Doewap

We're going to have to get ourselves back together and face Dynamo Kyiv with a 20 year old for captain... Congratulations on signing Ron. I think a lot of PL clubs that ended above Villa last year should ask themselves what just happened in Birmingham for 4 million euro. Ron is not a hoofer, but if hoofing is his final option, you can bet your balls he will do it. May I just state I enjoyed his last game for us, against Real Mallorca who last Wednesday did not get anything for free the entire game. Sadly, we lack goalscoring finesse, so the game ended 0-0 where 3 or 4 by our side would have been fair.

I don't fancy your chances of that ever happening.

Feyenoord is not keen to sell Ron Vlaar. But the club thought they were not going to be given any choice, so they tried to get it over with. When it transpired that they might be able to hold on to Ron, the communication tenure changed in order to end the uncertainty. PL told the press that it was just a chat. Remember he used the word about a million times in a single sentence. That indicates covering up the truth, which in many situations for a football manager I think is totally acceptable. About what is agent knows and how I don't have a clue.

Which would have been a nice improvement defensively... :winkold:

You're right, Feyenoord. I got confused. Takes the point out of my arguments a bit I guess. Probably then, Vlaar feels he owes it to the fans. What a guy. Every club would want to see a captain like that don't you agree?

Surely with the sort of money going round the premiership this pittance required to sign Vlaar isn't whats holding Villa up? I think they may have underestimated the situation Vlaar is in. Nobody expected him to make a move before his contract expires, owning to his knees, his private affairs, his poor performance at the euros and his much better chances of bagging a bonus signing free agent next year. When Villa came along for this chat that Lambert has thought it was, and Ron seeing his mate Karim signing for them at three, four times his current wages, he thought that maybe this was his once in a lifetime opportunity. Let's be honest and say that Man City is not exactly queuing up to sign him, are they? So when Villa thought we'll see after we get back from sixflags, Vlaar and his manager got worried. His boss got impatient. They have been reassuring him next year is a better time for him anyway and he should try and lead us into the Champions League, then next year he will be able to cash in on a move to a better club than Villa. Sorry, not to be disrespectful with that last sentence, but I think that is the reality we are all in.

Yawn..... You'd have moaned if we were facing Stalybridge, Tiverton and an Ashby-De la-Zouch select XI. Nothing ever goes exactly to plan where transfers are converned - the season is still a whopping 27 days away. It's not as if we've only got a day before the transfer window closes (there's only 40 days to go - panic!). Are you saying that Sue Townsend did NOT make up Ashby-de-la-Zouch??? Blows my mind.

By the way about the cash troubles, over the last two years a group of wealthy fans have collected more than 30 million euro for the club, to ease its trouble maintaining both the license and the first squad. They expect to be able to get 35-40 in total before the end of the season. That means that for a period of three years they will have collected roughly a million per month. Just pointing out that money is not the issue, at least not for Feyenoord in this particular case.

Sure we are a tad short on cash, but not desperate as Feyenoord have already done all the transfers that the club wanted. This one is unwanted, and therefore Feyenoord wants it over and done with. Now we have a lot of talk and no action, while the boss needs to prep the squad for CL qualification against Dynamo Kyiv, not exactly a piece of cake for us. Vlaar, having forfeited two seasons in the past due to knee injuries, will never be disloyal and sides up with his benefactor of 7 years. Next year, being free of any transfer fee, he will as I said before, have clubs like Villa falling over eachother to pay him a signing bonus. Despite this, I don't believe a second that Villa and Vlaar would be unable to agree mutually acceptable wages.

Ron today at a kids press conference has stated that he has cancelled the move, for what that is worth anyway. He does not want to be kept in waiting by anyone for this long. Feyenoord today is hosting the fans at the traditional open house day, presenting new players and kicking off the season with a friendly on wednesday, against Real Mallorca. Ron seems to prefer making up his own mind and being captain of this team for one last season, then likely having more clubs to choose from next year.

