Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
Walsall fail in ambitious Hughes bid
Thursday 4th February 2010, 9:31AM GMT.
Walsall have failed in an ambitious bid to sign former Birmingham midfielder Bryan Hughes in a move which signals their intent this season.
The Saddlers were made aware of the 33-year-old’s availability last week after his release from Premier League Hull City and made tentative enquiries.
But two Championship heavyweights, one believed to be Middlesbrough, have pushed them out of the running.
Walsall are on the hunt for a creative midfielder and Hughes, who played with assistant boss Martin O’Connor at St Andrew’s, would have been the ideal foil in the centre.
After being paid up by the Tigers, Hughes wouldn’t have commanded huge wages but the lure of the Championship has proved too much.
Boss Chris Hutchings has now been given the green light to add to his squad, after they fell 13 points off the League One play-offs. The manager confirmed to the Express & Star the hunt is for Premier League and Championship players and his move for Hughes sends a message.
Chairman Jeff Bonser is backing Hutchings in the transfer market, as the club battle to keep the season alive after seven games without a win. The squad needs boosting, as an injury crisis would rip them to shreds.
The Saddlers are sweating on the fitness of Rhys Weston, who limped out of Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Charlton with a hamstring injury, while nine-goal winger Steve Jones is struggling to overcome a persistent groin problem.
Manny Smith should be fit for the visit of Bristol Rovers on Saturday, while Mark Hughes has only just returned from being sidelined with an ankle injury and a virus.
But Hutchings is unable to complete any loan deals until the window reopens on Tuesday, although there can be moves for free agents at any time.
New faces would reignite the season which is in danger of fizzling out, ahead of their gruelling February fixture list. The team picked up a morale boosting point against high-flying Charlton but their last victory came before the big freeze – a win at Yeovil on December 1.
They now face a double header with Rovers, as the Pirates visiting the Banks’s Stadium at the weekend before Walsall head to the Memorial Ground on Tuesday.
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Typical Walsall, wanting sympathy after “trying it’s best”. An ATTEMPT to sign someone doesn’t signal anything, let alone intent.
We could attempt to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, but we wouldn’t get him.
Whatsmore, this chap is 33, what the club need is continuity and hunger, we’d only get 18 months out of him maximum.
Please just do some proper journalism. Jeff Bonser never backs any manager in the transfer market, that is why we have such a small squad with the likes of Richards and Till.
Dean Keates, former hero and combative midfielder would have been a great signing, and a good signal of intent, but he went to Wycombe.
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Oh, and the season isn’t close to “fizzling out”, have you seen how perilously close to the relegation zone we are?
Would relegation be tantamount to a season “fizzling out”?
Have you seen our current form?
Have you seen our upcoming fixtures?
Such terrible journalism.
The club are in a RELEGATION fight, like it or not they are, and the sooner you start reporting, the sooner the players might wake up to the very real danger of relegation.
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what a joke bonser has given his backing the first week in feb few days after the transfer window shuts we all know what sort of players were gonna get now no experience or returning from injury loan players not the sort you want in a relagation battle hats off to bonser once again
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well said that man above.intent my foot.our transfer policy is a joke.
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The quality of players we ‘nearly’ signed in the Colin Lee era was astonishing. We nearly won the other night, we nearly beat Norwich, we nearly mounted a promotion campaign. Some of our players, naming no names but they play in between defence and attack, can nearly put a shift in for an hour or so every couple of games.
Hopefully we’re nearly rid of jeff and roy.
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Wasn’t it Kevin Harper we “attempted” to sign a few years back – safe in the knowledge that we were never in with a chance? At least it gives Bonser a chance to fool the easily pleased fans with his propagnada.
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How absolutely right you all are above ! how people can come on here and say ” don’t stay away your killing the club , come and get behind them and support your team ” it wouldn’t make any difference if there was 10,000 every home match we’d still be fed the same old line’s such as ” we had to sell our best player , we couldn’t turn that sort of money down , he wanted to go anyway ! ” it would also be for an undisclosed fee as usual , but you could bet your bottom dollar it would be owed to our chairman ! The only way people are going to make a difference at the Banks’s is to actually stop going , or you will be fed the same crap year in , year out , and continue to line people’s pocket’s , rather than have a club that actually want’s to have a successful team , instead of a successful business !
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We can’t compete with 2 thirds of the clubs in League 1 this season with our budget. Where do you all think the budget is projected from? The gate receipts! Support the club if you want or don’t its up to you. I’m proud to be a Walsall fan and i travel week in week out from Nottingham to cheer on my team. People seem to forget we were on the brink of colapse when Bonser took over. Maybe things could have been done better over the years but i’d rather be in our position than in Stockport or Pompeys state…
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No one is ignorant of the financial crises we’ve faced in the past or our current situation. Precisely how long do we have to continue to thank JWB for his rescue act – entirely selfless, of course – before you feel it’s legitimate to criticise his actions?
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Well said Bingham saddler. at one game I also met a guy who travelled from Liverpool every week to see the saddkers. People like that and you are the real supporters
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I am a real supporter also, I stay away in the hope we can starve these pair out and start all over again.
Sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture – remember paul ritchie??
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I thought our commercial activities meant we could compete with clubs with bigger attendances than ourselves? Well that was always the propaganda line spun by Bonser and Whalley. Truth is, even before the collapse in attendances, this was never the case. They always had a convenient excuse at hand why so and so couldn’t be bought or why so and so had to be sold.
Wake up and smell the coffee! Bonser & Whalley have never had any real ambitions other than the club continuing for the purpose of paying rent. Only when they are gone can this club start to build and grow.
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What do you mean “Starve these people out” ? You are starving the club you say you support. Support has to be vocal and financial at our level….
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