GlastonSpur

I'm confident that Huddlestone will play better for Spurs this season than Toure will for City in this, his first season at a new team containing lots of new players, in a new league, in a new country. PS. Xavi and Sidwell are irrelevant: Barca would not have sold Xavi to City, but they were prepared to let Toure go. And Huddlestone was a mainstay for the England U-21s, Sidwell never was, and Huddlestone will soon be an England senior squad regular, whilst Sidwell will never play at that level.

Spurs fielded only 3 of their best XI players playing in their usual positions, and many of their other players were aged 19 - 21.

The difference is that Spurs already have a more gelled-together and Prem-adjusted squad than City. So if Spurs were to bring in additional new players from outside the Prem, they would be joining a more solid base compared to City, who, if they bring in more players from outside the Prem, are adding them to a squad that already contains a fair few first XI players who are either new to the Prem and/or haven't had as much time to gel with their team mates as their equivalent at Spurs. For example, Silva (if he plays wide attacking left) compared to Bale, or Y.Toure compared to Huddlestone, or Kolarov compared to Ekotto, or Boateng compared to Corluka. In each case these Spurs players are already Prem-adjusted and gelled within the team.

Nah, 4th at best for City as things stand right now ... and that's only if they get a lot of luck. Don't be fooled by all the money spent: a collection of expensive players does not a team make, especially when several will have to adapt to the Prem over tiime and one or two of these will probably fail to do so.

As I (and others) have said before, the worst case scenario is not that Milner is sold, but that the deal is only done right at the last moment, leaving you little or no time to spend the cash wisely and get the players you want at a decent price, whilst in the meantime your whole transfer strategy is frozen in limbo because the club can't even be 100% sure whether or not they need to replace Milner. And tbh it's in City's interest to mess you around until the last minute - or even to string you along and then pull out of any deal at the 11th hour. Because they know either strategy will damage you as rival club in terms of your transfer dealings, and they also now know that Villa need the money and that the longer City wait the more likely it is that Villa will accept a lower price within reasonable limits - i.e much closer to 20m than 30m. Spurs will face similar shenanigans - albeit on a less potentially damaging scale - over their apparent interest in Richards and Bellamy: it won't surprise me if City choose to string things out, whilst making apparent sellng noises, then pull out at the last minute. They don't care about money (unless it's their money that goes to their Prem rivals) and can afford to pay Prem wages to players that they can simply shift into their reserve squad if needed in order to meet the "25-man rule".

You might say that regarding any number of players at many clubs - it's not a sound basis for choosing which players to bid for. For example, Richards may well not be wanted at City, but I'd take him at Spurs because the potential is there. O'Hara is young, improved considerably last season on loan at Pompey and may well have the potential to develop further given a fresh start at a new club.

To aim to at least get out of the CL group stages we'd obviously need to aim to get into the group stages in the first place. Doesn't that follow without needing to say it?

First let me say that you come across as somone is who is prepared to make reasoned posts, which I appreciate. It doesn't change my view of City as the club they have now become, nor the damage to football which they are contributiing to, but there you go. In response to your above comments, IMO Spurs will not seek to simply consolidate cash-wise, but will instead fully intend to push on, aiming this coming season to finish in the top 4 again and to at least make it out of the CL group stages. Spurs could, if they sold several players that are not core to the squad and added this cash to what Levy may in any case sanction on top (20m?), have a total of maybe £50m to spend, perhaps even slightly more. Buit on the other hand, IMO the vast majority of our current squad - considering factors like age, accumulating experience and team-gelling, and performances last season - will improve further again this coming season. And we already have the Brazilian U-21 captain - Sandro - joining us as a DM. So all in all we don't necessarily need to spend big. The most key area for us is to find a quality player who can play well up front as a lone striker - to give us that formation-option for certain games. If the right player becomes available -and that's a big IF - then this is one area where I think Spurs might spend a fair whack of cash. Given the injury situation with King and Woodgate we could also probably do with another quality CB. Beyond that I think we'll see one or two additions if the chance arises for a quality player. Joe Cole is a good example here - I could be wrong, but I'd guess this deal will happen very soon. City's main challenge, as you've acknowledged, will be getting all of the 'big names' to actually gel together as a team and to have the necessary team/fighting spirit.

The subject of Harry as a manager has precisely nothing to do with the issue I raised, namely City having failed to make it under their own steam and now resorting to total reliance on a sugar daddy to try and buy success for them. In any case, Harry did not control the purse strings at any previous club, just as he doesn't at Spurs. It's the club owners who decide what budget they give a manager - and if they spend more than they can afford then that's down to them alone. You don't rate Harry as a manager? That's fine by me. I'm happy enough knowing that he'll be taking Spurs into our shot at the CL and that along the way to this point we blew City out of the water - twice, home and away. Your post implies that you're wondering if Spurs will end up bankrupt. But I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you: Spurs are one of the best-run clubs in the Prem financially speaking. Moreover, we earn every penny we get, whilst City fans stamp their feet and scream for their sugar-daddy to give them yet another £100m cheque to buy the latest set of shiny new toys.

