Now the season begins, a change in my prediction and Manchester City
Tuesday, 02 September 08, 09:56 AM · Comments (97)
Silly season is finally over and we can now get down to the nitty gritty of supporting the greatest football club in the land; the football.
But it would be remiss of me to not start a discussion about the squad or at the very least look at what we finished with last season and what we have now. So in a time honoured fashion, I'm going to look at where we are and where we can hope to finish this season and not for the first time this year.
Now, this isn't a post where I'm going to bash Randy Lerner but I do want to just touch on comments made by Mark Hughes last night. After signing, in my opinion, a player that could turn out to be the buy of the season, he had this to say: "This is a real statement of intent as to the ambitions of this club."
Now, while Robinho could turn out to be the signing of the season he could also turn out to be a huge flop, but one thing he and the new owners of Manchester City have done, in a day, is to put Manchester City centre stage of world football. The thing is, for all the Martin O'Neill and Randy Lerner supporters who are already sharpening their knives, is, he went without European football and Manchester City are a long way off top four.
Sure, there is the argument that all Manchester City are going to do is buy success and we don't want that, but when exactly did football become about money? I'll actually answer that and tell you; a long time ago.
Don't get me wrong, I'm happier than a delirious Manchester City fan just waking up from his celebrations last night and I still think, regardless of who they bring in in January, that we'll finish above them this season, but football is about money, how much your willing to spend and how much you're willing to pay.
However, our squad is better than it was last season which is the actual point to this post and while the numbers may not be that much better the quality is. With what we've got now and with a bit of luck, I believe we are going to do better than last season, because overall the players we have at the club now, as a unit, are stronger.
The thing is, for all of you that have already decided to have a go at me for actually not bashing Martin O'Neill or Randy Lerner, but gently pointing out that the game really is all about money these days, is that when we do finally break into the top four, if we intend to stay there, we're going to have to spend the type of money that Manchester City are going to in January and we're going to have to offer the stupid salaries that no doubt Manchester City offered the little Brazilian to go play for them.
We're just taking a more sensible route, making sure we get there first before splashing the cash.Right or wrong, it's just the approach Martin O'Neill and, or probably more likely, Randy Lerner wants to take, but when we get there, we're going to have to spend too.
James Milner will surprise me and not only score a few goals, but will also master crossing a football and atleast five times a game he'll beat his man on the wing and create a goal scoring opportunity.
Carlos Cuellar will break into the team and become one of the most dependable defenders in the league and help us reduce our goals conceded by 15% this season.
For Steve Sidwell, it really is a blank canvass. I think, if he gets a proper run in the team, he coudl turn out to be the best signing of the summer. He has an engine, an eye for goal and has a bit of class.
Luke Young and Nicky Shorey will both do solid jobs and we're going to have an American keeper between the sticks for several seasons to come.
Football is about money, but this summer Martin O'Neill has spent it very wisely on a few players that ultimately make us a stronger squad and as such will help us do better than last season.
My prediction has changed from a few weeks ago and then I said then we'd finish 6th with more points than last season, I'm now going to say we will finish 5th, with a little bit of luck.
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97 Comments · Add yours
When teams like man city buy players like that that means they are going four the top 4.Well still beat them even so!
UTV
Spot on Damian, glad you havent got your transfer goggles on and can see the true picture.....unlike many.
I trully believe we can really achieve this year, including good cup runs. We have a lot of quality players now, even to the point where its hard to name a first 11.
I think regardless of all the bad views of Gabby at the moment, Im positive he will score at least 15 this season....afterall it is a v.long season. Same with Carew.
With the midfield and even defence chipping in, we wont have a problem scoring goals at all.
Heres to a long, successful season!
UTV!
Silly last comment, you might of beat us first game of the season but we have signed three young Internationals scince then
With outr tiny squad & very poor full backs i can only see top 10. Please don't shoot me dowm it's my opinion & i hope i'm wrong. What has got me p'd off is the fact that he has done nothing about the size of the squad. He openly admitted that our sqaud size was poor but he said he would sort that because we couldn't cope with the amount of games with such a small squad. Well he hasn't addressed it our squad is still patheticly small. We have onl;y 3 strikers and a kid how is that addressing the squad size. I just do not believe he has a plan when it comes to transfers & our scouts do not have passports.
Reply to joey_the_bullet:
Dream on pal there's a new kid on the block.
City will improve this year without doubt, but they will finish outside the top four. Frankly I hope for a good UEFA cup run this year for Villa. The league should be 5th or 6th unless Liverpool blow it and we or one of the others close to us seek into fourth. It will be interesting though.
The point about Robinho putting Man City at the centre of the footballing world is spot on. They will find it far easier to attract better players now he is there. I made this point few weeks ago that Arshavin was available and spurs wouldn't pay the £25m. Now he wanted out of Russia and nobody else wanted him so why the hell didn't we make our intent known to the footballing world known by signing him. He might have cost twice as much as Milner but he is twice as good as Milner and it would help attract top players in the future. Just another example of our lack of real abition in this club.
guys please we need to realise just how much we over achieved last season. if you are looking at squads then we are probably 8th or 9th in the leauge. that does not mean we will finish 8th or 9th, it is possible we can over achieve again and others if we are lucky will under achieve. we could finish 6th, at a push, or we could finish 11th. Without a recognised goal scorer we will never make 5th, let alone 4th. man utd (berb, rooney, tevez) chel ( drogba, anelk) liver (torres, Keane- when in position) ars ( adeb, eduard, van p, bendt) spurs ( pav, bent, campb) ports ( crouch, defo) man city (robinio, jo, elano) west ham (bel, asht) newc (owen, obi, vid) i could go on but i am really depressed now as we are no where near the quality up front that is above. yes we have a good midfield and def, and yes we were the 3rd top scorers last year, but teasm now knwo how we play and can cancel us out. For success you need an out and out goalscorer. Carew gabby and harewood just aint good enough if we want to progress. Liverpool game is a fine example of this, if we had a goalscorer we would have won. I love villa as much as the next man but we need to realise where we are at in our development, no where near where near 4th. We are moving in the right direction though, no doubt about it.
