Transfer window approaches and the rumours hot up
Wednesday, 17 December 08, 06:33 AM · Comments (37)
Today has seen 1 rumour revisited, 1 new one started and 1 continue from earlier in the week. Dean Ashton, Charles N'Zogbia and Milan Jovanovic are those rumours.
We all know about Dean Ashton. He's a fairly decent striker that appears to have become injury prone since joining West Ham. That's the only consistancy that the Hammers appear to have, so let's hope we can get 3 points on Saturday.
Standard Liege's Milan Jovanovic has been rumbling on for a week or so now but apparently today we're stepping up our interest and asking Liege to name their price.
asking Liege to name their price.
The new rumour and one I've not made my mind up about yet is Charles N'Zogbia. He was the last played Robson signed at Newcastle and I find it quite impressive that someone that has been around so long had this to say about him: "N'Zogbia could go to the very top with the right coaching and motivation, and I hope it is with Newcastle. I signed him as a teenager and he was one of the most naturally gifted players of that age I'd ever seen."
Not bad and at 22-years-old he still has plenty of potential. And what better manager to play under to reach that potential than Martin O'Neill? Like Milner, he's not had much stability being at Newcastle and a move to somewhere like Villa could do him the world of good. Admittedly I haven't seen much of him so I'll let the rest of you and the Newcastle fans let us know what they think below.
As with all of these, it is just a rumour and probably has not factual basis whatsoever.
Now onto tonight; I'm hoping for a few kids to start as O'Neill clearly doesn't care about the outcome of the game so I'd like to see all of the youngsters who he's bought along start. That's not likely, but Herd has got first team experience and Bannan looks class so I hope at least those 2 get a start so the others can come off the bench. And given Knight's performance last time I wouldn't be surprised to see Ciaran Clark start alongside Davies in defence.
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robson also signed bramble!!!!
I rate ASHTON. He is capable of terrorising defences in the same way WITHEY and GRAY did in their hey day. He just needs to keep away from the Balti pies.
I'd like to see Aiden McGEADY at VP too. He has more ability than MALONEY and would be good cover for ASH. Glen JOHNSON would be nice, as he would be assured a place in a better team. POMPEY are already starting to fall apart.
portsmouth to be relegated this season? theve just agreed a transfer fee for diarra with real,so it looks like everyone has his price there so how much for glen johnson
I like Ashton but if we signed him there surely would have to be competition into who would be injured and missing the most games in a season..Carew or Ashton.
N'Zogbia nah...dont rate him..
my picks would be Peter Crouch, but id love Kenwyn Jones
Reply to Arrlui:
Thanks Arrlui! I need to work out how it works, I'm just a simpleton blogger...
Ipbopmalik, I'm a big fan of Glen Johnson - he's class and a proven right-back at PL level. He's better than Luke Young.
jones or martins
the fact that he is at newcastle is a tavesty, hes a very capable footballer and shit quick
he appears relitively young but if u allow me to impose a stereotype and be a little zenophobic for a moment...
half or nigeria's exports appear to be a lot younger than the play or look!
Strictly speaking this isn’t about transfer speculation which is the subject of your article but a thought ‘s been on my mind for a while now but it’s so outrageous that I was reluctant to express it for fear of ridicule. However Franco Zola’s comments about the vulnerability of the big four and the belief that other teams in the PL are not intimidated by them and articles like this LINK in the press have made me bolder.
The Villa need to set their sights higher than top four. They could win this league.
Yeah, yeah, I know. As I posted this I looked to ceiling expecting a bolt of lightning for my impudence. None came. Brothers and sisters, I am here today to tell you this can be done. If the Complacent Four keep dropping points in the fashion they have then Hull City, Everton and Bolton have a chance at the title. Clubs are now eager to go to Anfield, The Bridge and the Emirates – the home sides can’t seem to win there.
Did you see Chelsea’s match on Sunday? West Ham were heroic. It must be the Claret and Blue. It’s becoming obvious that without Gerrard, Liverpool would be a mid-table side. If you have an interest in understanding how panic works– not to mention mind numbing terror – stroll through the Arsenal blogs at your leisure. The fixture pile up for Man U. could cripple them, despite their resources.
The Villa side is on fire at the moment. I thought Agbonlahor was lazy and limited at times, but he has become tireless on his own up front and shows skill I never thought he had. A. Young terrorizes defences for fun. The Midfield has some steel now. Sidwell will get at least ten goals for us this season. Watching Laursen give his mind and body to the battle fills me up. Watching O’Neill go about his business absorbs me totally. This can be done.
