Written by Damian Monday, 08 June 2009 09:34
Morning all and welcome to the start of a new week and I must apologise for my activity this week and probably my spelling.
It isn´t that I´m away drinking beer, although you wouldn´t be far off the truth, it´s that I´m not going to get as much internet time as I normally would, with me taking a few days off and if by coincidence finding a pub next door to where we are staying.
So, for today we have two rumours. The first one is Michael Owen and if the reports are true, that he´ll take a massive pay cut and accept £70k a week, I think this is a steal.
He scores goals for fun and a season with us, in a season where he is going to want to play so he is in with a chance of going to South Africa, might be exactly what the doctor ordered.
I know there is something wrong by saying ´if he takes a pay cut and takes £70k a week´ but I think it might just be worth the gamble with Owen and if he has a good season and we help him get back into the England team, there could be some value in it, as I suspect as soon as he has had a good season and played in the World Cup, he might very well find he picks up injury after injury again.
Moving on and we have another rumour that we are after Alan Hutton from Spurs. I like him, he is a good defender and I seem to remember we were interested in him before, pretty much as soon as O´Neill became manager, but that could be my memory playing tricks on me.
But he is a right back and I fancy that we´ve got a decent right back and cover, so I´m not convinced.
I will say this; if Michael Owen is willing to accept £70k a week, I wouldn´t be surprised if O´Neill was interested and that there may be some truth in him coming. It all rests on the £70k bit for me.
Right, it is 11.45am here, I´m off to the pub, which lucky for me has wireless internet so I will be watching.
Also and just because it would be helping me out, if any of you have an opinion on Aston Villa, now might be a good time to send it in. You can use the contact form to email me and I´ll tell you how you can get your posts to me.
We will usually publish one in ten that get sent in and please put a little effort on the spelling and try, this part is hard, to be balanced, although regular readers will know I like nothing better than a completely one sided opinion based on nothing other than stubborn belief, but if you have an opinion and you want to get your views out, contact me and while there are no guarantees and we might even edit it, there is a chance you might see it up, just so I can continue with my experiment to see how many beers a human can drink in one week without causing serious liver damage.
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Tim Hillman
said:
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... I think Owen would be a great signing. He wants to get back in the England team so will be have hunger in his belly. He would also be nearer his stables so will be less travelling to and from training. Think him and Carew up front would be a great pairing. |
Altan Kargaci
said:
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... My initial opinion on Owen was that he was to old and past it . I really didn't realise he is still only 29 . Yes he has lost his pace and yes he is injury prone but he is a natural finisher and if we can get a run of games out of him Im sure he would score more than a few goals . Sign him up , it's Michael Owen FFS ! UTV |
VillaDude
said:
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... The Owen transfer would be a very good signing. I think the fact that he willing to take a wage cut - and there is no transfer fee would work well for Villa. Gabby will be able to work with one of the best finishers in the game and hopefully learn a lot. Heskey signed for Villa knowing we were going for Owen in the summer, and Owen has always said that the best striker he has played with is big Emile. I would actually like him to start upfront with big JC with Emile and Gabby on the bench. Regarding Hutton - He would be a good player to help bulk up the numbers. The amount of times we have had to play Gardner or Reo Coker at right back is crazy. Luke Young at the moment has an injury which kept him out the last couple of games, I can see this injury might effect the start of the season - so the Hutton transfer should be a good one. He was a 9m transfer a year ago - so 5m is good value. |
Carl Main
said:
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... Its a start of a new week. Hopefully MON is back in his office frantically calling agents, other clubs and scouts and Learner is frantically giving MON open cheques. By Friday we will have a replacement for Gaz and Laursen. Really? |
old fart
said:
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... is anybody else concerned at Man City buying best Villa players, best Everton players and best Spurs players and dealing a double whammy in chase for fourth place ?-----this happened in Italy some years ago. Next Man City could start buying best Liverpool players----fishy don't you think?????? |
oldnick
said:
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... He (owen) will never be as good as he was, but there is no doubt he can still score. If we keep him fit then i reckon he could be a bargain, thats if we get him. |
TheJohnnyVillan
said:
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... I just don't agree that Owen would be a good signing. Why would Villa, a club who are looking to push forward sign a player who's best days are definitly behind him. Surely we should be signing players that have something to offer us for years to come, instead of a risky short term investment which at £70,000 a week would cost an arm and a leg! Especially if he continues to show how injury prone he is. Also to say that £70,000 per week would be a steal is ludicrous. Owen is earning that much money purely because of his past which quite frankly, he is merely a shadow of. I honestly don't think that Owen is better than the strikers we already have at Villa. John Carew is twice the player of Owen and im sure he earns a good chunk less than £70,000 per week. We already have enough experience up front, so surely a younger striker who won't get a wage figure because of his name, and will be a good signing for the future, as well as the short term should be the way to go!!! |
Carl Main
said:
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... Also Damien, you make me feel less guilty for having all day drinking sessions. This has kind of helped me through some challenging all dayers at uni. Thankyou. |
Harry Stanton
said:
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... In truth, I'd take Carlton Palmer if it gave us any evidence that the lock on Randy's purse has been prised open.  Seriously though, Owen would be good imo, as it's one of those that is realistic but the guy still has a rep on an international stage and could be the crack in the damn that starts a deluge of quality signings. Please God, let there be quality signings. |
peter haworth
said:
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... If we can keep Owen fit he would be an asset on a free transfer and obviously he wants to go to the world cup and Gabby could learn from him.Hutton looked good 2 years ago and was a star player for Scotland,injury and not settling at Spuds have not helped his career,would be asset to the squad,although i am not convinced it is a priority signing. |
colm tarpey
said:
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... Owen would be a good addition, providing he was up for the challenge and not just looking for another way to keep the nosebags full...Villadude is correct in sayin that Gabby would/should be the one to benefit from having the little man in the squad....but is Owen the giving type? he did'nt seem to give a sh1t that Newcastle where on the ropes while getting 130k a week or whatever...would we be cursing the back of one mercenary while welcoming with open arms another? No doubting his class but should we be looking to Martins instead? Hutton is from what i know is good but are we missing a trick with our full backs? should we not be going for the Glen Johnson/Klye Naughton (apparantly) type of defenders who are also the first point of call for our attacks...Full backs consistantly have space in front of them, should'nt we be looking to capitalise on that with swift attacking backs...like man u,chelsea and arsenal do? |
