Papillon

Depends. Liverpool shipped in 50 goals last season, so it's not exactly in this department they excelled. Take away Suarez and +/- 20 of the goals he scored/created and they are very much a team like Tottenham or Everton. Flanagan and Toure each got 1500 minutes or more on the pitch last season, none of them are exactly players I would love to have in our current team. Besides, how many minutes did Cissokho get on the pitch in the end? He was branded a huge flop, so I wouldn't use the Liverpool-argument in his favor

I don't - at all. United have a fair bunch of players in Vlaar's bracket - and they are all younger than him. Jonny Evans is 26, Phil Jones is still only 22 years old and Smalling is 24. I think Evans has been very solid over the last few years, but Smalling and Jones took a huge step back under Moyes. Van Gaal will probably guide them in the right direction, and if they are going to make a new signing it is going to be someone who is much better than Ron Vlaar, luckily for us. The reason why I think van Gaal is going go get the best out of Jones/Smalling, is exactly the reason why he made Vlaar and the others in the Netherlands-squad defend so well. When I looked at their chances before the WC, I instantly wrote them off because of their defensive unit - but they played a certain system and utilized every bit of talent - or lack of it so to speak. Ron Vlaar is suddenly the new Franco Baresi on this forum, but go back 12 months and opinions were divided. He is injury-prone to a certain degree and he is reaching 30 right after Christmas - I don't think there's a huge chance of him going to a top, top club. I would however be infuriated if he went to someone like Southampton or Newcastle, that would kind of epitomize how far behind we have fallen these last few years.

As of right now - relegation is very, very likely. Nothing last forever, certainly not the flirtation we have had with relegation for the last few years. Benteke is injured and might not return for a good while - who knows when he will reach the levels he can be at? Our signings have been lackluster and will not make us any better in my opinion. I don't want to see Senderos anywhere near our team and Cole is always injured + old. Richardson is versatile, but he has never been a good player. I am quite "happy" with him in a sense that he somewhere we can play all over the field, but let's be honest, there is a reason why nobody else wanted to sign him up. Signing Joe Cole is decision based on the old imagine of this player, that he has something to offer. However, he has played 749, 792, 0 and 802 minutes over the last few seasons. That equals to what? 7-8 full games each season? He is soon 33 years old and is someone we should have stayed away from. Relying on aging players is one thing - but when he is injured all the time it is pointless. Why not get in Damien Duff and Kieran Dyer while we're at it? Right now I would take 16th in an instant. The clubs going to be down there are of course QPR, Burnley and Leicester - but often one of the promoted sides surprise everyone and end up doing well. Crystal Palace will most likely struggle to copy what they did after Christmas and then you have Hull - maybe Sunderland as well. A few clubs will be dragged in there and on paper we are among the 3-4 weakest squads to be honest. It all comes down to Vlaar and Benteke. If they stay and we get 30+ games out of both of them, we should be fine. However, an injury to Vlaar and setbacks for Benteke and we are doomed. I think Chelsea will be strong this year, I think United will get 4th in front of Liverpool and I dread us going down. To be honest, we have it coming. The atmosphere around Villa Park will be dreadful in October when we have finished this "tour" of playing all the best teams on the trot.

Is 28M mental for Romelu Lukaku? Nonsense. He is just as good as Benteke and he is two years younger than our guy. Who's best is obviously up for discussion, but if there was a poll among fans of other clubs - I think even Lukaku would grab the prize. Not a single person on here would say 28M would have been mental for Benteke, so why is it suddenly too much for Lukaku? He has 10 years left in his prime and he is yet to release his full potential. 70+ games in the Premier League already as well as 30+ games for Belgium. Worth every penny in my opinion - especially as he has all the re-sale value left in him in a few years when he possibly reach a much higher level. This is a player that can potentially play 200 games for Everton and score roughly 100 goals the next 10 years. If not, they will sell him on for 35M - 40M in two years if he continues to develop and reach a certain level.

