How do we measure ambition?

[Dave]

Is it purely about how much we spend on players?

 

If so, is Guthrie a more ambitious signing than Gutierrez?

[Coxaux]

Net Spend.

 

[James]

Results and performances, and the club's reaction to it.

[Ikon]

Imo it's about the quality of the player we are going for that shows our ambition. How we are at least trying to attract the best possible players out there. And sometimes we cant get all the best. But still going for the best possible..

 

 

Speaking of transfers that is..

[Parsley]

Through the changes a club makes within itself to achieve success.

[WhatTheFunk]

Imo it's about the quality of the player we are going for that shows our ambition. How we are at least trying to attract the best possible players out there. And sometimes we cant get all the best. But still going for the best possible..

 

 

Speaking of transfers that is..

 

but it's not that simple is it?

 

it's a no brainer that every club in the world wants the top players. it's how the club goes about putting itself in a position to be able to attract, and keep the top players, either in their prime, or by developing them from scratch.

 

there's a million ways to measure ambition, but it's a vague term, and ambition means fuck all at the end of the day if you haven't been successful

[mrmojorisin75]

Net Spend.

 

 

right, THAT'S IT!!!

 

[mrmojorisin75]

yeah, too simple/difficult a question

 

were man u being ambitious when they signed cantona from leeds?  some man u fans maybe thought not at the time...as wullie says on another thread look at arsenal, are they unambitious not replacing their bairns with older equivalents?  bollocks

 

for me if something is broke and needs fixing, so to speak, and it doesn't get fixed then the club could perhaps be said to lack ambition...to qualify that i mean if the club don't take steps to fix it, as mr NE5 points out amongst others money & signings are no guarantee of success

 

we need a midfield (or a playmaker), desperately, have done for years; if we don't fix that problem this summer then....

[James]

This endless 'we need a midfield playmaker' nonsense is complete fantasy.

[Dave]

We've needed a solid, reliable defence for years too btw. Looks like we're getting there.

[Ikon]

Imo it's about the quality of the player we are going for that shows our ambition. How we are at least trying to attract the best possible players out there. And sometimes we cant get all the best. But still going for the best possible..

 

 

Speaking of transfers that is..

 

but it's not that simple is it?

 

it's a no brainer that every club in the world wants the top players. it's how the club goes about putting itself in a position to be able to attract, and keep the top players, either in their prime, or by developing them from scratch.

 

there's a million ways to measure ambition, but it's a vague term, and ambition means f*** all at the end of the day if you haven't been successful

 

I guess i didn't read what i wrote before i posted, a little bit tired.

 

I meant more that it doesn't matter how much or little the player costs as long as it's the best possible signing that the club could attract and can improve the team or the squad.

 

Like if we are going to sign a player to play in the first team then he has to make a difference comparing to the player that used to play in that position, whether he cost's £2m or £15m. As long as the club is always making/thriving for player to make a significant change in quality of the squad.

 

It will take time for most clubs, we will have to build our squad up graduallyand have patience but not standing still in developement because the club doesn't try for the better players that are possible to attract...

 

 

to much shit from me now hehe, got to get some sleep..

[mrmojorisin75]

This endless 'we need a midfield playmaker' nonsense is complete fantasy.

 

how so?

[brummie]

Is it purely about how much we spend on players?

 

If so, is Guthrie a more ambitious signing than Gutierrez?

 

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.

 

[James]

This endless 'we need a midfield playmaker' nonsense is complete fantasy.

 

how so?

 

Because successful teams have never had these fantasy players, and yet people on here think that signing Elano will have a dramatic effect. It won't.

[WhatTheFunk]

This endless 'we need a midfield playmaker' nonsense is complete fantasy.

 

how so?

 

Because successful teams have never had these fantasy players, and yet people on here think that signing Elano will have a dramatic effect. It won't.

 

only because Elano is overrated

 

hark back to our most successful seasons in recent times, and think of the few play makers we had

[Syrette]

So you don't think we need more creativity in midfield then?

[mrmojorisin75]

This endless 'we need a midfield playmaker' nonsense is complete fantasy.

 

how so?

 

Because successful teams have never had these fantasy players, and yet people on here think that signing Elano will have a dramatic effect. It won't.

 

thought i'd covered myself by writing midfield (or playmaker) but apparently not

 

i mean imagination james, personally i don't think it should be coming from a CM position as such but more from the beardsley role if you will...you can afford a more workman like midfield if you have it elsewhere (see the cantona point) but personally i feel we lack creativity...whether spiderman or guthrie can cover that time will tell

 

personally i think it needed addressing, to date it hasn't been

[James]

So you don't think we need more creativity in midfield then?

