MessiWillSignForVilla

I think we can safely say this one is over now. That's if it was actually true.

Lambert isn't one to **** about and nor will he be impressed with the fact that it has now been made public. We always do our deals in private and only release something once we know it's pretty much done deal.

Nuremberg have come out and said he's not for sale, so we will move on. Wether that means other teams go and make an offer now I don't know, but it won't be us.

(Naturally I hope I'm talking crap and we go back and sign the guy but... still)

Why does Nurnberg saying no mean we are going to just give up? To be honest I don't think Lambert would give two hoots whether the club are fannying around, it's the players he's interested in, if Kiyotake was to fanny about if it came to contracts then I can see Lambert being turned off. Every single one of our transfers has been made public (except Steer) before the announcement, but by foreign press, the only difference here is that Sky have picked up on it too, I don't think we'd pull out because everyone knows about it. Also it's a club policy to keep transfers relatively quiet, it's been the same for 7 years, it's not a Lambert thing, so I don't see him caring if it's gone public either, only if the player uses it to get more money out of us.

Maybe I exaggerated a bit by saying Youngs is the best in the world, but don't think it's too far fetched to say he's up there. I personally think he's the best in the Lions squad and outside of that, the only two who I can think of that I would say are better are Mealamu and Strauss. I don't rate Hore or Hartley or either of the french hookers, and Australia's isn't fantastic.

As for B.Youngs, he may not have had a great game last week, but he brings a lot more than Phillips can, Phillips proved in the first test and the 6 losses Wales had to Australia recently, the Aussies have him figured out. He takes too long to get the ball out and only tries to break the line when their is a huge gap, and in the first test their was an example of when Aus left a gap intentionally and as soon as he went about 3-4 players pounced on him when he had no support, turned the ball over and went up the other end. Youngs makes defences bunch up as he runs almost flat along the line and is much more likely to exploit a small gap, which leaves spaces out wide, something Phillips does nowhere near as well.

Have no problem with Jones, he's a fantastic player and great in the loose, and without BOD (which is an awful decision), there are no real leaders in the squad, even Jones hasn't captained many sides but he's probably the best option.

I honestly can't remember the full squad in 2001, but this is different surely?

 

Henry was picking who he thought were the best players, they happened to be English that time, and there wasn't the competition for places there is now.

 

Gatland appears to be picking Welsh players so he can return and manage them without too many issues.

 

Of course, it may be his opinion that the Welsh lads are better players, but I'm not having it. Davies over BOD or Tuilangi? Behave. Hibbard over Youngs after the performances he's had on this tour? No way. Alun Wyn as captain having only once previously captained an international team, and that was when it fell into his lap when Warburton turned it down? Wrong. Phillips over Youngs or Murray who was brilliant when he came on last week? Why? What did Phillips do in his 60 minute shitstorm of a first test apart from run on his own, losing the ball and not use it quick enough to warrant being brought back in?

 

This team should still beat a weak AUS side, and I still hope they do, but I'll be bitter looking back at a man who has tarnished this tour.

This.

Plus the thing that highlights the Welsh bias for me, is Hibbard being selected. Tom Youngs has put himself up there with the best hookers in the world if not the best on this tour, IMO. He has been immense throughout the tour and is infinitely better in the loose than Hibbard. Also Phillips is just a slow terrible version of Ben Youngs, the Aussies have him figured out and will just leave gaps where he'll have no support and turn him over as soon as he gets tackled after running about 5 metres.

Think the Aussies will win now as this selection is just not good enough.

That report says we've only made an enquiry though, which means we haven't offered money but just asked how much would be required, and Nurnberg have said he's not for sale, just like we said for Milner, Downing and Young, and considering their record transfers are around £6-7m I can't see them selling for much more than £10m, much like I don't think it would take much more than our record transfer (~£20-24m) to get Benteke.

 

 

If this player is as good as everyone seems to make out then why aren't there a host of clubs in for him? It all seems a bit desperate from his side.

 

It's more a case of that if he signed for Villa he would be a guaranteed starter and our 2nd or 3rd best player, whereas if he was to join a team in the top 6/7 with a lot more money, he would only be rotation so is not deemed worth the money (especially as they could probably splash a bit more cash on a bigger name) as much he would be if Villa signed him. 

 

I think you are wrong with how you think the top 6/7 are a million miles better than us and I think you are wrong in both your assessment of Belhanda and your assessment of the abilities of our squad.  I also believe Lambert is not in the slightest bit interested in Belhanda.

