tinker

Reckon Spurs will get to the knockout stages and could do well from there. However, they aint gonna be in it next year and thats what will be going through the heads of Bale and a few others. Chelsea, Man City, Man U and Arsenal are the ones to fill next years CL places. Can anyone argue against that?

I wouldn't be opposed to him going out on loan to a bottom-half Prem club.

what you mean like us? Or rather where we might be heading if we can't sort things out quickly.

:? If we do end up in a battle at the bottom then a young player like Bannan should be kept out of the firing line. i dont think we will.

I would like to see him loaned out as well, sign him up for a few years first though, ffs.

"Like two bald men fighting over a comb"...lol

Lets just hope Capello does a decent job with England, cus if he dont, old arry's off to manage em. lol

Watched the highlights last night and thought Bale was outstanding again, he is a turning into a great left winger. The defense looked easily turned though which could be a problem, not a bad result all in all.

Hope Spurs do well in the CL to be honest, reckon it could be the last chance for an "outside team" to get into the top 4 for quite some time.

He has always struck me as a cool head, very laid back and could always pull out a smile, perfect for us atm, should calm the ship.

I wonder if its a rolling contract a per MON's?

Anyway welcome to the Villa!

Steve McClaren? :shock:

Ashley Young ran his bollox off, he also had the Everton defense on their heels at important times and his vision for the goal was the difference between the two teams, hes nips it for me as MOTM. The defense were all awsome, as last season.

Everton played well and will be around the top 6 this season.

We looked deadly with A Young playing everywhere (my Motm) and our two wingers.....well this allbrighton plays with no fear, the west ham defenders s**t themselves whenever he had the ball.

Luke Young needs to stay, Milner played well and gave it all but nothing spectacular.

Why have our players suddenly woke up and pulled a performance together like this? I was a MON fan and tbh still am but the players today showed they had problems with him.....UTV

10-1 on kev mac.....if we stuff west ham and Vienna and get something from newcastle then i cant see how they would get rid. FWIW we have alot of players with plenty to prove, i can see us winning a few of these opening games.

I have a strong feeling Man city will be meeting our price soon. some will see it as bad others will be happy. UTV.....£30m for Milner.......lol. "Deal me another hand"

Looks like its over Man City depsite all their money, have failed to bully us out of our player. This is an important message to other clubs who might also attempt the same strong arm tactics.

Make no mistake about it, Cooke will be scratching his head over this one. lol. Well done MON and the rest of the management team, you play a mean game of poker. £30m or .... off!

If he does leave for Man City where is he going to play? He has the makings of a great middle of the park player but ain't really a good crosser or great winger. Is he could enough in the middle for Man City? I don't think so, not at present, in a season or two perhaps he will be. Its a big mistake for him to go atm. Next season would make far more sense for all concerned, IMO.

FWIW i think when a fee is agreed with man city another team will match that bid that makes far more sense for him to leave us for.

If City are willing to meet the £30m asking price, would they offer it straight away? I doubt it, they will leave it late. Im sure MON will just stick to his guns.

With all due respect, Milner is a completey different person to Lescott. Lescott had spent a few years at Everton before he forced his move. Milner may well leave but one things for sure, if he does it will be on MON terms, not Man Citys and thats what would make any move more agreeable, at least to me.

I wasn't comparing Lescott to Milner as a person. I was comparing the situation to Lescotts last year. Which, when you look at it, has obvious similarities.

Lescotts move, in the end, was on Moyes terms. He was happy to keep him unless City paid what he wanted after he had made his mind up to sell but only for what he wanted.

I agree, Lescott did leave on Moyes terms and they were very good for Everton. My point on the personalities being different is relevant to this discusion, Lescott forced his move, i dont believe its in Milner personality to go about a move in such a way. This weakens Man Citys position.

With all due respect, Milner is a completey different person to Lescott. Lescott had spent a few years at Everton before he forced his move. Milner may well leave but one things for sure, if he does it will be on MON terms, not Man Citys and thats what would make any move more agreeable, at least to me.

Ok, lets say City are about to offer us around £30m, there are 2 other teams waiting in the wings, once the fee has been agreed with city then the other clubs match that valuation.

