Summer transfer, gossip, speculation thread

[garyshawsknee]

I am concerned that our team is/could be totally changed from the team that won promotion, remembering what happened to Fulham?

Fulham didnt need a whole new team as kept most of those who had won promotion and pissed them off woth a load of newbies.

We let 8 first team squad go and otherss back to loan clubs.

So need a minimum of 10

The Fulham comparison also falls down due to the fact that we have bought 3 loanees who know the manager, club, system we play. So we will probably have 5 or 6 players from last season starting at Tottenham.

[olaftab]

The Fulham comparison also falls down due to the fact that we have bought 3 loanees who know the manager, club, system we play. So we will probably have 5 or 6 players from last season starting at Tottenham.

I accept that. Key is not to start the season with 4 new players at the back including the goal keeper.

[ASHTONVILLA]

For me the must sort position is defensive midfield, and to be honest I think we need to sign two of them. A first choice (seems phillips is the one we are after) and some less expensive competition. If we go into the new season without signing a Jedinak and Whelan replacement I can see us really struggling. I will be feeling quite confident of our prospects if we can sort this out.

Other than that we need competition for centre back and a versatile forward that can also play on the wing. Neither of which need to be expensive.

I can live with having Steer and Kalinic as the keepers, and Nyland will do as third choice.

[UK Redsox]

In an ideal world, Villa would have blitzed the Championship with a team that was clearly too good. Such a team would have needed minor tinkering for the Premier League

However, they scraped promotion on the back of an incredible run and playoff bottle with some players not cut out for the Premier League.

Therefore, there's no option other than to carry out a major rebuild.

It might work or it might not but other than starting the season with Glenn, Mad Tom, McCafu etc, there was no choice.

[garyshawsknee]

The Fulham comparison also falls down due to the fact that we have bought 3 loanees who know the manager, club, system we play. So we will probably have 5 or 6 players from last season starting at Tottenham.

I accept that. Key is not to start the season with 4 new players at the back including the goal keeper.

That's true, though the centre back pairing could be the same as last season and potentially the keeper, even though I think we need a more experienced keeper.

[jwarry]

Just listened to a recent interview with Heaton as to be honest I didn’t know a lot about him. It struck me as being calm, intelligent and experienced and someone who would fit nicely into our back four and with the rest of the team. I guess he has always been in the radar but at 33 not quite fitting the profile. But needs are now must....

[AsTallAsLions]

Just listened to a recent interview with Heaton as to be honest I didn’t know a lot about him. It struck me as being calm, intelligent and experienced and someone who would fit nicely into our back four and with the rest of the team. I guess he has always been in the radar but at 33 not quite fitting the profile. But needs are now must....

He's old but not ancient for a keeper. We'd get at least 2 good seasons of him I reckon, provided his shoulder isn't a problem. More importantly, he's also a brilliant goalkeeper, and you don't lose that at 33. I'd be keen on this one but the price has to be right.

[JUAN PABLO]

I think we bought the wrong Adama Traoré
just watched last nights game , he was great , much better player than  that Trezequet I thought.

[Dazvillain]

I am concerned that our team is/could be totally changed from the team that won promotion, remembering what happened to Fulham?

But we were going to lose loans initially and have also cleared about 8 or 9 out of contract or 30+ age group out we wouldn’t want them in prem....aside of whelan maybe but his lack of pace would probably have been found wanting in the prem

[Dazvillain]

We seem to have placed a £7m bid for Heaton so it sounds like we have told Stoke to shove Butland up your arse

Wish we could have found a slightly younger option to really push Jed for no1 spot. So start with Jed as I think he deserves a crack and then have a really good youngish back up. Younger than heaton or Etheridge possibly but both of those are reliable I’d say

[themossman]

Said all along I think our biggest and most important signing will be DM because, well, we have no one who can play there and it’s such an important position in the PL. I’d love us to go and blow the budget on this player because it would unlock more value in a lot of other players especially Jack and SJM.

[kieron]

33 is nowt and he could still be between the sticks for a lot more than two seasons.

How old was Friedel in his last year with us? 39? 40?

[themossman]

I’ll stand corrected but this new doing a Fulham thing seems to be based on a sample of one, and it nearly (arguably should have) paid off for them anyway.

I get that gutting a promoted team is a risk; but the alternative, keeping players based on sentiment, has its own risks.

For me it’s not about the raw numbers. We’re very lucky here because in Mings, SJM and Grealish we have 3 definite PL quality players, right down the middle, who were the beating heart of the team last year. If we build around those and only those I’d bet we’ll still maintain the character that got us promoted.

[cdbearsfan]

Friedel was forty years and four days old when he played his last game for us, making him our oldest ever player in a competitive match.

It's unlikely Heaton will play at the top level for that long, but no reason why we couldn't get a good four or five years out of him.

How often have we had that sort of stability in recent years? I'd happily take him.

[Ads]

Sounds like a stalking horse for Butland.