I'm very happy with having Randy as our chairman.. and this summer he has given O'neill everything he's asked for! We have the best owner in football.
The way we go about becoming a top club is great, and we've earned respect, unlike Man City; the way the owners behaved yesterday was embarassing- they will soon be hated.
Very Positive season for Villa, which will only get better as our team and squad gain experience together. UTV!
West Ham spring to mind when you mention Man City, they got hold of two of the best signings IMO, Tevez and Macherano, where are they now??
Man City are a flash in the pan, one or two players dont make a side, doomed to fail and RobinWho will follow the money abroad.
We have a solid team just about, the only way is up!
Reply to jinksy:
Because...... Sorensen and Berger never played, Moore had gone already, Maloney played only a couple of games.....so really you could say we're 4 players better off, and a load more better quality. Lighten up dude.
'I would like to live in Machester, England, because the transition between life and death would be unnoticable.' - Mark Twain.
I think Robinho is undoubtedly talented and will, I'm sure, produce some flashes of brilliance this season. However I think he may turn out to be something of a Berbatov in terms of his mood. I mean, if he wasn't happy in Madrid, Christ, how the hell will he cut it in Manchester.
to wheelo2020
You are forgetting about the O Neill factor. Yes he can make his team over achieve. He does it every season. He has improved the squad this summer so therefore we will be better than last season.
i ahve to say im a little upset.
not at the people we have bought in (apart from a defender or two)
but at Martin Oniel. im sure hes a great manager and im sure i will get shot down for this but..
is he really the man we need. im not having a dig because he didnt buy a striker, or said its harder than it looks when man city rob robhinio from chelski of all teams. Or the fact that he left it way to late in the day.
but when he says
PRICES ARE OVER INFLATED and then Bids a rediculous 6Mill for OAP Heskey i fidn it a bt of a contradiction and a piss take.
no offense to Gabby or Carew but we need something special in attacking mode and i think the bull idea of Over inflated prices when he offers 6 mill for a 2 mill player is absolute bollox.
Martin O'niel is the right Manager to bring out the best in our players
but hes the worst and bringing in the best players.
yes Lernwer is no Rich Arab but 2.5 billion is still a hell of a lot of wallet.
why is it still that our highest purchase is 12 mill?? teams below us are breaking way past that figure and Man City have taken it to the limits of sanity, but you have to admire them for that.
Robhinio = 32,000,000
out of Lerners 2.5billion that equates to just 1.2%
with all them billions and investment i can guarantee he is probably making 15 - 20% a year in interest on his Money!
Thats roughly 350,000,000 - 500,000,000 in interest a year
Pleace that in terms of what we spent in transfers this season alone 48,000,000
that is anywhere between 6.4% and 9.5% of his interest only.
so he is not losing anything. after all them transfers he still makes between 318,010,000 & 468,000,000 in interest without moving from his bed.
So money really isnt a matter at all even for the "poor billionaires"
so if its not that and judging by the fact he has an aston villa tatoo to "prove his commitment" to the club. i have to turn my attention to MON and wonder why he is here?
Reply to Villa_Chris:
Sorry in forgot i know nothing about football because i've only been watching it since my 1st game in 1972. Look you need a squad & MON has admitted that & said he would address it. Having only one right back & i fit left back is not addressiong the squad. We have only 3 strikers & a kid again he's not addressed it. maloney scored important goals i.e 2 at Chelsea so you are wrong he was a squad player & played his part. But like i say my opinion is our squad is still small as we have only 1 more player so i would suggest my iopinion is in fact FACT.
Reply to RSamVillaFan:
But Tevez and Mascherano were literally free to West Ham. They came in on a weird loan type system because they were third party owned. Only the wages had to be paid by West Ham.
After spending four years in Manchester, City quickly became my second Premiership club. I went to watch them play several times and I can quite honestly say they're fans are funny, always up for it and have followed the club through a lot of turmoil. Certainly, a lot of money thrown into the game is concerning, and who knows whether Robinho is going to be any good (judge him when he really learns what Mancunian weather is). But I think City deserve a moment in the spotlight, and I don't think they'll be a flash in the pan either. I expect Hughes will spend his money wisely and City will make good.
But I think Villa will have their moment too. Maybe we won't buy a player as expensive as Robinho, but I bet next year we'll sign one who to MON, the team and the club is just as valuable. MON has done some clever and necessary signings, and whilst its not players like Robinho, Jo, Modric or the like, they will do a very good job for the club and propel us further up the table.
Reply to RSamVillaFan:
Flash in the pan eh.
Flash in pans don't have ambitious owners with more money that the rest of the Premier League put together (Including Chelsea). The best British manager around. The most loyal fans in the country. A state of the art stadium.
We'll be looking down at you at the end of the season no doubt. Then next season we will improve again. Fact
Reply to DeGough:
agreed there is def an MON factor but we will be relying on otheres under achieving again. if spurs, newc, man city, pomp, everton play to their standard ( as we are expecting ourselves to so why wouldnt they) then we cuold see ourselves easily 10th.
i dotn want to sound negative as i am really pleased with how far we have come, we just have to realise other teams have better squads and have also improved.
Actually I got it wrong, Tevez signed for 12m, but still thats peanuts for what he is worth.
34+ million on 1 player or 45m on 8!!!! We have a squad to challenge - its going to cost Man City alot more than 34 to build a team around there new lad! No doubt he will do well but will he have more effect on their side than Friedel, Guzan, Cuellar, Davies, Shorey, L Young, Sidwell, Milner collectively will have on ours - I very much doubt it!
