Aston Villa News 24/7Writer: J P Fear 
Date:Thursday February 7 2008
Time: 2:29PM
UK time is: 21:38:36
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O'Neill Promises Summer Spending
Baton down the hatches, the opti's and the pessi's have further fuel to attack each other with as Martin O'Neill has promised an active summer in the transfer market!
In an interview with the Birmingham Mail, the Villa boss says he knows the team needs additions to build on the solid foundations.
'We'd definitely be looking to enhance the squad. We've put in a bedrock but now this club should be looking in that upward direction and keep going in that direction, not stuttering and standing. Now sometimes that happens, but the general direction of this football club should now be on the up. The point is, when we have people come to the club, I want them to battle to get into the side.'
It seems far more realistic to expect Villa to spend and spend big in the summer despite attempts during January. There will be far more players available as teams look to change things for the new season. An example of that was the report the other day that Rafa Benitez, who refused to let any player leave in January I believe, will be willing to let Peter Crouch, John Arne Riise and Harry Kewell leave. Both Crouch and Riise were linked to Villa.
He also says Villa is a big enough club to be able to 'carry a fairly substantial squad.'
Adding that he has faith and thinks the squad can do the job until the end of the season, hopefully getting us to Europe along the way!
'I could have signed six players and they could have all been injured but it would have meant a bit more safety in numbers. But if we want to try to compete properly, then you really do need a squad
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Your Comments
RIGHT! Thats it, let me at the speccy git! Same old crap! He said this last summer and this January also! Shut the hell up and you wont leave us feeling let down again!
DeanoVilla
I hope we bring Djemba Djemba back.
johnnyuk
Do we want quality or quantity? If the likes of Liverpool won't sell anyone, I am sure the same goes for other teams. The likes of Derby want to keep Barnes even though they are going down, they will get more in the summer. No-one other than Spuz and Chelski really bought big and Fulham had a few unknowns. I will want to be lining up behind Deano if we don't make Europe but if we do then you can't really argue with the MON.
Villan444
It's the statements he makes that get to me more than anything. Why bother building our hopes up again?
DeanoVilla
It really is beginning to ***** me off the way he spouts this crap! At least when O'Looser said small squad we knew there was nothing he could about it because of Deadly!
nottinghamvillain
Think of it what you will, but i've said it before and now he has no excuse. If things don't happen this summer, then I'm going to have to change my viewpoint on MON. This doesn't change my opinion of him so far, but this is a definite marker, as was last summer. The difference between this summer and last is that MON now has a real stamp on the team, it's his team.
Carlosio
Well this time he has no choice with the likes of Moore, Ollie, Sorryson, Berger and possibly Maloney leaving!
leelindsay
Moore will only leave if sold, as will Maloney, both still have time on their contracts.
Villain Of The North
I think MON feels confident we will qualify for Europe this season, so with the added incentive of European football will be able to attract the quality and quantity of players we all want.
Willa
Why bother putting this statement out? no point. Let actions speak louder than words! The prices will just rocket again....
KSarge1
Why bother putting this statement out? Simple. This question is being asked of MON and other Prem managers constantly, and if they don't answer the rags simply make stuff up instead. What would you do?
BobTheBuilder
It's not a statement. It's an interview, where he will obviously have been asked the same question as has been asked every 5 minutes, and have to give an answer, which will obviously be the same answer given to that question every other time. He's not come out specially just to go "oh, by the way, we need more players. Wasn't sure if you'd noticed"
Carlosio
Trouble is MON can't win. If he is asked a question and says no comment, he'll get slated. But if he answers as above, he'll get slated! I do agree that Jan transfer window is very hard to do business in. Don't understand why he didn't do more last summer but think this summer he knows players HAVE to come in and will probably be easier to attract as we are now higher in the league, been shown more on sky etc and the fans are there in good numbers week in week out. Patience will totally run out IF he doesn't do it this summer though.
The Fear
Im sure we will sign a 2-3 players in the summer. The problem will be they will all be let downs (after hearing rumours like defoe, crouch, riisa) we will get some west ham / tottenham reserves. We wont sign them until the last day of the window, after all our competitors have gone out and got the good signings. And this will all be after letting 5-6 leave.
tylervilla
Oh for the love of god Martin not again!!!!!! I'm starting to believe that Mr O'Niell has a memory problem, like when he may .... just mention in passing to anyone that wants to listen that hes thinking of buying some players in say the summer window (as we all know he thinks the Jan window is to cold), only then to forget that he ever said such a thing !!!!
