Stringy

We desperately need a winger and a creative mid regardless if Cleverly sings or not. If we lose Vlaar, invest whatever we get into a new proven defender who is not Olsson.

If Cleverley sings how about Song?

We got a 2.75 goals to red card ratio. A record surely?

Good stat. Has to be a record. But don't call me Shirley.

Speaking of stats, we currently have comfortably the best points per goal ratio in the league (exactly 2). Goals are so overrated you know.

I would have expected Wolves to have kept their thoughts private on this type of speculation but it seems they have gone public Batth on this one which suggests we might yet be prepared to cause a ripple in the transfer market. £5m would be a lot for us to splash out from our very limited resources but if he turns out to be another Lescott then we might have the L'Oreal thing on our hands and he could well be worth it...

The pun counter has just exploded.

 

and he has super clairvoyant skills too

 

Yep.. if we sign him his nickname has to be "Derek"

 

Genius! "What's that Sam?"

[quote="philthevillan

The only negative comment I heard from a TV reporter about PL was 'they can't wait to see the back of him in Norfolk'. Turns out he was talking about the media. Who cares eh? If he does a good job he can refuse to do interviews for all I care.

So now he's claiming that he could have been the best manager in SHA's history? A small boast if ever I heard one. That's a bit like being the tallest pygmy in the tribe.

As for his assertion that it wasn't an Alex Mcleish team out there today? Well, as long as it's not an Alex Mcleish team out there next season then that'll be fine by me.

Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish:

"I'm expecting the board to back me."

Just one changed consonant and he might be finally starting to make sense.

Liverpool aint going to pay the £25m that we want!

Its only £19m that we want and I bet liverpool will pay it.

Aston Villa name their price for Downing

Aston Villa have slapped a price tag of £19million on winger Stewart Downing, Press Association Sport understands.

Villa have rejected a second bid - of around £15m - for the England international from Liverpool.

New Villa manager Alex McLeish would like to keep hold of Downing after losing the services of Ashley Young to Manchester United.

But if the player is to leave, Villa will hold out for what they consider to be a fair price for the former Middlesbrough player.

A source close to Villa said: 'The club have made it known what they regard as a fair price for Stewart Downing, if he is to be sold.'

Liverpool had an initial offer of around £12m turned down for Downing - the price Villa paid for him when he moved from Boro two years ago.

Downing has two years remaining of his contract but made it clear last month that he would not be signing a new deal at this juncture.

He told Press Association Sport: 'My agent had a meeting with the club - just one meeting - and he just felt it was the right time not to sign my contract.

'I've still got two years to go, so I've still got a long time to go, so I just decided to leave it as it is.

'Will I be at Villa next season? I'm not sure.'

Downing is due to report to pre-season training on Friday with Villa. He endured an injury-hit first campaign after signing for them when still recovering from a broken foot.

But last season Downing was in outstanding form and was Villa's player of the year.

LINK

EDIT: Another link HERE

It's only that article that speculates we have "slapped" a £19M price tag on him. Oh, and a "source close to Villa" saying we have made it clear what the price is.

Held to random hey, do people even know what that means nowadays? As has been said we dictate the price you pay it or you naff off.

It means nothing. It's just become tabloid speak for club 'x' saying they won't pay over the odds to club 'y'. We haven't kidnapped one of their players. If we have quoted a price to Liverpool then offering half that figure and saying "we won't be held to ransom you know" means nothing.

Carlo is in Birmingham today :!:

Fact or just idle gossip?? or attention seeking ;-)

None of the above. Lets say strong rumour?

We don't know you tell us seeing as its you who is saying it.

Well its not 100% fact, but it does have stronger weighting than a rumour.

Pedantic maybe but surely a fact can only be 100% anyway? Either he's in Birmingham or he's not. 100% or 0%...

Please let it be Ancelotti with Wilkins as his assistant.

And regarding Hughes, my mate in london is doing the plumping at his massive new house he has just bought. He is currently spending alot of money on this house. Doesnt mean anything but would someone be doing that if they were leaving, obviously things change and im sure he is not short of cash but still..

I hope for Ancelotti, what a record, one of the biggest manager names in football, would be a coup!

He must have a few bob if he can afford someone to plump his pillows for him. Expensive business, plumping

if he is retiring, I can't believe they would wait until Wednesday to announce it.

Equally, if he was staying, why wait this long to announce it? I'm confident that he'll either stay or go. Remember where you heard it first.

You can buy individual issues from £5 plus p&p (rising to £6 from September) which is a really good price when you consider the amount that's in it. The digital edition is free for anyone that buys the hard copy too. The £30 subscriptions are intended as gifts principally but there are new recurring subscriptions now starting at £5 plus p&p per quarter. So £28 a year gets you a hell of a lot of excellent articles from some fantastic football writers. I think a subscription to Four Four Two costs £40 a year. Oh, and it's a beautiful, tactile thing too!