Wow never seen so many jealous football fans !! I think Villa have a half decent side this year and I would expect City & them to be fairly close come the end of season (my prediction; City 6th & Villa 8th). None will make Champions League football this time, but Man City will be launched to a different level come the start of next season - unfortunately; Villa as with probably 90% of the rest of the Premier League will be left behind in City’s wake. To put their owner’s wealth in some perspective - this family are probably in the region of four hundred times (400 x) richer than Roman Abrambovich and they are absolutely determined to buy footballs very best players at whatever cost.
£34+ million on 1 player or £45m on 8!!!! We have a squad to challenge - its going to cost Man City alot more than 34 to build a team around there new lad! No doubt he will do well but will he have more effect on their side than Friedel, Guzan, Cuellar, Davies, Shorey, L Young, Sidwell, Milner collectively will have on ours - I very much doubt it!
to Mr Bluesky
You have a point about the deep pockets. I would imagine that next season will see no more than 4 or 5 starting players still on the team sheet and probably Hughes will be gone the same way as Ranerie. That does not cause a hugh problem to Villa though. City will be trying to win the league. We will be trying to get into fourth place.
Reply to RM4:
Erm. You seem to forget the likes of Elano, Jo, Wright-Phillips, Petrov, Hart, Richards, Dunne, Johnson, Zebeleta, Kompany. It's hardly a one man show at City. You've just listed a whole bunch of average players at Villa. Frankly I wouldn't have any of them in my side.
Lets face it... what's happened at Man City the past 24 hrs is every fans dream. I've been on lots of blog sites today having a look around and the jealousy is unbelievable. City have taken that much stick from United fans the past 20 years it needed something to happen like this - because it's pay-back time! I would love us to sign Christiano Ronaldo just to see Alex Ferguson's face - they are very arrogant fans and 90% of them do not even come from Manchester. Good luck Villa (Good Bye United)
Reply to ash91:
Coinball....
to coin a phrase
football is about money. ootball is about picking the best. football isnt about paying the most admitidly. football is about spending when you want to get the best.
overinflated prices is football.
if you dont want the inflated prices, and you want mediocre players in defense when your playing the very best in attacking in the same leage.....DONT MANAGE FOOTBALL
let someone else do it right
thanks to the takeover maybe football isn't football anymore
I predicted 4th for this season and nothing has changed my mind. Liverpiss just arn't good enough and neither yet are man City (but wait til next season). Everton are not as good as last season and Spurs are as overrated as ever.
But, I agree with Damien, Villa will have to start spending on higher wages to attract the players to keep us there.
What i dont get is that every club tht has foeriegn bilionaire ownership has enough money to buy a whole squad of oustanding players they just dont want to cus2.5 bil is easily enough to buy 11 amazing players
Congratulations to Man City! I for one am over the moon that our League is going to once and for all become the playground for the worlds best players. I am a huge Villa fan, but the competition to the top four is necessary for the league to become unpredictable at least. Huge amount of jealousy from me City fans, but im behind you 100% in rocking the dominance of the "top 4".
So, is this the last season in which we have a chance to compete? Not so fast! In order to win our league you need a quality team that can play together. Ranieri granted is not the prize example, but he couldnt win the league with Ruskys millions. Mark Hughes is, in my opinion, a fantasic manager. Will he be given a chance if City are not top 4 by the end of the season...remains to be seen. I hope for his sake he is.
Onto our beloved club...im MORE than happy with the way its being run. Stats on SSN showed we are the second biggest spending club (includes ins and outs) after City with 34.5million spent....out of Randys back pocket (minus TV money, turnover profit, etc). Personally, thats something we all need to be thankful for. Not only have we spent well, but we spent well on quality players.
Again, I might be alone, but im happy we havent signed players on stupid wages and we have maintained our wage structure. If the money for transfers has come from Mr Lerner, then the money we make can go into wages/development of the club. We are a sustainable club...unlike a few others in the league. I hope this is the case for years to come.
Reply to Joevillan:
ONLY 8.3% OF THEIR ASSETS COEM FROM OIL
MAINLY TOURISM, PROPERTY AND FINANCE IS WHERE THEY GET THEIR MONEY.
has anybody bloody seen on skysports.com the new owner is now planning a wait for it............................................................................................... £135million yes 135million bloody pounds not dollars pounds this is already starting to become a joke and he's only been ther for 1 day. hopefully he dies before january.
If theses owners are long term what happens in a hundred years (ifit runs throught their family)when the oil runs out. =man city bummed
Aston Villa will reap £42.3million after finishing in sixth place, compared with the £22.4million they collected in the 2006-07 season
Now thats TV Money alone
so...... after our ins and outs lerner can still stick just under 8,000,000 into his back pocket.
That just makes me laugh.
so not a penyy was spent from his billions at all then
So when MON says "Lerner has never said no"
WOULD YOU SAY NO TO GET 8,000,000 FROM PLAYING IN FRONT OF A CAMERA AND NOT SPENDING ANYTHING ON PLAYERS?
