Confirmed: Bid in for Bentley, Pat Rice asks about Barry and some rumours
Tuesday, 15 July 08, 02:02 AM · Comments (47)
First things first; General Krulak, or the person writing under his name last week, knows nothing about transfers or who Martin O'Neill is going after. Believe that, if you believe what the person writing under his name tells you.
"My point was to say that the only person who knows who we are going for and what price is, of course, MON," is what was wrote, under his name, after we got confirmation that we bid more than anyone else for David Bentley, from the person that writes under his name.
Well, it turns out that whoever was writing on behalf of General Krulak last week does actually know who we are bidding for because Paul Ince has confirmed that we've made a bid.
Now, Ince hasn't confirmed how much we've bid but from the way he is talking it does imply we're the only bidders and he also confirms he isn't interested in Paul Robinson at Spurs.
Now, Krulak last week also said it was more than £10mn. and not to believe what you read in the papers, but the paper today has Paul Ince confirming it was £10mn., so maybe this person writing under his name, really doesn't have any idea what is going on? All very confusing; not really.
You know I'd love Bentley, but I'd hazard a guess that if we've made a bid and he's not here and it's gotten out like this, that maybe he's waiting for someone else or isn't interested in coming to Aston Villa. I don't want this to be the case, but it doesn't look good in my opinion, unless you think that what we wrote the other day was spot on.
We told you that O'Neill had met with Bentley and it could very well be that Bentley has said he wants to join Aston Villa. If that's the case, why offer the so called asking price off the bat?
Onto Gareth Barry and just so you know, there is a post coming up about Barry later, but according to The Sun, Martin O'Neill has confirmed that Pat Rice called Steve Walford about Gareth Barry.
For those that are a little confused, this is Pat Rice, as an assistant, doing his job. So, when he does sit down with his manager and talk about players, he's fully up to date on what is happening. This isn't Arsenal showing interest, it's Pat Rice doing his job.
Or, it could actually be the way Wenger starts his business. We don't really know, but I just can't see Barry playing for Arsene Wenger and in an Arsenal shirt. Sorry Gareth, you're just not in that league.
Or it could very well be Martin O'Neill playing the press and him getting Liverpool to pay what he wants them to pay, because it doesn't look like Barry will be playing for Martin O'Neill again, or will he? More on that later today.
Onto some rumours quickly before I go back to bed. We're apparently very interested in Manchester City player Michael Johnson and we're willing to pay £10mn. for him. I'm not convinced, only because I think it's made up by Bill Howell, but there is every chance I could be wrong.
We're also, if you believe what you read, on the verge of signing Brad Friedel from Blackburn. Again, I'm not convinced, but in this particular instance, I wouldn't be surprised.
Right, that's it for now. I'm off to bed again as my head feels like it has someone inside it jumping up and down.
Like this blog? Help spread the word: 
47 Comments · Add yours
As much as I'd love him down the Villa, Bentley will opt for London. I'm loving MON's intentions and I'm certain that he's got irons in some very interesting fires. UP THE VILLA!!! ;)
Personally always felt Arsenal would be a good place for Barry. He may not have the pace but his use of the ball is Arsenal quality and would bring experience and stability Arsenal could do with - especially after losing Gilberto, Hleb, Flamini. Whereas Liverpool feels like he is going to a team we have in our sights, Arsenal would be a clear step up in quality.
are you black?
mr-woo
do you mean in colour or agent?
I wouldn't give two shiny shites about Gareth is we can get Michael Johnson...he's about as good and he's like 7 years younger. If we were to get Bentley and Johnson, then they may as well give us the Premier League now.
After reading Inces comments it might be in our best interests not to go for Freidel. Yes? No?
Johnson would be an excellent signing, and if I was Wenger I'd go for him over Barry - seems more of a Wenger signing to me. A player with youth on his side whom Wenger can mould to his own style of play!
Look at it this way - Ince confirmed there was a bid, but didn't say he rejected it. Just that he wants to keep Bentley. Now that in my mind says he's had to accept it because he knows Bentley wants to leave. The fact he's said he wants him to stay just means it's down to a battle of personal terms, and that's one battle I'm quite sure we can beat Blackburn at.
