Morley_crosses_to_Withe

With regards to Bellamy again, I just don't see what he would bring that we haven't already got!

We need a pure, proven, out and out goalscorer.

Bellamy is not this.

Don't know if this has been posted but Barry Keen on Bellamy.

If we sign Bellamy, I'm going to be so **** off it's unbelievable.

There MUST be better strikers out there that are available (at the right price obviously) and willing to play for us.

Plus hasn't Bent been out for most the season with injury? For me Bellamy is the better player.

I think he missed a few games over Jan/Feb, but, other than that, was an ever present.

Think he scored almost one in two (again) for a very poor side.

A superior player to Bellamy.

Has been mentioned mattley, with much better spelling too

"Goping" sounds great!

And just who is this "Dostan" character?

thats why stats shouldn't be the only source of an argument.

I've seen with my own eyes at games a better fighting spirit and determination to get back into the game once we've gone behind. And as others have said games like reading (a) newcastle (a) bolton (h) arsenal (h) won't appear on your stats because we didn't manage to bring it back but it doesn't mean that the commintment, fight and determination that was lacking last season wasn't shown during them

And you're right, but I'm sure if I thought long and hard enough, I could even think of games from last season in which we didn't bring it back but tried.

The fact that the only thing that people can cite as being 'better' is that, in their opinion, we have more fight, and put in more effort, shows how much the barrel is being scraped.

Effort and fight should be amongst the absolute bare minimum to expect.

Ron Saunders recently said:

A certain player scored for Villa and was having a nightmare and had had one or two nightmares. He scored one or two goals but had one or two not-so-good games. He came over to the touchline and said to me: 'What about that gaffer?' And I said: 'That's what I pay your money for - now get on and start playing'.

I'd love to see what he would say about people applauding the fact that we carry on for ninety minutes. And, if a goal down, we don't give up!! Sink any lower and we'll be thanking the players for bothering to get themselves down the ground on a Saturday afternoon.

Taking everything as a whole, considering all factors, and balancing everything out against each other, still leads me to think that, on the pitch, it's about the same.

And before anyone starts, I have yet to blame the manager.

This idea that we've got more fight keeps being trotted out.

If you read the things written on here, you'd think e never, ever fought our way back into games last season (except the five times in the league that we came back to draw & the other time we went on to win) Never, Ever! No fightback you see.

How many times have we done it this season? Oh, six to draw and one to win. So about the same then!

And what about letting teams back in to draw/ lose.....3/2 last season and 6/1 this season.

So we're marginally better at pulling games back, but we're now more likely to allow the other team back in.

Fight/resolve works in two ways - coming back in when you're behind and fighting to stop the opposition coming back into it.

And can I just add...

The players tried to heap as much of the blame as they could elsewhere last season.

They all came out whining that they were unhappy and tried to abdicate responsibility.

Well one season on and what's your **** excuses this time? You haven't got the manager, or Ellis, or the state of the club to blame anymore!

So Mellberg, JPA, and all of the other whinging bastards - how about you come out and tell us that YOU, once AGAIN, have got us into a MESS.

Admit that you're shit and unfit to wear the shirt. Go on.

At the end of the season, I'd line the **** up on the pitch, in front of the Holte, and I'd make each and everyone of them apologise to the fans.

The players were to blame and are to blame. Two managers can't be wrong. It's as simple as that.

The same.

Similar points, similar league position, we don't win enough, we draw to many.

Players still not defending from corners/picking up runs/making simple passes/positioning themselves correctly/organising themselves.

Players still resorting to hoof ball, making silly errors....I could go on.

Work ethic has changed a little. We now carry on for 90minutes, but this is the least to be expect from well paid, professional footballers. Just an hour and a half of effort each week should be the bare minimum.

We are slightly better at coming back into games, but we seem more likely to allow the opposition back in.

Behind the scenes & in the boardroom - we're MUCH, MUCH (to the power of infinity) better off.

Bent's game is about more than just goals. However, he does score goals, and loads of the f*ckers too.

If we had to go for either Bent or Ashton - it would be Bent for me.

Although I imagine he'd cost a fair bit more than Ashton.

Got it.

General Krulak here:

Bottom Line, Martin did not feel there were any other players out "there" who were AVAILABLE that could help the team. Now we need to get our team in synch with the new players and start getting results!!

3rd post down. I wouldn't lie to you guys (although I wasn't sure if my mate was winding me up or not )

However, a later post on that page says

General Krulak here:

PLEASE don't misunderstand me....MON can certainly continue to operate as we close on the end of the window. My point is simply that he knows what he needs and what is available and will not go throwing money after someone who can't help the team.

