The Fun Factory Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Bertrand offered us very little going forward. Limited crossing and shooting. Richardson will give us that. Argeed. Apart from a couple of performances, he did not impress and there was no way we would spend £8 million on him. It is hard joining a side struggling but he seemed to lack basic positioning and marking skills. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I can't believe he is 29. Makes me feel old. Words like 'experienced' and 'versatile' are being used-it doesn't seem that long ago when he was supposedly the next (in a long line) of bright young things. I guess we all dance to the music of time. I think he will do okay for us. I am not expecting much just to deliver okayish peformances that can keep us up. As that is our entire ambition at present I don't think our ambition is just to stay up. If you take into account the squad rebuilding that has happened and the reduction in wages for playing staff over the past 2 seasons, I'd say the ambition now is to build on what we've got and start climbing back up the league. Our ambition is more likely to finish mid table, away from a relegation battle. However, due to Lerner wanting out of the club, we're in an uncertain situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I can't believe he is 29. Makes me feel old. Words like 'experienced' and 'versatile' are being used-it doesn't seem that long ago when he was supposedly the next (in a long line) of bright young things. I guess we all dance to the music of time. I think he will do okay for us. I am not expecting much just to deliver okayish peformances that can keep us up. As that is our entire ambition at present I don't think our ambition is just to stay up. If you take into account the squad rebuilding that has happened and the reduction in wages for playing staff over the past 2 seasons, I'd say the ambition now is to build on what we've got and start climbing back up the league. Our ambition is more likely to finish mid table, away from a relegation battle. However, due to Lerner wanting out of the club, we're in an uncertain situation. Of course our ambition is to stay up. That is the same for about 12 of the clubs in the league. There is a massive gap between the have and the have nots, and boy we have not got money nor ambition since 2010. If (big if) we get taken over this season then my expectation levels will increase, but since we have come 16,15 and 15th in the past 3 seasons and our transfer budget is still low, how can you expect anything else? Stay up for another season=more money to claw back the debts=perhaps more likely one day we will be sold. In this context Richardson seem a decent buy, but hardly the world class signings (snigger) that Lerner promised when he took over back in 2006. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 In terms of an improvement, he's not better than Bertrand so in that sense we're weaker than how we finished last season..Ummm, Bertrand was on Loan, Richardson is not. Whether that's weaker on the field or not is debatable. But it's not weaker from a business perspective. If nothing else, Richardson can play against Fulham....Is that what we're cheering now? Signings from a business perspective? From a quality perspective Richardson is worse than Bertrand. If you disagree I'd like to read why. Experience? Richardson goals scored for national team? Richardson goals scored in PL? Richardson Premier League championship trophies? Richardson goals per game as professional? Richardson Highest transfer fee paid? Richardons Ability to play against all opposition because he's not on loan? Richardson Ability to play mid-field role if needed? Richardson Experience playing in mid-field role? Richardson I just don't agree with the feeding frenzy of some posters. the mentality seems to be that we are a doomed group of losers so anyone who joins us must also be a loser. I have seen some very neat play and good goals from Richardson. Looking forward to seeing some more while he's wearing the right I doubt any manager in the league rates Richardson above Bertrand. In fact I doubt our manager does. I agree with the mentality regarding the players who are joining us. These are players with no better options, leaving average clubs that no longer need or want them. Or in the case of richardson, a player who like I said has no better options than a club up for sale who can't be sold. No actual decent players will want to join us because no one knows what the future of Aston villa is going to be. Lambert has no choice but to sign these types of players because they're the only ones who would consider joining a team like ours. Its where we are as a club right now. Richardson is not an awful player who will lead to our relegation but at the same time he's just another average player wearing the shirt. Unfortunately something we've seen a lot of over the last few years. I think we're in real trouble this year, if I saw another team finish as poorly as we did and sign these players i'd be thinking they're in for a tough season. DC, you just restated what I said. You're so negative about the club that everyone we sign is painted with the crap brush because you assume that only crap would join this crap-laden club. That's our fundamental disagreement. I hope the first few games change your perception of the club and some of our playing staff. Or else maybe that you get laid. Otherwise I fear you may hurt yourself. I'll be OK thanks. I don't need to try and convince myself the club is in a good state to be happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I can't believe he is 29. Makes me feel old. Words like 'experienced' and 'versatile' are being used-it doesn't seem that long ago when he was supposedly the next (in a long line) of bright young things. I guess we all dance to the music of time. I think he will do okay for us. I am not expecting much just to deliver okayish peformances that can keep us up. As that is our entire ambition at present I don't think our ambition is just to stay up. If you take into account the squad rebuilding that has happened and the reduction in wages for playing staff over the past 2 seasons, I'd say the ambition now is to build on what we've got and start climbing back up the league. Our ambition is more likely to finish mid table, away from a relegation battle. However, due to Lerner wanting out of the club, we're in an uncertain situation. The owner wants out, the manager has 12 months left on his contract. There's no ambition to build. I think