Aston Villa made their first signing of the January transfer window and it was former Norwich striker, Grant Holt, 32. There have been mixed opinions in regards to this signing, usually I’m on the positive side, supporting Lambert and his signings. But this time, I reckon he’s crossed the line. Holt was brought in to cover Kozak, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. The fact is, Holt offers nothing different to what Villa already have. He doesn’t offer a new dimension nor will be able to change the style of play off the bench. He is really slow, sluggish, strong, tall and that’s about it. What we have essential done is re-sign Emile Heskey from Wigan.
What bothers me the most is that Lambert had already signed a good striker in the summer, Niklas Helenius. The Dane is yet to start a League game but has already halved Holt’s goal tally for the season! That single goal against Sheffield United is half of what Holt has achieved in over 12 games. Plus, in my honest opinion, I reckon, as a player Helenius offers much more than Holt. Helenius has technical ability, good vision, tall, strong and can score a goal. The arrival of Holt has just dropped Helenius lower in the pecking order. I’ll admit, Holt is experienced, however I still think it would benefit Aston Villa in the long-run if we gave Helenius a chance.
Aston Villa haven’t scored many goals this season so it’s fair to say why Lambert wanted to sign a new striker on loan. But the problem lies elsewhere. Aston Villa have no left-winger nor attacking midfielder. These are the two positions that I want Lambert to focus on. What’s the point of having several forwards if we have no players to create. There isn’t much service for these forwards. If Lambert can bring in a much more needed player, then the signing of Holt won’t be looking as bad.
Overall, I do wish Holt well though, if he can score a goal or two that would be considered a success. Our last loan signing during January was Robbie Keane and he was a huge success. Keane scored 3 goals and provided 1 assist in 7 appearances. I doubt that Holt will be able to make such an impact but hopefully the least he could do is give the younger players some advice and be an example, that’s what experience is for right?
Agree with all of this article i think buying the wigan reserve striker after he apparantly wasnt good enough for us was Paul Lambert first arrived is just embarrasing, and anyone who says he is just backup and will be on the bench, the injury record of Benteke and Gabby this season means he could be our number one striker for some crucial games that determine if we stay up. We are such a joke now is really is untrue
The merits of this deal totally depends on whether we bring in players of quality who will go straight into the first team or not. If we do i don’t care and if we don’t its a joke.
Stoke and Hull are all signing Premier League players. While we are after a Championship striker that isn’t even able to break into the Wigan team. Wigan fan’s are clearly happy…
I hope it’s not a signing like when we bought Cascarino, we know how that turned out!
Off topic…..for those who are interested. You can watch the FA Youth Cup 4th Round against Liverpool live and for free to sky subscribers. Its Available on Liverpool FCTV (channel 429). Coverage starts at 6.30pm.
Fuck off Lerner, Red Bull and anyone else who wants to fuck about with our history and tradition…the Villa is OURS!
I’m ok with holt coming in as back up, as long as we sign a quality midfielder and defender. Come on villa show us fans that we want to progress
There must be some money available for a quality AM.
If you read the OS yesterday you would have seen the following quote from PL ‘we are STILL looking to strengthen in a couple of positions’. Holt makes perfect football and economical sense as a short term replacement for Kozak. If we had bought a replacement for Kozak we would have had less to spend on the other 2 positions referred to in the Lambert quote above. Perfectly rational and logical decision IMO
Fuck off Lerner and Red Bull, the Villa is OURS
Why is it that Langford is one of the only people on here looking at this from a sensible perspective? This is a loan until the end of the season, or essentially until Kozak is fit, the cost is very small and should enable funds to be spent elsewhere in the team where longer term signings are needed.
I really wonder about some of the people on the site at times. Badger complains that Holt offers nothing different – dare I say that’s exactly what Lambert is looking for – a player that can fit into our system with as little disruption to the rest of the team as possible??? an older head who can guide and educate some of the other players, a “real guy” who’s been up and down the leagues. You moan that this pushes Helenius down the pecking order but do you not think that Lambert and his staff have seen a bit more of Helenius than the rest of us, believe me, if they thought he was ready he’d be playing. Lambert clearly sees (or did) see something in him but I would guess he’s still a work in progress. How much of him have you actually seen badger to hold him in such high regard?
FWIW I don’t have an issue with the signing of Grant Holt, it makes perfect sense to me and genuinely feel Lambert will get the best out of him when he is needed. I just hope there is money to spend elsewhere on a DM and AM.
jaymo
I agree with both of you, can’t see what the issue is and what a warm welcome he’s getting.
