bigwheels

If we actually have this money and its noyt being spend on a nice spread at the AGM, then it has to be Beattie. He's proven at this level and has been scoring 15+ goals at this level for the last three years. For all Yakubu's talents, he is a rawer player, further from being a finished product. For £6 million, you need a guaranteed return

Cole and Vass opening game

Angel won't make it - he pulled up in training last night

An important quote

'I'm still contracted to Chelsea and on the one hand this is a good chance for me to get back into the Chelsea team, but if not, I'd like to stay here.'

Exclusive: Newboy On Villa Switch

Carlton Cole this morning put pen-to-paper on a one-year Villa Park deal and vowed to shine under the guidance of David O'Leary next season.

The England Under-21 striker was being tracked by a number of Premiership clubs, but opted for Villa after being bowled over by O'Leary's positive plans for the 2004/5 campaign.

Cole enjoyed a similar spell with Charlton last season, but believes Villa Park offers a bigger stage to showcase his Premiership abilities.

Speaking exclusively to www.avfc.co.uk, he commented: 'It's good to know where I'll be playing next season. I always fancied coming here and I spoke to my family, they were 100 per cent behind it.

'There were quite a few clubs showing an interest, but I spoke to David O'Leary a couple of weeks ago and he seemed so positive in his approach. The way he talked to me was very positive.

'So I just thought that with a manager like that putting 100 per cent faith in me, I can only give a positive response by doing the business on the pitch.

'I'm still contracted to Chelsea and on the one hand this is a good chance for me to get back into the Chelsea team, but if not, I'd like to stay here.

'This could be a very big season for me. I just need to get games and score some goals. No offence to Charlton, but this is a bigger club and a bigger stage for me.

'Charlton was a good place for me to be at last season. I didn't really have a good start, I was injured for three months, and that really held me back. Now I feel good. I'm healthy fit and raring to go.'

He continued: 'From playing with England, I know Jlloyd Samuel, Peter Whittingham, Liam Ridgewell, Stefan Moore and Gareth Barry, so there are a few friendly faces already here.

'It's a good young squad for me to come into and I think that's another thing to help me progress. It could be an exciting season.

'Hopefully doing well here will help my progress in the England set-up. We'll wait and see what happens, but I'm feeling very positive about the future with Aston Villa.

'I know I'm a big lad, but I don't want to be labelled a 'target-man'. I'd like to think I'm more nimble on the ground than powerful in the air, but I can work on that as well.

'This is a good place for me to be and hopefully I can start to score a couple of goals with my head as well. I want to show I am improving my all-round game. There's good competition here, but I have faith in my own abilities.'

Has he taken a 24 hr PR course?

No really, what question was his quote an answer to?

What was the question he was asked?

I was thinking about all this and it does boil down to a simple fact - when in possession, England tend to lose the ball far too quickly and when under pressure, the option taken up is to hoof it towards a little and large forward pairing.

Whatever the squad is, they are simply not going to compete with the best.

it depends. If it had been Okocha, there would have been no way that it was a cross. Oh no. No sir.

The dust has settled, lets remember the good points of the last season.

Scott Murray - playing for Reading at the moment

had an amazing season last season at Bristol City

Oh, Angel but its close with Mellberg

Squad numbers came in then, but I thought shirt names only came in after the World Cup i.e the next season

Will have a quick check tho'

They should at least be asterisked - *(25 goals for SheepBoys United)

To get 20, he will need to get a hattrick against someone in the next few weeks - oooh - look! Birmingham, Wolves ... couldn't happen to nicer teams