SPECULATION : Milner to City/Utd/Chelsea/Spurs

[Undesirable]

Does anyone else smell a media rat here? Some unnamed friend of James Milner's calls up the Daily Mail saying that he never intimated that he wanted to leave the club? The papers talk of rifts and mayhem at the club. It just sounds like tabloid talk to sell papers. I don't see why O'Neill would lie about James Milner's stated intentions. If we wanted to sell him we could, it's not as if we'd need to force him out the club to get dosh for him.

[vi11ain]

someone will need to get the colouring pens out again, same scenario this time but with milner instead? fans wont be pleased with this turncoat i can imagine their displeasure being magnified twofold considering he's jumped ship so quickly.

I just hope he get's gone sharpish so The gaffer has got time to bed in some new players before the kick off.

I think anyone clinging on to hope that Milner will stay should get over it. There's no point fighting to keep a player who isn't interested.

£20 million could but 2 or 3 decenty names to freshen things up and give the squad a bit more depth

[briny_ear]

I'd imagine Milner was quite popular in the villa dressing room and I'd imagine that the likes of young, downing, gabby, dunne, delph etc.. Wouldn't want to play for a club that forces not only their mate out but also one of the teams best players.

It would be a ridiculous move from the club to try and force him out. If true I'm sure we'll see some angry comments from other players soon.

I think both Ashley Young and Stewart Downing have hinted in the past couple of weeks that they thought Milner had already made his mind up on the move.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if Milner said his "goodbyes" to the Villa players before he went off to the World Cup.

Let's just take as much Mansour money as we can and move on.

[briny_ear]

Hasn't he fallen out with Shorey, Carew, NRC, L.Young and now Milner?

That's a very odd list.

That would be John "I love Villa and want to extend my contract here" Carew?

And there's no evidence he's "fallen out" with Milner - just that Milner's agent is put out that MON is trying to manage the situation and force a sale in time to get some new players in.

So that leaves 3 players unhappy that they weren't selected or were substituted when they didn't think they should be.

Are you suggesting MON should have selected them even if he didn't rate them, just to avoid "falling out" with them?

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

Just reading this mornings reports, I'm confused now! Is Milner being pushed to make the move because we have to sell to buy?! Or is this all just a smokescreen....grrrr, it's like falling out with a girlfriend, not knowing where you stand, and getting conflicting information from hers, and your friends!

[rjenkins]

I'm not convinced by media stories today that Milner feels betrayed or whatever by O'Neill. It was very clear that before and during the World Cup Milner had refused to commit his immediate future to Aston Villa. Perhaps Milner was just trying to get a more lucrative contract from us, but whatever Martin O'Neill's weaknesses the man is not an idiot. I doubt that he would alienate one of our best players without what he felt was just cause.

[barry'sboots]

Now if Milner has expressed a desire to go MON is spot on with what he has said. Conversely if Milner has not its another example of MON being a touch heavy handed with a player as its tantamount to putting the 'For Sale' sign over him. Either way I don't think it makes the club look too clever.

I think the key word may be "intimated". This suggests that he hasn't come out and said "I want to go" directly (as I understand it that would equate to requesting a transfer and potentially damage his take?) but he has probably said something like he is not interested in signing a new contract or would be happy to leave if Villa got a deal that they were happy with which MON has construed, not unreasonably, as Milner not being committed to Villa and looking for a move.

Milner has had plenty of opportunity to rebut this but has consistently failed to do so which suggests he wants to go but is keen not to be seen as the bad guy.

[Bomvilla7]

The lad had 1 good season, couold have been a Holte End Hero but has clearly stated that he does not want to be here, i loved the guy and thought he might have had more loyalty then this but some1 recently pointed out that he did the same thing when he was at Newcastle when we came calling.

No point in keeping a player who does not want to be here, if we get 20 million and ireland id be delighted!! might be able to pay for a decent striker and give MON some "Squad Rotation Classes" of some1

[donaldfisher]

This is getting boring now.

Just sell him and lets get on with it.

Selling Barry didn't hurt us, and provided we replace well, neither will Milner. 24 - 30 Million for Milner is a joke, ridiculous money for someone who had a good second half of the season.

MON should sell him and get on with strengthening the squad before the season starts.

