Jan transfer window - rumours, speculation & suggestions

[Mazrim]

If you go back to that article where he says he wants to bring in 5 Petrov-quality players you need to read the whole thing - because he goes on to basically play down expectations by saying it might not be possible, but he will try his best. So he can't win - he's raising expectations by saying what he wants to do, but others will say he's too negative by saying 'oh, but it might not happen'.

You have to just ask yourself why it might not happen.

I get the impression its not because we dont have the means but because other clubs might not play ball.

Thats fine by me.

[Silent_Bob]

This isnt bickering its a debate. And a pretty good one at that.

Much better with a good debate than a thread that stays entirely on topic.

What's even the point with a thread about transfer suggestions? MON won't look here for suggestions anyway. At least I hope he won't.

[LukeMoore]

I get the impression its not because we dont have the means but because other clubs might not play ball.

exactly

why do some find it impossible to understand that it doesn't matter if MON has found players he wants and Randy has agreed to back him that unless clubs are prepared to sell their players (most clubs don't sell their best players in january) then their is nothing they can do.

[remotevillan]

I get the impression its not because we dont have the means but because other clubs might not play ball.

exactly

why do some find it impossible to understand that it doesn't matter if MON has found players he wants and Randy has agreed to back him that unless clubs are prepared to sell their players (most clubs don't sell their best players in january) then their is nothing they can do.

...and that the players themselves want to move here or even move for that matter.

[El Zen]

You mean, like Chelsea?

Think you missed my point.

I was being sarcastic. Probably should've added a :roll: at the end just to make it clear.

:roll:

:winkold:

[Mazrim]

Yes. But having said that, I believe Villa to be a fairly attractive destination now and I also believe that MON WILL get his men.

Sooner or later.

[Ponky]

I think in those circumstances the only real option MON has to appease the masses is to sign championship players (or league 2 stars like Jermaine Easter!) or players from clubs in other countries; both of which type player is untried and has a much greater risk of failure than proven premiership quality. If he does this and the experiment fails, then he is doubly damned because not only did he not sign premiership stars but he also wasted Randy's credit rating on some overseas duds.

I would suggest he has several overseas targets lined up, but he knows there is a chance that such signings might not pay off for 6 months (if at all) and so he will focus on his 4-5 big targets from the premiership and when those are clearly unavailable he will look elsewhere. Not foolproof but who knows of a better way for January signings? After all, whoever we sign we'll want them stuck into the rotation ASAP won't we?

[Mazrim]

I think MON should worry about getting his team how he wants it and forget about appeasing supporters.

After all, he's a better manager than all of them and if he gets it right, they'll be appeased anyway.

Get it right rather than get it quick.

[remotevillan]

I hope what Martin O Neill does, like Alex Ferguson and other great managers is seek a three-pronged balance between : Homegrown, English (or British/Irish anyway) and Foreign. Every manager should take a punt once in a while too. Even sir Alex had his duds.

[Faust]

I get the impression its not because we dont have the means but because other clubs might not play ball.

exactly

why do some find it impossible to understand that it doesn't matter if MON has found players he wants and Randy has agreed to back him that unless clubs are prepared to sell their players (most clubs don't sell their best players in january) then their is nothing they can do.

That's not entirely true.

I think, in that situation, a truly forward-thinking club chairman might sanction kidnap as an option. You can see how it might work: after getting the brush-off from Boothroyd, O'Neill and Krulak wait in the bushes outside Watford's training ground at dusk, carrying a sack and a cosh. Lerner has the motor running in an unmarked Transit. Young comes strolling out, whistling ... there's a swift struggle ... the cosh rises and falls once, twice ... Young is bundled into the van and the next day is photographed smiling woozily on the pitch at VP wearing his Villa shirt and a couple of bumps on his head.

It's the way all transfers will be done in the future.

[Grant(aka_eddy)]

I think MON should worry about getting his team how he wants it and forget about appeasing supporters.

After all, he's a better manager than all of them and if he gets it right, they'll be appeased anyway.

Get it right rather than get it quick.

Agree with that wholeheartedly.

[remotevillan]

I get the impression its not because we dont have the means but because other clubs might not play ball.

exactly

why do some find it impossible to understand that it doesn't matter if MON has found players he wants and Randy has agreed to back him that unless clubs are prepared to sell their players (most clubs don't sell their best players in january) then their is nothing they can do.

That's not entirely true.

I think, in that situation, a truly forward-thinking club chairman might sanction kidnap as an option. You can see how it might work: after getting the brush-off from Boothroyd, O'Neill and Krulak wait in the bushes outside Watford's training ground at dusk, carrying a sack and a cosh. Lerner has the motor running in an unmarked Transit. Young comes strolling out, whistling ... there's a swift struggle ... the cosh rises and falls once, twice ... Young is bundled into the van and the next day is photographed smiling woozily on the pitch at VP wearing his Villa shirt and a couple of bumps on his head.

