John

How about Chris Baird from Southampton? Looked exceptional against Derby.

Let him rot in their reserves on 60 grand a week as players like SWP & Bridge have been happy to do in the past fredm.

I felt sorry for him and for us when Newcastle pulled the plug on the deal last year at the very last moment. I'm sure he would want to come, it's just a question of whether the new manager will want to keep him and of whether Martin would want to go back in for him if he was available. If Martin does want him then that would be fine with me.

If Spurs let Defoe go I think it will be a mistake in the same way that England's decision to go for someone other than Martin as England manager was. I think we could benefits from Spurs error in much the same way as we have from the FAs. :winkold:

Yes, I would go for Bent & Defoe as well Demitri & Gavin. I was just pointing out that if we do want Nugent, he could be ours to get ahead of Everton. He would also be around £3-£7m less costly, but you get what you pay for.

A lot of us seem to think Nugent is a done deal for Everton. It might be, but a lot of people also thought Beattie was on his way to us rather than to them. If we want the player, match their bid and wages or even offer more this is not a done deal and although he may be an Everton fan, you would think with our club on the up then we would be in with a 50/50 chance of securing his services.

In "The People" today Tom Hopkinson writes that Bellamy is to snub Villa & Celtic to join Mark Hughes at Blackburn. I just can't see him coming to us, it seems to me a bit like David Speedie and Robbie Keane players who were often linked with us but who never put pen to paper. I also don't really like the idea of Liverpool making a profit on the player and our recent record of strikers signed from Liverpool (Stan & Milan) suggests that Bellamy would have to buck the trend to come off in a Villa shirt anyway. I also think Boro have to be in the box seat for Woodgate given that he has an affinity for the area and unless a top 4 side come in for him. Although if it was a straight choice between us and Boro, I think it would only be money or being born there that would make anyone choose them. I think both players are at the clubs they want to be at. Bellamy would prefer to stay where he is and Woodgate would I think stay where he is unless a club that he thought of as a massive club came in to take him away (as yet, we are not quite a Real Madrid or one of the big 4). Of the two Woodgate would be the one for me. I think his signing would be the signing of another big hitter as Carew was, but I think Martin will have his work cut out to lure him to B6.

So we are safe with 5 games to spare, but it would have been nice to have done it with a bit of style. We just can’t put a run of good results together can we? Too often this season a good result has been followed up by a poor one and on this occasion we followed up a great win at Blackburn with 2 dropped points against a poor Wigan outfit that spent the last two thirds of the game down to 10 men. We should be able to break down teams like this particularly when we dominate the possession as we did yesterday but currently we are not although we have proved that we are able to come back into a game after being a goal behind, its just a pity that our set piece defending has given us so many opportunities to prove this in recent games. Yesterday, Wigan just put 9 men behind the ball and invited us to come at them. But we lacked the guile and ideas to do so and allowed them to niggle and waste time for the last hour, as did the referee who allowed Filan to run down the clock for too long before showing him a yellow card. The game will be remembered as one of two goal line clearances; one for our equalizer which was given as the ball had clearly crossed the line before Baines kicked it out and another that Filan pushed onto a post and then hooked out from behind his goal line which the linesman decided would be one too many such calls to make in one game. My player ratings from a game during which we huffed and puffed but just could not get the end result our domination of possession warranted are: Thomas Sorensen - 6 – Steady enough and could not do much to stop their goal from his position on the floor. Normally when a keeper goes down in such circumstances the referee has no hesitation and stops play, I wonder why it did not happen this time? Phil Bardsley - 6 – Tentative on occasion at the back but worked hard and got forward to good affect on a couple of occasions. Olof Mellberg - 7 – Solid enough particularly when faced by Emile the defective striker at the back who once again showed that at diving he has few piers. Olof flicked on a header that was cleared and was then unlucky to see a header pushed onto the post and then cleared from what seemed a foot behind the line by Filan. Martin Laursen - 7 – Some early problems with his distribution but became more steady as the game progressed and did what we have come to expect of him on those rare occasions that he needed to at the back. Wilfred Bouma – 6 – Replaced due to the injury that Valencia’s mad two footed lunge led to on 38 minutes but had looked his usual competent self up until then and even had time to have a pop at goal that sailed just over after listening to the fans call for him to pull the trigger. Gareth Barry – 7 – Worked hard, kept the midfield ticking and kept probing for opportunities. On the downside Gareth also lost McCullock at the far post who then headed the ball back across the goal for a forward whose name escapes me to force home their goal. Unlucky to see a measured shot go just wide on 90 minutes. Gabriel Agbonlahor - 7 – MOTM - Three goals in three games! What happened to the player who looked in desperate need of a rest a few weeks ago? Plenty of pace and he looks so much more of a threat in the middle. Early on he made some good runs out wide but we lacked someone like Luke to get on the end of the balls he fed into the box. Berger found him well on 7 minutes but his first touch let him down and then left defenders for dead on 15 minutes but had his effort smothered by the keeper who came out to avert the danger when a goal looked likely. Somehow got something on the end of a Berger cross after Barry had done well to find him and the ball had clearly gone over the line before it was cleared. Shaun Maloney - 6 – Quick feet, nice touches and worked hard before being substituted by Luke as we searched for a deserved winner on 73 minutes. Stiliyan Petrov – 6 – Played a deep lying role for much of the game from where he pulled the strings and hit the odd good through ball, such as the one which found Young early in the second half to offer him a good goal scoring opportunity. Patrick Berger – 7 – Another good display and showed he can still last 90 minutes. Unlucky to see a deflected shot pushed out by the keeper on 8 minutes but hit a lovely cross for our equalizer albeit having took the pass from Barry in a position that was some way beyond the last defender. Craig Gardner - 6 – Gavin McCann may find it harder to regain his place than to put his name to a new contract as Craig looks a match for him on their respective current form. Might have scored on another day with a couple of good runs into the box but his task is now to kick on and go up another gear to make himself difficult to rest. Substitutes: Ashley Young - 6 – If he was fit to come on to replace Bouma in the first half the question has to be asked why he did not start, as although I can appreciate Martin’s desire to pick an unchanged starting eleven as a reward for a previous good result, this formation has failed at home more than once. Two good openings early in the second half, one a header forced a one handed save and another cross come shot ended comfortably in the keeper’s hands after Berger had put him in. Was a threat out wide and hit a good cross for Gabby that hit his standing leg rather than the one he was looking to connect with. Luke Moore - 6 – A welcome return after a 6-month absence, a great reception and for me should have probably started the game alongside Gabby as we need to force the game at home against sides like this and starting with one striker tends to send out the wrong signals even to sides who come looking for just a point. Looked sharp and keen to impress in the 20 minutes that was available to him. Is Martin just determined not to rush him back after his injury? Up the Villa! John Lewis

