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

[olaftab]

I think we need to stop now. Getting in too many players in one window never helps.

[ktvillan]

I will be more than happy if Grealish thrives once surrounded by better players, although I'm still not sure how that is going to improve his lack of pace, poor decision making and his apparent reluctance to play the killer pass or take a pot when well positioned. Better players may well give him more options and take the attention away from him, it's up to Grealish to step up and make his mark.  I can't say I'm confident, but it will be good for Villa if he proves me wrong.

If we sign a LB I've long thought Amavi would be better doing a Bale and switihing to left midfield.  I think he could be very good in that role. 

[oswald funkletrumpet]

I will be more than happy if Grealish thrives once surrounded by better players, although I'm still not sure how that is going to improve his lack of pace, poor decision making and his apparent reluctance to play the killer pass or take a pot when well positioned. Better players may well give him more options and take the attention away from him, it's up to Grealish to step up and make his mark.  I can't say I'm confident, but it will be good for Villa if he proves me wrong.

If we sign a LB I've long thought Amavi would be better doing a Bale and switihing to left midfield.  I think he could be very good in that role.

Ive thought that since the first time i saw him, as a defender there is only so much you can coach

[Mister E]

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.

Hindsight tells us that RdM and Clarke were a complete disaster - and I was very surprised that they proved so ineffectual. I watched most of the first dozen or so games home and away and, after a reasonable first game at Hillsborough, the quality of football and player-commitment plummetted pretty quickly. It looked like a squad that did not know what was epxected of them, in tactical terms, and lacked a real leader.
Bruce, for all his limitations, has brought stability, purpose and tactical awareness and I think with the new signings we will push on and do well.
Thank Christ the Dr saw things early and took action.

[kippaxvilla2]

Not related to us but I spotted this ridiculous story in the BBC gossip page.

Wayne Rooney is ready to quit Manchester United this summer for a final huge payday in China, where some clubs are willing to pay the England captain, 31, as much as £1m a week.

[SoccerHQ]

I've rated Taylor in the past (not seen him play for some time). As Amavi is the only left back we have though, I would imagine it's more about competition for places.

I think that would suggest we'd cash in.

Taylor is still a regular for Swansea....he wouldn't swap that for coming here to sit on the bench.

And I doubt Amavi would want to go back to our bench when decent teams in europe supposedly want him.

Getting 15-20m for him would be a good way of balancing the books.

[tomd2103]

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.

To be honest Paul, I think this is being done with next season in mind now.  I would expect us to have a good go at the rest of the season, but in reality I think we're looking at bedding these players in over the next few months, creating a solid spine of a side and then a bit of fine tuning to the squad in the summer in preparation for next season. 

[260475]

Full redesign going on it seems, like it so far although probably placed the odd bet too many. Might come off you never know. Need more goals, have we scored more than 2 in any game this season? Not achieved only through strikers, service to the 18/6 yd boxes and a sniper to crack them in wanted. Gerd Muller style if you know what that is.

A couple of good off-loads, the best would be RMcC - most unimpressed there. Ought to pay back his and his agents commission too.

[auntiesledd]

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.

To be honest Paul, I think this is being done with next season in mind now.  I would expect us to have a good go at the rest of the season, but in reality I think we're looking at bedding these players in over the next few months, creating a solid spine of a side and then a bit of fine tuning to the squad in the summer in preparation for next season. 

After the years of dreadful decision making & abject performances, it's certainly heartening to witness the club apparently planning for a positive and successful future on the park. Whatever happens between now until the end of the season will be vital to next season's progress - whether we stay put or sneak up. Here's hoping the new recruits can push us on to that next level.

[auntiesledd]

ps I've got a strong feeling that Rhodes will be at VP before the end of this transfer window. Perhaps it will be dependent on whether the likes of McBigmac, Ayew and whoever else gets shipped out, but I'm sure the Villa hierarchy will have a number of workable funding options up their sleeves if they want to get things sorted. 

[Villafirst]

ps I've got a strong feeling that Rhodes will be at VP before the end of this transfer window. Perhaps it will be dependent on whether the likes of McBigmac, Ayew and whoever else gets shipped out, but I'm sure the Villa hierarchy will have a number of workable funding options up their sleeves if they want to get things sorted. 

I'd suggest if McCormack and Ayew are shipped out we need two strikers since Gestede was shipped out a few weeks ago? we've sorted the Midfield very impressively in this window, but need strikers in!

[Richard]

As Ayew is still away I can't see him going in this window somehow.

[Toronto Villa]

As Ayew is still away I can't see him going in this window somehow.

The deal can still go through. He doesn't physically have to be in England.

[Richard]

I know but I'm convinced he will stay and I hope he does.

[Toronto Villa]

I know but I'm convinced he will stay and I hope he does.

I'm really not fussed. I don't actually see what he brings and don't actually know how he fits in. Like what's his best position? He's a talented player but he's just so non descript at times.