Friedel and Mellberg both to be honest. None of them were ever world-class (although very good), but they were exceptional professionals and people.

No way will Liverpool compete for the title. Last season they had no European football, not even the Europa League, and they came from nothing to be a contender. Sure they were brilliant, but they played without pressure and other clubs didn't really pay attention to them before they were actually there with a chance of pulling it off. This season they will have all eyes on them, they are struggling to get a hold of high-calibre players and Suarez has left. He was 50% of that team, both for the amazing skill he had and because he made other players better. They will severely miss him and in no way are the ones they have brought into going to fill his void. Sturridge is a very good player on his day, but far from great and often inconsistent. Without Suarez causing havoc they are going to become more predictable and their attacking style is going to be less effective. Remember that their defensive unit was quite poor last season, and without all the goals from Suarez they are going to see a drop in +/-. Man Utd will have the benefit of no European football this season, whilst Liverpool have the Champions League to think about. That is the difference between 4th and 5th for a club that has nowhere near the strength of Arsenal, Chelsea or Man City. Liverpool will do well, but they will never win the league.

Crosses are important, but being able to participate with throws and 60 yard passes is also just as important. That's what really separates the great from the just good goalkeepers these days, when you are also able to act like a 5th defender in terms of creating quick counters.

If he is any good, why would Swansea sell him to us?

Me either. All of these players should be very happy that a Premier League-club wanted to secure their services. Joe Cole is old, washed up and injury-prone. He brings experience and all that, but players leaving top clubs and then getting older seldom have the motivation to excel. Senderos is and always was a liability of a defender. Just the same as Zat Knight and Titus Bramble, the type of player you want far away from your squad. Kieran Richardson? We are his 5th Premier League-club and he has never made it in the Premier League. He showed some form for Sunderland at times, but that is years ago. I am fairly happy with Richardson, given his energy and the fact that we have piss-poor left-backs in our squad. This is what we have to work with - and given Lambert's poor record with foreign scouting, I am happy with going with something safe, albeit not very good.

I don't think I've seen a single link with Benteke going to another club this summer, which is obviously very good news. Imagine him playing on top for a very good Belgium-side, with a struggling Lukaku not making the team, he could have put him self in the shopping window and we would have sold him. Sure, the price would have been very good - but we would never buy a player as good as him, end of story. His injury, sorry to say, was a good thing for all us Villans except him.

When the rumors about a takeover became news, I got really excited. Who doesn't love talk of a billionaire taking over our club and millions to spend on new players. Two months later we have hired Roy Keane as well as signing Joe Cole and Senderos. Shoot me!

I feel this is really bad news for our club, an appointment with a lot of risk attached to it - and a potential upside that does not compute with said risk. The man has failed most places he has been - and he has left many of his clubs on a bad note. He falls out with people, he looks down at others, he only accepts his own opinion - this is not what I look for in a leader and a coach. He was great at winning with United and his job was to tackle and break up play, but he does not strike we as a clever or analytical football-person. Could at best turn out to be a decent assistant manager, but most likely he will create a bad atmosphere and leave before this season or next is over.

I suggest you review his Sunderland career again. Where he promoted, barely stayed up and then got sacked/resigned before Christmas? Yeah, quite the accomplishment. Reminds me of every other manager that couldn't cut it in the Premier League.

I am glad he hasn't been signed yet, I really don't want him around our club. He was a ruthless winner and a psychopath on the pitch, but he was allowed to be one because the team won trophies. As a manager and a leader he has since been worthless. He would definitely create a lot of trouble and alienate players, then bugger off when everything goes tits up. He would never care about this club - and especially not when we have so many poor players (and a lot of losses/bad mood) around the club.

Ridiculous. Romelu Lukaku is a very, very good footballer and at the same level as Christian Benteke. Not being good enough for Chelsea, or Mourinho in this matter, is also nothing to be ashamed about. Juan Mata was "not good enough" last season and I'm sure there are other players I could mention. Mourinho wants Chelsea to be the best team in the world and Lukaku doesn't fit his plans, fair enough - very few do. Doesn't mean he is awful, just means he isn't world-class. Lukaku is smart, he isn't just about using brute force. He can control the ball and drill shots in the corner, just like Benteke.

