GeneralJazzman

Ha ha, great potential players that can be obtained at value prices and embedded into the team to positive effect.

True you get what you pay for but our scouting and academy is an issue, as with previous points I have made I agree our squad needs additions. But should be aware of needless spending. Signing a player just for the sake of it, as targets aren't available isn't good business or football sense. We needed players under Lambert and we gambled on them paying off, that's a roll of the dice to me, a gamble. How much did Mahrez, Vardy cost Leicester? How much did Scholes, Beckham, the Nevilles cost United? There other examples such as the academy at Southampton that have been productive in recent years. I think the infrastructure that needs improving is our scouting network and our academy. There will be gems out there it can be difficult to get them and bed them.

Cheers tomaspg, just doubt we will get another Benteke this window sadly. I think Bacuna has shown himself to be good value, same as Westwood. Others have mentioned there are bargains out there, just must be tough to find ones that fit Remi's plan. He seems like Arsene Wegner and won't buy a player who he feels won't add anything to the squad.

Discussion is good, I like discussion. That's why I am here, plus the different views are important. Not complaining just noticed that people have turned on Grealish and Gabby, I am putting a case forward that maybe spending isn't necessary and won't be done if we have options already if their attitude changes. I hope we do sign a striker, and agree maybe our academy isn't producing the goods. But we have rolled the dice with players like Tonev, Sylla, Helenius, Luna let alone Bowery that has cost us. I don't want us to make another error like that. We have made progress under Garde, a player who doesn't fit may disrupt or even halt progress.

Read somewhere that loans still cost a lot more than what we think. Like Illori costing us a million, read on a site or here that Dubuchy could still cost £1.5m in a loan fee. Don't know how accurate that is, but if true can see why in a cost cutting environment we would pull the plug.

Tomaspg you would rather spend money on Santos who has one season of top flight season of football in Holland, than promote from within. We invest in our academy and we should expect a return on it. We are a club in trouble, we cannot attract top targets, we have made some poor financial decisions and have been flirting with relegation for years. I dont think there is spending quick fix that will save us. As with Leicester they found their group strength and went forward. People can lambast my view as much as you like but teams win games, we need the team to play well. There are two things I know for sure in football: teamwork will cut teams apart and people can surprise you.

But that's my point. I would expect them to have more fight as local lads, both have shown they are capable. Something must be wrong with them not busting a gut for the club. I don't want us to waste money on a player like Christian Santos, who posted his release clause on Twitter. Rather put Hepburn-Murphy up there. We barely made any chances against WBA to tuck away, didn't get behind them all that often and rarely got to the byline. Benteke on form last season would not have scored in yesterday's game. We want players all over the field to score, not just strikers. We want goals from midfield and out wide. Our last winning goal in the Prem came from a defender.

Gabby and Grealo are two players who have the potential to be of use. I can see that based on current evidence what SeanO says is true. But with how often we have seen players gain confidence and go on a run of scoring. I saw people poo poo signing Vardy for £15m in the summer, now people want somebody like him. Nobody foresaw his record scoring run this season. A person with the right confidence and training working effectively with others can do surprising things. Selfish players do not. At the moment Grealo and Gabby are not in the former category and could shift their mentality and become useful. I don't want to spend money on players who are no better than what we have, but if they have the right mentality then that is different. However if we can get those players from our squad, then we should not needlessly spend.

We have two potential front line players that could help our cause if they want to fight. Gabby and Grealo have qualities that could and would help our situation. Lots of us feel Gabby is past his best but better to try to get him on board than sign a player who cannot function in this league. Gabby still could, just not convinced he wants to....... Which if he is villa through and through he would jump at the chance to save us. Same with Grealish.

When Fox was talking about us being broken it is probably based around us being a more old fashioned model of a club. Signings like N'Zogbia, Sidwell on massive contracts with no real return and having match day bonuses in contracts such as Bent's have meant a complete change of policy in recent years but we are still feeling it. We have changed to a more modern European model now where elements seem to have stabilised but sadly not on the pitch early in the season. I can't blame players for wanting to come as we are working through issues and our lowly position. I wonder if our answer is not a load of more signings but a couple solid loans and a keeper. I think Kozak and Gestede may surprise us, if Kozak hangs around.

Interesting point. Players might be more willing to come at that stage, but it may be too late to make a difference if we don't get results.

I really do feel if Garde can get 3, maybe 4 signings he feels will respond to his style of football and are good quality then it will make a massive difference to us. We can start to get a run of results and see where it takes us. If the board / Randy trust him and back him I really think we can push on. The news coming out of VP soon will be very important. It will show either fight or acceptance from the top.

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-wycombe-wanderers-wheelchair-10717034 Think this might be the only loan we get in this window.

The first Sunderland goal you could see Garde knew it was coming. You could hear him yelling from the touch line when they had their near side throw. I think we have a manager who knows the issues but may not have the players who can carry out the orders effectively.

Only player in the past few games to gamble at the back stick on corners or dead ball deliveries. All our players seem to attack one area and the ball goes to another, at least he tried to put it back into the danger zone. Good lad, good energy.

Hi, long time lurker and now feel we all need a pick me with some productive villa chat. Been a villa fan since I was 12, from a family of Brummies but following from the Wild West of Cornwall. UTV!