thabucks

7 hours ago, briny_ear said:

I think it was her job (if indeed she has left) to help the players settle in to their new surroundings, get decent housing arrangements, learn the language better if necessary and so on. I guess the Bernstein review was about the failure to integrate them into the team as effective players. Don't see how anyone coud blame the Player Liaison Officer for that. There is a job called manager where that responsibility lies.

Tom Fox from the supporters rust AGM

Quote

He made the surprising admission that not enough of the 13 players signed in the summer – at a net cost of £23million he said – were integrated into the club successfully.

'Where my team and I failed was to integrate those players into the country effectively,' Fox said. 'Seven players who came into the team were from a different country and we didn't execute that as well as we should have.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3410965/Aston-Villa-supporters-voice-fury-board-chief-executive-Tom-Fox-admits-struggling-buy-players-January.html

Thst suggests to me the player liaison officer failed at there basic remit. 

I'd rather have him than Richards and tin hat time (this is just my personal opinion) Clark in the squad. I'd like lescott gone but could see the merit in keeping him for one more season. I'd be happy with baker & Crespo as back up to Okore, Toner &? I'll doubt he'll stay though 

3 hours ago, Hev said:

Can't see anywhere else that this has been posted and not sure if this is the right place, but I believe that Lorna McClelland the Players Liaison Officer has left - has she been made redundant too - that's just awful - surely the foreign players NEED someone like her - she was a leading light in the Premier League and organised some sort of Committee for staff at other clubs in same job.  This is not good I don't think - are they replacing her or maybe Championship Clubs don't have them !

Tom Fox said the club failed to integrate last seasons foreign signings well enough and not  offered them enough support, Sic.  So maybe she is carrying the can for that after kings/Bernsteins review. If it's true (and I'm just speculating) I'm glad she is going as she failed at her main duty. 

I can see us being linked to Michael Hector. Clarke knows him from Reading & can't see him getting (m)any minutes at Che$ki next season. 

5 minutes ago, Junxs said:

Whilst I agree with you, I don't think spending 8m on one unproven player (4 starts in the prem?) is the way to go.. thats the kind of signing that put us in this mess in the first place.

I don't mind spending 8m on a proven player at this level though.

Completely agree. I just asked the question in the first instance about how good Pritchard was as I saw he may be available then used him as an example of a player who could add balance to our shit midfield. I don't know enough about him to advocate spending that amount specifically on him tbh. But I can see us spending that amount on a player or two if Dr X really means business. We can't stay down there too long. 

16 minutes ago, OLDVILLAIN said:

8m for one midfielder is madness for the championship...

Why? If the money's there through Dr X plus sales why not? Do you want us to stay in the championship ? Us and Newcastle easily will have the biggest budgets in the league and we should act accordingly. I'm not advocating wreckless spending beyond our means but if the money's there let's spend it. 

34 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

I'd be very surprised if we spend £8m on a midfielder given we're in the Championship and that's one of the areas we actually have quite a lot of players in.

Obviously if we sell all of our players then maybe.

I disagree £8mill out of a potential £50mill still leaves a good amount to play with. Plus our midfield is unbalanced and frankly shit. Veretout Gana Prit hard Grealish Traore is a strong & balanced midfield on paper. (Obviously we won't keep all of those just highlighting how one signing could make a difference to the balance of the team) 

Anyone know if Alex Pritchard would be worth a punt? Never seen him play just saw he is to be sold by Spurs this summer. 

Quote

Tottenham are prepared to sell Alex Pritchard this summer and are asking for a fee in the region of £8m, according to Sky sources. 

It is understood that two Premier League clubs have shown interest in the attacker, while a host of Championship clubs would be keen to sign the 23-year-old.

 http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11675/10300265/alex-pritchard-looks-set-for-tottenham-exit

Also Tom Carroll is on a free ( we'll sort of) and so is Nick Powell. x3 young English players with great potential that could maybe add much needed creativity to our squad. 

Any posters still reckon we should sell him for £5million  

Click bait (hopefully) 

Just now, VillaChris said:

Roofe and Liam Sercombe going anywhere? Think Oxford will do very well in league one next season if they hang onto key players, not as good as Burton did but could be outsiders for play offs. 

I think a few clubs in the lower prem were watching Roofe ( including us) but I think interest has cooled, not close enough up the chain to know the exact in's and outs tbh. Sercombe I don't think personally is good enough to make the leap. One player we had that impressed me was the young lad jonjoe kenny from Everton, very talented FB. I'd like us to get O'Dowda as a cheap squad option as he has great potential, and from what I'm told a great work ethic. 

9 minutes ago, Bunnski said:

Nice, I read an article that said Derby were set to sign him for £1m last January but it broke down due to his £10k p/w wage demands. 

Yeah that's sort of true, he didn't really wanna go mid season tbh. I don't know if that was the exact figure. I've asked him if he would join us given the state we were in and he said straight away of course. Bowery has put in a good word about the club and us fans. We were also monitoring Roofe, but I think all interest in him has cooled from what I can tell, ( I work for OUFC btw) 

6 minutes ago, Bunnski said:

Callum O'Dowda and Wes Hoolahan.  Never heard of O'Dowda before tonight but he looks a good player after checking him out.  Get him in along with Wes.  

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ4efYywJ4s

 

^ Link to a youtube video of O'Dowda, don't how to make it embed from ps4 browser.

We've been watching O'Dowda  and have asked to be kept in formed!!!! Good lad who'd jump at the chance to join us. ( his exact words! ) 

Can't stand him and want him gone ASAP. Saying that though if we can't sell him or whomever the manager is, deems him vital to our promotion bid I'll begrudgingly wipe the slate clean and get right behind him (well at least till Xmas). The atmosphere (rightly so at times) has been so toxic at Villa Park, the club need the fans to be 100% behind the team. IMO this is year zero and start hopefully of a new era. Still thinks he shit though 

Long shot I realise but I wonder if we could get Matt Ryan on loan. Hasn't played much since joining Valencia, highly rated at Brugge, maybe Bozzie could put a word in for us. 

People questioning di matteo's credentials should have a look at Ranieri's record pre Leicester. 

10 minutes ago, TRO said:

yes ......the standout candidate.

Will you go on about how we should of got Pearson if we lose and derby win? Is this something you will go on about for the next year ? 

I think Pearson is a massive prick and I'm glad he won't be near us, that said if he had (unfortunately) ended up here I would of got behind him 100% like I have with all villa managers. 

1 minute ago, PieFacE said:

I think he should just stay away from the press now and do is talking with how he runs the club.  The more he gives to the media,  the more questions they will have.  

What you mean like Learner did?? Ok ?! 

Giggs/Neville-Dwight dream team ?  

Anything to create a debate other than is Pearson a prick (yes!) or not. 

Makes sense as Naming rights deals are means tested against other deals within the league. As as we are not a prem team anymore DR X couldn't just get one of his companies to sponsor us for say £5-£10 mill per season to circumnavigate FFP or whatever it's called down there. Derby get £700'00 per season from ipro for example. Best wait to we are an established top half prem team before considering selling our history. 

Phil Neville ? 

Thought id chuck that grenade out there. 

We are waiting on butt-heads future to be decided before Jose gives us his decision . He fancies building something from scratch for a change !