timharding

Ha ha Richard's done ever so well here. He asked a theoretical question, so before anyone has aneurysm it is possible that we might sign someone of Bents ilk and still have room for Luke. I hope.....

Not saying I necessarily agree, but if that's so, how has he done ever so well? :?

He's sparked a debate over several pages by asking a question that has produced one of the most emotive reactions I've seen on here so far. Thats how he's done well...

Ha ha Richard's done ever so well here. He asked a theoretical question, so before anyone has aneurysm it is possible that we might sign someone of Bents ilk and still have room for Luke. I hope.....

They can **** off.

General forgive my ignorance, but what is your particular remit at Villa Park?

Do you just go round bustin heads?

Luke moore and 7m and I'd still be gutted. I think lukes a 3m player and bent a 10m player love the both of them, would love to have both of them in the same squad. Damn! thats HARD!

Oh true Tim, very true.

I did however, take that statement as that they would try for bigger players....not necessarily get them. This is where my above comments come in, people perhaps might start going off on one when we haven't signed these world stars!

Aye I cant argue with that it is possible that we may aim higher than our capability. We may, but I dont think so. In a world of top players, we'll be able to get one. Then we'll add 1 MAYBE 2 of the petrov ilk. Then maybe a luke young level player and finally I personally think we'll add the likes of cook and naysmith to complement and blend. The issue for me with the naysmith interest is where it leaves luke moore. If we are signing a bigger name striker as we have been linked to do, and we're still interested in naysmith, then I fear for lukes future. Cos i cant believe for a second that our only addition to our forward line this summer will be naysmith.

Jason Koumas, Lee Cook, Naismith - WILL NOT be in a Villa shirt next season and are NOT the kinda players we're looking at. ELLIS and Oleary days are GONE!

Wrong....for this reason.

Koumas, Cook and Naismith are the type of players we want aswell as the big time charlies, good decent British talent that can be really good squad players.

Just because they aint renowned doesnt mean their shite does it

If people think we're going to sign superstar after superstar, then think again!

Its a shame as it results in stupid fans kicking off at the board for what is basically a daft reason!

If MON wanted just Koumas and Cook this summer, then that is that. We're not managing the team he is and he knows what he wants and more about it too!

Jez for once I agree with you in that if these were the only players MON wanted then I'd trust him. However our desire for bigger players is based firmly in the quotes that people from the club have made. We havent blindly walked in gobbing off, we've reacted to comments from the top people in the know. You make out we're claiming where our level is without thought, whereas in fact we've taken our cue from the CEO himself.

WE'RE GONNA SIGN DARREN PURSE!

Ha.

I agree with you Jas re. the top players but I still think MON will maybe be looking at the 'smaller' players to complement them. I with you, it winds me up that just because someone mentions a target that is very ambitious, the sneering 'realistic' brigade sarcasticly claim 'were gonna sign Kaka!' to take the piss.

Well two can play that game.

i remember that Mark Bright made a bigger deal, the knob.

However, I think Micah Richards should be high on Villa's list although I feel Chelsea may get him!

even more unlikely that he will come to us as I believe he comes from a family of Bluenoses ...

His parents are from Leeds. He was only born in Brum cos his parents were visiting relatives. If its his brummie relatives that are blue noses that seems a little distant to affect a career decision.

I think Richards would be great and I don't think he'd turn down Villa if it wasnt for attention of the top 4. Richards aint going to happen (patent of JEZ ) because Chelsea actually need a right back. A lot of names suggested here get shot down cos they're apparently good enough for the top 4 but often the top 4 dont need the particular player. In Richards case they do.

Thats Flores trying to scare ajax in to lowering their price but if there are other bidders he's got no chance

Newcastle are an anomoly. Reading on the other hand are a common occurence and only bolton have ever been able to turn the first good season into a dynasty. For reading look at Sunderland 2001, Ipswich qualifying for europe and then getting relegated. These teams get found out eventually when opposition managers work out how to best play them in the second season. You can get a limited side to work hard be disciplined and over achieve only for so long before you have to add more quality to survive.

Point is, if we do go for top signings, I would rather have a carew/young type who fit into a system rather than a real marquee player for whom we have to adapt a new system, and who does not gel with our overall style of play.

Actually you're spot on there mate, theres no point signing for example Riquelme, cos it wouldnt suit the 4-4-2 system. MON clearly favours wide players with two solid ball players in the middle. In fact up until Chelsea came along, and theres no point considering them in looking at trends, the english champions always played one out and out wide player and one wide player that came inside a bit more, with two solid centres-

Man Utd Giggs-Scholes-Keane-Beckham

Arsenal-Overmars-Petit-Viera-Parlour

Blackburn-Wilcox-Batty-Sherwood-Ripley

If you play a more central flair player you have to sacrifice a winger and play a solid player out wide, and this would ruin the way MON likes to play. Although Sneijder is a flair player he does like to get stuck in which is why I'd like to see us move for him.

Newcastle have lots of big names, reading don't. Look at the league. First and foremost there must be a functioning team. If subsequent signings are prestige players it would be immense, but I would take a team of hardworking professionals over names signed for their own sake. Just because they aren't big names, does not mean they would not improve our first team or give options with regard to team formation. Any random right back from a middling prem. team would be in our first team. And any halfway decent defensive midfielder.

