Elphick to Rangers x2?
It seems that Steve Bruce is no real fan of Tommy Elphick, considering what has transpired last season and so far this season. Bruce has preferred to play Mile Jedinak, mainly for his aerial prowess (although he’s lack of mobility has let him down). The rumour mill has linked Elphick with a loan move to QPR (he went to Reading last season) or the Rangers north of the border.
With Villa now out of the League Cup, it seems that first team opportunities will be limited for Elphick, who has had a bit of a nightmare since joining Villa.
It has to be remembered that this is the man who successfully captained Bournemouth to the Championship title (something Bruce has never won as manager) and promotion to the Premier League.
French Centre Back
Logic dictates that an Elphick move will only happen in this loan window, if Villa manage to land Harold Moukoudi on loan from Le Havre (or another centre back).
The 20-year-old Frenchman certainly fits the type of player Villa’s new owners have mandated the management to get in. Younger talent, that can be brought on loan with an option to buy and then actually have a sell-on value (rare in recent times at Villa), if they do blossom.
The French U20 international had been linked to both Celtic and Fulham for around the £5m mark in the summer, and it’s reported that Celtic are still interested in loaning the player, as are Middlesbrough.
Would Moukoudi be any better than Tuanzebe at centre-back? Is a 20-year-old a better bet than an experienced centre-back who’s already won the Championship title?
Will Bruce ask himself these questions though?
Left-back Option
Fulham may have swooped in to take left-back Joe Bryan out of Villa’s hands on deadline day, but there’s been media reports (Daily Mirror etc) that Villa are keen on Southampton left-back Matt Targett.
You’ll remember last season, Targett was on loan from January to Fulham and played in the play-off final and helped beat Villa.
Fulham then reportedly offered the Saints £15m for the 22-year-old left-back, which was rejected, hence Fulham turning their eye to Bristol City’s Joe Bryan
Targett is currently stuck behind Ryan Bertrand in the Southampton pecking order and despite featuring in their League Cup win at Brighton last night, he hasn’t appeared in the league.
It would be an achievement, if Villa can bag him, even short-term until January. If the Saints are rejecting big offers, they’d probably prefer him to play for them in League Cup games, then having to pay part of his wages to play for Villa. Still, lets see what happens.
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Greener Pastures?
As it was confirmed by Steve Bruce after the Burton game, Andre Green has gone off on loan to Portsmouth in League One. It had been reported earlier that both Norwich and Bolton were after him, since Villa’s new loan signings Anwar El Ghazi and Yannick Bolasie arrived. It looks like Villa may have preferred a League One team, so not to have Green contributing to any Championship rivals.
To be honest, Green needs to develop his game, as he can be a little one-dimensional when running the channels. Regular game time with Pompey will help, but don’t be surprised to see him back at Villa for the second half of the season.
Tshibola Off Again
Speaking of loans away, Aaron Tshibola has gone back on loan to Kilmarnock for the season, as he tries to resurrect his football career.
Other BS
The Scott Hogan to Sheffield United rumour is still being churned out to pick up ad clicks. We’ve already commented on that. I mean, unless Villa have two striker loans incoming and have written off Hogan, they wouldn’t entertain it. And if you believe it’s in the nature of Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder to break the bank on wages to get an injury prone player in, you’re a fool.
Remember the video of Wilder last year, laughing off an agent trying to pass off high-waged Villa loan players on him on deadline day?
As for the Gary Cahill and Tammy Abraham links, read about MOMS’ views here
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That’s correct and big clubs usually have good managers who know what they are doing, sadly that is not the case with us. Bruce seems hell bent on Moukoudi, just another defender to play out of position. Has he completely lost the plot, last leauge game 20+ shots and 1 goal now we hear he’s not looking for a striker, what a plank, but I would think this is just another nail in his coffin, surely the owners will see that the only signing that we need is a Bruce replacement., until then no chance of promotion. Problem is by January we will be that far adrift and it will probably be too late.
Please read:
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/football/blog/2011/nov/30/steve-bruce-sunderland-sacked
Bruce always conjures up an image of the greedy schoolboy in the sweet shop every transfer window. He’ll have a bit of this and a bit of that regardless and then spits out what he doesn’t like.
Fortunately, he has owners with funds to allow this extravagance, dare I say wastefulness, to go relatively unchecked. At least they have turned off the expensive veterans tap.
With inevitable player over-spill, it now looks at if we are will soon rival Chelsea with so many players ushered out on loan. Mind you, as Brucie likes to remind us, ‘we are a big club with big wages’. Perhaps someone needs to remind him that big clubs also expect big achievements too.