Gwhizz
said:
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... I'd have Naughton over Hutton. Owen would be a big name and would elevate Villa's profile at home and abroad. |
clarkamus
said:
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... not sure i agree that we have rb cover allready but besides that i think naughton would be a better buy for 5 mil and i would welcome owen |
Ramon Maklouf
said:
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...What's Owen done since he returned from spain?! Medial Ligament damage? Metatarsals? Robbed Mike Ashley of a couple of mill? Got one of the ''biggest'' teams in the premier league? Didn't qualify for Euro 2008? What you asked what he has done.. Successful return then? I think so! |
RayK
said:
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... I too was very sceptical about the Owen transfer originally but I'm slowly coming round to the idea. Given he'd be on a free £40k a week and another £20k for each goal he scored us would be a good deal. As for Hutton, how many Spuds players are we being linked with....I'd also rather go for Naughton over Hutton. |
Altan Kargaci
said:
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...Well Carews happy Carew is a legend , exactly what we all wanted to here .  UTV |
Sam
said:
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... owen wouldn't be getting 70 grand a week - he'd be taking a 70 grand a week pay cut, which would leave him on about 50 grand a week |
Matthew Clark
said:
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... Hmph. If getting Owen meant more appearances for Emile Heskey. I want him as far away from the club as is physically possible. |
Dublinvillan
said:
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... No doubt Owen was a quality player in the past but Martins is a much better option today and better Value.Anybody think Richard Dunne would be a good AVAILABLE replacement for ML and would also add a few goals per season which is what we missed from ML this season????? |
Chrisodon
said:
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... It does seem we're after the majority of spurs players which is slightly worrying. Although i would take hutton as when he's fit i think he could be one of the best rb's in the league. Now on to owen, if Mo'n could somehow keep him injury free for a successful run of games i think he could be very useful to us especially in europe where clinical finishing is needed. |
colm tarpey
said:
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... Dunne has been the rock at the heart of the irish defence, who are a lot worse than villas at the moment I can tell you! Would'nt be a bad signing and PL savvy. |
Dublinvillan
said:
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... Dunne still has it in him to be one of the best.I agree this season has,nt gone well but he was Man Citys best player for previous seasons. If you seen his performance over the weekend against Bulgaria you would agree he is in the same Mould as ML with a great Football brain. imo |
Smyth
said:
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... Not sure about Dunne either. He played well the other night in the green shirt and he been very good at City the previous few seasons but as Chrisdon pointed out this HAS been a shocking season for him. Plus he can sometimes be a bit of a liability. |
Villa4life
said:
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... well if we don't have much money to spend.....then i think we should give this a good go....I don't think Gabby is good enough or that the lack of competition has not helped him. We need to spend the money on midfield and defence |
sean jones
said:
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... First off well done to Carew for coming out and expressing his feelings. I wanted him to come out and one way or another put the Man City link to bed. Which he now has, and im so glad he's staying he will be so vital for us next season. If he can stay fit i really believe we will have our first 20 goal a season striker. Damo you should do a piece on Carew staying just becuase he's a legend already lol. Now I for one would love Owen to come to Villa I think he would be terrific for us. I know everyone syaing it's a gamble, but if we want to achieve something we need to take gambles. Because I for one would be pissed if he went to Everton, and was scoring for fun becuase then I'd be thinking what might have been. As for Hutton 'NO THANKYOU'. Naughton is a much better investment for me, and I would spend the reported 5 mill on him. |
RayK
said:
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... i'm so bored at the lack of transfers or decent transfer speculation.... I can't believe I even started to consider whether Dunne might be an option.... cmon MON/Lerner lets set our sights a little higher!! |
mikey18
said:
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... It annoys me when people say gabby isn't good enough! He has the attributes to be one of the most complete strikers in the premiership! His quick as lightening, strong on the ball and for his size very good in the air. he can hold it up well and bring people into play, or play on the shoulder and get in behind. Just having him in the starting XI means defences have to sit deeper to reduce the space he was to get in behind. Yes he has his faults, he hasn't got the best footballing brain and his finishing is inconsistent but he is only 22 and if we develop him well he could be a world beater. He has the potential and the passion for Villa what he needs is support from the club, fans and manager! Not being booed. His Hat trick against Man city and goal against arsenal are glimpses of his potential and those that doubt his goal scoring ability need to remember he scored 9 from the wing in his first season and was prolific in the academy ranks! I think signing owen would help bring Gabby along, and would give us a could set of strikers with a scope of attributes. My biggest worry is if we sign owen MoN won't rotate the squad well enough to get the best from all 4. Alan Hutton would be a good signing but i don't think he is that much better than what we have. Luke young is a good player, good leader. I would rather invest in naughton who may have the potential to outshine Luke Young in a years to come. Im desperate for Villa to sign effectively a new midfield, we need a new holding midfielder to sit next to petrov and a new attacking midfielder, to score goals from the middle of the park. Ideally Huddlestone and Diego/Veloeso/Dafour/Elano? Not to mention a Centre back...I think we should just blow fulhams minds with a 10-15mil bid for hangleeland..proven in the premiership and is exactly what we need. Also read megson was trying to get cahill to commit to a new contact, would love to see him back at villa park. |
adam
said:
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... id like owen on a free and martins too. i wanna se some ambition in the transfer market ffs. about 10 mill for oba should be good enough . |
Keith
said:
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... Sky Sports News "Aston Villa and Blackburn are reportedly interested in signing Serbian striker Nikola Zigic from Valencia." http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12876_5368931,00.html |
Eoin Greene
said:
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... It seems to me that whoever we get linked with - people are delighted. Michael Owen is finished. He is always injured and in my opinion would be a terrible buy. He never gets involved in games - never has - and he admits himself as much. He once had great pace which got him into positions to score goals and he is a quality finisher - always has been. However, given his injury problems and now lack of pace - he no longer gets in the positions to score - so you would be effectively be playing with 10 men, 9 if he starts with Heskey. Shearer didn't even start him in Newcastles last few games when then needed to win to save them from relegation!!! Villa need to stop signing players who had one good season 4 years ago or 'if we could get him back to his best - he'd be a great signing' or 'typical Mon signing' - sign some proven quality or some young potential stars!! Seriously if we were linked with Mickey Mouse - i think 80% of people on here would say that MoN could turn him into Maradonna - great signing. |