Newcastle are an anomoly. Reading on the other hand are a common occurence and only bolton have ever been able to turn the first good season into a dynasty. For reading look at Sunderland 2001, Ipswich qualifying for europe and then getting relegated. These teams get found out eventually when opposition managers work out how to best play them in the second season. You can get a limited side to work hard be disciplined and over achieve only for so long before you have to add more quality to survive.

He was dropped in October and recalled in Jan, to many supporters suprise as Macho was playing well. Either way he still played the majority of the season.

Well he actually wasn't

Sunderland goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen will be out of action until the new year after dislocating his elbow in yesterday's 3-1 defeat at Arsenal.

Link

He played in 21 league games that season, going off injured in two of them. Those injuries being the ones that kept him out for the other games.

Aye fair enough I'll concede there. I was looking everywhere for an article and could only find a story on him being dropped. I still feel the same regarding foster tho.

The point being, Sorensen was in the bottom team at sunderland

He spent an awful lot of that season out injured. Many people thought that him being out was the reason that they became so bad.

Not injured, dropped.

Not dropped, injured.

With a variety of knee and elbow injuries.

He was dropped in October and recalled in Jan, to many supporters suprise as Macho was playing well. Either way he still played the majority of the season.

i like the idea of going to games as claret and blue 'uncle sam'

The point being, Sorensen was in the bottom team at sunderland

He spent an awful lot of that season out injured. Many people thought that him being out was the reason that they became so bad.

Not injured, dropped.

General Krulak here:

4. During the previous transfer window, I received hundreds of questions re. who? what? when? and where? I tried to be very clear that this was strictly between MON and Randy....that no one else is involved. ... For me to even BEGIN to pass information on this site or any other would NOT be right or proper. Sooooo....this is one type of question that I am not going to answer.

We respect your position General, I cant imagine anyone actually expected you to give anything away with regard to our transfer strategy.

Public Service Announcement - Any questions/comments on who? what? where? when?etc for transfers will be deleted by the mods, now. So please respect the General's answer. Thanks. Blandy

.

But it could also be a catastrophical buy if he doesn't develop. that's the thing with youngsters. You never know. Especailly goalkeepers. They rely very much on confidence and if that gets down in a young age they can find it hard to get back again.

And the one who compared Villa to Watford this season. Watford is a crap team, Villa has been a bad team. Sörensen played a big part in the team who finished 6th a couple of years ago. That wasn't crap, was it?

I never compared Villa and Watford, I compared Sunderland and Watford and then pointed out how Villa was a poor team in which Sorensen had reached his level. And all this was only in response to the claim that any keeper, in this case foster, would be praised when playing for the bottom team as they are busier. The point being, Sorensen was in the bottom team at sunderland, and he didnt get anything like the reviews Foster has being getting. Plus the comment you make about if he didnt fulfil his potential he'd be a terrible signing? To an extent true, but i think you've missed our point. We dont think Foster is better because of his potential. To my mind he is already better, and then he's got his potential as well.

One World Cup doesn't make a player? Look at Alpay, Emre etc.. I want a signing too but it needs to be the right one.

Alpay was a class defender for us! he was sacked because of his antics against England and because he was nuts. Emre is a class act but has had a lot of injury problems and played for a very poor manager who didn't use him correctly.

Alpay was far from class. At first he looked decent, then he looked TERRIBLE. B'ham away?

I admit this is a poor example but im at work so cant type for long periods at a time.....If Sorenson had a great game but then made 1 mistake it would cost us the game. If Foster had a great game and made 1 mistake he would be still man of the match because they lost 4-0 anyway.

Do you see my point?

Thanks for helping me explain a bit. And as someone else said, it's easier to be a good keeper in a bad team when you have to make saves upon saves. You're kept warm. But true good keepers save their team in a game when he's had almost nothing to do and a chanse comes out of nothing. Like Sörensen against Liverpool at VP. And to a bit against Watford and Sheff Utd if IIRC. Not tha last game against sheff, though.

And it is not opinions it's just pure bull to say that an unproven goalkeeper from Watford is superior than a proven national player from Denmark who's been called one of the best in the world by someone like Buffon. That just ain't right. It's like saying I'm better than Ronaldinho. It's simply just not true, not about opinions.

Hello? Sorensen has always been a keeper in a poor team! Sorry but for a long time Villa have been crap. Not as crap as some but, well, crap. And before that Sorensen played for Sunderland. Crap. The fact that he signed for villa after being relegated for 2.5m and we had no real challengers for his signature says it all. You can compare foster and sorensen because when sorensen has played for relegation threatened team he hasn't put anything like the performances that foster has. So not bull at all pal.

I admit this is a poor example but im at work so cant type for long periods at a time.....If Sorenson had a great game but then made 1 mistake it would cost us the game. If Foster had a great game and made 1 mistake he would be still man of the match because they lost 4-0 anyway.

Do you see my point?

Very very true, but my concern is not with Tommy's mistakes, its his lack of authority in the area. Great shot stopper, doesnt take enough crosses doesn't command the box at set pieces, and as we all know set pieces were our bete boir last year.

Much, much better than sorensen. And if sorensen goes the calibre of clubs that come for him will prove it. Foster is a crackin keeper, and he'll only get better. Future England No1 and I dont think Sorensen would get anywhere near the england team if he was english.