 

Please tell me where I said the top 6/7 were a million times better than us? It's no doubt they are better, and the majority of their players would walk into our squad, hence why we were almost relegated and they didn't. Don't get me wrong I think we will do very well next season and have good, young and exciting team that could possibly even get top 8 at a push. I was answering the original question of why aren't a whole host of clubs after him. That's probably because the teams who he would walk into and start can't afford him (bottom half) and the teams who can afford him aren't interested as he would cost too much for what they would probably see as a back up. Belhanda is a talent, and would only be second to Benteke in our squad, which isn't a bad thing, but at say Tottenham he would be competing with Bale, Dembele, Sigurdsson, and at say Liverpool he would compete with Gerrard, Coutinho and Shelvey, plus whoever these teams decide to buy aswell, can you really see them shelling out £10-12m for another backup? This is my point; He is too expensive for the lower teams and not quite good enough for the top teams, hence "a whole host of teams" aren't after him.

EDIT: Also how good do I think Belhanda and our squad is? I didn't even mention that in what you quoted yet my opinion on both is apparently wrong.

If this player is as good as everyone seems to make out then why aren't there a host of clubs in for him? It all seems a bit desperate from his side.

It's more a case of that if he signed for Villa he would be a guaranteed starter and our 2nd or 3rd best player, whereas if he was to join a team in the top 6/7 with a lot more money, he would only be rotation so is not deemed worth the money (especially as they could probably splash a bit more cash on a bigger name) as much he would be if Villa signed him.

IRB have appealed the Horwill citing, so he could be out for the third test after all.

 

I'm guessing he mentioned us because we did give him a call but when he told us the price we quickly moved to other targets.

 

But the chairman said it was a concrete offer.

"Asked if the offers were concrete, he replied: "Yes. From AC Milan, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Galatasaray and Aston Villa.""

That's from the story that was on the Sky Sports News website, but as I said before, I'm dubious whether we'll get him as I think he wouldn't choose to come to us if he had other options, but I don't see why people are so ready to believe that this is link is BS.

 

 

 

What did Paul actually say about big money signings?

 

What is the actual evidence that Villa will sign this player? Or for that matter, Villa are interested?

 

 

Because both his club and the player have been quoted saying so. Doesn't mean I think this will happen, i'm dubious, but i'm convinced we're in for him.

 

What's the evidence we aren't in for him? A piece from the Express & Star with no quotes?

 

 

That's not evidence, that's you saying there are quotes out there!

 

If you do get them, I think you'll find he said Villa was a great club. Nothing about Villa bidding.

 

Chairman said we made an offer, along with approx. 5 other clubs. And since then nothing has happened...?

 

Kendrick reckons Villa aren't in for him now, so that would suggest we can't rely on the chairmans quotes.

 

So right now, there's no great evidence to suggest Villa want him. Perhaps they enquired and the chairman got a rush of blood to the head.

 

Why would Kendrick reckoning were not in for him mean we can't trust the Montpellier Chairmans quotes?

Also if the chairman was trying to start a bidding war, why chose Villa? It is generally regarded in the media we are cash strapped (which I don't believe), surely he would choose Man City, or Tottenham or Arsenal? (not particularly directed at you, just a general comment as this seems to be the consensus on here) 

 

What did Paul actually say about big money signings?

 

What is the actual evidence that Villa will sign this player? Or for that matter, Villa are interested?

 

Because both his club and the player have been quoted saying so. Doesn't mean I think this will happen, i'm dubious, but i'm convinced we're in for him.

What's the evidence we aren't in for him? A piece from the Express & Star with no quotes?

Villa are announcing soon according to Kendrick's twitter

 

from the Birmingham mail

 

 

 

It is understood Villa have not bid for Belhanda, despite Montpellier president Louis Nicollin claiming they and four others have made an offer for the 23-year-old playmaker.

 

Didn't Mat Kendrick backtrack on that though saying he wasn't sure if bids had been made, only business wouldn't concluded until next week

Has the official twitter always had a black and white badge? could be an indication of the badge for the away kit, if so, i like it 

Dave Whelan just said on SSN that he's delighted Martinez has joined Everton, but didn't he say Everton weren't big enough for him? God, I really dislike that man!

Being revealed next Wednesday according to OS, but the news item has disappeared after I went back on it

EDIT: Story is back on OS now

About an hour ago he retweeted a Villa fan, not sure if it means anything but he's not been retweeting fans from any of the other clubs. Although it could just not be him. Just thought I'd put that out there.

Just read Sky's version of this story and they seem to have added some quotes that were probably left out of the other stories, one which stood out for me was: -

"I am a Villa player for now. They are the right club at the right time for me. I have fulfilled a dream by playing in the Premier League. Now it is about staying as long as possible."

The way people are reacting is as if he's said he wants to leave in Jan, but these quotes suggest to me he is fully committed to Villa. For me this has been completely blown out of proportion, all it is is a young player admitting his boyhood club was Arsenal, and whats wrong with that? If i was a footballer I'd be open about the fact I was a Villa fan, even If I played for Birmingham. There's little honesty left in football nowadays and there's no surprise that there's little left when this is the reaction to a footballer being honest.