The other day I was reading this article and one sentence really stood out, “It’s more likely that a summer signing goes bad rather than good”. How true is that about Paul Lambert’s signings? Now obviously I think it would be a little harsh to judge Lambert’s 2013 summer signings, but we can evaluate last summer’s transfer business and come up with a percentage. This percentage will represent how many good players Lambert has brought in last summer, and perhaps it can be applicable to our signings this year.
El Ahmadi: Lambert’s first signing, a midfielder that was supposed to bring a bit of creativity into the side. In terms of last season, I thought he was a bit of a disappointment. He’s slowly improving, but if I were to give a yes or no answer. I don’t think he was a good signing, having said that, could a player become a good signing the following season? I believe so, but in face of science I’m going to have to El Ahmadi isn’t a good signing.
Matthew Lowton: A right-back found from League 1 side Sheffield United. Good defensively and also very effective when attacking, I think Lambert got himself a really good buy here. Lowton cost Villa £3 million and I believe it was money well spent. Definitely going to improve in the future as well. Good signing Lambert!
Ron Vlaar: Now I’m going to get many mixed opinions here, but I think Vlaar has been a good signing. In order for that to make sense you have to go back to December. Vlaar was out with an injury, that was the same time period when Aston Villa conceded over 15 goals in 3 games. If Vlaar was in the defence I believe that Aston Villa wouldn’t have concede nearly as many goals. Yes, he has made mistakes but generally he has been the wise head in defence. Since Vlaar only £3 million, I think he was a cheap centre-back that has made an impact.
Jordan Bowery: We haven’t seen much of him, because he’s ‘one for the future’ yet he has the same age as Benteke. I believe Bowery won’t get far and once his contract expires he’ll be released. Not a good signing.
Ashley Westwoood: Quality midfielder who always possess a high passing rate. I’m impressed by Westwood I think he does a good job linking the defence and midfield. I’d like to see him in more attacking positions, but he has done well, especially considering the fact that moved from Crewe Alexandra. Good signing.
Benteke: What a beast, at £7 million he was no doubt Lambert’s best signing. He scored 19 Premier League goals and saved us from relegation. He was involved in nearly 50% of all Villa goals, that includes goals and assists. Brilliant buy by Lambert.
Joe Bennett: Not the best left-back out there, however he does have potential to improve. He is still young and I think he can improve, but last season he really struggled. But I thought he was really good when he went up to join any attacks. Poor signing Lambert
Sylla: A good defensive midfielder that was brought in January in order to beef up the midfield. It worked, I like Sylla’s work rate and he always puts in a good shift, either when defending or attacking. Good signing Lambert!
So there we have it, Lambert has made 5 quality signings and 3 rather disappointing signings. Let’s not forget, those that disappointed can always improve this season, but for scientific purposes I only looked at last season. This means that 60% of Lambert’s signings are quality. It also means that the quote I began this article doesn’t actually apply with Aston Villa, which is good. Applying the same percentage rate with this year’s signings, it’s believed that only 4 players will be good signings. Let’s see if that actually happens.
I agree on all of these. I think Bowery and Bennett have the potential to improve (Bowery is a striker and I think he’s only been played on the wing so far) but Bennett needs to grow a right foot.
Lowton, Westwood and Benteke are the only three from the list to be given new improved and longer contracts, Vlaar and Bennett have to impress this season, Sylla came in late and hasn’t had a full season to show what he can do and I think KEA’s contract will definitely run down. If Vlaar doesn’t improve now he has much more competent defenders around him (and a more experienced midfield in front) I think he’ll have to be replaced at the end of the season. Who knows, Baker may even stake his place ahead of him this season anyway.
What about Guzan?
Yup, cant really disagree with this. I think Matthew Lowton was an excellent signing, as good attacking as any right back in the PL, defensively a bit fragile though.
Will be interesting to see how this summer’s signings work out. Okore and Luna already look the business.
which ever way you look at it lamberts signings are a work in progress, i’d say the positives outweigh the negatives and id much rather we source our players the way we are now.
we don’t wanna buy bale for 80mil, we wanna buy bale when he was 19 for 2/3 mil.
playing them so young is a gamble as some of our results last season show but lambert is building a club not buying a squad.
look at Chelsea, sturridge, great young player never got his chance there and lukkaku omg! has an outstanding season on loan but put on loan yet again because torres costs 50mil and they’d rather get in a 32 year old than give him a chance, pathetic!
and as marvin said, ‘what about guzan?’ he has really stepped up under lets face it really difficult circumstances last season.
my only major concern is vlarr as he doesn’t fit into the ‘he’s young and will learn’ category though as the article says contract extentions and improvements are conspicuous by their absence for certain players but they have the chance to prove themselves.
Villa the brave.