Great news, if it was 2004. Guess that pun has been used up already in this thread. He is old and brings a lot of experience, which is great - but his talent is gone and he is injured all the time. The worst thing is probably that he will the signing for this position this summer, and he will with 95% certainty sit on the bench or occupy the treatment table. Besides, two year contract for Joe Cole? Haven't we looked at prior mistakes? Robert Pires all over again... Who's next then? Morten Gamst Pedersen ane John Arne Riise?

Oh come on!! This is so embarrassing. Always injured, too old, past it and so on... the list is long

The new home kit looks wonderful to be honest. And I have hated Macron since day 1 - they really have produced some boring, unsexy kits. This one though, lovely.

I would like Noone from Cardiff, he has got good pace and trickery, not afraid to take on a player

Don't know if you are being ironic, that's how poorly I rate Senderos. As for Arsenal and Milan, Senderos was never good enough for them either. In their roster, yes, but was always ridiculed at Arsenal (by the entite nation) and at AC Milan he played a whopping 14 games. At Valencia? 5 games.

I would never want Roy Keane anywhere near our club. He is hot-headed and creates disputes no matter where he is. He has failed as a manager wherever he has been, you can easily see that other pundits hate to sit next to him and he is basically always controversial. Imagine him being an assistant manager at Villa, he would create a huge polarization between the squad and undermine Lambert at the first opportunity he gets. That is written is stone to so speak. Keane has no middle-ground, it's either this way or that, and he doesn't tolerate a single dispute. That's why he was a fantastic football in the middle of the ground, where he could basically fight with other players all day, but as a leader outside the pitch and as a manager, he will always fail miserably.

If Wes Hoolahan is the best possible player we can attract right now, then there is not point in following football anymore. He didn't get any games for a miserable Norwich-side that relegated this season, so why on earth should we buy him? I am sure he is a decent enough player, but why didn't he get any game-time if he was so good? There are better players out there, too bad we don't have the manager or scouting network to find those players.

Unless Norwich refuse to sell to us again I think Hoolahan will be a Villa player before the start of the season. He is every bit as good as Holtby while costing a darn sight less in wages and fees. Nonsense. He is obviously not as good as Holtby and he is 32 years old. Hoolahan played 10 games or so for a Norwich-side that relegated this season, whilst Holtby is only 23 years old with a long career ahead of him. Holtby has a beef with Magath I think, but I saw some matches with him this season and he thinks outside the box when he is trying to create chances. Not David Silva-good, but obviously much better than everything we have at the moment in our team. I doubt Hoolahan would have gotten many games, just like he struggled with at Norwich.

It's weird that people are using the myth about Van Gaal's approach against him, when it all reminds me of the way Alex Ferguson acted. The greatest players need to play for a manager that has natural authority and charisma, the two things Moyes lacked completely. What is Mourinho? For most, totally despicable, but most of his players would die for him. Moyes could have done well for a club like Liverpool or Arsenal, with current players that aren't used to competing or winning trophies. But being in charge of Chelsea or United would always be impossible, as it turned out. I don't know anything about Van Gaal to be honest, well at least not much until the last few months, but he has won trophies wherever he has been and that's always the most important thing. Will be interesting of course, I guess him and Mourinho will have a real fall-out in the media at some point. He is scary though; just looking at his interviews I shut up and comfort myself that he's not my boss. And ugly, he's a damn ugly fella

Depends if you're 'Dr'. Gilian McKeith or not. I like this quote from her Wiki, regarding her "title": "One of the earliest criticisms focuses on McKeith's diploma in nutrition from American Association of Nutritional Consultants. In 2004, the same diploma was also awarded, upon application and payment, to Ben Goldacre's dead cat Henrietta."