villaglint

Having seen the opening few games of the new era it certainly seems like Makoun is a player that Lambert can use. Whether he fits in is another thing, because previously I seem to remember rumours of him not settling, learning the language etc. That might be just noise. It seems he likes his deep lying CM's to be real ball players and Makoun is certainly that. I hope he can get these Visa issues sorted so Lambert can run rule over him promptly.

He has been really really excellent in the three games I have seen so far this season. Yet to see last night but I think this new style is exactly what is required to get the best out of him. I actually disagree with Bent in that I don't think his best position is in hole (queue Mick McCarthy GIF!) a la Ariel Ortega of years gone by. I think to play that role you need that burst of acceleration to beat a man and create space. That's not really his game - I see him more as a very cultured roving midfielder who can use his ability to dictate a game and find a killer pass while popping up on the end of the odd move to (hopefully) get some goals. No doubt that Steve Ireland is central to our ambitions this year.

If that is possible I would be very happy - I somehow doubt the figures would add up there

If he does go to Sunderland he will do well there because he fits what MON wants his CB's to do. i.e block the ball and hoof it away. When asked to do anything else he is really lacking. I will be glad to see him go - think he is in general an average to ok defender but the amount of times he gives the ball away is staggering. Add that to the fact he was part of a click that has ruined our club in last 2 years then good riddance.

I would love to see Carroll join but for me £15m would be on the high side. I reckon his true value is nearer to £10m but with the premium on English players £15m is possibly reasonable. For what its worth would also love to see Berbatov if the numbers work. People forgetting he was their top scorer before Ferguson changed the way he wanted to play. Guy has so much talent and Villa would give him a platform to start every game and show it.

Just thinking out loud - if we assume Lowton fee will be covered by Hutton leaving Vlaar fee will be covered by Collins leaving Which gives us expenditure of KEA - £3m Winger - Possibly Snodgrass £3/4m So if we had £20m transfer budget originally that would give us £14m left. I would assume a new LB is still on radar but maybe PL plans to fund that through a Warnock sale. I wonder how much Liverpool want for Carroll? I am sure if it does go like this (i.e. selling Hutton, Collins, Warnock then we've done quite a bit to address the wages issue. However sure Carroll would still be on big money which might mess it all up and make it a show stopper. Must be a close call on both fronts (fee and wages) otherwise I'm sure PL would have dismissed it out of hand

I like Snodgrass and would be pleased if he came. So exciting to think we could have a squad of players to choose from. It's been such a long time - we've been forced to pick from the bear bones for 2 years now.

To go for consistent inability to play football I would go for Gary Charles. I regularly sat there wondering how he had been picked out by enough scouts to make it to the top. Is it strange how a number of players named here are right backs?

We can all hope this means what we think it does..... However we should remember that the US folks are very particular about who they let in so it might be something to do with that.

A heavily heavily editorialised version of the gospel. We're not 'in the bargain basement'. £3m on a league one fullback? Is that not fairly decent money for one of them? And the string puller in midfield from runner-up in the Eredivisie? Pretty good I'd have thought. Early indications from me are that we've done well and we're less than 2 weeks into the window. I expect PL will know a helluva lot more when he comes back from America and it'll kick on from there Agreed - He came in spoke to people at the club and new certain areas needed addressing quickly. i.e. a midfielder who could pass to replace Petrov, 2 new full backs and probably a CB. He's marked two of those off and no doubt has made progress on the other two. In terms of the rest he really needs the chance to assess Herd, Gardner, Bannan, Delph, Ireland, Makoun before he knows the side he wants. Same goes for the attacking players. For me I would want a further wide player (Lee Chung-Yong at Bolton) and another CM somebody big but still comfortable on ball (Not sure who now for that one)

Nothing like a new season and more importantly a new manager to renew that optimism. I believe Siegrist is at the Olympics. So I'd go .................Marshall Lowton.Collins.Clark.Lichaj ...........Delph .El Ahmadi N'Zogbia---Ireland --- .Holman ...................Bent I'd like Delph to get a run to see if he can finally start to deliver on the promise under a new manager, new style of play etc. Would even be tempted to drop Ireland a little deeper and play three box to box midfielders with Zog and Holman pushed right on.