adam
said:
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... i saw the zigic thing this morning but took no notice because im sure he nearly went to stoke last year. |
VillaDude
said:
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... We was linked with zigic last a few times before. I think there is very little in it as he's the same type of striker as Carew and Heskey. I also remember MON making a short statement that there was no truth in us being interested. (But that was last season) |
RayK
said:
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... Keefvilla - I think MON has come out b4 (last season i think) and said there's nothing in the Zigic story - just another lazy journo story. Eoin - I agree with you but at the moment it just really doesn't look like it will happen that way. I too would like a Vagner Love or other top quality striker but I think MON only wants to replace Harewood and a fit Owen is certainly a better option than Harewood. I think £55k per week is too high given his injury record. all that said, I think he'll go to Everton if they make a bid. |
Chater1703
said:
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... owen is shite....why wud we seriously want him to just make the wages more expensive....id pick the fonz over him anyday |
Chrisodon
said:
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... For the defence we should look at trying to get mertersacker to replace laursen as i think mertersacker and davies would be good together. I Seriously hope something happens soon as i'm getting fed up waiting and the window's only been open 8 days. |
Ronan Ward
said:
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... Dunne would be a great signing. YES He had a desperate season for Man City but was their Player of the Year 4 years running. The Irish team would be hopeless along the back without him. He's a honest professional and I for one would welcome him. I'd also like MON to bid or at least match a bid for Lescott and test his Villa loyalty.. |
Ollie
said:
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... Villa fans, thought you might want to vote on this poll: http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/2009/06/aston_villa_fan_2.html thx. |
Nathan
said:
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... I've read this morning that Van Nistelrooy is allowed to leave Real Madrid at cut price He's the proven goal machine that we need!  Owen & Ruud Maybe???? |
Chrisodon
said:
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... I'm not being funny but so far it's only irish fans saying sign dunne. Dunne's good don't get me wrong but there are much better players out there, who we should be setting our sights on imo. It's also funny how people are saying Owens past it and he's just living off a past rep, Well isn't Dunne doing the same if we were to take into account the past 4 seasons and not this one ?. |
RayK
said:
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... its not going to happen but I would try and sell Knight so that we can bring in two new CBs as I don't particularly trust either Cuellar or Davies.... and I don't care which two it is from Albiol, Mertersacker (good shout Chrisondon), Hangeland, Cahill, Richards, Lescott or Dystin (as I think all are better than what we have). If we start next season with Davies and Knight I think I will cry. |
Chater1703
said:
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... I DONT CARE WHO....i just dont want an owen and heskey partnership at villa park that will bring our total goals to about 1 every 20 matches. Anyone who doesnt believe that owen is past is livin in a dream world..anyone who said hes a proven goal scorer....actually look back at his records its not that good |
Eoin Greene
said:
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... I also think that we need more than one center half. Of the ones we have now - none inspire confidence - in fact I would say that all three are lower tier premier league at best - the possible exception could be Cuellar who hasn't really been given a go at center half yet. Would like us to sign Haggeland/Cahill/Brown as they are three realistic quality signings. I would also like Richards but as a starting Right Back |
Chrisodon
said:
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... lol i'll seriously throw myself over a bridge if we sign martins. It's quite sad when we're actually debating who we'd all like off a relegated team, surely Villa as a club should be looking higher in the table than bottom half hopefuls. |
John Flynn
said:
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... Owen on a free is not a gamble he desperate to get in the England squad, Martins would be a huge gamble..big transfer fee and wages for a very average striker..! Zigic is 29 and they want 10 million for him...now that must be a gamble. 55k a week for owen is good business, my god we have average crap like Coker and Sidwell on 45k a week and how often do they play.?? |
John Flynn
said:
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... The funny thing is Owen's scoring record at Newcastle is better than Carew's and Gabby's at villa... Not bad for a injury prone-has been.! |
Tim Hillman
said:
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... If we offload Harewood for a couple of Million then that would pay for Owen's Salary for a season. It's worth a punt, ok he might be injury prone but he's only 29, free transfer and a natural goal scorer. He might not start every game but at elast he would be a threat from the bench. Who would you rather seeing coming off the bench with 70 mins gone, losing 2-1, Owen or Harewood????? |
peter haworth
said:
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... Ive just heard that Wayne Rooney says that he loves playing with Heskey as he brings out the best in him !!!could this be true? |
TheJohnnyVillan
said:
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... If the choice came to Martins or Owen, I'd choose Martins every time! He's younger, faster and has more power, and in a few years will be in his prime, unlike a certain Mr Owen! Oh and he won't want silly money either! UTV |
John Flynn
said:
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... Ha..Martins wont want silly money.! He's on 90k a week at Newcastle. "He's younger faster and has more power" yes that's lovely but he doesn't score enough goals. |
Chater1703
said:
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... but still right at this moment in time...id rather have carew up front than heskey or owen easily...and im sure i sed earlier i feel the fonz wud play better than owen |
John Flynn
said:
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... I agree with getting rid of Harewood and paying Owens with the transfer fee.. If we are lucky might 2.5 mill for Marlon. |
Alistair
said:
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... I think Im going to be sick, what are jouro's thinking, I read on newsnow, that Spurs are going to offer bentley and huddlestone for Young and Carew! That is some kind of cruel joke. |
TheJohnnyVillan
said:
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... Arry makes me laugh, what's he gonna do if that fails?? Offer to swap Doug's Rolly Royce for a Micra? |
mikey18
said:
