Rate the Summer 2022 Transfer Window

[maqroll]

Go on then.

[Podster]

I feel we have aquired too many bench sitters, I believe we would have been better with less quantity of signings of players that were not even regulars at the club we got them from. We should have gone for fewer players but up the caliber of the purchase. That way we spend the same money but improve the team.

[VillaChris]

5/10.

Started very well with Carlos and Kamara which understandably got people excited and then in true Villa fashion we just let all the momentum fizzle out through braindead decisions like making McGinn even more undroppable.

After Bissouma and Bentancur in January I was expecting us to finally sign a top class box to box midfielder. Perhaps I'm being harsh on Dendoncker as he is experienced at international level and been a good player for Wolves but I just feel underwhelmed by our whole midfield strategy once McGinn got the armband and the results reflect this.

We'd have never signed Bednarek if Carlos hadn't done his achilles so that's just a stop gap loan filler.

Not sure how anyone can say we're stronger than last season given how many parts of our team feel so dysfunctional.

January 2023 is going to be our biggest transfer window for many seasons.

[Xela]

Carlos and Kamara are exceptionally good signings. Doesn't feel it now as it was so long ago and one is injured.

[nepal_villan]

If you gave me the list of our transfers back in May 2022 I would have said "Very good".  Today, I'm feeling it is average.

[The Fun Factory]

A mixed bag. Overall we have properly better squad depth and perhaps a better functioning midfield providing the current (or next) Villa manager uses the correct players.

But we have clearly not got the next level of player to be seriously competing for the top half.

At the moment that seems a long way off and the 2 signings today will hopefully add some defensive strength at least to try and get the season going.

Thanks to Mr Gerrard we are massively short on width options which could be a big problem this year if sanity prevails and we start to try and play a more normal formation.

 

Edited September 1, 2022 by The Fun Factory

[MaVilla]

FYI, net spend of all clubs over the last 2 years to present (2021/22 & 2022/23 to today - assuming Transfermarkt is up to date).

 

[VillaParkAvenue]

Kamara was beyond what I believed the club could achieve, a young France international watched by all the biggest clubs and a future top player.

Carlos, very good player horribly injured.

Overall questionable, wage bill has shot up and if those older players on high wages don’t instantly improve us there’s a problem. We’ve added some depth but Kamara the only improvement on the starting XI.

[Mark Albrighton]

Will let you know in May.

[Demitri_C]

6 hours ago, MaVilla said:

FYI, net spend of all clubs over the last 2 years to present (2021/22 & 2022/23 to today - assuming Transfermarkt is up to date).

 

Chelsea look a little low that cant be right considering how much they have spent this window and then 100m on lukaku?

[Demitri_C]

Average window. Barring carlos and kamara we havent really strengthed the team.

I think if gerrard was not in way out we would have seen more activity.

Id rather we spent money on a excellent manager than back gerrard and waste money failing

[Pinebro]

Definitely poosr

[villa4europe]

Really good start poor finish 

Seems like we did our business in June and were happy but then didn't react to the rest of the league going mental, carlos' injury and our terrible start until it was too late and panicked a bit at the end

I don't know how or why lange and our scouts can't find the top central midfielder we're crying out for

Not fussed about the net spend, kamara for £0 was our best signing, even coutinho for £14m and Dendoncker for £12m (?) represents good value, we're buying Belgian internationals for the same money as Southampton are buying man City u18 players but it's villa that are criticised? Not sure about that one

Edited September 2, 2022 by villa4europe

[NoelVilla]

Average. Carlos and Kamara very good. The backups Olsen etc. good. Im OK with yesterdays signing too.

Problem is that I think we made a mistake with Coutinho. Maybe he will benefit with a manager change. 

[Tayls]

A complete failure and raises more questions about various aspects of the club. 

[viivvaa66]

We will have a new manager soon. It all depends how our new signings will work under the new manager, not easy to say before we know who it is.

[WallisFrizz]

Well given we signed Kamara and Carlos before the window actually opened (I think), the window itself can I only be seen as a complete and utter failure and fans are right to ask questions. 

I’m trying to think positively re Bednarek and Dendoncker and will obviously support them. Dendoncker, I can just about convince myself will be good for us but I am worried about Bednarek. I wonder if we’ve promised him game time to get him to pick us over West Ham. 

[Morley_crosses_to_Withe]

Poor.

Dedoncker is an okay signing, but maybe not in the context of the fact we had a whole summer to fill that position and this is what we ended up with. 

Bednarek is purely a stop gap. 

Kamara and Carlos are the only signings who are worth getting excited about but one is injured. Coutinho has either suddenly fallen off a cliff or is woefully out of form. I hope it’s only the latter.

The rest are just squad fillers. 

Now all is said and done, I’m starting to doubt the idea that we have one of the best squads outside the stop six. 
 

[nick76]

Great business of Kamara and Carlos but gave it ‘Poor’ because

• we needed much more,
• we’re told it was going to be a busy summer, it was dead from June 2nd apart from fringe players in and out.
• i think Gerrard should be fired but given the club haven’t (so far) they haven’t backed the manager in the market…he made reference to wanting a No.8 at least
• Transfer deadline day was desperation buying, both players I can’t imagine being thought about in “project” sense and more like “damn things are going wrong we need to do something”
• The best we can do as a temporary measure is Bednarek not only that, but the playing styles of Carlos vs Bednarek are very different, seems problematic.

There are more reasons re progress on the club, mentality, physically etc but overall before the summer if we needed to progress or at least improve on last season we needed two things…1) better coaching of the squad and 2) a good recruitment summer.  We are failing on both of these and with the transfer window shut that element is classed as a ‘Poor’ window.  Now it’s down to coaching with this manager or another.

Edited September 2, 2022 by nick76

[DCJonah]

Went from great early business with Kamara and Carlos to not really improving the team that finished 14th and ending in utter panic. 

I've said it a few times but the whole Sarr thing shows the mess it became. 

Not surprising that our recruitment doesn't have a proper plan and this is then reflected when we watch the first team under this management and coaching.