I’m off on my holiday tomorrow, so I thought I should perhaps add something, just in case the internet is totally abysmal where I’m going (Turkey, fwiw.)
So where are we at?
The good doctor has been doing his usual thing, in tweeting cryptic stuff, with an earlier one saying “follow your Heart”.
I can only see that as a reference that means we’re after Joe Hart, which would be a mega-signing, perhaps even better than John Terry.
I’ve previously said I don’t believe he’s a fantastic goalie, but he’s pretty good and would be more than good enough in the championship, in my opinion.
But it’s more about the intent and if we were to get him, it would be massive.
Consider he’s supposed to be on about £125k a week. However you rate him personally, this is a serious top class rated player.
And then Xia tweeted another emoji job that suggests to me that we’ve done the sums and the deal is a goer.
So much for the supposed £1 million spend we’re allowed.
Although, in fairness, it would seem we definitely have to sell to buy, because of FFP.
That shouldn’t be a problem though, as Amavi is almost certainly a goner, as it stands.
Veretout is touted to maybe remain, but I’d say he’s a cert to leave too, especially if you see things the way I have, in that he refused to play for us.
Let’s do a few very rough sums.
Terry, at let’s say £80k a week = £4 mill
Hart, at let’s say half his wage for one year, £62.5k a week = £3.125 mill
Which should still leave a few million to spend.
Whelan, £750k and £35k a week(?) on a two year contract = £4 millish(!)
Still leaves room for manoeuvre, I’d suggest.
So at least one or two more coming in.
But I don’t see any more attackers coming in.
And sadly, I don’t see any top rated Mids coming in either.
I’d expect some middling type players, who we won’t be massively impressed with, but maybe just more backup, that improves us overall.
As is the Bruce way.
Solid, but quite boring.
But probably quite sensible.
Then again Xia seems to like springing surprises, so you never know.
Just for a laugh and I know we haven’t really done any business yet, but I’m interested in how we see our chances, given that we’re near favourites to get promoted. Hence the poll.
That’s real fag packet calcs and rushed, so I might well have got them wrong.
Don’t shoot me for it.
Room for manoeuvre, is the point.
I probably should have added “Champions” to the options, but it didn’t occur to me.
Apologies for that.
On a previous thread a couple of weeks ago a poster named Jason mentioned that John Terry, Joe Hart and Glen Whelan ” will be joining to form the spine of the team.
It was Jason’s first post. For his efforts he was criticized by the owner with a suggestion of the post being “strange” Another certain poster thought “barmy” was a more deserved response to the lads suggestion.
Since his first post the lad hasn’t returned. Shame really cause he’s made a good shout in his suggestion and in return got shot down for it.
Good to see the owner and the “specimen of a so called human” shot down by facts and not just small talk.
GREAT SHOUT JASON.
I thought I’d explained this once, but will do so again.
I did indeed think it was a strange first post.
It wasn’t the type of thing people say in their first post at all and it came totally out of the blue.
If it proves to be correct, in hindsight it will be even stranger. Almost as if Jason had serious inside knowledge.
I think you mis-interpret what I meant by strange, in short.
Perhaps I should have said “odd”?
Oh and what odds would you have got on those three coming in?
10,000 to 1 at a guess.
So indeed very strange.
Savo – this site is about debate – I thought it was a ‘barmy’ thing to say but I didn’t abuse the poster in any way and, using Badgers’s maxim something I would say face to face. You, on the other hand, think it’s OK to abuse posters personally.
I’m perfectly happy to acknowledge that Jason may have been right and me wrong.
You’ve scared him off badger 😄
Well if Jason is still out there please come back. TBH nobody thought that Terry was a serious option I still can’t believe we sighed him. Glen Whelen is more like the player you’d expect us to sign
Türkiye Badger’da güzel zaman geçirin
Been a few times Badger over 12 years in fact, wi fi and football pubs everywhere, I think it will be Hart and I wouldn’t mind a bit if it is, Whelan will be a solid player for us hope he sells the dead wood though, should be done and dusted when you get back, might do it this season I bloody hope so.where’s the place your at in Turkey Badger ? if its Icemeler know it well.
Olu Deniz, Bill.
I don’t mind if they’re the three we get, but I just have nagging doubts about the whole thing.
As for the dead wood, we’ll still be lumbered with some of it.
Who’s going to match Richard’s or Gabby’s money, for instance?
Shocking signings/contract renewals, in hindsight.
As for Veretout, I read an article where Xia hinted that he’d refused to play for us.
That’s the sort of thing that needs sorting and if my Liverpool supporting workmate is correct, that’s the kind of thing where Terry will help.
Nice Badger, beach road with two roads off it with shops, keep your head down from them para gliders, golden sands you pay to go on 1/2 mile away from there is another seaside , Isarano don’t know how to spell that nice place that.Your spot on with players not in a hurry to go nobody will buy them, Obonglahor will hang it out that’s for sure.
Looks like Elmohamady will be the next one in, don’t mind him. Not a bad squad player, decent cross on him and Bruce clearly rates him having signed him at Sunderland and Hull previously. Could also make way for the exit of Hutton. Have to say though if Bruce was raiding Hull I would love that lad Clucas. Feel we need depth on the wings and the lad looks a cracking player whenever I’ve seen him.