If you have an interest in serious football writing you should get it. You won't be disappointed.

Pretty sure Harry was only the first Englishman to manage in the Champions League (or maybe CL last-16?)...

Howard Wilkinson, Bobby Robson, Ray Harford, Stuart Baxter(!). If Redknapp had been the first he wouldn't have shut up about it. Of course, not all of those made the last 16.

Stephen Ireland has refused to speculate on his future, but plans to make the most of his time at Newcastle.

The midfielder is currently taking in a loan spell at St James' Park, with a switch to Aston Villa last summer having failed to reignite his career.

He struggled to make much of an impression in the Midlands and jumped at the chance to link up with the Magpies in January.

An untimely injury delayed his debut for the North East outfit, but he was able to make his bow in Tuesday's 0-0 draw with Manchester United.

SKY SPORTS ON SKY

He now has five games in which to impress Alan Pardew and possibly secure a permanent deal on Tyneside.

Ireland insists he has given little thought as to what the summer might bring, but admits he will be doing his utmost to impress over the coming weeks.

"I cannot comment too much on my future or where I will be next year," he told the Evening Chronicle.

"That part is out of my hands. What is in my hands is the fact I can work hard and play the best I can."

Amazing

Ireland has been impressed by the standard of Newcastle's squad and believes they are a club who can cement a top-half standing in the Premier League.

He added: "The team is amazing here.

"When you are on the outside looking in you wonder 'is he a good player?'

"However, when you are on the inside you see some of the players here are world class."

I wouldn't have posted this "story" because it is nothing that we don't know already. However, to further prove the guy is a mental case he says Newcastle have some world class players. Whaaat?

He also says "What is in my hands is the fact I can work hard"... Can, maybe but I've yet to see much evidence of this.

I've been a season ticket holder for many years and since the scheme started I've never received an invite. My mate who I go with hasn't had one either.

just out of interest how does his goal scoring record compare to lets say Rooney or Drogba over a select period, I suspect he doesnt come close at all and it may be difficult to look up the figure.

Since 2005:

Drogba 81

Rooney 80.5

Bent 732

Sorry if already posted.

Yeah, they've already been posted but probably got lost in the thread! Although 82 for Drogba & Rooney and 81 for Bent is as I understood it. 80.5? I hadn't realised Bent's record was this good though. 732 goals since 2005!!! Well worth £18/£19/£20/£24million (delete where appropriate).

Pete Colley (SSN) saying it's 18M plus add-ons including £1.5M if we stay up

:shock: Let's hope it's £19.5m then

Plus the extra £1.5M for goals scored

Bent will be a massive shirt seller.

You'd put "Bent" on the back of your shirt, would you?

Everyone does realise that having the name of a footballer that just happens to be "Bent" on the back of the football team's shirt that he happens to play for doesn't actually mean that you're gay right? Just checking...

Wouldn't be sure but I think only Rooney and Drogba have outscored him in recent years

It's true. Since Bent joined the Premiership he's scored 81 goals and Rooney & Drogba have 82.

The Daily Mail have published a story stating that Houllier will be manager. They seem very certain of it and papers don't usually state things like this as fact unless they are pretty sure of it.

Was that he one earlier where the headline did not match the article?

Also it is the Daily Mail...

... who in Neil Moxley have probably the journalist closest to the inside of VP. don't dismiss it because its the Daily Heil.

He is a Small Heath fan though...

General. I wondered if there is anything that could be done about this. My friend and I have been Season Ticket holders for many years now. Myself for 20 years and my friend for about 15 now. Currently we sit in the upper Doug Ellis(middle) and for the last few seasons my friend's nephew has been a season ticket holder with us. This year he has turned 16 so his ticket had rocketed in price from £150. My friend told me it was £450 this year but I've just checked the prices ad there seems to be no concessionary price, not sure if that is right?

At the time of renewing his ticket my friend e-mailed the ticket office and asked if anything could be done as even though he is over 16 he is in full time education and can't afford the new cost. Unfortunately, nobody responded wither way to his request. As a result, his nephew didn't renew his ticket and it's possible he won't go at all now. He wants to join the RAF, though, so maybe he'll take advantage of the armed forces discount in future! Anyway, I know that there's probably nothing that can be done for him now but I just wondered if there is any way that the pricing structure could be looked at to reflect people who are students but considered young adults now? At the moment a 17/18 year old in full time education will be paying the same as one in a full time job. I did intend to make this enquiry when this happened but, unfortunately, you were away from the board with illness at the time. Anyway, glad you are back and thanks for listening.

Matt

ST holder for about 20 years now, which makes me feel a little old! Used to get to 5-6 away games a season but my baby daughter has taken all of my disposable income!

As I'm in the cup scheme I'll be there. My wife is due to give birth at any minute so maybe I won't make it till the end