mikeyjavfc

29 minutes ago, MrBlack said:

I can't understand why this wasn't picked up earlier. 

Brazil don't call up English based players because they have to isolate for up to 14 days after their departure from the uk on arrival in country. 

Argentina playing Brazil, in Brazil,  with 4 players that will have arrived from the UK less than 14 days ago. 

How did the club, players, and press not pick up that this was going to happen? I can understand the Argentinian FA thinking they can grease some palms to get away with it,  but it's a very bizarre situation. Proper comedy of errors.

Brazil wanted their players in the prem to make the trip. It was a big outrage in Brazil that they weren’t allowed to go. No doubt there would have been an exemption for the 14 day isolation rule if the Brazil players had travelled, but since they didn’t and the Argentinian players did, they are now getting punished.
It’s not clear how much of this was foreseeable but it sounds like assurances were given by the gov that they would be permitted and the health dept has since overruled them. Apparently that is a thing that can happen in brazillian politics . A mess for sure but sounds like the rug has been pulled a bit.

30 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

They’ll be back as planned. Trust me. Argentina manager will then come out with how he let them leave but he’s not happy about it etc.

This is my view. It would be pretty shocking actually if the players went against their word and returned late, particularly Buendia who has just joined us - not a good way to endear yourself to your new employer and team mates. They could likely expect fines similar to Harry Kane missing the start of pre-season if they return late and I would also expect Buendia may lose his place in the starting 11 (Martinez is harder to drop however). Regardless of what is 'right' in this situation, the players know the terms that they agreed with the club before they left for duty. 

The Argentinian manager is just looking out for his own best interests by applying pressure, but it doesn't mean anything if the players are true to their word.

4 minutes ago, WallisFrizz said:

I don’t see that we have any power in the situation. 

Fine the players and block them from the next intl break if they stay for the 3rd game? Up to them if they want to risk that, they knew what they signed up for regardless of what Argentina manager says.

Not too fussed about another signing. If we don’t make one today then the right player was simply not available. I have no doubt any money saved this window will be spent in the next window instead, as we have pretty much spent up to our FFP limit in all previous windows under NSWE. No reason to think this is the end of the heavy squad investment over the next few seasons.

Make it so. 

3 hours ago, Mic09 said:

it's a bit of a running joke mate  

The only running joke here is how bloody unreliable Villa Report is!!

Doesn’t say much for our preparation and conditioning for Watford if we are still having preseason games after the first game of the season…Also if Traore is injured that’s a damn shame.

2 days before the season starts...IT'S M'ON ALL OVER AGAIN. 

34 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Who’s in Cheshire?

Grealish 

Hopefully Buendía and Watkins were pulled out of the last game as a precaution to make sure they were fit for first fixture. Definitely going to have to grow into the new season as players come back, so need to lower our expectations a bit until everyone’s back and fit. At least the first choice defence is fit.

Embarrassing loss for City and Grealish. Must be grating for their Abu Dhabi overlords to spend a billion quid and have to watch that. 

17 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

But I do agree and find it a bit odd that his former teammates are congratulation him on the move.

It does indicate they all kind of look on Aston Villa as a development arena, and clubs like Man City being the main destination should you succeed.

Goes straight against what the owners are trying to build. They want us to  become elite, just like Man City.

I would just say good luck on your new challenge. Not congratulations.

Until we reach the champions league we are a development team of sorts, just like most other teams. The highest calibre players will not hang around for years and years without CL football. If our players are being sniffed at by clubs like Man City then it indicates our recruitment and academy teams are getting it right. The only way we stop this is to crack the top 4 and become the club that hoovers up other teams talent instead.  

Personally I think the fact we have sold Grealish to City has made us more attractive to young talent. There is a clear pathway to a top 4 team here (either through villas ‘project’ or through earning a transfer), and we have shown we are willing to do transfers if the fee is right. I do wonder how many players would want to go to Tottenham now seeing that Harry Kane is locked into his 6 year contract at Spurs.

Taking a while, wonder if there’s a snag with the medical?

4 minutes ago, HalfTimePost said:

Whispers says bid accepted for a Midfielder and we are awaiting 'resolution' on it before we go for JWP, so if true, it's not him.

Not clear if he means incoming (say, Cantwell) or outgoing (Hourihane). Not sure whether he'd refer to Cantwell as a midfielder though, I know technically he is but you'd think he'd just say winger

Really useful and clear ITK info as usual then.

After a bit more time to come to terms with this I am starting to mellow out on Grealish and accept that this is the way of football in this country. There are countless examples of players a leaving their boyhood clubs to pursue careers higher up the pyramid, whether that is for trophies, wages or simply to reach the highest level possible in their career.

While this is hard to understand as a fan, the mentality of a professional footballer is very different to the fans. The very mentality that enables you to be a professional footballer at the highest level (the drive to win and be the best you can be of all your peers), inherently leads most footballers away from boyhood clubs to achieve the best league position, trophies, individual awards and wages (which is a just reward for your ability that players measure themselves against after all). Most fans do not have this same mentality and thats why were not all professional footballers.