I think Bentley would do better for us than at Spurs. He'll be guaranteed a first team place every game, he'll form the best partnership of wingers in the league with Ash, he won't have to move as far away, and he won't have to learn another language to communicate with the majority of his teammates! Everyone wins!
MON should be spending his time trying to get REALISTIC players that will want to play for us, Bentley will not sign for us, he will go to London..God, id fcuking love for him to play for us but this as i said before ain't gonna happen. Ince has only come out with this to get Spurs to make a bid, wouldnt be suprised if Bentley told Ince to tell the press about the offer just to get spurs to make a concrete bid..
if bentley goes to spurs we could get a cut-price lennon...if he sorted his crossing out he would be better than bentley. think that we win either way here.
The club are aware that the bid for Bentley will certainly get people talking and I believe it has indeed had the desired affect!
Dont get carried away with this...
I must have watched a different interview then, because not once did Ince give an indication on how much has been bid.
Once again the papers are jumping on a figure, all Ince said was that he would confirm that Villa had made a bid.
Bentley is far better than Lennon. Anyway watch this space in the next week regarding Bentley. He was not injured last night Villa are in talks with Bentley and Blackburn. This could even happen by Thursday if we are lucky and talks go well.
id love johnson but i think the bright lights of what man city are trying to do will make him stay, despite the fact that half of this ronaldinho at city talk is utter bollocks, and if he does go it wont be until late summer when city start to collapse already
i think we've got a good chance with bentley, and if not at least its a position where we have plenty of options - lennon, swp, milner
I'm looking forward to us signing Ron Perlman though.
would be a quality signing, fingers crossed anyway....
Reading Inces comments and Bentleys over the past few months - one thing is for certain - Bentley is leaving Blackburn. As I see it there are three plausable destinations - Spurs, Man City and Villa. It looks like spurs are his preferred destination but this is just speculation and Spurs have not made a bid for the player. My gut instinct says if Spurs meet the asking price then the deal is done. However, I am not too sure that spurs are in fact interested and thus think that Villa have a big chance of signing him. Man city are the 'sleepers' in all of this, they have money and Hugehes obviously rates him so I am surprised that there has been no interest.
At the end of the day I would like Villa to sign Bentley as it would make a statement of ambition, the fact that we have even bidded for him makes a statement and is why our optimism over potential signings is back up to dangerously high levels.......despite all I've said - I would prefer Wright-Phillips, Johnson and Lennon over Bentley (and in that order.)
The downside everyone says about Bentley is his ego. SWP has one twice as big. Bentley would be a great team addition. It would transform our squad and build exactly what MON is shaping in his team. If he was to sign, what a great shape the team would have going forward...may need an out and out striker though? But I think Aggy and Carew can certainly do a job there. If they get that decent supply they are as instinctive as most in the prem.
My message to MON....Get Incey phoned up this minute, tell him you will meet his price and do the deal. It makes sense. Full England midfield potential. What better way to raise the international profile of Aston Villa. When foreign players see an England team with that many Villa players in, they will be thinking 'I'll have some of that' Or am I getting ahead of myself here...But I think it's a valid point. UTV
It will come down to one thing in the end which is wages. If we are serious about progressing then we need to beat Spurs to Bently and that will mean offering big wages. Can't see that happening so expect a cheap second rate replacement instead like Milner or Lennon but at least then MON and Learner can turn around and say at least we tried to sign him but we couldn't and thus keeping the easily fooled villa fans content for another transfer window.
Bentley will go to Spurs if bids from both us and them are accepted as I think he's a City lad who wants to play in the bright lights. He's a bit of a geezer with loads of cash who is young - and London is certainly where he'd want to be.
He knows his career is better of at Villa but I'm not sure that's what motivates him...
damn i dont know wot to belive. if we lose out on bentley, il be gutted. really want him to sign for us, but can see him choosin spurs over us. as for johnson, im sure i read somewhere he is happy at city, so dont think thats a starter.
I have been lead to believe by someone I know within the club (I trust the guy, but I cant tell you how true this is or not) that we have bid £15 million for Bentley and are willing t go up to £20 million. As I said I cant verify this, but I have no reason not to believe him......I still think however Bentley will choose Spurs unfortunately!
i am the 1 who told you that bentley was at the belfry golf course last week and i can confirm that bentley is searching possible property around birmingham. i am sure a deal will be done by the end of the week.
please remember i am never wrong!!! watch this space
My agent and i will enter discussions with mr o'neil in the next 42 hours. I believe aston villa are a very good club however i must also honour my commitments i have with current club blackburn. if they refuse to sell me then i will continue to play at ewood park.
