brummie

Yet again, they seemed to have signed a number of players without markedly improving themselves. Year-in, year-out the same thing happens, and again they'll finish 3rd at best. To be honest, I still think they'll finish 4th by some way, and I think Keane and Torres will work well together, but they don't look in any where nearer to challenging for the title. The top four becomes more and more the top two plus the next two. I'll also say - and I really mean this - that, even putitng to one side their nefarious behaviour this summer, if Barry left for Chelsea or Man United, or even Arsenal, I wouldn't blame him, but Liverpool ......

Liverpool are looking good tonight aren't they? *nonchalant, whistling emoticon*

Forcing Liverpool to act. In the next 22.5 hours? I don't think even Loans4U will turn around an application that quickly.

Incidentally, MON has said on R5 tonight that Barry has "asked to play tomorrow" in the UEFA Cup. Make of that what you will.

To be honest, I can't remember a Villa player in 30 years who has made me as undecided as Gabby. Sometimes, he does things which make me think he's potentially got it all, then he'll have spells which make me think he's really not got it. I'm not alone on that front, it is a relatively widely held viewpoint. We do need something different up front, though. We scored more goals than almost everyone last year, but they were spread through the team, we need a striker with a better goal rate than those we have now. It is quite exciting at the moment. More than anything, I want the progress to be sustainable, and so far the signs are that it will be. We've still got a lot to do this window, mind.

Petrov certainly hasn't. Most disappointing. Maloney hasn't really been given the chance yet. That Gattuso bloke did alright for himself after a spell in Scotland, mind.

Sorry, just picked up on the Boumsong reference, wasn't referring specifically to you, but to the other mentions of him. True, Cuellar could flop completely, but so could anyone. He looked pretty good in the UEFA cup last year, and I think as one of our options at CB he'll strengthen us considerably. Cuellar isn't a replacement for anyone, we had three centre backs, and one of them is long term injured (Davies, although making his way back soon apparently), it is a move to strengthen the squad. We'd pathetic small numbers last season, we were really lucky with injuries. That won't happen again this season, and we're also going to have to play UEFA cup matches, we desperately needed strengthening. Sidwell is a totally different player to Barry, it is hard to see how he'd have been bought to replace him. Barry's still there, yes, he might stay, he might not, but I think it is unfair to say we've not strengthened because we've lost Barry (when we haven't) and replaced him with Sidwell (which we haven't).

Bouma is a better player than Shorey, but his right foot currently points in the wrong direction, hence the need for another LB. When Bouma comes back, we'll have two LBs instead of one at the club. The other obvious improvement is that we now have a right back. Mellberg did ok there defensively, but was awful coming forward. We've now got Luke Young to play there. If you can find me a single Villa fan who thinks Mellberg is a better option at right back than Luke Young, I'll eat my metaphorical hat.

Don't see it personally. Sidwell is a step down from Barry and Cuellar will be at best an able replacement for Mellberg, at worst Boumsong 2.. where have they improved? Friedel looks to be the only improvement. Sidwell isn't a Barry replacement, though. Mellberg has been on a downward slope for 3 years now. He's a hero to us, but any Villa fan will tell you his best years are gone. He also played the entirety of last season at RB, so I don't see how Cuellar replaces him. Calling Cuellar Boumsong 2 is a bit harsh. He's come from the SPL and he's a foreign defender, does that mean he's shit as well?

I actually thought we were pretty good to watch going forward last year, Young and Agbonlahor breaking from midfield. I know we scored a lot of goals from free kicks, too, but lest we forget, only Man United (and maybe Spurs) scored more goals than we did. You don't go to Stamford Bridge and score four goals without having a go, although that match highlights what our main problem was last year - keeping clean sheets. Second half of the season, we paid for Carson's Croatia nightmare in practically every match, we didn't keep a clean sheet for months and months. If we'd have had a decent goalkeeper, quite a few of those draws would have been turned into wins. Also, re Barry - he's not pivotal to us. A lot of opposition fans tend to take the "he's their best player" route because they just assume he is. He might be our highest profile player, but he went missing for big chunks of last season, and Young, Laursen and Bouma all had better seasons than he did. If he goes, he'll need replacing, but I'd be far more worried if it were Young going.

I really rate him and would be quite happy if we signed him. I know we've been linked with him, vaguely, but I can't help thinking it is fanciful, they'd never sell him to us. Not after we sold them Liam Ridgewell He's by some way the only player of theirs I'd want. That's not saying that much, but he's a very promising player. Apparently we're the only club that have put a bid in for him that was rejected, I rate him too and just wondered what the opinion of him was down your way. He'll be a top centre mid in a few years when he matures, similar to Barry he won't be stuck out wide forever. He's told the Porno Dwarf quite clearly that he isn't interested in staying and wants out. Sullivan will shit a brick about having a rapidly depreciating asset on his books and sell him toute de suite. You'll end up with him, I would have thought. Although I had heard Blackburn were interested too.