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... Jaf Gabby had a better goals to games ration than Owen this year, by some way! and in previous years owen has only been marginally better. You have to remember Owens Sole purpose is to score, he contributes little else to the game. However gabby plays a much more complex role, somethings asked to play the lone striker holding up the ball and bringing people into play, or sometimes hes asked to run the channels, his adaptability is another of his assets. Give me the young kid still learning his trade over owen any day. Im not sure on the carew Vs owen stats but even if they are better its just an illustration that stats don't show everything because i don't think ANY villa fan would trade carew for owen if forced to pick one. |
RichT
said:
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... My heart says Owen's a goal machine! My head says he's a physical wreck and a shadow of his former self. If we can get him soon and work on his body over the summer then use him carefully then why not! He needs a move like this, just can't believe he's 29! Hope we do something soon. Don't care what, just want to know that MON's awake! |
Matthew Clark
said:
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... calling gabby a potential world beater is like saying sidwell is gonna be a great midfielder. aboslute f**king bollocks. hes a good striker, but, yeah, NEVER gonna be a worldbeater. never in a million years. |
John Flynn
said:
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... Mikey18, You have made some good points, but what we need is a goal scorer and i'm sorry to say watching Gabby just drives me mad.. He has pace and a little control but no brain..! I'll take the Sly/Intelligent striker every time (have you ever seen footage of greaves playing?). Owen is a confidence player and MON is the kind of manager to get him feeling good about himself again... |
Eoin Greene
said:
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... As one of the few here who feels that its ok to suggest that some of our players would not make the dream 11......I want something on the record! Gabby is going to shut all the begrudgers up. When this man gets someone who can pass the ball with a bit of vision between the back 4 and the keeper - he will get 20 league goals. I honestly cant believe the knocking he gets - this from the same people who rate Davies, Reo-Coker, Sidwell and Gardner. Gabby along with Young and Carew are the only players within our squad with the potential to play for the top 4. |
RichT
said:
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... Direct quote from Villamad- "Owen is a done deal and will be announced this week. Free transfer with a 12 month contract on 60k with the option of a 2nd and 3rd year regarding he is relatively injury free." See it at- http://boards.footymad.net/forum.php?tno=31&fid=37&sty=2&act=1&mid=2125785230 |
gregdavillain
said:
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... michael owen for 50-60k a week yes please-just to teach gabby if anything anda big IF he stays fit we wont miss so many chances as we usually do!! Hutton for 5 mill yes please-he's had a season of injuries but he should be able to steer clear of them now he's back fit. Richard dunne i think won man city player of the year 3 years running. Now he had a 'mare of a season but maybe thats because of the new manager. I watched eire v bulgaria to c petrov da other night and dunne got man of the match and scored he was class just like he used to be. Is a leader at the back and i think davies would be good beside him, and probably cheap enough too. Would like to see us been linked to some midfielders now |
lewis-dp
said:
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... I can't help but think that Owen would be a bad move... I know he was a great goalscorer, and I'm sure he'll score more in the future - but on a consistent basis? I know he has had a brilliant past and a great career, but I think we need to build for the future. My head just tells me something isn't right. Heskey and Owen up front for villa would be brilliant, if it was ten years ago! If we're serious about pushing the top four (not even breaking into it) then we need to think bigger and better. Our strategy should be getting people who could be in the top four's squads, and offering them more football and a better chance of making their world cup teams as they've been playing consistently in the season beforehand. |
gregdavillain
said:
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... chridoden.... when west ham were relegated they sold defoe joe cole and lampard, your right who would want to buy from a relegated team eh  |
John Flynn
said:
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... eion1981, "When this man gets someone who can pass the ball with a bit of vision between the back four and the keeper" Is'nt that every striker's dream..? My god Heskey would get 20 if we had one of those..! |
Daniel Wilson
said:
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... I think getting Owen in for a season or 2 would be good for Gabby, he could learn a lot about the one part of his game thats lacking and it could see him turned into the finished article. Owen could pop afew in along the way too. I'm not thrilled about seeing an ageing front line of Heskey and Owen though... Just read that article about spurs wanting to swap Bentley and Huddlestone for Young and Carew now, it's got to just be press talk, no1 is stupid enough to think thats a fair deal. Young & Carew 30+Million for the pair, Huddlestone and Bentley 12/13 million for the pair. Hope mon is back from Holidays soon and we get some information about his plans for this summer |
Fitzy_7
said:
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... enough of the speculation were being linked with one or two different players every day.I want to see signings come on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
gregdavillain
said:
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... why is everyone worried who starts??? we need strength in depth dont we?? for once it'll be great to guess who's starting and other managers not able to figure us out b4 matches becasue our starting 11 picks its self... Could this be the start of a rotation policy at Villa??? if done right i hope so, so we can challenge every competition next year |
Eoin Greene
said:
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... Jaf - what I am trying to say is - how many times have we seen gabby blistering pace - run on to a pass from midfield and beat the keeper. Can you think of many times that he was played through one and one with the keeper?? All his goals seem to be headers or right place at the right time in the box. I just dont think that Villa use him well enough and that our hoof ball tactics dont suit him. If Pele was up front he would look crap with the service our strikers get. I definietly rate Gabby though, ahead of all current Brittish strikers anyway, except Rooney, and in my opinion he has more potential than Ashley Young. |
gregdavillain
said:
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... chrisoden how can u say that about dunne?? he had 1 bad year in 5 yeah??? owen had i good year in 5 now tell me hows that the same thing??? id still give owen a chance quality is permanent!! |
Tom
said:
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... RichT - That guy has been bang on with his inside info in the past. Says Owen is a done deal to be announced this week, and more or less sewn up Delph. Not a bad start, if its true. |
Simon
said:
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... BBC have villa offering Owen a 2-year contract at 55K per week. That works out at 5.7 million which if you think its a free transfer with the obvious add ons, then its not a bad deal. |
mikey18
said:
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... Gabby has the potential to be a world beater, its up to the management to develop him and the fans to support him. Hes years younger than sidwell, so there is plenty of time for him to realise his potential. Im sure when Ian Wright was playing sunday league people said that same thing, good striker will never make it pro. Im sure when Drogba was playing league 2 in france people said yea good striker never going to make it big time. The list is endless or players who have shown natural ability but just need the right mix of support to develop. I'll be the first to admit he isn't the best when it comes to his brain but that can be taught, that can be developed. Another thing sidwell has only started 11 games for us in the league this season, so how can we judge his ability? in those 11 hes scored 3 good ratio he has also been at 2 of the biggest clubs in europe in the last couple of years, so there is obvious potential. It annoys me gabby isn't given the support he deserves, stephen ireland and Richards are HEROs at manchester city as they are product of the youth system and they aren't even mancs! Lets get behind our players, rather than slating them. Yes Heskey, Shorey, Reo-Coker, Gabby, Sidwell all of them! |
