SPECULATION : Milner to City/Utd/Chelsea/Spurs

[lexicon]

The only clubs we are a feeder club for is the best clubs in the country and the richest. No-one else can afford our players and they wouldn't want to take a step down. That's not exactly a bad thing and using the term 'feeder club' for dramatic effect only serves to cause an argument over it's exact meaning.

[Risso]

Its also amazing that Milner has one good season and now everyone thinks he's a world beater!

In the same way some think Ireland is a world beater after,.....oh yes, one good season.

Nobody has said Ireland is a world beater. We just said Ireland is as good or maybe better than Milner.

The teams rumoured to be interested in each player and the likely fees said teams would be willing to pay for the services of each, would suggest otherwise.

Anyone who thinks Ireland is even as good, let alone better than Milner is delusional, IMO.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, it appears as though young Stephen Ireland has contracted the rare and incurable NRC Disease, i.e. the less he plays the better he seems to become.

I don't for one second think that we'll bring him in as he's a disruptive, untrustworthy little git who has all the hallmarks of a certain Lee Hendrie.

Thankfully we have someone with some knowledge of football in charge of transfers and hence I can sleep easy at night knowing the little retard will be plying his trade far from Villa Park, in fact I can see him ending up at that shower of shite down the road.

Not delusional, just possessed of a different opinion, you really should learn to tell the difference.

Ireland suffered a bit last season due to injuries, two new managers and the general madness at City. Before that, he had two great seasons including being player of the season at City, when he really was the complete midfielder.

As for being disruptive, apart from that nonsense to do with his dead grannies (which if reports are to be believed, started with him being bullied by other players) and wearing some Superman pants, how exactly is he disruptive? I work with a few City fans, and they'd all say he was a model professional.

[John]

I wonder if the SWP link is because we don't want Ireland or Bellamy does not want us or something along those lines and I wonder whether SWP would see himself as a make weight.

[Richard]

The only clubs we are a feeder club for is the best clubs in the country and the richest. No-one else can afford our players and they wouldn't want to take a step down. That's not exactly a bad thing and using the term 'feeder club' for dramatic effect only serves to cause an argument over it's exact meaning.

Does the fact that we are feeding the top clubs in the country make us any less of a feeder club then Lex? I mean what is your definition ?

I would have thought that it would be better to be in the position of taking the best players from the clubs around you rather than losing them but hey ho each to his own I guess

[wiggyrichard]

I wonder if the SWP link is because we don't want Ireland or Bellamy does not want us or something along those lines and I wonder whether SWP would see himself as a make weight.

We are interested in Ireland and are in pole position according to MYSTERYMAN

[LondonLax]

The only clubs we are a feeder club for is the best clubs in the country and the richest. No-one else can afford our players and they wouldn't want to take a step down. That's not exactly a bad thing and using the term 'feeder club' for dramatic effect only serves to cause an argument over it's exact meaning.

Does the fact that we are feeding the top clubs in the country make us any less of a feeder club then Lex? I mean what is your definition ?

I would have thought that it would be better to be in the position of taking the best players from the clubs around you rather than losing them but hey ho each to his own I guess

Tell that to Man United and the Ronaldo transfer or Arsenal with Toure/Adabayor/Fabrigas, Liverpool with Masherano and Chelsea with Cole.

It happens to every club.

[bannedfromHandV]

Its also amazing that Milner has one good season and now everyone thinks he's a world beater!

In the same way some think Ireland is a world beater after,.....oh yes, one good season.

Nobody has said Ireland is a world beater. We just said Ireland is as good or maybe better than Milner.

The teams rumoured to be interested in each player and the likely fees said teams would be willing to pay for the services of each, would suggest otherwise.

Anyone who thinks Ireland is even as good, let alone better than Milner is delusional, IMO.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, it appears as though young Stephen Ireland has contracted the rare and incurable NRC Disease, i.e. the less he plays the better he seems to become.

I don't for one second think that we'll bring him in as he's a disruptive, untrustworthy little git who has all the hallmarks of a certain Lee Hendrie.

Thankfully we have someone with some knowledge of football in charge of transfers and hence I can sleep easy at night knowing the little retard will be plying his trade far from Villa Park, in fact I can see him ending up at that shower of shite down the road.

Not delusional, just possessed of a different opinion, you really should learn to tell the difference.

Ireland suffered a bit last season due to injuries, two new managers and the general madness at City. Before that, he had two great seasons including being player of the season at City, when he really was the complete midfielder.

As for being disruptive, apart from that nonsense to do with his dead grannies (which if reports are to be believed, started with him being bullied by other players) and wearing some Superman pants, how exactly is he disruptive? I work with a few City fans, and they'd all say he was a model professional.

Because of course fans know this, being fans n all.

Ash Young's invited me round his tonight after training, y'know, cos I'm a fan n all that, Big John Carew dropped me a text earlier as well asking what I was up to, being a fan n all. Who gives a shit about the opinion of another supporter, let alone a City fan and how the **** are they to know what he's like on a day-to-day basis?!?

