I Really Don’t Care About This January’s Transfer Window.

I have to say, as much as I usually love transfer speculation, this January I`ve really not been bothered!

One reason is we are relying on loans because of the ridiculous and prohibitive Financial Fair Play rules, unless we sell players – and selling players isn`t as easy as it might sound when no one actually wants the players the club would love to get rid of.

You still following?!

And loans. Well. I hate them. Across all football, they are just naff unless you have an emergency situation (i.e. if you can`t field a fit goalkeeper, then clubs used to get special permission to get someone in on loan. Anyone remember the man in his joggers Gábor Király who we had on loan?) . I don`t mind youth players going to a club at least one division apart (so if you are in the Championship, you can only loan to League Two or lower) but to loan from the Premiership (we are too big to be a feeder club) or in your own division. That`s naff! As said, the rules allow it, my dislike of them is my problem.

Where were we?

Yeah, this January. Villa CEO Keith Wyness has already said players like Gabby and Micah Richards can`t just be offloaded, as no one has enquired about them. You can see the quotes: Who Is Being Linked In And Out Of Villa Park Today?

As you know, there has been a bit of action with De Laet Heading To Antwerp.
that move clears a bit wage wise but hardly earth shattering either way is it?

Then we have the link to the Manchester United youngster Axel Tuanzebe. How does bringing in a (albeit highly rated) defender on loan help us when we already have cover? Unless Elphick does go. But then, unless Elphick is sold for decent money, what is the point of loaning him out/selling him cheap, only to bring in cover from Man Utd on loan? If we are loaning Axel, surely Man Utd will want to know he`s going to be played? How could he be played ahead of Terry and Chester? And why not use our own youth players to build them for the future? And just how many damn questions am I going to ask in this article?

And THAT is why I`m not that bothered folks!

Quite why I couldn`t have just said that at the start I have no idea.

Keith Wyness told Radio WM the other night (and the Birmingham Mail did the transcript) that we might not have anyone coming in this January and he feels that the squad we have should be good enough for promotion anyway.

I concur.

Do you?

We seem to have clicked, Villa Park has become a fortress, albeit some of the draws have been dull. Unless we can get a striker in – because if Hogan gets injured, we are once again relying on Davis, who at this early stage of his career cannot be relied on for regular goals, or he who shall not be named (but is out of contract this summer). Fair enough he might do a job v Blues but Gabby (damn, I said he wasn`t to be named) isn`t prolific and does pick up a lot of injuries.

Back to Keith:

“We`ve said right from the start we`ve got a good squad, a squad that has got some depth to it as well. We weren`t going to take anybody in unless they were going to come in straight away into the first team and make a big difference.“

Makes perfect sense. We have had too many fringe players brought in over the last few years already. We need to replace what we have with better, if not, don`t replace.

“Those sort of players are few and far between. Those sort of players also – clubs are waiting to see if they have injuries. Right now as we sit here, at present, I don`t think there could be anybody coming in, at this stage.”

So, I ask in our latest poll…. drum roll please… do you think there will be any action this January in relation to transfers?