NurembergVillan Posted July 20, 2007 Moderator Share Posted July 20, 2007 Many people are getting impatient with transfer dealings at Villa Park, myself included. However, aside from the fact that these new players are going to have less time to gell and learn the system, there aren't too many reasons to panic just yet. Here's my 1 to 11 on why..... 1. THE BRITISH MEDIA, love to stir the pot. Take a look at the "transfer rumours" section of the official site. The media have linked us with enough players to fill 50% of the premier league squads! All these rumours do is fire us up into believeing we're getting all-kinds of players that we simply are not getting!! I actually believe the club are doing a great thing by publishing all these names - it serves to show us just how ridiculous the press and media have become..... 2. THE SO-CALLED BIG FOUR, plus Europe's biggest clubs will always get first-choice of available players. That is presently the reality. Agents are bending over backwards to get their boys into the top clubs. Over time we hope to change that..... 3. UEFA CUP QUALIFIERS get the next pick of who they want. The reality is that we are not quite there yet, and the lure of European competition is too good to resist for many players, especially established pros who are reaching the age where it's "now or never" for that new contract. Sure there are players who look at potential, but not many agents.... 4. AGENTS have not only made players greedier and richer, but they have slowed down the transfer process to a ludicrous degree. Now, transfer dealings can take months, as agents negotiate back and forth with five different clubs at a time to get the best deal for their boy. Apparently, Gavin McCann's transfer to Bolton had been in the works since March..... 5. SUMMER TOURNAMENTS such as the Asian Cup that is taking place right now, or the Copa America, or the African Nations Cup etc etc. These all affect the transfer market as clubs and agents wait for their players to arrive back. Realistically, any player participating in any of these events has a very small window of free time to negotiate and put-into-place any transfer...... 6. HOLIDAYS such as those taken by all of us at some point during the year are another key factor. Have you ever noticed how Fergie does most of his dealing as soon as the season ends, then ManUre do nothing for a few weeks? It's because he is taking a well-earned break somewhere far far away where The Sun cannot bother him. All managers and players do it, including ours.... who are we to criticize them for getting away for a few weeks? 7. THE TRANSFER WINDOW itself provides a very small window of opportunity. I understand the philosophy behind it, but the reality is that it puts an unbelievable strain on clubs and managers (and fans) to "get it done" in a small amount of time, especially factoring in all of the above. 8. OTHER CLUBS are figuring out their own squads befoire they are prepared to release other "good" players. I give you the Shaun Wright-Philips example. Chelski right now are chasing winger Royston Drenthe. IF they sign him, joe cole proves his fitness, and keep Robben, there is a strong chance that they will then (and only then) be prepared to sell SWP to us. But even if that happens, right now he's with them on a tour of the US, and won't be back until the end of the month. There are hundreds of similar examples throughout the world. I call this the Knock-on-effect..... 9. GEOGRAPHY. I was born and raised in Birmingham. I love Birmingham. Ron Saunders had a policy of never buying from a London club. Why? Because he felt, even in those days, that players from the "bright lights" would fail to settle and he wasn't prepared for them to commute. Now, in the modern era of fast reliable cars, short range private jets, and a modernized city, these factors are not so strong. However, would YOU choose Middlesborough over Madrid, Sheffield over Rome? 10. TIME. The club has a plan. Whether we like it or not, it's going to take patience to put this club where it belongs and to SUSTAIN that indefinitely. When Abramovitch walks away Chelsea will be in the same position they were when he took over. When Randy leaves Villa we won't miss a beat - quote me on that! Rome wasn't built in a day and if we want to live up to the billing of being a true big club then we have to have a solid infrastructure with a balance on the pitch. Randy could pitch silly money at players right now, but that won't guarantee anything. 11. MARTIN O'NEILL knows who he wants, isn't prepared to waiver on his standards, and will be patient to ensure he gets what he and the club needs. As has been stated many times, he is notorious for doing "late" deals. Despite the media hype, and the subsequent over-reaction by a small number of our fans (probably the same one's who spend most of their energy at games singing about Blues). To summarize, we WILL be better this season, the club WILL be on firmer foundations and we DO have one of the best managers in the world..... PS. I'll be in Toronto and Columbus next week. I'll be the one in the car park playing Villa videos on the computer, grilling up some food and downing the beers..... stop by and say hello..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NurembergVillan Posted July 20, 2007 Author Moderator Share Posted July 20, 2007 All true, gmvillan. There's a lot more to this transfer malarkey than meets the eye. I wish I was in Toronto with you guys. I love that city, so to see the Villa there would be amazing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrytini Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 What a breath of fresh air, positivity, and sense. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hippo Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 I really think you are over complicating things. as you said fegie did most of his deals as soon as the season ended - always a good move in my book. Don't say say that MON targets weren't available because Harewood was available since the end of the season. MON has come out today and said he won't pay 'silly prices' and won't 'bankrupt' the club - It used to be Mark Ansells job to say this - seems it now falls under the remit of MON - it matters not who says it - and it is a fan friendly way of saying 'we can't afford to buy big'. Despite the positives of the training ground, and 130 capacity holte hotel - it seems our clout in the transfer market has improved little - this wisdom of buying Harewood for £4.5m and selling Davis for £4m - would also make our judgement in the transfer market suspect.......but hey 'were keeping our powder dry' and 'at least were not leeds' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pelty Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 I'm sorry, Hippo, you will have to remind me of January's window and how cheap MON was then. That was a pathetic little display, wasn't it? All that money shelled out for BH and the "130 capacity holte hotel" (as if it is the fault of the owner that those who constructed the Holte back in the day did not make it a more spacious structure) definitely demonstrates how parsimonious the chairman is. It has been my wont to look at those things and think we have been spending money, but thankfully, you have cleared the mists and I now see the club for what it is: a load of cheap bastards. Well done, hippo and many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeMoore Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 I'm sorry, Hippo, you will have to remind me of January's window and how cheap MON was then. That was a pathetic little display, wasn't it? All that money shelled out for BH and the "130 capacity holte hotel" (as if it is the fault of the owner that those who constructed the Holte back in the day did not make it a more spacious structure) definitely demonstrates how parsimonious the chairman is. It has been my wont to look at those things and think we have been spending money, but thankfully, you have cleared the mists and I now see the club for what it is: a load of cheap bastards. Well done, hippo and many thanks. well said Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villanfromluton Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 Very interesting comments, point number 9 got me thinking though, Who did we get Kenny Swain from? Another very good post that was well thought, it took me a while to be picky. You have made some great points and I know from watching them at training that Saunders loved the Scouse type ede of players such as Withe (massive influence), Mortimer and Kenny Swain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldFart Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 Who did we get Kenny Swain from?Or Jimmy Rimmer, or master-signing Terry Bullivant, or Alex Cropley?Ron Saunders had a policy of never buying from a London club.Looks like he didn't then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmvillan Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 I stand (partially) corrected. I think, in fact that it was a policy of not buying Londoners, rather than from London clubs. Rimmer and Swain were bought from Arsenal and Chelsea but both were from "the north".... I know Cropley had played for Arsenal but i thought he was at Hibernian before coming to us...... I may be wrong, but he was a proud Scotsman, as were quite a few members of his teams... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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