rubberman

Anyone signed yet? No, thought not. Tomorrow then...

Honestly I was thinking the same. I truly believe that if City didn't need to fill their English player quota, Delph would not have even been on their radar. Seeing how clubs like Tottenham and Liverpool didn't even bother going for Delph despite his criminally low buy out clause leads me to believe that my initial point is the case. Agreed, Still - at least Tekkers will get to play. (As a side note, seeing John Stones rated at £20-30m just shows how low Delph's clause was).

Whilst I know the massive clearout was needed (for crap players) and expected (for good players), and some of the links look pretty exciting, I can't help but get very nervous about going into the season with essentially and entirely new team / squad. I know Southampton managed to do it pretty well, but the history of other sides making wholesale changes isn't great. Tim hasn't much management experience and despite his massive self-confidence this is an enormous challenge - getting possibly 8-10 players firing together in a couple of weeks. It's going to be a nervous ride I think.

Friday lolz.

Really no to Adebayor or Balotelli. Both have stinking attitudes. At the very outside on a pay per play / goal-related package, but both would seem like a retrograde step and don't seem in tune with the rest of the signings / links.

Thanks for the goals and for keeping us up CB. Please don't score against us.

Something to do with only just escaping relegation for 4 years and the consequent inability to sell the club, i imagine.

If he goes to Utd he'll score a hat-trick against us as they batter us 5-0. At Liverpool he'll fail to score as they never cross and we beat them again.

I'd think it was probably the language barrier - TS didn't have time to really work with him in detail while he was trying to get a system in place to ensure safety. Whatever - Gil & Grealish behind a striker is going to be exciting. I still think it'll be a rollercoaster season, with a few thumpings, but hopefully significantly more wins. Bring it on.

Hutton, Richardson and N'Zogbia can all ride the Do One train for me.

What? There was no conspiracy after all this time...say it ain't so.

Getting the club back to being profitable, means we can spend more. Success leads to bigger income both from commercial side and premier league / sky cash as well as increased gates and season tickets. All of which feed into more cash to invest under FFP. We've been moving in the right direction (financially) over the last year and this summer will see more invested in the playing side, hopefully leading to an upward spiral. New owners wouldn't massively change the outlook I don't think. Mid-table next season, kick on to top 10 the next and we'll be back on track and a more attractive and valuable asset to sell. If the takeover is dead now, Lerner needs to keep the team in place (plus an experienced chairman) to deliver that.

I keep coming on here hoping to see that this thread has suddenly added 50 pages. Sadly not yet. Patience isn't easy with the season looming, but I'm still just about siding with the view that it will happen in the next week or two. Mind you, as was mentioned a while back - with the way things seem to be being handled these days and the transfer targets / dead-wood being shipped out, I would be less devastated if it doesn't happen. Really don't want to see too many other clubs getting ahead of us though.

Delph certainly is not 'very average', he's an above average premier league midfielder who has been punching below his weight at this club for the past 2 seasons, he's easily good enough for a lot of top half sides. Now, I don't for a minute think he's Man City quality, but at the end of the day, he's clearly a confident bloke who wants to test himself at the highest possible level. No one can blame him for moving to club like Man City, not only will he get a lot more money but he will have the chance to compete for trophies and play in the champions league, he'd be dumb to turn down such an opportunity. Alternatively, he could take the view that he's got himself a spot as an England starter playing in a crap, underperforming team. He might see that Tim has decent plans in place for players to come in and that captaining a resurgent Villa side every week will make him even more valuable in 1-2 years time when he will be peaking as a player and will then be able to cash in AND get a starting spot in a CL team, rather than the promise of cup games and 18 starts.

It sounds like it was a case of stick a low clause in, or I can go for free at the end of the season. It would be a real shame to see him go - particularly for such a low fee. Ridiculous for an current England international.

That does sound like a rubbish offer. OK - £100k a week for 4 or so years would be nice, but just getting established as an England regular and knowing you'll only get a handful of games would be career suicide. Add to that playing under a manager who's a dead man walking. Better to hang on for another year, be part of a resurgent Villa (well, hopefully mid table) and impress during the Euros (at least till England get knocked out) and see if Pep wants you.

The list of crap they are rumoured to be throwing into a 'deal' is very revealing about the state of Liverpool's squad. I'd take Can, Coutinho, Henderson, maybe Sturridge but he's a bit of a sicknote. Not sure there's many others.

Please God no. Luckily he's the absolute opposite to the type of player Tim says he wants at the club. Not sure what the problem is with him to be honest mate, enlighten me? Is he lazy? A premadonna etc? Genuine questions. I just thought he was a good player with a high ish profile going for cheap so would be good. You've hit the nail on the head for me. Always seems lazy - never really involves himself in games or seems up for it. The kind of luxury player Tim doesn't seem to rate. Certainly wouldn't be up for a relegation scrap (if we get into another one) IMO.

Please God no. Luckily he's the absolute opposite to the type of player Tim says he wants at the club.

I keep hearing it as Tja-do-ron ron in my head.

^^ Wilkins coaching CV is way ahead of Keane's.

Liverpool chucking in a derisory low bid is exactly designed to have the effect it seems to be having to some on here - OMG they're not going to pay full whack so we better accept less plus some player instead. Well, No thanks. There's no-one there that I'd want (that they'd chuck in). Put up or do one. He may not ideally want to be here next season, but if he is he will want to perform to a) make sure he's still first choice for the euros and b ) to prove he is worth the fee to clubs in CL positions - whether that's January or next summer. There be no lack of incentive for him to perform well and a distinct possibility that with a stronger, better performing team around him he will excel.

Excellent appointment. Does he rate Gil though?

If (big if) he signs a new contract, I'd expect it to be either a lowered release clause and/or a specific clause for if a CL club comes in for him.

Guzan's fine. Not brilliant, but easily good enough for where we are. We have far more pressing issues to sort out and spend money on.