Reply to Top_SIX_Villa:
yeah so surely we can sign a 30 mil player and only feel 20mil finacial damage which is nothin to him
until MON does his homework around Europe we will never progress. his fondness for british or britished based players mean we always pay top dollar.
you only need to look at the England team to see how limited our best players are and we dont even have the best!
i think MON signings are average, better than last season, but not top four. he also needs to drop his favouritism of certain players, i.e milner comes on sat and reo coker is put in defence (where he is pants, and gave a free kick/penalty away, which we got away with) and natural defender taken off! why? cos he does not want to upset reo coker or petrov(who should have been one to come off, and offer better balance with reo in middle)MON tatics already called into question this season, i.e stoke game.
i stayed up till 12.30 last night hoping mon would sign somone, at one stage i would have taken anyone, now lookin back im glad he kept his wallet in his pocket. the players linked were just not good enough and now maybe we'll get the signing in january every villa fan longs for.
chins up...were still stronger than last season.
kevin keegan has left newcastle. probably because milner left.
i agree with vdave the top 4 need breaking up so we will be back to one premier league and not the top 4 and the also rans.im also glad it happened to man city just to see the manure fans faces.i hope they buy everton aswell just to p**s off the red scouse
Reply to Joevillan:
joevillan!20 million is alot to even the richest of owners! but its not just going out to spend 30 million on one player they acatully have to be worth the risk! which i dont think there are many players that villa could attract that are worth it!
man city splashed 18 million on jo and he hadnt even kikd a ball in a top competative league before!
no need to waste money!look at leeds!
The new owner of Manchester City, Dr Sulaiman Al-Fahim, has intimated that Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment (ADUG) could back a £135million bid for Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo in January.
is this guy trying to ruin football for good?
its pi$$ing me off already!
chill guys. good luck to man city and their inevitable rise to challenge the top 4 - with some exciting wing play along the way. The deloitte and touche survey shows an almost 1:1 correlation (and i suggest causation) between the money league and league position consistently over the years, and there is no reason why this relationship should change. Liverpool FC have most to lose since they cannot afford to be outside the top4 this year or any year. The Villa are owned by a corporate billionaire (i doubt MBNA are less heartless as any other corporation in their business dealings) so we shouldn't begrudge it in other teams. re this year, Villa will be solid, and our squad has improved in terms of quality if barely in numbers: friedel>carson, cuellar>knight, shorey(going forward)>bouma, young(going forward)>mellberg, milner>maloney, sidwell>gardner, petrov>petrov,nrc>nrc,carew>carew + some developing youngsters (delfounso et al). If we stay relatively injury free I think we will finish between 4th and 6th. I can't see spurs, everton or pompey going past us since they've all lost important players - it'll be close though! ps my first post... would love any feedback, cheers
Reply to walshy:
i know every man has his price... but i think the last team ever that man u will sell to is man city......
especially no they can afford what the feck they like... it would be like handing them the last 15 years of titles and trphies.
Villa_Chris and Jinksy...I see both your points in a way..?
However I have to make an observation when you tell Jinksy to 'lighten up Dude', Villa_Chris... I could not believe yours and others stress levels last night and over the last couple of days on here. And last night wittling your soulcases out becuase Damian was not there to hold you hand. If your trying to be a little controversial and become the new taglor Chris, I think he does it so much better.
Anyway back to the football...Yep decent signings..Would have loved a striker of some decency, but it's not long till January and hopefully Salifou will become our superstriker in the meantime..!
Won't it look strange seeing all the Man City shirts on all the glory supporters in the shopping centres and on holiday..? Wonder if the fickle Manure supporters will be jumping ship..?
I'm very happy with our signings and the management at villa. we seem to have a plan.
Phase 1 = consolidation / premier league survival / buy the best young british players with potential /players who want to play for the club.
phase 2 = get into the UEFA Cup / continue to build.
phase 3 = get into the champions league / attract world class players.
phase 4 = consolidation / top 4 / champions league
With regards man city - Robinho does not wan't to play for them so his form will be poor and his wages will upset the dressing room.
Tottenham have sold both their best strickers and will struggle to score goals.
Villa players know what is required and play as a team. I strongly believe we have a chance of 4th. 6th place would be a disapointing season.
jUST ONE PROBLEM WITH THAT
phase 2 = get into the UEFA Cup / continue to build.
phase 3 = get into the champions league / attract world class players.
To get from stage 2 - 3 you need stage 3 players not penny pinches for stage Minus 3 players.
Reply to Steve B:
you have a point there.I see how you put it to together!
UTV
P.S Come on you villains
ak_27 you said arshavin is twice the player of milner what do you base this on?He had a couple of good games in the euros and was decent in Zenits uefa cup success,but 24m for a 27 year old who we never heard of until last season is a bit too much of a risk.Where has he been for the last 7 year?Anyways im more than happy with the signings made although i would have like another striker.Its onwards and upwards.
We cannot blame MON but we can definately blame Lerner, he is just another businessman, the only money he has out in of his own has been the 60 million to buy the club(which today must be worth double), th rest ha come from the club/business, we are are a profit making organisation, he hasnt bought a Robinho with his money and never will, we need to look for new owners otherwise we shall only be the mediocre team that we currently are!
To all you moaners, Villa have spend more this summer than at anytime in the past! We are light years away from the Deadly Doug and DOL period which at times was pretty dark. Signings like Gavin McCann and Aaron Hughes (excuse spelling, no disrespect) were only a few years ago. We ain't Manchester City so wake up and smell the coffee. 7 new players in is more than half a team so will need time to settle and find there best form. We will be fine. Villa was in the top 10 of transfer spenders this year according to the table below:
Sorry can't copy image over but this link proves Villa are major spenders on transfers in the real world (if it can be believed) LINK
Reply to Vijayd:
vijay does the d stand for dickhead by any chance
Reply to smurf008:
If you call his performances in the UEFA cup last year as ok how do you classify the villa players performances? He basically single handily beat Bayern Munich on his own last year.
As for MON what world is this guy living in???
LINK
He thought the days of big money transfers were gone? The man is away with the fairies. The premiership is getting bought out by billionaires and he thought the days of big money spending was over. Says it all really.
There's money, and then there's money. I think this will ultimately force the question about money in the EPL. It will be funny if someone can just instantly displace the top-four royalty. I don't begrudge City that.
But overall, it's in the game's best interests, and the fans' and league's, to have some sort of competitive balance. It's fun to be the one team with so much money, but at the end you know inside it's all hollow, that you won feck all until you could simply outspend other teams. The joy of winning really comes from all being on more or less the same level, and outworking, out-developing, outsmarting, out-managing, and out-playing the others.
