SPECULATION : Milner to City/Utd/Chelsea/Spurs

[Mazrim]

What do you mean by Box to box because in that case so is Lampard, Ireland etc...these players don't just attack and then leave others to do the defensive work, they also tuck back in and defend.

If this is directed at me.

Lampard will not defend as much as Essien or Ballack or Mikel or whoever for instance. Their system and the quality of their players afford him the luxury of concentrating on attack and linking up with the strikers and wingers. Thats not to say you'll never see him back but typically he will be thinking about getting forward and an outlet from midfield. So he's not box to box in that sense. He's an attacking midfielder. So is Ireland. Peforms exactly the same role and will typically sit in front of two midfielders who will take care of most of his defensive duties.

We line up differently with two in the middle more often than not. That means you have to have one player who will cover defence and attack equally and and link everything up. There are not too many proper exponents of this any more but Milner is one of them.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

Made a mistake for the 1,000,000th time.

[ml1dch]

Made a mistake for the 1,000,000th time.

And that's just in the last three pages of this thread.

Carrick better than Milner indeed.

Next up in crazyland - Danny Wellbeck is better than Gabby and Obertan is better than Ashley Young.

[paulanddonya]

Pardon me if you have a look at the thread, I said, I couldn't even remember who it was, nor what it was, I made the comment about some players who won the YpotY and said it wasn't a given that they become great players.

Now, having done. It's a bit of research I find Jeffers, didn't win it - he was nominated in 1999 - and lost - who to Harry Kewell !!!

So, in fact, the story is the same, just the name is different.

Anyway, it's beside the point.

I can't believe people are so "Milner is the best". He is good, he could be very good.

But he is 24 and he, by no means is anywhere near the top midfielders in this league.

Just go through them, Lampard, Gerrard, Essien, Barry, Fabregas, Arteta, Eboue, Rosicky, Nasri, Arshavin , Zhirkov, Malouda, Ballack, J Cole, Mascherano, De Jong, Ireland, Park, hargreaves, Valencia, Fletcher, Giggs, Scholes, Anderson, Nani, Huddlestone, Bentley, Modric, Lennon, Parker, T Cahill, Fellaini, Rodwell,

Now that is just looking through Sky's midfielder section on fantasy football.

So ni-on - 30 midfielders, and you can argue that 20 of them are better than Milner (like Ballack, Lapard, Gerrard, Arshavin etc..) , 5 or so (like Arteta , Cahill, Parker) are similar, and 5 or so , are slightly weaker but not much (as I have left out crap midfielders) , like , well actually no, I can't really see many that you would say are worse. Players like Park are vastly under-rated (apart from Alex Fergusun), maybe Bentley, maybe Huddlestone - but I bet Spurs fans would argue with them

So you are talking 30m - for maybe the 25th best midfielder in the league.

Which is not much less than Barcelona are paying for David Villa !

All I keep saying is Milner is good, but he ain't in the league of some of those above, but the money we would get, and could spend elsewhere, is !

You gotta look at it that way, Arshavin, is only one player in thousands playing in Europe, and Arsenal got him for 14m !

Selling Milner is not the be all and end all.

And for anyone who thinks it is - think Andy Gray !

[Dante_Lockhart]

So you are talking 30m - for maybe the 25th best midfielder in the league.

Who is also young, hungry, talented, level-headed, loyal, experienced, versatile.. oh, and English.

The price tag isn't just for current ability. It's for potential, nationality (especially with the home-grown rule coming into force) and mentality.

You could also add in the fact that he is a Key Player at the club he is at, if the club don't want to sell and don't have to sell then the price automatically goes up.

[paulanddonya]

So tell me then no it all.

If we sold Milner for 30m to Man City.

And got , lets say out of my list , got Joe Cole on a free transfer to take his place,

You wouldn't call that a shrewd bit of business !

(never going to happen, Redknapp is far better in the market and I will streak naked in Small Heath with a claret painted knob if Cole don't end up at Spurs !)

But that is all I am saying ! Milner is not even in the top 20 midfielders in this league, so to go on like he is Pele is ridiculous !

ABOVE

He is 24 - he is not THAT young, jesus, Milner is in the "Young Lee Hendrie" mould !

He is older than virtually the entire Arsenal squad !!!

[theboyangel]

But that is all I am saying ! Milner is not even in the top 20 midfielders in this league, so to go on like he is Pele is ridiculous !

I've heard some tripe but that is one of the most ridiculous statements ever.

Milner is a quality player. As a fan, it's great to see his workrate, energy and pride in being a professional. That nowadays is a rarity amongst the money hungry illiterate footballers.

Milner also gatecrashed the international scene this year, against all expectation, adapted to a new postion and was the key to a midfield that finished 6th with 2 Wembey appearances.

And, IMO he is still relatively young and nowhere near his physical prime.

As a WUM though, P&D - I doff my hat to you :winkold:

[Sit_Down_Potato_Head]

I was going to say "Do we have to enter into such pessimistic speculation over how much we might get for Milner, how it wouldn't be the end of the world if he left, was the £12M for Barry that bad a deal, who we might buy...etc"

But it's a discussion forum, so talk about whatever the fuckitty pants you like !

