Villa favourite Ian Taylor gives his views after on the state of play for the clubs in our region after the transfer window.

So there it is. Another transfer window done and dusted – and I can’t say it’s one that will live long in the memory.

With the notable exceptions of moneybags Manchester City and Real Madrid, the credit crunch has cast a huge shadow over this summer’s dealings.

There’s been value to be had – Niko Kranjcar was a snip from Portsmouth to Tottenham at £2million, while Stoke did a brilliant piece of business in landing Tuncay from Middlesbrough for £5million.

But I can’t help but think Manchester City might regret forking out £18million on Roque Santa Cruz, while I’d still rather have Cristiano Ronaldo than four Antonio Valencias – plus change.

So, without further ado, I’ll kick-off the new column with my verdict on the business done locally this summer.

VILLA

He might have been the third-highest spender in the transfer window – but for me it was still a conservative summer’s shopping from manager Martin O’Neill.

When I say that, I mean in terms of the type of players he has brought in. They are all safe and steady, rather than sexy and spectacular. They have been made out of necessity.

While I believe the squad is stronger overall this summer, the starting XI is weaker without Gareth Barry and Martin Laursen.

Richard Dunne could be the hero-type figure Villa fans are crying out for to replace Laursen, although he wouldn’t have been my first choice. Personally, I think Everton got a better deal landing Jonny Heitinga for the same £6million sum.

There have been a few eyebrows raised at the signing of James Collins. You can certainly understand why people are questioning why Martin decided to sell Zat Knight – and Gary Cahill before him. Collins might not be the big-name signing everyone hoped, but I say give the lad a chance.

I can empathise, because I’m sure there were a few people wondering what Brian Little was doing when he signed me from Sheffield Wednesday.

There’s still a bit of a hangover from last year and I think that’s been shown by the disgruntled reaction of fans in some of the recent games.

But I’m going to plump for Stephen Warnock as my star summer signing. At £8million, he has cost enough but he’s been knocking on the door for England for a while now and was Blackburn’s best player last season.

WOLVES

Wolves are shopping in a totally different market to Villa – so for them to land the likes of Kevin Doyle and Michael Mancienne is a real coup.

Barely a month has gone past in the last couple of years where Doyle hasn’t been linked with a top 10 club, so for a newly-promoted team to land him speaks volumes for Mick McCarthy’s persuasive powers.

The £6.5million fee might have smashed the club record but I think Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has got himself a bargain – providing Kevin stays fit.

From what I’m hearing, the scouts at Molineux deserve a pat on the back for spotting Serbian ace Nenad Milijas. He could be one of the finds of the season.

I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw a snap of ‘big Mick’ shaking hands with another of his new signings, Stefan Maierhofer – the 6ft 7ins Austrian giant dwarfed him!

But he’s played for Bayern Munich, so clearly the guy’s got pedigree and I’m sure he will be key from set-pieces.

It’s the form at Molineux which will dictate whether Wolves stay up or not and, on the evidence so far, it could go to the wire.

ALBION

The Baggies are exactly what Wolves will be desperate to avoid becoming – a yo-yo club. Roberto Di Matteo inherited a side that was already good enough to succeed in the second tier, so I’m not surprised it’s been evolution rather than revolution at the Hawthorns this summer.

Losing Jonathan Greening was a blow but in Youssuf Mulumbu the Baggies have a player I expect to cruise in the Championship – he’s that good.

He never seems to give the ball away and looks comfortable in possession and, having played the position myself, I know those are two key qualities in a central midfielder.

The other areas Roberto has strengthened in is attack with the arrival of Simon Cox and Reuben Reid, off-setting the loss of Marc-Antoine Fortune.

I played with Simon at the tail-end of my career at Northampton, when he was on loan from Reading. It was obvious he was a decent player then, but his career really took off when he went to Swindon and scored a shed-load.

In Joe Mattock, the Baggies have signed a player who will not only fit into their side straightaway but, at 19, still has the potential to get better.

I fully expect them to keep with recent traditions and bounce back to the top flight.

WALSALL

Promotion will be the aim at the Banks’s Stadium to, but the odds are stacked against Walsall.

For me, manager Chris Hutchings must have one of the hardest jobs in football. Not only does he have a tight budget to work with, he is also facing a constant fight to keep the Saddlers faithful onside.

As usual, it’s been a summer of wheeling and dealing and, in fairness, I’ve been very impressed by some of the acquisitions Chris has made.

Mark Hughes is a former team-mate of mine from Northampton and he’s just what they need – a natural leader.

Further forward, I’ve seen Steve Jones in action a few times before and he’s the sort of player who could become a real favourite with the fans – he can excite.

It’s good to see Darren Byfield back home in the West Midlands, he can certainly do a job at this level and I think being back closer to his roots can bring out the best in him.

But what the Saddlers need is some stability. They seem to start every summer with a skeleton squad, so should it really come as a big surprise to see them languishing near the bottom?

The players need time to gel.