Doesn't remove money, you'll never do that, but if, for example, you eliminated transfer fees and set a salary cap, then it's truly game on...Who can do the most within same set of rules?
Like I say, I don't begrudge City...It would be fun for Villa to be in that position, and we're not poor off. But, I'd also feel a bit silly getting all breathless about winning anything when I knew it was simply a question of having 10-times more money to spend.
It just raises the Chelsea question anew.
I honestly cannot fathom how some people can be calling for MON's or Lerner's head. We are in the UEFA cup for the first team in 6 or so years. We have a young primarily British squad who want to play for Villa, and who will undoubtedly improve over the next few years. We've actually gone out and bought players to fill in the gaps that needed filling, and our squad is miles better than last season.
I think we shouldn't be aiming for the top 4 this season, rather top 6 again coupled with a decent run in the UEFA cup (Quarter final or last 16). Then for next season we can attract some quality talent (A top class striker and CM, and possibly a RB). Then we can truly challenge the top 4 and if that doesn't materialise then MON can go, but until that time i'm willing to have 100% faith in both MON and Lerner.
ak 27.I agree some of his performances last year were good but 20m plus for him is crazy,this guy is playing in the ruissian league since 2000 and he has only managed 47 goals in 217 app.It would have been a major gamble and i for one am glad we werent in for him.Why do you still think he is at Zenit its because no other club believes hes worth that much.
Every honest football supporter in the World needs to do one small favour for me and I can sort this little Citeh problem out.
Stop buying petrol until 2011.
Either that or get the boys in the White House to sort it properly.
Reply to VillaSteve:
The point you are missing is that it is no longer the big 4 its now the big 5. A lot of people here said last Jan when we failed to make a real go to get 4th that we might never get this chance again. And to be honest with City getting bought out it probably was our best chance.
Reply to smurf008:
Whilst i agree with you that he isn't worth that money but my oringinal point was really that we would also attract a lot of attention to the club worldwide which would make it easier to attract better players in the future. Thats if MON ever has any intention of buying players from abroad. I still think that Arshavin is a quality player that could only impove a midfield which is very short of any guile that he does have. MON is going to have to gamble on players from time to time if we are ever goin to progress.
Reply to ak_27:
Ya fair point,I just wish we went for Owen.He wouldnt have cost to much to buy but it would mean us having to dish out serious money in wages.I know he is injuiry prone but there isnt many strikers of proven quaility out there that were available.Anyways we didnt get a striker so lets get behind MON and the boys.Im not saying you but there is a serious amount of negativity on this blog.
Reply to Top_SIX_Villa:
He is not making 20% interest on his money. . That would be the greatest bank for investors in the world.
Reply to Matthew:
MBNA and further investment in the stock market will give that percentage.
im not on about sticking it in the Halifax savings lol
Of the big clubs in the Premiership, only Villa have any honour. The rest are soulless, commercial concerns, or playthings for the mega rich. Man Utd are a club massively in debt, who were bought as a sound buisness investment - in my view a fate they deserve after their shameless commercial endeavours since the 90's. Arsenal mortgaged their future to build a stadium. Chelsea are Abramovich's plaything. Liverpool were bought, again, as a sound investment. Unfortunately for them, their owners are inept and have little financial muscle. Tottenham are backed by a wealthy consortium, who dwarf Lerner's spending power (he's worth $1.6bn, not $2.5bn. That means he's not a £billionaire). Everton are a big club, but even compared to us they are paupers. Newcastle have a wealthier owner than us, but he doesn't seem to want to spend money, and Newcastle fans are not happy with him. And now there is Man City, and if we're being honest, given they have a pretty decent manager in Hughes, if Robinho is a sign of things to come, then they will take a place in the top 4 at either Liverpool or Arsenal's expense.
Lerner cannot compete with this kind of spending power. I would suggest that there would be money to spend in January, probably enough to buy two quality players, or £30m in other words, but given that wages look set to be inflated again (I heard Robinho could well be on 200k a week. Surely it would have to be at least that to go to a club like City!), will we be competing for the top players?
Don't get me wrong, I admire the way Villa are being run, and I think it makes us the only club of any significance worthy of respect. But on field success is, I fear impossible, and if this is the case, what, ultimately, is the point? It's only worth taking part if you can compete. The real question is, is it worth competing when there is no honour?
Firstly, thank god you're alive Damian. I have been off the computer all day and was beginning to think you'd fallen in a canal - sorry if I've missed a post and something did happen but good to have you back.
Secondly, and maybe a bit off topic by now but in terms of money and the game it's a funny one;
Last night I satyed up 'til 0015 hrs in the vain belief that MoN would sign a striker. He didn't and I'm cool with that. I got up at 1000 today and hey ho. After I'd finished being glued to my screen though, I went to bed and read a bit of my latest book. It's called "My Father and other Working Class Football heroes" by Gary Imlach. It's about his father, Stewart. Incidentally, anyone who is either interested in football or in life itself and hates football, should read it. It's a real eye-opener to where we are now and why.
Instead of me blethering on about how things aren't as good as they used to be or whatever, it is amazing how the balance has been redressed to the point of being the exact opposite of what it was. Yes the Bosman ruling helped turn the tables, but now we are at the other end of the scale.
I guess that this topic probably needs its own thread in the forum but I would be interested to see what everyone else thinks because, and I guess a few of you may agree, this uber-spending is going to a) have limits and b)kill the game for ever. I don't want to start Villa FC or anything but I do worry for my beloved game which is getting to be unrecognisable in terms of "real" competition and instead being left to the playboys (and Karren Brady) who can play at any level.
What do you guys think?
