1977

The championship is a much tougher league than a lot of tin pot leagues in Europe

Exactamundo

Are you trying to tell me that Spurs did not buy players from the Championship?

Oh god. If we have got to wait two weeks, how many more pages of people arguing about Koumas will we have to put up with. Its all rather simple. If MON wants him and he decides he wants us then we will buy him. Then he will be a Villa player and should receive the same welcome that Carew,Young etc received.

I rate Koumas. Every time I see him he impresses me. He has good vision and a great dribbler.Not bad at the odd spectacular free kick too. If MON was to sign Koumas and NRC that would improve our midfield options. A defensive minded hard tackler with lots of energy and a creative match winner. People have to realize that the top of the Championship is not that much different to where we have been the last few years.

Ok sparky, heres the deal. Out : Samuel (free), Hendrie (free), DJDJ (0.5 M), Davis (4 M), Ridgewell (2M), McCann (1M), Sutton (released). Hughes may stay as cover.Delaney offered pay as you play.Olly and Luke to be offered new contracts.Sorensen offered short term deal to fight for his place. I know others have left but not really affecting first team squad. In : Gordon (6M), Finnan (2M), Ben Haim (free), Reo Coker (8M), Sneijder (10M), Fred (9M). Money out 35M money in 7.5M Net spend 27.5M Squad : Gordon, Sorensen, Taylor. Defence : Finnan, Mellberg, Laursen, Ben Haim, Cahill, Bouma, Hughes, Delaney, O'Halloran. Midfield : Young, Petrov, Reo Coker, Sneijder, Barry, Berger, Gardner, Maloney, Osbourne. Strikers : Carew, Fred, Agbonglahor, Moore. There you go, a well balanced first team squad. With plenty of youth and experience. Also plenty of players who can cover many positions and would keep a strong first eleven who ever was in. A feasonable amount of money spent with feasonable exciting and steady new playesr purchased. Europe, here we come!

Harry Kewell (If not too expensive) is worth a punt. Agree with BOF, we do not have an out and out left winger. Yes Barry, Maloney, Berger or even Young can play there but Kewell is a "left footed, left winger". He has had many injury problems but that does not make him a crap player. I am so sick and tired of fans thinking that we are the dogs bollocks and should not be after Kewell, Bellamy, Taylor etc. Who do you actually think we are YET. I'm sure that MON will sign various types of player this summer. Maybe a shock big name, an overseas unknown and some reliable, good quality players to improve our team. We are going in the right direction but we have to get there first.

Those West Ham chaps seem a pleasant buch. Makes me laugh. They give him so much stick its untrue and when we winds the game for them against Man U and cups an ear, they want to kill him and his family. What I've seen of him he looks very imressive. He can't wait to get away and play in the real claret and blue shirt.

By the way, to all of the panic merchants. We got Stan Collymore the very first day after the season ended. No futher comment required on that one. There is no race for signings. There are often complicated reasons why certain players are not available until a certain time. MON has his list and I'm sure he has a "B" list too. When he wants someone who is available he will buy them.

Agree Richard

If the rumours are that Taylor wants to play for a club closer to home.If MON really wants him. Then reckon this is as close to a transfer deal that we have seen for far. I would be very happy with this. Geography can play as big a part in a transfer as wages etc. As well as Barry, Taylor has been crying out for and England call up and gives could give us a lot of versatility on the left. Sign him up.

I also do not like Bellamy but MON does. I think that MON wants four strikers at the club. I think he will keep Luke. MON seems to think that Gabby can either partner Carew or be his substitute. Bellamy's running into the channels is outstanding. He is a very hard working player, who wants to be a winner. He can play very well on either side of a front three or support the target man.He is a very good goal scorer. I think he is much more of a team player than the likes of Defoe. Having said that I like Defoe too.

I am so sure that we are going to get Bellamy. Anyone who thinks he is not good enough for Villa is wrong. If you are worried about his behaviour then fair enough but do not doubt his talent. He would fit into our team perfectly. MON loves him. Better get used to the idea because I think he will be in a Villa shirt next season.

There is an eerie silence in this thread. Somethings not right! Patience for gods sake. Everyone was having a fit in January and that worker out ok didn't it

We are going to get Bellamy anyway. It makes sense. MON, throughout his time as a manager takes previous players to his new club. We have seen this at Villa already. Bellamy(apart from being an annoying arsehole) has scored goals wherever he has gone. He is very fast and also very powerful for a little guy. He has experience in Europe and will be available due to a striker cull at Liverpool. He also can play on either side of a front three very well indeed. Last but not least......Loads of pace which MON loves. Trust me, like it or not, we will get Bellamy.

I'd like to think that if Luke went to the Championship, he would score loads. But his brother didn't. Stephan was rated by a lot of people and he has struggled big time at QPR. In my opinion Luke is a better player than his brother. But sometimes the fact that young players are our "own" clouds our judgement to how good they are.

In all seriousness, can't we get rid of that image of Doug. Surely one of the computer bods can put a fitting picture of Randy there instead. Thank you.

You ARE impatient. We do not need intent. We just need the signings MON wants. The season only finished nine days ago.

I'm 100% sure that we could outbid Valencia. But we can't offer Champions League football (yet) and he just might want to go to Spain. Still it's a nice thought knowing that the weight of the premiership and the weight of Randys wallet will come to good use

I agree Jas. Robbie Fowler WAS a great goalscorer, but that was in the past. Viduka, now thats a different kettle of fish.

I would be happy if we got Defoe but you do all know that he is not a team player dont you? Not quite a headless chicken like Baros but just as selfish. If MON can teach him how to bring other people into play then he will be fine (If we get him). He certainly does know where the back of the net is.

I think that a lot of people are expecting a complete overhaul of the squad, but MON has stated this won't be the case. I expect approx. four or five go and bring in the same amount. GK, CB,RB,CM and CF in. We have enough cover elsewhere. If we bring in better players than we already have in the five positions above then that will be good progress for the summer and the season to come.

We are becoming a bit obsessed with Spurs here. They might end up selling Berbatov and keep both Keane and Defoe for all we know. Don't get me wrong Defoe,Keane etc. I would be happy with either of them but there are other teams who may sell strikers. What happened to the Bellamy rumour anyway. Also wasn't it Gladston Spur who insisted that Ashley Young was going to Spurs and not Villa.

I know thant Randy is a rich man with a lot of ambition, but you do not get where we want to go overnight. Some of the suggestions on here are unbelievable. I think we will buy four or five players of similar standard to the ones MON has already bought and try go move into the Everton and Spurs group for now. Some of the world class names would not be interested until Champ.League football is obtained.

I find it slightly worrying that teams like Chelsea are interested in Sidwell. It makes you realise that the standard of players we want to buy might be a lot more difficult to obtain than some would imagine.