Welcome to Aston Villa?
I dont get the harsh response to Holt, he is a loan deal in for one of our Subs!
Lots of experience is a grafter with a good attitude may have a positive impact to our younger players. Cant imagine he has dented the coffers too much especially as we have now got the £65k a week of Ireland off our books. if it fails its no big deal its not like we bought him in the summer for £3m and stuck him on a four year contract, played him 12 times and then ignored him(Beye).
I am not happy with the tactics or even other aspects of how Villa are being run this signing bears no relevance to that train of thought or argument, and i will give him a cheer as well.
Think he has his own song already as well
Morgan, let me guess his song…who ate all the pies 🙂
It is something about his eating lol, was not hilarious but was on twitter within minutes of him signing
Jaymo, please look at the top of the page to see who the actual author is.
Suffice to say, it isn’t me.
Regardless, if you want my opinion, no problem, here it is;
No, I haven’t seen much of him, but from what I have seen, he isn’t anything special.
I have to question why he can’t get a start at a champoinship club, but would guess it’s probably because he’s past it.
I think I may have read that he’s fallen out with someone at wigan, but it doesn’t matter, imo.
If he was any good, he’d be playing regardless, unless the manager is a total idiot.
Which takes me back to Lambert and his relationship with helenius, fwiw.
The point is, I thought we were looking to progress?
I don’t see the slightest hint of that in this signing, even if it’s only a short term loan.
Helenius is a player Lambert signed and he should be given a chance.
What’s the other option? He stays not playing, while still drawing a wage, when we’re supposed to be looking at saving money?
Mind you, with Lambert’s logic, it makes perfect sense.
A totally uninspiring signing, by an uninspiring manager, simple.
Badger…he is experienced, cost nothing, pretty good PL scoring record…its a NO lose situation for Villa AND, given that we needed a replacement for Kozak it makes good sense IMO. BTW, it also leaves us with more money to buy the ‘couple of positions’ that we are going to strenghten the squad with as I quoted numerous times on this post. Would you rather have spent all the dosh on the replacement for Kozak and left nothing in reserve? As for Helenius, I am at a loss why he has not been given a chance. Nothwithstanding that. He is hardly an experienced player…the sort that we desperately need, is he?
I see what you’re saying, but think you miss the point that we need experienced QUALITY in the middle, not up front.
We could have Messi at the Villa, but if we can’t get the ball into the area where he can do his work, he’d be total shite.
Will Lambert get anyone in of decent quality, that will actually IMPROVE us? is the question.
My money says not a chance in Hell.
As for LB, well that’s just embarrassing.
As poor as many think Warnock was, he was still miles better than anyone who has followed since, when it comes to actual defending.
Likewise with Mutton, come to think of it, which is a disgusting thought, but sums it all up to me.
Thats my point. We havent spend anything on a striker…so presumably, what little we have to spend will be used in the area you mention!
i totally agree ~ we need some sort of back up 4 benteke. holt wasn’t fast in his prime that’s not this game. hes a pain in the arse for defenders ~ battler, grafter ~ plus benteke plays his A game and stays fit holt will not be needed
more concerning matters is lack of funds for a attacking midfielder, i thought get rid of ireland and bring in a replacement ~ tonov has struggled its likely we will not strengthen now unless its a loan,
Personally don’t see the big issue here. Makes sense to have a back-up just in case and tbh at the moment he’s not far worthy of a shout for being thrown straight in on the starting line up. Hopefully Benteke’s goal against the arse will kick start his goal tally from now till the end. Agbonlahor is a given but doesn’t bag enough goals and never really has and I’d definitely have holt in over Weimann as he has been so so poor this season it’s untrue.
442 with bacuna on the right and gabby on the left with holt and benteke up front would do well I think. We’ll see but it’s definitely not a terrible signing epecially considering it’s a loan deal. We could do worse and the word ’embarassing’ is far too strong imo.
I do suspect though this signing has more to do with the backroom atmosphere than anything esle
I agree the MarkDraper I think this signing is more a dressing room/training ground atmosphere signing, which surely is Lambert and his staffs job…. Nothing against the lad but if we don’t sign a decent attacking midfielder, the rest of the season will be like watching paint dry.
I suppose at the end of the day being a fan you must get behind the chap he is wearing the claret & blue.im glad it’s not permanent though.
