R.Bear

Great signing!! Welcome Shay

Can someone actually explain why it takes us so long to put these through? I mean what is happening right now for example? The fee, terms, medical has all been sorted. What are we waiting for?

If this actually gets done, it wont be before next Monday. I'm getting so frustrated with how SLOW things are moving. 5 days for them to reject an offer when Downing was signed and sealed after two rejected bids in days. Sooner or later, other clubs are going to realise how good Zog is and put bids in. Arghhhhhhhh

All this talk of medicals, that it was done a week ago, that it would be announced with Given today and they hadn't even accepted out **** bid.

Oh ffs, if we let N'Zogbia slip through our fingers... How do we keep doing this??

So from almost done last week to hanging in the balance...

If this doesnt go through I will be effing furious. Just pay him what he wants ffs.

Sorry, wrong thread

Fantastic signing. We've replaced a player with a better player, you cant do more than that. Good stuff McLeish, keep it up.

I think this should be locked now. We all pretty much feel the same. He isn't a Villa player anymore so out of sight and out of mind.

So how does everyone feel about our American custodian? I believe the common consensus was that he was a highly promising keeper, ready to be our long-term number 1 for when Friedel retired/left. His performance in Prague in particular, was exemplary. However his stock came crashing down after that semi-final against Blackburn when his aerial ability nearly cost us a place at Wembley. Since then, he has hardly played, been out on loan and generally seen as nothing more than a reserve keeper. Baring in mind he will be 27 in a couple of months, are his days numbered here? Or does anyone actually believe that he could be our first choice keeper with more development? Its sad because that Carling Cup run made him then broke him.

There is/was no better keeper than Shay Given who would come to us. Bar some massive unknown gamble. And its usually better to not gamble on keepers. I cant think of a single reason why any fan could be disappointed with Given as our number 1 next season.

As with Ashley Young and Fabian Delph it would seem from reports that when we want a player... we make an offer to slap cash in the selling club's bank account immediately. The cash payment being refundable only if the deal falls through. In Bent's case I'd heard this cash payment was £10M!!.... the rest on instalments, as is the norm in football. However Gazton who is a little shall we say ITK posted that in Bent's case £5M of the £10M was NON Refundable... so even if Bent had failed medical or the deal had fallen through SAFC would have been £5M better off. No wonder they couldn't resist accepting the bid and letting him talk to us. Not sure if we did the same non refundable bit for Young or Delph but I defintely have heard big upfront payments were made. In the case of Downing I understand Boro actually turned down a sell on clause being inserted in the sale contract in favour of a bigger upfront cash payment. Probably a bit pig sick now!!

I've seen this sort of thing a few times in the last couple of days. Can someone explain exactly what the deal was?

William Hill has suspended betting on N'Zogbia's next club. Money in the bank baby :D

He has one year left on his contract, Dave Whelan doesnt have a choice.

Please see this through Villa, not least because of the bet I put on yesterday @ 5/4

Toon Blog Agree with every word

Yeah Twitter is first for pretty much anything. Obviously 99% of it is bullshit but when something is true, its on Twitter first.

I've got all over that 5/4 bet. My mate has put £50 on too after I texted him He better sign now

Yep William Hill is still 5/4. Every other bookie has caught on. I would lump on if I were you.

Its all over Twitter!!

Good news!! I've forgotten what that feels like Utterly superb signing.

We had better **** sign him. He is a better player than Downing IMO. I've always rated him, even in the early days at Newcastle circa 2005-06, I used to tout him around to my mates as being a future star. I'm amazed taken this long for him to become a influential player. I will be ecstatic i f we see this through. Goals from midfield are something we're really lacking too. Not to mention the extra set-piece threat.

It isnt possible. So get that pipe dream out of your head. We dont have the funds to get anywhere near those expectations. We could spend outside our means to push for it but would almost certainly fail, bankrupt ourselves and do a Leeds.