Aston Villa 2013/14

Seem to be busy in transfer market early on in summer (such a change from years past!), so figure I'd start a thread for new season.

Just confirmed signing of Jores Okore, looks a great CB prospect, will hopefully add the pace we lack in defence.



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Transfers in: Aleksandar Tonev, Jores Okore, Leandro Bakuna, Nicklas Helenius, Antonio Luna, Jed Steer

Transfers out: Richard Dunne, Andy Marshall, Eric Lichaj, Jean Makoun, Simon Dawkins (end of loan), Brett Holman

For sale: Darren Bent, Shay Given, Barry Bannan, Stephen Ireland, Alan Hutton

Gonna be a busy summer

Also Nathan Baker, Andreas Weimann and Daniel Johnson have all signed new contracts. Weimann was especially important as he only had 1 year left.

I'm definitely liking the way Lambert is going about building a squad of young players with potential and drive. Seems like a long-term project that could actually pay off, rather than the self-defeating approach previously of overpaying for seasoned PL players who are on their way down. Those contracts been strangling the club ever since MON's days.

Have fun with Bacuna

A good young and strong attacking midfielder....but I doubt he's ready yet for the EPL...

Axeslammer wrote:Have fun with Bacuna

A good young and strong attacking midfielder....but I doubt he's ready yet for the EPL...

cheers. I guess he's being signed as squad player/potential rather than 1st team, but he'll get chances to stake his claim.

I'm quite intrigued by all these new signings I'd never head of before! sure beats the days of signing Marlon Harewood and Zat Knight.


edit: Bacuna signing just been officially confirmed by the club

Another day, another signing I've never heard of before: Antonio Luna. LB from Sevilla. Hope he's better than Bennett.

Nicklas Helenius confirmed signing #4

Lambert

debaser wrote:Another day, another signing I've never heard of before: Antonio Luna. LB from Sevilla. Hope he's better than Bennett.

Whaaaaaat? Didn't hear that one. Don't know about Bennett but for me Luna is not that great. Could never get into the mediocre Sevilla teams of the last few seasons, been constantly loaned out. Even had trouble making the XI for relegated Mallorca last year.

hasn't actually been completed that one, but Sevilla confirmed we in talks. he is only 22, guess he's in as competition rather than sure starter.

The cull begins. Brett Holman apparently signed for Al Nasr in Dubai. He never really offered much, hard worker with limited quality on the ball or end product. A McLeish signing and McLeish type of player.

Antonio Luna signs. 5 signings, all aged 20-23, all signed from outside UK, all under £3m. Almost feel like there's a method here.

A very eloquent point, cheers Glenn

Villa for the title 

So debster, what do you think the new season will bring. Typical average, High-average or low average Villa season? Last year was clearly a low-average Villa season where I expected a typical average Villa season.

I like Helenius though, but Bacuna is fairly shite.

If we sort out defence, should avoid relegation battle this time. I'd like to think a typical average 8-10th, but it's hard to know just yet. need to keep Benteke and still need to add some creativity to centre midfield. if we make a bigger signing later in the window, that's the type we need - probably need to sell a few first though.

it's gonna be a v.young squad, which will be inconsistent, but there were good signs in 2nd half of last season. of the signings so far, I think Okore the only one who'll go straight into first XI. perhaps Luna at LB too. Bacuna, Tonev, Helenius look like squad signings.

N'Zogbia apparently injured his heel while on a keep fit holiday in the US. He's had surgery and his making his way back to Birmingham to recover.

signed Jed Steer a young keeper from Norwich on a free. be competing with Siegrist to be #2, I guess, once Given is offloaded.

This might cheer you up deb. Remember I told you about this ridiculous friend of mine who is a Villa fan.

Well, he got a kid these days..and look what he did to it!!



 

If this aint child abuse, I dont know what is..

Cool kid I'm sure he has many years of footballing misery joy to look forward to..

I'm not sure posting a picture of a kid on the Internet is wise. But posting it on this forum in particular is definitely unwise.

Fey, I think Lewis just masturbated over that picture of your friend's kid.

Either that, or he is threatening to.

Lambert has told Bent to get out of the first team dressing room.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aston-villa/10156187/Aston-Villa-freeze-out-Darren-Bent-and-leave-former-England-striker-to-ponder-his-future.html

What is going on there DB?

He's Bent Darren. #Homophobic

I suspect it's newspapers blowing things out of proportion. we gonna sell Bent, so he's not being included in pre-season - what would be the point of playing him in friendlies if he isn't going to be in the team during the season? these are going to be about integrating new players, tactics, etc.

I can't think of a more boring mid table striker than Darren Bent.

debaser wrote:I suspect it's newspapers blowing things out of proportion. we gonna sell Bent, so he's not being included in pre-season - what would be the point of playing him in friendlies if he isn't going to be in the team during the season? these are going to be about integrating new players, tactics, etc.

Yes, but now you can expect Newcastle to come back with a new bid of 4 million  

Apparently trying for Hiroshi Kiyotake from Nuremberg. sounds good, but no idea how realistic/likely.

You guys should try and scupper Bony's Swansea deal

It's hard for them because Villa are still in cost-cutting mode somewhat. Blame the DISGRACE for that.

As Benteke still has 3 years left, the club really don't risk losing value on him (short of lengthy injury/bad performance) if they decide to dig their heels in over him. This is still an option available to them. If Benteke decides to go on strike etc. then the only person whose reputation he's hurting is himself (see Tevez, who Juventus basically went after as a last resort when they couldn't afford Jovetic, Cavani, Higuain et al.)

However as for "loyalty" fans need to wake up and smell the coffee. He's not a Brummie, he owes Villa nothing. It's a business. You should only get upset if it's a local boy doing this, otherwise, everyone else is an investment. Ever since Sol Campbell I refuse to get emotionally attached to players, and as the saying goes, everyone has their price.

Nothing wrong with taking the cash and using it to re-invest in plenty of areas. Outside of the Chelsea's and Man City's of the league, every team has to do this from time to time. Even Man Utd.