I think our enterprise is ripe. “If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all”. I hope they’re ready. I know O’Neill is.
You could also say that by leaving those players behind he's showing his faith in the lads that hes brought to Hamburg.
I reckon we can still get a result tonight.
Reply to Luke_M:
Well i've heard people saying that he doesn't concentrate on defending enough, leaving big gaps for the opposition's winger to run into. Think it was shown on MOTD.
L.Young is quality in my opinion. Hard working, hard in the tackle and neat.
Reply to churchil:
Brilliant post mate, like it!!
Glen Johnson is a great right back but where would he play when Freddie is fit, you can't drop Young who will surely revert to right back.
Would much sooner see the likes of Bannan, and Fonzie given a run out tonight rather than the 3 stooges (Osbourne, Knight, and Marlon). Surely they'll all be going in Jan along with Salifou and Routledge.
I really like Pederson at Blackburn, he could be a quality addition to the squad.
zog and ashton do not interest me maybe in the summer but now we can do much better.
wayne bridge and tevez or ramsey or walcott. the big 4 have need money if we poach their players like man city did with robinho we can take em
13. the drunken economist Wrote: | 15.27GMT | Dec 17, 2008
zog and ashton do not interest me maybe in the summer but now we can do much better.
wayne bridge and tevez or ramsey or walcott. the big 4 have need money if we poach their players like man city did with robinho we can take em.
Think you need to sober up chap. WALCOTT only sensible suggestion, and he aint leaving Arse.
in january get rid of harewood,salifou,routledge and knight
bring in jimmy bullard, heskey, owen, maybe a cheeky bid for oshea and fletcher
I'd welcome the Zog. He's got potential as Sir Bob said - O Neill would get the best from him, no probs. Ashton, as long as he stays fit would be a bloody great option - especially now his price is more realistic. Don't know about the Liege man.
Churchill
Totally agree with you.
If people are only aiming for 4th then what kind of league is that.
If Hull can beat Arsenal / draw at Anfield etc etc then anything is possible.
Belief / Luck / Battling qualities can get you a long way, and i also think that the money in the game is starting to hinder the bigger teams as well as help them.
look at Man City, they could spend a Billion pounds next year on players who basically dont give a monkeys about the club and it could go horribly wrong.
Also remember the basis of Man Utd success was 5-6 british youngsters coming through their academy at the same time (Giggs / Beckham / Scholes / Nevilles etc), Villa are churning out good young players at the moment.
Exciting times, where it looks like the league is opening up again.
Villa 3rd, Hull 4th !! Wouldnt that be something
I dont think we are ready to win the title yet!!!
we must do things in stages, if we can get into the CL we will attract better players and then with in the next 2 years we will be ready to challange these teams.
as for Jan lets break the bank for Ashton & owen i know there is injury concerns but there is also GOALS.
You lot are on drugs with all this talk of winning the title.Look at the teams liverpool have had and they have always fallen short.The plan has to be steady progress,gain 4th get into the CL attract the better players then aim for the top.
I think that signing glen johnson would be a great for the club. Luke young is almost 30 and (if we were to get into the CL and johnson picks up the occasional knock) he'd get an adequate 20-30 games a season in the cups until he retired. we still need 2 players for every position and this would sort out the RB problem. still need cover for the two wingers though...routledge and steiber are both unproven at villa. valencia would be a nicer prospect than n'zogbia i think. We also need another striker (with harewood going the other way) and another goal scoring midfielder. How about Diego from Bremen and Pizarro from Chelsea? Then our squad would be looking pretty mean.
The youngsters should be given the chance tonight. Id like to see the following in the starting line up:
Zoltan Stieber
Chris Herd
Claran Clarke
Nathan Delfouneso
Nathan Baker
And the starting line up should be:
GK: Guazn
RB: Baker
CB: Clarke
CB: Davies
LB: Shorey
RM: Gardner
CM: Sidwell
CM: Herd
LM: Stieber
ST: Delfouneso
ST: Salifou
Bench:
GK: Taylor
RB: Young
CB: Cuellar
CB: Knight
CM: Reo Coker
CM: Osbourne
ST: Harewood
* Guzan
Churchill you are out of your mind. We are all getting crried away on two good results and no doubt (I don't suggest you) many of the people who are talking things up will be bitterly crying when we lose our next few matches. Let's get some perspective here: -
In the last two games we conceded 4 goals to moderate oppositon largely through an abject failure to win headers around our 6 yard box and close down crosses.
Everton was a fine battling performance but we were dead lucky and they made two terrible errors. Fair enough we punished them.
