Reactions to the transfer window

Fergal wrote:

GadgetMan wrote:

Fergal wrote:

villabromsgrove wrote:Morning all.

We've done a bit of shrewd business ourselves right at the end of the transfer window by strengthening our management team. Sandie has joined us as CABA moderator, which is why his name is now lit up in green. Sandie has experience of both starting up and modding fan's forums and we are delighted that he's agreed to help us develop this forum in a respectful and friendly way.

Keep the posts coming guys and Sandie, Kimbo, GM and myself will make sure that you always have a friendly place to drop in to on a daily basis, in order to discuss all things related to Aston Villa, as well as just chatting in 'Off Topic' about whatever else is on your mind.

Welcome to your new role Sandie, here's to a happy and successful CABA future.

Is he starting on the Subs bench?

No such luck, straight in the starting XI and both tightening the defence and weighing in with the odd goal

As long as its not an own goal...

He's no Richard Dunne, I think we'll be alright

GadgetMan wrote:I agree SLV this break has come at a perfect time, it gives us a little time to work on a few tactics and get Lescott integrated into the defence along with new lad from Liverpool who I suspect may possibly play at RB. The need to do a lot of drills on the playing field and hopefully a mixture of good understanding, experience and confidence in one another will cut out silly individual errors that are costing us dearly. Meanwhile the forwards can all learn where the net is and we can get the others all fit....

When we signed Ilori, I struggled to see the point of it. However, having thought about it some, saw how highly rated a prospect he is and how Sherwood has been monitoring him for so long and I think we'll actually see a lot of him. I think he can play more than one position so we might, like you say, see him at full back rather than centre half.

I'm really happy with the business done in this transfer window, from getting the right backroom staff in Uncle Fester and KevMac to the 12/13 signings we produced! in a perfect world another Striker would have been brilliant but looking at the quality of the people brought in compared to the last few years of drivel & misery its amazing! its also nice to walk round with a knowing smile of what's to come!!

Liberty wrote:I'm really happy with the business done in this transfer window, from getting the right backroom staff in Uncle Fester and KevMac to the 12/13 signings we produced! in a perfect world another Striker would have been brilliant but looking at the quality of the people brought in compared to the last few years of drivel & misery its amazing! its also nice to walk round with a knowing smile of what's to come!!

I agree, let's hope now that Tim and his team can mould all this potential into a great side that once again becomes regularly competitive UTV

I'll settle for a Villa team that makes other managers worry about playing us. We've been an easy three points for far too long.

As Chris's blog article last week pointed out, it's been a long time since we've played well at home on a regular basis. Hopefully, our new-look side will sort that. There's some exciting players in there, after all.

Let's get VP back to being a Fortress. It's been a playground for points, for everyone bar us for way too long now. Time to be tough and ferocious again!! The claret and Blue Army can help too (no self promotion honest haha)

Has Villa Park ever been a real fortress?

Morddred wrote:Has Villa Park ever been a real fortress?

I don't think for long periods, however there has definitely been seasons where it has been. Where teams wouldn't fancy coming. Not in recent times. You'd have to go back to Ron Atkinson's time when we finished second, perhaps some of Little and Gregory's time. Definitely before that too when we won the League and European Cup.

Really depends on your definition of Fortress. I'm talking about the perception other teams have of coming to VP. I'm sure in the last 4 years they've looked forward to it, I'm not sure this has always been the case. In terms of solid facts and pure points won as an argument for a 'fortress' I don't know is the honest answer. It's just felt like we've had periods when we've been really tough to beat at home before the last 8 years under RL.

If Sherwood can develop a team that will attack until the 95th minute, then VP can become a fortress. For years we fans have known what to expect from our pattern of play. We've known that after the first twenty minutes of a match we tend to take our foot off and drop deeper until halftime. We've known that the last ten to fifteen minutes of the match will be a backs to the wall defensive minded scramble.

Once fans understand that those days are behind us, there will be a new confidence in the stands which should lift the players until the final whistle. That will make Villa Park a difficult place for the opposition to take points from.

Remember Di Canio taking the piss about what an easy place Villa Park was to go to? He did end up losing 6-1 (probably largely because his comments did Lambert's team talk for him!) but I think it speaks somewhat to how opponents look upon an away match at our place.

Sandie wrote:Remember Di Canio taking the piss about what an easy place Villa Park was to go to? He did end up losing 6-1 (probably largely because his comments did Lambert's team talk for him!) but I think it speaks somewhat to how opponents look upon an away match at our place.

If we can somehow get back to being first and foremost difficult to beat at VP that will be a start. We've rolled over for too many poor sides in recent years. Will all start to build from a solid defence. In turn that will allow the strikers to relax and not snatch at a chance with the idea that we could let in a silly goal at any min and when 1-0 still play with freedom to go and get a second and third as we have faith in our defensive play.

Difficult to judge TS record in this area as he hasn't been a manager anywhere long enough. I suspect this year will answer many a question...