Grading Aston Villa's Summer Transfers - Friday Feedback

Well, it's officially over. August 31st has come and past and we won't have to hear any transfer rumors for at least three days. I hope. Maybe. We ended the 2010-11 season with expectations of a busy summer, and pure numbers-wise we weren't disappointed. A few of the moves and non-moves, to refresh your memory in no particular order:

• Stewart Downing to Liverpool
• Ashley Young to Manchester United
• Habib Beye is still here
• Luke Young to Queen's Park Rangers
• Jonathan Hogg to who cares
• Michael Bradley not renewed
• Gérard Houllier let go
• Habib Beye is still here
• Alex McLeish hired
• Brad Friedel non re-signed
• Carlos Cuellar is leaving to Scotland!
• Carlos Cuellar is staying
• Carlos Cuellar is leaving
• Alright let's stop this farce, he's still here.
  
• Nigel Reo-Coker, John Carew, Moustapha Salifou, Robert Pires, and some of the young Villans were released
• Habib Beye is still here
• Shay Given joined Villa
• Charles N'Zogbia joined Villa
• Jean Makoun is now in Greece
• Alan Hutton and Jermaine Jenas joined Villa
• Habib Beye is still here

That pretty much covers it. And now that it's all over, we thought it might be a good time to rate the summer. Obviously, we can't really know how everything will play out, but what is the Internet for if not premature reactions to things requiring a large scope to decide upon? So with that in mind, I present this week's Friday Feedback, in which you get not one, but THREE questions answered. And to level the playing field (and keep Aaron from posting small Master's theses and outdoing all of us), all of the answers must be 140 characters or fewer. It's the tweet challenge!

This week's questions: What was Aston Villa's best move of the summer transfer window?

What was Aston Villa's worst move of the summer transfer window?

Overall, how would you rate Aston Villa's activity in the summer transfer window?

Be sure to add your answers in the comments!

What was Aston Villa's best move of the summer transfer window?

Aaron: Charles N'Zogbia, because without him Emile Heskey is our first-choice winger.

Gareth: Shay Given is an improvement on Brad Friedel. And Friedel is an excellent keeper and might have been our most important player last season.

Kirsten: Not getting rid of Barry Bannan or Fabian Delph.

Robert: McLiesh: not sure he's the best we could've gotten, but it was vital for Villa to get some stability. He provides it. Given is a close 2nd.

Slaky: Shay Given. Old keepers are better keepers. Of course if his groin continues to act like it's made of shredded mozz, we're kind of screwed.

What was Aston Villa's worst move of the summer transfer window?

Aaron: Forgetting that you can take boats places where there are pretty decent football players.

Gareth: It's not a move, per se, but the lack of ambition and imagination from the front office down remains my biggest concern with this club.

Kirsten: Not being able to convince Roberto Martinez to join Villa. General uncertainty about management cost us early in the summer, I think

Robert: Letting Makoun go for basically nothing and getting no middle creativity in his place.

Slaky: I hate Makoun leaving as much as everyone else but it feels like we're missing something with him. He must have lost a step somewhere.

Overall, how would you rate Aston Villa's activity in the summer transfer window?

Aaron: With the constraints they're working under? B-. Without? D.

Gareth: C-minus. They did what they had to do, and they did it in a thoroughly unremarkable way.

Kirsten: C. Given already impresses, N'Zogbia still will, but goodness me, look outside Britain and Ireland. Grow a spine.

Robert: Given what they had to work with, I think this summer was a B. Team is safe and more responsible. Perhaps a tad boring though.

Slaky: It's been pretty rough. Losing players like Young and Downing just plain hurts. No matter the circumstance. Roaches needs to step up.