OutByEaster?

General, Will you be here for the Inter game ? OBE

Ah the joys of choice! Maybe: Petrov - Barry- NRC- Young Or: Young - Petrov - NRC - Barry Or: Young - Petrov - NRC - Barry - Berger The first one seem to work best to me. Oh and Blandy, get some sleep on the plane, you're going to need it if we sign SWP!

I want SWP. Gabby, Ash and SWP would strike fear into defenders across the country. Stick a great big chunk of John Carew in the middle and they won't know if it's tulips or Tuesday !

Thanks General.

General, Is it possible for you to ask Nicola Keyes for an update on the season ticket sales figures? I ask now as we'll then be able to see the impact fo the signings when they happen. Thank you, OBE

Cheers NV, good to hear a slightly different take on things. One suggestion though, Can you put a bit of spacing into that list before this get's nabbed for the front page. Cheers.

I think it's possible for non-qualification for Europe to not be considered failure in the coming season. (Which is a debate for another thread.) I don't see panic in the original post, I see some concern, which I suspect is probably mirrored at VP, I'm sure all concerned would be happier sitting with the summers business already tied up. It's not, but I suspect we'll all be satisfied soon enough.

Transfer windows should come with a "fast forward" facility.

Thanks NV, I was thinking that some of the more generic items that Nike makes might have already landed in the shop. Thought Hummel might have put the stoppers on. I seem to remember someone explaining that Villa will have to sell all of the Hummel merchandise and shirts to avoid making a big loss on them ourselves, perhaps we're just trying to push the last of it out before the mad rush for the swoosh !

NV, I've been to Villa Park today, and as yet there is no Nike merchandise of any kind in the club shop. Would it be standard for the Team Shirt to lead the way in terms of merchandise, or would the fact that Nike have nothing else in the store yet suggest that we're still tied into a commercial agreement with Hummel and that this is what's controlling the release date for the kit ? (Hope that makes sense.)

Don't worry General, if I and other VT'ers have our thirsty way, you won't need to subsidise the Holte Hotel for too long. I think of it as giving something back (even if it's only my liver.)

West Ham seem to have been unlucky in perhaps having been at the bad end of this situation on two occasions, both when trying to buy a player (Bent) and now when trying to sell one. Time will tell I suppose.

Thank you, I can't be quite so generous about West Ham, but I suspect you'll do well this year. Who is McCabe ?

General, With all this talk of transfers, are you and Randy going to be able to get back to your families for the 4th July holidays ? Will you be getting your dad a new Nike Villa kit for the occasion ? OBE

You're right, there is nothing wrong with the way WH are doing business. Wrong would be too strong a word, I just don't think it's particularly bright.

The views of the West Ham fans here I think prove the point that the last thing West Ham want is Reo Coker hanging around. He's clearly about as welcome at West Ham as Paul Ince carrying a United shirt. That's why it's almost staggering that West Ham are trying to eek out this extra money, and IMO if West Ham get stuck with a player they clearly don't want because of their slightly skewed vision of the transfer market, it'll have been the dumbest thing anyone from West Ham has done since Bobby Moore took a liking to foreign jewellery.

Lemonheads - Steve's Boy

Former Catholic. Now Church of Lerner.

Also, there's still a lot of bare wall space in the Trinity Road Stand. This site is full of layabout designers with time on their hands, and enthusiastic amateurs willing to chance their arm, How about giving us a space and letting us design and produce a mural ? It would liven things up a bit around those stairwells, and give us something to do this summer other than witter on about potential transfer targets ! :idea:

General, There's a fair degree of interest in how season ticket sales are going. Is it possible for you to find out what number have been sold, or maybe let Mr Creswell or one of our other responsible members* have contact details for Nicola Keye so that they can ask ? *(They're the people listed on the left, under the heading moderators. I am reliably informed that they are all responsible individuals) Thank you, OBE

I'm not the biggest fan either, but it's got one of those horribly inevitable feelings about it.

Gabby and Luke are similar in some ways, both quick, both good finishers. Luke is the better footballer, but Gabby is so quick it's frightening both are capable of scoring lots of goals. Carew is a different type of striker to those two. I think we need someone who can cover Carew, and complement the other two. Gudjohnsen would be perfect, but I'm not sure he'd come unless he was a guaranteed starter, and I don't know how Carew would react to being relegated to the bench. I suspect that Alan Smith might be more likely.

A tin hat might be a little bit out of our reach at the moment, how about we start by getting in a solid decent hat or two, not too old and with the potential to become more tin in the future. There's a fantastic hat on Football manager called Phil Atio who might be more realistic. (He covered 18 heads in my league winning 2013 season.) Is anyone else worried that we might end up with no hats if we're not quick ? Some of the good hats have gone already, and it's going to be getting a bit parky soon. I still think it's possible that we might attract a tin hat, but I believe Spurs are also interested and I think their head is a couple of years ahead of ours. :x

Bloody Hell - you sound like Doug Ellis !!! Exactly the opposite of what I was trying to say ! I was trying (and failing) to make the point that it would be extremely foolish to sign only one or two and hope for the best. We do have a good number of players that are capable of playing European football, but we do have some clear weaknesses; although a number of them only really become clear if you take injuries and suspension into account. With a right back of quality we're capable of qualifying for Europe provided everybody is available for every game. Which ain't gonna happen. Oh, and Doug Ellis is 5'7", same as Ali.

If we don't sign a keeper, we've a good one and a decent one and can still function in the top half. If we don't sign a centre half, we've three good ones and are still capable of finishing in the top half. If we don't sign a central midfielder, and we're lucky with injuries and Barry doesn't have to play left back, we'll be okay. If we don't sign a second powerful striker, we'll need to be lucky with injuries to Carew, or we'll struggle. (Although Luke is now a big lad.) If we don't sign a back up left back, we'll need to be lucky with injuries, or we'll have to move Barry from midfield. If we don't sign a right back, we'll have Mellberg and Gardner as our only options and we'll be ****. So for me, that's one signing we absolutely need, a new right back just to stay where we are. To improve, we need that right back and a back up right back, a back up left back, a left sided midfielder or a central midfielder, (depending on where we leave Barry), a centre half and a big striker. Or, we'll need to be really really lucky. I don't think you can leave all that until August. I'd be surprised if we don't have at least half of this in place by the time we cross the pond.