It appears that the General posted that after I'd been sent the link above.

From what he's said on here and in his later post, there still might be a chance of a signing

Still woulden't take it as gospal it's very unlike him to make a statement like that . proberly a bluenose posing as our beloved general

It would be good if it was just a Bluenose.

However, I'm reliably informed that it IS the General.

Read back over the thread and you can tell it's him by the way he writes and the words/phrases he uses etc.

MCTW, that is extremely surprising

Absolutely.

Tbh, when my mate emailed me to tell me, I thought he was winding me up.

I suppose there's only a few hours left of the window, we've got a game coming up, so the General came clean and now wants to get us focused on the match.

Got it.

General Krulak here:

Bottom Line, Martin did not feel there were any other players out "there" who were AVAILABLE that could help the team. Now we need to get our team in synch with the new players and start getting results!!

3rd post down. I wouldn't lie to you guys (although I wasn't sure if my mate was winding me up or not )

100% guaranteed that there will be no more signings.

No more signings on top of Maloney or do you not think Maloney will sign either?

Dunno mate, but apparently the General has just said (on another board) that there will be no more signings.

I'm trying to get hold of the link.

100% guaranteed that there will be no more signings.

If we tie up Maloney's deal today, I will be consider that a wonderfully successful transfer window. No complaints if none come in after Maloney.

Won't that just be a pre-contract though? Except for that possibility there seems as though there will be no-one else.

100% guaranteed that there will be no more signings.

I dont think Appiah has ever played for Inter Milan (?).

Regards to judging players on World cup performances - wasn't it in Germany that MON decided that Saviola was cack!?

I suppose not even MON can be right about every player. :winkold:

But he's better than what West Ham already have, therefore they have strengthened their squad, thus they may enhance their league position.

Maybe bardsley will turn out to be better than hughes and then we've done exactly the same.

I still can't believe people are unhappy because lucas neil hasn't come to us, it's lucas neil for gods sake.

Personally, I'm not bothered that he hasn't come to us. He's better than Huges and Bardsley though.

I was just making the point that we can't laugh off each and every signing that others make. IMO it's a good signing by W.Ham and he's added something extra to their defence.

("I can say that we have signed some great defenders, but things can change in a year and I know that Frank Rijkaard is following this (Neill) player very closely," Neeskens (Assistant coach) expressed.)

But he's better than what West Ham already have, therefore they have strengthened their squad, thus they may enhance their league position.

Whether he's good enough for us, Barca or Chelsea is entirely different.

Lucas Neill world class

FFS, he's better than Bardsley for a start.

Now I'm not saying we should have paid over the odds for him, but one of our nearest rivals HAVE. They now have a better defence. They may now concede less goals.

This is worrying for us, can you not see this.

Frank Lampard having a medical seemingly. Haven't seen this anywhere else.

To be fair, that's blatantly not Lampard is it.

The bloke in the picture is a lot slimmer.

Realistic question requiring realistic viewpoints regards signings:

We're a third of the way through the window and we have signed one player (and that is a loan), anyone becoming concerned regards the lack of real transfer market activity given that all we have at present is newspaper speculation?

I think there's a couple of ways of looking at it.

Firstly: These ten days have laid the foundations, and can be considered as solid progress towards a few new signings. Every day that passes is a step closer to another player being signed. I think if you feel like this, then you're happy to sit back, relax, believing that the Sky Sports News ticker is going to explode with Villa related activity.

Or,

You may feel that the first ten days are indicative to how the transfer window will pan out. Managers are finding it hard to buy, clubs aren't willing to sell, and there will be very little movement. Unless a club is willing to be held to ransom, big names are thin on the ground. If you're currently thinking like this then you're probably starting to get a little bit concerned.

I think that, at this stage, either opinion is equally as valid.

Either one can only be a guess though, because nobody really knows what is happening.

The popular opinion not so long ago was that SWP was far too good to come to Villa. Does that make West Ham more attractive?

No it illustrates the London factor that others are quick to dismiss.

No, I think it illustrates that he's non too keen to move house again...............

Because of the London factor that others are quick to dismiss

Seemed to do quite good a season ago.

In your opinion. I was far from impressed.

Eight goals in twenty four starts - two against SHA.

No neither was I really

3-0 loss, sorry.

If this happens, I'll be so pissed off it'll be unbelievable! I reckon I'd actually shit myself with rage.

2-1 Villa.