Aston Villa Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2013/14

Neil3030 wrote: »

Guys, if we're going to get stressed out by players linked to QPR this window, by February we will have wasted away!

It's not just because QPR are in for him - he's exactly what we need. I know you could say he's in the Stoke reserve team for a reason but he can't have regressed that much in 2 years.

The last kind of team you need going into a relegation battle is a particularly young one, this worries me more than anything else. Need Vlaar back soon as possible, Lambert also needs to stop biting his tongue on his signings and drop them if theyre playing poor.

Palacios has been finished for quite a while now lads. Understandably hasn't been the same mentally since his brother was murdered. I don't want to sound crass but that's not the type of player you want in a relegation battle. If he was up to it he's the perfect type of player for that Stoke midfield and would be playing every week.

Paully D wrote: »

Palacios has been finished for quite a while now lads. Understandably hasn't been the same mentally since his brother was murdered. I don't want to sound crass but that's not the type of player you want in a relegation battle. If he was up to it he's the perfect type of player for that Stoke midfield and would be playing every week.

Ya it looks that way alright, he must have really lost it if he's not even getting a look in at Stoke. What makes it worse is even O'Neill is signing players outside of England now :pac:

The 4th harbinger?

Corholio wrote: »

Ya it looks that way alright, he must have really lost it if he's not even getting a look in at Stoke. What makes it worse is even O'Neill is signing players outside of England now :pac:

The 4th harbinger?

Yeah i spotted MON doing that lately. :mad:

Who knows what could have happened with Villa if he could have koped on like this years ago.

So even after selling off most of our best players and getting rid of a large chunk of the deadwood Lerner still insists on penny pinching. Surely staying in the Premier League is the number one priority this season? Money from the TV rights alone would be worth the gamble as each club is guaranteed a minimum of £45m each from the £3billion deal with Sky & BT (Championship teams get £1m although relegated teams get a parachute payment of £10m per season for four seasons).

Paul Lambert wrote:

"I understand the finances of it. The club cannot go into major debt. It's got to watch itself".

"It's something I'll meet head-on. I don't know how much, off the top of my head, the chairman has put into the club. I'm pretty sure it's not light".

"I've spoken to him. There are one or two lads there that we will try to get. A lot is dictated by finance. We need a bit of strength in the middle of the pitch".

"Prices in January can be so inflated that you can pay through the nose for someone, and it's a guy you maybe don't want at the club".

"We have to build this club and not let it go back to what has happened before."

Cue Dale Stephens from Charlton for £2m and on £15k per week and a couple of loan signings. We'll have an average Championship side next season :rolleyes:

If they could at least sign Dale Stephens coupled with loans (with option to buy) for Coutinho, Abdoulaye Ba and Luis Cavanda then they should have enough quality to survive.
I don't subscribe to the idea that bringing in experienced players is whats needed, lack of quality is the biggest problem. The likes of Keith Andrews or Wilson Palacios won't keep Villa up.

Frankie Lee wrote: »

If they could at least sign Dale Stephens coupled with loans (with option to buy) for Coutinho, Abdoulaye Ba and Luis Cavanda then they should have enough quality to survive.
I don't subscribe to the idea that bringing in experienced players is whats needed, lack of quality is the biggest problem. The likes of Keith Andrews or Wilson Palacios won't keep Villa up.

A lot of the time they go hand in hand though. Young players MIGHT be good in the future, and if they happen to be good now then they're at a premium price. No one's really saying just buy someone that's 30 years of age. But someone to get the team going from midfield is essential.

Must win game today

CucaFace wrote: »

I was a big fan of his but lets be honest the guy hasn't been heard of in 2 years. There has to be a reason for that, and just forget the Glen Whelan is ahead of him at Stoke, that has to say something about the guy.

Is he really the type of guy we need coming into the club now to save us?

We need a true leader in there, one who is coming in with confidence and who will help out the youngsters who are in the side currently, not one who hasn't played much ball in a years.

It would be too much of a gamble IMO.

Here's the thing. If he is such a crock then why is Arry in for him?
I know part of the reason that he ain't in the stoke 11 is due to injury and then loosing his place to N'Zonzi.

I think he could be a decent player. Who knows, being the experienced head to a bunch of young lads might be just what he needs.

I really feel let down by RL. If this is a tactic to try and not be squeezed during January then fair enough but after 2 seasons of moving on the dead wood I had finally thought we were back to a competitive frame of mind. Maybe he is just selling up on sports teams but if so at least ensure they are the top tier variety. It really does feel like we need a marquee signing but this year there is no Young and Downing to be sold at the end of the season

VILLA: Guzan, Clark, Stevens, Baker, Lowton, Holman, Weimann, Westwood, Delph, N’Zogbia, Benteke

yabadabado wrote: »

see Vlaar is on the bench today ,he will be a huge addition once he is fit to start.With that team being so young is there a case for Given to be called back into the squad ,he might be better at marshalling the defence?

Given is not getting back in, not in the squad today.
Injured or more?

yabadabado wrote: »

If Lambert could add one or two experienced players to that squad in the coming weeks,it could make all the difference.Plenty of talent in the squad but they are just way too inexperienced.What's the average age of the starting 11 ,23/24?

Just under 23

JPA wrote: »

Given is not getting back in, not in the squad today.
Injured or more?

Hopefully he's leaving, but probably just injured.

Calamitous

JPA wrote: »

Mental defending, Delph is a joke, big lunge but actually no contact.

He even looked up before thumping it into his own player.
feckin ****e.

Blatant dive but we had about 4 players around the ball and everyone was waiting for someone else to clear it

Doodee wrote: »

He even looked up before thumping it into his own player.
feckin ****e.

He had loads of ****ing time, he panics whenever he gets the ball, he lost the ball at the other end of the pitch earlier because of dwelling on the ball.

matrim wrote: »

What was even worse was when the corner was cleared it dropped into the middle with 2 villa players closest to it. The both left it for the other one and a Southampton player gets it.

It's back to the problem of no leaders in the middle. Nobody seems to want to step forward and take the game to Southampton

No leaders but zero confidence either, they're all afraid of the ball.
A soft midfield means they're constantly under pressure as well.

New players drastically needed to give the squad a boost and actually get some players who aren't terrified.

I don't understand the 4-3-3 when we are so lackluster in the middle. Should we not be packing midfield and try and gain some semblance of control on the game?

Bannan on for Holman at HT.

sorry but this insipid display of football from villa is killing me.
hate to say it but lambert has no clue,the team is totally bereft of ideas
we are heading down the relegation route for real this time,and lerner doesnt seem to care.

Doodee wrote: »

Really liking the look of Stephens. Very hungry player.

He seems to have a good cross and shot but his defending is a bit suspect at times

Another game where we wont be seeing Ireland.

JPA wrote: »

Bowery on, insanity.

Wigan equalized, Villa in the relegation zone.

Playing like this, that'll be a common theme over the next few months.