Mazrim

You're not interested in the Darren Bents of this world? English strikers who score 20+ league goals?

Well, I am. I'd be absolutely delighted if we signed him. He can play on his own, is good in the air, quick and a great finisher. What else do we need? His all round game is easily better than Klose but Klose is better in the air. Arguably the best aerial player in the world in fact. But Klose isnt going to be pushing Horseface or Eto'o out of any team any time soon.

Podolski for 20m+. Now I have heard it all.

he's only recently signed for bayern hasn't he? im sure he intends too stay there for a wee while yet

i think hes out of our price range as well as hes only young

Eh? :?

How do you know what our price range is? Even MON reckons he doesnt know yet.

Charlton may have to rebuild their team in order to survive and so will need cash. He's their only valuable player and they may have to cash in.

As for those sure Klose wouldnt come. Milan Baros left a team that had just won the CL after being the glden boot winner at Euro 2004 and turned down clubs in the CL to come to Villa. Not only Villa but DOL's 10th placed Villa.

Who would have thought that Carlos Tevez and Mascherano would show up at West Ham? You just cant say it wont happen any more. Well, you can. But it doesnt mean it wont. Klose may go elsewhere but it doesnt mean we shouldnt be trying to persude him to come here. Him or any other class player who MON thinks would be right for us.

I think some of you underestimate just how attractive an option Villa could be at the moment.

A massive club with plenty of resources to go all the way to the top and one of the best managers in the business.

If MON can choose Villa then I'm pretty sure Micah Richards and Miroslav Klose could too.

Surely we're looking at improving the squad? In which case we need better players than we already have. I also think some of you are exagerating the stature of some players. Micah Richards for instance, is not remotely world class yet and I seriously doubt Chelsea are after him despite what a few rags would say. He isnt good enough to play in one the top 4 teams at the moment (in my opinion) but he could start for us.

Anyway, I think the players I mentioned are quite gettable and if not, there are others. If not Klose, then Darren Bent for instance. Why not?

This isnt Dougs Villa any more. Its an historically major force in football heading back to where it should be under the stewardship of a billionaire and the worlds leading Sports media agency.

Besides, discussing which top class players we can and cannot get is a refreshing change, is it not?

Richards would definitely be on my list of targets. I dont think he'd cost as much as some people think he would but we've had that discussion already.

I say lets test Citeh with a £4m-£5m bid. Same for Stephen Appiah.

SWP on loan with a permanent deal agreed and finally Klose or Bent. I really think we'd be a force then.

------------------------------------Sorensen------------------------------------

Richards-----------Mellberg------------------Ridgewell--------------Barry

-------------------------------McCann/Appiah---------------------------------

--------------Davis/Sidwell------------------------Petrov--------------------

Agbonlahor----------------------------------------------------------------SWP

-------------------------------Klose or Bent/Angel----------------------------

Our current youth team coaches and staff are the ones that have got it right.

Investing in youth was merely a cost saving venture although credit where credit is due. Its worked/working.

Sidwell is more similar to..... Scott Parker or Stan Petrov for instance. He gets from box to box, breaks up play and likes to get forward to support the attack too.

I know McCann is playing well but there is an argument for playing somebody who can win the ball as Gavin does and also have quality in the oppostion half where Gav struggles in all honesty.

Nope.

Hehe i think you have to take your C&B glasses off mate. Gabby is no doubt a talent, but who do you think most clubs would like? Gabby or Micah?

What you call a stupid amount of money, now that would be the going rate for young talented british players.

Most clubs. No, all of them, would choose Gabby. Of that I have no doubt.

The going rate for a talented young British player is £10m is it? News to me. Only a handful of clubs have ever even spent so much on one player and if they did it was rarely a young, raw, unproven player like Richards.

Even Walcotts fee was something like £7m with everything else promised away in the future as bonuses.

Who says Arsenal and Chelsea etc are after him? £10m? Thats laughable. A good solid player, enthusiastic, gets the odd goal, lots of potential and very young (18? 19?) but hardly worth £10m.

If thats what he's going for he can go elsewhere.

Walcot went cheap didnt he?

I dont really see how you can compare them. In any case, Arsenal paid stupid money for an unproven young player. He was/is highly regarded as potentially one of Europes future superstars (I think he's massively overrated) so I can understand the price being above the odds but I hardly think Micah Richards is similarly thought of.

If Micah Richards is worth £10m then Gabby is worth £30m.

Who says Arsenal and Chelsea etc are after him? £10m? Thats laughable. A good solid player, enthusiastic, gets the odd goal, lots of potential and very young (18? 19?) but hardly worth £10m.

If thats what he's going for he can go elsewhere.

City are still massively in debt and he looks like one of their only saleable assets.

Perhaps a bid in the region of £3m? He's still raw and far from the finished product.

Agreed. SWP is the sort of player we need. Gabby and SWP can play in the same team and cover the RW position between them, giving us lots of pace.

I still want to see us in for Micah Richards at right back, SWP for right or left wing, Darren Bent or Mirolsav Klose up front and perhaps Stephen Appiah as a defensive midfielder to give McCann competition.

My ideal squad at full strength:

-------------------------------------Sorensen--------------------------------

--------------------------------------Taylor-----------------------------------

Richards----------Mellberg----------------Ridgewell----------------Barry

Delaney---------------Cahill---------------------Laursen------------Bouma

----------------------------------------McCann---------------------------------

----------------------------------Appiah/Gardner----------------------------

--------------Petrov---------------------------------------------Nolan---------

--------------Davis----------------------------------------------Osbourne----

Agbonlahor-----------------------------------------------------------Moore

Milner---------------------------------Bent-------------------------Pedersen

------------------------------------Baros/Angel-------------------------------

Thats a strong squad in my opinion.

A University?

Are we taking on 1000 kids or something? We can only play 11 at a time.

Perhaps this University will be run in conjunction with David Beckahams soccer school.

Also, I doubt Beckaham is strong enough to kick a 2 stone football. He would be injured very soon after.

RB- Micah Richards

RW - Shaun Wright Phillips/Milner/Beckham

LW - Pedersen/Govou

DM - Appiah/Gattuso/Hargreaves

CF - Darren Bent/Klose/Crouch/Toni

Might not get some of them I know, but why not try?

That might be the mob VD, but what he has done to try and discredit the Lerner bid in an attempt to make his own more attractive - rather than actually use details from his own bid to do that (and £30m is not what I mean) is pathetic. We want grass roots change at Villa, not a short term £30m thrown at the first team. We've waited 24 years to get rid of Ellis. I am prepared to let 1 more transfer window slip by if it means getting the right man in for the long term. I will not sacrifice the long term so I can have a transfer budget for the next week. And I wouldn't look too kindly on someone who I perceive to be damaging the attempts of the best bidder and who is trying to win me over with short termism. **** off Padfield.

Absolutely.

Nah, it will be fine.

I hope so.

Taim?

Yep.

I wouldn't get to excited guys, if it doesn't happen it will just be a whole load of disappointment like the other times

Change the record ffs.

Have we considered the obvious Watford link between GT, Petchy and their new found friend Life Long Fan Michael Neville!

.....go on...

If holiday is more important than Villa, do one slaphead. We dont need you.

Cause some thrash mettler was blabbing all over the internet about it....

??

Keep your bra on. It was even in the mail 5 months ago.

I was only jibbing him to get something out of him. I've been upfront with what I heard. Just wanted to know what he knew. Wheres the harm?

Its better than keep saying you know something and then not saying anything.

And btw I also knew that we'd agreed with Berger back in January. It wasnt the best kept secret in the world.