John Flynn
said:
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... Eoin1981, I agree with you Gabby has the tools to be a great striker, but needs to use his brain.. Many a time this season his pace has taken him into a great position then when it comes to a decision he looks lost. Young is a dfferent kind of prospect he has a better first touch than Gabby and know's when to come inside.. i hope MON gives him a Floating/Free role next season.. |
Simon
said:
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... Disregard the last statement. Just checked the BBC source and its Bill Howell of the Birmingham Mail. SOZ!!!  |
Grub
said:
 |
... Owen… Why the hell not? Worth a punt on a free. But if we’re taking risks why not go nuts? Our last Colombian striker... he did pretty well for us. Not exactly a sound basis for transfer decisions; but if we want/need a good finisher (which we do) why not put a bid in for Rad Falcao (River). Spuds, Arsenal, Manure were, apparently, tracking him last year for about 7/8m. As have Lazio and a few others. Not too sure if he's still available, or if he's already left River though. No WP problems; he appears for Colombia often enough (I think). I think Zigic would do well in the PL, but we have JC and Heskey. Mertesacker idea is good. Would it be insane to suggest his German colleague Huth? Just a thought... We should be in for Glen Johnson, Wheater or Lescott if anyone else has a go. LBack needs bolstering; I’d be in for Bale if he recovers well from surgery and if he’s ‘surplus to requirements’. Hutton could be good. Huddlestone, Bentley or Downing worth considering for the midfield. Defour is certainly worth more than a little consideration. We need some flair in the centre; Jurado worth a punt. As is van der Vaart. If available. And I almost forgot to mention Dani Sturridge, Fab Delph and Mic Richards. I’m not absolutely, 110% convinced by either of the Brads yet (that’s not to say they’re pants, because they’re not), but if it looks like he’s going anywhere I’d be considering Foster too. There's my long list. I think I’d be happy with any of them… Or all of them; if there’s a fair few million or so stuffed down Randy’s sofa. One thing I definately do want to see is more 'urgency' from MON this transfer window. |
Chrisodon
said:
|
... Greg. It's amazing in all the years of teams getting relegated you mention just 3 players that have proved successful, Also in any of the relegated teams is there anybody in the calibre as those 3 ?. Also my original point was and still is for us to break the top 4 we need to look higher than the lower reaches of the table for players season after season. Now about dunne i wasn't comparing the seasons i just said it's laughable how people always look back to prove a point, but yeah dunne has had 3 previous good seasons but that was for a shite city team and he stood out in a team of poor players, Just like richards did now he looks slightly average. Just remember Angel was our player of the season one year, and is regarded as a hero for doing nothing other than be average year on year. Dunne is an average CB and won't be part of a team that breaks the top 4. |
Chrisodon
said:
|
... lol....^^^ Cheer up i'm sure there might be at least one decent signing this summer, least this way there's no room for martins. |
PBVilla
said:
 |
... I think it's a no-brainer on the Owen issue. For free its a must. Even if he gets injured and doesnt play many games, his knowledge would be priceless to the likes of Gabby and Young. Everyone in the game respects him and he is a natural born finisher. To lose one "Big name" player for 12m and replace him with an even bigger name for free is great business. If he takes 70k thats less than what we were reportedly offering GB anyway. Id be tempted to give him more, or give him a goal/game bonus or something. The fact its his last chance to get on the WC plane is an excellent shout too. People who say he's finished are short sited. Look at all the people who thought Laursen was finished when we signed him? You dnt lose class, even when you go through injury hell. We should do whatever it takes to get him, potentially the best free transfer ever. I think he could be interested too. UTV |
gregdavillain
said:
|
... chrisoden, theres nothing nothing amazing about my point, i used west ham that year as an example because i wanted to back my point up with facts unlike you your which is just opinion. there were 3 poor teams relegated last year, so let me pick through those teams and see what we get. (and please this time dont describe me as amazing as im getting embarressed mate) david wheater (promising cb) robert huth (decent centre back when not injurs) tuncay sanli (would make a decent attacking midfielder) stuart downing (most crosses in the box in premier league) julio arca (decent full back) ross turnbull (good english goalie) adam johnson (promising winger) thats boro out of the way (not same quality as the west ham players but decent squad players all the same) oba martins (pacey) michael owen (good finisher) damien duff (good dribbler/crosser) gutierezz (showed plenty of fight and a bit of skill) west brom (not much to pick from here) ollson brunt now im not shouting from the rooftops for these players, but relegated teams do have some quality and can be used to get decent players on da cheap. Roy keane was signed to UTD when forest were relegated, so i wouldnt always disguard players in relegated teams. as for dunne i think you are just being argumentative any premier league player who wins club player of the year 3 years running must be decent, he is only 28 can pop up with the odd goal and is a colossus at the back. 1 bad year is all he ever had and city would be foolish to offload him |
Chrisodon
said:
|
... It's not being argumentative it's the fact that he's been surrounded by crap that's made him look good, for example ball & mills ?. The fans pick there favourites so it's a no brainer he'd win the award. Just like this year we all picked petrov, whoever looks the best over a season will win it. But it's hardly a basis to say he'd improve us, Also he's prone to the odd own goal aswel ala ridgewell. I'm not fully discarding relegated players just look at Young, but to say all the players you have there's 2 i'd have at Villa and that's Owen and Downing, the rest are average to below average players, who wouldn't help us move on. |
Jake Gardner
said:
 |
... some stats i put together comparing owen, carew and harewood. i through angel and dublin in from when they joined villa till now & yorke in his glory days at villa and man u.  |
VillaChris
said:
 |
... As people are talking about Gabby, I thought this would be interesting to look at.... People need to give him a break, he's our own and still learning his trade. Not bad stats for somebody supposedly lazy, and only has raw pace.... http://soccerlens.com/forum/to...le-2008-09 |
Jake Gardner
said:
|
... you have to take into consideration that he has played 60 games and scored 37 for the red bulls, in a lesser league to the premier league. |
Villain-from-Texas
said:
 |
... Why does everyone keep pretending that David Bentley is a CM? Maybe you want to convert him into a CM, but I wouldn't expect that a winger converted into a CM would be a good enough replacement for Gareth Barry. |
Chrisodon
said:
|
... Still works out a near better goals to games ratio than the rest. Apart from Owen. |
Jake Gardner
said:
|
... if you look at it aswell owen has been spent his career premier league apart from madrid which is still in a top league. |
gregdavillain
said:
|