Having failed to get where they want to be through their own efforts and abilities, what City are now attempting to do is follow in Chelsea's footsteps: namely to buy success with money that the club has not itself generated nor borrowed with a view to paying the sums back. Just like Chelsea, City are no longer seen as as a proper football club - you have become a rich man's plaything, nothing more. Any success you achieve will be hollow, not earnt, not deserved. And yes, the sugar-daddy syndrome is damaging football - quite badly in my view.

I wouldn't bank on it if I were you. A collection of big-money players is one thing, but it's quite another to develop a gelled team that fits together well, is adapted to the Prem, has the right balance, has team spirit and fights hard. PS. Regardless of who you sign I fully expect Spurs to stuff you in the opening league fixture

Exactly so. Modric cost 16.5m, which is a lot of money but still a definite bargain (IMO). With 30m Villa could, if they spend it wisely, acquire two players that are just as good than Milner: there are such players out there, maybe at clubs in England, or else in continental Europe and elsewhere, for whom 15m-ish would be an absolutely irresistible fortune.

True. So it wasn't until the January window opened that we were able to use the Berbatov cash, but by that time of course our league ambitions for the season were mostly limited to avoiding relegation after our terrible start (2 points from the first 8 games etc).

Not quite true. The 'lose' situation will occur if the issue drags on for a long time without being resolved one way or the other. If this happens then the bulk of your transfer activities will be frozen in place and beset by confusion and uncertainty: you'll be left not knowing whether or not Milner needs to be replaced and in the meantime, with time running out in the transfer window, you won't know how much cash you'll have to spend on a Milner-replacement and/or other players. In other words, unless it's resolved early it'll be hard to make transfer plans: set a budget, choose target players and have enough time to allow for unhurried negotiations.

Is it true that MON, in his 4 years so far at Villa, has not signed even a single player who wasn't already playing in Britain (I'm not sure, but I can't think of any)? If so, has he ever offered an explanation for what seems, on the surface at least, to be a strangely limiting approach.

He cost 12m - as per a required statement to the Stock Exchange.

If you want the opinion of an outsider (which very probably some of you don't), then I think that if you're offered the reported 28m you should take it gladly ... provided the deal is done early so that you have plenty of time to consider your options and spend the cash wisely: 1) If player wants to leave, it's usually better for all concerned if he's allowed to do so. Having said that, I've no idea if Milner want to leave for City and the probably higher wages involved. 2) Most importantly, Villa lack squad depth. Yes Milner is a fine player, but 28m would allow you to sign (for example only) Parker + Jenas + striker X ... possibly (depending on the identity of striker X) with a 4 or 5m thrown in on top by Lerner. Overall, you'd end up better off.

First of all, thankyou to all those Villa fans who have been gracious enough to congratulate Spurs on gaining at least 4th place ... much appreciated. As to your proposed bet, MrWeedMcGrass, IF Spurs reach the group stages wouldn't it be wiser to wait and see how the draw for their group pans out before diving in all gung-ho? Wouldn't it be wiser still to wait and see what Spurs do in the transfer market this summer? I certainly won't be making any bets until all of the above has come to pass. But if you choose to renew your offer at that time then I might be interested.

I've sent him a PM re. the double or quits offer, so it's up to him to respond or not .... bearing in mind that originally he wanted the bet to be about permanently quitting the VT forum.

Well, OK ... if he wishes to do that, assuming that 'quits' means I pay nothing if I lose the further bet. It's not that I'm super confident of Spurs finishing 4th - getting a result away to City is going to be tough. But we stand a decent chance. I'll await to hear further from Jod1 before kick-off on Wed. night if he wishes to take up the option.

Yes, the post after the one I quoted confirms acceptance of the bet - I just neglected to include it in the quoted posts.

If you want to bet that Villa will finish higher than Spurs, then I'm up for a cash bet, provided it's not a silly sum of money. What amount did you have in mind? How about £50? If Villa finish higher then you make a donation to Acorns (our club charity) and if Spurs finish higher I will donate to Spurs official charity. Proof of donation to be posted on this thread. Deal? OK, the bet was with Jod1. The Spurs official charity is the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/charities

Because he knows that had the boot been on the other foot you wouldn't have shown your face again until next season. Demonstrable rubbish: 1) Last season I lost a bet with a VT-er and paid up - hence the tag against my user-name showing me to be someone who donated money to VT. 2) I continued posting during the summer break

Is it any wonder why people get annoyed when posts like this come out? .... Eh? What is wrong with my post? Someone on here banged on about wanting to bet, despite my saying I had no especial wish to do so, and so I eventually agreed. Now the bet has fallen due and I'm asking the person concerned to step forward since I don't recall who it was .... why do you have a problem with that?

I had a bet on here with someone that Spurs would finish above Villa this season. Would that someone care to step forward (I can't recall who it was right now)?