The Doc's Aston Villa Summer Transfer Diagnosis: In, out, in, out, shake it all about
Tuesday, 03 June 08, 06:00 PM
There's not much I enjoy about the official site. But I did have a cheeky smile at the club's tongue-in-cheek online count of the number of players linked with Villa so far.
They have a point: the quality of summer journalistic research is pretty woeful when it comes to the transfer window. You get the impression that football writers are sitting pissed in a beach bar somewhere linking any half-decent player (and a few rubbish ones) with any half-decent club (and a few others).
I thought it worth looking at Martin O'Neill's record and transfer-window style to see if we can read what the Ulsterman may have in mind, and how it may come about. Ultimately I'm only trying to make a slightly more educated guess than some of the beach bar columnists, but let's have a go anyway.
I'm not going to get drawn into the Barry story itself: I think it's certain that Barry will leave for Anfield once O'Neill gets what he wants out of the Spanish scousers.
The fact that he was so unimpressed with the bunch of players he was offered as make-weights suggests to me that he's no longer interested in Scott Carson, and that there is no burning desire to bring either John Arne-Riise or Jermaine Pennant to Villa Park.
However, I do think that O'Neill likes big, tall strikers; I do think we need a finisher, and we know O'Neill likes to buy British where he can. My guess is that MON will trump 'Arry for Peter Crouch.
With neither Blackburn nor Newcastle in the UEFA Cup, and with both clubs in relative turmoil, Villa's search for a second winger looks destined to me, to revolve around either David Bentley or James Milner.
Milner was a popular player at Villa Park, is younger than Bentley, and has been an O'Neill target since day one. MON likes to get what he wants and isn't a quitter: I fancy James Milner to be on his way for real this time, especially as King Kev looks to bring in his own men.
Equally, Steve Sidwell is a name which has been on our list for over a season. Rumours with no foundation tend to go away quickly. Maybe it's because the ginger-nut reminds O'Neill of his childhood sweetheart Neil Lennon, or maybe it's because he took Villa apart at the Madejski in 06-07, but Sidwell is a dead cert for my money.
Having concluded that O'Neill doesn't fancy Carson much (and who can blame him), you have to wonder where the next 'keeper is coming from. I'm on record as saying that we should stick Stuart Taylor between the sticks and buy a no. 2, but I figure that won't happen.
The rumours of O'Neill's interest in Joe Hart probably come from the beach, as does the possibility of the pie-munching Paul Robinson making the trip to B6. Like I said, O'Neill doesn't give up and I still feel that Brad Guzan will be the hard-fought choice. Are all American goalkeepers called Brad, by the way?
Did anyone mention that we could do with a new right back? After all the speculation about Nelson and Bosingwa and Seitaridis and God knows who else, my money is on O'Neill staying true to form and buying young, black English talent from the U21 stable. Justin Hoyte is my bet.
And now for a couple of wild cards. Losing Barry and buying Sidwell slightly changes the balance. At the moment, Barry provides vision and touch and NRC runs up and down the pitch kicking people. Unless running up and down the pitch kicking people is to be Villa's central tactic next season, the signing of Sidwell would leave us slightly one-dimensional.
We would effectively have Sidwell and NRC running up and down the pitch kicking people, with a fall-back in Petrov (who would run up and down the pitch kicking people if either of the others were injured or, er, crap).
The midfield would be lacking in culture - that's my point. With Berger having talked himself back to Prague, and Gerrard having talked Barry into becoming his water-carrier, there isn't a lot of creative spark in there, is there? I don't think we get this by staying with the "buy young and British" strategy, so I'll go overseas this time.
I hope Freddie Bouma has been duly briefed to have a word with him at Euro 2008, because with HSV having blown Champions League qualification from the Bundesliga, Rafael van der Vaart may well be looking for a fresh challenge. Given that the mega-names are beyond us, this is the one I really hope will come off.
So, like the papers, I've probably recycled a load of old dross and come up with something which will prove to be a million miles wide of the mark. Come to think of it, I don't care if it is as long as we get out there and do something exciting - whatever it is.
My worst nightmare is that we get to early August and then buy Michael Kightly. I guess I shouldn't temp fate.
