Adam_

Radisson blue is nice, depends how much you want to spend though

I'll second this, went there back in November with the gf.....is a 2 min walk from the Bullring too.

It was about £6 more than the Ibis Budget down the road, gf's brother and his gf stayed there and they paid a tenner to be able to watch the TV therefore making it more expenive than the one we stayed in haha.

Don't stay close to VP though, not the nicest of areas! (No offence to anyone who lives there!!)

Chelsea have already played both their fixtures against United and United still have a fixtures against the rest of the top 6 or 7 teams.....

Maybe they are thinking if they sell Mata to United then this may help United beat those teams and give Chelsea a better chance of winning the title as they already have 12 points on United so would take a fair bit to slip up that much.

It makes no odds to them who's in CL next season as long as they are in it themselves, the financial benefits would help another club more than United as United already have one of the highest incomes in the world, so therefore it's probably better for Chelsea if United get that 4th spot instead of say Everton or Tottenham who would both get a huge financial boost and become more competitive.

That's my theory anyways

I reckon they had an exciting AM player in mind but it's not materialised

I'm sure (I hope) they see the lack of creativity in the middle of the park like we all do.

Although the last two games have shown some hope that we're ready to start playing football again at last

The transfer market is such a mine field though, especially in January when clubs and agents know buyers are desperate!

I think it may of been Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain but because of the injury to Theo Walcott that didn't pull through.

I am still hoping we get someone half decent in to show some ambition but I am not counting on it

You can't expect a manager to play somebody who has not only lost their spark but also doesn't fit in with the system at all in the vein hope it will heighten their reputation amongs potential suitors. Especially not during a relegation battle.

If we had gone down playing Bent over Benteke I think we'd be in a worse position now, personally.

I think we'd be in a better position league table wise.... maybe pushing towards to top of the Championship.

Maybe the backroom staff do speak to sportsdirect....... seeing who can get them to print the most obscure player they can think off, gradually getting more and more ridiculous.

Can just imagine them sat there like "QUICK COME OVER HERE LOOK AT THIS ARTICLE THEY ACTUAL PRINTED IT PAHAHAHHAHAHA".

We should buy a Chinese player, just so we can appeal even more to that market. Seems mad but if we can pick up a player for 200-500k, it would be worth it imho, especially if he has talent.

A Villa version of Ji-Sung Park haha.

Doubt they will be buying tickets lol, bit of a distance. Shirts & Merchandise though happy days!

Remember reading about the mentioned Chinese PR guy not long ago on the website and how he became a fan.

Maybe some Chinese billionaire will buy out Lerner

How about an Under-rated XI (Premiership era - too young before then!)

Thomas Sorensen (limited choice of keepers)

Alan Wright (would be my choice if only picking one)

Alpay (absolutely amazing to begin with, seriously screwed up later admittedly - but footballing wise, look at his first season + 02 World Cup)

Steve Watson (not clear memory but seemed to work bloody hard)

Mark Delaney (seems to be fairly ignored in football world)

Ian Taylor (for view outside Villa)

Kevin Richardson (Our rarely spoken about captain)

Stan Petrov (not sentimental reasons at all - work horse who kept things ticking over)

Gavin McCann (another workhorse)

Julian Joachim (his goal scoring record was pretty phenomenal yet few have even heard of him)

Dion Dublin (always harder with strikers as they are talked about loads, but often listed quite low down our best striker list and yet he was epic, broken neck and all!)

Manager: (deep breath...) Lambert?! We shouldn't underestimate the financial constraints we are under and we're doing ok. Not in dreamland or anything but he's had a very very tricky job and despite all the mistakes he has made, all the strange substitutions or purchases, I do feel he is quite under-rated. Not sure who else could do a better job given the constraints we are currently under. So not great like Little but no disaster like O'Leary.

 

Chairman: Ellis or Lerner, Ellis or Lerner... errr...

Pretty much agree with this. Alan Wright also the best player I've ever seen play for Cheltenham Town!!

Pretty sure we got a few quid for Makoun.

And possibly Ireland, unlikely though.

Lambert can't really be blamed for the stated players as they were before he started. He's managed to get most loaned out which if he's getting the other clubs to pay at least 50% of their wages I see that as a plus point.

Ireland & Bent are 2 players that others (Non-Villa fans) still seem to be under the impression that they are good and are 2 names that I've heard "why aren't they playing him" so many times. I think we will get some money for Bent in June, not much maybe 2m but it's still something.

 

Taking into account our withdrawn financial position, spending as little as possible, making it impossible for us to compete with teams like WBA, Stoke and Norwich for players.

I would suggest we should be looking at the leagues in Hungary and Austria.

These leagues are full of young, hungry players, who have experience of playing Champions League, European football but, who would love to play in the 'best' league in the world.

Players like Phillipp Hosiner a 24 year old centre forward for Austria Vienna, who has scored 9 and creted 4 from 18 games.

Kevin Kampl a 23 year old attacking midfielder from Salzburg, who has scored 7 and created 10 from 17 games.

Patrik Hidi a 23 year old defensive midfielder from Honved, who has scored 3 and created 1 in 17 games.

