Summer 2016: Transfer rumours and suggestions

[ClaretAndBlueBlood]

Speaking of which...I doubt Koeman would have plans to include Barry at Everton much next season, so a player of his experience may be useful in the Championship. He played a fair amount last season under Martinez, but he's 35 now with 1 year left on his current contact so he may even end up being released if he isn't part of Koemans plans.

and there is no way he will be dropping down to the championship when side in the premier league are awash with money

[peter w]

I agree with all of that Peter but I think at least a good deal of his slow thinking could be helped by good coaching.  I have commented before that Stan Petrov is very adept at not being dispossessed.  As soon as he gets the ball he turns giving himself time to think and to pick a pass.  Barry is also very good at it.  Sanchez wins the ball well then stands or runs straight, both of which give an opponent the chance to get him in the cross wires and pick his pocket.  If he suspects it coming he panics and passes wildly.  Sherwood tried him at centre back against Forest in the warm up last season and he was terrible.

I've always wondered why he doesn't did a ball chop in the very least when defending the ball. All central midfielders need and have at least one trick to evade the attackers. Petrov and Barry certainly did and yes, it wouldn't be hard to coach.

[RussellC]

Petrov was (is?) also excellent at winning free-kicks when it looked like he was about to be dispossessed. If you ever get chance, watch the first half our our League Cup final against ManUre. It was almost a masterclass in how to keep possession against quicker (better) players from Stan.

It's that kind of nous that was so severely lacking in our squad last season.

[godzvilla]

Another aspect to be taken into consideration ( imo) when looking for and signing new players, is the upcoming 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, taking place in Gabon starting January 2017. Historically, depending on how well a team does, players may be away from minimum 3 to max 6 weeks ( I could stand corrected on the exact time period ) .
 Currently we would ( if they were chosen ) be without the services of:
Gana / Senegal.
Jordan Ayew / Ghana
Rudy Gestede / Benin.
If we sign Jonathan Kodjia , he would probably be away with the Ivory Coast.
Thatīs a lot of players to be without at a very busy and important part of the season ( Jan-Feb )...............Godzvilla!

[Gareth]

So what positions do we think are still required to be filled?

I was looking at what the squad might look like - would guess much like the Prem we would want a squad of 25 to account for extra games etc perhaps 3xGK, 2xRB, 2xLB, 5xCB, 6xCM, 3xWingers, 4xST

GKs - Gollini, Steer, Bunn
RBs - ??, Hutton
LBs - Amavi, Bennett
CBs - Elphick, Okore, Baker, ??, Toner
CMs - Gana, Tshibola, Veretout, Gardner, Lyden, Petrov (maybe)
WM - Grealish, ??, ??
ST - Gestede, Ayew, ??, Hepburn-Murphy

That would mean 1xRB, 1xCB, 2xWinger, 1xST required + 1xCM if Petrov isn't signed up.

This would leave surplus to requirements :-) - Guzan, Cissohko, Richards, Lescott, Clark, Westwood, Sanchez, Gil, Bacuna, Traore, Kozak, Agbonlahor & Sinclair

Can't see 5 more in & 13 out so I think we have to get used to seeing far too many of last seasons squad of cowards in the side again :-(

[Clark W Griswold]

Sanchez is worth keeping for comedy value. I think he wins the award for the player who looks least like a proffesional footballer in the past 20 odd years of Aston Villa.

[RussellC]

I don't think he'll let Clark go, to be honest. For all of his faults he's one that never shires away from a challenge and (I believe) will be desperate to help us get back-up. Baker and Okore are both frequenters of the treatment-room and Elphick was out injured for the majority of last season. I'd expect Lescott to go, Richards to go (or be used as a full-back) but can actually see Clark having a big part to play still.

[Gareth]

Sanchez is worth keeping for comedy value. I think he wins the award for the player who looks least like a proffesional footballer in the past 20 odd years of Aston Villa.

I think he is an odd one, can look perfectly good for 80 odd minutes but has 5 mins virtually every game where he plays like a novice

[Gareth]

I don't think he'll let Clark go, to be honest. For all of his faults he's one that never shires away from a challenge and (I believe) will be desperate to help us get back-up. Baker and Okore are both frequenters of the treatment-room and Elphick was out injured for the majority of last season. I'd expect Lescott to go, Richards to go (or be used as a full-back) but can actually see Clark having a big part to play still.