... True but in honesty there are some there who are decent and if players shine surrounded by crap did u ever consider how they may perform in a good squad. id take downing and owen too. Id also take a punt on tuncay (offer us something different although id employ him behind the strikers and play him to rest players or changea game late on) also wheater is a good player with potential, not long ago they were talking about him for england. duff is a good player but we dont need him. i did make the point though they were 3 poor,poor teams that went down this year and just wanted to show every team has a bit of talent in it otherwise they wudnt ever have been in the premiership to begin with.......... a bit of a broad question who would your top 5 realistic/slightly ambitous signings be? mine wud be: in: sebastian frey,hangeland, valencia, defour, wagner love as priority out: barry, knight, reo-coker, harewood, salifou, osbourne proceeds of those sales:24mill then buy 4 squad players: hutton,sanli,owen,downing,brunt |
Shakey4
said:
 |
... First time post guys, on wikipedia right at the very bottom it says he has agreed to the terms we have offered and the press conference will be at 6:00p.m. today. Although this is Wikipedia! |
mikey18
said:
|
... Gonzo AVFC i don't think those stats really mean anything. John Carew has got better with age whilst Owen the opposite and Harewood...well lets not go there. John Carew has suffered from bit part roles at many of the clubs he has been at. |
Jake Gardner
said:
|
... i didnt really make it to show anything i just thought people might want to see it mate. |
gregdavillain
said:
|
... good stats gonzo but i think mickey is right they dont really show a clear picture, what division was harewood playing back then when carew was in teh champs league, and cmon american soccer is so shit they have to pay becks 250 million to play there!!!!!!!! i think ownen can still do a job, carew is class, angel never really had it, harewood is a grafter but nno class, yorke is a villa legend and dion dublin had the greatest impact as a siging i can ever remember, 8 goals in 3 games and 1 perfectly good goal disallowed v spud which would have been 3 hat-trick in a row, he had some impact!!!!!!!!!! |
RayK
said:
|
... Gregdavillain - i love your optimism but your top 5 signings and squad players would come to probably to c£80m and with only £24m coming in I really don't think that is likely to happen. I'd be happy with Hangeland, Gary Cahill, Naughton/Hutton, Bentley/Defour and Owen as realistic signings this summer. Total cost of c£38m. I'd keep NRC meaning income generated from sales likely to be c£18m and so net expenditure of c£20m. Shakey4 - is this a first and last post? Nothing on the Michael Owen Wikipedia page as far as I can see.... |
Jake Gardner
said:
|
... his wiki page yesterday said he was a hull player, its not reliable enough. lets go on there and say barrys feet smell |
Steve Badger
said:
 |
... I personally think he'll prove to be a disaster signing, but I agree, he's worth a punt at 3 million a year. The thing that concerns me is MON will make Heskey and Owen his main pairing. Not something I want to see. wouldn't it mean having to change our whole ball game, as either have no pace. Fwiw, Newcastle fans who purport to like Villa, are saying we shouldn't take him. |
RayK
said:
|
... gregdavillain - it would be fantastic if Villa went on a £80m spending spree. I'd much prefer Vagner Love to Michael Owen (if money no object) as I think he would be awesome in the PL. Badger - I can see lots of double substitutions - Carew and Gabby coming off for Heskey and Owen. There's no doubt Owen is a top class player and could be MON's best signing ever if he scores 30 goals over the next couple of seasons. He'd also probably be the biggest name to come to Villa in years. |
Chrisodon
said:
|
... Greg. my 5 would be CB, Mellberg RB, Hutton CM, Dufour* LW, D'Alessandro (switching young to the right) CF, Tevez. Out's. Barry (gone), Salifou, Harewood & taylor. |
gregdavillain
said:
|
... ok, mellberg was another good servant but i think he's lost his strenght, and who's d'alessandro?? i think i used to sign an argentinian with dat in champ manager!! i think 'rry brought him to pompey on loan but didnt cut it, or maybe its a diff player ur talking about?? he was good im champ attacking left or centre.... rayk out of all da players id love to get wagner love to, imagine going round in those dreads on match day wicked!! |
Chrisodon
said:
|
... It's the one that was on loan at pomp, but at the time they didn't have the funds to secure his signature, Now i think he's at inter. |
Joky
said:
 |
... I think own is a gamble based on his recent injuries. Let's face it a fit Owen is a stellar addition to any team and would give us a real poacher in the box. As he is free i think he would be worth the risk. Hutton is also a great player, who in fairness, has had an inconsistent season at spurs, and may prove excellent at a stable club like villa |
Stephan
said:
 |
... Chrisodon - that's Inter in Brazil, not Inter Milan. The guy is smaller than Barry Bannan and you'd move Webcam over to the right wing to fit him in the side???? |
Daniel Wilson
said:
|
... http://www.avfc.premiumtv.co.u...67,00.html Oh well... atleast we know MON is alive now |
Stephan
said:
|
... Time will tell but it looks like MON's signatures likely to be Owen, Hutton/Naughton, Huddlestone and possibly Delph. Think Delph will only come if one of NRC, Sidwell or Gardner wants first team football elsewhere. Anyone who doesn't think a fit Owen, on a free transfer and sensible salary, wouldn't be a fantastic addition to the squad is a total fool. Someone made the point on another site that selling Barry for £12m and bringing in Owen (who's just 12 months older) for free is a fantastic piece of business and I agree. No credible news on possible CBs which is a bit worrying. |
Stephan
said:
|
... Chrisodon - just a bizarre choice (and didn't MON show Juninho the door at Celtic??) but hey what do I know MONs just denied the Owen rumour (cheers Dan). |
Villa Sparton
said:
 |
... There is a saying "one door closes and another opens", this is what would happen if Owen comes to Villa. It has more positives than negatives for both parties involved, we will get a striker that wants to score goals and prove he still is a top player and hungry. Villa get a striker that should score at least fifteen goals a season. O'Neil is proven at resurrecting flagging careers, and as previously said Owen will want to travel with the England team. O'Neil also knows that we need a little more quality up front, as we bombed with fatigue towards the end of the season. We must also remember that this situation is a gamble for both sides, with Owen gambling being played and staying fit and Villa preparing to pay the wages for a semi-fit quality striker which may never find his form again. I personally think, we should go for it and give Owen a chance, once paired with Carew would be a formidable force. We have the service to give him which he will like, our pace would be stronger once he was match fit giving opposition somehting to think about. |
macstar
said:
 |
... it's official on the avfc website, martin oneill denies making michael owen an offer  just wish for once martin would go 4 it!!! dissapointing |
Stephan
said:
|
... I wonder whether this denial has come about now because MON already knows Owen is off to Everton or Man City?? |
RayK
said:
|
... If the club were more decisive in the transfer market (rather than leaving everything to August) then MON wouldn't need to start denying rumours. Stop telling us who we're not signing and start announcing some signings instead.... |
Daniel Wilson
said:
|
... MON just denied making that contract offer didn't he? the info I've been reading said it was a free transfer with a 12 month contract on 60k with the option of a 2nd and 3rd year regarding he is relatively injury free. So perhaps there is still something in the offing. Seems a bit strange that this rumour has gathered so much momentum today if it's a complete farce, then again it could be complete bollox for all I know!? One thing i'm sure of though is that MON keeps his transfers closer to his chest than anyone and I feel stupid for even trying to guess what the hell he's thinking. Heres hoping for a nice suprise later in the week... |