I'm not saying he's not a decent enough player but to say he's as good as or even better than Milner is ridiculous and IMO smacks of all that's wrong with this and most fans' forums....how many of you midway through last season would have said then that you thought Ireland was better than Milner? Only seems to surface when it looks as though they might be leaving, up until then they're the best things since sliced bread, sycophants!

[Rob182]

All we're doing is increasing the value of our assests and gradually increasing the quality of the team.

No in fact what we would be doing is constantly changing our style/ formation, bringing on young players and then selling them when they become our best player to a bigger more ambitious club. That is performing the role of a feeder club

But we're not Wigan, Richard.

If we were, as you call it, a "feeder club" for the bigger clubs. Then surely we'd be gradually getting more and more money from the bigger clubs?

Eventually we could be in Tottenham's position. We could crack 4th and then the players would not want to leave for a bigger club.

[bannedfromHandV]

The only clubs we are a feeder club for is the best clubs in the country and the richest. No-one else can afford our players and they wouldn't want to take a step down. That's not exactly a bad thing and using the term 'feeder club' for dramatic effect only serves to cause an argument over it's exact meaning.

Does the fact that we are feeding the top clubs in the country make us any less of a feeder club then Lex? I mean what is your definition ?

I would have thought that it would be better to be in the position of taking the best players from the clubs around you rather than losing them but hey ho each to his own I guess

Tell that to Man United and the Ronaldo transfer or Arsenal with Toure/Adabayor/Fabrigas, Liverpool with Masherano and Chelsea with Cole.

It happens to every club.

I've tried telling him this Lex, unfortunately it doesn't suit him and so doesn't seem to compute.

[LondonLax]

All we're doing is increasing the value of our assests and gradually increasing the quality of the team.

No in fact what we would be doing is constantly changing our style/ formation, bringing on young players and then selling them when they become our best player to a bigger more ambitious club. That is performing the role of a feeder club

But we're not Wigan, Richard.

If we were, as you call it, a "feeder club" for the bigger clubs. Then surely we'd be gradually getting more and more money from the bigger clubs?

Eventually we could be in Tottenham's position. We could crack 4th and then the players would not want to leave for a bigger club.

Being in the top 4 wouldn't garentee anything. If Man U or Chelsea came in for Bale he would be off in a shot.

[Richard]

Eventually we could be in Tottenham's position. We could crack 4th and then the players would not want to leave for a bigger club.

Despite the fact that , in my opinion, we are more like an Everton than a Tottingham, I thought this was the message of 4 years ago to be honest that we could crack 4th place, eventually

[Richard]

Tell that to Man United and the Ronaldo transfer or Arsenal with Toure/Adabayor/Fabrigas, Liverpool with Masherano and Chelsea with Cole.

It happens to every club.

Whilst the Ronaldo transfer from Manure was, arguably, taking their best player for £80M and the fact that they had world class players already at the club sort of lessened the blow a bit.

On Adebayor I would argue that it was not such a loss, ie not their best player similar with Mascherano and to suggest Cole is / was Chelseas best player is ludicrous, obviously in my opinion

I would also counter that for those clubs it happens once in a while. We lost our best player last year and (potentially) would lose our two best players this year as well. For it to happen consistently each summer , in my opinion, makes our description as a feeder club a little more solid than that of Manure or Arse or Chelsea or Plop.

Obviously I completely accept that people will not share this opinion, and I understand why.

[villabromsgrove]

Milner is a talented and tough as iron true professional footballer with real character, which is why Mancini wants to sign him.

Ireland is a talented and emotionally flawed footballer who Mancini believes cannot stand the stresses and strains of top premiership football, which is why he is considering selling him.

Let's stop knocking Jimmy shall we.

[Risso]

Its also amazing that Milner has one good season and now everyone thinks he's a world beater!

In the same way some think Ireland is a world beater after,.....oh yes, one good season.

Nobody has said Ireland is a world beater. We just said Ireland is as good or maybe better than Milner.

The teams rumoured to be interested in each player and the likely fees said teams would be willing to pay for the services of each, would suggest otherwise.

Anyone who thinks Ireland is even as good, let alone better than Milner is delusional, IMO.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, it appears as though young Stephen Ireland has contracted the rare and incurable NRC Disease, i.e. the less he plays the better he seems to become.

I don't for one second think that we'll bring him in as he's a disruptive, untrustworthy little git who has all the hallmarks of a certain Lee Hendrie.

Thankfully we have someone with some knowledge of football in charge of transfers and hence I can sleep easy at night knowing the little retard will be plying his trade far from Villa Park, in fact I can see him ending up at that shower of shite down the road.

Not delusional, just possessed of a different opinion, you really should learn to tell the difference.

Ireland suffered a bit last season due to injuries, two new managers and the general madness at City. Before that, he had two great seasons including being player of the season at City, when he really was the complete midfielder.