I think the time has come to move on one of Clark or Baker as they have been in consistently losing sides for all of their first team careers - Baker at least played at this level last season

[sirlordbaltimore]

With it confirmed the FA are in talks with Dudley's own Mike Basset with regards the England job, I think we can kiss goodbye any hopes any other manager will be stupid enough to stump up any cash for Richards

Pray he turns em down after the meeting

[Clark W Griswold]

Sanchez is worth keeping for comedy value. I think he wins the award for the player who looks least like a proffesional footballer in the past 20 odd years of Aston Villa.

I think he is an odd one, can look perfectly good for 80 odd minutes but has 5 mins virtually every game where he plays like a novice

Quite right, I'm not suggesting he's as bad as some we've had over that period (although he is fairly shit) but more that he looks like he's rolled in off the set of 'boyz n the hood'.

[RussellC]

I don't think he'll let Clark go, to be honest. For all of his faults he's one that never shires away from a challenge and (I believe) will be desperate to help us get back-up. Baker and Okore are both frequenters of the treatment-room and Elphick was out injured for the majority of last season. I'd expect Lescott to go, Richards to go (or be used as a full-back) but can actually see Clark having a big part to play still.

I think the time has come to move on one of Clark or Baker as they have been in consistently losing sides for all of their first team careers - Baker at least played at this level last season

I agree with the sentiment, I just wouldn't want to lose both of them at the same time (and assuming that Lescott will go too). Baker may have more experience of The Championship but he's also a lot more injury-prone and that alone would persuade me to prioritise keeping Clark.

Clark was a really accomplished and assured young defender when he first came into the first-team and his confidence has been shattered by playing in so many poor Villa sides - although he does have to take his share of the responsibility for this. I honestly think that if he'd been given more opportunity to develop alongside someone like Mellberg or Laursen he'd be a completely different player now.

Another advantage is that he's his left-sided. I can't imagine for one second that Okore would be comfortable playing there (as he never really looks comfortable playing on his natural side).

[Gareth]

I don't think he'll let Clark go, to be honest. For all of his faults he's one that never shires away from a challenge and (I believe) will be desperate to help us get back-up. Baker and Okore are both frequenters of the treatment-room and Elphick was out injured for the majority of last season. I'd expect Lescott to go, Richards to go (or be used as a full-back) but can actually see Clark having a big part to play still.

I think the time has come to move on one of Clark or Baker as they have been in consistently losing sides for all of their first team careers - Baker at least played at this level last season

I agree with the sentiment, I just wouldn't want to lose both of them at the same time (and assuming that Lescott will go too). Baker may have more experience of The Championship but he's also a lot more injury-prone and that alone would persuade me to prioritise keeping Clark.

Clark was a really accomplished and assured young defender when he first came into the first-team and his confidence has been shattered by playing in so many poor Villa sides - although he does have to take his share of the responsibility for this. I honestly think that if he'd been given more opportunity to develop alongside someone like Mellberg or Laursen he'd be a completely different player now.

Another advantage is that he's his left-sided. I can't imagine for one second that Okore would be comfortable playing there (as he never really looks comfortable playing on his natural side).

Agree ref Clark in his early days he looked very accomplished & he is a talker so would be happy enough with either Clark or Baker just not both

[paul_e]

The people slagging off Gana have never explained how he managed to only finish behind Kante in tackles+interceptions in the league last season. I mean, did he get that many by accident? Also, Kante completed fewer passes at a lower percentage, and nobody's accused him of giving the ball away as often as he wins it the same way it's apparently the case with Gana.

If we manage to keep him, he'll be one of the best midfielders in the Championship, provided that we add midfielders who complement his strengths rather than magnifying his weaknesses.

Sissoko and  Wijnaldum are the best two midfilders . Gana isn't as good as then is he ! so we need to compete with rivals and get players like these. His shooting is some of the worst even more so than snake delph

Disagree completely.  Sissoko made Gabby and Richards look committed last season, a good game at the weekend really shouldn't overshadow the fact that he was terrible for most of last season.  Wijnaldum was worse though, ask pretty much any Newcastle fan for their thoughts on him and you'll understand pretty quickly that very good performances against Norwich and Tottenham masked a truly awful season from him.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Think I'd keep Clark...more experience and slightly less prone to clangers than Baker, who really needs to find a career somewhere more suited to him...Walsall?