The NOW link us with Villa for £12m today. What a great signing he would be but I think we might need to find another £6 - £12m for him. But, "Villa scores for Villa" would have a great ring to it. The People link us with Beyer Leverkusen's Ukranian striker Andriy Voronin who will be available on a free in the summer and with a £1.5m bid to make Phil Bardsley's loan permanent. At £1.5m he would be a steal, but again I think the press may be quoting half the price we may need to pay (unless a figure has been agreed already?)

In Randy, The General & Martin we trust. This is the new Villa not the old one. This new team deserve time to put right what needs to be corrected and have already started to do so off the pitch. It might take longer to compete with the likes of Chelsea & Manchester United on the pitch, but these guys are winners and we are lucky and proud to have them on board. I can wait a little longer for glory, I have seen it before and I'm sure it's on it's way back!

Because he is not willing to even consider the possibility of Championship Football. We have a board and manager who will improve the club and want to be positive rather than negative. Drunkenbushman, there are things going on that we don't know about and we will know about it when it has happened rather than before, as it might not. This board will not wave a sheet of paper with big names on it that never come to the club at a press conference but in time they will give us a team sheet with names like those on it.

They can keep him at that price RandsVilla! In The People they mention that Wenger may consider a deal for Fabrice Muamba who is currently on loan at Small Heath. Now I would hate to de-rail their promotion push by signing the player who is described as "the new Patrick Vieira" but they link Everton, Fulham & Boro with him for £2.5m, does anyone else think he might be worth a look?

But, we will be watching a lot better team playing in claret & blue next season and I back you General along with Randy and Martin, to do what is needed to make this happen over this and the next window. We have waited years for a board with ambition, we can wait longer than a few months to see that ambition making a significant difference on the pitch!

From Eurosport: Sevilla striker Kepa Blanco says he may leave the club in January after the arrival of Alexandr Kerzhakov from Zenit St Petersburg. The UEFA Cup winners and La Liga leaders now have five first-team strikers, including Fredi Kanoute, Luis Fabiano, and Ernesto Chevanton. "Before I went on holidays I had some offers from England and Germany," he told Marca. "I think that I must consider these teams and the circumstances that could lead to me moving to one place or another." Kepa, 23 in two weeks, rose up through the ranks at Sevilla and has 12 goals in 41 league matches but has only started five matches so far this term. He admitted that he could not bear to play at another Liga side and would not drop down to play for Sevilla's B team in La Segunda. "The club has opted to buy (Kerzhakov) and I have to respect that. "I am at Sevilla to work and contribute," he continued although added "when there is no further opportunity here, life has to go on."

I don't think we need a kepa just now Sorensen should be back soon....

That would be a real blow to the Noses RandysVilla, so I can't see them selling him to us.

