Christian Benteke

[CannockVillan]

I find all this talk of loyalty very hypocritical. Fans only want loyalty from good players. Would we show loyalty to Benteke if he was shit? No we'd want him gone and be glad like with other ex players. Would we care if he wanted to leave after 1 year if he was shit? No.

Problem with this however is it is much more diffcult in the reverse situation to get rid.  Just look at Ireland, Given, Bent etc.  All with no future here but if they were released they would expect a payout from their contract, which is essentially asking the club to honour its contract with them.  however if the player wants out the contract doesn't mean anything.

 

One thing i am actually pleased about in all of this is that Benteke has had the decency to put in an official transfer request which many players don't do becuase they would lose money in those circumstances.  Well played to him there.  Atleast he's not doing a Shrek and saying one thing to his manager but then backtracking later so he keep his loyalty bonus if he moves on.

 

At the end of the day Benteke was never going to stay for more than another year (particularly if he had a good next season) so, whilst i'm disappointed he is probably going to go, we have to realise that we are not yet even competing with the likes of Everton on the pitch let alone Spurs or a top 4 team.  If we get a good price for him (i'm thinking not less than £25m) then i'd wish him well purely and simply from the point of view that, had he not worn the shirt we would most likely be playing Small Heath in the Chumpionship next season.

 

Having said that, if i were a Spurs fan, i wouldn't be crowing too much because, with what happened at Genk and now here, how long would they have him for.  Bale will give them one more season probalb y(to try and get Champ League football) and if they don't make it next season then will Benteke want to move on again (i wouldn't put it past him).

[KjParton]

[Alakagom]

Considering with non existent midfield at Villa, especially since Bannan is considered a genius here, he's a monster he scored 20 goals.

 

With proper support, he'll be scoring goals for fun, 

[Morpheus]

Blip?

 

This is the business model we wanted. Admittedly we didn't expect it this quickly.

 

The entire business model is by young, hungry, talented and cheap players. Build them up, if we keep them - great, we build something. If we dont, we either make very little loss because they weren't good enough. Or, we sell them on for huge profits in order to fund the next round of incomings.

 

£25-30m will fund this summer, January and most of next summers transfer exploits. This is the model working perfectly in action.

 

 

 

This is the business model we wanted. Admittedly we didn't expect it this quickly.

 

The entire business model is by young, hungry, talented and cheap players. Build them up, if we keep them - great, we build something. If we dont, we either make very little loss because they weren't good enough. Or, we sell them on for huge profits in order to fund the next round of incomings.

 

£25-30m will fund this summer, January and most of next summers transfer exploits. This is the model working perfectly in action.

Exactly. We've swapped from a system where you make a massive loss on deadwood or have them hang around milking their contract to a system where your players come into their prime and potentially move for massive fees. There'll be pain because essentially we're going to be selling players the fans don't want to sell. But if we re-invest properly then it's all good.

 

And we re-invest and we re-invest and then re-invest some more but when do we build a team?

 

The Benteke debacle if anything shows that whenever we get a quality player he is going to be cherry picked and that will continue leaving us in a re-build vicious circle.

 

I've stated this time and time again that only investing in youth won't work because there won't be a base on which you can build a team. If those young players fulfil their potential then they will be off to pastures new within a couple of seasons and although our club might get rich financially it will however will stay poor on success.

[AshVilla]

Talking about Mellberg in the other thread has put this bloke into perspective

 

Now he was a legend a true gent loved the club stayed here for his best years then left at the end buying 3.200 fans a personalised shirt in the process thanking everyone for their support

 

Then you get this guy who cannot wait to get away after one season... It really does make my blood boil

Edited July 9, 2013 by AshVilla

[DJ_Villain]

 

 

 

I find all this talk of loyalty very hypocritical. Fans only want loyalty from good players. Would we show loyalty to Benteke if he was shit? No we'd want him gone and be glad like with other ex players. Would we care if he wanted to leave after 1 year if he was shit? No.

If he was shit he wouldn't have put in a transfer request one year into a 4 year contract would he so what's your point?

