everything that's wrong.