Are We a Feeder Club?

[alanclare]

You don't think that perhaps we are risking the possibility of our famous "Up-You" West Ham U chant being turned back on us? "You're ManC.'s feeder club, etc, etc."

From today's Times:

[peter w]

We're the feeder club to Arsenal, Man City, Chelsea and Man U. Maybe Tottenham and Liverpool also given another season or so.

Liverpool, Tottenham are feeder clubs to Man City and Man U, Inter, Milan.

Arsenal are a feeder club to Barcelona, Real.

Chelsea and Man U aren't feeder clubs. In fact the only clubs that aren't are Man U, Chelsea, Real, Barca, at the moment Man City, and at a push Bayern.

[Toronto Villa]

Any more than Man U are to Real Madrid? Or Arsenal? Every player has a price and if someone is willing to pay stupid money, then it wouldn't be good business to turn it down. Law of the jungle I'm afraid. We have to find a way to surivive and succeed despite it.

[Muscle-Dolphin]

In the short term, a lot of clubs will be "feeder clubs".  However, thanks to Plantini, this won't be the case forever (thanx Villadawg) when the UEFA financial balance criteria begin to be phased in - perhaps Lerner is looking ahead "with vision" starting the process of trying to get expenditures in line with income?  Maybe we will get the "last laugh"? 

[darren woolley]

I dont think we are a feeder club like toronto villa said every player as his price and we are no different from anybody else.

[Concrete John]

We are always in danger of losing your best players when outside the Champions League.  If that makes us a feeder club then that's what we are, but it does highlight the need to get that crucial 4th place.

[alanclare]

In the short term, a lot of clubs will be "feeder clubs".  However, thanks to Plantini, this won't be the case forever (thanx Villadawg) when the UEFA financial balance criteria begin to be phased in - perhaps Lerner is looking ahead "with vision" starting the process of trying to get expenditures in line with income?  Maybe we will get the "last laugh"? 

To paraphrase GK Chesterton: "But we are the people of Villa Park; and we have not spoken yet.
Smile at us, pay us, pass us. But do not quite forget. "

[TheSandman]

If you have a car worth £5,000 and I offer you £15,000 for it you would most likely sell it to me as I'm offering you far more than it's worth. That's before I get on to the point that the car might prefer to be driven by me as I have lots of money to fix it up in this theoretical  example.

James Milner is a fantastic player but he's not worth £26million and indeed Gareth Barry wanted to leave for what he saw as a better chance to win things.

[Small Rodent]

No. A feeder club usually has some sort of loose agreement with another team.

This site is getting more melodramatic bu the day.

[TheSandman]

I agree. Increasingly, some posters are coming out with conspiracy theories that are so elaborate David Icke would be shaking his head in disbelief.

[Phil from the upper holte]

Very few clubs can hang onto their best players, Unfortunately we fall into that category. Look at Wigan they signed Zaki, He banged a few in and big clubs came knocking. Fulham have hangelland he played well Arsenal want him, They have Schwartzer he's playing welll so Arsenal want him, Same with Smalling who joined Manure. etc etc.

Its upsetting but its life in the prem

[alanclare]

If you have a car worth £5,000 and I offer you £15,000 for it you would most likely sell it to me as I'm offering you far more than it's worth. That's before I get on to the point that the car might prefer to be driven by me as I have lots of money to fix it up in this theoretical  example.

James Milner is a fantastic player but he's not worth £26million and indeed Gareth Barry wanted to leave for what he saw as a better chance to win things.

So Villa develop some young player via the Academy, ala Marc Albrighton. Then, when he gets good and famous we sell him on to ManC or whoever. Then eight years or so later we buy someone like Richard Dunne or Emile Heskey for the few more years that we can get out of him. Is that how it works?

[adrenachrome]

When you consider that for two seasons on the trot, Man City have come along and taken our best player, and this against the will of probably the most stubborn manager ever to walk God's earth, then you have to concede that we are a feeder club - to them, at least.

They will probably do the same again next year just for shits and giggles.

As for the arrangement alluded to by Small Rodent, I think you are confusing a nursery club with a feeder club. The pike has no arrangement with the various lesser fishes it consumes at will.

I do not see how conspiracy theories are involved.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

I don't think Barry's sale to Citeh was against MON's will - he'd already resisted Liverpool, and with only one season of Barry's contract left, he took the cash while it was still available.

[luke95]

Yes...

We feed our dross to the likes of Birmingham City.