stu
said:
 |
... i like the sound of owen but i dont really know much bout hutton, i'd like quite a few other players from tottenham tho, bentley, jenas, bent...i think bent could do well with us, thats sayin we dont get owen which we probly wont |
Anthony Laud
said:
 |
... no mon doesnt keep his transfers close to his chest. how can anyone say that? reo coker dragged on all summer as did sidwell, heskey was rumoured and oneil talked about it the window before, davies at least 2 months before it was known he was coming on loan, even ashley young we knew we were in for all of jan and it was annoucned at the end of the month. to say he keeps things quiet is utter BS! he is quite simply messing up another transfer window again already! he has f**kd off on holiday straight away = we are 2 key players down on last year. in 4 weeks time everyone will be back for pre season they'll ask mon who we are signing and his response will be oh f**k i better get started on that! |
adam
said:
|
... too f**kin true tonebone i cant stand the transfer window with mon. it drives me up the f**kin wall. |
ak_27
said:
 |
... Richard Dunne will probably be avaialable for around £4m and will be in my mind the deal of the season for whoever goes for him. I said it a few months ago on here that for around 8/9 million we could have the Distan/Dunne partnership that was sucessful at city a few years back. They already have a CB partenrship and knowledge of playing together and i can tell you now that both are far better players then Davies. Cullar i think might come good but Davies i really don't see anything in this guy. |
VillaChris
said:
|
... Ha ha chill Tonebone. Anyone watching the U21's? Gradner is having a cracking game on the right wing. Scored a great goal too |
THE AV VILLAN
said:
 |
... Here Here PBVilla!! Owen best free transfer ever!!! Spends the season on Villa's bench watching Wagner Love score 30 Premier League goals!!! Only Dreaming. Like i said yesterday, i'd be over the moon with Owen as long as we sign another young striker just in case he does fancy a lie down after a though pre season!! Don't think i'd be Happy with Big John, Gabby, Heskey and the Fonz to challenge for the TOP 4. Imagine if Carew and Owen both picked up a knock in September!! That would leave us with Heskey and The Fonz!! Wagner Love, Owen, Defour, Lescott, Richards, Naughton, Bently I think that little lot would cost 70 Million British Pounds. Do we want to challenge the TOP 4 or NOT??? We will know in 11 weeks time!!! UTV!!! IN MON I TRUST!!! |
ak_27
said:
|
... As for Hutton it would just be another example of our ambition(or lack) when we are still looking at buying players that can't get on teams that are below us in the table. NRC, Sidwell,Routlede, Harewood how many more times before MON will get the message that they are not playing for those teams for a reason? |
THE AV VILLAN
said:
|
... If we have another Summer like last year on the transfer front i've decided next year i'm gonna get myself in the Big Brother House. I heard MON tried to enter this year!!! |
woodinho
said:
 |
... I'm with you on that one dan, all villa have denied are technicalities of the deal/contract, they didn't deny contact with owen, they didn't deny he was coming to villa they just dismissed the figures that were being mentioned (£3m a year), so we might be offering 2.9m or 3.1m, I have a feeling that statement is just to throw people off the scent. Mon is a sneaky git, he made that clear at the free meal and I have a good feeling things are still being sorted between villa and owen. |
TrueVillan
said:
 |
... news coming through we were about to sign owen quickly squashed by MON! same old transfer window, get some excitement, soon squashed by our manager! |
robbo
said:
 |
... I've seen a few comments about MoN being on holiday. When would be a better time for him to go?... or do you think football managers should never have a break? Also, for those of you ALREADY whingeing about no transfers, WHO HAS made significant transfers so far (apart from the Barry move?) Honestly, some of you just seem to love to moan....pull yourselves together for goodness sake. |
Tom Smith
said:
 |
... Come on MON get your thumb out ur ass and sign owen before somebody else does !!!! |
avfc1979
said:
 |
... MON HASNT GOT A CLUE. No idea how to keep fans happy just a few comments on a few transfers. AND NOT WE WILL TRY AND DO SOMETHNG. im sick of hearing that drivel. |
Peter Dragoonis
said:
 |
... Does any not find it alarming that MON comes out straight away and denies the Owen rumour, but hasnt come out to say that Young and Carew are definitely not leaving? |
avfc1979
said:
|
... It does yeh but he is a selfish tit.Who is like a rabbit in the headlights when it comes to press and interviews.just keep everything between him and his old bum chums |
avfc1979
said:
|
... Yep. He has been given a situation that most managers would love at villa. HE IS OUT OF HIS DEPTH. I think he might be dougs love chiled saving the pennys for a rainy day. |
southgatescrookednose
said:
 |
... i think some people on here need to be patient and get off MONs back ffs. its not MON whos speaking drivel ! |
Az
said:
 |
... He's made his thoughts known about Young plenty of times before and it doesn't take a genius to realise Carew isn't going anywhere. He loves it here |
robbo
said:
|
... avfc1979. Is 1979 your date of birth? That would make you 30 but your comments are more those of a 12 year old. |
avfc1979
said:
|
... Well thats funny cus i thought he threw away 4th by only signing hesky in jan. We have ended up with the most boring manager in the league. |
Rich
said:
 |
... It's not MON job to sign players just to 'keep the fans happy'. It would be near impossible anyway as we all have different opinions concerning who we'd like him to sign. Just look at the polarity on views regarding Owen as an example. He is paid to do what he believes is right. Personally I agree that a statement saying that Ash or Carew are definately staying would be good PR. |
Tom Smith
said:
|
... i know i also want assurance that ash and big john are staying but a few transfers wouldnt hurt would they ? love the name southgate haha UTV !!! |
Jake Gardner
said:
|
... maybe he keeps it quiet so nobody else i.e redknapp gets involved and trys to steal the player off us or just trys to sign him to put the price up, he hasnt got to tell us anything. although it would be nice if we heard something. |
FatKevs
said:
 |
... FCUK something out of the club at last Is to comment oN GB Departure Is to quash any suggestion that Ash is up for sale No Just that we are not in for Owen. In my opinion that is at least one good bit of news, the player has not been able to keep fit for the lat few seasons so why would it change if he come to VP. Its a shame Heskey will not have his mate to keep him company in the treatment room though |
avfc1979
said:
|
... MON should have an interest in keeping the fans happy. I believe that a decent signing or signings early on will give the right message to both fans and most importantly the rest of the team. Maybe more is going on behind the scenes, but why does everything have to be so secretive? Why do we only hear MON dismissing transfer talk? If Randy took a more active role in PR, and confirmed our best players were in fact staying and that we would sign new players as opposed to TRY to sign new players it could only do good to boost the morale of everybody involved and help with season ticket sales. |
avfc1979
said:
|
... IMO if MON wasnt out of his depth at Villa we wouldnt be loosing our players to any clubs out of the top 4. |
southgatescrookednose
said:
|
... i`m positive that by the start of next season 99% of us will be happy with who`s been bought in. the club could be talking to anybody, we oughta chill, if it was august i`d understand the panic, lol |
FatKevs
said:
|
