dn1982

Two 5M players? Sorry but after three years of underinvestment in the team to think that two 5M players is all we need is basically a tad naive. What does 5M get you in this division? Not much and when relegated teams are spending way in excess of that just trying to survive it shows that 5M these days just doesnt cut it. I'm afraid that's the nature of the game we are in. We have a squad of players that is around 17th in this league to top 8 in the next division down in terms of quality in my opinion and two 5m players will not rescue that. We need major investment and major overhaul of the playing squad and two 5M players is tantamount to getting an elastaplast and trying to fix a bullet wound. How come we wasn't relegated last season then? Saying our squad is of a certain standard is a load of crap as we have a young squad that will develop. I haven't said get better but develop! Fulham had a squad of old pros who were crap that's one reason they went down. Our form in 2013 was top 8/10 unfortunately either side of that we were awful. We needed exp that has been rectified now we a couple of players of real quality to add to it. As pointed out they are out there and every time Lambert has spent more than a couple of million he has found them. If he has £20m for 3 players I'd be very happy for him to end it but spending £20m on 5/6 is what's put us where we are.

He's a perfectionist with extremely high standards, if things aren't done properly or optimally he will speak his mind, he was kicked out of the Ireland world cup squad for precisely that. I think a clash with Lambert will be inevitable because we hardly play football properly or do things optimally on the pitch. He's a very strong personality and doesn't pull his punches, arguably too strong a personality to be a number 2. Keane player under an extremely volatile manager in Fergie for year and was his captain. They fell out right at the end of a successful career together just as Keane was on decline. Keane then had a varied managerial career with both success and failure. People keep saying that he's liable to a blow up but in his career how many has there been? HE walked away from Ireland as he saw it as an unprofessional set up maybe he can be stubborn but it's because he has such high standards and demands that of those around him. I think as a manager that can be detrimental unless at the very highest level and I think a few top ex pros have found that out. At Villa though he is a coach and if his high standards get more from our group of players we will benefit enourmously from that. He may blow up but seeing as it doesn't seem to be as regular as people make out I think we will be fine!

I can't see us buying anybody unless we move people out. We must be getting close to the 25 man limit and with the reintroduction of the bomb squad we won't let them be around without using them like before. If and it's a big if all the players play to their potential we will be fine but I'd still like 2 more new faces at least to freshen things up. Anybody got an idea on our current squad size?

Gardner seems to be excited about it. It seems there's only Fergie and some Villa fans who think Keane is some sort of bully! Every article I've seen by players past and present and now today Ciaran Clark and Oneill say he's been brilliant to work with. Hopefully that will reassure the fans that need it and give him time to prove his worth.

This is basically my thinking. Most management teams consist of different characters so that they tick all the boxes. One thing missing last year was letting the players know it wasn't good enough I now you can't berate players in public all the time but now and again it's needed. Keane sets high standards and will be asking questions of the players on a daily basis I think that is something that slipped last year badly a few of the players need a kick up the arse. Weimann and Gabby just for starters!

This approach works for some, though I fear it to be the exception rather than the rule. There is no doubt he drilled people hard and wanted the best the whole time but in our dressing room I feel he is going to alienate more people than he drives to success. Yet the person he knows him and knows our dressing room clearly thinks otherwise. If one of the best players the premier league who has won the lot gives you a bollocking I think you can accept it as he knows what needs to be done to be a winner. We have a talented squad that badly underperformed last year and if the players can't learn from Keane then that says more about the player than the coach. I'm sure Delph Westwood Gardner etc would relish working with a true great and I'm sure he'll put the shits up Faulkner with that stare and he'll be begging Lerner to release some more funds!!

Its an emotive word sure but if you consider that the life blood of a club should be to produce the best team/results it can and to try and compete and achieve the best that it can it fits. Every season we get further and further away from being a competitive club thanks to Lerner, so no the club isn't going to stop existing because of him but in terms of it being a club run as anything other than a business, that has been dying for 4 years or so. Its all about our financial position and has been for years now, that isn't football its business and Lerner isn't even good at that. Our average crowds and ST numbers are about the same. I think last year the average went up so we aren't dying and it would only take 2/3 players of quality to for us to be easily pushing top 10. Lerner has realised that he hasn't got the means to get us where he wants so is looking for a buyer as we all know. When he was spending loads was there any complaints? The only mistake I think he has made which he is solely to blame for is McLeish. Other than that he has tried to do his best for the club unfortunately in trying to get success it's ended in failure but what would you rather have? Mid table mediocrity or an owner that wants to succeed? At the minute most would be happy with mid table but long term we all want success so hopefully Lerner will sell to the right owner and pass on his experience so we don't go down the same path but once he's gone I'll remember that he was here for 8 years and not 4.

We need a number 2 and in the current state I think Roy Keane is the best we could hope for. I'm not sure on his coaching ability but his will to win alone will be beneficial. He sets high standards maybe too high at times but better that than settle for mediocrity. It puzzles me when people dismiss his appointment without giving any reasons. Good luck Roy I hope it's a long appointment.

Wasn't something said that the potential new owners had bought a New York area based team previously? Harris and Blitzer bought the New Jersey Devils last year I think maybe the info we had weeks ago was true. Was it Kwan who said it then deleted it? I'm sure someone will have a better memory than me or I've just had a vivid dream!

