More out than in

Last updated : 22 January 2008 By Tom Vickers
It was touted as the chance to add depth to a small but talented squad. But so far the transfer window has failed to live up to expectation for Villa fans. The only activity at Villa Park has been apparently unwanted players leaving for pastures new.
We have seen talented youngsters such as O'Halloran, Mikaelsson and Herd leaving, while Isaiah Osbourne had to be called back from a loan at Leicester due to an injury situation. That situation was the knock sustained by Gareth Barry prior to the Liverpool game. If we can't cope with one or two injuries then we must be looking to get new faces in.
Rumours are abound that even more players are to leave with Luke Moore today being linked with a £3.5 million move north of the border. Also Gary Cahill, who is undoubtedly a talented centre back could be on his way to Blues if the price is right.
Lastly, to add insult to injury, former skipper Olof Mellberg is likely to sign a pre-contract agreement with Juventus soon. It has even been speculated that the Italian giants may try to sign him for £500,000 during this transfer window.
All this means that a squad which needed strengthening before the window, could look even more threadbare after it.
There have been plenty of names discussed as possible targets, but with just nine days remaining we will need to add depth or face the prospect of falling by the wayside in the search for European football.
We all trust Martin O'Neill, who signed players late on in the last January window, but we simply cannot afford to let anymore players leave without replacing them first. Surely the reason we can't sign players quickly is because other clubs want to make provisions, we must follow suit.