... The Club does not have to worry about Season ticket sales the crafty bastards made us buy our tickets early this year even the crap seats the allocated us after handing our seats to the corperate fans with not a Villa fan to be seen in any of them just day trippers loooking forward to a buttie. I would prefer the Yank to go before MoN have my shares back with at least some knowledge how the club is being run |
avfc1979
said:
|
... southgatescrookednose Im glad you have faith Lets hope that we have 'breaking news story' on Sky Sports tomorrow, but failing that MON himself comming out and stating that Carew and Young are going nowhere. |
Dan Price
said:
 |
... owen didnt dismiss owen. He dismissed the statement that an offer had been made, not that one is going to be. |
southgatescrookednose
said:
|
... avfc1979 get a life bud. barry was offered the kind of money no footballer like barry would turn down. young aint going nowhere and nor is big john MON probably expects us to know that. |
robbo
said:
|
... avfc1979. The problem for MoN or any other manager or owner for that matter is that they can't confidently state that players will not be going. Lerner did come out a few weeks ago and say that he hoped that we could indeed hang on to Barry and look how that ended. Even Ferguson cannot be certain of hanging onto Ronaldo, and I'm not sure I can remember him coming out and making too many statements about what he will or won't be doing in advance of transfers. The real problem is that money counts for everything and player loyalty can no longer be relied upon. |
Daniel Wilson
said:
|
... I read that Owen is contracted until 30th June anyway, maybe a pre contract could be arranged but maybe it would be a bit disrespectful to be announcing singings from a team we just relegated whilst he is actually still a newcastle player. I'm not saying this is whats happening, just that there could be anything going on. I like the way we play by the rules and I know it would feck me off it I was a supporter of the club the player was coming from. |
southgatescrookednose
said:
|
... gnite lads hope your not awake allnight tossing an turning worrying that we wont sign anyone tonight,actually i wont be happy unless i wake up to 5 new multi million pound signings signed during the night,lol |
Jeremiah Wood
said:
 |
... I think it's a bit too early to jump to conclusions about our transfers, since they don't even become official til July 1, from what I recall. MON has never used the press to further his work in the transfer window, and I think it's better that way. Harry Redknapp is always talking up who he wants to buy or sell, and Spurs managed to sell and buy back three different players in the last year and a half. I have no interest in that. Plus, they're still below us in the table. As for signing players from relegated teams, Ashley Young came from Watford and Milner came from Newcastle, so I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. I think Dunne is usually a good player, but Man City were in shambles last year, so I wouldn't assume he's suddenly a bad player. For 4m, I think he'd definitely be worth a punt. One more comment, on the January window, and I seem to be the only person that feels this way, but I'll say it again: No one but teams that are really in trouble make big January signings. Look at the teams who finished in the Top 7 and see who they signed in the January window. Arsenal - Arshavin Chelsea - Gokhan Tore (no idea), Ricard Quaresma Man Utd - Richie De Laet, Zoran Tosic Liverpool - none Everton - Jo (loan) Fulham - Giles Barnes, Olivier Dacourt Arshavin and Jo are the only two who played more than 10 matches for the teams who signed them. |
gregdavillain
said:
|
... do any of ye think actually deserves credit for the way he handles himself and the clubs reputation in the transfer market? consider this..... 1. He may and come out and deny transfer talk quickly because he has other targets in mind and doesnt want them to think he is bringing in exta competiotion? 2. sometimes those targets often dont choose to come to us... often i hear of good players going to other clubs and a few months later read we were chasing them ie royston drenthe and sneiher prior to them going to real, same goes for de jong and van der vaart. also vermaelan the most recent. he obviously tries in vain the whole summer to no avail because we are still a club coming out of the doldrums. In the end he is forced into the market for average squad players who can do a job for the team eg all the late signings we normally do after being led astray by better footballers using us as a way of driving up their wages while in negotiations with clubs of their preferred destination. O neill is no fool people jump on his back so quickly. This building takes years. Moyes 7 years and its only taken oneill 3 years to practically catch up with them without having had major investment. Patience and dont forget to support your club instead of being quick to critisize. |
Carl Main
said:
|
... MON make 2009/2010 and bring us another two steps up in the prem next year!!!! who believes? |
Scott Trimble
said:
 |
... qashqai said Ive just heard that Wayne Rooney says that he loves playing with Heskey as he brings out the best in him !!!could this be true?Yes, of course it's true. When you know the other striker isn't going to score, you have to step up your own game. |
Scott Trimble
said:
|
... Of some of the talk toward the top of this blog (haven't read to the end yet), I'd be happy to see Richard Dunne in the center of our defense, but why would Man City let him go unless they signed someone considerably better. I think we should sell Zat Knight and try to get Oguchi Onyewu from Standard Liege. I know he had some bad games at Newcastle in his brief stint in the Prem, but he has continued to improve, and he has a long throw-in, which we could really use, I think. That said, I wouldn't want him to be signed as a regular starter. Hangeland or G. Cahill should be our targets to replace Laursen, I think, but I'd take Lescott if we could get him. Up front, Owen could be a good signing, if he is used the right way. There's no way he should start in front of Carew and Gabby, but he could be dangerous coming in for the last 20-30 minutes. Martins could be useful as well, but not as a striker. I think with his speed, and being left footed, if we got him, we could use him as left wing in a 4-5-1 and slide Ashley over to the right wing. In the midfield, we should pick up two strong midfielders: one true playmaker and one who is more defensive-minded. For the playmaker, someone on here mentioned Elano. He would fit the bill nicely, I think, but again, already playing for Money City, so how would we expect to get him? I've heard a lot more talk of DeFour, and that seems much more realistic (and probably a better value, pounds to performance), and also at Standard Liege, maybe we could make one nice deal and give them Knight, Reo-Coker, and Heskey for Onyewu and DeFour?? |
johnnybear
said:
 |
... Martin O’Neill has this evening dismissed stories suggesting Villa have offered Michael Owen a two-year contract so wee man to Everton? |
Dubai Dave
said:
 |
... Agreed Mikey18 - somebody here who knows what they're talking about. Gabby is a quality player, still learning and frankly it would be a massive loss for Villa if he were to leave. Support the talent we have, attempt to attract new talent. to those that 'boo', grow up UTV |
Tim Wood
said:
 |
... Right bare with me on this: A cost comparison between John Carew (top goal scorer) and Michael Owen (potential new signing)! John Carew Transfer: Swap Deal for Milan Baros who cost £6.5m = £6.5m Wages: Approx £50k/week (2-years) = £11.5m Total Spent = £18m Total Goals = 27 (I think) Cost/Goal = £666,666.66 Michael Owen: Transfer Fee: £0 Wages: £70k/week two years = £7.3m Cost/Goal: Assume same as JC = £666,666.66 Therefore, Michael Owen would only need to score 11 goals/ season to be as cost effective as JC. |
colm tarpey
said:
|
... Timmy...he may be free from Newcastle but here would be a fat signing on fee to the player personnally |
Tim Wood
said:
|
... ... Timmy...he may be free from Newcastle but here would be a fat signing on fee to the player personnally I chose to ignore that as I am sure JC would have also got a fairly hefty signing on fee |
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