villabromsgrove

I totally agree.

3 - £16.666 million recurring!

After 288 pages of speculation about dozens of possible targets, shouldn't we reconsider Richard Fitzgeralds comment about "Top Class Signings." What did he mean, and how would you define top class in terms of Champions league aspirations, which was the context in which the comment was made.

He isn't good enough. Made his name in one decent season at Pompey and now is a rich nobody ...and he seems to be a arrogant little prat. First Nzogbia is an "arrogant little prick", and now Yakubu is apparently a "arrogant little prat", how the feck do you know exactly? :roll: , i'd personally rather focus on what they do on the pitch instead of sticking my nose in where it doesn't belong. As for Defoe, these rumours are getting very strong now, i'd be surprised if we didn't sign him tbh!!, and i'd also be surprised if Petrov got dropped from central midfield, if we biy quality midfielder i think Barry will move back to the left. Barry is starting to look the real deal in centre midfield and I would be sorry to see him move back again to the left. Surely the best option is to sign a top class pacy left winger to match Young on the right.

Wouldn't that be a huge role reversal with Middlesborough players leaving the Riverside for Villa and stating that they wanted to go to a more ambitious club as the reason for leaving!

I totally agree Tom, and Viduka is high up on my list of strikers to join Villa.

Why sarcastic? I was always a fan of Crouch and I would welcome him back with open arms.

He's got a hypothetical broken leg!

Hypothetically what happens if Carew breaks a leg first week of september and our striker options are Defoe, Agbonlahor, Moore, Ashley Young and Maloney? Then thats who we play. duh Who is the number 9, who is going to hold the ball up and provide the knock downs that will allow our tricky quickies to flourish?

Hypothetically what happens if Carew breaks a leg first week of september and our striker options are Defoe, Agbonlahor, Moore, Ashley Young and Maloney?

Most teams that play 4-4-2 don't have a designated holding player. I watched Gardner & Barry very closely in the last two games & both of them switched between defence & attack at will depending on where the other one was, much like the way Sidwell & Harper did for Reading. Gardner, Barry & Petrov have attacking & defensive qualities, unlike McCann & Davis who have either one or the other. You're right Fernando Sidwell and Harper were key to Readings good season, and the instinctive positional play (revolving triangle) of Barry, Petrov and Gardner was very encouraging when they played together.

I hope we don't sign Defoe as I think that he duplicates what we already have. I would rather we sign a quality number 9 who could give Carew some competition and cover.

I don't think he has been anywhere - ANYWHERE - near as bad as some people have made out. But he has work to do if he is going to be up to standard next season; and although he went some way to doing that once partnered with Barry, if he is to be replaced, so be it. That said, it should just be more about a case of competition, and no-oneshould be 'replaced' in my vision of Villa, unless they are leaving the club. What we need, IMO, is competition for places over the entire park, whether it be Petrov, Sorenson, Mellberg, Carew or even Captain Barry - no-one in the team should be in the comfort zone that too many of our payers have in recent years. Absolutely right, and I'm sure that is exactly what Mon will achieve.

Nice one!

That's not my point Rocafella, if we can sign the likes of Wesley Sneijder and Sidwell etc then we should do because we need a talented squad that will not let us down from november to january when injuries start to take there toll. Equally because the parnership of Laursen and Mellberg is looking good it shouldn't stop us from signing a class centre back. What I am saying about the likes of Gardner is that we shouldn't be afraid to promote really talented young players if they continue to show top form and ability. As to your comment "we only finished 11th mind," was it a coincidence that we went on a run which topped the premiership form league and dispelled relegation worries with the return from injury of players like Laursen and Gardner?

He probably isn't, no. There was probably a bit of hyperbole on the part of the original poster in my opinion. But then again, what was Gerrard doing for Liverpool at age 20, in his breakthrough season? If memory serves he played a couple of dozen games, scoring once. Gardner seems to be following a similar career trajectory so far. I know I'm a bit of a Gardner groupie but Craig said the other day that Barry had a word with him about taking a chance on making runs to feed off Carews flick ons, and if you watch the match tapes back he looks just like a young Gerrard in the way he makes those clever marauding runs into the box, and then he demonstrated Lampards ability to hit a sweet volley. If you look at the header that Carew glanced wide not only did Gardner start the move but he then ran twenty yards knocking a Bolton player flat on the way to arrive and fling himself perfectly at a cross that Carew got the skin of his forehead to. ml1dch, you're probably right about the hyperbole, but this guy is a quick learner with all the equipment to go all the way, imo long term injury is the only thing that could stop him.

How good is Bent after the ravages of last season? Hypothetically if you offered Martin Jol a choice between Bent or Agbonlahor as a done deal who would he choose?

He changed his name to Milan Baros and after his big move to Chelski fell through he took himself off to Lyon!

When you do Lancs it always helps if you start your rumour by saying "my dad is a football agent" it fools me every time!

Having seen 6 of his last 7 games live i agree totally with this. A real star in the making. And I don't disagree at all. My thoughts about him is to learn his trade this season and really push for it the next season. Maybe not the right way to go, but those were my thoughts. I'd really come to like him too and he's shown more and more of being a new Sid for us. Guess I'm alone in thinking that, but still. I can see where you are coming from Pelle and if Craig was any other twenty year old I would totally agree with you. I have been fortunate to watch Gardner through his reserve career and I can tell you that he has the maturity of a thirty year old in a twenty year old body. I think it was "out by easter" who coined the nickname "Crash Gardner" after one particular display which contained blood and guts tackling and attacking crunching headers at set pieces which I have only seen from the likes of Micah Richards. I was at that game and I can tell you that opposition players were obviously avoiding him before we had reached half time! Lampard and Gerrard will be looking over the shoulders of their England shirts in a couple of years time.

Bruce must love championship football, Bramble comes with a "relegation or your money back guarantee!"

Pelle, commiserations from another insomniac. The thoughts that ramble through my mind in the middle of the night tend to be unprintable, or if they are about Villa they don't make a lot of sense. Your thoughts however make reasonable sense and a good basis for discussion. My one major disagreement is over your view of Craig Gardner, imo he is going to be the next big icon at VP. He has loads of technical ability and the heart and soul of an Ian Taylor (that was one of my "three in the morning" ramblings.)

Well, they are all as good as signed aint they This is a rumours, speculation and suggestions thread sheriff, and the diversity of names and abilities covers a broad range of targets that should satisfy both the pessimists and optimists amongst us, it certainly made me smile. The lad who posted all these rumours is certainly not afraid to speculate, fair play to him.

Opinions on Dejan Stankovic of Inter Milan as a target anyone? http://www.football-rumours.co.uk/

Totally agree & generally the same posters to. Really who might that be then? No point scoring going on here, just having a laugh hence smilies! If disagreeing with the norm and suggesting Villa wont do something is point scoring might as well card everyone! Come on Jez let's have some positive posting! Villa are a team with ambition and considerable financial clout, we are also fortunate to have a charismatic manager. To quote MON (slightly out of context) "that's the dream , why shouldn't we try."