TheTransferWindow

Coyle has done well on a small budget at Bolton, but there's little to say he could manage a much larger squad and wisely spend Randy's millions.

Everyone has a price, and I would think Downing's would be abnormally high considering the circumstances. If someone wants to pay it, take the money and reinvest it. He had a nice season but is not exactly irreplaceable. That said, the new manager should be making these decisions.

Fox Soccer Channel had the Friedel to Spurs thing last week as their 'exclusive'. Their nightly news programme starts at 9pm here in Chicago which is 3am in UK. I'm assuming any news will show up on that.

I hope you're watching then mjames and keep us all posted!!!

I have it on, nothing so far. :|

American news source?

In regards to villa's mangerial status?

Whats Michael Bradley's dad up to these days?

Preparing for the first Gold Cup game against Canada tomorrow.

http://yfrog.com/h0ydxxtj

http://yfrog.com/h3q9kvxkj

Someone has stuck a sign outside BMH 'NO TO STEVE MCCLAREN' it says.

Quoted again..

What does it even say? NO (CARLO) MCLAREN OR WE WONT RENA"

Ancelotti hasn't really had out and out wingers in his time at Chelsea.

What is his record like with wingers before Chelsea?

He didn't use them at Milan either...they played a narrow midfield with wingbacks providing all the width.

He is struggling out there

And he's been our best defender. I think he might be the only defender that keeps his spot for the next game.

Moyes has not had a lot of money to spend. They have averaged 3m net spend since 2006. He has spend big on a couple of players but only because they sold a lot. He has done a lot of free transfers, loans and low fee players that have turned out very well. Compare how much we've spent since Lerner took over to what Moyes has done in the same time.

Transfer Net Spend Table

I'm sure Downing's agent took an offer from Villa, shopped it around and found a club or clubs willing to better it. Now Downing suddenly changes his tune.

Bradley has done pretty well...I think that was his first misplaced pass in the 44th minute.(that sounds wrong, I mean of the game, not of the 44th minute )

Demba Ba's been firing parting shots at Hoffenheim, accusing them of "ruining his reputation in the Bundesliga". Contender for bargain of January, if not the season perhaps?

German papers reckon Marco Reus will be off for around £10m to one of Man Utd, Hamburg or Dortmund if/when 'Gladbach go down with *drum roll* Patrick Ebert coming in as the underwhelming replacement.

At least we won't get screwed on the fee like we did with that cock-jockey Marin though.

Reus is a Dortmund fan who Dortmund let go from their academy because they thought he was too small. Whoops. I wonder if he'd go back...

Michael Bradley will meet fans at the family fun day from 1.45pm this afternoon in the indoor academy. Don't miss it - it's already started!

— Aston Villa FC (@AVFCOfficial)

February 5, 2011

does this mean Bradley isn't playing?(couldn't make that a short link for some reason)

Michael Bradley will meet fans at the family fun day from 1.45pm this afternoon in the indoor academy. Don't miss it - it's already started!

85/94 passes. Name the last Villa player to a) make as many as that, have a better percentage than that on a game.

I don't think Sidwell completed that many passes in his entire Villa career.

Well, I didn't have the chance to comment up to this point and as this discussion is now on its 102nd page I will say only that - Bent is a good footballer. Still, splashing 18 or 24 Million on him is sheer stupidity. This is silly money that could be much better spent on great footballers who are not English and cost less. van der Vaart is the best lesson - Spurs got him for 8!

We could have bought a prolific goalscorer such as Miroslav Klose for about 3 or 4, for instance. We keep on looking for English players who cost way over their real value. With 18 Million we could have bought, I guess, the two leading strikers of Villarreal. I hate this!

Putting aside the fact that Nilmar and Rossi would cost way more than 18m, how can you be sure that they or Klose would come to Villa? You could possibly agree on a fee with the clubs of some top strikers, but convincing them to leave their good situations to battle relegation is another thing. IMO, Bent is probably the best goalscorer we could hope for in the current circumstances.

http://www.smallheathalliance.com/read.php?1,392398,page=1

'its not fair because....because.... they are better than us and he wouldnt want to play for us'

Have to admit, this made me laugh:

"What a strikeforce Villa will have. Young and Bent. Just like their fans."

Don't forget Cummings :shock:

Is there anyone who understands why Houlier plays Gabby on the left and Downing in the hole? Its bizzare

Gabby always ends up on the left anyway. That's the problem with playing him up front alone or as the main striker, I'm not sure he would work with Delfouneso up front. Gabby should have scored in the first minute, then Houllier would have been a genius.

I thought NRC was much better than Petrov...his passing was actually decisive...Petrov wasn't having any impact and his passes were all square.

Walker looks like a real attacking fullback. He had some shaky moments defensively, so I don't know how he'll do against the better teams in the Premier League, but he'll be a weapon at home when we need to find a way to break down teams.

Walker has looked good going forward, but shaky at times defensively.

Friedel was kind of known for saving penalties at Blackburn, then he saved one in his very first game(preseason friendly though) for Villa against Reading. I don't think he's saved one since.

I wonder if Lichaj could be going on loan to another FA cup side? Otherwise he is reeeally being taught a harsh lesson for that Man City game. Gets criticized, dropped to the bench, 20 year old replacement brought in on loan, then completely dropped from the team.

Clark is the only defender that can pass, the others just invite the pressure with their hurried clearances and inaccurate hoofs.

Then again, Clark did have a highly composed giveaway in the first half.

Lichaj signed as an almost 19 year old amateur with a broken leg a little over 3 years ago. He had to rehab his injury plus learn a lot of the basics and just how to be a professional. For him to now be going up against the Sky Sports Greatest Left Winger in the History of the World and keeping him mostly quiet is a pretty good story. The coaching staff deserves a lot of credit for developing him to this point.

They are really going at Lichaj every chance they can...he has held up well and has gotten help from Cuellar/Albrighton et al.

2 votes that is ridiculous! That for the motherland of football hey Sepp?

Sepp would say China is the motherland of football.