I think he does too. *fist shaking emoticon*

I really rate him and would be quite happy if we signed him. I know we've been linked with him, vaguely, but I can't help thinking it is fanciful, they'd never sell him to us. Not after we sold them Liam Ridgewell He's by some way the only player of theirs I'd want. That's not saying that much, but he's a very promising player.

Going into the last game of last season - and I may be wrong here - I think it was possible for us to finish anywhere between 6th and 9th (if not 9th, then it was certainly 8th) depending on how ours and other results went. That's how tight it is in the bunch of teams after UEFA cup qualification.

Don't get me wrong, that above post makes it all look so simple, but it has been at times incredibly fucking frustrating, and worrying, and in many ways it still is. The whole of last season with no RM and no RB. That's no right side. Incredibly frustrating, and we were very lucky with injuries and suspensions. I'vebeen amongst the people seriously questioning what the manager was doing, but to give him his due, two years ago we were fucked and doomed. Looking at the situation now it is very different. Not on the cusp of anything amazing, but solidly getting better and better. Having a new owner has helped massively, but money alone isn't enough. The manager has got us from 16th to 11th to 6th. He's earned the right to do it in his slightly seat-of-the-pants, seemingly illogical way.

The quality was already there in some areas, in Young, Laursen, Barry (not him again) and Bouma (get well soon). Our problem last season was that we had areas where we had literally nothing. Mellberg forced to play a whole season out of position at RB, no right sided midfielder etc. Gardner forced to deputise at RB, even NRC at one point. No goalkeeper cover of note (Taylor is rubbish, and so was Carson the first choice). You're exactly right, though, our aim this season is to become / remain (as you see it) the best of the rest and consolidate our position. If we're going to break the top four (and personally, I think it is a long way off), then it will not happen in the space of one or two seasons, and if it happens at all, i want it to be sustainable. I'm most happy because he seems to be taking a longer term view in building a squad. Laursen, Davies, Cuellar, Knight as CBs. Even given Knight at 4th choice, that's pretty good. Guzan and Friedel cover GK for some time to come. Shorey and Bouma at LB, very good. Young plus another RB will be good in that position. Our obv needs now are right side midfield and the option to have something a bit different up front. None of this stuff will happen overnight, but seeing steps being taken in the right direction makes me pretty happy.

I think that kind of thing needs to be looked at in a much wider picture. From a Villa point of view, I think our most important signings are Friedel and Guzan for a total of 3m-ish. You've got to trust the manager to see holes which need filling in the squad, identify players to fill them and then go and get them, and be supported by the chairman to do so. If the chairman trusts the manager to do his job and backs it up with the money to do so (on a "you do your bit, this is me doing mine" basis) then that's every bit as ambitious as going out and signing your 3rd European midfield show pony of the summer.

How many players you got so far this window now and how much spent? sidwell, friedel, gusman, cuellar and young? nicky shorey as well iirc Curtis Davies actually signed this summer, having technically been on a year long loan last season. About £30m spent I make that. I think that's about right. Davies - 9 Cuellar - 7.8 Young - 5.5 Sidwell - 5 Shorey - 4.5 Friedel - 2 Guzan - 1 Total = 34.8 Out Moore - 3 Sorensen, Berger, Mellberg - all free. Spend = 31.8 He's got a lot of holes in the squad still to fill, to be honest, so he'll need to spend a bit more yet.

Cuellar signing is confirmed now. This time last week I was suicidal at our business. Right now I'm way more happy. That's fickle football fans for you.

Anton Ferdinand - 10m Younes Kaboul - 6m Carlos Cuellar - 7.8m Those were two others we were linked with this summer. I know which one looks the best.

Laughable and terrifying. In that order

Should the club chairman really be speaking about things like this? Surely he should just let the manager make the call on it?

It was never a problem for Chris Waddle, was it?

Does that mean he's spending the Barry cash or is it going through regardless? From everything we've been told, he's got an open chequebook, so the Barry cash doesn't really come in to it. I actually think the stragegy re Barry was to try to convince him to stay by the players we'd be buying. Until recently this has looked pretty unlikely. The defenders we've signed, Shorey, Young and Cuellar, plus the two keepers Friedel and understudy Guzan are a massive improvement in our defence, and exactly what we needed. Laursen, Curtis Davies, Cuellar and Knight (well, someone has to be 4th choice) as CB options, Bouma and Shorey at LB, Young at RB with a bit of competition - can't argue with that, really. I suspect the strategy is to hold on to Barry until we've completed our business in the hope he's more convinced we can challenge, having taken a gamble on Liverpool not wanting to pony up the cash for him. I still think he'll go, tbh, but I'm not too proud to say I'd still much prefer he stayed.

Well happy with Cuellar. Fuck knows where that one came from. MON transfer windows are the most frustrating thing on earth, unbelievable. If Cuellar completes tomorrow (to be honest, I suspect it is done and dusted already) and the rumours about De La Red come true, a fucking awful window will be well on the way to becoming a very decent one.