I think Lambert has proven he is a good judge of players, anybody he has bought we could sell for more, a lot more, or about the same as we paid for them, even vlar who divides opinion cost only 3mill! For an experienced dutch international that’s a great bit of business, even if he is as shit as ooh vlar would like us to think he would still be worth 3mill, so everybody he bought was a solid investment here is my take on our signings last season
guzan – great
lowton – great
vlar – good
Bennett – bad
KEA – good
sylla – good
westwood – good
bowery – good (simply because he only cost like 100k so for backup when we were short on numbers)
benteke – brilliant
for that many signings for so little money and for so many to perform is a great bit of business and great coaching, and the best thing is all these players will get better!
Not to mention the improvements seen by gabby, Delph and baker to an extent all points to Lambert being the best man for this job at this moment in time and another this is Lambert is young in managers terms so will learn and improve too!
I’m giving Vlaar benefit of the doubt as he’s young and we always have to remember we are English ways of thinking and there’s, their way of thinking, if you or I went to a foreign team I think it would hard to adapt at first, I could be wrong but thinking, give them time. Just think 7 new faces all learning the game our way, that’s hard. Christmas for me to see if Lambert has the gift personally I think he has.
It;s like gremlins the new batch will have to wait and see but in my opinion apart from Benteke & Gurzen most have been average with some room to improve.But Bennett & Vlaar there is no improvement in them and must be moved on.
Bennett well we all know what most of us think of him down VP park but if listen to your average sports pundit they wax lyrical about his wonderful left peg so are we missing a trick? Who knows? Perhaps the kid just needs time to develop, learn his trade and fill out a bit, then just maybe he will fulfill his potential.
Bowery now I just don’t get him at all, the best way I could describe him is a football players laborer.
Gabriel Agbonlahor has been given a death threat from a One Direction fan after hurting the bands Louis Tomlinson in a charity football match.
Watch out Gaby. Someone will deface your car with a crayon if you dont handle this delicately.
BREAKING: Doctors confirm Louis Tomlinson will be out for 6 weeks with a fractured vagina.
Lol you’re on the ball today mate, only one direction that fella was going and that was DOWN.
You read that one Oohah Moyes wants to sign Benteke in the January window. One problem with that, I doubt he’ll be there come next Jan.
Agree BWS what’s the point in signing just to piss of in jan. Thats y lambert is using the tired excuse so he can try and formulate the new partnership with kojak and helenius and have benteke as back up just in case. Cb will be a massive loss to us though whichever way u dress it up even if we got £40 m I’d rather have cb. Typical villa always selling to sky bore same old same old!!
Haven’t even sold him yet/received a bid and you’re taking a swipe at Villa… Well done indeed. Just because Moyes is linked with him, while having 4 other strikers, 1 of which will be ahead of him no matter what, doesn’t mean he’ll actually be sold.
Would you place a bet then that he will still be here next season. If so I’m happy to take ur money:-)
I’ve told you I think he’s gone next summer. However I’ve also said we aren’t going to sell him in January like you continue to claim just because a team or two are interested. All the big teams will always be interested in him, the paper talk will NEVER go away.
Probably right summer more likely simply as he won’t move before wc.
Especially to a team that has 1 striker better than him still, few are in the Prem and RVP is one of them. Can’t afford to be 2nd choice since Lukaku got his loan move as he’ll start at Everton (if Martinez had any intelligence anyways).
So true
Lol
I meant Moyes will be gone by Jan mate.
OOHAH, what’s your opinion on the moon landings, who do you reckon shot JFK and where do you think Shergar, Lord Lucan and Elvis currently are?
Glad you asked me that foxy the moon landing was a hoax, richard Dunne shot JFK, vlaar kidnapped shergar just after he poisoned elvis and only Dunne and vlaar can explain where lord Lucan is. Vlaar is also responsible for ww1 ww2 and anything bad that’s happened in the last billion years or so!!’ 🙂
We’ll that’s proof enough for me Oohah, have to go now off to see a nut house doctor.
I always thought Dunne could have been Shergar in disguise. Just a lot slower due to having only two legs.
moyes was linked with fabregas too but got nowhere. man utd are just trying to placate their fans coz they done jack shit in the window in comparison to spurs man city and arsenal, even Liverpool done better business than man u and moyes.
one thing for sure if they do come for him in Jan he’d cost double what we were asking in the summer.
p.s nice one gabby, shame you didn’t hit the talentless twat harder. 🙂
Lol gabby deserves a medal for hitting that twat
True but this is all unsettling for him and us. It’s obvious he wants to be elsewhere. Thou can’t c him at utd as Rvp is first choice and Hernandez and wellbeck are as good as CB IMO. Plus he will not want to sit on bench in wc year so more likely to go in summer
This is my three-penneth for what it’s worth – I reckon that was the deal, stop with us – guarantee yourself a world cup place, put yourself in the shop window – name your club and your money next season.
