Summer 2016: Transfer rumours and suggestions

[tomd2103]

Cissokho was dire. No need to play the back pass either.

Judging on his buys today RDM seems to know what he's doing.  A more mobile striker then Gestede and a creative box to box midfielder plus a leader in the middle of the park will help. I would love to see a proper winger on one side.

Striker is a must, but today showed we desperately need to address the midfield area.  Westwood looked as slow and weak in the Championship as he did in the top flight and Gardner was very ineffectual.  One dodgy pass aside, Tshibola did OK when he came on and I think that is what we need in there, physically strong, mobile players.  We need to move on from Westwood. 

[mr underhill]

and yet manager after manager has him in the team. WTF?

[Percy McCarthy]

Jedinak is just what we need and I'd still like Vertoute to have a run in this league.

Yes, me too.

[brian green]

Could not agree more Mr U.  What makes me despair, even yesterday's defeat, is the pace that everything moves at Villa Park.  It is the original slow motion car crash.  We took eighteen months too long to get rid of Lambert,  Sherwood wasted months on highly speculative and ultimately doomed random signing and attempts at signings.  Enter Garde and months of losing without a single signing then the worst time waster of all Eric Black, who like the manager in the film Moneyball said I am not picking teams to win, I am picking teams to justify at my next job interview. Now we have a completely new set of incumbents but, like the losing mentality of the players, they have assumed the "plenty of time" mindset.  There is NOT plenty of time.  That is the approach of the student in bed at dinner time saying there is plenty of time to do the essay.
We have known for months that Cissoko and Hutton are massively error prone, that Westwood is too lightweight both mentally and physically, that Gardner's surgery has left him a shadow of the player he promised to be, that Gestede is a very limited, one dimensional, easily intimidated player.  These revelations have not crept up on us.  Nobody in their right mind would suggest knee jerk signings but the reverse is also true. While the names of Westwood, Bacuna, Cissoko, Hutton and Gestede get on the team sheet every week on the nod and better players either do not even make the bench or get a quarter of an hour game time we will not put the string of wins together needed to end the slow motion car crash.  An air of urgency is needed at Villa Park.  It is not apparent, least not to me.

[mr underhill]

on the money Brian as ever. Couldn't agree more - here's the new boss, same as the old boss. please Dr T prove me wrong.

[Clampy]

Or may i suggest, after only one game that a bit of paitence is installed. We won 3 league games last season, it may well take longer than some people like to turn this thing around.

[sickbeggar]

. While the names of Westwood, Bacuna, Cissoko, Hutton and Gestede get on the team sheet every week on the nod and better players either do not even make the bench or get a quarter of an hour game time we will not put the string of wins together needed to end the slow motion car crash.  An air of urgency is needed at Villa Park.  It is not apparent, least not to me.

Just whom are these better players? I'm sorry, but while i agree those named are hardly good enough for us, this core of better players in the reserves that successive managers are ignoring idea doesn't make sense to me. I'm well aware managers have "blind spots" where certain players are involved or just don't fancy them, but it seems to be a consensus of opinion across the managers we've had, good or bad, that these players can't hack it. RDM, like the previous managers see's these players everyday in training, in practice matches and makes the call based on that and it's unlikely he's dazzled by what he's see's from these players and then goes, "f*ck it, I'll pick Bacuna". If the likes of Vertout, Grealish, a.n.others, cant make the bench or the squad even in our reduced circumstances its likely there's a very good reason. i.e., they're bobbins.

[Ads]

We're being a little harsh aren't we?

Xia has been in since June and we're expecting all matters to be resolved? We have players, like all teams, who aren't quite up to speed on fitness for one reason or another. The difference is that ours are better than most. Despite that, we played one of the better sides in the league, saw a nothing first half where we were poor and dominated them in the second.

Incoming players are being actively worked on. The manager has told us, as has the chairman.

I really don't think the criticism is justified at all.

[Clampy]

We're being a little harsh aren't we?

Xia has been in since June and we're expecting all matters to be resolved? We have players, like all teams, who aren't quite up to speed on fitness for one reason or another. The difference is that ours are better than most. Despite that, we played one of the better sides in the league, saw a nothing first half where we were poor and dominated them in the second.

Incoming players are being actively worked on. The manager has told us, as has the chairman.

I really don't think the criticism is justified at all.

This. I don't understand Brian's or Mr Underhil's criticism at all. They just sound like kneejerk reactions to a defeat. It was disappointing yes,  but there's a heck of a long way to go.

[brian green]

Well, for starters, Ads is fifty years younger than I am and I would guess the average age of posters on here is about 40.  You have time to appreciate a less urgent approach, I don't have that luxury.  But personal reasons apart to address the question who are these players we have who are better than those who fill the team sheet as a foregone conclusion, I give you Grealish, Hepburn-Murphy, Lyden, Toner, Bennett, Green and Davis for starters, all of whom (except Davis whom I have not seen) impressed me in pre season. Add to those Veretout (who has not had a fraction of the slack cut for Westwood) and Traore and Amavi when fit and I see absolutely no reason why we need, from here on in, to go on picking proven losing players.

[Clampy]

Well, for starters, Ads is fifty years younger than I am and I would guess the average age of posters on here is about 40.  You have time to appreciate a less urgent approach, I don't have that luxury. 

You could argue Brian that you've had the luxury of seeing us (or being able to remember fully in my case) win the League, European Cup and the Super Cup.

For me, the worst thing for us to do is rush players in for the sake of it. I would agree though that there are players there who have had more than enough chances. Westwood for me is the main one and Gestede is starting to become another. Hopefully when RDM starts to bring his own players in, he'll pick the side he wants and players like that will be on the bench or gone. Besides, Newcastle gave 5 players their debut on Friday night and they lost as well. It's early days.

[Chico Hamilton III]

It's football innit. We lose, everything's shit, we win, all's well. I reckon that's been the case since 1874 for Villa.

Meekly accepting what is served up is what shit clubs' fans do. 

[sickbeggar]

Well, for starters, Ads is fifty years younger than I am and I would guess the average age of posters on here is about 40.  You have time to appreciate a less urgent approach, I don't have that luxury.  But personal reasons apart to address the question who are these players we have who are better than those who fill the team sheet as a foregone conclusion, I give you Grealish, Hepburn-Murphy, Lyden, Toner, Bennett, Green and Davis for starters, all of whom (except Davis whom I have not seen) impressed me in pre season. Add to those Veretout (who has not had a fraction of the slack cut for Westwood) and Traore and Amavi when fit and I see absolutely no reason why we need, from here on in, to go on picking proven losing players.

So really your better players are youngsters who may or may not be good enough long term and to be honest no-one knows given the games they've had so far. Our history is full of young players who didn't fullfill potential after promising - in fact we've made a habit of selling them. I'd rather leave that decision upto RDM when they're ready.

As for the likes of Vertout, Traore, Amavi i think we're heading into the realms of 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' territory. Someone like Grealish for example who got overhyped because of the England tug of war thing, when the reality is now ANY English player who starts in the premiership is immediately targeted by England because the choice is so limited. The reality is he looks nice on the ball but rarely creates or scores and apart from a few cameo's has done very little.  Add in the attitude and you can't really say he should be a proven starter. I can see why people like the look of him but i can also see why RDM would hesitate putting his trust in him.

[sickbeggar]

double post

[brian green]

Yes Clampy, and I have, as you have I am sure, followed them in the lower leagues when things were as dark as they are now.  I could not do another four or five years of home and away support in the football basement. My heart is in it but my legs have gone.