lexicon Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 We might also have to look at the LB position again? Maybe someone more experienced and solid to give Bennett more time to adapt? Possibly yeah - it depends how Bennett steps up over the next couple of months I suppose. Lichaj CAN do a job there but having one player as back up for both positions is a bit thin on the ground. I can't see Stevens as realistic competition for Bennett either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morpheus Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Possibly yeah - it depends how Bennett steps up over the next couple of months I suppose. Lichaj CAN do a job there but having one player as back up for both positions is a bit thin on the ground. I can't see Stevens as realistic competition for Bennett either. I'd like to see us going for someone like Martin Olsson at Blackburn. The LB position is the main weakness in our defence at the moment and with Dunne hopefully being available soon we should be strong enough in defence for the second part of the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvfcRigo82 Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 I can see Bent and Fonz prob both being sold. I don't know what all the fuss with Gabby/Benteke being injured is about. We have Bent till January so even if we picked up an injury to one of them 2 strikers Bent would be drafted in temporarily until then. He might buck up his ideas and show Lambert the mistake he has made leaving him out and take his chance who knows, but whatever happens we are sorted till Jan and if Bent does leave then I am sure a replacement will be here just as quick so I don't know why all this faffing about over injuries is so concerning to some. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted November 5, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted November 5, 2012 Plus we could play Dunne and Vlaar at CB and move Clark to left back. Not his ideal position but he'd probably be a better option than Bennett at this stage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chappy Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 OT but I don't think we will see Dunne in a Villa shirt again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted November 5, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted November 5, 2012 Any reason why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John_10 Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Would love to see some actual evidence being used to defend the way we've sold our best players and reinvested. Because from what I've seen I can't really see anything to defend, hence our pretty awful squad and dropping more than any other team over the past 2 years. Quite clearly the way we've sold top players and reinvested has failed massively. But it's Randy Lerner so it's defended by some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvfcRigo82 Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Would love to see some actual evidence being used to defend the way we've sold our best players and reinvested. Because from what I've seen I can't really see anything to defend, hence our pretty awful squad and dropping more than any other team over the past 2 years. Quite clearly the way we've sold top players and reinvested has failed massively. But it's Randy Lerner so it's defended by some. Maybe the fact there were so many high earners offering piss all to to the club. Combined with 2 more managers pissing money up the wall on top of all this, our top players perhaps wanted to leave cause of the 2 piss poor managers we had and the direction the club was going in? Managers being paid off and the millions spent on poor signings. After a while this is bound to take it's toll on the finances and the transition period means we have to start again. i.e hire 2 piss poor managers with the mission of keeping us safe while trimming the wage bill. Im glad this has been done or we could have been in a hell of a lot worse situation that we currently find ourselves in. We are starting all over again now with RL already declaring this and the whole team being re-built with a young promising manager that will now have money to spend again. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 OT but I don't think we will see Dunne in a Villa shirt again. ITK ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coda Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Would love to see some actual evidence being used to defend the way we've sold our best players and reinvested. Because from what I've seen I can't really see anything to defend, hence our pretty awful squad and dropping more than any other team over the past 2 years. Quite clearly the way we've sold top players and reinvested has failed massively. But it's Randy Lerner so it's defended by some. Our spending was unsustainable as you well know. Randy isn't obliged to sell off his family heirlooms to fund an assault on the top four after Man City entered the race. He could well be at fault for cutting too fast and some of his managerial appointments were questionable to say the least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarpie Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Our spending was unsustainable as you well know. Randy isn't obliged to sell off his family heirlooms to fund an assault on the top four after Man City entered the race. He could well be at fault for cutting too fast and some of his managerial appointments were questionable to say the least. I can really see the logic behind hiring Houllier for couple of years to steady the ship, build the network of contacts in europe, rebuild our scouting etc. and then giving the reins for new younger manager who can take over, but as easy it is to say in the hindsight, it was a great gamble given his health history but this conversation should be on it's own topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob182 Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 I think we should stick with the Benteke/Gabby partnership. I have a feeling that Benteke needs someone to graft with him upfront. Bent doesn't do that, and I think it would end up leaving them both fairly isolated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quizme Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 , in the Ashley Young mould. Like Jordan Graham? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PB Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Would love to see some actual evidence being used to defend the way we've sold our best players and reinvested. Because from what I've seen I can't really see anything to defend, hence our pretty awful squad and dropping more than any other team over the past 2 years. Quite clearly the way we've sold top players and reinvested has failed massively. But it's Randy Lerner so it's defended by some. The books show clearly that he has put everything back in plus some Where it has gone is on wages, fat long term deals agreed on players like Cuellar, Collins, Beye, Heskey, Ireland etc. Thats about £10 million per year in wages right there. Not that hard to grasp is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted November 5, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted November 5, 2012 Just because transfer fees received aren't reinvested as transfer fees paid, does NOT mean the funds aren't reinvested. The huge losses we've shown over the past few seasons are proof that pretty much everything gets reinvested. Randy has consistently invested. Whether you think he should invest more is another poin altogether. But to suggest he's kept transfer fees for himself is nonsense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pelle Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Had a good game against sunderland. A really good game. The only thing that annoyed me was when he in the dyinbg seconds of the game got the ball with no Villa player ahead of him and he chose to try and go for it and lost the ball so they could get one last chance to equalise. I'm all for a striker to try and score, but with 1-0 up and just seconds to go he really should've tried to find a secure backward pass or tyr to get down to the corner falg and hold on to the ball. Apart from that, very good. Hope he can keep the form he's in now for a long time. Just because transfer fees received aren't reinvested as transfer fees paid, does NOT mean the funds aren't reinvested. The huge losses we've shown over the past few seasons are proof that pretty much everything gets reinvested. Randy has consistently invested. Whether you think he should invest more is another poin altogether. But to suggest he's kept transfer fees for himself is nonsense. Undoubtedly this. What was it you said? 80% paid out in wages? That's never sustainable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted November 5, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted November 5, 2012 I don't remember the exact figure, but I'm confident it was above 80% That was prior to last season though so wages must have reduced fairly significantly by now (although income would have taken a hit too) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexicon Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Like Jordan Graham? Hopefully in a few years time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pelle Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 I've heard something similar before, so I think it's quite accurate. I think reduction of the wages is far bigger than the reduction of the income. Among other things we got a pretty good deal with Macron compared to the one we had with Nike. No matter the difference of the quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob182 Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 80% was definately the rough figure that was mentioned a few years ago. I remember reading that our wage bill was higher than Spurs, amongst other sides (this was a Spurs side containing Van der Vaart, Modric etc etc) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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