UTV
sumthin jus doesnt add up about robinho joinin city not too long ago, he was desperate to join squeak scolari at stamford moscow, then he joins city at the last minute, who are not playin champions league football. wil he be at city come next summer?
least they (man city) now have ambiton.
sorry villa fans, but ive been a villa fan for 17 or more years and after this transfer window i feel let down and P!SSED OFF.
weve show 0 ambiton...milner? 12 million? completed overated.
we havent bought a single player (other than friedel) who has raised any eyebrows. i dont care if people call me wrong and say "its not MON's style"
well sorry, but i dont give a crap if its not mon's style, teams like manchester city are NOT a bigger club than us, yet are showing a crap load more ambiton.
whos gonna make us finish in the top 6 again this year let alone the top 4?! marlon friggin harewood? HA! dont make me laugh.
if we actually had the bloody conviction, then we could have signed dean ashton weeks ago for a straight £18million, done. quality striker, gets you vital goals.
or perhaps javier saviola, obafemi martins, the list goes on and on and on and on, if we showed some damn ambiton then we'd have gone all out to sign players like david bentley or shaun wright-phillips
and dont tell me those players arent as good as milner...SWP scored 2 in his first game back, what the HELL did milner do.
NOT HAPPY.
Interesting article and you're right, it is a statement of intent by City. Villa are going about things very sensibly, but with the events of the last 24hrs, there is a danger that things are now changing very quickly again in football. Villa could possibly be putting themselves at risk of getting left behind, which would be a crying shame. I'm a Man City fan, but a football fan as well. What you are seeing at City is just symptomatic of the way football is these days. If you want success, it seems it must be bought. The second you produce a decent young talent, it wants away at the earliest opportunity to a so-called 'big club'. We've got Sturridge, who at the age of 17 last season was rumoured to be the subject of an £8 million bid by Chelsea in spite of having played the sum total of about 47 minutes first team footie. How we managed to hold on to him, I'll never know.
Obviously I hope we finish above you - especially after the you put 4 past us on the opener!! - but I also hope Villa don't end up getting left behind as this Arab money that has come in is likely to be the thin end of a thick wedge.
I'm not usually an irrationaly man but RICH CLARK, if you've been following the Villa for 17 years, how you are pi**ed off with the current situation is beyond me. You must have been released from an asylum the day Deadly resigned to only have been exposed to the miserly clutches of Lerner and his evil apprentice, O'Neill.
Get Real. and Constructive.
I just thought....could they (Man City) bid for Ashley Young in January?! Best assist record in the league...would certainly help them with SWP on one wing and Ashley on the other. Would he go?...worth a thought.
Reply to Top_SIX_Villa:
Top six villa, where on earth is Lerner going to get 20% return on his money? if you know can you let everybody on this blog know so we can put our savings into it. Hasn't the stock market fallen by about 20% this year, aren't MBNA a credit card company
who will be having to write off loads of debt this year?
Lerner will never spend the money that Chelsea and Man City spend, he has just got a different mentality to those guys.
I can't see us getting top four with our squad, its still too small and I dont think our strikers have enough goals in them. We could do with another striker on loan when the window opens in a week or so for loan players and I reckon MON might go down this route and then sort out the issue permanently next summer.
Top 5 finish and a couple of decent cup runs (maybe even win one) would absolutely the best we can hope for.
Why are you still talking about the big 4? Man City will buy all the best players from man u. liverpool chelsea and arsenal so that will leave villa portsmouth and middlesboro chasing 2,3&4th spot
oh yeah and im saying what everyone else hasnt got the bottle to say.
against liverpool - we had the best chances...why didnt we take those chances? do you wana hazard a guess? let me answer for you...because we didnt haev the firepower upfront. hence the need for a new godamn striker...man city managed to buy a player and have it all finalised within 12 hours, weve had MONTHS to sort this problem out, and now were going to be short in that area until january, you people need to get real about winni ng competitions, in order to win things YOU NEED A SQUAD. forget top 6 this year. forget cup runs. forget the eufa cup.
until we show ambition. we WILL NOT win anything.
think im wrong? quote me on this very post at the end of the season and we will discover who is right.
I think that Man city will be in the spotlight until the moment some other club will get Robinhofrom them. There is a huge chance of his destination being the same as players like Mascherano and Tevez. I mean,he won't keep theer for so long. So sometimes the best nvestiment to Villa is still young and skilled footballers hat can bring something else in the future.
and fro sure make a better season this year.
Knowing Robinho like we brazilian does, if he keeps playing like he does for brazilian team- sometimes he does somethign else sometimes he just stay in the pitch- there is a slighty chance of mancity stay between the top 10, to be honest.
O 'neil so, is in the right way. it is just a matter of time to put teh team on the track.
Cant wait till the FSW starts bleating about the man city unsettling stevie g.
Reply to Rich Clark:
It's not about bottle, and no, I don't want you to answer for me, thank you all the same.
So let me get this straight - your negativity is based on your ability at the end of the season to be proved right? Great - that's just the kind of fan the club needs.
Do you, in every other facet of your life, exist only for the top spot? I suspect you don't.
Anyway, if, at the end of season you are right - which you may well be, I will have enjoyed the journey, as I have for the past 29 years. If all you get is the satisfaction of being right at the end of it, against one of your own, then I think you might be missing the point.
Just an idea.
UTV
By the way anyone know where Pi or ManofPi is today, that sad git who was making all that bollox up yesterday? I bet the fat b*stard hasn't been able to find his willy for a decade or so, so has to occupy himself by coming on to forums and making stupid rumours up!
ugly_betty - yes i do live for the top spot...what the hell is the point going through life being second best?
