Summer transfer madness thread

[Jockey Randall]

I'm not sure it's about mentality or physical issues anymore with McCormack. The bigger issue for me is us not playing a style of football that would suit him. I think he'd do a lot better in a team that keeps the ball well and pushes higher up the pitch where he can execute a bit of clever link up play in the final third with 4/5 players around him.

The management so far this season seem set on a more direct system where he'd just get bypassed and I don't see that changing any time soon.

[Hookeysmith]

I'm not sure it's about mentality or physical issues anymore with McCormack. The bigger issue for me is us not playing a style of football that would suit him.

You could say that for a good few of our players

[Hookeysmith]

GK - Johnstone/Steer
RB - De Laet/Bree/Hutton
CB - Chester/Elphick
CB - Terry/Samba
LB  - Taylor
CM - Onomah/Jedinak/Whelan/Lansbury
AM - Hourihane/Jack/Ohare
RM - Snodgrass/Adomah/Elmo
LM - Green/Barney
FW - Kodjia/Hogan/Davis/Ross/Gabby/RHM

If Bruce cannot get this squad into top 6 let alone automatic then he deserves shooting.

To be honest and being as neutral as I can - there are not many players in this division that you could make up a first team to better one we could if they were all played to their strengths

I agree - auto promotion as a minimum - no excuses 

[dave.woodhall]

GK - Johnstone/Steer
RB - De Laet/Bree/Hutton
CB - Chester/Elphick
CB - Terry/Samba
LB  - Taylor
CM - Onomah/Jedinak/Whelan/Lansbury
AM - Hourihane/Jack/Ohare
RM - Snodgrass/Adomah/Elmo
LM - Green/Barney
FW - Kodjia/Hogan/Davis/Ross/Gabby/RHM

If Bruce cannot get this squad into top 6 let alone automatic then he deserves shooting.

To be honest and being as neutral as I can - there are not many players in this division that you could make up a first team to better one we could if they were all played to their strengths

I agree - auto promotion as a minimum - no excuses 

And much as we complain about him, there aren't many with a fourth/fifth choice centre back as good as Tommy Elphick.

[old man villa fan]

I think there was a clear edict that Bruce had to balance the books after his spending at Xmas.  He has failed to shift players and therefore this has limited his buying.  I do not have  a problem with that as we have been too easy in the past in letting managers buy without selling (other than our top players) and been left with fortunes being poured down the drain.

I think you'll find he has to balance the books after RDM's spending last August. Bruce didn't spend a fat lot in January really.

Relative to a vast majority of teams in this division though, he spent a fuckload, if not on fees, but wages. Likewise, this summer. Lansbury, Hourihane, Hogan, Terry, Whelan, and Snodgrass would all be on plenty.

The point OMVF made though was that he's had to cut down on his spending due to what he spent in January when in reality, he didn't spend a great deal compared to what we did this time last year.

Clampy, you do have this uncanny ability to misunderstand my comments or are selective in the words you comment on and those words not being the point of my comment.

"He has failed to shift players and therefore this has limited his buying" was the point and I then went on to say I didn't have an issue with it. I did not say that he had to balance the books against his spending in January.

[Drummond]

GK - Johnstone/Steer
RB - De Laet/Bree/Hutton
CB - Chester/Elphick
CB - Terry/Samba
LB  - Taylor
CM - Onomah/Jedinak/Whelan/Lansbury
AM - Hourihane/Jack/Ohare
RM - Snodgrass/Adomah/Elmo
LM - Green/Barney
FW - Kodjia/Hogan/Davis/Ross/Gabby/RHM

If Bruce cannot get this squad into top 6 let alone automatic then he deserves shooting.

To be honest and being as neutral as I can - there are not many players in this division that you could make up a first team to better one we could if they were all played to their strengths

I agree - auto promotion as a minimum - no excuses 

And much as we complain about him, there aren't many with a fourth/fifth choice centre back as good as Tommy Elphick.

When he first came he showed some real promise as captain (forget the playing bit for a minute) and was doing some good stuff which suggests to me that he'll be a good influence in the dressing room.

[Drummond]

lets face it, McCormack is staying. So Bruce will have to find a way to save face and re-integrate him into the team. Davis should still get a shout and we have sufficient cover at all but Leftback. Not bad, but still 3 or 4 wasters hanging around (as indeed they have been for the last 7-8 years)

Why does Bruce need to save face? McCormack needs to pull his bloody socks up and earn his fucking wages.

As for the wasters, unfortunately on the wages they  get paid we're stuck til the contracts run out.

Agree that the person in the wrong is McCormack and if Bruce had found a way to get rid that would have been the best option. But he didn't, so as the boss he's going to have to fix it, for the best of the club.

I agree, but he doesn't need to save face as he's done nothign wrong. Bruce clearly doesn't like McCormack's attitude and excuses.

[ironmaidenmania]

I have no problem with Elphick or Ross staying but if we are stuck with Richards and Gabby with no possibility of them leaving why not just pay them up and agree to terminate their contracts. Money goes out upfront but both players will be out of the club.

[Damo70]

I have no problem with Elphick or Ross staying but if we are stuck with Richards and Gabby with no possibility of them leaving why not just pay them up and agree to terminate their contracts. Money goes out upfront but both players will be out of the club.

It is a long season. If we are going to pay them I want to keep them as options.