Comments (36)
Doc, sorry to contradict you, but that article on the official site isn't tongue in cheek .. they love it.
heard on sky sports that liverpool want ashley young aswell.
liverpool wanting ashley young makes tons more sense than barry i think, hes something that they havent got
i also think van der vaart might stay seeing as jol is new coach
and bentley might have come but not now hughes is going to city's millions
whats your thoughts on this sampdoria right back rather/as well as hoyte?
I think that all my negative comments over the last two seasons will all become true and at least I stand by them.
I want to know why the there are rumours of us signing Miralem Pjanic in the papers today. He's literally just signed for Lyon a few days ago.
"And NRC runs up and down the pitch kicking people"
Priceless, Doc. I actually had coffee come out my nose.
I do agree...Even if Barry stays (because MON refuses to sell him), we could still do with a bit more culture, as you say. Your projections make sense, and I can live with all of them, but I do so desperately want that one extra bit of quality that could change Villa's style.
I'm really worried you might be right about these signings. Make or break for MON this season and if that's the quality he's after I'm predicting trouble ahead for Villa.
Doc, if all goes 'pear-shaped' by January and MON ends up managing some team like Sheffield Wednesday I think you should apply for the vacant managers post. Your team certainly gets my vote.
taglor, I think it's a safer bet you will be right than wrong, but hope your wrong. At least you will be big enough to admit it if you are wrong won't you?
Doc, we've got midfield culture in Salifou!
Diamond midfield with NRC holding, Young and Milner/Routledge/Maloney/Bentham on the wings, Salifou in the Zidane role. Trophies!
A general point about the result of a transfer which could go through. If Barry did just happen to leave, who would be the captain? NRC is vice-captain and is probably most likely to step into the role, but would someone like Laursen, who has practically secured a first team place forever with his performance last season, be a better fit for the job.
i think NRC, carew or laursen at a stretch maybe, but none are ideal as a captain
what annoys me about the transfer window is everyday you see new links or actual transfers that make me wish villa had made that move, today for example -
lehmann signs for stuttgart
yohan gourcuff on loan to bordeaux
pablo aimar been offered to pompy for £6.5mil
andyarkitekt, seeing as we have had 5 players leave an already depleted and threadbare squad I reckon we need nead 12 players at least 5 squad and 7 good players. If that happens or say we signed a really fantastic player I will happily declare myself shortsighted and lacking in belief of the Villa corporations mantra in MON we trust, that many Villa plc worshippers have turned their belief system and faith unto. If am I wrong then let the wrathful and heavy hand of even justice strike me from the holy land of Villa park smiting me and all my devilment of unbelieving and falsehood of idividual thought. I will declare unto thee that I shall become a changeling slithering unto the garden of paradise hopeful of forgiveness with whatever true or devious ways available.
Ashley young is staying with us no doubt about that randy or martin would not allow it simple as
The only one there getting from us is barry i really think he is off.
I just wish this barry thing would hurry up and be sorted out ohhh and martin o neill dont be a clown and sell for less than 20million cause thats what his worth especialy when rafa says crouch is worth 12 million and scott carson is worth 10 million
taglor...whats the term Damian uses all the time....something about we can trace a comment back etc. (come on Damian remind me what it is) Well I'll note the above comment if you are indeed proved to be wrong and a doom and gloom monger. In fact if you are wrong I'll show my arse on the Barnsley Town Hall Steps on a Friday neeeet.
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
now that made me chuckle. and our probably not a million miles away, although i hope we will be signing double the amount of players you quote there or we are feeeeecccckkkked next season.
donâ€t worry people.
Iâ€ve just picked up my copy of the claret and blue magazine that I got in the post a couple of days ago and started reading it.
Martin Oâ€Neil says:
â€we are a premier league club so we should really have a bigger squad, that is something we will address in the summer. We want to make some signings because the only way to improve the team is to get more quality players in.â€
so there you go we will have players soon. I canâ€t see him telling a bare faced lie like that.
BELIEVE IN MARTIN Oâ€NEIL
Wow, great.Crouchy back at Villa Park.
If our luck is really in we might be able to tempt Lee Chapman out of retirement.
SWP anyone?
id love to see him buy him, even at 10mil.
another player is shorey.
but i do think we will be needing another demention to the midfield soon, unless we get alonso for barry. which i dont think would be to bad, if they wanted to give use an added 5 mil.
any takers???
i think we can't get vd vaart,but i think we can chase the same type player-Affelay in PSV,he is a talent too. ;D
hoyte ent good enough!