"accepting the inevitable" ...that is a sign of weakness.
ive been an athelete and a performer all my life, and accepting 2nd place just isnt good enough...i get one shot at this life, so i want to be the BEST.
im an RNB artist, getting a record it the top 10...great, but i go for that number 1 spot.
i used to play football from the age of 5 till around 18, ive won leagues and trophies, and lost them, second best isnt as fun...
at school i was in the athletics team...i HAD to be the best, i had to be quicker, stronger than the others...
i also used to be a moutain biker, and yet again ive won trophies, and if you aint the best, then you dont win.
so ill ask you again...what is the point going through this ONE life you get, accepting second best, accepting defeat before youve even started.
something tells me that if YOU were a football manager, you wouldnt be a very good one.
Guys guys guys...I was thinking the other day about the first season of the premier league and there are alot of similarities between Villa then and now:
Aging goalkeeper backed up by a promising youngster (Spink/Friedel, Bozzie/Guzan)
centre-half who everyone thought was finished with dodgy knees (McGrath/Laursen)
Ginger midfielder (Richardson/Sidwell)
exciting young black winger (Daly/Young)
exciting young white winger (Froggatt/Milner)
Finished seventh the year before (1992)
Finished 6th last year...
Didn't get off to a flyer that year either...
So there's alot of good omens there. If we have a season like we had then it won't look too bad come May
So, what's passed is past. What's done is done and what wasn't, wasn't.
There will be great days this year, but there will also be bad ones, just like there were back in 1993. Let's just get behind the team and give them our full support. It really hasn't looked this good for a while
Wasn't Arsenal the only team that scored more away goals than Villa last season? Maybe MON is spot on in strenthening our defence? Have some faith.
Football is dead.
First post...but, why are people being so negative about this summer? 50million spent? Have you forgotten where we were and what we were looking at a little over 2 years ago?
We've come a long way in two seasons and this is certainly without a shadow of doubt O'Neill's squad now, there must only be a couple of players left from O'Drearys reign. The man isn't stupid, he knows what we've got and what we haven't got (better than anyone on here!), he's not where he is by a fluke.
Transfer deadline has come and gone so just get behind the team that is on the pitch and judge him on where we are come May 24th, not on what other teams may or may not be doing!
UTV
Reply to Top_SIX_Villa:
i actually agree with what u say about mon,gabby, carew etc. but there are some glaring flaws in your discussion about lerners money.
firstly he is worth 800m in pound sterling so a billionaire in dollars. not 2.5 billion pound.
please tell me where he will get an interest rate of 20%?
and the worst part of all u have assumed he gets to keep all of that interest and therefore dodges paying tax on it. Again clearly doesnt happen - he will be paying 40% tax on all his income when he earns that much.
i just hope injuries and suspensions, even tiredness from overusing the same players dont effect the team.
If Young gets injured, could you say Routledge, salifou was an apt replacment?
Also, people have talked about the squad size for a long time and i cant really believe that the targets on MONs shortlist (which our scouts and the manager should have been looking for for a very long time) were Young, Shorey, Sidwell and the like for us to push on and consolidate, what we achieved last year.
People can say, look we were one of the highest spenders this summer but we had to be to replenish the squad and even think about competing for the top four.
Has the quality of the squad improved?
I can't stand the moaners anymore, I really can't. You have no clue what we have in MON and Randy Lerner.
One thing for certain Man City owners have truly f*ck up the premier league now. It should be called whos the richer club league or the billionaires football league.
They thinking of making a bid for Ronaldo for £135 million in Jan WTF and I thought 32million for one player was stupid. Looks like all prices for good players are about to jump very very high!
Im not goin to moan, because i prefer where we are now, to where we were a year ago, and a year ago before that.
but regardless, yu cant help but feel a little anxious at the fact city were willing to blow £32mill on one player with about a wage of £150-200k a week. anyone who thinks that buying 11 players who are the best wont get success is deliusional... altho i agree a team of superstars does not necessarily make a superstar team, it makes it a whole lot easier too win.
onto MON, i think hes what villa need. but i what want is more ambition in the transfer market. im sick of his ''english'' buying strategy not becuase i dont like english players, but simply its prices like bentleys and milner that are inflated!! and if he isnt willing to pay over-the-odds for players he believes will fit into the squad then buy a spanish or italian or watever midfielder for half the price!!
i dont want to criticse mon but i think MON is a lil reluctant to spend money on duds, but i mean we have to take risks... i dont think MONs is worried about spending the money, but is cautious of the consequences (everyone seems to moan about how much we paid for reo-coker et al!)
i love villa, but im not so sure we will reach top 4 or top 6 this year. in all honesty, i can see coming anyway between 3rd and 8th... i dont think teams like west ham, bburn and even everton atm are stronger then us. but we have to be consistent and get results against stoke, whilst doin the job against liverpoo... id rather play ugly and beat stoke, then play beautfilly and only get a draw against arsenal or liverpoo.
look, if villa finish 10th ill be disappointed but im still goin to follow them. with that said, honestly, i think villa are best equipped to challenge the top 4 out of us, tottenham everton and man citeh. but consistenty is the key and one must remember, mark hughes is an unbeliavbly talented manager and with the right backing he will make man city challenge as well.
bet mu fans are sick.
Supported the Villa for 30 years. I for one won't be disappointed to finish 6th again. How long has it been since we've done that 2 years in a row? It's good to win trophies, but what I think has been missing at Villa for some time is long term growth. We've had great seasons in the premiership only to be followed by mediocre ones. Man City, Leeds, Blackburn, Newcastle are, or have all been in the same boat. Consolidating our position with long term investments, buying young and developing the kids is far more important than splashing loads of cash and getting there on the back of one or two transfers of players who would flee at the first sign of trouble. That paves the path for the constant yo-yo-ing we've already seen up until now.
MON has done a great job in keeping hold of Barry. Who else has ever managed to keep one of our most experienced players? He will have another battle on his hands if Young or Gabby have another great season - everyone seems to have forgotten that MON has offered them improved contracts to safeguard this too. The work of a very savvy manager if you ask me.