As for Hart, can’t see it happening myself but the fact we are making a move for him shows a real statement of intent from us, whatever the outcome is.
Growing more and more confident of promotion now with each passing day, buzzing for the new season. UTV!!
JT wages ciovered by ‘recon’ sponsorship (see his shirt)! For those who didnt know, Dr T owns recon! Who’s to say we cant do the same for Hart? Dr T is a very clever businessman and I think he can easily find a way to get around FFP…Dont worry, stay positive and enjoy the ride!
UTV
UTV….should stop people complaining, but I doubt it! For those who didn’t know Dr T owns recon!
I said a good while back that the supposed £1 mill spend was a load of rubbish and that we’d get round it.
I’m not sure I’ve seen or heard anyone complaining.
It’s more about having doubts.
We all know nothing has been straightforward at the Villa for a number of years and things rarely go our way.
The quality of the squad on paper compared to where it actually finished in the league is a good example, imo.
So he had all that money from Recon and wasted it in Terry and you think he’s a good business man. Unless it’s simply a commercial move like signing Beckham
Recon has now been removed from JTs shirt….its done its job :)! I suspect that we will be seeing a bit more of this ‘creativity’! We are NOT skint guys. We have numerous revenue strams that we can tap into…FFP, wots that lol?
UTV
Ffp will hamper us unless we sell some players
“The Deadwood Stage is coming up over the hill” is I think the line from a musical but it does now apply to Villa. Question the leaders must ask themselves is – how likely is it that injuries will force us to call on Gabby or Micah, maybe Vertout as well? IMO not likely at all so why don’t we pay off their contracts on the normal monthly basis and sack them from the club? Thus releasing their squad numbers and getting them off our playing-staff list.
Two of the signings mooted don’t enthuse me. Whelan is a centre circle player not quite a Cropley or Cowans. If he is reckoned to strengthen our midfield, then that really is as bad as it looked. Elmohamedy is enthusiastic and hard-working, but was careless in the clips I saw of him.
I can’t remember if I’ve said this before, but Whelan was described by my Stokie mate as a very disciplined player who stays in a specific area, which their fans describe as his “cage”.
You have to assume that’s what Bruce wants, which I guess leaves the more adventurous mids room to do their thing.
Should be decent backup for Jedinak, I suppose.
Whelen could prob do the same job as jedinek so would be useful to fill in for him from time to time
Calamity Jane OLL, fell in love with DD at fifteen, I’ve always said pay them off but would the club suffer in some way, any player is only a stop gap that comes in this season I would think ? 12 months contracts looks on the cards for most of them 2 at the most.
R. I. P BRADLEY SUNDERLAND LEGEND very sad 😔
Indeed Giddy!
RIP Bradley, such a brave and courageous young man. My thoughts are with you, your family and friends. RIP Bradley!
The loss of a young life is always something to mourn whether Bradley or the young lass killed in the Manchester bombing. We need to remember them all in our thoughts and our prayers
Whelan loks like a cert to me now as Jedinak has had a groin operation!
UTV
makes perfect sense to have another jedinak type player. somebody who can protect the defense. seeing how we fell apart without jedinak last season. another good peace of business by bruce. big player who will be instrumental this season. looking good
Agreed Nath. Give Jedinak plenty of time to recover. Coukd actually be a iutcome for us with Whelan/Jedinak sharing the shirt.
Still nothing from my man. But will keep tabs over the weekend and post when/if I hear anything.
Looks like Newcastle are clearing the decks for Hart as they appear to accepting bids for Darlow…..this is just my guess!
UTV
Sorry….taking bids for Darlow, NOT accepting!
Bruce reported as saying he’s hoping to tie up a deal for Johnston in next 48 hours
Bad news
Unfortunately Oohah, he’s now about as good as our incredibly low standard setup we will get.
Very True Andrew
Just look, Wolves signed one of the brightest young defensive mids in Ruben Neves… We’re looking to sign bloody Whelan. Shows how low our standards are.
Typical Villa either sign them well past their best or young and hungry with no ability
andrew
you are not allowed to post comments like that
dads army on zimmer frames are going to win league ,now i dont know if it will be championship ,div 1,div2 or conference
Agreed Hitch…think Johnstone will be iur GK. Wish my man woukd come up with a tweet update! TBH, I would be happy with Johnstone or Hart.
UTV
Both are crap imo
villa have accepted sevilla bid for amavi 🙂 but itswell below his value, i guess we had to sell somebody thou he was the most saleable asset
Looks like Gil off to Deportivo – not in Portugal
Sad to see him go, one of the more technically gifted players we had, so it’s far from surprising we sold him. As you said, he was one of the best assets we had to sell, top teams from other Countries wanted him, Monaco, PSG, Sevilla, etc. And he’s one of the few players we could sell and get anything above 5m for. We have like, 2-3 other players we could get that kind of money for, that’s about it. He suits attacking football and that’s what Sevilla gives you. Hope he does well, so he can prove himself.
don’t know what the fuss was about johnstone. he performed really well for villa. got stronger as the season went on,overall looks a decent keeper. he will be far better again this season having player like terry in-front of him
He was rubbish
matter of opinion
Nath…in ooha’s world, its only ooha’s opinion that counts!
UTv
Correct
Oohah you are priceless – you must be the funniest negative poster on here 🙂
I’m sure there’s a backhanded compliment in there somewhere Hitchens 😄😄