Fans Worried Over Villa Future

[peter w]

Portsmouth have yes. But I think that their 'fortuitous' Cup win has helped gloss over problems. Twice they've finished 7-10th when the players they had should have seen them finish higher. They've even seen us overtake them.

Redknapp goes for Africans who will go to Fratton Park looking for a stage where they can show their wares and hopefully get the move upwards. The fee is small but they make money from it. Seriously, how many Portsmouth players would you take?

Do we want to have as a transfer template a Cockney Spiv who is very good in the transfer market, but only when he has to get some good deals to then sell on. That's who Portsmouth are. Always a selling club. They have some decent players indeed, but there is no long-term solidity as players will be off as soon as they're attracting the inrterest Portsmouth want.

I know we've gone around the houses on this one but Chelsea aside, how many teams above us, or below us down to Tottenham, have made any significant transfer moves yet?

[ROBBO]

But how many of them are struggling to field a full squad? we started from a position of weakness and have been weakened further. It isn't as if we have a squad of 24 and just need a couple of additions.

[peter w]

This 7 subs is going to stretch mant teams. Not just us. But, undoubtedly we need to get players in. The sooner the better. But saying it, and knowing it, are two different things from being able to just go out and get the players.

Our problem is that we are still in the market for players below the CL level. That's where we're aiming to be but because the CL now sees more of the better players spread around more of the top clubs it is harder to fine the type of players that we need.

We need players with ambition who want to get into the top tier of the footballing elite. Who is there around who fits the bill? Yes there are players but we are competing with many clubs on our level to try and turn their heads and sign them. As are the other clubs.

Of course MON has a way of playing it in the transfer market but that's his way. I can see no reason for slating him for that and then saying how well he has handled the Barry transfer. You can see how he operates.

[ROBBO]

Have we got seven subs availeable?

[peter w]

Of course we have...

Taylor
Gardener
Bouma
Knight
Laursen
NRC
Sidwell
Petrov
Carew
Gabby
Young
S:
Maloney
Harewood
Routledge
Salifou
Osbourne
Parrish
Baker

There's a player or two I may have missed and I'm not suggesting that this is the starting 11 and subs but there are numbers. Too small, yes. But Barry is still there as is Davies to come back in.

I think this 7 subs is a bit of a misnomer because we can name 7 players but still only 3 get on. Lots of times throughout the season you will see kids named on benches by most clubs to get a feel of the first-team set-up, and matchday atmosphere.

But, I'm not saying we don't need numbers. We do. I have already predicted we'll get 8 in. (Although right now I'd take 5).

[Guy M]

My guess is that the Sky Big Money 4 will eventually get their way and be allowed to have their entire squad available to pick from on a match-day basis.

And the closer we get to that, the more those 4 clubs will dominate the transfer market as players will be offered the guarantee of bench-warming and the carrot of being brought on.

If we went back to three subs, it'd be interesting to see how many players would leave Chelsea and Liverpool in particular.

[peter w]

I think there are two ways to look at this. The first is obviously your slant Guy. And I have no reason to disagree with any of it.

The other way is why shouldn't clubs be able to name as many subs as they wish? I understand the point about clubs with larger squads being favoured, but you can still only play 11 players at most. If players thinking allowing them to sit on a bench is a career progression then more fool them.

A few years ago I would have agreed but with more money coming into the English game from television, and more sides below the top 4 either being bought out, or having rich businessmen and corrupt ex-Presidents buying them then the top 4 will be challenged. It also allows the other teams to 'gamble'. Stick a kid on the bench 2 up or 2 down throw him on when he wouldn't have had a sniff previously. Gives him experience and us, for example, a chance to use a player, and improve a player, quicker.

[Legion]

We appear to be a little light on defenders.

[OneIanTaylor]

We appear to be a little light on defenders.

And the winner of the understatement of the year is..

[Legion]

Should I mention it to Rambo, do you think?

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I'm worried Robbo will implode tonight when he reads the latest news.

[ROBBO]

What the fck is going on this isn't Celtic or Leicester bloody city we are a club that finished ( more luck that judgement) sixth in the premiership last year but cannot find a right back in two bloody years.
Pete you said in July you would like eight in but probably five, would you like to amend this and what quality of players will they be?
Posters rubbish Rednapp but at least you know he is savvy in the market.
I can symphasise with Moyes because Everton are skint MON if the General is to be believed can do as he likes.
It is so bloody frustrating.

[JD]

Top rant Robbo and it's good to see our old friendly thread back in action. I have been very busy (storms, floods etc) and working in the Insurance industry it's been rather busy. It's nothing to compare with Villa's lack of transfer activity though.  :-

[ROBBO]

It seems we got rid of one plonker who didn't have money to spend and get MON who has the money but doesn't know where to spend it.
In business it's results that count and last year was tops because we finished sixth with a depleted squad  were very lucky with injuries you could say we had a lucky escape, but remember even DOL got us to sixth one year, that's why i have never joined MON is God brigade because one good year doesn't mean your successful.
 I want the feeling back when Lerner first took over that anything was possible instead of the worry that we are struggling like a club at the bottom of the premiership.

[peter w]

Robbo, I expect players of a certain quality to come in. I also stated a while back that with more clubs in the CL the pool of players becomes smaller. MON is after a certain type of player and not just any old player. Obviously we need full-backs but MON is obviously aware of this and will get them in.

The players we do get in need to be of sufficient quality but I also trust MON to keep them going forward. Even if that means a season of not finishing in the top 5 but giving our players good European experience.

We do need to qualify fore Europe again though, as there is nothing worse than giving good players a tatse of what they could be achieving in Europe if the club finishes 8th or lower and miss out on Europe.

But, its not easty. Before we won the league in 80-81 we'd had 3 seasons of 7ths and 8ths and only one season in Europe in that time. So, we have no divine right to keep on getting higher in the league jsut because we're Villa. Too many people have had their hopes raised too highly.

But, we do need players, and its frustrating to not be sitting here with more. We have got 3 players in and its only 5th August. Plenty of time for MON to mould them into a team when he buys his next additions and the quality will be good enough for MON to do his magic on.

As for the 7 subs thing thats a bit of a red herring. It doesn't mean we should have 7 experienced players all itching to get on. Even Man Us bench at times last season had the odd untried kid. We will be no different and if the extra spaces mean that at 3-0 up (inshallah) against whoever, we get to give a Delfouneso or a Bannon (etc) a run and that can only be a good thing for us.