Lewis Holtby is available to loan ~ he wants 2 play the number 10 and hes very creative but hes way down the pecking order ~ he fits all the criteria lamberts expressed hes looking 4 WOT THE PROBLEM snap him up b4 some fecker else does !!!!!!!!!! irelands gone that should be around wot spurs are paying holtby
yey! we’ve got holt, stoke have just signed guidette from man city. stoke can afford him but we cant?
also Norwich have signed winger and AM guiterez from Newcastle, an attacking AM on loan who is desperate to prove his worth in the prem once more after falling out of favour at Newcastle and we are after hoolahan.
while I wish any player we get in the best of luck and I will support them fully while on the pitch this is getting stupid.
and as Nath said Holby is available for loan, why aren’t we in for him?
NM my last post was polite,& has nothing to do with what i really feel.yes there are better out there mate.
Interesting cortese has left saints does this mean they are selling.
im getting even more concerned giddy, other teams are making signings, every player of any quality we have been linked to has disappeared.
I cant believe that the powers that be at Villa, chairman, manager, ceo’s think our squad is a safe bet for survival, they must do because they are making no serious attempt to strengthen during this window so they must be pretty confident, personally I am not at all confident of our survival this time round.
NM fully agreed mate even though our lge position is better than last season im more worried about the unthinkable now than ever 6pts seperate us frm the bottom & i for one carn’t see where the pts are going to come frm to ease our plight.i know im pretty depressing but it’s how i feel mate.
My concerns are we all been saying and may I add for months, we do need backs,we need a creative midfield player, players have come onto the market and snatched by other clubs, why, is it they don’t want Villa? is it players having a go back at Villa’s ideas because of wages, I’m lost to know why a Midland club cannot attract a good footballer, its to me not always the money, its players having a knock at our method of shoestring ideas and a weak manager. We will be forced to get relegated by being disliked by the football world, I hope I’m talking shit and got it wrong. Vtid
Bill I think 20k a week’s got something to do with it – “If you pay them, they will come.”
Bill it’s like BWS states the moneys shite & that’s all we’re going to attract mate.players are greedy b******s now & it’s the wedge & not the club anymore.yes it’s totally fucking wrong.lerner will squezze us dry before too long bill.
its arrogant 2 think ur sqaud has enough~ i see Paul Faulkner backing lambert in the mirror i recommend that paper NOT its entertaining cant get hold of my usual comic. 2wards end of the article he says. “we won’t be spending as we already recruited 7 in summer ” this i believe 2 b a terrible mistake and risky, our midfield has show nothing but incapable of creating or passing and even protecting the defence ~ take out delph and u av the poorest midfield i av seen were the aston villa shirt, correct me if iam wrong guys
wear the villa shirts (that was meant 2b)
“we won’t be spending as we already recruited 7 in summer ”
You’ve completely miss quoted him to be fair, the quote is actually “We were busy in the summer and brought in seven players, that is always going to be the bulk of your business.”
I’m sure none of us were expecting a mass influx of players, more like 2 or 3 (hopefully) decent additions in key positions, that would go along with what Faulkener said and what Lambert has also said as pointed out by Langford below.
I would imagine our business will be done after the Liverpool game as we have a big gap in fixtures. Like most, I’ll be seething if there’s no new faces but why not keep a level head and stop making assumptions until the window’s over.
no correction from me nath. I too have seen the ubiquitous ‘backing of the manger’ from Faulkner, no surprise really clubs always say this type of stuff.
I am deeply disturbed however by the
“we won’t be spending as we already recruited 7 in summer ”
considering our position and prospects this is ridiculous, id have thought learner, even if he is selling and/or lost interest would be doing more to ensure PL survival, surely the value of the club would plummet should we be relegated.
none of this makes any sense unless as ive said before that genuinely nobody at the club has a clue what they are doing.
NM…read my post above…from the OS yesterday from PL ‘we are STILL looking to strengthen in a couple of positions’
Fuck off Lerner and Red Bull, the Villa is OURS
The trouble is Langford, I have to think really hard to see where any of Lambert’s signings have actually improved us in any one position.
Unless of course, by “improve” you mean save wages.
I don’t think I trust Lambert to sign anyone decent, tbh.
Where do I say ‘improve’…..strengthen with experience is what is required IMO…Its just a matter of ‘waiting out’ now. Lets hope Lambert et al are being honest with us. I wont accept the ‘we tried to sign experience, but our targets were not available’…we should not accept that!