Overseas markets? The US is overseas! I'm sure Randy isn't that bothered of the nationality of the new owners just they can match his asking price. Seeing as BOA and Keith Harris are apparently trying to find new owners I'm sure there's been interest and not all of those are passed on to Randy as all,he wants to know is concrete offers not speculation like us. Hopefully we have a couple of serious bidders and we will pick the best one for us long term.

If we get off to a good start Lambert will be fine fans just want a successful team so a couple of wins and some good performances and this season will be forgotten but it'll need to be sustained or fans will turn very quickly. He'll either be gone by November or here for a few years yet.

It sounds like they look for the right investment. They clearly have a lot of money so I don't think we can read much into their approach of Charlton and possible purchase of us. I'm not questioning their approach just whether the journalists are making it up It does strike me theres a bit of pattern emerging......just when all and sundry are saying no deal imminent ......then up pops another link......................whose pulling the strings here??? Neil Moxley is a villa fan so I doubt he'd make stuff up as I'm sure he wants us to be bought by a good owner aswell.

I think Darkest hour is extreme as we have been in a lot worse places and came back. The difference being though is social media tends fan even the smallest flame into an inferno. This time last year I was confident of a good season it didn't pan out the way I expected but I can still see us being ok next season even if we don't add anymore players. Last season we had a number of injuries to crucial players and we collapsed at the end and I doubt this will happen again and hopefully lessons learnt will benefit all at the club. I think Lerner will free up some money if it doesn't look like getting sold before the end of the window to protect his investment. There may not be light at the end of the tunnel but it's not the darkest hour by a long shot.

.

Just what we need, more players that can 'do a job' Yeah it really is. Because a lot of our current squad can't do their job as it stands, can they? we've got barely anything other than players that 'can do a job' what we need is players that walk into the first team on merit, not more squad shite IMHO of course What im saying is...are they doing a job though? If they are its a shite one! We need 1st team improvement not squad players. Then current 1st teamed either step up or become squad players we seem to have been padding out the squad of late so we need 3/4 1st team players hopefully Bowery and Albrighton going is the start of this.

I would definitely have a look at him. If he's come back from the injury ok he'd be a good signing

It's the creativity side that needs addressing Gabby and Weimann don't create much for others.

I think that's the point of the link and we are where he will "invest elsewhere". It's a long shot put who knows.

I suppose that is one way to look at it but I just hope he is still the same player when he comes back, still a £20m+ striker with ease IMO. If he hadn't have got injured he would have got a fair few more goals last season. No, it has been destroyed by nearly a decade of mismanagement. Another way to look at it, although I think what he is getting at is Lambert would have got whatever money we'd have sold Benteke for. I thought it was destroyed as our current owner wants to sell? And seeing as he invested in every previous summer I'd say that's nearer the mark.

TBF To Gabby he normally is a big game player it's the other 80% of games that's the problem!

I agree we have too many full time staff compared to other clubs but they can't constitute millions per year and effect the wage bill that much.

I don't see it as being quite as easy sadly, if I were Vlaar or Delph I wouldn't be prepared to sign a new contract at this time with the future of the club so uncertain. It may not be easy but we will lose them for free if we haven't signed them by the end of August IMO. It makes financial sense to do it hopefully Lmabert who seems a knack of talking people into signing can weave some magic!

Its not really. The first couple of years the aim was reduce the wage bill and age of the squad, get rid of the high earners and bring in young hungry players on low money who could develop and increase in value. That way the wage bill decreased and the basis of a squad was in place to build upon once the finances were sorted. This summer would have seen Lambert backed to build on the cheap young squad with a small number of higher priced better quality players. Only he changed his mind, or never intended to see the second half of the plan through. Lambert is then left with a tiny transfer pot and the choice of buying cheap young players again, or saving on transfer fee's and going for more experienced better played players. I think he has recognised that more young, inexperienced players would be something we couldn't cope with, so in the absence of being able to buy experienced players he is utilising the Bosman market. I really don't see it as being a change in transfer policy from Lambert but rather a complete u-turn by Lerner meaning that Lambert is having to adjust and make the most of a pretty bad hand. This was my thinking for this summer and something I was quite happy with. Lerners timing of the sale is not the best IMO but now with a couple of loans in postions we need we would have a decent squad which would naturally improve as Kozak and Benteke get fit but the best signings Lambert and Lerner could do would be to sign Vlaar and Delph on long term contracts. An easy thing to do as it'd be protecting the assets the club has and also give every one a lift! Add that to the loans of a LB and a quality CM I'd be happy to start the season with what we have only replacing players as they leave then.

True but the Man City squad wasn't that bad when they took over. They had already spent quite a bit and finished around mid table. Spending 200M on a regular relegation contender seems unlikely. That was the 2nd takeover when the Thais bought them they wasn't that good but they invested heavily and then they was bought out again. This maybe something we need to happen get an owner in to spend a decent amount to get us top 8 then look to sell on to take us the next step. We have a good nucleus and I think with a 20/30m budget spent on 3/4 players we would easily be challenging 7th to 10th. I think Randy has decided to sell at the wrong time especially with the new TV money. A £20m investment this summer allied to a top 10 finish next year would have seen us in a better light for a sale next year.

Absolutely. OR As this is a man who would be making important judgements about our football club, I feel this is a very important question. TBF if it's the latter day Bridgette it shows how much money he a has to burn!!