 

That he was the one that signed the contract that we gave to him??? He agreed to our terms... Not visa-versa....

 

Think you have misread something here. The post was to do with us caring if he were shit and nothing to do with who agreed to who's terms!

 

Indeed I did misread and for that I apologise... I wouldnt have cared if he was crap and had scored one goal in 45 appearances as long as, in the case of Brett Holman, it was clear that it wasnt working and it was in the best interests of both parties for the contract to be stopped as soon as possible... Brett wanted first team football and we couldnt provide it to him anymore....

However, in the case of Benteke, he signed the contract we gave to him... Its still in our best interests for him to play up front and score goals for us as we are well under the impression that he can still do the job he is receiving a wage for. It is our clubs perogative as the employer to decide when we want him to stay and when we want him to go... We put the money into his pocket and he agreed to our terms over other companies/teams for a pre-determined period of time... If he wasn't happy, he shouldnt have accepted the offer, the length of time or any part/parcel of the contract... but he did... By all rights, he is our bitch for another 3 years... Screw what he did for the past 11 months, that was his job... He signed up to another 3 years of that!!!

[Mantis]

 

Blip?

 

This is the business model we wanted. Admittedly we didn't expect it this quickly.

 

The entire business model is by young, hungry, talented and cheap players. Build them up, if we keep them - great, we build something. If we dont, we either make very little loss because they weren't good enough. Or, we sell them on for huge profits in order to fund the next round of incomings.

 

£25-30m will fund this summer, January and most of next summers transfer exploits. This is the model working perfectly in action.

 

 

 

This is the business model we wanted. Admittedly we didn't expect it this quickly.

 

The entire business model is by young, hungry, talented and cheap players. Build them up, if we keep them - great, we build something. If we dont, we either make very little loss because they weren't good enough. Or, we sell them on for huge profits in order to fund the next round of incomings.

 

£25-30m will fund this summer, January and most of next summers transfer exploits. This is the model working perfectly in action.

Exactly. We've swapped from a system where you make a massive loss on deadwood or have them hang around milking their contract to a system where your players come into their prime and potentially move for massive fees. There'll be pain because essentially we're going to be selling players the fans don't want to sell. But if we re-invest properly then it's all good.

 

And we re-invest and we re-invest and then re-invest some more but when do we build a team?

 

The Benteke debacle if anything shows that whenever we get a quality player he is going to be cherry picked and that will continue leaving us in a re-build vicious circle.

 

I've stated this time and time again that only investing in youth won't work because there won't be a base on which you can build a team. If those young players fulfil their potential then they will be off to pastures new within a couple of seasons and although our club might get rich financially it will however will stay poor on success.

 

 

So you'd rather we get inferior players (because we'd never be able to get a proven player of Benteke's quality) just so they won't perform really well and then leave after a good season or two?

[maqroll]

Keep Bent, start Bent, let Benteke train with the senior team, but keep him rooted on the bench for the whole flucking year, I would be amused by that, because I'm a spiteful person

[MagicMushroom]

Hopefully we also play hard ball on how we are paid. Cash straight up front and no installments, and any deal includes a sell on clause.

 

His agent can just sod off.

[DJ_Villain]

Keep Bent, start Bent, let Benteke train with the senior team, but keep him rooted on the bench for the whole flucking year, I would be amused by that, because I'm a spiteful person

Roll on with this except put Benteke with the under 14s... Because not only am I spiteful, but im also a sociopath... and I believe his behaviour is deserving of having his confidence and ego shattered many, many, many times

[pacbuddies]

 

 

 

 

I find all this talk of loyalty very hypocritical. Fans only want loyalty from good players. Would we show loyalty to Benteke if he was shit? No we'd want him gone and be glad like with other ex players. Would we care if he wanted to leave after 1 year if he was shit? No.

If he was shit he wouldn't have put in a transfer request one year into a 4 year contract would he so what's your point?

 

That he was the one that signed the contract that we gave to him??? He agreed to our terms... Not visa-versa....

 

Think you have misread something here. The post was to do with us caring if he were shit and nothing to do with who agreed to who's terms!

