jacketspuds

Another rumour doing the rounds is that Talksport claim Bent is to fly to London later today as Chelsea have made a bid.

We can't win either way. People slate us for having no ambition and no money then we, hopefully, pull off a stunning transfer like this and all of a sudden we are panic buying. Also, the ignorance of people, including Stan Collymore, is ridiculous. I wish some would stop asking why MON was not backed with money in the summer. It's old news and it's also pretty easy to work out now.

Bent will be a fantastic signing for us and I don't think I have been this excited about a transfer since we signed Sasa Curcic.

IN

Bent - £18m

Makoun - £6m

Adam - £5m

Figueroa - £4m

Walker - £Loan

TOTAL - £33m

OUT

Warnock - £Loan

Davies - £2.5m

Carew - £2m

Sidwell - £0.35m

Ireland - £6m

TOTAL - £10.85m

Net - £22.15m

The best bit is that we are probably selling £235k/week worth of wages and spending approx £175k/week on the other players so that's also a big bonus for us.

£70k a week in wages? can we sustain that? Sidwell was on £40k no?

Yes. Carew will go and he's on 55k/week ish so really only an extra 15k/week. Plus other players will leave with cheaper/better options coming in.

Got to be Bent, Adam and Figueroa. Doubt we will be looking at a CB now unless we sign Spahic the left sided CB instead of Figueroa. We are putting Man City to shame in this window.

Can just see Sunderland reject this now. ****. Be very difficult for Sunderland fans to warm to him again now he's asked to leave.

Comparing Dzeko and Bent on SSN...Bent is in a hotel near bodymoor heath according to SSN.

The same hotel as the one Defoe is in ??

SSN says they have accepted the bid... different stories everywhere?

Is this on TV as the website still says we are linked with an £18m bid?

Keeping everything crossed. To be honest before we signed Makoun there were reports that our deal had fallen through so don't know who to believe. If the bid was made Thursday they would not reject it on Monday if they think he's worth double. Come on Darren, join the Villans.

Bet we only offer him £40k/week and it falls through. ;-)

Hopefully this can be completed today and GH can move on to Adam.

if he was sacked who would we get in?

Martin O'Jollardyce. :?

Isnt he the guy with the massive head, loves porn but will ultimately quit?

Yep. But at least we would offer Blackburn £12m for El-Hadji Diouf and stick him on 75k/week. Lovely. :shock:

if he was sacked who would we get in?

Martin O'Jollardyce. :?

I'm going to give GH the benefit of the doubt on this one. We got a good draw and performed ok. GH is signing players where we need to strengthen (apart from up front) and we are out of the bottom 3 for now.

Glad we didn't lose for GH's sake because it would be horrendous sacking him and then waiting for a new manager and missing out on transfer targets. Now GH needs to be backed and hopefully everything will start to turn around.

If we had a really clinical striker, we'd have done that lot comfortably. Happy with the draw to be honest.

Agreed. A draw means with out of the bottom 3, and for that I'm very happy. It was a derby, we were under a lot of pressure, but GH has to see that we are desperare for a goalscorer.

Like others have mentioned Houllier has to back Carew whilst he is still here as he has few options. Carew might get his chance against Birmingham and he could do a great job but GH knows he needs Carew on-side. If he says "we are looking for another striker as I'm not confident in Heskey or Carew" this would have a massive negative affect on the player.

Secretly however I would not be surprised if Carew goes to WBA and Houllier has someone else lined up to replace him.

Yeah i'd like to see us loan Bannan to Blackpool for a while if it means we can get Adam.

I think our biggest problem is the board neither sacking him or backing him.

And when i say back him, I mean in the transfer window and to the hilt.

Still 22 days to go. We don't know if he is going to be backed significantly. The last thing we should want is for Randy to come out and talk about how much money is available as it would push prices up for us.

If he stays ....were down ....the evidence is there for all to see painful as it is....