Mutt_Man
Look if we qualify for europe he will have to spend he's not an idiot, and if we don't qualify for europe we aint good enough so he will have to spend in that scenario.
He will be spending, he's got a good solid base of players and the rest of the deadwood. like berger, will be replaced. I think the misery of January transfer window is still fresh in your minds, chill out everyone!
krisvilla
He never changes the team unless somebody get suspended or Injured so what the point in having a bigger squad .
I wish He'd shut up he's starting to P me off now!
Villan57
i just wish he'd keep his mouth shut until he has got something to say that we can believe!
villacross
Ah well I for one believe him, he hasnt let down before, has he?
young_jonah
I have to say that when the summer transfer ended I wasn't very happy, and i said so on this very site, I haven't been on here for a while leaveing feedback. just stepping back from everthing for while and seeing how MON gets on, well he's definately shoved my criticism down my throat, so if you look at all the teams around us no spent apart from pompey, I'm pleased they bought defoe, I wouldn't what that superstar or so he thinks in our dressing room, are really going to be that *****ed off if we don't quailify for Europe, 2 years ago we weren't sure if we could stay in the premiership, so lets get real, 6th in the league with a dozen games to go, ***** I can't believe it
eltoro
MoN has done a great job in Martin I trust.
Pking
The man can't win with some people. He has bought in players last January, and last summer and those players are doing well. 3 of them were in the England squad and have good futures ahead of them. The trouble is that sometimes people expect instant results and it just does not happen like that. The best teams those that reach the top and stay there are built not just bought in one transfer window. We are making fantastic progress when as eltoro says you remember where we started from. Our competitors have not done a great deal better than we have and over the next five years I have no doubt we will do a lot better than teams like Man City, Pompey or West Ham simply because we have a young side who are improving.
daveldvilla
We were fifth in the Prem during the transfer window and beautifully placed to make an assault on European places during the second half of the season. Achieving that European place will make it a whole lot easier getting quality players in during the summer. That's why I was very surprised MON didn't move heaven and earth to strengthen in January. The Fulham result and Gabby's injury mean that I'm starting to drift towards the pesi camp. Let's all hope I'm wrong.
VillaYamYam
Which Summer are we talking about?
col8
It's threads like this that have stopped me posting for so long. Everyone is expecting 25 years of our club being raped to be magicly repaired overnight (and I think 18 months is substantially less than overnight!). You can only put 11 players on a pitch at once, we've got a handful of players who've only managed the occasional appearance already this season (Maloney, Gardner, Salifou, Osbourne, Moore, Harewood) add to this Knight and Routledge - where would we put these extra players we should have signed in Jan??? If ever there was proof that you can have too many players just look at Liverpool. The current team/squad reminds me of 80-81, they have gelled, virtually pick themselves and you can see how much it means to them as a unit when we score. I'd rather stick with what we have until the summer. If we do make Europe then we will need to buy 4 or 5 quality players but it must always be quality over quantity!!
Stick with MON, I for one coul donly dream of where our club is now as the end of the 2005-06 drew to a close with relegation a real prospect - maybe DOL was right after all...we are fickle!!!!
Up the Villa
villatillidie
You have to agree he's done a great job getting us from no hopers under DO'L and Doug to 5th in the league pushing for Europe (sundays game aside...!) But he really is annoying harping on about strengthening the team when he's had ample opportunity and really failed to so save for last January with Young, Carew and Maloney
nottinghamvillain
If the quality we're looking for wasn't available during January (an generally nobody is prepared to let their best players go in the Jan window) then I'd rather we buy nobody. If MON had gone out and bought 5 players who were West Ham/Spurs reserves how much would you all have slaughtered him then? He's taken a calculated gamble on Routledge which could prove to be an absolute snip or an inexpensive flop. How short everyone's memories are, would you all have been celebrating if we'd signed DJDJ x 5 just to boost numbers?!?!? Have faith in MON but don't expect miracles too quickly, we're just over a quarter of the way in to the 5 year plan and no doubt already ahead of the expected target, we have to be realistic about this, things take time...just ask Sir Alex Ferguson!!!
villatillidie
Hey Villatillidie. I'm glad this thread has provoked a response from you. Your reaction/opinion is thoughtful and completely valid. Don't leave it so long next time!
VillaYamYam
Hopefully we'll begin strengthening more or less as soon as the current campaign ends. Lets not leave it until the lads are back in pre-season, or back from any pre-season tour before we start beating the bushes.
glensider
Wish though that MON would keep quiet about transfer promises. Surely he's aware of the problems that have been caused by supporters feeling let down? Maybe not.
glensider
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