 

Indeed I did misread and for that I apologise... I wouldnt have cared if he was crap and had scored one goal in 45 appearances as long as, in the case of Brett Holman, it was clear that it wasnt working and it was in the best interests of both parties for the contract to be stopped as soon as possible... Brett wanted first team football and we couldnt provide it to him anymore....

However, in the case of Benteke, he signed the contract we gave to him... Its still in our best interests for him to play up front and score goals for us as we are well under the impression that he can still do the job he is receiving a wage for. It is our clubs perogative as the employer to decide when we want him to stay and when we want him to go... We put the money into his pocket and he agreed to our terms over other companies/teams for a pre-determined period of time... If he wasn't happy, he shouldnt have accepted the offer, the length of time or any part/parcel of the contract... but he did... By all rights, he is our bitch for another 3 years... Screw what he did for the past 11 months, that was his job... He signed up to another 3 years of that!!!

 

I couldn't agree with you more. He is an employee of Aston Villa and has another 3 years to serve on his contract. His transfer request should be disregarded on this basis.

[guyavfc]

How does everyone feel that we are now officially a stepping stone club. Barry, Milner, Young, Downing and now Benteke. I think it's depressing how we can't hold on to players. We lose the most yet others like Everton, spurs, Newcastle to an extent keep theirs.

[ChrisVillan]

How does everyone feel that we are now officially a stepping stone club. Barry, Milner, Young, Downing and now Benteke. I think it's depressing how we can't hold on to players. We lose the most yet others like Everton, spurs, Newcastle to an extent keep theirs.

 

Each of these players has a different story, and some of them have 'used' Villa more than others. With specific reference to Benteke, Everton and Newcastle haven't had a player as good as him to sell. Spurs have Bale, and I don't fancy their chances of keeping him for more than another year.

[Spoony]

How does everyone feel that we are now officially a stepping stone club. Barry, Milner, Young, Downing and now Benteke. I think it's depressing how we can't hold on to players. We lose the most yet others like Everton, spurs, Newcastle to an extent keep theirs.

Because we are not as good as those teams you listed (except Newcastle but I'm not sure they should be included in your list because I'm not sure who they have managed to 'keep'?). We have to consistently be back at the top to keep our players. It's a bit of a circular argument as we need our players to get to the top, but without buying our way to the top like under MON that's just the way it is.

 

Remember that we ourselves were poaching players in the MON era. We just need to be established in the top half again and this wont happen so much. The only player we lost when we were in our 'prime' was Barry really

[HalfTimePost]

 

Blip?

 

This is the business model we wanted. Admittedly we didn't expect it this quickly.

 

The entire business model is by young, hungry, talented and cheap players. Build them up, if we keep them - great, we build something. If we dont, we either make very little loss because they weren't good enough. Or, we sell them on for huge profits in order to fund the next round of incomings.

 

£25-30m will fund this summer, January and most of next summers transfer exploits. This is the model working perfectly in action.

 

 

 

This is the business model we wanted. Admittedly we didn't expect it this quickly.

 

The entire business model is by young, hungry, talented and cheap players. Build them up, if we keep them - great, we build something. If we dont, we either make very little loss because they weren't good enough. Or, we sell them on for huge profits in order to fund the next round of incomings.

 

£25-30m will fund this summer, January and most of next summers transfer exploits. This is the model working perfectly in action.

Exactly. We've swapped from a system where you make a massive loss on deadwood or have them hang around milking their contract to a system where your players come into their prime and potentially move for massive fees. There'll be pain because essentially we're going to be selling players the fans don't want to sell. But if we re-invest properly then it's all good.

 

And we re-invest and we re-invest and then re-invest some more but when do we build a team?

 

The Benteke debacle if anything shows that whenever we get a quality player he is going to be cherry picked and that will continue leaving us in a re-build vicious circle.

 

I've stated this time and time again that only investing in youth won't work because there won't be a base on which you can build a team. If those young players fulfil their potential then they will be off to pastures new within a couple of seasons and although our club might get rich financially it will however will stay poor on success.

