Heaton to Villa for £8m...

howitis · July 31, 2019, 10:29:26 AM

A great keeper and a brilliant deal for both club and player. We spent a reported £6m on Fabri and he has played 2 games. Defenders and keepers definitely a blind spot for us. Why can't we just buy proven operators in those positions. Only time will tell, but I have a feeling that Villa under Dean Smith have spent much more astutely.

Two Ton Ted · July 31, 2019, 10:45:36 AM

Astonishing how much money we spent on Fabri and he's not even played one minute pre season. Is he even still at the club?

Facts Not Fiction · July 31, 2019, 10:50:00 AM

Quote from: Two Ton Ted on July 31, 2019, 10:45:36 AM
Astonishing how much money we spent on Fabri and he's not even played one minute pre season. Is he even still at the club?

Not quite true, he featured once I believe.

Facts Not Fiction · July 31, 2019, 10:53:15 AM

Fabri was underrated by our fans last season. Rico's arrival pushed Fabri away from the first team. Doesn't matter that his experience was mainly in Turkey, he could've turned out to be a very good goalkeeper for us.

jayffc · July 31, 2019, 10:53:42 AM

Quote from: Two Ton Ted on July 31, 2019, 10:45:36 AM
Astonishing how much money we spent on Fabri and he's not even played one minute pre season. Is he even still at the club?

Surely he's out the door?
Unless he steps in due to injury and steals the place, he's got to be gone. Shame, had such pedigree on paper coming in, think most of us had high hopes...hugely adored by his last team, only to completely flop here. And the pressure was on quickly for him. A poor pre-season followed by some real c*** ups in the first few games and that was it. Feel for the guy, he was clearly a decent keeper but as with alot of our players last year, completely devoid of confidence and his talent evaporated. Needs a reset, good luck to him wherever he goes as you'd imagine if anyone offers a couple of million he'll be out the door.

SG · July 31, 2019, 11:45:37 AM

I presume we can't shift Fabri as I can see no useful purpose in us keeping him here base on pre season team selection

David I · July 31, 2019, 11:46:30 AM

Would have been pleased if we had snapped up Heaton. IMO £8m is a bargain.

MikeW · July 31, 2019, 11:55:34 AM

We seem to routinely miss out on players that others snap up from under our nose. Does TK just rely on his lap top or does he have anyone providing intelligence from the field?. Oh, I feel a Mike W /Talbot bashing session coming on! I'll pass.

SG · July 31, 2019, 12:00:19 PM

Premiership Villa v Championship Fulham. Difficult choice for Heaton! Also with finite funds we can 'miss out ' on Heaton as there are more important positions to improve.
I think TK is a major problem but statements as above diminishes our arguments

MikeW · July 31, 2019, 12:16:28 PM

SG - respectfully suggest you read my comment again. I didn't imply we were after Heaton but was making the point we are woefully out of touch with the grass roots market. Perhaps this is why we have not secured one defender while many others have.

BigbadBillyMcKinley · July 31, 2019, 01:42:35 PM

How do people know we haven't gone in for all these players and they just haven't been sold to the club? As in, those in charge haven't bigged it up enough.
No one really knows what goes on behind closed doors.

Riversider · July 31, 2019, 02:04:18 PM

Alex McCarthy of Southampton is still available and miles better than any keeper we've currently got on our books.

Two Ton Ted · July 31, 2019, 02:07:15 PM

Quote from: Riversider on July 31, 2019, 02:04:18 PM
Alex McCarthy of Southampton is still available and miles better than any keeper we've currently got on our books.

Agreed. And Berkovic at AFCB.

elgreenio · July 31, 2019, 02:13:48 PM

Burnley done a great job getting £8m there. 33yo in the last year of his contract and potentially not even first choice.

Yes Fabri didnt work out, who's to say he wouldnt have done given the whole season with the goalkeeping coach who knew him and under a team that fancied defending every now and then.

We're forgetting just how much of a blessing Bettinelli is between the sticks.

Feel like this post should end with one of those "no good boyo..." but that would be somewhat blasphemous wouldn't it

jayffc · July 31, 2019, 02:22:17 PM

Quote from: MikeW on July 31, 2019, 11:55:34 AM
We seem to routinely miss out on players that others snap up from under our nose. Does TK just rely on his lap top or does he have anyone providing intelligence from the field?. Oh, I feel a Mike W /Talbot bashing session coming on! I'll pass.

Yes, as stated repeatedly, many times, he has a network of real-life scouts on the ground who are just as important as the stats department (I thought this was made patently clear in the podcast when they broke down the inner workings of the process, I suggest listening to it, or listening to it again if you missed it first time around) and a manager who is now actively more intereste, and therefore, involved in the process than his predecessors.

A while back I was concerned we might be heading somewhere too stat-based...then I found out it's not that way and transfers must pass a 3 tick system. The Scouts, Stat team and the manager all have a say. They can all raise a transfer target, and the other 2 will check it out. That's how it's been stated it works. So ....that's enough for me. Makes sense, can we move on yet? Or can we identify what the club needs to do other than state this publically over and over in order for people to move on from this sort of thinking?

MJG · July 31, 2019, 02:49:30 PM

Quote from: elgreenio on July 31, 2019, 02:13:48 PM
Burnley done a great job getting £8m there. 33yo in the last year of his contract and potentially not even first choice.

Exactly this, how anyone can find a way to have a dig at the club on not spending £8M on a 33 year old almost reserve keeper is jusy finding ways to fit theior own agenda.

fulhamfever · July 31, 2019, 03:07:46 PM

Fabri has not been given a fair chance

Fulham1959 · July 31, 2019, 03:30:31 PM

Quote from: jayffc on July 31, 2019, 02:22:17 PM
Quote from: MikeW on July 31, 2019, 11:55:34 AM
We seem to routinely miss out on players that others snap up from under our nose. Does TK just rely on his lap top or does he have anyone providing intelligence from the field?. Oh, I feel a Mike W /Talbot bashing session coming on! I'll pass.

Yes, as stated repeatedly, many times, he has a network of real-life scouts on the ground who are just as important as the stats department (I thought this was made patently clear in the podcast when they broke down the inner workings of the process, I suggest listening to it, or listening to it again if you missed it first time around) and a manager who is now actively more intereste, and therefore, involved in the process than his predecessors.

A while back I was concerned we might be heading somewhere too stat-based...then I found out it's not that way and transfers must pass a 3 tick system. The Scouts, Stat team and the manager all have a say. They can all raise a transfer target, and the other 2 will check it out. That's how it's been stated it works. So ....that's enough for me. Makes sense, can we move on yet? Or can we identify what the club needs to do other than state this publically over and over in order for people to move on from this sort of thinking?

Thank you for the reminder. Too many on here looking for conspiracies and assumed incompetence, rather than listening to facts and applying rational thinking.

SG · July 31, 2019, 05:07:18 PM

Quote from: MikeW on July 31, 2019, 12:16:28 PM
SG - respectfully suggest you read my comment again. I didn't imply we were after Heaton but was making the point we are woefully out of touch with the grass roots market. Perhaps this is why we have not secured one defender while many others have.

Read the post above your original one

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Heaton to Villa for £8m...