Our squad next season

[tomd2103]

I think Vlaar, Benteke and Weimann would still be with us for the first season if it happens.

I think Benteke 100% won't be. If Weimann continues as he is, then I'd doubt he will either. Clubs that go down hardly ever keep their top scorer/s. Let's remember also that Lerner will have no compulsion to flogging any assets we have to make up for the financial loss of relegation. I just hope we at least don't sell ourselves short as we always do. If Zaha with no Prem experience is 15m, those two should be valued at 20m each at least.

Should we go down, I wonder if there is any possibility that we could loan Benteke out for a season and then take him back if we got promoted or sell him if we didn't?

[paul_e]

Surely seeing if he'd be happy to stay for a year and try to get straight back up would be the first order of business, I think he would personally, he's young enough that it wouldn't stop him going on to have a top career, we are a young squad who should improve, I've said before we're only a couple of players shy of being a comfortable top half side in my opinion, if we can keep the core of that team, sell the overpaid wasters and replace them sufficiently we would easily push for automatic promotion in the championship.

[ADVILLAFAN]

Worryingly I did a list like this for myself about 2 weeks ago and actually feel even less confident of survival now.

[neo_Villan]

I think Lambert (given the concensus seems to be he'd be safe even if we did go down) would fight long and hard to keep them both, neither are on particularly high wages either.  I think Ireland, Nzog, Hutton and Given would be top of the list to leave (along with Dunne and Warnock who are gone regardless) as they'd probably all angle for a move, are on big money and don't provide anything like enough to the first team.

Firstly, I don't think Lambert will fight Lerner. Just seems like another yes man to me. Secondly, relegation won't mean that we can just get rid of the likes of Given, Hutton, Ireland etc. If nobody wants them now, there is no reason they will be any easier to get rid of when we go down.

[tomd2103]

Surely seeing if he'd be happy to stay for a year and try to get straight back up would be the first order of business, I think he would personally, he's young enough that it wouldn't stop him going on to have a top career, we are a young squad who should improve, I've said before we're only a couple of players shy of being a comfortable top half side in my opinion, if we can keep the core of that team, sell the overpaid wasters and replace them sufficiently we would easily push for automatic promotion in the championship.

Oh yeah I agree Paul and I also agree that we're not far off being a top half Premiership team.  In a 3-5-2 formation, I think we're only a fit Richard Dunne, a wing-back and a strong defensive midfielder away from being a decent side.

[Jarpie]

I think Lambert (given the concensus seems to be he'd be safe even if we did go down) would fight long and hard to keep them both, neither are on particularly high wages either.  I think Ireland, Nzog, Hutton and Given would be top of the list to leave (along with Dunne and Warnock who are gone regardless) as they'd probably all angle for a move, are on big money and don't provide anything like enough to the first team.

Firstly, I don't think Lambert will fight Lerner. Just seems like another yes man to me. Secondly, relegation won't mean that we can just get rid of the likes of Given, Hutton, Ireland etc. If nobody wants them now, there is no reason they will be any easier to get rid of when we go down.

Exactly and if they are happy to stay in reserves or bench with 35k-65k salary with now, they will be happy to sit in reserves next year too.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

If we go down and struggle in The Championship, I think you could well see administration on the horizon.

In the short term, there will be quite a few redundancies, Villa employ a LOT of people.

[LeeS]

If we go down and struggle in The Championship, I think you could well see administration on the horizon.

In the short term, there will be quite a few redundancies, Villa employ a LOT of people.

This feels like one of those surreal dreams. Not quite a nightmare, but one where you wake up feeling really uneasy. Like it felt so real and yet not quite real at the same time. I dont like it one bit

[tomd2103]

If we go down and struggle in The Championship, I think you could well see administration on the horizon.

In the short term, there will be quite a few redundancies, Villa employ a LOT of people.

I think real financial trouble comes into play when you are not promoted straight back up.  I was speaking to a Derby fan the other day who was saying exactly that and that he reckons that there is no player at Derby on anything near £20,000 pw despite them having average crowds of over 25,000.  Oh yeah and they are owned by Americans as well!!

[mr-villa]

Neither should there be any Derby player on 20K or close per week.  Christ that's over 1 million pounds per year.  One three year contract at that wage and you never have to work again my friend.  You see that's what is wrong with the game and spiralling wages are going to happen even more from August when the new TV deal kicks in.  40K per year max in League 2, 60K per year in League 1 500K max in Championship and 2.5mil per year max in Prem.  That's what I would propose.

[rob_bridge]

If we go down and struggle in The Championship, I think you could well see administration on the horizon.

In the short term, there will be quite a few redundancies, Villa employ a LOT of people.

I think real financial trouble comes into play when you are not promoted straight back up.  I was speaking to a Derby fan the other day who was saying exactly that and that he reckons that there is no player at Derby on anything near £20,000 pw despite them having average crowds of over 25,000.  Oh yeah and they are owned by Americans as well!!

I have a couple of Rams as friends and the job Clough has done to reduce the playing staff bill after Davies and Jewell's splurges following promotion whilst maintaining a decent position should set them up well for the future. Our playing staff wage bill will reduce by 5m (Warnock/Dunne) per annum next season but we need it to reduce by (net) 20m if we are relegated and 10m if we aren't.

Only way this can happen is if Hutton, Ireland, CNZ, Gabby, Bent and Given leave - I asumme Petrov was insured against critical illness (though with our board who knows) and the replacements come in at about 1-1.5m per year.

[PaulWinch again]

I can see no way we'd succeed in the championship with the leadership at our club. We'd just be a terribly run championship club and continue to drift down.

[dekko]

If/when we go down I think:

Benteke will go - he's the first choice striker for a very good Belgian national team, and with Lukaku competing for his spot, he'll want to stay in a top league just to be playing against quality opposition.  Plus he's frankly too good for the championship.

Weimann - I imagine we'll get bids for him, but I'd hope the fact that he seems to love the club, and is an academy product, would encourage him to stay.  If he does he'll tear it up in the championship.

Lowton and Westwood - Again, I think we might get the odd bid from Prem sides for these two but I imagine they'd stay put

Ireland/CNZ - You'd hope we'd be able to get them off the wage bill, but unless they decide to go elsewhere for possibly less money I can see them being content to sit on the bench picking up obscene wages....

[tomd2103]

I can see no way we'd succeed in the championship with the leadership at our club. We'd just be a terribly run championship club and continue to drift down.

That is my fear as well Paul.  The clubs that don't do well when they go down are the ones that change very little thinking that they will have enough to come straight back up.  Unfortunately I can't see there being enough nous amongst the heirarchy at the club to make the necessary changes needed to be successful. 

[Phil from the upper holte]

If we got relegated half the team wouldn't give a fuck, they'd call their agent and get the hell out, no danger except ppl like the Fonz who are shit