I have my fingers crossed but if I was PL I would be looking at Delph in same way as Albrighton i.e. if we get good things from them next season it will be a bonus rather than something we are relying on. This time last year there were many similar positive/hopeful posts to this and Delph did get a fair few games early on and failed to produce any great form. Maybe it was the manager, maybe it was his previous injuries I don't know. All I know is that if we are to see the best of him it's as the box to box player we bought from Leeds not the DM we have been trying to turn him into ever since.

No doubt Carroll is a threat and would add loads to our team - him and Bent could be lethal. Depends on his wages really. PL seems to be bringing in all these early signings on very low wages so if he can shift some of the dead wood maybe theres room for someone like this.

Yeah that didnt sound right to me as I was at the game. So I checked and I was right he didnt play in that game. http://www.goal.com/en-us/match/46111/fulham-vs-aston-villa/report Pretty sure he was injured at that point.

Gabby leaving would be a strange one. Can't say I'd be distraught but then I would be a bit fearful of him re-finding his form and feeling like we had missed out. I think the Gabby we had at the start of last season is someone well worth having. Trouble has always been that we play him when he is injured and we play him when he is out of form. I'd like to see us having a squad of players so he has to earn his place in the team. However if we managed to get £10m for him I would find that hard to turn down. If anyone will pay that it is MON

Well Gazton is online right now so maybe he can tell us??

I very much doubt it's abuse, it's more than likely that they don't want to risk exposing their contacts so they can keep retrieving info from them. If Richard for example was to post everything he's heard, then his contact was to read he's been posting all the info on an internet site, his contact would probably then stop giving him info. Yep sounds fair enough. Or maybe everything is being managed much more carefully now. I remember with MON every signing would take several months to happen and every man and his dog knew about it beforehand. Each transfer this time comes right out the blue so maybe even MM and Gazton haven't been clued in.

The ITK's are proving to be an odd bunch of individuals. Why bother going to all this effort if your clearly not ITK. There are very few people who are truly ITK at Villa and for whatever reason (abuse mostly) they are choosing to keep their info to themselves which is a shame for the rest of us. In the mean time we will talk about the Brahimi's of this world incessantly for a week before signing somebody that was never on radar. All good fun I suppose.

For those bigging up Johnson, Carruthers etc and slamming Bannan Can I just agree that Johnson and Carruthers have been excellent in reserves last year. However so was Bannan - in a number of games he looked a cut above everyone else and showed he has been playing at a higher level. Point is they all have talent - it aint easy to be a big player in Prem but they have time on their side. Some (Johnson, Carruthers, Gardner) more than others (Bannan, Albrighton)

If you view Jack Woodward as the Partridge of AVTV he immediately becomes a comedy legend

CI is so boring. I cannot understand how he finds the energy to be constantly on the troll like this. Of course its comments like these that give him the mini hard on he craves so much

If we do sign Whittingham I would be very worried if I was wee Baz

Definitely looks an interesting player. Really like the fact that he is always moving to find space and his control looks excellent as well. Two of the biggest assets needed for a midfielder. I think he would need to bulk up a bit for the Prem. But that is no issue, one of the easiest things a club can add to a player. You can see how Herd has been on the weights looking a very different shape these days.

I am certain that neither Faulkner nor Lambert expect him to purchase players on the say so of board. However by all accounts Eck and the scouts did a huge amount or work last year in locating good value up and coming players across Europe. It is good to hear that that is not all been thrown in the bin. Obviously Lambert will have his own ideas but no point in wasting all that work.

Very happy with this signing - I don't see anyone buying Hutton of us though so I reckon he (Hutton) will be the back up. With Lichaj on left and Naughton on right. Any injuries Hutton comes in and Naughton covers left. Anyone got a feeling Hutton is the new Beye?