Joe Cole wants to play in the premiership so I think we're the better offer for him. The point is, he could have taken the easy money and pissed off to the retirement league. He's 32 years old, he's had Premier League football for his whole career. Richardson had offers from three other Premier League clubs, all of whom I would bet are offering better money than we are. So your assertion that players coming to us have no better options is just untrue (well, probably true in Senderos's case). To me that says these guys have a point to prove here. They come here knowing our future is uncertain, knowing that we've struggled the last few years and likely will again, knowing that our funds are limited and that they won't make a lot of money, and knowing that Roy Keane's not going to let them get away with just half-assing it on the training pitch, it's worth adding. Most professional footballers would look at where our club is right now and say "No thanks. That's too hard. I can make more money and have an easier time of it somewhere else." While I agree with a lot of that I still don't think any of them had better offers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samjp26 Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 We've now tried 3 left back signings under Lambert and all of them have been below par, especially if £8m is being touted as the price for Bertrand. Richardson could do well for us in my opinion, he'll be average compared to the rest of the league but in all honesty I'd be happy with us performing as an average team right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momo Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I remember people on here criticizing Bouma...yeah yeah... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vive_La_Villa Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I remember people on here criticizing Bouma...yeah yeah... Not sure what the point is but that's probably because he was very poor in his first season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momo Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I remember people on here criticizing Bouma...yeah yeah... Not sure what the point is but that's probably because he was very poor in his first season. Well, since he left we haven't found anyone better. He was criticized by many, even after his first season. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I remember people on here criticizing Bouma...yeah yeah... Not sure what the point is but that's probably because he was very poor in his first season. Well, since he left we haven't found anyone better. He was criticized by many, even after his first season. As was Heskey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I can't imagine any of our signings had better offers. That is true of every signing everywhere. Why would you not take your best offer? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichiBoi11 Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I can't imagine any of our signings had better offers. That is true of every signing everywhere. Why would you not take your best offer? Literally the most sensible and completely common sense post I've ever seen on here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndJo Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Quietly happy about this signing. Knows the league and has experience at the top level. Also is an improvement on Bennett and Luna 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 I can't imagine any of our signings had better offers. That is true of every signing everywhere. Why would you not take your best offer? You wouldn't. The point is the best offer for these players are a club up for sale, no future plan and a limited amount of money to spend. The fact a club in our current state is their best option shows the level of players we are signing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob182 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 I can't imagine any of our signings had better offers.That is true of every signing everywhere. Why would you not take your best offer?Literally the most sensible and completely common sense post I've ever seen on hereHmm... I disagree. 'Best offer' presumably means wages offered. There are many, many reasons why you wouldn't take the 'best' offer. More playing time, more potential in the team, a manager that wants to play the football you want to play, a manager that sells the club to you or simply that you would like to work under that manager/assistant manager... These could all be factors why a player might decide to turn down a larger offer at a different club. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Hopefully we will grow a tache, become captain, and we beat Manchester United in the Coca-Cola Cup Final. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichiBoi11 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 I can't imagine any of our signings had better offers.That is true of every signing everywhere. Why would you not take your best offer?Literally the most sensible and completely common sense post I've ever seen on hereHmm... I disagree. 'Best offer' presumably means wages offered. There are many, many reasons why you wouldn't take the 'best' offer. More playing time, more potential in the team, a manager that wants to play the football you want to play, a manager that sells the club to you or simply that you would like to work under that manager/assistant manager... These could all be factors why a player might decide to turn down a larger offer at a different club. To be fair the post was that players accept the best offer. Factors like managers, team potential etc all factor into that, not just wages. To just look at it purely from the wages offered is very black and white Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob182 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 I reckon most people consider 'best offer' to mean wages. But if that's what the quoted posters meant, though true, it's a pretty pointless thing to say. It's like when someone says, "You'll find your keys in the last place you look", which is true because you then stop looking. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichiBoi11 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 They were in my hands all along! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Good signing imo. Versatile, experienced and better than what we currently have. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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