Taglor - you were wrong last year and wrong in January and yet, unless I've missed it, I've not heard you declare your shortsightedness and lack of beleif yet!!!
Doc - good article and probably not too far off.
Taglor,
You're a plank!
BENTLEY AND DAWSON PLEASE.
I think your fairly spot on with the signings there would love bentley to come to VP but doubt it, if we get these signings we are still a bare thread squad, and forgive me lads if u hate this but two signings I have in mind to keep the numbers up and are two great players: Kewell and Finnan, kewell has had a bad couple of years with injury's his main story but at bodymoor heath he wouldnt get injured as often I dont know what Rafa does with his players coz they all have silly injuries (hint hint Barry) and finnan could be available for £1.5M now tell me that wouldnt be a good signing!!!
taglor do not need 12 new players the 5 that left will be replaced with five squad players from the academy. forrester, steiber, delfounso, o halloran and clarke.
that brings our squad back to the same size as last year.
then we will sign 5 more.
I think MON as done well in the trnasfer market. signing players that were crap accordingto most people on here and still finishing ahead of the teams that we were jealous of with their signings
I'd love bentley but having said that, milner is one who could flourish under MON!
Van der Vaart would be very nice indeed! I do hope freddie has a word! And shows him some pictures of the training ground!
Would that attract players you think?
out of those names doc has mentioned, only bentley, van der vaart and milner whet the appetite. i really hope we dont buy crouch, i dont think he is that good.
I like the list Doc, as for Crouch he has said he has "unfinished business" at VP if he`s cheap enough i reckon it could work out ok not too sure about Hoyte maybe as an understudy to Miguel or Chimbonda (if todays rumours turn out to be true)
Anyone heard any more about Diego?!? Or is it a FM08 rumour?!? lol :)
what i dont like about the barry situation is why he would put up with years of crap and then when we finally make europe and the outlook is positive he jumps ship. seems a bit retarded to me. liverpool are crap.
Doc, what about this?
LINK
I wish I could believe you but you disappointed me last time!
Like your call on van der vaart, would be a great buy, hopefully freddie can put in a good word.
As for James Milner I think that is a no go area, he doesn't justify his price tag and will never be an england player; surely got to go for bentley or pederson.
On the subject of Crouch; John Carew is a much better hold up player so we don't need Crouch, need an out and out powerful, quick, and instinctive finisher like defoe but obviously not defoe.
I wasn't wrong we won nothing and there was only 3 points difference between us finishing 8th that's not what I'd call a great season and qulifying for the second rate european cup via the intertoto doesn't mean success. Or maybe I just call success when you win things not like being happy finishing with nothing.
"And NRC runs up and down the pitch kicking people"
like kohoutek said, priceless!! I'm still laughing...
id lov 2 hav crouchie at villa as he might just find back that he used 2 hav :).
UTV
What a b**tard (ready edited!)
I missed out on winning the shirt cos I said Monday 2nd June for our first transfer in.
I really thought we would have got some bodies in by now in view of the current lack of numbers and i truly hope that they know what they are doing behind the scenes.
I read something on teletext today about David Villa ready to go for £17m ?!!! ith Arsenal and Spurs interested...wtf !! Wasn't he worth £45m a short while back ?
I realise that we need squad players and to be honest, most of the names mentioned on here in the last few days can surely only be squad players ! But what about that real hero / star signing that we need in more than one position in order to kick on (wheather GB goes or not)
I want at least one player like Diego or Villa (great name) to come in and wreak havoc on the Premier league whilst playing for Aston Villa, I want MON to get the credit for bringing in at least one real star this coming season.
Before, you say anything we finished higher than Spurs, may be in UEFA just the same and have (supposedly)just as much money as them !
Get the cheque book out Randy.
DIEGO...DIEGO...DIEGO...
UP THE VILLA ;)
AV33 with haven't got the ambition to really do something in the premiership, We have a coward manager who hasn't got the balls to do what we want to see...Its all well and good saying, "Oh well,we haven't got the players" Oh for fcuks sake, do something about it and fcuking buy some players, we need 10 players to come in to have a good squad....now lads, can you see this coward bringing in 10 players???
mike s
Crouch is a good player but i dont think he likes the villa :(