There are two hours before this summer’s window closes as I write and unless something happens that we don’t know about, the arrival of Albert Adomah from Middlesbrough will probably wrap up what’s been an overall excellent bit of business.
I’ve previously said I have the odd doubts, particularly about Gollini and I’m not convinced about Kodjia.
Even then my doubts about the striker aren’t based on much, except the deal just doesn’t smell right to me and I am of course willing to give him every chance.
As for the goalie, well I’ve seen him and he has a lot of work to do to change my mind yet.
Still, I want to concentrate on the good parts and there have been quite a few.
I won’t talk about each player specifically, but here’s the list of the comings and goings;
INS
Tommy Elphick £3,000,000
Pierluigi Gollini £4,500,000
Aaron Tshibola £5,500,000
Ross McCormack £12,000,000
Mile Jedinak £4,000,000
Ritchie De Laet £2,500,000
Jonathan Kodjia £15,000,000
James Chester £8,000,000
Albert Adomah ?
OUTS
José Ángel Crespo Free
Callum Robinson Undisclosed
Brad Guzan Free
Idrissa Gueye £7,100,000
Ciaran Clark £5,000,000
Joe Bennett Free
Joleon Lescott Free
Carlos Sanchez Loan
Charles N’Zogbia Released
Kieran Richardson Out of contract
Adama Traore ?
I can’t find any estimates for the Traore/Adomah deals, but I’m going to guess they pretty much balance each other out.
Which all boils down to a net outlay of around £42 million, which is no small beans. I don’t think anyone can be disappointed with that and Dr Xia has certainly matched his promise. He’s probably going to spend more on another couple of players in the winter window too, so it’s all good.
Things could have been improved slightly in my book. I’d have liked another replacement in the middle to enable us to get rid of Westwood, for example. Gabby (who’s knocked back an offer from Reading) going would have been nice too, along with Richards.
Still, never mind and the most impressive part is all the players who have gone. I’d have liked the odd one or two of them to have stayed, but I look at that list and it just smacks of decidedly average and I can’t say I’ll miss any of them.
While it’s early days, I like the look at that list of incoming players and one thing is for certain.
It’s hard to see that they’re going to be worse than the rubbish we had last season.
And given that we’ve been told that much effort has been placed on checking out the players’ character, it does bode well.
Even if things don’t look so rosy at the moment.
Comments
52 responses to “The transfer window; great business overall”
Happy days all round.
Now we just need to get a few wins under our belts.
Hasn’t Gil also gone out on load?
I knew I’d fogotten someone!
Well spotted, Bencey.
*loan
Feeling very positive, give them a few games to gel, then looking at the squad zero excuses not to be in top 6.
Got to love the Dr !!
I’m pleased with the ins and outs overall. Would have liked to see a more experienced keeper, but otherwise excited to see how this bunch of players develops.
Our last signing could turn out to be our best.
Gollini
Amavi
Chester
Elphick
De Laet
Tshibola
Jedinak
Grealish/Ayew
McCormack
Kodjia
Adomah
Looks a very tasty lineup to me.
Except for Gollini
He’s played 5 games mate. Give him a god damn chance. I’m aware you’re often quick to judge players, especially before they even play. But 5 games isn’t enough time to get his footing.
Pleased.
The owner has put his money where his mouth is. Drastic changes were needed, and we have them. Yes I am still worried that our keeper is error prone and if you look at how much strikers cost per goal, and how much keepers cost per goal, you can see where money could be better spent.
I don’t agree with the criticism of RDM. That WBA were ‘expected’ to get promoted and that Chelsea were ‘expected’ to win the European Cup. Yes Chelsea were expected to win the EC by Abramovich and he hired some VERY loud mouthed managers with enormous egos who did not quite deliver. Then the stand-in guy goes and does it. His reward? To be told the players organised the team to win it. So they did and that was the subtlety. RDM took the managers big ego out of the way to let the players perform. Since which time Chelsea have gone back to the loud mouths,[the present incumbent is absolutely manic] and won nothing and will win nothing. I’d rather have the Fixer.
Agree with OLL here: RDM certainly deserves credit for Chelsea’s CL win – the common idea that it had just been tee’d-up for him always seemed ridiculous to me, and every passing season since then we’ve seen the Big-Ego/Big Gob lot completely fail to get near what RDM achieved in his short time there!
They fluked it tbh. Barca in semi murdeted them so did Bayern in final.
