QldVilla

I follow Aston Villa, not a player, I admire some players for their quality, but I follow Aston Villa. There's some things that are immeasurable and no amount of money can buy that. The PL is the best league in the world, but doesn’t have all the best players. The best players thrive under the best managers in the best leagues, who is being naive?

I don’t like the TIFO stuff, seems to be an apparent smugness with everything they do and they know more than everyone else. To say they know more than Emery and his team, just reflects their own failings.

I don’t believe Diaby has any intention of going to Arabia. If that club was serious they could have already offered Leverkausen the money they want and offered ridiculous wages to the player, why hasn’t it happened already? Either the rumour is fake, or the player has no interest in seeing his career go down the toilet. I could be wrong, but believe the player wants to come to Villa and most footballers who aren’t at the end of their careers will do the same. People like Ronaldo, the Chelski exodus etc, they couldn’t get contracts anywhere else, good teams weren’t prepared to pay the transfer fee they wanted nor the inflated wages, only these dodgy Arabian clubs. And if you really forensically look at most of these transfers they are becuase that’s the only place their agent could get them a club. Theres another side to this story, unfortunately some are more interested in coming up with the worse scenario.

I think it’s a short term fad. They can hand out money hand over fist, but football fans won’t actually watch their league.

I think your over complicating a uncomplicated issue. While fans focus on the mostly has beens who have gone to Arabia, there’s also very good players who have turned them down. Some players will continue to sell their souls for money, while many players still value winning the major European leagues and cup competitions.

Football would be ruined in that scenario, and I don’t see the governments of major league countries accepting that scenario.

I’m not naive, just a realist. Winning and competing in the best leagues and against the best teams in Europe is still the goal of a majority of players. Golf is not football and a lazy example. If you believe the best 400 football players in the world are going sign for the Saudi League and only play for money, thats naive.

The best players aren’t going to the league only those who at mostly the end of their careers. Players still have to look at their legacy at the end of their careers and taking money over medals does none of that.

And play for what? Your making gross exaggerations when you don’t even know whether the Saudis will still have any interest in 5-10 years. They can’t play in European Competitions and will never be a premier league, or other major league, becuase they are limited by their appeal to anyone outside of Arabia.

Money only rules for some people. The reality is people are going to Arabia to regress. They won’t have to meet the same standards if they were playing in a top tier league, they won’t have the best coaching, they won’t have the best sports science etc etc. To elite sportspeople, coaches etc that actually matters. You go to Arabia you probably aren’t coming back due to the drop off in performances and fitness. But I’m sure the money will make them feel fulfilled.

I don’t believe that is the case at all. I coach and have done so for 30 plus years and I have coached athletes of various abilities and they aren’t in the sport to make money, they are there becuase they want to improve and hopefully realise their potential. I’ve seen the most most talented athletes who work their backsides off and others who are lazy and want to take the easy option. Many athletes waste their ability, while others have goals of things they want to achieve. Making a living from sport is a by product of your ability, but money is also a poor motivator for success as the most successful people aren’t motivated by money and sport is no different.

I didn’t say they were different, I said they weren’t serious if they went to take the easy option and play in the sand league. Its one thing for a 30 yo old plus players who’s careers are going nowhere, it’s another for players with their best football ahead of them, to show no ambition, to not want to test themselves in the best leagues. These players have one career and they never started playing football to make money, it was to be successful and test themselves. By the way professional sportsmen are different, the lazy ones take the easy option and money becuase they have no desire and forgotten why they started to play the game in the first place.

Sorry, thought he was playing the game to be the best player he can be and to be successful, not ruin his career in the sand league.

Maybe it’s me, but if Diaby wants to go to Arabia, then he’s not serious as a player. If he is serious he will be telling B.Leverkusen that he has no interest in playing there. Anything else is just nonsense.

Surely the conversation would go like this: ring ring Coutinho: hello Gerrard: hello my little Brazilian friend it’s you best mate Stevie Geeeeeeeeeee….. fancy a game in Arabia? Coutinho: Click! Coutinho’s Missus: who was that? Coutinho: that who can’t coach wants to drag me to Arabia now. Courinho’s missus: for a holiday? Coutinho: basically.

I thought he came here becuase he’s a coach and he wanted to test himself against the best managers and right his appalling treatment at Arsenal. Every good manager has ambitions, it’s what makes them who they are, I truly believe he wants to show everyone that he can go toe to toe with man Utd, man city, Chelsea etc etc and beat them with tactics and spirit, not just who has the biggest wallet.

I think Emery and Monchi have a little bit more integrity than selling their professionalism to the highest bidder. Anyone going to Saudi is basically giving up on their career.

What a clown. Football is supposed to be cyclical, so bringing the best people to your club to achieve success should be the priority. While some players and managers think they are above some leagues or clubs, the reality is far from that truth. No real Villa fan would say that Emery, Monchi etc are better than AV.

Always thought Bailey was a bit of a blunt object. Can be great on the odd occasion, but not tactically aware and maybe doesn’t fit into Emery’s plans.

I believe the club had an interest in Kessie last season, but we ended up going for Kamara. I really like him as a player, maybe there’s a deal to be done for him and Torres. If we got both of them across the line, we would have a very scary squad for opposition teams.

You know what I mean..

It’s £68m, he’s at best £55m. If we have that £55m for him and able to move on Sanson and other for £20m it’s doable. Will his signing make us a Top 6 team?

We were linked with Openda in the January transfer window, I’ve been interested to see whether his name came up again.

UEFA just make it up as they go along. Why not just have a blanket rule across the whole of Europe with regards to ownership, rather than just European competitions? Pity they can't so the same fortitude when it comes to Manure City and others...

McGinn has made the role his own, can't see it being changed.