[john e]

I have no problem with Elphick or Ross staying but if we are stuck with Richards and Gabby with no possibility of them leaving why not just pay them up and agree to terminate their contracts. Money goes out upfront but both players will be out of the club.

we need Gabby for the two games against Blues

[sirlordbaltimore]

I have no problem with Elphick or Ross staying but if we are stuck with Richards and Gabby with no possibility of them leaving why not just pay them up and agree to terminate their contracts. Money goes out upfront but both players will be out of the club.

It is a long season. If we are going to pay them I want to keep them as options.

I wouldn't want to keep Richards as an option even if the entire first team had the shits. I can't think of a worse player to pull on the Villa shirt and that's saying something

[eamonn]

Like Elphick, I imagine Richards ''earns'' his money in the dressing room, geeing up the boys and whatnot.

[Clampy]

I think there was a clear edict that Bruce had to balance the books after his spending at Xmas.  He has failed to shift players and therefore this has limited his buying.  I do not have  a problem with that as we have been too easy in the past in letting managers buy without selling (other than our top players) and been left with fortunes being poured down the drain.

I think you'll find he has to balance the books after RDM's spending last August. Bruce didn't spend a fat lot in January really.

Relative to a vast majority of teams in this division though, he spent a fuckload, if not on fees, but wages. Likewise, this summer. Lansbury, Hourihane, Hogan, Terry, Whelan, and Snodgrass would all be on plenty.

The point OMVF made though was that he's had to cut down on his spending due to what he spent in January when in reality, he didn't spend a great deal compared to what we did this time last year.

Clampy, you do have this uncanny ability to misunderstand my comments or are selective in the words you comment on and those words not being the point of my comment.

"He has failed to shift players and therefore this has limited his buying" was the point and I then went on to say I didn't have an issue with it. I did not say that he had to balance the books against his spending in January.

The first line of your original post does say 'I think there was a clear edict that Bruce had to balance the books after his spending at Xmas'. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to misunderstand that.

Your point came across has he's been hamstrung by his own spending last January, when in reality, it's RDM's and to a lesser extent Sherwood's spending that's done that.

[old man villa fan]

I think there was a clear edict that Bruce had to balance the books after his spending at Xmas.  He has failed to shift players and therefore this has limited his buying.  I do not have  a problem with that as we have been too easy in the past in letting managers buy without selling (other than our top players) and been left with fortunes being poured down the drain.

I think you'll find he has to balance the books after RDM's spending last August. Bruce didn't spend a fat lot in January really.

Relative to a vast majority of teams in this division though, he spent a fuckload, if not on fees, but wages. Likewise, this summer. Lansbury, Hourihane, Hogan, Terry, Whelan, and Snodgrass would all be on plenty.

The point OMVF made though was that he's had to cut down on his spending due to what he spent in January when in reality, he didn't spend a great deal compared to what we did this time last year.

Clampy, you do have this uncanny ability to misunderstand my comments or are selective in the words you comment on and those words not being the point of my comment.

"He has failed to shift players and therefore this has limited his buying" was the point and I then went on to say I didn't have an issue with it. I did not say that he had to balance the books against his spending in January.

The first line of your original post does say 'I think there was a clear edict that Bruce had to balance the books after his spending at Xmas'. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to misunderstand that.

Your point came across has he's been hamstrung by his own spending last January, when in reality, it's RDM's and to a lesser extent Sherwood's spending that's done that.

By reading the whole paragraph, rather than being selective on the words you want to comment on.

You do come across as somebody that wants to have the last word on everything so as to try and negate what other posters say.

[tomd2103]

I think there was a clear edict that Bruce had to balance the books after his spending at Xmas.  He has failed to shift players and therefore this has limited his buying.  I do not have  a problem with that as we have been too easy in the past in letting managers buy without selling (other than our top players) and been left with fortunes being poured down the drain.

I think you'll find he has to balance the books after RDM's spending last August. Bruce didn't spend a fat lot in January really.

Relative to a vast majority of teams in this division though, he spent a fuckload, if not on fees, but wages. Likewise, this summer. Lansbury, Hourihane, Hogan, Terry, Whelan, and Snodgrass would all be on plenty.

The point OMVF made though was that he's had to cut down on his spending due to what he spent in January when in reality, he didn't spend a great deal compared to what we did this time last year.

Clampy, you do have this uncanny ability to misunderstand my comments or are selective in the words you comment on and those words not being the point of my comment.

"He has failed to shift players and therefore this has limited his buying" was the point and I then went on to say I didn't have an issue with it. I did not say that he had to balance the books against his spending in January.

The first line of your original post does say 'I think there was a clear edict that Bruce had to balance the books after his spending at Xmas'. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to misunderstand that.

Your point came across has he's been hamstrung by his own spending last January, when in reality, it's RDM's and to a lesser extent Sherwood's spending that's done that.

Fair point, but I think he has also added to the problem.  I think in general it has been a pretty poor window simply because although the squad looks fairly healthy on paper, whichever formation you set them up in there are clear weaknesses.  4-4-2 - haven't got central midfielders to play that way, 3-5-2 - haven't got a balanced back three and Taylor isn't really a wing back, 4-3-3 - Davis has emerged as the type of target man needed to play in that formation but there is no real replacement for him should he get injured or lose form (both possible seeing as he is so young). 

The lack of players leaving has been disappointing as well, but you can't force players to leave, so I think there has to be some sympathy with that.