Last season our position would have been even better had we not let in so many goals. That for me was the major issue - last year's Tottenham match at WHL is a prime example. That is the first thing that MON tackled - and when the defence settles down I think we will see some return on his summer investments. The next main problem was lack of players down the right hand side - also sorted. His last issue would have been to bolster the strikeforce - which hasn't been addressed in this window. So 2 out of 3. Pretty good if you ask me. Another striker or two in the next window to bolster the numbers / add some competition for places and he will have sorted all of the things that were immediately lacking
from the squad last season - which he pretty much inherited anyway.
If you've been a Villa fan for any length of time, surely you must agree IT COULD HAVE AND HAS BEEN A LOT WORSE.
So is the EPL becoming the Monte Carlo of the footballing world??
By the way i meant no disrespect to Man City or their fans they deserve to get some headlines over Manure for a change. I just dont see them doing much for a couple of seasons!
Reply to jinksy:
I can see where your coming from but last season only MANU scored more goals than us. Thus, MON has addressed the main issue - letting them in. Don't be so pesimistic and let's see where we are in January.
kenobodia, brilliant post and shows the likes of Rich Clark how much they know about the beautiful game and the reasons why so many of us love it. He's the sort of 'fan' that is there for his own ego and frankly until he runs faster than usain bolt he's on a one way track to depression - although i wouldn't wish it on him. Who are the happiest people in the world? - the Danes. Why? They're not the richest, or most successful. But they've got realistic expectations! Time for the likes of Rich Clark to join the glory hunters elsewhere or get some cognitive behavioural therapy. Unless of course he has $1 trillion up his sleve there is fat chance that we will outcompete Man City in the transfer market. Indeed, the reason why we spent £40million this year is because the likes of the top 4 attract so much cash to the premierhship (we only cost Randy £60mill!) So we work to our strengths. A great manager, a young hungry team... and some quality football... and a little adventure in europe... Life is good.
I am started to get really annoyed with the negative posts I have seen on here.
Look at Villa three seasons ago... We were going nowhere! The odd result here, the odd cup run there. We have one of the best managers and compared to Liverpool one of the best chairman. Sure the future looks bright for Man City but we all know that the little brazilian went because of money... I want players to play for villa due to the club not the salary we are paying them.
Robinho will leave next season if he isnt playing champions league, which is highly unlikely. Chelsea had success with the russian because they had the manager. Mark hughes is a good manager but he is no "special one"
The new investors at Man city will ditch as quick as they ditched Sven if he doesnt get results...
So I ask everyone to give Martin and Randy the praise and respect they are due.. I have never enjoyed being a Villa fan so much since they took over. We play good football and in time will give the big boys a run for their money.
We have finally got some stabilty since the days of "deadly doug"
MON and Randy are BUILDING and club not buying one!
Reply to Rich Clark:
If I was a fotball manager, no I probably wouldn't be very good. I make money from property - I am probably not the number one but I am good and I make good money.
All I am saying is that if you are consistently aiming for top spot then you are deluding yourself. Evidently you are an active person and you have pitted yourself against those around you at a similar level.
I haven't noticed your name at the pinnacle of any of the sports or other activity you mention so I will assume that somewhere along the line you accepted your position among the ranks of, say football - ie. you're no Wayne Rooney, Athletics - ie. you're no Usain Bolt and R&B - ie. you're no Marvin Gaye/Kanye West or whoever.
And herein is the issue. You are not the best. You have competed and won against those who you feel are at a similar level to you and done well.
So have the Villa.
If you consider the post-war Aston Villa club to be "up there with the best" then you are simply wrong, plain and simple. We don't have five European Cups or eighteen league titles or ten FA cups. What we do have is good support, a great academy and a loyal fan base. With this and MON and Randy, I feel our natural competitors are those teams competing for 5th to 7th spot. Any more and we're punching above our weight, as you would be running the 100m against Powell and Bolt.
That is not to say that gradually we can't encroach on the top positions but you need to factor in economics here too; something which none of your pastimes/careers/hobbies are directly linked to.
Finally, I contest that this ONE Life is worthless if you're not aiming for top spot all the time.
As the poet Emily Dickenson wrote "....Success is counted sweetest by those who never succeed..."
And from Einstein "...Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value..."
All I'm saying that outright success above all else is sooooo not everything.
Up the Villa.
Top 5?
Man City haven't played a game with thier new owners yet!!
UTV!
I think I should clarify my position. Lerner has spent enough to move us up one place - with a bit of luck. He may have spent all this money just to stand still - we'll find out next year.
Ugly_betty -
I haven't noticed your name at the pinnacle of any of the sports or other activity you mention so I will assume that somewhere along the line you accepted your position among the ranks of, say football - ie. you're no Wayne Rooney, Athletics - ie. you're no Usain Bolt and R&B - ie. you're no Marvin Gaye/Kanye West or whoever.
im not going to post on a football website my rnb name, so your wrong about me giving up
and i hear what your saying, to a certain extent. we have a different opinion, neither is right nor wrong, if/when i have kids, ill bring them up believing they can be the very best, and ill support them in their goals in life to reach that very top spot.
now back to the villa - my point was, and still is...we have spent money on average players, and we have the exact same squad as last year, something MON said he would adress, we may be in a better position to cope this year, but the FACT is...other clubs have spent money on better players, and have moved yet further ahead of the villa.
therefore overall...we havent made any real progress, just a squad full of players were "hoping" perform well and dont get injured, are you going to disagree that if ashley young and gareth barry were injured then we'd be a much worse team?
weve got nobody to come in that would have as much impact on the game as them pair.
im glad we spent money. but "back in the day" the likes of francesco totti were linked with villa, this year...heskey...
i meant to say "the same SIZED squad as last year" ....