 

 

It's a slow process but yes you can build something. 

 

Look at Dortmund. In 07/08 when their similar rebuilding began they brought in the likes of Hummels, Blaszczykowski and Mladen Petric for a combined £3m. They have since sold players such as:

 

Pienaar, Petric, Lucas Barrios, Nuri Sahin, Kagawa, Gotze, Lewandowski (next summer)

 

and still built something.

 

Westwood & Lowton £1.8m.

Bennett £2m

Benteke £5m

Vlaar £3m

KEA £3m

Bacuna £800k

Tonev £2.5m

Luna £1.5m

Helenius £1.2m

Guzan £Free

Okore £4m

Bowery £500k

Sylla £2m?

Steer - Tribunal.. £500k?

Total: £26m outlay tops?

 

Selling Benteke for £26m+ Would have essentially funded a rebuilding of our squad. If we really wanted to (we wouldnt), we could fill a Starting 11 + some of the bench with these players.

 

                 Guzan

Lowton   Vlaar   Okore   Luna

       Westwood  Sylla

Bowery     Bacuna    Tonev

                Helenius

 

Steer, Bennett, KEA.

 

So yeah, I think we can build something. We already have the foundation for something before even adding in our own youth prospects. Before we add in any more additions that could come from the money we get (and/or save in wages) from Bent, Given, Ireland, Bannan and Delfouneso.

 

If we can keep finding gems, selling them on if need be, and using that money to improve the squad, that is building something.

 

As I said before, selling Benteke for £25-30m will fund this summer, January and next summers signings. If it turns out next summer or the summer after that Lowton or Okore are £20m defenders, then selling them will fund the next round. 

 

If in 3 years time Jordan Graham is a £20m winger, he will fund the next round..If it's Grealish at £25m the year after then the Academy has been funded for years to come.

 

We can't compete unless we gradually build the quality of our team and the quality of our academy and eventually it clicks. Thats the situation we and any other club outside of the current top 6 find themselves in. Until then or a oil-rich sheikh buys us..

 

We go again..

Edited July 9, 2013 by HalfTimePost

[Big_John_10]

Spurs have Bale, and I don't fancy their chances of keeping him for more than another year

But they've held on to him for long enough and he's played a massive part in getting them where they are now.

Barry wanted to jump the first time a big club showed interest and both Milner and Downing jumped after their first good 12 month period. Young at least gave us a bit longer.

We have recently struggled to keep quality the minute one of our players really displays it.

[Mantis]

How does everyone feel that we are now officially a stepping stone club. Barry, Milner, Young, Downing and now Benteke. I think it's depressing how we can't hold on to players. We lose the most yet others like Everton, spurs, Newcastle to an extent keep theirs.

Not this "little Villa" rubbish again. The clubs you mentioned have all had to sell their fair share of star players in the past.

[Xela]

Disappointed but not surprised. Modern day footballers for you! I hope he fails miserably wherever he goes and misses the World Cup. Yes I am bitter! 

 

What chance do any team outside the top 4/5 have anymore? As soon as they get a decent player, one of the big teams buys him to 'rotate' with other £30m strikers. Another nail in the coffin regarding my love for football. 

[DJ_Villain]

 

How does everyone feel that we are now officially a stepping stone club. Barry, Milner, Young, Downing and now Benteke. I think it's depressing how we can't hold on to players. We lose the most yet others like Everton, spurs, Newcastle to an extent keep theirs.

Not this "little Villa" rubbish again. The clubs you mentioned have all had to sell their fair share of star players in the past.

 

So Ba didnt sign for Chelsea? Modric didnt go to Madrid? Arsenal didnt sign Arteta? It happens... Only difference is, we have the very likely scenario of being picked off by the lesser, more scummier and leprosy infected versions of those aforementioned clubs.... I.e. Spurs... who essentially are Londons answer to Small Heath (i,e. I cant bloody stand them and loads of people on this site seem to agree with me)

[ChrisVillan]

Everton lost their manager as well. This isn't a Villa thing, it's football.