As for being disruptive, apart from that nonsense to do with his dead grannies (which if reports are to be believed, started with him being bullied by other players) and wearing some Superman pants, how exactly is he disruptive? I work with a few City fans, and they'd all say he was a model professional.

Because of course fans know this, being fans n all.

Ash Young's invited me round his tonight after training, y'know, cos I'm a fan n all that, Big John Carew dropped me a text earlier as well asking what I was up to, being a fan n all. Who gives a shit about the opinion of another supporter, let alone a City fan and how the **** are they to know what he's like on a day-to-day basis?!?

I'm not saying he's not a decent enough player but to say he's as good as or even better than Milner is ridiculous and IMO smacks of all that's wrong with this and most fans' forums....how many of you midway through last season would have said then that you thought Ireland was better than Milner? Only seems to surface when it looks as though they might be leaving, up until then they're the best things since sliced bread, sycophants!

So, what are YOU basing YOUR views that he's disruptive on exactly?

And yes, I think he's a good player, for the reasons I set out before. One so so season after two excellent ones doesn't make him a abd player wheny ou think about what's going on at City.

[Rob182]

All we're doing is increasing the value of our assests and gradually increasing the quality of the team.

No in fact what we would be doing is constantly changing our style/ formation, bringing on young players and then selling them when they become our best player to a bigger more ambitious club. That is performing the role of a feeder club

But we're not Wigan, Richard.

If we were, as you call it, a "feeder club" for the bigger clubs. Then surely we'd be gradually getting more and more money from the bigger clubs?

Eventually we could be in Tottenham's position. We could crack 4th and then the players would not want to leave for a bigger club.

Being in the top 4 wouldn't garentee anything. If Man U or Chelsea came in for Bale he would be off in a shot.

There will always be a bigger, better club who could make an offer for your player. No amount of Villa fans complaining will stop that.

But if we were 4th then I'm sure our players would be a lot less likely to want to go to a bigger club.

If we had finished 4th this year then Man City probably wouldn't be able to tempt Milner away from us.

Yes, Chelsea or Man Utd could come in for Milner - but if we're improving all the time and the players know that they'll be playing alongside other great players, they'll be more likely to want to stay at Villa and sign contract extensions.

If contract extensions are signed then the chance of bigger teams making offers for your players decreases.

There are a lot of "ifs" and "buts", but my original point is that it's not a bad thing that a big club wants to come and buy one of our players for, probably, double what he is actually worth.

[Dodgyknees]

The only clubs we are a feeder club for is the best clubs in the country and the richest. No-one else can afford our players and they wouldn't want to take a step down. That's not exactly a bad thing and using the term 'feeder club' for dramatic effect only serves to cause an argument over it's exact meaning.

Does the fact that we are feeding the top clubs in the country make us any less of a feeder club then Lex? I mean what is your definition ?

I would have thought that it would be better to be in the position of taking the best players from the clubs around you rather than losing them but hey ho each to his own I guess

Man United are a feeder club for Real Madrid then? (Ronaldo gone, Vidic linked before signing new contract etc)

[CannockVillan]

I'm not saying he's not a decent enough player but to say he's as good as or even better than Milner is ridiculous and IMO smacks of all that's wrong with this and most fans' forums....how many of you midway through last season would have said then that you thought Ireland was better than Milner? Only seems to surface when it looks as though they might be leaving, up until then they're the best things since sliced bread, sycophants!

[Dodgyknees]

Rob

I really dont understand how losing a £20m player and replacing him with a £10m player leaves us in a stronger position. As i said above, if Ireland was as good as Jimmy city would not want rid. And if it was so abundantly clear that Ireland could potentially become a £20m player in 12 months time, (Villa aside) Sunderland would not be the biggest club interested in signing him.

Jesus, I'm sick of repeating myself in this thread.

Why did Spurs sell Bent? Why did City sell us Dunne last year?

Sometimes players just don't get on with teams or aren't rated. Mancini got Lescott for £24m. We got Dunne for £5m. Dunne was in the Team of the Year. Lescott wasn't.

You are really viewing this situation as "Next season we will be a worse team and Man City will be a better team".

There is more at stake here than just next season, av1. Surely there is a possibility that we could buy a £10m player who is as good as Milner was 2 years ago. Man City wouldn't want to buy that player because it'd mean they'd have to train that person up gradually.

BUT. If we bought that player. In 2 years time we could have a player who is as good as Milner - PLUS the players that we could have bought with the extra Milner money. That leaves us in a better position, no?

We're not Man City. We don't want to spend £300m in 2 years to try and win the league as quickly as possible.

We're trying to gradually improve our team in a way that doesn't kill us financially.

Rob, you're a very sensible chap. Your arguments are spot on.

[Rob182]

Woo hoo! Cheers dodgyknees !

[Houseoftomorrow]

Heard a couple of rumors about SWP getting offered to Villa again. The story was on goal.com, so its by no means official (I also don't know how to post it). So, the question is. Would you take Ireland and SWP for Milner?