Summer Transfer Thread and Gustavo Cisneros Type Rumours.

[ASHTONVILLA]

I think I heard King was on a lot of money at Everton and the move seemed a little mercenary.

I felt he would have been a sensible signing for us in Jan when we were so light up top and out wide.  But now we have the whole summer to sort out our needs I'd hope we can do better.  Certainly if he's still asking for silly money.

On a fee transfer and reasonable wages he'd be decent cover for the front three. I'd certainly rather see him come on then Davis.

Thing is we only really need a player as cover in case Ollie gets injured, or we need a slightly different option. That's why I can't see us paying £40m on Tammy. Free transfer and two year contract would make sense (You would hope Barrie would be coming through by then). He looked good at Bournemouth, and certainly good enough for a back up player.

I still rate Davis, but don't think he should be our only option. Definitely would not want to be relying on Wesley finding form if Watkins picked up a lengthy injury so we need another striker that woul be happy to be on the bench most of the time.

[manic-road]

If we need cover for Ollie we certainly should be looking for a player better than King, if we want to progress we should be aiming for someone of Tammys ability. We saw how losing our best player for three months affected the teams results so if Ollie was injured for say three months I don't think King is the answer.

[villabear]

If we need cover for Ollie we certainly should be looking for a player better than King, if we want to progress we should be aiming for someone of Tammys ability. We saw how losing our best player for three months affected the teams results so if Ollie was injured for say three months I don't think King is the answer.

He’s been average at best when he’s played. A big no from me.

[rob_bridge]

The video I saw of Pape Sarr showed him taking free-kicks and penalties but has the frame of the imposing defensive midfielder that I think there is a general consesus that this is a position we should be looking at this summer. We would have to be pretty convinced by him though because at that age, a lot can still go wrong and he would probably need time to adapt.

Indeed but he is older then Bellingham who seems to do ok

This gets thrown out quite often but Bellingham is really a once in a generation talent. Before him, in English terms, it was Rooney. For every one of these there's many who won't make it. If you're spending £27m on an 18-year old, you had better be 100% confident in his technique, his temperament and his ability to adapt. Wasting £5m on Tishbola was a big enough waste of money.

if I remember right, wasn’t Rooney 16/17 when he broke through at Everton and then 19 when he went to Utd? That goal Louie Barry scored in the cup this season against the reigning champions- you’d have to think of him as a similar standard to Rooney at that age. If we look after him right, he could really be a prospect for us if he gets a bit of luck with injuries etc. I’m dying to see him involved in some way next season, but I reckon they’ll assess over pre-season and then decide what to do with him just before the season starts.

Rooney was a brick shithouse of a man from age three. Barry has some filling out to do.

I remember Whiteside playing for Northern Ireland aged 17 in 1982, he looked mid 20s and someone who could pull the team coach along the road.

[rob_bridge]

If we need cover for Ollie we certainly should be looking for a player better than King, if we want to progress we should be aiming for someone of Tammys ability. We saw how losing our best player for three months affected the teams results so if Ollie was injured for say three months I don't think King is the answer.

He’s been average at best when he’s played. A big no from me.

No from me - another flatter to deceive merchant. 

[SoccerHQ]

I still think Luke Moore, at least, could have gone on to have a fantastic career with the right manager to put his arm around him. Instead, we had that twat O'Leary dropping him not long after he scored a hat-trick at Middlesbrough and generally treating him, much as he treated the rest of the club, as an inconvenience.

That said, he still went onto have a more successful career than probably 90% of Premier League Academy players. So did Ridgewell.

More odd with O'neill I thought. Started off 06/07 really well, then did his shoulder at Chelsea and was barely played when he returned in the March of that season. Then signing Harewood basically meant he was out the next season bar the odd start.

No idea if O'Neill thought he should've come back quicker from injury and lost faith but he had his odd ways with players of course.

[brontebilly]

I still think Luke Moore, at least, could have gone on to have a fantastic career with the right manager to put his arm around him. Instead, we had that twat O'Leary dropping him not long after he scored a hat-trick at Middlesbrough and generally treating him, much as he treated the rest of the club, as an inconvenience.

That said, he still went onto have a more successful career than probably 90% of Premier League Academy players. So did Ridgewell.

More odd with O'neill I thought. Started off 06/07 really well, then did his shoulder at Chelsea and was barely played when he returned in the March of that season. Then signing Harewood basically meant he was out the next season bar the odd start.