@Oohaah So don’t agree.
Bayern were all over us in 82 but it wasn’t a fluke. Good defence and resilience can be a match winning weapon if used right.If anything this requires much more managerial input as the team needs to be tightly organised. And yes you ride your luck sometimes but isn’t that the great thing about football?
Chelsea deserved their win because of that and the fact that at the end of the match they had actually scored more goals than the other side.
They hadn’t scored more goals they drew and win on pens. The difference is we won it and qualified as champions of England Chelsea have had to spend 100s of millions so RDM had a squad of great players. Barton win it for us but the season after he failed miserably.
I know plenty of Baggies fans that would disagree with your summing up OLL. the one’s I know really don’t rate the bloke at all and truth be said he hardly set the world alight on their return to the premiership did he?
Personally if he does a job I don’t give a shite one way or another and if he returns us to the top tier first time of asking he can have a sainthood.
Trouble with the Baggies fans is that they don’t seem to know what they want! [OK, people in glass houses, etc..] – who was the most recent manager they actually appreciated?
The ones I know would probably say “Ron Atkinson” – and his last spell there was nearly 30 years ago!
Pulis has got nothing but stick from the home fans at the Albion, despite keeping them in the PL while much bigger clubs than their’s dropped out last season, so I wouldn’t place too much weight on their opinions!
That is true , you have to give them their due they are die hards but they are a little confused over their place in the Midlands let alone the world.
Never checked out RDM’s managerial stats untill today, they are right up there, averaging 49.1%, 48.2% at the Baggies.
What more can anyone ask for?
50% 😄
Oohah get a grip – 50%, do you realise how high a win rate that is?
Here’s a yard stick for you
George Ramsey- 6 FA Cups, 6 Division One championships- win rate 49.59%
Jimmy Hogan – Division Two Champions – – – – – – – – – – – – – win rate 45.97%
Eric Houghton – 1 FA Cup – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – win rate 35.20%
Joe Mercer – 1 2nd Div Championship,1 Football L Cup win rate 42.55%
Ron Saunders – 2 Football L Cups, 1 Div One championship win rate 44.62%
Tony Barton – 1 European Cup, 1 UEFA Super Cup – – – – win rate 44.62%
Ron Atkinson – 1 Football League Cup – – – – – – – – – – – – – – win rate 43.26%
Brian Little – 1 Football League Cup – – – – – – – – – – – – – – win rate 41.46%
John Gregory – 1 UEFA Intertoto Cup – – – – – – – – – – – – – – win rate 43.16%
George Ramsey the most successful manager in the history of AVFC had a win rate below 50%, Bob Paisley’s was 57.57% and that Liverpool team mopped up for a decade and Fergy’s is 59.67% .
Just what are you expecting mate????
I was being sarky 😄
Are you sure about that?
Best window for years. We’ve got a new team now and I’ve got a feeling that once they get a bit of confidence they might surprise us all.
Well done Dr. T
As much as they look fair signings I got carried away last season falsely believing we’d purchased some world betters in the form of Traore , Awey,Richards and the likes and what a complete shower that lot turned out to be so I refuse to get carried away and withhold judgment.
Lets just see how it pans out.
*Beaters*
BWS – I can understand that view too: IMO we may well have bought some players last year who’ll still go on and become quite big names elsewhere – it was just that they were the wrong type/ combination for the job that was needed last season.
At least this season’s intake mostly look completely ‘right’ for the specific task of battling in this division, rather than promising something exciting three or four years down the line.
As you say, let’s see how they gel in the next couple of months before passing final judgement…
Ardent, mate I hope they take the league by storm but we’ve had so many false dawns it’s hard to get carried away.
Overall got to agree that we’ve seen the best window business in a long time…
Other than paying-off Shabby it doesn’t look like there’s any way of getting him to go and play anywhere else before his contract/career finally ends in a year or two; I just hope that the new management have told him to keep completely away from the club.
I noticed in the earlier thread some people moaning that we’ve ‘over-spent’ while OoHah seemed to be quibbling that the ‘net spend’ wasn’t high enough!
Given the completely over-inflated prices now seeping down from the PL into the “Championship”, I’d say that we’ve spent quite a lot, but only as much as was needed – and yes, hopefully there’s some in reserve for January if we need it.
I know of the perfect property for Gabby when he does hang his unused boots up. My cousin Aileen’s farm in the Orkneys.