BBC Football report that Spurs & Manchester United have had bids turned down by Southampton for Gareth Bale. Newcastle, Arsenal & Liverpool have also been reported as having made inquiries. Is he waiting for Chelsea or us? But, I hope we can follow Spurs lead and sign some good young players like Barnes at Derby, if not Bale who have real potential.

Wearevilla wrote: I recall similar doubts being raised when Ron Saunders signed Peter Withe and I was among them. :oops: But, he turned out to be the final piece in the jigsaw back then and who knows Marlon might be one of the pieces Martin sees us needing now. If he does, I will back his judgement. OK I would prefer us to go for Villa from Valencia, but that is not going to happen in this window.

Beckham at Villa Park? Nice idea would raise the club's profile at home and abroad as well as sell loads of shirts, but did this not die with the Sven fake sheik story?

At Spurs on Boxing Day KSV. But, I take your point we lack flair, an end product and creativity. I would like to take Klose & Villa but think Bent & Keane might be more realistic (I know I don't want to be realistic either). I would like to see us go the Spurs way and take Barnes, Davis, Bale & Murray and add Barton and Milner for good measure.

And spoil all this fun TRO? We will leave it to the experts and I have every confidence in Martin's choices but there is nothing wrong with a little speculation and it has been a long time since we could really look forward to a window as a buying rather than a selling club. My update. I think those 2 goals by Defoe may have made any deal even less likely. We need a striker so I will take Villa from Valencia.

I know it is unlikely and it would take millions but would anyone else like to see former Albion player Maresca in a Villa shirt?

by John Darius got his usual goal and at least he did not celebrate this one in front of the Holte and he does deserve some credit for that but in the first half we looked more like the team of last season than the team of this. So we still just cling onto fifth place. Two home games that we expected 6 points from produced just 1. Martin told us that there would be days like this and if anything came out of this game it will show Randy beyond any doubt that we do need some serious investment in future transfer windows to achieve his, Martin’s and our aims over the next few years. A team unbeaten at home meets one with only one draw to show for their away games to date this season. There can surely only be one result unless the visitors are Manchester City and the venue is Villa Park. But, City have become our nemesis, they are a team we just can’t beat. Not for the reason that Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United have become such teams, but because they work, run and hustle us better than we do them and they do also enjoy the rub of the green against us as well. Oh and they have a striker who just can’t help scoring against us, who if he did the same against everyone else would be an England regular, as he was when he played for us. Oh and where were the bookings for Barton and Corradi for their excessive goal celebrations in front of away fans after their second? My player ratings from a night on which their third killed us and the game off, just when we looked capable of staging a grandstand finish are: Stuart Taylor - 6 – MOTM – Good stops to deny Vassell’s well measured and struck shot on 16 minutes and a brilliant double save in the second half denying Darius a second when blocking his effort with his legs after the first save had rebounded into his path. Olof Mellberg - 5 – Left with two men to mark for their first but found Darius more than a handful and lacks the pace if not the will to manage with fast wide men. Liam Ridgewell - 4 – Outpaced by Distin for their all important third, not at his best. Gary Cahill - 5 – The best of our defenders last night looked steadier than those around him. Wilfred Bouma – 4 – Caught out when Samaras broke through to find Barton for their second and some way below his recent level of performances until being substituted on 63 minutes in a tactical switch. Gabriel Agbonlahor - 4 – Showed his pace but little else. Gavin McCann - 6 – The best of a midfield that struggled last night. Hit a glorious well placed and hit shot from distance on 66 minutes to bring us back into the game. Stiliyan Petrov - 5 – So unlucky to see the ball bounce on the line and go out rather than go in off the bar on 44 minutes when he hit a splendid free kick, oh how we needed that one. Had another effort deflected on 54 minutes although the deflection was not big enough and the shot not well enough hit to really trouble their keeper. Gareth Barry – 5 – Usually the player in our team that stands out in a game like this when others are finding it hard, but did not last night. Unlucky to see a second half effort not find the target when he beat a player, cut inside the box and hit one that could have gave us an equalizer just before their third ended the game as a contest. Milan Baros – 4 – Did little to put pressure on Sutton for a starting place although he did lack service. Juan Pablo Angel - 4 – Hit one just over on 48 minutes but was too easily marshaled by their defence. Substitutes: Steven Davis – 5 - Replaced Bouma on 63 minutes and did not make much impression on the game in the time he had available. Up the Villa! John Lewis

Ok not quite a great lads, but he would be near to a place when we were all picking our best Villa XIs I would suggest, perm one from Evans, Southgate & Olof to play alongside Paul (who was a great)?

Good point Tony. I think having decided to move he would have been shocked to find Boro as the only option but he had by then burnt his bridges with us. If he had gone earlier like Ugo then he might have had more choice. And yes, I agree things now are much better than we dared hope.