Summer transfer window 2017/18

achilles wrote:Having said that Bruce is never going to drop Whelan!

We play with ten men then. I watched the Reading players run rings round him on Tuesday, there are a couple of times on the highlights (that's just under 10 minutes of Reading highlighs and two or three bits of Villa) you can see him left for dead. He contributes nothing in defence and nothing in attack. Hourihane contributes both and his free kicks and corners are excellent. On the other hand he does make assists and score goals so I can see why we wouldn't want him on the pitch.

Hourihan is a proper box to box midfielder whose stats for tackles and interceptions were as good as those for his goals and assists. Yet Bruce plays Lansbury in his position.

According to the press in Sunderland McCormack's about to sign for Sunderland on a year long loan. Don't understand the logic in that at all, even if we don't intend to use him, what's the point in giving him to a rival, and for free at that. Wouldn't be surprised at all if he outscores all our players.

deadbuzzardalive wrote:According to the press in Sunderland McCormack's about to sign for Sunderland on a year long loan. Don't understand the logic in that at all, even if we don't intend to use him, what's the point in giving him to a rival, and for free at that. Wouldn't be surprised at all if he outscores all our players.

Don't start me on this as I think it is utterly farcical!

If we want a winger, how about getting Jordan Graham back, left out of Wolves squad today and Nuno doesn't seem to rate him, despite the fact that he's been pretty good for them, with a very good assist record.

We don't need any more players. Save that money, use youths and let the squad gel as it is

If Green was to get injured or in need of break, we'd be pretty weak down the left-hand side. Also think we could do with another defender one with pace, and I'm pretty sure we're going to go for another striker.

Don't think so. Bjarnason, Kodjia, Grealish, O'Hare, Adomah, Gabby, RHM, can also cover there, and that is just from the top of my head. We can't sign a new player at the slightest worry of injury issues.

A CB shouldnt be needed either. We got three seniors at sufficient level then Suliman can cover and that is not counting Elphick.

Strikers we definately don't need. RHM, Davis, Gabby, Hogan, Kodjia, O'Hare and half the time we we will play with one striker of tactical reasons.

I think Davis proved yesterday that we don't need Gallagher certainly. If someone absolutely top notch came available of McGrath forbid we lost kodjia then obviously bring someone in but no loans or squad additions up top. I think we just need a cover left back as a squad player. And maybe another centre half to give what we have a kick up the arse. The bulk Of The squad is already there it just needs to be set up right

Apparently Brighton interested in Hourihane?

They can f*ck off as he only just started playing well for us?

Nixon saying Brighton had a good chance of Hourihane, but then he scored an hat trick yesterday. Bruce shouldn't have been thinking of selling him, even before his goals yesterday. For me, because of his goals and assists he's just as important as Kodjia, so to sell him would be foolish, and send out the wrong message.

Think I'd quit on Villa if we sold Hourihane now.

Maybe Colback was/is the replacement.

To be fair this is the same Nixon who's said this summer that Hutton's going to Wednesday and we want Crouch.

Joppe84 wrote:We don't need any more players. Save that money,  use youths and let the squad gel as it is

May I ask why you're so adamant that we don't need any more players? Because I simply cannot fathom that notion.

1. We only have ONE senior left-back at the moment. So much so that Thor had to play there against Colchester

2. Chester, Terry and Samba are the only senior central defenders being used right now. So if two of them happen to get injured or suspended, we'll be in big trouble.

3. We have no-one to challenge Green for his place on the left-wing at all

Now granted, If Elphick is still here next month then we'll have four senior centre-backs to rely on, but he hasn't been in any of the first team squads this season and didn't play in pre-season either. So it doesn't look good for him right now. I also think it would be a HUGE risk relying on Suliman at the moment. I'd much prefer to see him go back on loan to gain a little more experience before he plays for us.

At the end of the day I just hope Garder, Elphick, Richards (yeah right) and Mccormack head out the door, and then we bring in Snodgrass, a left-back and Centre-back. For me, that would balance out our squad perfectly. And if we can land Gallacher on top of those three then it would be brilliant aswell.

Joppe84 wrote:Think I'd quit on Villa if we sold Hourihane now.

In what galaxy would it make sense for us to sell our top scorer and the first midfield threat we've had in about a million years? Would be madness

We tend not to play the players who are very close to leaving, if this story were true, I couldn't see Hourihane playing yesterday.

It was good to see a centre forward hold the ball up long enough for Hourihane to hit the box late yesterday, I have been disappointed with Hourihane before yesterday, lets hope he can keep improving.

AstonThriller wrote:

Joppe84 wrote:We don't need any more players. Save that money,  use youths and let the squad gel as it is

May I ask why you're so adamant that we don't need any more players? Because I simply cannot fathom that notion.