I think he will stay to the end of the season - he won't want to miss - Liverpool relegating us !

Yes I'm sure he'll be jumping for joy if Liverpool were to relegate us. :?

What if we were level on points with Liverpool and we were in 17th and they were 18th before kick off. Where would his loyalties lie then? Hypothetically speaking of course.

Look fact is, they got jeered off, a manager who is severly under pressure was trying to keep the morale up. This is another story to heap pressure onto the guy, the press would have loved it if the 4 managers under pressure got fired.

As would the fans. Houllier can't win at the moment but it seems that the two people at Villa that he needs to impress are still ok with his performance/potential so far. However, any comments about him staying post Sunderland have come from Houllier himself so anything could happen. Hodgson was confident in his position 2 games ago and his days look numbered now. Hopefully Faulkner will use the same company who advised him on Houllier to advise him that GH has thus far been terrible in every aspect of management for Villa.

Apparently Roy Keane has been sacked. Another manager who is free now too. Wouldn't want him here though. I doubt the crowd would sing anything negative to him, he would jump into the crowd and knock people out.

SSN also report that Norwich have refused Burnley permission to speak with Paul Lambert. WTF? He's too good for Burnley and reminds me of Moyes a lot. Could be an ideal, cheap replacement should GH leave.

I agree. Lambert is a very promising young manager who will do well when given the chance at a bigger club in the top flight. He as done a great job at Norwich and did very well at Colchester and Wycombe. Leaned his trade in the lower leagues and done his apprenticeship and for me would be a very good appointment for us. Young and hungry for success.

Mini-MON.

Maybe, but there's less hoofball from Lambert. Although MON's style of play is effective.

Apparently Roy Keane has been sacked. Another manager who is free now too. Wouldn't want him here though. I doubt the crowd would sing anything negative to him, he would jump into the crowd and knock people out.

SSN also report that Norwich have refused Burnley permission to speak with Paul Lambert. WTF? He's too good for Burnley and reminds me of Moyes a lot. Could be an ideal, cheap replacement should GH leave.

Omar Cummings

I honestly couldn't give a shit if we went out of the cup on Saturday and I bet GH and Lerner don't really care either. Our main priority this season, which is embarassing to type, must be survival.

Houllier needs to be backed financially in this window by Lerner if he is to stay. None of this £10m crap, £30m at least in order to rebuild the team now. If Lerner is not prepared to give Houllier that money then sack him as we will not get better without 5 or 6 new faces or a new manager.

Hopefully Randy realises that he can't have it both ways. We are at a massive crossroads with our season, and our long term ambition. We either stick with GH and he is backed well or he is replaced. It is clear for everyone to see what will happen if he stays but is not given significant funds now to sort out whatever issues he thinks are within the squad.

Sadly I fear that Randy wants to keep him and not spend much, in which case I will need to start looking for quick routes to Vicarage Road and Fratton Park.

I voted back him purely for the fact that i don't think we can get anyone better at this moment in time. People like Sam Allardyce are not what we need for the long term, and i can't see them signing just til the season is over.

Gerard Houllier will get us relegated, how the **** do you think thats gonna help long term.

May I also add this. We won't get anyone better than Houllier? What the ****? So we won't get anyone better than someone who alienates the players, is tactically inept and has accumulated 5 points from 27 or something ridiculous like that.

I'm sorry but we could put Strachan in charge, heaven forbid, and I bet he would somehow manage to fluke more points than Houllier. Although Strachan would make my blood boil. The little prick.

How long is Heskey suspended for? Is it 3matches?

Only the Blues game matters really.

Shit state of affairs when Villa fans are pissed off that Heskey will miss games.

Or a sign he's a good player.

Not denying he's been good this season but when you pin all your hopes on Heskey something must be wrong with the team. Gabby has been injured and out of sorts I suppose but hopefully the manager, whoever it is, will strengthen our attack this month.

I'm actually jealous that Birmingham might sign Keane. Although £7m is a bit steep.