No idea if O'Neill thought he should've come back quicker from injury and lost faith but he had his odd ways with players of course.

Moore didn't exactly go onto prove MON wrong either. Think we got about 5m or so from WBA for him so not bad business. Harewood was hopeless.

[sickbeggar]

If we need cover for Ollie we certainly should be looking for a player better than King, if we want to progress we should be aiming for someone of Tammys ability. We saw how losing our best player for three months affected the teams results so if Ollie was injured for say three months I don't think King is the answer.

I'm not sure Abraham would be interested in being Watkin's cover i'm afraid or anyone of his comparable ability. Wherever he goes he'll be the main man.

[algy]

I'm not sure who we'd get as cover, tbh.  Josh King maybe, someone like that.  I'd not be convinced that it'd be a massive upgrade on Wesley/Davis tho am happy to be proven wrong.

[Drummond]

Many tried, he went through quite a few clubs in the end. Remember him scoring the winner for Swansea against Man Sheikhy, years after leaving us. You'd be willing him to push-on and fulfill his potential but it just didn't happen.

remember the blues game at VP early Sunday k.o? He was through with a fantastic shooting chance, but unselfishly squared for JPA who fluffed his lines. I still believe if he’d have smashed it into the back of the net instead of passing it, he may have gone on to better things at Villa. A goal in that match would maybe have bought him a bit of time in the side and lowered any pressure that might have been on him.

Remember that we'll mate

That sounds like an instruction. And seems a tad forward.

[Smithy]

If we need cover for Ollie we certainly should be looking for a player better than King, if we want to progress we should be aiming for someone of Tammys ability. We saw how losing our best player for three months affected the teams results so if Ollie was injured for say three months I don't think King is the answer.

I'm not sure Abraham would be interested in being Watkin's cover i'm afraid or anyone of his comparable ability. Wherever he goes he'll be the main man.

I don't think there is anything wrong with signing players who want and expect to be the number one choice in their position.  Obviously it will be difficult to keep them happy if they're only getting a small amount of game time, but that's easier to handle if you're challenging for honours - which is the main reason it might be difficult to recruit at that level this summer.  Next year, maybe.

[sickbeggar]

I'm not sure who we'd get as cover, tbh.  Josh King maybe, someone like that.  I'd not be convinced that it'd be a massive upgrade on Wesley/Davis tho am happy to be proven wrong.

Man U were rumoured to want him as cover last season. As cover, on a free he's a reasonable option because he obviously can score in the premiership. I wouldn't have a problem with him and Wesley fighting it out with Watkins. I really think Davies has no chance of developing as a striker really and will just block the youth now.

[sickbeggar]

If we need cover for Ollie we certainly should be looking for a player better than King, if we want to progress we should be aiming for someone of Tammys ability. We saw how losing our best player for three months affected the teams results so if Ollie was injured for say three months I don't think King is the answer.

I'm not sure Abraham would be interested in being Watkin's cover i'm afraid or anyone of his comparable ability. Wherever he goes he'll be the main man.

I don't think there is anything wrong with signing players who want and expect to be the number one choice in their position.  Obviously it will be difficult to keep them happy if they're only getting a small amount of game time, but that's easier to handle if you're challenging for honours - which is the main reason it might be difficult to recruit at that level this summer.  Next year, maybe.

yep. It's all about levels and at the moment it would be very hard to keep two English 40+m strikers with international ambitions happy

[LeeB]

Many tried, he went through quite a few clubs in the end. Remember him scoring the winner for Swansea against Man Sheikhy, years after leaving us. You'd be willing him to push-on and fulfill his potential but it just didn't happen.

remember the blues game at VP early Sunday k.o? He was through with a fantastic shooting chance, but unselfishly squared for JPA who fluffed his lines. I still believe if he’d have smashed it into the back of the net instead of passing it, he may have gone on to better things at Villa. A goal in that match would maybe have bought him a bit of time in the side and lowered any pressure that might have been on him.

Remember that we'll mate

That sounds like an instruction. And seems a tad forward.

Ha, rogue apostrophe! Sorry Robbo, no pressure!

[Aldridge Villa]

A real tricky one this, attracting another player happy to play 2nd fiddle to Ollie , yet ability wise not a million miles away. Good luck recruitment team !