January Transfer Window - The Verdict.

[Smithy]

Why are people expecting the coming summer to be significantly better than the last few underwhelming summers?

This is a really good question. I think it goes to the heart of what it means to be a Villa fan. For me, I love the expectation and anticipation of what is to come. The tantalising future that is just out of reach.  Don't get me wrong, I love the here and now. I'm elated when we win, I'm despondent when we lose - but I'm also enthralled by the promise of what might happen tomorrow, what we are on the cusp of achieving. It's the reason we all follow the youth players so much more closely these days (well, me anyway).  If you can't look towards the summer and let yourself get a little bit carried away a bit with what 'might be', then what's the point?

[SoccerHQ]

A long range prediction that I hope will come back and bite me firmly on the arse. Next season, ie 23/24, the top 7 will be Man City, Liverpool, Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle and Spurs (in whatever order), with us no higher than 10th. I think we've missed a big chance to kick on this January, and however good Emery is, he won't be given the tools to improve us further.

Spurs should be more vulnerable next season.

Think they'll sell Kane and Son looks like he's declining now so feels like they'll be in transition under whoever they appoint post Conte. Will be in Chelsea's position this time next year.

Will need a new goalkeeper as well. I fully expect Pochettino to rock up there again in the summer.

Will need a good year to sort things out if he returns. Not like they did much in 2014/15 and I think he'd take over in a similar state as I think they'll finish 7th/8th.

This is where we were in the league two years ago after beating Arsenal 1-0 in Feb 2021:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55867137

Above both Arsenal and Spurs in the table. Less than a year later due to a few decisions we were miles off both in the league.

If you snooze in the premier league, you pretty much lose everytime nowadays.

[Skerra]

It’s started already with Ashley Preece saying the next window is going to me massive for us. I think I’ll reserve judgment on that.

[Risso]

This is a really good question. I think it goes to the heart of what it means to be a Villa fan. For me, I love the expectation and anticipation of what is to come. The tantalising future that is just out of reach.  Don't get me wrong, I love the here and now. I'm elated when we win, I'm despondent when we lose - but I'm also enthralled by the promise of what might happen tomorrow, what we are on the cusp of achieving. It's the reason we all follow the youth players so much more closely these days (well, me anyway).  If you can't look towards the summer and let yourself get a little bit carried away a bit with what 'might be', then what's the point?

Because the reality rarely matches the expectation, and there are only so times you can allow yourself to be fooled.

[Pat Mustard]

We like to swear about the big boys chucking cash around and calling it the death of football but then all seem keen for Villa to do the same.  Not a criticism of any particular poster, you understand, I'm as guilty as anybody of wanting to splurge £150m on 3 world class players.

That's the industry we're in though. We don't currently have a recognised youth team player in the squad with a single second of first team experience, so we're miles away from that paying dividends. I think Iroegbunam is worth having next season, but nobody other than him is likely to get much of a chance I'd suggest.

There is an opportunity in the second half of the season though to start giving some more of the youth players experience at least in the match day squad.  Instead of filling up the bench with the likes of Sanson, Bednarek, Nakamba etc. who rarely get on the pitch, we can have 3 or 4 youngsters on there alongside the recognised players who do get on the pitch.  As someone else said, you can only use 5 subs out of 9 - fans of pretty much every club could tell you which of their bench is going to get on each week.

The players getting on the bench this season then get to go out on loan next with that experience behind them.  Hopefully the ones on loan this year who do well (Iroegbunam, hopefully Archer) come back into the fold in the summer, ready to be in realistic contention for the first team.  By it's very nature it doesn't happen overnight, but creating a pathway by not clogging up the squad with expensive filler is surely sensible.

[Bully2345]

Following football is a hobby. I'm happy to be optimistic about the future and enjoy the ride. That probably makes me a fool but there's no point being stressed out or miserable about something I have zero control of

[not3bad]

Some Aston Villa fans were frustrated by the club's underwhelming final weeks of the January transfer window, but it wasn't for the lack of trying.

Unai Emery is determined to build a team which is capable of consistently challenging for European football. That will only happen if Villa improve their first XI, allowing the overall squad to improve with more competition for places following the arrivals of quality individuals.

There was money available for Emery to spend last month and he will be backed heavily in the summer window by owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens. But shelling out huge transfer fees just because Villa happen to be three points from the top six is a short-term approach which the club's ownership do not want to be tempted into.