Villa are not the sort of club to play the teams against each other, the fee will be £30m.

Its then up to Milner to decide who he goes to.

Milner can say nothing on any transfer to any club atm, he cant say he wants to stay, why? Because its up to MON if he goes or stays. He has not signed another contract because he has not even been offered one yet.

As for new players to replace him, well we already have some players for the middle and dont be surprised if he is not replaced this transfer window. We need a striker more, imo.

The guy jumps out of tackles all the time and constantly chickens out. He has zero confidence. How could he possibly play in the middle?

Downing has played like that in parts of some games for half a season, after coming back from a serious injury. Watch him in the game against us (when he got injured) for borough, then you may see why.

Agreed, his confidence is low, the guys had season after season of not, "chickening out"

Anyway, time will tell. :winkold:

He could easily be the man to replace milner in the middle, if he leaves us. Is this the beginnings of us being softened to the idea?

People seem to be forgetting that the wages Mr Ireland is on at City will not be matched by Villa.

Stephen Irelands wages

i would imagine we would pay him no more than £40,000 a week, then he could improve his wages if he earns it by his performances. I do not believe he is even on a radar at those wage levels.

IMO Milner will go if the price goes over £30m and only when we accept Citys offer will he consider a move. Its a this point other interested teams may make their move and if Chelsea or UTD match the price then he will go to one of those before city.

We need to get away from monetary valuations being a kind of definitive guide to a player's ability. They are as pointless as using soccerbase as the be-all and end-all of a striker's ability. Villa was £30m because of his contract and because Valencia are crippled with debt. Barry was £12m because of his contract.

Spot on, Milners value is what Villa (MON) wants for him. Anyone who infers this is a done deal at £28m is wrong, im not saying it wont happen but its has not happened yet, despite what a few M City fans say and the usual red tops.

IMO Germany will not win in it, Argentina were a mess and so was we. Its either Holland or Spain for me, but if im honest Holland are going to take some beating. They outplayed Brazil in that second half, fought for ever ball, plus they have some terrific tallent, WS is my player of the tournament atm.

The Milner situation is stalled, we have rejected their bid and until they get really silly he aint going anywhere but Villa. Milner will negotiate a new deal with Villa in th e next 2 weeks, probably a one or two year extension to his deal and a near doubling of his wages.

Man City will never be able to earn the type of money from turnover that will allow them to pay many more £220,000 a week contracts, they will have to sell in order to allow themselves to even get close to UEFA's turnover rule.

On Ireland? Forget him or any other city player coming to Villa, their wage structure is in a different league to ours and 99% of the other teams in the PL. Most of their fringe players will sit their inflated contracts out in order to get wages close to what they have now, when they leave on bosmans.

If he goes then i would like to see downing in the middle, he needs to get his tackilng back to his borough days but i dont think thats beyond him. We could then get another winger as replacement, Bentley for one or perhaps someone else.

Yes, France were crap at the world cup so I think we should make a bid for Ribery - I am sure he'll be going quite cheap now....

not convinced by this rumour of him needing to be at the centre of everything leading to the rift with gourcuff though

and huge transfer fee ignored, there is still the near fact that he's want a 6 figure sum every week

I was just making comment on the suggestion that Milner's value would drop because England played shit - not actually suggesting we would be in for Ribery but that logic carried over then most of the French players would be available for a croissant and a six-pack of frog's legs.

And Robinho would be the most expensive player in the world. MON stated he would want £75m for A Young, what do you think he will want for Milner? I reckon it will be alot more than even M City will offer.

Holland

Milner's experience in this world cup should be a warning to him about football teams whos expectations are far greater than their actual ability. The sorts of pressures that these City players are going to be under over the next few seasons will be imense.

One day man city may become this all powerful club, but it will take more than millions of pounds and theres going to be alot of careers either ruined or damaged with this wild spending in order to win things. If you dont peform for one game or may be two, then your out! Sit on the bench or play for the reserves, the owners wont be bothered, they dont need to be, their so rich.

Man City are just the latest team to take advantage of the flawed Premier League system. The team with the most money nearly always wins, its only the colour of the shirt that will change. UEFA, to their credit, are trying to change this.