Burgstaller a 24 year old leftwinger of Rapid Vienna, who can play right wing or centre forward as well and is into double figures this season.

interesting post but gotta add someone from the Swiss league cuz there on the up

 

Also missing the Northern Irish, Irish, Welsh, Maltese and Cypriot leagues where their players can get "Champions league or european experience" via playoffs lol.

Could always sign Grant Holt, I think he's from Wigan, who are in the championship....... and were in the Europa league.

 

 

 

Yeah but is he made out of concrete?

Concrete is probably made out of Stig Tofting to be fair.

I wonder if we signed him now whether VT would label him fat...

 

Maybe,  but using another users id ;-)

 

Adebayo Akinfenwa of Gillingham is bigger than this bloke.... guys a monster, seen him play a few times.

 

 

just sell him back to Sheffield and go buy that Cresswell chap. Wait.. was he a right back or left back? Either way.. go get someone else.

 

Sheffield UNITED. Sorry to pick on you but this has been annoying me since the third round draw on here, there's more than one team in Sheffield!

 

 

maybe he wants to sell him to the city itself

 

Or the Sheffield team itself, can't remember what league they in but they are supposedly the oldest football club.

I'm one for Lambert, think he hasn't done a bad job considering the budget he's been given.

Yes it's been a depressing watch but no worse than the Mcleish era. If we finish 10th I'll be happy. Anything above 12th is good progress imo.

I still think Albrighton has a lot to offer the club. We haven't seen the best of him yet.

I think if we have any money we should use it on Bertrand.

Agreed. Should at least offer him another 2 year contract, I suspect on lower wages than he may currently be on though as he's been at the club a while so has potential to be up there with the higher earners.

 

 

Fulham, Norwich and Stoke are looking at Hutton apparently..

 http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11677/9123308/

God lord I hope that's true.

How much is he on again 40k a week?

Let's not confuse big wages with no talent.......I'm not his greatest fan, but against England, Hutton was one of Scotland's best players. I know it was only a friendly, but seriously given our recent form, is he the worst player we have ?

 

Him not being the worst player we have is not the point, the point is Lambert is never going to play him again so getting rid is the only option. If we did it this window that would be ideal.

He's on 30k a week btw which is still a fair amount. Swap for Hoolahan!??? Haha.

Should send him to the Championship for a couple of months on loan and hopefully he would score a few goals, show what he can really do in England and then come back in March/April and smash a few goals in for the Villa before the seasons out.

 

Just out of interest would anyone take Josh McEarchran off Chelski?

Pretty decent on the ball but we've got enough stick insects in the midfield, we don't need another one.

We need men. Grrrrrrr.

 

Good job we've signed a "real man" then!!

Gareth Barry for me, too young to know any of the others haha.

Fernando Alonso

Martin Allen

Ben Ainslie

All arrogant, annoying and total cocks. That is all lol.

Lois Suarez

Michael Schumacher

Ronda Rousey

 

Mostly I just dont like sports people who dont seem to realise how lucky they are.

 

Would a smile kill any of you?

Suarez is always smiling lol.... I wouldn't be smiling if I had teeth like that!

 

Why would there be any transfer news today?

Someone tell me otherwise but i can't remember the last time we signed a player on a matchday?

Firedel was signed and announced on a matchday. I remember because the eagle eye action man behind me spotted him in the crowd from 100m away before it was announced.

 

They wouldn't announce it at an away game though!

 

 

Is there any AM besides Kiyotake and Hoolahan that are our targets? A exciting signing would lift us fans and the whole squad! Also somethings telling me that Holt is going to have a lot of fun in the air battles with Skrtel today 

Im not a fan of hoolahan and if im honest kiyotake has never impressed me when I have seen him in the bundesliga. I have only seen him about 5 times. How come he is rated so highly on here??

Coz hardly anybody has seen him play.

I've never seen him play so I think he's bloody superb and is the answer to our prayers.

 

Haha until he signs and turns out to be crap and everyone starts saying why did we sign him for he's crap etc etc.

I'm happy with this window based on the fact we have a half decent left back for the rest of the season!

 

 

Do you know we still need A CM!!

 

My biggest worry about Villa is our lack of creativity in midfield.

My biggest worry about Villa is our lack of creativity in midfield.

 

My biggest worry about Villa is our lack of creativity in midfield.

 

My biggest worry about Villa is their lack of creativity in midfield.

 

Given that the Ryan Bertrand signing came out of nowhere, what's to say an ACM signing isn't similarly due?

 

Or another striker!

 

Striker Michael Drennan has joined Carlisle United on a month's loan until 18th Feb. Good luck to him

 

This is how to do it with our young lads. Is it me, or are there suddenly a lot of our young ones out on loan?

Perhaps someone has now realised this is the very best way to improve them.

 

A lot of them are getting a bit older (Into 20's) so therefore it's probably best they got out on loan so that they get to play both with and against experienced players & more competitive football.

This thread may need renaming to "Villa Watch" soon!

Yeah that's correct, so it doesn't impact our ability to loan two Premier League players because he is a Championship player. From Wigan. 

 

Edit: I'm talking about Grant Holt, to clear up any confusion.

So going by that logic, Ryan Bertrand is a Premier League player. From Chelsea?

Does this impact our ability to loan two Premier League players? I think it might you know...... I think we might be able to take just one more?

If hes that good why are they letting him go for £250k?!

Because they don't need the money haha.... probably not far off a weeks wages for some of their top earners!