In a leading Dutch football magazine, Feyenoord Technical Director Martin van Geel has indicated Ron Vlaar will be the last starting-11 player to leave the club. He said: "This has to be it, we know it's hard to give guarantees as a Dutch club, but at Feyenoord we feel strongly we cannot loose anyone else and that is how we will respond to any other inquiries. We can't keep saying yes, this was it." I guess that should help you keep your hopes up during these cucumber times. (I know it's a Dutch expression just let me have me laugh)

Hahaha now that's good, to see Ron featured in the Bingham Mail like that...

Never used the phrase. I said: like any Ozzie player I know. That's Brett Holman and Brett Emerton (ex-Rovers).

I can see by your location how you've come to this opinion and I will concede that on the day, Ireland were the better team.

I think Holman could prove you wrong. He's one that needs a challenge to shine, and that challenge was not to be found in Holland anymore. Like almost any Ozzie player I know, Brett is a perfect pro and works his ass off for the team. Great scoring ability as well. His goal v Burton was a typical one which I am sure your will see more often. El Ahmadi may be an even more gifted player, I always found him a bit phlegmatic, playing in a can't-be-bothered kind of style. Certainly not as good at finishing off as Holman.

Well, Holman played for Excelsior for three or four years. Sure, Feyenoord technical management at that time had its head up its arse and were pleasing themselves by blinking their eyes, but still, in those days Excelsior (2nd division) was considered the Feyenoord Academy's top team.

Not to get in a heated argument or to baost one academy is indeed bigger than the other but allow me this question: how many Feyenoord academy graduates are currently playing in arguably one of the best leagues in the world? Barry, Cahill, Sturridge, Agbonlahor, Clark, Albrighton, Weimann, Bannan, Herd, Craig and Gary Gardner to name just a few. Here is a small list from players in the top leagues in the world (I may have forgotten a few). If you would ask me to make a new list in 5 years...it would be so much longer. Robin van Persie (Arsenal) Salomon Kalou (Just joined Lille from Chelsea) Royston Drenthe (On loan at Everton last season from Real Madrid) Luc Castaignos (Inter Milan) Jeffrey Bruma (On loan to HSV from Chelsea) Glenn Loovens (Real Zaragoza) Jonathan de Guzman (Just moved on loan to Swansea from Villarreal) Gerson Magrao (Santos) Karim Rekik (Manchester City) Nathan Ake (Chelsea) Dominic Adiyiah (AC Milan) Kyle Ebecilio (Arsenal) Moestafa el Kabir (Cagliari) Ronnie Stam (Wigan) Michel Bastos (Olympique Lyon) Gianni Zuiverloon (Real Mallorca) Before you were complaining about clubs poaching talents aged 16, now you want to claim people like Kalou and Bastos as Feyenoord products when you signed them from their home countries at 18? Feyenoord does have a great academy & seems to be producing a lot the last few years, but really we have to wait and see how youth players progress. People like Drenthe & De Guzman had a lot of hype but have not lived up to it yet. Of your list only Van Persie, Kalou & Bastos are really proven top level players and the latter two are not really Feyenoord products. the rest are either too early in their career to judge (Castaignos, Ebecilio, Rekik, Ake, Adiyiah, Bruma) or pretty average players on about the same level as Villa products like Craig Gardner or Liam Ridgewell (Zuiverloon, Loovens, Stam). Switters, I tend to agree with you, but still, may I name one more? Brett Holman. Thank you.

I had the pleasure of attending a game at the World Cup 2002. I saw France v Uruguay live in Busan, with Henry sent off early in the game and no goals, France stayed in the same hotel as I did. They weren't happy campers. A week later or so I watched Russia-Japan on a big screen in Osaka. I'll never forgive Louis van Gaal for screwing up Holland's attendance for that tournament.

Shield, right. Your best contribution so far.

Horrific off-topicness though. Losing your touch Mods You're right, although the real topic was Vlaar, it wasn't about his Villa move, which it should be about. By the way, I'm counting on your support for F when it comes to this rivalry. After all, you've enjoyed playing on our pitch in the past... Shaw, Williams, prepared to venture down the left. There's a good ball in for Tony Morley. Oh, it must be and it is! It's Peter Withe. Feyenoord: Adiyiah has been transferred for the gazillionth time, now to Arsenal Kyiv Ajax enjoy playing at De Kuip too, we've won a many a trophy there, including one of many European Cups as well as countless domestic games yeah yeah yeah, I am not disputing that. Times have changed though. That virus is gone. As Clasie has put it last year: in the Academy, we are not accustomed to loosing against Ajax. But this is off topic and this mb is for Villans.

