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Jan transfer window - rumours, speculation & suggestions


OnePablo

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Hi - first time poster, posting here from Perth, WA.

I am a very new Villa fan, having decided (through a complicated process) to follow Villa just before the start of this season, and having only followed Premier League only casually in previous years.

From a relative newcomers perspective, it seems to me that many people here are assessing activities during this window by the standards of the previous administration and management.

For example, if Villa has not been mentioned as making a bid for SWP, Bent, or whoever, it must because MON is too cautious, Randy has spiders in his pockets or the club as a whole has not enough ambition! I understand completely I do - you guys have been burned before over so many years to the point where you expect to be disappointed by inept management or stingy transfer budgets.

I have been paying close attention to the things MON has been saying over the past 3-4 months and it seems to me that he has a plan for Villa, to build it into a powerhouse club with quality players and quality people in behind it. He has also made it clear he has been leaving no stone unturned in searching for players to come in and bolster the squad.

He says he is in it for the long haul. Randy has also said this, and is clearly a sports nut so it is evident he is prepared to put the cash into the club to build a great squad (and come on - he owns a credit card company - if he can't afford the transfer fees he'll just whack it on the Visa card and pay it off in 18 mths time!!)

The fact that Villa is not being mentioned in the papers as being after this or that player, and MON was saying he wasn't sure how much money was available and Randy hasn't made any statement about what he wants to do with the squad these are all very encouraging signs IMO. It seems to me that, unlike Curbs, who is under pressure to save his club's arse RIGHT NOW, he does not have to throw money left right and centre, he can pay attention to the market, select his targets carefully, and do what he needs to do to get them over the line.

In fact it seems to me - from reading the papers only - is that Villa are waiting and watching the main action with other clubs' bids and then jumping on the wagon when a price has been set.

Yes, MON says nothing will happen till after the FA cup match - but really that's a no brainer - who else has been signed yet apart from Boa Morte and a few loan deals?

Like everyone else, I am busting to know who we'll get, and I hope things start to gather momentum this week, but I think we should try and save the angst and defeatist gloom and doom until the first of Feb!!!

Cheers - Ponky from Perth

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Spot on Ponky - several nails hit firmly on the head. I would be astonished if what we are hearing from MON is not part of a deliberate ploy. The media have resolutely failed to take on board that we now have some financial clout, and are concentrating their attentions on the big four and their darling London-based clubs - same as it ever was. And whilst this has been a source of great frustration for Villa fans in the past I suspect that right now it plays into our hands - nobody is expecting us to throw money around so we're not going to get asked stupid prices for players in the way that West Ham, Liverpool and the rest will be. Why should O'Neill, who is being carefully downbeat, and Lerner, who is saying nothing, want to do anything to change this? I am sure that negotiations are being carried out quietly and professionally behind closed doors with the minimum of fuss. And whilst this may be frustrating for all of us given the recent years of stagnation, and our desperation to get back into the big time, I am sure it will be to our long-term benefit - a bit of patience and faith are needed. For those who are being so quick to criticise and complain - remember that until a few months ago we had a chairman who would regularly and cynically link us very vocally with big name players, knowing full well that he had not the slightest intention of matching the asking price or wage demands, and that someone else would outbid us - I know what approach I prefer.

Lerner has spent big money to buy into Villa and is committed to the long haul. The shortcomings of the squad were more than apparent before he made his investment and are, if anything, even more obvious now. Even if he is in it for a relatively quick buck (which I don't believe for one second that he is) he will know full well that he needs to spend significantly on players in the short-term to stop his investment from depreciating very rapidly in an increasingly competitive market. It is inconceivable that he will not be spending big money sometime soon, whether it is now or in the summer. To the benefit of all us we'll know about it only when it happens, and not beforehand - let's just wait and watch

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Hi - first time poster, posting here from Perth, WA.

I am a very new Villa fan, having decided (through a complicated process) to follow Villa just before the start of this season, and having only followed Premier League only casually in previous years.

From a relative newcomers perspective, it seems to me that many people here are assessing activities during this window by the standards of the previous administration and management.