She gets paid much more NOT to produce milk by the EU than she ever earned producing it, which enabled her to afford a full size wind turbine. When that (and the neighbours) machines are going full speed in a gale they produce more power than the cable to the mainland can take. So the National Grid has to switch them off. You’ve guessed it. NG pay Aileen much more NOT to produce electricity than they pay her to produce it.
Aileen wonders if she could get Gabby on loan, to give her more ideas.
Why is she paid more not to produce?
Oohah – straight answer. The EU has a milk surplus so high cost (transport in her case) producers are paid not to produce milk. Electricity was the band wagon effect, her turbine was the first and neighbours quickly copied. So the cable needs upgrading, but since they are breaking the contract NG have to pay compensation. Football isn’t the only business in the madhouse.
That’s tidiculous OLL
No there is Irony !!
WIND bonus
That’s what you call a transfer window. You add in a left back and another winger and you can play a 4-2-2-2 with that team. Seems Xia’s already planned for January too, claiming we’ll get 1-2 more in permanently and a couple loans, most likely to cover one of our three strikers.
Steve Round in as technical director.
That has to of been the best transfer window for years!! People said it couldn’t be done in 1 window but it pretty much has. And I for 1 couldn’t be more chuffed. New team new board new owner now let’s all get behind them and see where we’re at come January! I’d expect top 6 minimum giving the amount of money the doc has spent!! We really have a top 2 team now so no excuses. UTV
I’m chuffed with the new additions even if a few of them have international commitments through part of the season.bring on forest Utv
@Giddy
According to Dr. T he;s factored the Africa Cup of Nations in. Planning on 1 or 2 new players in and loans.
Nice to have a Chairman with some sense.
I know but try telling Ooha mate
Try telling Giddy 😄
Really really pleased with our transfer business.
Whatever people think (and looking back to all the comments where people were laying down conspiracy theories about how he is a fake, got no money etc just a couple of months ago) he has delivered on his promises. Time will tell whteher he will keep delivering, but judging him right here and right now, guys, he HAS delivered.
My biggest fear was that he was another Venky type. Not true. PHEW!
Now it’s really important that 3 other groups of people perform and deliver.
Time for the players to deliver.
Time for the management team and RDM to deliver.
And time for us FANS to deliver.
It’s right now that we need to be behind the team and RDM more than ever.
I’m going to Villa park a couple of times this September (1st time since Sherwood for me), and I am going to support them 100%.
Time for all of us to come together and SUPPORT OUR TEAM!
UTV!
Well said VillaFan… I might even see you there😄
It is getting closer. In theory it would still be possible for Richards Bacuna Bunn, Hutton and Westwood to feature in a starting 11, and I am sticking to my promise not to pay a penny to watch Villa until the starting 11 contains none of them. I will be watching the team sheets closely now.
Is OLL saying he’d rather RDM over the current Chelsea manager?? I think the nurse has slipped too much sanatogen into your Horlicks!
Horses for courses Dave.C. If Conte had to work with the Villa squad and RDM was put back in charge of Chelsea, who knows how they would do? I hate touchline tantrums from ham actors, so the answer to your question is YES at VP in the championship I would rather have RDM.
+1
I wish someone would put Conte in a strait jacket or something. Chelsea fans must find his antics very distracting.
Like OLL I like my managers to look like they might be actually thinking about the game rather than over-reacting to every little incident.
I can now take the car out with the Villa number plate, Villaa., not ashamed anymore . We’ll Be Back. see you in the Villa Tavern its my watering hole on match days.I think we have a good owner now.
gabby sums up everything that is wrong with football.
he can sit on his arse and pick up 50k a week for the next 2 years.
his attitude and others like him is what has caused the demise of our great club.
villa through and through – total bullocks.
Agreed Steve – He has no respect for the fans, the club or himself, Could not score in a brothel and relies on a memory of being fast a few years ago… Disgusting !!
Shabbys an arsehole his now yesterday’s news CNZ #2
Oops, I’ve just realised Sinclair isn’t on the list of “outs”
And for clarity, I should probably also say that some of the figures for our “ins” will probably be the most we could pay and are possibly not what’s been actually paid out.
Which is why you might read elsewhere that the actual spend has been less.
But it was never meant to be an exhaustive, factual list and it’s more about the sentiment, which remains the same;
Xia’s coughed up the dough and has given RDM the tools.