 

I think we need players who can mix it up. Passing/creativity is just one element, you need players with the speed and pace to carve holes into the opposition, you need players who can stick their foot in, you need two central midfielders who can attack and defend in tandem, and you need players who can dictate the tempo of the game.

 

Although we may need to upgrade Milner/Duff/N'Zogbia, our midfield has very good balance for the 442 system we intend to use, and the creative midfielder people are wanting would be as useful as a chocolate teapot.

[WhatTheFunk]

This endless 'we need a midfield playmaker' nonsense is complete fantasy.

 

how so?

 

Because successful teams have never had these fantasy players, and yet people on here think that signing Elano will have a dramatic effect. It won't.

 

thought i'd covered myself by writing midfield (or playmaker) but apparently not

 

i mean imagination james, personally i don't think it should be coming from a CM position as such but more from the beardsley role if you will...you can afford a more workman like midfield if you have it elsewhere (see the cantona point) but personally i feel we lack creativity...whether spiderman or guthrie can cover that time will tell

 

personally i think it needed addressing, to date it hasn't been

 

creative players i think is the term you're looking for.

 

we need a play maker, yes. we definitely fucking do. whether that "play maker" is in the shape of a winger , deep-lying forward, or a more defensive midfielder, we still need to create chances from open play for our strikers to finish.

 

imo we've only got 2 maybe 3 "play makers" in the side at the moment in Martins, Zoggy and hopefully Guti.

 

we need a couple more who can unlock doors and make things happen

[chicago_shearer]

So you don't think we need more creativity in midfield then?

 

I think we need players who can mix it up. Passing/creativity is just one element, you need players with the speed and pace to carve holes into the opposition, you need players who can stick their foot in, you need two central midfielders who can attack and defend in tandem, and you need players who can dictate the tempo of the game.

 

Although we may need to upgrade Milner/Duff/N'Zogbia, our midfield has very good balance for the 442 system we intend to use, and the creative midfielder people are wanting would be as useful as a chocolate teapot.

 

We don't have that.  So how can our midfield have "good balance"?

[Baggio]

Through the changes a club makes within itself to achieve success.

 

I agree with this.

[James]

So you don't think we need more creativity in midfield then?

 

I think we need players who can mix it up. Passing/creativity is just one element, you need players with the speed and pace to carve holes into the opposition, you need players who can stick their foot in, you need two central midfielders who can attack and defend in tandem, and you need players who can dictate the tempo of the game.

 

Although we may need to upgrade Milner/Duff/N'Zogbia, our midfield has very good balance for the 442 system we intend to use, and the creative midfielder people are wanting would be as useful as a chocolate teapot.

 

We don't have that.  So how can our midfield have "good balance"?

 

Barton and Guthrie will be perfect.

[Alberto2005]

So you don't think we need more creativity in midfield then?

 

I think we need players who can mix it up. Passing/creativity is just one element, you need players with the speed and pace to carve holes into the opposition, you need players who can stick their foot in, you need two central midfielders who can attack and defend in tandem, and you need players who can dictate the tempo of the game.

 

Although we may need to upgrade Milner/Duff/N'Zogbia, our midfield has very good balance for the 442 system we intend to use, and the creative midfielder people are wanting would be as useful as a chocolate teapot.

 

We don't have that.  So how can our midfield have "good balance"?

 

Barton and Guthrie will be perfect.

I'd hate to think that's going to be our central pairing for the year, there's more creativity in Towelie's chat up lines than that.

[Mick]

 

I think we need players who can mix it up. Passing/creativity is just one element, you need players with the speed and pace to carve holes into the opposition, you need players who can stick their foot in, you need two central midfielders who can attack and defend in tandem, and you need players who can dictate the tempo of the game.

 

Although we may need to upgrade Milner/Duff/N'Zogbia, our midfield has very good balance for the 442 system we intend to use, and the creative midfielder people are wanting would be as useful as a chocolate teapot.

 

Our midfield is one dimensional and will get run ragged by the better teams as we are lacking both pace and creativity.  Our central midfield is our weakest position when we can put out our first 11 as I don't think a pairing of two from Butt, Smith, Faye, Guthrie and Barton is good enough and will be walked straight through as we'll.  If we play 4-4-2 with those in the middle then we'll need our wingers to play well every game or we'll struggle to make use of our forwards.

 

To say the creative midfield player people are wanting would be as useful as a chocolate teapot is totally wrong.

[Mick]

 

Barton and Guthrie will be perfect.

 

Barton and Guthrie will be perfect at what?