January Transfer Window Rumours/Suggestions/Hearsay/Heresy/Horseplay

[Chris Jameson]

This is the most excited and optimistic I've felt since the summer of 2015 when we also signed a load of players I'd either never heard of or ever seen play.

[PaulWinch again]

We seem to be completely restructuring the team in one transfer window, for the third time in 18 months

I'm happy with the deals so far. But think we should slow down. Whatever happened to coaching improvement?

That is an element of concern. This can't keep happening and hopefully this is the last time. The only player who we've signed that I think I've seen play more than once is Lansbury, who I do rate, so I hope the others live up to expectation.

[Tayls_7]

We seem to be completely restructuring the team in one transfer window, for the third time in 18 months

I'm happy with the deals so far. But think we should slow down. Whatever happened to coaching improvement?

That is an element of concern. This can't keep happening and hopefully this is the last time. The only player who we've signed that I think I've seen play more than once is Lansbury, who I do rate, so I hope the others live up to expectation.

No we're not. We are completely restructuring our central midfield. I don't know if you'd noticed but it was completely pump. I think Bruce had noticed that. He's a genius.

[oswald funkletrumpet]

The good thing is that bree, hourihane and lansbury are familiar with the league, no bedding in, no language barriers, no fitness issues

[PaulWinch again]

We seem to be completely restructuring the team in one transfer window, for the third time in 18 months

I'm happy with the deals so far. But think we should slow down. Whatever happened to coaching improvement?

That is an element of concern. This can't keep happening and hopefully this is the last time. The only player who we've signed that I think I've seen play more than once is Lansbury, who I do rate, so I hope the others live up to expectation.

No we're not. We are completely restructuring our central midfield. I don't know if you'd noticed but it was completely pump. I think Bruce had noticed that. He's a genius.

I'm well aware of that and yes the midfield was rubbish, but we're not finished yet. I'm not disagreeing with the positions we've replaced, but I hope this is the last time we have to do major surgery on the squad for a while.

[Old Kodjia]

We seem to be completely restructuring the team in one transfer window, for the third time in 18 months

I'm happy with the deals so far. But think we should slow down. Whatever happened to coaching improvement?

That is an element of concern. This can't keep happening and hopefully this is the last time. The only player who we've signed that I think I've seen play more than once is Lansbury, who I do rate, so I hope the others live up to expectation.

I look at it differently.  Two summers ago, we had no choice, other than to restructure the team, given that the heart of it had been ripped out (Delph, Benteke, Vlaar, Cleverley).

Last summer, it was also crucial to replace as many of the relegated side as possible-They were a pathetic sight, beaten into submission.  They were used to loosing and bear in mind, we had not bought reinforcements in, in January, preferring to wait until the summer.  IMO, RDM did a decent job in the summer (with an amazing war chest admittedly).  We turned a corner then and began to stop the rot.  When you bring in so many players, it is likely that some will not work out and so has been the case with our summer crop.  Steve Bruce came in and obviously wants his own men here, which is understandable.  I don't think anyone would disagree with the need to bring a keeper in.  Likewise, the midfielders.  What we forget is that we got these players in for absolute bargains, meaning a net spend at the end of the window is likely to be quite low, compared to the quality we have bought in.  Are there two more talked about midfielders in the division than Lansbury & Hourihane?

Given where we were 18 months ago, I'm delighted with the position after 2 windows.  It will take us another 2 to get where we need to be but I'm content with the progress, given the circumstances.  This summer, I envisage around 4 or 5 incoming.  I think that Amavi will leave us, meaning a new LB is required, a keeper will be needed and it wouldn't surprise me if Bruce bought in another central defender.  With Hutton out of contract, we are also likely to be looking at a RB, unless Bruce is keen on DeLeat (unlike me).

Newcastle had a head start on us this season, their team was far better than ours when we both went down.  I'd say there is very little between the 2 now, although I've read that they are going to be spending big before the window closes.  This time next year, that should be us, looking at bringing in PL quality players.  Look at Norwich though-We have caught them up and I expect us to finish above them this season.  They were a better side than us last season as well.

[Malandro]

I had a quick look on a Bury message board, they are disappointed to lose the defender but they are raving about another youngster, called Harker.
Best player since Peter Reid is the gist.

Nab him too.

[UK Redsox]

Whatever happened to coaching improvement?

Sometimes you have to accept that you can't put it where it won't go.

That's not the kind of attitude that makes people a world leader

[Pete]

IMO, RDM did a decent job in the summer (with an amazing war chest admittedly).  We turned a corner then and began to stop the rot.

Did we stop the rot though? DiMatteo's 10 points from 11 games suggests otherwise. That's why he was sacked.

[brian green]

Peter Reid may well be in The Crown in Southwold over the weekend (he is not dead is he?) I will mention the boy Harker.

[Old Kodjia]

IMO, RDM did a decent job in the summer (with an amazing war chest admittedly).  We turned a corner then and began to stop the rot.

Did we stop the rot though? DiMatteo's 10 points from 11 games suggests otherwise. That's why he was sacked.

I think that the rot was stopped.  You don't go from the free fall that we were in to title challengers in one window.  There was a need to stabalise and to stop falling.  This happened under RDM although it was felt that he should have been doing better, given the budget he had been given.  The midfield was a big problem and cost RDM his job with the late equalisers from Huddersfield, Barnsley, Forest & Brentford.  The performance at Preston that ultimately cost RDM was no better and no worse than the performance at Wolves the other week. As I said, it takes more than 1 window to sort a shambles as bad as ours was out.

[Abbeyfealeavfc]

If we're signing players with potential value (Bree, Bedeau?) then we shouldn't even think about selling one with potential value. Grealish still has it all to do and he's by no means first choice especially with the incomings of the last week, but it's too early to give up on him. Villa have enough players where the potential value is long gone and who are just making up the numbers who I would prefer to see sold ahead of Grealish!

[godzvilla]

More grist for the rumour mill , good point made about the FFP, something I'd forgotten about with all the ' comings' and fewer ' goings'....Godzvilla!

According to The Telegraph, Steve Bruce has made a bid for Swansea duo Neil Taylor and Modou Barrow in an attempt to strengthen his squad further.

Bruce has already spent around £10 million this January, but he is looking to get in a couple more players before the window slams shut at 11pm on Tuesday. It is thought that Bruce is contemplating selling Jordan Ayew, who would relish a return to the Premier League, in order to get some sort of deal done.
Ayew has been mentioned as part of a swap deal with Barrow, as Bruce, due to Financial Fair Play, cannot keep signing new players without trimming his squad.

[ethicalvillain]

Having been to a few Swans matches in recent seasons I can assure you all that Barrow and Taylor are not the answers we're looking for.

Barrow is a headless chicken, plenty of pace and no brain, he'd be an ok impact player off the bench against tiring defenders, but that's about it.

As for Taylor, he's never been the same since his injury 3-4 years ago. He was quality before, but since then, Ben Davies came in and did so well and got his move to Spurs. Only reason Taylor did ok was because he had Ashley Williams guiding him. Since he's gone Taylor has been a liability and at fault for many goals. He'd be no better than Amavi defensively and much worse as an attacking threat.

I count the Swans as my 2nd team, and would be delighted to seem him leave, but not to come to us. Really hope this one is just a paragraph filler!

[TaxDodger]

As an avid follower of the Welsh national team, I don't think Neil Taylor is the answer. He'd be a good left back at this level, but I think Amavi is potentially a far superior player.