1. We only have ONE senior left-back at the moment. So much so that Thor had to play there against Colchester

2. Chester, Terry and Samba are the only senior central defenders being used right now. So if two of them happen to get injured or suspended, we'll be in big trouble.

3. We have no-one to challenge Green for his place on the left-wing at all

Now granted, If Elphick is still here next month then we'll have four senior centre-backs to rely on, but he hasn't been in any of the first team squads this season and didn't play in pre-season either. So it doesn't look good for him right now. I also think it would be a HUGE risk relying on Suliman at the moment. I'd much prefer to see him go back on loan to gain a little more experience before he plays for us.

At the end of the day I just hope Garder, Elphick, Richards (yeah right) and Mccormack head out the door, and then we bring in Snodgrass, a left-back and Centre-back. For me, that would balance out our squad perfectly. And if we can land Gallacher on top of those three then it would be brilliant aswell.

Pretty much covered it in my post. You seem to think we are a club playing at the top echelons and need 2-3 players for every positions. With our finances we'd be lucky to have one quality first team player for our level and use youth as backup. Times have changed. And we don't have one senior left back. De Laet can also play there.

Joppe84 wrote:

Pretty much covered it in my post. You seem to think we are a club playing at the top echelons and need 2-3 players for every positions. With our finances we'd be lucky to have one quality first team player for our level and use youth as backup. Times have changed. And we don't have one senior left back. De Laet can also play there.

No you didn't, you just spouted the same nonsense about "playing youngsters" when the likes of Suliman has barely played much games at senior level. And as for De laet. He's NOT a left-back, he's a right-back. It's simply stupid to shoehorn players into a position when that's not their natural position. Just like it's stupid using Thor at left-back too. You might be content with the bare minimum and act like the money the clubs spends is your own, but I want better for this club thank you very much.

Pretty much every club in the championship will have two senior left-backs, it's not a luxury, the back up doesn't have to cost millions, and the same for every position. De Laet played at left-back for Middlesbrough because of an injury crisis and he was poor for them in that position according to their fans. We shouldn't be in a position where we have to start playing players out of position after a few injuries.

As for the youth, if you have four or five in and around the first team squad then you're doing well, we can't fill up half of our squad with them, our academy isn't quite on the level of Ajax's or Barcelona's yet.

Well you call it nonsense. I call it a reflected opinion. I heard the same bullshit you spout before we gave Davis a shot. Apparantly we had to buy seniors to get anywhere. Fact is that we have a very decent squad and our youths can handle being backup, and the data shows it.

The story on Hourihane is that Brighton were prepared to pay £4m; I'd suggest that even before yesterday, he was worth £10m which might seem excessive but this is the guy who scored seven goals and got 14 assists from midfield last season and also had some of the best tackling and passing stats in the division, factoring in the fact that it's a Premier league club who want him as well, and that adds more to his value.

Joppe84 wrote:Well you call it nonsense. I call it a reflected opinion. I heard the same bullshit you spout before we gave Davis a shot. Apparantly we had to buy seniors to get anywhere. Fact is that we have a very decent squad and our youths can handle being backup, and the data shows it.

Erm DAVIS IS A STRIKER WHO PLAYED UPFRONT IN HIS NATURAL POSITION. How is that the same as forcing De-leat to play out of position just because you have an obsession with the club not spending? Also, what "data" are you talking about? Right now we have two youngsters playing for the semior team in the league. Green just got his first goal for the club and Davis hasn't scored yet. So what on earth are you going on about?

You really don't need to be so aggressive. Just calm down. I disagree with you, all though that's nothing new. Now move on.

As for obsession or content with minimum. How about your stop inventing stuff and putting words in people's mouths.

The notion that we can spend our way out of this league just doesn't hold water. We are already in a jam with FFP, and need to focus on what we got.

Joppe84 wrote:You really don't need to be so aggressive. Just calm down. I disagree with you, all though that's nothing new. Now move on.

As for obsession or content with minimum. How about your stop inventing stuff and putting words in people's mouths.

The notion that we can spend our way out of this league just doesn't hold water. We are already in a jam with FFP, and need to focus on what we got.

You ever heard of a little thing called the LOAN MARKET? Look it up!!!..you'll find that we'll be able to get decent players in without having to pay major fees.

Think we can save our money till January. Kodja to return soon. Borg looked pretty useful at left back in pre season ans will do as back up.
We need players out. We have three right backs (including Hutton masquerading as one). He can go, along with Gardiner & McCormack(looking more likely as Wood going to Burnley).Do we need Bunn? Love to see the back of Agbonlahor and Richards but never going to happen. Perhaps pay them off?