Have we become a feeder club ?

[danlanza]

After the last few seasons watching our club sell it's best players and reading the comments from Benteke and " The Swedish Teenager", does it not seem that we have become a Premier league feeder club for the bigger teams ?
I really hope that we have not become a stepping stone for players.
We deserve better than that IMO.
What do H&Vers think ?

[eastie]

Sadly I think that is the case, I can appreciate players want to win things and play at the highest level but would prefer them to keep those ambitions private rather than giving the press these kind of stories.

[E I Adio]

Seems to me that pretty much all clubs are, with the exception of the top few. Even Arsenal.

[not3bad]

Yes we are a feeder club, I'm a bit surprised people still have to ask.  Up to us to wheel and deal as smartly as we can.

[PaulWinch again]

Villa are a big club with big history we all know this, but modern football reality is that if you want to keep your best players you need to play Champions League football. We need to get to that level, and hopefully by buying low and selling high we'll eventually get into that position.

[danlanza]

Yes we are a feeder club, I'm a bit surprised people still have to ask.  Up to us to wheel and deal as smartly as we can.

That i understand. But what does that say about us ? Are we just going to settle for mid-table mediocrity, with the odd plunge into Europe, or will we once again become the club we once were ?

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Seems to me that pretty much all clubs are, with the exception of the top few. Even Arsenal.

Correct.
Should Ferguson ever click his fingers for one of our players, we'll roll over.

We're not in the same stratosphere as Man City, Man Utd, Arsenal or even Spurs.

[eastie]

Yes we are a feeder club, I'm a bit surprised people still have to ask.  Up to us to wheel and deal as smartly as we can.

That i understand. But what does that say about us ? Are we just going to settle for mid-table mediocrity, with the odd plunge into Europe, or will we once again become the club we once were ?

The money from champions league and the cash available to spend at Chelsea ,city and united make it very hard to compete with them over a season- it would take massive investment to compete and I can only see us chasing maybe a Europa spot or cup win in the foreseeable future- the days of us realistically chasing the top 4 are gone .

[PaulWinch again]

The buying low and selling high method if you can master it is a way to compete, as Spurs have shown. It requires excellent scouting, which I hope we're moving towards and also the willingness to take a gamble now and then. If you take Bale as an example, he cost Spurs £10 million which was a lot for an unproven youngster. If they were to sell him now they'd get £40 million + which could be reinvested.

[Irish villain]

Have we missed our chance to break that cycle?

I want Villa Park to be a place teams fear visiting. I want to see us play in Europe regularly, to once again have a chance of winning things.

[not3bad]

Yes we are a feeder club, I'm a bit surprised people still have to ask.  Up to us to wheel and deal as smartly as we can.

That i understand. But what does that say about us ? Are we just going to settle for mid-table mediocrity, with the odd plunge into Europe, or will we once again become the club we once were ?

Well if we can keep on doing deals like Stewart Downing we might be alright!  Sold for £20 million in 2011, told he can leave Liverpool in 2012!

Seriously, I think Spurs have been held up as an example of a team who have done very well at this kind of dealing, and Arsenal have done well also.  Both of these teams are counted as top 4 challengers, although not quite premier league champions material.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

We need to get to that level, and hopefully by buying low and selling high we'll eventually get into that position.

Not a chance Paul.
As soon as one of our discoveries has a purple patch, say Benteke or Westwood in the future, the big clubs will be in to snap them up. We'll never be able to hang on to players long enough for us to make that massive step up.

[PaulWinch again]

We need to get to that level, and hopefully by buying low and selling high we'll eventually get into that position.

Not a chance Paul.
As soon as one of our discoveries has a purple patch, say Benteke or Westwood in the future, the big clubs will be in to snap them up. We'll never be able to hang on to players long enough for us to make that massive step up.

I don't know Mark, I remain hopeful that if you can uncover enough good players then you'll inevitably move up. It might take a long time, but it's possible. It's our only hope really, it may not come off but may as well give it a go.

[not3bad]

We need to get to that level, and hopefully by buying low and selling high we'll eventually get into that position.

Not a chance Paul.
As soon as one of our discoveries has a purple patch, say Benteke or Westwood in the future, the big clubs will be in to snap them up. We'll never be able to hang on to players long enough for us to make that massive step up.

Disagree, we can still make a fat profit on these players and then its all down to how we reinvest.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

We need to get to that level, and hopefully by buying low and selling high we'll eventually get into that position.

Not a chance Paul.
As soon as one of our discoveries has a purple patch, say Benteke or Westwood in the future, the big clubs will be in to snap them up. We'll never be able to hang on to players long enough for us to make that massive step up.

I don't know Mark, I remain hopeful that if you can uncover enough good players then you'll inevitably move up. It might take a long time, but it's possible. It's our only hope really, it may not come off but may as well give it a go.

I'm hopeful too Paul, although a couple of older heads in January wouldn't go amiss (the oft repeated central midfielder and winger).
We'll see what the sleeping Yank comes up with.