Call me romantic, but I like historic ties. Feyenoord and Aston Villa have a lot in common. Not too much brass to show for, but to be reconed with from time to time. If we look at the rate of winning championships over the last 40 years, title number 15 should be around the corner. And we better enjoy it when it comes. Feyenoord's list of honours (never relegated): Champions (Eredivisie): 14 Dutch Cup: 11 Dutch SuperCup (Johan Cruyff Plate or dish or fruit platter): 3 Intercontinental Cup: 1 European Cup: 1 UEFA Cup: 2 Should you care to read the English Wikipedia page on Feyenoord, that seems to have been written by someone whos frame of reference was possibly somewhat affected by his blind love for the club. I mean, to mention yourself as Runner's Up in the European Super Cup...

Horrific off-topicness though. Losing your touch Mods You're right, although the real topic was Vlaar, it wasn't about his Villa move, which it should be about. By the way, I'm counting on your support for F when it comes to this rivalry. After all, you've enjoyed playing on our pitch in the past... Shaw, Williams, prepared to venture down the left. There's a good ball in for Tony Morley. Oh, it must be and it is! It's Peter Withe. Feyenoord: Adiyiah has been transferred for the gazillionth time, now to Arsenal Kyiv

I think I understand the confusing part. It should have said UNLIKE Vertonghen. Which I ment to relate to the football part. If I remember things correctly. Vlaar made his debut in the game Netherlands - Italy 1-3. Vlaar was absolutely horrifying! He had alot of heavy critism which he couldn't deal with. He got on a dead end at AZ and wanted to make a new start at Feyenoord. Also Van Basten (head coach of Dutch team) did that more often. Players who weren't ready yet made their debut in the national team. Thing is, for myself, I watch players always if they would fit Ajax or not. With our high pressing lines, Vlaar just lacks pace. I really do hope Aston Villa won't press that high. Once the counter attack is going on, he will never catch up. Vertonghen is a slow starter as well, but with his elephant steps, he gets at least some top speed going. Also the youth acadamies is quite hard to say which one is best. Feyenoord sees his best players robbed by big clubs around the world. While Ajax get robbed too. Ajax however steals mostly themselves of all kind of teams around the world. The awards doesn't say anything at all, nonsense awards. In football it's all about the best players, playing sexy football and winning championships/cups. Without all the robbing it would be a close call I guess. There is a release clause yes. I don't know the exact price, most rumors here are around 4 million euro indeed. Dear Mr. Ajax-fan, We've certainly enjoyed playing against your high pressing lines last season... Say what you want about Vlaar, I think I've been clear enough about him not being my number 1 either, but you're making it sound as if everything he's done so far, including this likely move to Villa, has been due to the misreading of his talent by the likes of Van Gaal, Van Basten, Van Marwijk, Beenhakker, Van Geel and Koeman. Very, very unlikely, don't you agree? Sure he had a hard time after annuncing his wish to leave AZ Alkmaar at 19. Van Gaal stopped playing him immediatly. I remember they had a big row and Vlaar accused Van Gaal of blackmail, which led AZ to serve him up a warning and a fine to pay. I agree that Van Basten employed a terrible selection programme, calling up anyone but my granny.

Didn't somebody say earlier his sense of positioning was bad...?

Zhan-Zhuang, Kyle Ebecilio, Karim Rekik, Nathan Ake, Tim Krul, and Jeffrey Bruma are all on PL paylists. Then Luc Castaignos is currently at Inter Milan (although he will likely move somewhere else). Granted, most of these boys are as yet too young to actually play in the Premier League (bar Tim Krul), but at least they are not as old as Barry or Cahill... But let's not forget Robin van Persie. He seems to have mastered the PL level. Point being that Feyenoord has been releasing a lot of talent in recent years, rather than since the nineties...