For example, if Villa has not been mentioned as making a bid for SWP, Bent, or whoever, it must because MON is too cautious, Randy has spiders in his pockets or the club as a whole has not enough ambition! I understand completely I do - you guys have been burned before over so many years to the point where you expect to be disappointed by inept management or stingy transfer budgets.

I have been paying close attention to the things MON has been saying over the past 3-4 months and it seems to me that he has a plan for Villa, to build it into a powerhouse club with quality players and quality people in behind it. He has also made it clear he has been leaving no stone unturned in searching for players to come in and bolster the squad.

He says he is in it for the long haul. Randy has also said this, and is clearly a sports nut so it is evident he is prepared to put the cash into the club to build a great squad (and come on - he owns a credit card company - if he can't afford the transfer fees he'll just whack it on the Visa card and pay it off in 18 mths time!!)

The fact that Villa is not being mentioned in the papers as being after this or that player, and MON was saying he wasn't sure how much money was available and Randy hasn't made any statement about what he wants to do with the squad these are all very encouraging signs IMO. It seems to me that, unlike Curbs, who is under pressure to save his club's arse RIGHT NOW, he does not have to throw money left right and centre, he can pay attention to the market, select his targets carefully, and do what he needs to do to get them over the line.

In fact it seems to me - from reading the papers only - is that Villa are waiting and watching the main action with other clubs' bids and then jumping on the wagon when a price has been set.

Yes, MON says nothing will happen till after the FA cup match - but really that's a no brainer - who else has been signed yet apart from Boa Morte and a few loan deals?

Like everyone else, I am busting to know who we'll get, and I hope things start to gather momentum this week, but I think we should try and save the angst and defeatist gloom and doom until the first of Feb!!!

Cheers - Ponky from Perth

You are spot on and welcome to VillaTalk

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Aston Villa keen on Sevilla striker Kepa

tribalfooball.com - January 07, 2007

Sevilla striker Blanco Kepa is attracting interest from Aston Villa.

Kepa is considering his future at Sevilla after dropping down coach Juande Ramos' strikers pecking order this season.

AS says both Villa and Fenerbahce have been in contact about Kepa's availability during this month's market.

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Ljungberg at Villa? It would turn into Fight Club on the training pitch with those 2 controversy makers!

I really dont think it would be like that. They are both very competitive and winners with a great deal of will...they are leaders and thats why they clashed in Swedish national team. That happens everywhere in clubs that two men dont see eye to eye all the time.

Ljungberg would be a very good player for Villa, but I doubt that he would like such a step down...I hope...but I cant see it really...

I also dont think Sevilla is going to sell Kepa in january. They need him more than ever now when Luis Fabiano was such a idiot against Zaragoza and had a fistfight with Diogo.

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From Eurosport:

Sevilla striker Kepa Blanco says he may leave the club in January after the arrival of Alexandr Kerzhakov from Zenit St Petersburg. The UEFA Cup winners and La Liga leaders now have five first-team strikers, including Fredi Kanoute, Luis Fabiano, and Ernesto Chevanton.

"Before I went on holidays I had some offers from England and Germany," he told Marca. "I think that I must consider these teams and the circumstances that could lead to me moving to one place or another."

Kepa, 23 in two weeks, rose up through the ranks at Sevilla and has 12 goals in 41 league matches but has only started five matches so far this term.

He admitted that he could not bear to play at another Liga side and would not drop down to play for Sevilla's B team in La Segunda. "The club has opted to buy (Kerzhakov) and I have to respect that. "I am at Sevilla to work and contribute," he continued although added "when there is no further opportunity here, life has to go on."

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Simon Jordan said on Soccer AM that Palace have signed someone who will be announced tomorrow. With Kiraly being given permission to play for Villa and therefore be cup tied, I wonder if it's a Villa player that they have signed as part of the agreement. Whittingham maybe, he was in Taylor's youth team. Just a thought.

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Kepa vid - he scored a fair few headed goals but overall I wasnt impressed...says a lot when a highlights video shows misses as part of it.....I remember seeing Angel's highlights clip....compare the two and theres a big difference

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