Here's my tuppeny-worth: "Ah, F-off City !"

[jonno_2004]

25th best midfielder in the league my a*se. I'd take 30 mill for him if we invested it again wisely but its not players like Milner we should be selling if we want to improve, for that we should look at his CM partner.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

Paul:

Well Joe Cole doesn't play central midfielder so although I'd be happy with Joe Cole at Villa, not to replace Milner no.

You can't just pluck random players and call them better than Milner....for staters:

quote]Just go through them, Lampard, Gerrard, Essien, Barry, Fabregas, Arteta, Eboue, Rosicky, Nasri, Arshavin , Zhirkov, Malouda, Ballack, J Cole, Mascherano, De Jong, Ireland, Park, hargreaves, Valencia, Fletcher, Giggs, Scholes, Anderson, Nani, Huddlestone, Bentley, Modric, Lennon, Parker, T Cahill, Fellaini, Rodwell

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

its not players like Milner we should be selling if we want to improve, for that we should look at his CM partner.

:!:

[billy_loes]

its not players like Milner we should be selling if we want to improve, for that we should look at his CM partner.

:!:

He's right...

[Big_John_10]

Just show us something...... please !!

The season has been over for 2 weeks. Give them a chance.

[Reality]

Man City can go and suck the back of 'em. I cannot stand their poxy little club, and sudden damn right to go around buying this and that.

They are a small time club, with small time fans, who will always be in the shadow of the scum across the city.

[paulanddonya]

Jesus H christ

I am not saying they are the same type of player.

I am saying there are better midfielders in the league - around 25 of them to be precise - whichever position in midfield they play.

Now, lets just for example (and this is totally ficticious out the top of my head, not fact !), say the nearest to Milner that is gettable is Stephen Ireland - 6m , you then got Joe Cole for nowt, you got Ballack for nowt, Hargreaves for nowt, Huddlestone for 8m, Jenas for 6m, Parker for 8m, Rodwell for 10m, and Fellaini for 15m

We then sold Milner for 30m, Sidwell for 4m , NRC for 6m

We would have totally revamped our entire midfield, plus reserves to a squad resembling something Chelsea and Man U would be proud of for a total cost of 12m.

Now let me point out - FORGET THE PLAYERS AND THE VALUES here

I am just saying James Milner is not the be all and end all of Aston Villa, in the same way Berbatov wasn't at Spurs. It is how you spend that money.

Now some of the above aren't gettable, Ballack for instance, will go to germany, but players of that ability are available, for hardly nothing - look at what Spurs did with Gudjohnsson. You just need the nouse in the market.

Milner is a good player, that has come on well this year - but that is it. He is no "next great thing" . He is 24, he will improve, but not much more. He will mainly improve not through ability but because experience (of playing central midfield).

But don't make out he is the best midfielder in Europe, because he isn't even in the top 20 of the Premier League.

Put it this way. He is exactly 2 1/2 months younger than Wayne Rooney. Was James Milner anywhere near the actual Player of the Season ?

Unfortunately, MON wont see it like that.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

Sorry, Tom Huddlestone, that Tottenham Hotspur regular? Of course, I'm sure Redknapp will sell for £8 Million and he'd come. Ireland would be more than £6 Million too....why would Rodwell and Fellaini join. Why would Everton sell Fellaini for exactly what they payed for him? Parker is a not sell at West Ham too.....

No he isn't the best midfielder in Europe, noone has said that but he is certainly better than you say.

You can't just count wingers as better than him. It's a completly different position. It's like comparing CB's to CM's....it's a completly different role in the team or are you saying for example Nigel De Jong is a similar type of player to Aaron Lennon

I don't think anyone has said he's the best in the league but he's certainly around the top 10 central midfielders in the league. Without doubt.

[Big_John_10]

but players of that ability are available, for hardly nothing - look at what Spurs did with Gudjohnsson. You just need the nouse in the market.

You mean we could also have a has been sitting on our bench collecting large wages while doing nothing?

Unfortunately, MON wont see it like that.

yep it's horrible that our stupid manager won't get rid of a very promising player who will only continue to get better and who doesn't seem desperate to leave the club. What an idiot!!!

I'm surprised other players haven't handed in transfer requests, why would they want to be in a team that actually wants to keep their best players who are happy to be there? That kind of thinking is just wrong!!!

[billy_loes]

PaulandDonya - Ok here I go (in no particular order)

Arteta (sometimes)

Modric

Lampard

Gerrard

Fabregas

Essien

Malouda

Fletcher (sometimes)

I can think of any others

[cbr600rr]

if mon wants to keep jm he will, its barry saga over again,mon will digg in again..however if mon budget for next season is limited he may decide to sell to get the right players for the team.

[Oaks]

I can see Milner signing a new 4 year deal and then in 2 years time will be 26 and if we haven't improved he will be looking to move on(if he is still consistent performer). Last season he said he needed a little stability in his career, it was the first time in his career he had the same manager for over a year and bang he had his best season so far. He seems to be a level headed guy, he knows if he continues his improvement he will get other chances to step up to the highest level.