Bolton's gameplan was pathetic and played right into our hands. yes we could have scored more SO COULD THEY!
All I'm suggesting is that we have two big issues to sort out: -
1. When teams play deep against us we often struggle to create chances especially without Carew.
2. Our defence is not playing as a tight unit yet. Even Laursson who has been Godlike is making mistakes giving away goals.I refuse to believe that ANY team will ever win the title without a rock solid defence.
Not whingeing - love the Villa and MON but just fearing the backlash.
i would like to see ashton at vp
and also owen both great players and both will help us in the fight for top 4 and beyond
Charles N'Zogbia would also be a good signing i rate him highly
dunno bout stadrd leige guy would he be good in prem ??? we wont know untill he plays there
i think that luke young is a good player and that glen johnson
isnt much better at the moment
i think we should sign glen and play luke young at left back
Reply to Luke_M:
Never used to like Johnson but this season, and for England, he's been class.
I think we should focus on signing a world class striker primarily, the right back position is pretty well covered by the likes of Gardner and Reo-Coker should they need to fill in.
Im not saying we will win the league at all, Im just saying clubs should aim higher and just get on with it, like Hull are doing. Monopolies are there to be broken.
Like in golf , if you think you will miss a shot you usually do.
Reply to AVMark:
Mark, HOOLY
We probably won’t win the title but don’t ever doubt that we can beat the team that does. So can Hull. There’s a psychological thing at work here. We’d all be satisfied with 4th. OK, aim for 4th and you’ll probably end up 5th or 6th. Aim for first and you’ve got more chance of achieving top four.
A place in the top four belongs to the brave – teams that believe they belong there. If you think we belong in the top four then, logically, you must think we can win it. For the last ten years at the start of the season every one of the top four clubs had a serious ambition to win the title. A nailed on belief that they could do it. So must we.
Moreover, there’ll never be a better time. Everybody is beating every else. Wins are hard to come by. The younger of you out there find it hard to think outside the box; it’s only natural – you’ve grown up only knowing that the status quo repeats year after year. This is the hard and fast rule; When the ambition is present THINGS CHANGE.
Milan Jovanović
Age: 27
Games/goals: 100/49
WIKI PAGE: LINK%C4%87_(footballer_born_1981)
Villarobin and Churchill you are confusing the teams expectations and goals (to which we are not really privy)with thos of we the supporters. High supporters expectationsto the contrary often place a burden on a team rather than motivate them.
Ashton no thanks
Defour would be good from Standard not the other chap. I agree with somebody that mentioned G Johnson .... Regards bodies up front .... we need two. As Marlon is woefull.
Just watched the 1st half of the Uefa cup match in Germany and I think I'll watch the Disney Channel instead - The players don't look interested apart from Gardner.
MON - Get rid of Knight, Salifou, Shorey and Marlon - They're so poor
fucking garbage....why the fuck has he played Knight and Salifou...this is fucking embarrasing
^^^Too True now we finished 3rd
Still in it though i never wanna see salifou-harewood-knight in a villa shirt again
some nice rumours, I think N'zogbia has a lot of potential! Still like the sound of Valencia!
Reply to Luke_M:
Going forward but not a touch on him defensivly
Players to come in Jan:
*Glen Johnson
*Michael Owen
*Dean Ashton
*Roque Santa Cruz
*Antonio Valencia
Players I want OUT:
*Zat Knight - his best game for Villa was his debut, all
downhill after that
*Mustafa Salifou - sorry but another one who isn't good enough
*Nicky Shorey - don't know whats going on here but he's been
very poor this season
*Marlene Harewood - total lightweight, very, very poor indeed
*Wayne Routledge - lots of potential but nowhere near the 1st
team, bye, bye Wayne
Gonna have to agree with 'villarich' his players he wants out, except i dont think shorey should go, i like him!
I think we should go for Van der vaart, as he is unhappy, plus with real madrid signing diarra, he may well be available to us, and he would be QUALITY!!!! He is such a good player and he would be a true play maker, and even scores some spectuacular goals!
I'd love any of: Owen, Valencia, Martins, N'Zogbia, G Johnson, Diego, Kenwyne oh and someone with a Hitzlsperger shot on them and a few more to come. (Not too many then)
Jovanovic is quality, end of ... but he's off to Real Madrid, Sevilla or Bayern Munich according to Setanta the other week ... Liege president said they were in advanced talks to sign him in January.
Fancy a cheeky punt on Defoe?? (Pompey going tits up, and down in the table!)