[holtender1987]

last thing i want now is milner to stay! there will be anomosity towards him and i dont want anyone who doesnt WANT to play anywhere near the team. If the two teams cant meet a valuation and he stays he has to be benched to prove he is not bigger than the club and make an example to rest of the players/potentail signings!

[o'lbs]

I just want this deal to be over and done with.

anything over 20 mil would be good business. he's just a double step over socks rolled down grafter. when he was right winger his cross's would never clear the first man, he's not exactly shit off a shovel quick. I've watched him in the O'Leary years and O'Neill and he's been pretty much the same and if he gets into the team at man city he'll be back on the wing. the one thing he's good at is keeping the ball in the corner in the last minute. but not as good as shawn maloney was.

Its obvious despite the crap in the media he was talking to man city before the world cup.

The people who don't like O'neill are the ones who are saying he's forcing milner out. the same ones who can't afford a season ticket and use the excuse we play boring football

[dundeevilla]

Milner has refused to commit himself to Villa, despite repeated attempts to get him to do so.

IMO that is what MON means when he says Milner has "intimated" that he wants to leave.

The manager has rightly got fed up of the procrastination from Milner, a player who now doesn't want to play for us after being here five minutes, despite Villa and MON helping him to play in a WC.

Milner is bleating about it, but he could have sorted this out six weeks ago by stating his intentions clearly to the manager instead of playing games. Jim has played this one all wrong. Villa at the very least deserved some honesty from him about his intentions, after the way we have helped develop his career. Maybe he's gone all Billy Bigbollocks after his one good season.

[Genie]

I wouldn't worry too much about what is in todays red tops.

MON spoke of the facts yesterday, Milner and his agent expressed a desire to move on to Man City. Villa will let him go at the right price. JM's agent said that James won't sign a new contract at Villa (in an attempt to scare villa into accepting MC's next offer).

This is how it lies. The ball in in Man City's court. All the rest is just bull shit.

[BG_Villa_Fan]

Can't describe how happy and proud I am to see most Villa fans stay behind the club and the manager in a situation like that.

[Rob182]

I'd imagine Milner was quite popular in the villa dressing room and I'd imagine that the likes of young, downing, gabby, dunne, delph etc.. Wouldn't want to play for a club that forces not only their mate out but also one of the teams best players.

It would be a ridiculous move from the club to try and force him out. If true I'm sure we'll see some angry comments from other players soon.

Or hopefully they realise that it'd be worse if Milner, who seemingly wants to move, didn't get sold until the last day of the window and we panic buy for a replacement. Then maybe they'd see why MON is pushing the deal forward.

Also - how would they feel if Milner wasn't sold and he came back for training? Training with a team who he is basically saying aren't good enough to challenge for 4th or higher.

(Higher than 4th is optimistic to say the least. But I think that we have a team who will work hard for each other and will have a similar season to last - challenging for 4th for, hopefully, the whole season).

[AndyM3000]

Hope he plays Milner on Tuesday against Walsall so I can boo the tosser.

[mjmooney]

Hope he plays Milner on Tuesday against Walsall so I can boo the tosser.

Didn't Barry play in a friendly against Walsall in similar circumstances?

[MCU]

Hope he plays Milner on Tuesday against Walsall so I can boo the tosser.

Didn't Barry play in a friendly against Walsall in similar circumstances?

Boo'd at the start then clapped when subbed. Just sums up our fans.

[Gringo]

One player who up until this point has never caused any trouble or shown any signs of causing trouble.

One manager who has a track record of falling out with players and just ignoring them, making it seem not his fault.

There is certainly more to this, its not so clear cut.

Milner says he wants to leave to MON, thats it in MON's eyes he couldn't possibly have changed his mind and wanted to talk to MON about it, perhaps deciding he would be on the bench all the time during the World Cup.

His only contact is with our chief exec, what if he wanted to talk again to MON about the playing side?

Nope thats it, your not talking to me you've burnt your bridges.

All theoretical i know, but going by our managers past experience of being stubborn could be true.

Some will find a way of blaming MON for the transfer regardless of any evidence or lack of.

[jimbojames]

Hope he plays Milner on Tuesday against Walsall so I can boo the tosser.

Why? What does it really achieve? He has been honest to his manager and said he wants to move but he has not come out and said it himself. We are going to double our money and have had a good season out of him. But yeah go ahead and boo him I'm sure he'll change his mind.