Spot on BWS he had no choice but to stay with us as he had 3 years and wc coming up. If it wasn’t for wc though he would be off by now and that’s a fact. Or he would of gone on strike. Next summer he will be of to arsenal or whoever wants him he will get more money and so will we so everyone wins thou yet again we sell our best player which is why we will never be successful
Every team loses big players. Its how you replace them which is the key, which, admittedly, we’ve been pretty pants at doing in recent years. But its why the Kozak transfer makes so much sense. We can blood a player into the league instead of hoping on another Benteke-esq impact.
Hmmm u could be right. Though u look across at spurs and they spent a lot of money to replace bale. But in reality have they bought anyone good. That solado from what iv seen so far is nowhere near as menacing as Benteke IMO Benteke must be worth £40m on that basis. Thought spurs looked incredibly disjointed at arsenal. Though still early days. Suppose it proves a point that even spending a £100m these days is peanuts if u want to guarantee a final 4 place.
Soldado’s a natural goal scorer, he needs the creativity of the likes of Lamela and Eriksen that they haven’t had yet. Their midfield isn’t near creative enough with Capoue, Paulinho and Dembele. He’ll come good for them. Though we can still get around 40m for Benteke.
Could well be, as for moyes and man utd no doubt We’ll be hearing about all kinds of players they are going to buy, if moyes was serious about tekkers he would of put in a bid when he put in his transfer request. I’ve also heard moyes is going to buy Ross barkley from Everton too, yeah whatever Dave 😛
There is no way Benteke will join Manchester United next year.
His next club will be in the champions league.
Utd will be in CL they are still a top 4 team thou can’t c moyes lasting long tbf
Plus they play the way we did under O’Neill. A lot of wing play, relying on pace and crosses, so they’ll supply him very well if they signed him.
lol 😀
lol ing at steve man utd CL comment 😀
So do we now believe all rumours in newspapers to be true and should we now assume everyone involved is guilty if it’s something involving one of our players leaving? The site is going to have to change to http://www.astonvillaspuriousnewsandunreliableviews.com
I thought it already had??
Okore was on the bench again for Denmark.
Tonev is getting a rest against Malta on the bench.
Vlaar is going to start for Holland against Andorra.
Weimann gets the start against Ireland while Clark is on the bench.
Kozak is starting against Italy.
Watching this England match in the background while I do some work I’m thinking if Lowton pulls up his socks this season he could give Walker a run for his money.
Both similar shite at defending but good going forward
Lowton’s far better at defending than Walker is.
I think they are similar lowton not the best defensively IMO thou he did improve defensively last few months of the season
I agree he’s not the best. Hope he turns out like Johnson for Liverpool, had a great start going forward but was suspect at the back, but now has become one of the best RB’s going forward and defensively.
Lowton’s only had one season of PL football, he’ll improve. Although I think he’s already hit his peak in terms of quality of goals!
KOZAK! 1-0 Czech.
Sylla’s also starting for Mali.
Nice goal by Kozak last night. And Vlaar kept a clean sheet.
Great finish one problem, came from a cross and Lambert’s teams don’t play with any width so where is the service going to come from?
Simple Kojak is on wing he crosses in and at the same time runs into the area to head it home! Simples
The fullbacks are supposedly only good at going forward… I guess that? Kozak’s good with the ball at his feet, basically just showed his aerial dominance against a very strong defense who are known for being good in the air.
Well from what was played lastnight you can kiss England good by, Englangs under 21 would have anilated The first team, still we have Lampard, Gerrard, Walker, Cole, Walcote, Wiltshire, all supposedly brilliant player’s, and don’t forget Rooney,and didn’t Milner play well, load of shite the lot of them. BWS that’s why I’m not bothered with England’s marvels ,Hodgson is not a English manager and never will be, he would do well picking quicker men, Gerrard and Miner are slow , why the hell he don’t pick younger player’s god knows, sorry missing the Villa lads cannot wait till Saturday. UTV. 🙂 fed up Bill.
I don’t get Milner on the wing Bill he (imo) lacks either the pace or the trickery, he always reminds me of Dennis Mortimer type strong and combative and that’s where I believe you’d get the best out of him.
Roll on Saturday.
Yes, but who else would you have played down that left wing? Someone in form and with pace. Someone English. Nope, I can’t think of anyone either…
Nothing like sir Dennis he was central midfielder who made great runs to score goals and great captain. Nearest player today that is like Mortimer is Lampard.
Agree bill but not hodgsons fault as these players where regulars before him and he dosnt really pick the team he is told who to pick indirectly of course. Fwiw Walcott and Wiltshire where the worst 2 players on the pitch bloody awful. Lets face it gabby and Westwood couldn’t have done worse if they tried.