tomh621

If the last time was a **** up, journalists would be wary of their credibility. I doubt they'd put the Delph move is back on without some solid evidence… SURELY?! Or am I being too kind to sports journalists covering the transfer window?

Pretty chuffed that Gil his showed his worth. Excited to see more of him! Edit - looks like we won't be getting a CAM/number 10 then either. Praet link dead in the water I assume.

Always hard replacing one of your best players though. Having said that I think we can replace 15-20 goals a season though. If we get a decent striker (not necessarily undoubtedly proven) but then ensure that we have creativity we can replace those goals fine. Also if I was Benteke i'd be put off by the way Rogers is talking. Having him as back up and all that. He's a mile better than Balotelli and Lambert, and a completely different player to Sturridge. No doubt they've sent their offer - but will Benteke go? Not so sure now. He's way too good to be a back up - he's a proven premier league goal scorer and he did that in a shite team with no creativity by taking the 2/3 chances he got each game.

Because half the fans are a bunch of *read in Sherwood accent* 'facking cants'

Awesome. 32.5 mill in the bank, let's invest and get this club away from 16th place.

"Manchester United are set to beat Liverpool in the race to sign Aston Villa's Belgium striker Christian Benteke, with a £32.5m offer for the 24-year-old." - The Sun. "However, Benteke is keen on forcing a move to Liverpool, but the Reds still need to agree a fee with Villa." - Daily Mail. HAHAHA rather sign for Liverpool than United?! Hilarious, especially given their new signings this season. Nice try Daily Mail.

Dortmund tried doing that by signing 3 strikers to replace Lewandowski. Didn't work...... Didn't they have a catastrophic time with injuries too though?

New thread for that already! Also Richardson and Hutton could be useful squad players if need be. If they're willing to accept they aren't up to scratch and take a back seat (aka the bench) and a wage cut. Agree with the rest!

The more I think about it, the more I reckon that 75% of this was a load of media shite. We all know they love to jump on the bandwagon, to present news to whoever will read it, as soon as possible. They can't be a day late can they? So everyone picks up on the story, and it gets so out of hand it becomes 'truth'. Delph came back early especially for training and the advertisement for the new kit, and his wife is expecting any time soon - obviously he'd want to be there so he's not gone to Portugal with the others - media spins that into something as well. I do think there was interest shown by City however. "A lie gets half way around the world before the truth has a chance to get it's pants on" - Winston Churchill. They shit the bed massively with this one. Also journalists have to appear credible otherwise people aint gunna read. There's a lot of saving face going on right now. Suppose only Delph and the club knows but either way I couldn't care less. He stayed. Also if this was a PR stunt, what would we get out of it? Suppose it's a better time than any to have the clubs name on headlines...

Clearly isn't motivated by money (or more money) wants to play football and secure more playing time + international place for Euros. Still so effing happy that he's staying. Really promising and we can build now. Wonder how all this will affect Benteke - imagine if he stays and we build a team with these links - oh my lord. Stop it now Tom this is Villa - good things dont happen….

That's what I reckon. Usually when the BBC stick it up outside the gossip section it's legit. Dont give a **** though he stayed with us and I'm chuffed to bits.

Surely that suggests that it wasn't about the money then? How are so many people incapable of seeing that? If there's one thing i've learnt watching football over the years is that it's usually the players that fans care about the most that get the most shit when they leave. Edit - HOLY **** HE'S STAYING YESSSS. Some people scrambling to delete their posts.

**** hell some people need to get a grip. "Betrayal" - he hasn't ran off with all the money with cartoonlike money bags with 'loot' written on them like some evil pantomime villain. He's a person. He helped the club by staying and seeing us through the season. Maybe shouldn't have signed a 5 year contract but he's been here for a while - through some shit football too. Now one of the best teams in the country, with some world class players are interested. Ofcourse he'd be tempted to go. I know Villa will always be a special club to Delph and I wish him the best of luck. Only annoyed about the reported 8 million we'll be getting for a player worth at least 12 mil, and of course i'd like to see him stay but we can replace him and Sherwood knows it. Gueye has impressed critics in France and we've got some promising links. We've made some great signings, cleared dead wood and could even keep Benteke, so it's not all bad.

He owes the club that fat signing on fee he got a few months ago. We couldn't have replaced him then and we obviously weren't going to chance him leaving and getting relegated.

Delph doesn't owe anyone anything. Much like how you dont owe your previous employer anything for training you after you move to a bigger job. Like every other human on the planet he has goals. He wants to get even better - fair play. I imagine most players would get a boner at the thought of playing with some of the players in Man City's squad. Plus he could have ran the contract down but instead stayed. He's replaceable - so dont panic too much. Having said that I'm slightly* pissed at the low fee. *HUGE **** UNDERSTATEMENT

Think this might mean Benteke is off now too. Good news is Delph is easily more replaceable. 8 million is a **** joke though.

No. He's done at this level. And yet I'd rather Van Persie than Adebayor by SUCH A MASSIVE LONG DISTANCE. I love how people think Van persie has just 'gone shit' in a season when that same Summer/year he was absolute fire at the World Cup. He's still got it (or most of it). Injuries and less game time knocked him back at United.

Worrying, if true. I saw her in Healeys cyder farm in Cornwall on Tuesday with a mate and one of their dads. She looks about 21. Apart from a few photos on twitter with managers/players, she knows absolutely **** all and is probably currently getting fingered by some Cornish 6 toed simpleton in Newquay as we speak. Stop quoting her. Had a good chuckle at "fingered by some cornish 6 toed simpleton". She could be shagging one of the players …. ITK

I think we should be in for players like Praet. We've got a belgian international here and we can guarantee play time. We're also in the best league in the world (or so they say) and we're committed to building a proper team and not **** about with relegation anymore. So I dont think it's unrealistic if he came here but obviously there will be other interest. Edit - forgot to add the fact that we've been in a final.

She knows nothing. Jon Snow?

There's 10 other players on the pitch you numpty, can't do it all can he?!

Took me a week to get a tax rebate aka MY OWN MONEY BACK. Let alone Gueye getting a work permit or whatever it is.

Feck! That's exciting news. And I'd take Vorm all day he was absolutely class at Swansea.

Not sure about Guidetti to be honest. Seems like he's been about for years and not done anything - and massively injury prone. That Embolo kid looks to have some class about him playing for Basel though.

Exactly what I thought. He's far more developed/mature now too.