It's the way all transfers will be done in the future.

And the mind control chip that was retrieved from the er..."asteroid impact" could be reprogrammed to make him a Villain for life...

[LukeMoore]

That's not entirely true.

I think, in that situation, a truly forward-thinking club chairman might sanction kidnap as an option. You can see how it might work: after getting the brush-off from Boothroyd, O'Neill and Krulak wait in the bushes outside Watford's training ground at dusk, carrying a sack and a cosh. Lerner has the motor running in an unmarked Transit. Young comes strolling out, whistling ... there's a swift struggle ... the cosh rises and falls once, twice ... Young is bundled into the van and the next day is photographed smiling woozily on the pitch at VP wearing his Villa shirt and a couple of bumps on his head.

It's the way all transfers will be done in the future.

If this is the tactic, forget young and head on out to barcelona and bring back ronaldinho

[JCV]

Lauren of Arsenal anyone?

[Richard]

Linked to Leicester goalkeeper

[cyrusr]

I think I have said this before but the reason why MON and Lerner will not overspend on players (IMO in all their time here) is that Lerner is a businessman and will not overspend on anything that is not its market value/going to vastly increase profit. That is his main gain at this club is to make a profit. Yeah that doesn't sound too good for Villa but the best way to make a profit is to have a hugely successful club that will make the money. MON also is a guy who doesn't like being ripped off. Transfers he has done in the past have proven that and he would rather go for the out of favour player whose reputation is lower than buy a player who will cost twice as much because they have had a good season.

Basically if someone told Lerner and MON to pay an extra 2 million for a player, they will tell them where to shove that player.

Onto the statement MON made. Yes he said he wanted 4-5 Petrov class players, this doesn't say anything on how much they will spend on players in January, but given that he spent around £6million for Petrov, TRL's estimate of £30-40million ain't a bad one but this is something hard to predict. If he can't bring in those players he will bring in short term options. He has already said that Bardsley has been brought in to cover one of those positions, therefore I think we can expect 4 more signings in January, both long and short term. 2 positions are obvious: RM and ST along with probably LB and I think LM and maybe go back to 4-3-3. Whatever it is MON has got a plan A who he wants for the future and a Plan B for the short term and get the player in the summer. These players are likely to be based in England since they know the Premiership best but it would not surprise me if they were one or two foreign signings thrown in there as well.

To be honest, we can only wait and see.

[Trinity-Tom]

It is also important to remember that we will not sign "stop gaps" until we have exhausted our "quality" options which might not be for a week or two.

[Mazrim]

I dont agree at all, Cyrus.

RAL may be a business man, but if he wanted to make a load of cash there are far more profitable ways of doing this open to him.

He is here for fun but that doesnt mean he wont want to make Villa profitable too. Villa will not be profitable for a year or two whilst the money that needs to be spent, will be spent.

Also MON has been limited in previous jobs as to what he could spend. He has never had a large budget so he's had to get bargains. Not so anymore. Well, not so much.

And with Bouma, Barry and Samuel, I hardly see the need for a LB. Its one of our most catered for positions.

[Faust]

I dont agree at all, Cyrus.

RAL may be a business man, but if he wanted to make a load of cash there are far more profitable ways of doing this open to him.

He is here for fun but that doesnt mean he wont want to make Villa profitable too. Villa will not be profitable for a year or two whilst the money that needs to be spent, will be spent.

In the universe of possible investments, there are more profitable things to do with £100m than buy a football club - but there may not be many better bets if you narrow that universe down to the world of sport.

I don't see Lerner as a hard-nosed investor nor as someone who is doing this for fun. I think he wants to make money but also wants to do it by buying an under-achieving team or club and making it both far more successful and far more valuable. That way he gets to enjoy himself, bring a lot of pleasure to a lot of people, and also make a healthy return. There's great potential to do all of that at Villa - and Lerner seems to have all the tools necessary to achieve it. But I still think he'll be looking to sell the club five or ten years from now and realise a big profit. I also don't think that, while he's here, he'll be planning on sinking much of his own money into it.

I reckon he might have set aside the £100m I mentioned earlier to cover the purchase of the club, as well as near-term investment on the squad and the club's infrastructure. From next season onwards, we'll have new Sky money flowing in, a portfolio of long-term sponsorship deals, better gates, marketing and merchandise revenues - and I think that's where our transfer funds will be coming from thereafter.

[Trinity-Tom]

Faust, his primary business interests include the Cleveland Browns a sports business and MBNA a credit institution. Therefore, I think he has chosen a football team in order to have a bit of fun as he has good knowledge of other industries. Plus, he has hired backroom staff as well as directors with knowledge of this industry, he could have done that with any business.

However, he has chosen Villa as this gave him the opportunity of having such fun whilst also creating the potential for turning around an underperforming team, thereby, making himself some cash.