I have a feeling that we have had a bid accepted :)
Liverpool sold Carson to Stoke for a less than half the price they said we'd need to pay.
So in my mind, we should sell Barry to Arsenal for £15m. That should wind those Scousers up.
i dont think villa should use the best part of our money on bentley as we all know we have one of the best dressing rooms in the league and i just have a feeling bentley would wreck that and i dont think our dressing rooms is big enough for his head ;D and as for lennon hes more worried about his crosses on his hair and eyebrows than his crossing on the pitch ;D SWP good player much better option than both bentley and lennon and financaliy better give us more mone to get a decent right back and a OUT and OUT goal scorer and sod of barry UTV
This transfer window is starting to make my brain hurt!
is that really bentley? stop bull shitting mate
Well bhurji...If you are wrong you are not going to be able to come on here again with any credibility behind your information are you!
I will be making an announcement about David Bentley later. Please be patient and let the natural progress of transfers take place.
I don't know why, but I have a good feeling that we will sign Bentley.
What about a cheeky £20m bid for Ronaldinho, if Bentley ain't interested?? :P
leawaylittleman - thats a great idea - if you pay his wages :)
andyarkitekt said:
Well bhurji...If you are wrong you are not going to be able to come on here again with any credibility behind your information are you!
wat are u on about mate? do you really think that bentley or mon would come on here and explain themselves?
all i know is that mon met bentley last week at the belfry golf course! thats for sure.
but i certainly dont think that the comments were left by bentley and mon!!!
bhurji - i think he meant that if you were wrong about Bentley meeting MON at the Belfry golf course, Wooops :)
first of all things bently if he had the choice to go to spurs or us were would he go.Yesssssss i caught your mind there didn't i?
very funny joey the ak although spurs hav more money. lookin forward to signin friedel ;). no really, i am.
P.S. VILLA FRIENDLY TONIGHT! IF YOU KNOW IT IS ON THE RADIO PLEASE MESSAGE ONTO HERE NOW!!!
UTV ;D
mike s
I too would like to listen to the match tonight but so far i'm not having too much luck.
I've been on BBC Radio Lincolnshire's website and it is not on the programme listing for tonight.
I then went on the Lincoln City official site where the only way i can see of getting live commentary is to join as a member (at a cost of course).
I cannot confirm for definate that they are covering the game but i would think it highly likely and you can get a 4 day pass for 99p which would obviously do the job.
Unfortunately, i have no means of paying by card to do this at the moment so i'm still looking for somewhere where it is on for free.
If i can't find it, id be grateful if the guys in the forum would keep us all posted later as they usually do.
Thanks in anticipation, i'll let you know if i find anything.
UP THE VILLA ;)
If I was david bentley I couldn't think of many other better clubs to further his career.
He is guarenteed first team football plus european football.
and fabio capello will probably get a season ticket with the amount of young english talent we have got.
plus i reckon sidwell might have a word as they were together as trainees at arsenal
bhurji....You said the deal would be done! You are so certain and that you are never wrong! If you are 'wrong' then coming on here in future saying your never wrong will look stupid, cos you would have been wrong. It was not having a go at you...Just prompting reaction...I hope you are right!
thanks AV33. ill try and find out for myself but i think that i will fail miserably. :P
UTV ;D
AV33
ive tried both bbc radio 5 live sports, bbc radio 5 live sports extra and bbc radio WM. its on none of them.
i might just give up though.
UTV ;D
mike s
I don't want to get your hopes up but i just joined AVTV on the official site on a pre-season pass at just £1.99. You can do this by direct debit and cancel when you want. Thing is in the live commentary section it says there is no live schedule today but in the live event section, you get a blank tv screen with lincoln v villa 7.45 above it.
I'm hoping that they may show live coverage !
Like i say, don't want to get your hopes up but it's gotta be worth £1.99 isn't it ?
UP THE VILLA ;)
VILLA FRIENDLY ON BBC RADIO WEST MIDLANDS. 95.6 FM
no worries mate. but the deal for bentley will be agreed this week i can assure you of that!!!!
Bentley is coming to villaland