abdulaziz1

No problem. Just hoping things goes ok and the right way.

Yes they were but also he used to pay. Put it that way. The country backs the clubs with some amount of money plus tv rights....etc But still the presdent of the club pays from his pocket without a return. Could be princes or business men who want the show or loving their clubs. Plus the prince system here is different than you think. Not all princes are that wealthy. I wanted to write more explaination but I dont like writing in smart phones.

Not sure how reliable Dawri Plus are. Not far from what I've heard, He had the thinking of buying a club since more than a year. But things hasn't work with him. Now that he left Al-Shabab he might have take it seriously.

I'd say he's an ok business man. I don't know if he's more than 1 or 2b pounds, Could be more or less (His wealth is unknown but he's known by one of the most people who have money in sporting here in Saudi). I'm not sure what his plannings exactly I'm still trying to figure, But I think he's knowing what he's doing,Although I'm only afraid wether he'll deal well in the European leagues or not because it's totally different than here. He seems to have couple of partners so that might make me more comfortable. Because I think it's very hard for him to spend a lot only by himself. Thanks for the information. Hopefully Khaled appoints an experienced CEO to help him adjust to the league. Do you think Baltan will bring in his own people? No I don't think he's going to bring his own people. I'd be very worried if that was the case. It's totally different between here and Europe in general. To me I would be happy if Faulkner stays. He's experienced and knows what the mistakes they have done before. We don't want do the same way again and again.

Just what I wrote in my first two posts a page ago. He seem to be in the last stages of negotiations, And they're hopeful to finish in a near time. Although I still don't have more details than that. And I'm not sure exactly what's the "Near time" they're actually talking about. What makes me feel comfortable about this and actually posting whenever I have more informations is : 1-The source is very very good and He's near to him. 2-Al-Baltan say it publicly that he's planning to buy an English team (I don't remember if he said a premier league or just any English team). 3-The guy who I've asked him doesn't know English nor knows England as I've said above, So when I asked him he told me that Al-Baltan is planning to buy Aston Villa, Then he asked me if it's the club that is located in Birmingham (I think he mistaked pronouncing it too). 4-Lerner usually doesn't announce something unless he's sure about, We're hearing since 3 year or more that he's planning to sell, Yet he only announced it this time. We were in a worse position last season and the season before, He didn't came out and say it's time to get our strength together and talking about selling after the season ending. I think the club usually say what they did or what they've almost finished. So If I combind all of this, I could think that there is a good chance Al-Baltan would end up the one who's buying the team.

Exactly, this club won't say anything on public. Even with the ten days with Benteke last summer, They've only said (The asking price) without saying the number publicly publicly. Players like Bacuna we haven't heard of them before more that 24 hours from his signings. And that was from foreign sources (same goes with other players).

Thanks Abdul, fingers crossed, can you think of any reasons why he would be interested in the first place? Besides enjoying football I mean, e.g. Man City owners own the Etihad group and wanted to use the club to further promote their brands. No problem mate. I'm not sure but I think he likes to take challenges and he found the Saudi league still needing some improvements, I also heard he owns a house in Birmingham (although I'm not sure about this one because the guy who told me doesn't know England very well nor English so could easily make an easy mistake about the city).

I'd say he's an ok business man. I don't know if he's more than 1 or 2b pounds, Could be more or less (His wealth is unknown but he's known by one of the most people who have money in sporting here in Saudi). I'm not sure what his plannings exactly I'm still trying to figure, But I think he's knowing what he's doing,Although I'm only afraid wether he'll deal well in the European leagues or not because it's totally different than here. He seems to have couple of partners so that might make me more comfortable. Because I think it's very hard for him to spend a lot only by himself.

I think this is somehow right, not far from what I've heard. Although I'm not sure what they mean with two investors. Wether they mean partners or two separate investors. Because from what I know, Al-Baltan won't go only by himself, He's going to have partners while he's going to have the most percentage.

I had a call today, There is a good chance that Khaled Al-Baltan is in the last stages of negotiations. Him with some partners. That's what I heard from a very very good source.

Is it not the same as the Fifa.com Fantasy?

Colombia v Greece 2-1 Uruguay v Costa Rica 2-1 England v Italy 1-1 Ivory Coast v Japan 0-1 Switzerland v Ecuador 2-1 France v Honduras 3-0 Argentina v Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-1

Brazil v Croatia 1-1 Mexico v Cameroon 1-1 Spain v Netherlands 2-1 Chile v Australia 2-0 When can I put the other predictions ?