Granted, if Villa broke their transfer record twice last month, Emery's squad would have improved, but simply put, every club is reluctant to sell their top players halfway through the season. An experienced striker was of interest after the sale of Danny Ings, but Emery doesn't want to stockpile players who he sees no use for in the long-term.

Liverpool and Chelsea are both enduring poor seasons, so far, but Villa can forget about competition for the top seven - if they get their own house in order and trust Emery's decision making, they'll get there, just like Leicester City and West Ham have done in recent years. Villa will then become the latest club to threaten the upper echelons of English football.

The difference is, Villa intend to stick at the top, not only qualify for European football one season and struggle to cope with those demands in the years to follow. Therefore, Emery will only sign the players who he knows will improve his squad, rather than plug gaps for short-term gain.

By John Townley Football writer

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/nswe-avoided-aston-villa-transfer-26126543

[Smithy]

This is a really good question. I think it goes to the heart of what it means to be a Villa fan. For me, I love the expectation and anticipation of what is to come. The tantalising future that is just out of reach.  Don't get me wrong, I love the here and now. I'm elated when we win, I'm despondent when we lose - but I'm also enthralled by the promise of what might happen tomorrow, what we are on the cusp of achieving. It's the reason we all follow the youth players so much more closely these days (well, me anyway).  If you can't look towards the summer and let yourself get a little bit carried away a bit with what 'might be', then what's the point?

Because the reality rarely matches the expectation, and there are only so times you can allow yourself to be fooled.

Of course, and if my support of Villa were like any other aspect of my life, relationships, business, social, I'd have dumped them years ago. But it's not. It's closer to the relationship you have with a child. To a certain extent it's unconditional - and for that reason I choose to be optimistic about the summer, even if the evidence seems to points to me being disappointed again.  I'm not saying there is a right/wrong way to look to the future of the club, or the next transfer window in particular - we are all free to see things however we want, I'm merely explaining why I CHOOSE to be optimistic about the summer.

Will I be disappointed when the summer transfer window closes? Quite possibly. Will I try and stay optimistic about what we might do until it's no longer possible to sign anyone else? Absolutely.

[PaulWinch again]

That article makes little sense to me, sounds like a cop out, but we shall see I guess. In order to stay in Europe you need to qualify first and if we don’t look ambitious players won’t come in the first place or they won’t stay for long if they do. We need the show consistent and material progress, and part of that is not taking a window off when it’s clear we need to be strengthened.

[Clampy]

Following football is a hobby. I'm happy to be optimistic about the future and enjoy the ride. That probably makes me a fool but there's no point being stressed out or miserable about something I have zero control of

This. If people think they are being fooled, then that's up to them.

[Risso]

That article makes little sense to me, sounds like a cop out, but we shall see I guess. In order to stay in Europe you need to qualify first and if we don’t look ambitious players won’t come in the first place or they won’t stay for long if they do. We need the show consistent and material progress, and part of that is not taking a window off when it’s clear we need to be strengthened.

Looks like Preece and Townley are just being fed propaganda by the club, probably with the promise of being kept in the loop.

[Ger Regan]

You can add evans to that list too.

[Baldy]

I reckon some posters on H&V give too much 'importance' to the January transfer window. It has nearly always been crap and will probably always be. Mostly desperate clubs splash the cash then.

If there was a quality player out there who we could of got in January to strengthen our squad, I would seriously question his mentality, attitude and commitment if he was prepared to abandon his existing club to join us mid season. We don't want 'me,me,me' players at the club. We want team players.

Would you want Anthony Gordon next to you in the trenches? Me neither.

I am confident we will have a massive transfer budget next summer.

 

[Jon Crofts]

I’m not sure I buy into this ‘we didn’t get the targets we were after’ spin if I’m honest, too many things just don’t add up.

[murgsy]

Guendouzi would have been interesting but not sure who would have been dropped and Dembele would have been a pretty safe bet as a striker. Not really fussed about the other links. Williams would have bit of a dream signing but pretty expensive.

Yes, Ings going seemed like it left us vulnerable but frankly he could have got injured for us and be out for ages. I think - reading between the lines - Emery is a gent - he wanted to give Ings and Archer a fair chance to keep playing.

On Archer - as much as he looks ok in Boro highlights - when a couple of managers don't trust you - maybe there is something in that....