January 2023 Transfer Rumours, Discussions and Done Deals Thread

[Lastfootstamper]

We were a bigger mess at the time he left than when he arrived.

[paul_e]

While we wait for some actual transfer news, here are my most controversial opinions of those early Championship years that, thankfully, feel like a very long time ago now:

I'd have given Di Matteo more time. Until Preston, where I think he'd just lost his mind because he knew he was toast, we weren't actually playing that badly, just conceding a lot of last-minute goals. We had started to play some better stuff, but there was something not quite clicking. I think he could have turned it around. Fat Ross and the keeper were two huge errors of judgement, but I think what he had was salvageable - our owner didn't have any patience because he was gambling on us getting promoted immediately.

Bruce underachieved with the squad he had, particularly in that second season. He took over a squad that could have played Kodjia, Grealish and Ayew up front. There were plenty of problems, but there was a lot of quality there too, that had been massively underperforming. He was much more concerned with getting new players in than working with what he had, and we had a chairman desperate enough to write the cheques.

(Probably the most controversial one): John Terry was a pathetic vanity signing that didn't actually improve our first team very much at all. We needed a quick, powerful CB to play next to Chester (look at the impact Mings had when he came in - that's what we were crying out for). By signing Terry to play next to him, we had the exact same weaknesses as we'd had the previous year. When Terry was out injured, Elphick filled in and we weren't any worse off.

We neglected the youth during this period and potentially ruined a few careers. Players like McKirdy, Mitch Clark, Callum O'Hare all could have been utilised, but instead we bought in players like Bree and that guy from Bury that never actually played for us. We never tried to bring through any youth players and it was a wasted opportunity.

Snodgrass wasn't that good for us. As soon as Jack was back in that season, nobody else did anything. Jack carried us to the playoffs that year far more than he did the following year.

None of that matters, of course, we're better off now than we probably could have imagined. If Bruce had got us up first time of asking, we'd probably have gone straight back down and into administration. So everything turned out for the best, so just to get us back on track, here is my ill-thought prediction for the next few days: We're going to announce Thuram and Guendouzi before the end of the window. And probably another teenage prodigy that can play on the wing.

I'd agree with most of that.

I hope you're right with the signings, those 2 and a young winger would go a long way to getting the squad where it needs to be to really push on. It would also mean that the summer could be a case of 2-3 major signings rather another rebuild.

[Clampy]

That's probably the one Wilma post I agree with (some still get through sadly, despite the block).  I wouldnt say he did a fantastic job though, he was just the right kind of manager when it was needed. We were a mess.

We had every advantage as a huge club. He was the opposite of what we needed.

What did we need? Someone to experiment?

[Clampy]

We were a bigger mess at the time he left than when he arrived.

I think you might find that was Dr Tony's fault.

[TheMalandro]

That's probably the one Wilma post I agree with (some still get through sadly, despite the block).  I wouldnt say he did a fantastic job though, he was just the right kind of manager when it was needed. We were a mess.

We had every advantage as a huge club. He was the opposite of what we needed.

What did we need? Someone to experiment?

A good manager.

[Clampy]

That's probably the one Wilma post I agree with (some still get through sadly, despite the block).  I wouldnt say he did a fantastic job though, he was just the right kind of manager when it was needed. We were a mess.

We had every advantage as a huge club. He was the opposite of what we needed.

What did we need? Someone to experiment?

A good manager.

Yep, it was as simple as that.

[TheMalandro]

That's probably the one Wilma post I agree with (some still get through sadly, despite the block).  I wouldnt say he did a fantastic job though, he was just the right kind of manager when it was needed. We were a mess.

We had every advantage as a huge club. He was the opposite of what we needed.

What did we need? Someone to experiment?

A good manager.

Yep, it was as simple as that.

Pretty much.

[paul_e]

That's probably the one Wilma post I agree with (some still get through sadly, despite the block).  I wouldnt say he did a fantastic job though, he was just the right kind of manager when it was needed. We were a mess.

We had every advantage as a huge club. He was the opposite of what we needed.

What did we need? Someone to experiment?

I think opposite is unfair but someone looking to develop players alongside the first team and wanting to setup tactical and technical excellence through the club, something a little like Kompany is doing at Burnley.

[Nunkin1965]

I think he was the right appointment at the right time.
Hindsight gets you the winning lottery numbers every week.

[Clampy]

That's probably the one Wilma post I agree with (some still get through sadly, despite the block).  I wouldnt say he did a fantastic job though, he was just the right kind of manager when it was needed. We were a mess.

We had every advantage as a huge club. He was the opposite of what we needed.

What did we need? Someone to experiment?

I think opposite is unfair but someone looking to develop players alongside the first team and wanting to setup tactical and technical excellence through the club, something a little like Kompany is doing at Burnley.

You could argue we didnt have time for that and how many times has that happened anyway?

[john e]

It was the totally wrong appointment for what we needed at the time

It was a piss easy job getting Villa out of the championship with the resources we had
Bruce was successful at turning us into a standard championship side playing championship standard football and that’s being kind
he was absolutely rubbish and has been rubbish ever since wherever he’s gone

[paul_e]

That's probably the one Wilma post I agree with (some still get through sadly, despite the block).  I wouldnt say he did a fantastic job though, he was just the right kind of manager when it was needed. We were a mess.

We had every advantage as a huge club. He was the opposite of what we needed.

What did we need? Someone to experiment?

I think opposite is unfair but someone looking to develop players alongside the first team and wanting to setup tactical and technical excellence through the club, something a little like Kompany is doing at Burnley.

You could argue we didnt have time for that and how many times has that happened anyway?

Does it take long with the sort of resources we had that season?

[Clampy]

That's probably the one Wilma post I agree with (some still get through sadly, despite the block).  I wouldnt say he did a fantastic job though, he was just the right kind of manager when it was needed. We were a mess.

We had every advantage as a huge club. He was the opposite of what we needed.

What did we need? Someone to experiment?

I think opposite is unfair but someone looking to develop players alongside the first team and wanting to setup tactical and technical excellence through the club, something a little like Kompany is doing at Burnley.

You could argue we didnt have time for that and how many times has that happened anyway?

Does it take long with the sort of resources we had that season?

I'll ask again, how many other teams have done that?

[Legion]

Not much action on the transfers and loans coming in, is there?

[paul_e]

That's probably the one Wilma post I agree with (some still get through sadly, despite the block).  I wouldnt say he did a fantastic job though, he was just the right kind of manager when it was needed. We were a mess.

We had every advantage as a huge club. He was the opposite of what we needed.

What did we need? Someone to experiment?

I think opposite is unfair but someone looking to develop players alongside the first team and wanting to setup tactical and technical excellence through the club, something a little like Kompany is doing at Burnley.

You could argue we didnt have time for that and how many times has that happened anyway?

Does it take long with the sort of resources we had that season?

I'll ask again, how many other teams have done that?

I honestly don't care if none havem it's still what I believe should've been done because the alternative was us having to spend £150m building an entirely new squad just to stay up once we got promoted and, might well not have managed it without a 3month break in the season due to covid.