It could be the second option, but getting the best out of players was what sort of defined lambert at Norwich. And us at the end of 2012-2013 !

I'd say paying like 40m the first year, then an average of 45m every summer won't be changing the identity of the club, If we could pay the wages too, We won't be a new Man City or Chelsea. And we would have a good chance of pushing on. Ofcourse without changing the name or the stadium.

No one could tell.

The Malaga one was always going to fail. The La Liga income isn't good instead of top teams. I remember one year Real and Barca were about 140m , While Valencia and Atletico about 40 ! Were West Ham who were the bottom of the league in the premier league were more than 40m. Teams in Spain sometimes fail to even pay 2m for a player ! In our worst cases we've paid about 15m with wages not far from top 10 teams in Spain while we're reducing wage bill ! The attraction of the Premier League is much more than La Liga (apart from 2-3 teams). So Malaga owners played it wrong by buying a team in Spain not in England ! I don't remember Portsmoth model very well but it was very bad. Don't know about Notts County aswell.

I don't really think. Our club usually doesn't put a statement where they aren't sure about. I like Lerner way in managing, The only thing I think isn't helping him is dis-interest. Which makes him wanting to make the club as healthy as possible to sell. I don't really think. Our club usually doesn't put a statement where they aren't sure about. I like Lerner way in managing, The only thing I think isn't helping him is dis-interest. Which makes him wanting to make the club as healthy as possible to sell.

Here in Saudi, There is nothing named an owner for the Club, There is only a president. They still haven't develop it to be like companies. Prince Khaled Bin Sultan is Behind Khaled Al-Baltan in Al-Shabab, But that doesn't mean Al-Baltan doesn't have money. He's a wealthy business man and one of the most famous (His famous came mainly from football). I'm not sure how wealth he is, Tbh I fail to understand if he could Buy Villa and spend by himself. But at the same time I know he understand football and know how much money he might put. I "think" he have partners with him But still not sure.Al-Sh Shabab team is one of the top 3 in the last 10-15 seasons, But it doesn't have supporters. Anyway They have good money.

Not a rumour though. But as I said here before, Khalid Al-Baltan (Al-Shabab FC former president) is interested in buying Aston Villa, He might be negotiating too. But I'm not sure how far he have gone with that. The rumour about that was right, He is interested. The story I read said he was just interested in a Premier League team but it didn't say Villa specifically. May I ask how you know he is definitely interested in buying us? I asked someone who knows him directly. I think the story was that he's buying an English team (Not only a Premier League), But anyway he didn't give more informations other than that (although I understand from what he's saying that there is a negotiations and it began during the season not only now).

We'd need a new, more competent, defence as well. Just for starters. I won't say. Because I don't think we'd find a gem as Okore. I'd also say we might not find an experienced defender he would get infront of him (in our range). Vlaar is good, Okore could have been fantastic ! I think a fit Guzan,Vlaar,Okore,Bacuna,Delph,AM,Gabby and Benteke Would be good enough to take us to top 10 !

Don't think we're even interested now if I'm honest !

I think we were planning to replaces him anyway, I mean he would've been squad player so the club might thought 40k for a squad players isn't that worth. So the 5.5m isn't really that accurate because he was going to be replaced anyway (And that if we were playing 442 which we usually don't). Saying that doesn't mean that I agree with letting him leave, Atleast not until we know where the club is going exacly.

Not a rumour though. But as I said here before, Khalid Al-Baltan (Al-Shabab FC former president) is interested in buying Aston Villa, He might be negotiating too. But I'm not sure how far he have gone with that. The rumour about that was right, He is interested.

tbh, I don't think our team is that bad. With a playmaker I don't understand why couldn't we be a top 10 side. Our problem this year was against the bottom sides. Add to that some bad tactics and injuries. I would add another factor which is Lambert didn't take gambles as in his first year. Weimann was out of form, Yet he kept playing every game. Gabby isn't that good against the less teams at home yet he kept playing. The only gambles he took was playing Bacuna and Kozak, The first one was forced to be played instead of Lowton and did good in his first game at RB + was faboulous in his second game with assisting a goal and scoring another. After that he cemented his place. Kozak in his second sub game scored a goal in his first minutes. and we were unbeaten for 3 games without Benteke. So Lambert took the gamble by not playing Benteke in some games. Players like Tonev and Helenius didn't have their chances, Although everytime I saw Helenius he used to have things other players don't have, Same goes with Tonev. Yet when Holt came Lambert didn't notice he isn't mobile enough to play in that formation. Lambert wasn't brave in his choices this season, Unlike last season. And this is one of the most reasons that made our season bad.