There are some rare cases like Gabby who’s only goal in football was to play for villa and he lost motivation once he had achieved this, but this unusual. Most footballers are always driving towards the next achievement at all times. Some footballers are lucky like Foden and John Terry and come through their academy at the exact right time to achieve everything they want with their boyhood club, but this is rare given that only 4 clubs in this country have had consistent top top level success in the last 20 years.

Therefore, while I am obviously disappointed with Grealish and thought he might be different from from all the others, it is not really a surprise to find out actually his just the same.

So unlucky with his injury. I really hope he gets his career back on track but he isn’t going to get the opportunities at villa so time to move on. I hope we are not paying him silly wages that block a move for him abroad.

4 minutes ago, Davkaus said:

Someone mentioned the possibility of Kane discussing his regrets with him, and it's absolute conjecture, but it's certainly got the ring of truth, hasn't it, and there are quite a few similarities between their career paths

Players really are bloody sensitive about their individual legacy and trophy haul these days aren’t they? Harry Kane has had several shots at league and champions league success in the last 5 years at Tottenham and he’s moaning like he’s wasted his career at small Heath. Sometimes these things don’t pan out but that’s football - there are literally hundreds of other teams trying to win the same trophies so not everybody gets to win. City can pretty much guarantee trophies so these guys trip over themselves to get on board with them forgetting what they are giving up at the clubs they claim to support. Well your Wikipedia page might be slightly longer when you retire guys but you will soon be forgotten by the city fans and you won’t be welcome back at your boyhood clubs after this. They’ll be no statues built for you.

Unless it’s all about the money afterall in which case congrats, you have gone from being very very rich to very very very rich.

Now he is his likely to leave, I’ve circled back around on Grealish this week. Taking the emotion out of the equation we cannot have this tiresome saga year on year so he should go now while we can demand a record transfer fee for him and he won’t smash our wage structure with a new contract. He has issues with his shins and he’s unlikely to play more than 3/4 of the season for us if past seasons are believed, and maybe the issue is getting worse with age? If we can bleed city for north of £100m AND we reinvest all the money (as is very likely) then this will buy 3 good players that we couldn’t afford before under FFP. The most important thing now is to get the incoming transfers sorted and get the tactics of the team ready for life without Grealish as we have been over reliant on him for years.

I think Kane is the complication here. City surely cannot sign both (if they can then football is surely dead) and they need a striker much more pressingly. If they get positive signs around Kane they will delay the interest in Grealish. 

23 minutes ago, MessiWillSignForVilla said:

I assume you mean Hale in Altrincham, in which case, that's a 3.5hr drive from where Villa are training and Grealish was in training at least 2hrs ago.

Helicopter to Manchester airport and picked up by the Girlfriend & dog. More likely my colleagues wife saw a Matty Cash lookalike and jumped to conclusions..

Here's some extremely sketchy ITK info: I work in Manchester and the wife of a colleague has just sworn blind that she has seen Grealish with Girlfriend and dog in tow in a black Range Rover in Hale. Here's where it gets stranger - they had pulled over as the dog was being sick by the side of the road. I had to ask if this was a wind up when that detail was revealed but apparently not.

I did tell them it was very unlikely as he was pictured in London this very morning but she was 99% sure it was him... Have there been any recent photos of Grealish training this afternoon?

On second thought I think that any move for Grealish is probably all tied up with the Kane interest now. If you believe city when they cry poverty then they cannot afford to buy both Kane and Grealish, which would cost a combined c. £230 to 250m. It’s very likely that Kane is the priority position for them given the departure of Agüero. That deal looks harder to do because of Levy but presumably they are going to throw everything at it before they give up and settle on Grealish. 

I think he's gone now unless City fail to meet the valuation in the release clause or gentleman's agreement or whatever it is. Yes, he continues to train but this is sensible as it gives Villa an advantage in the negotiations (i.e. it shows Man City the he will stay if they don't pony up the cash...see Harry Kane for the opposite approach!).

I wonder if Grealish is going but he’s working with the club to rinse City for every penny before he goes as a goodbye present? He clearly has good relationship with the club top to bottom so I could see it happening - the opposite to Kane really. We won’t stand in your way but you will help us get top dollar from City. 

2 minutes ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

This is all rather simple for me. 

Man City have put a bid in that meets our theoretical valuation, and they are used to getting their way so would (fairly) assume the deal is done. 

Only it isn't. It is still in Grealish's hands. And here we are, actually no closer to a resolution until the moment we are over the precipice. 

It feels like it is up to Grealish now. He's seen the City deal and likes the terms (who wouldn't), City have seemingly paid the release fee (or Gentlemans agreement fee or whatever) according to Journos; and Jack has been in meetings today about a new villa deal (probably). If Jack can't / won't agree new terms with Villa today then he's offski. I don't think any of the training vids released today change that. He's a professional and villa are a professional outfit and he has been employed here a long time and has total trust, so I see no reason he wouldn't stay with the squad until the decision was announced.