What if...

[garyellis]

I can understand the logic of saying a year out to re-group etc. but that takes no account of the TV money on offer next year. £60M to the team finishing 20th has been quoted.

The potential for those clubs in the Premiership to strengthen their squads surely means it will be much more difficult for promoted teams to compete and get established.

It's tough enough as it is, and if you look at the last few years, often the relegation places are filled with sides that only came up the year before.

The teams around us like QPR are spending beyond their means to try and scrape together a rescue attempt. Even with the new TV deal they can't afford the wages they're putting out. We spend £150k a week on three news players this January and the new TV deal still wouldn't cover that expenditure. We are simply spending too much right now.

However, if we go down, we will keep our first team together and when we get promoted the year after, with the new TV money, we will be able to have a field day in the transfer market and really establish ourselves as a top half side.

Randy is that you? Where the hell have you been!?

If it is anyone at Villa it would explain a lot it's a right load of bollocks

[Ger Regan]

When we go down, we won't be coming up anytime soon with Retard Lerner and Skidmark Faulkner pulling the strings.

You should really think about refraining from using terms like retard as an insult, it makes you look like something that, from my past experience of you on this board, you are not.

[levico]

Frankly I think Lerner will allow us to keep on going down until the club is run on a shoestring. Haven't got a clue what division that will be although I suspect League1.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

When we go down, we won't be coming up anytime soon with Retard Lerner and Skidmark Faulkner pulling the strings.

You should really think about refraining from using terms like retard as an insult, it makes you look like something that, from my past experience of you on this board, you are not.

You're quite right and i'm quite wrong.
It's sheer rage that makes me say it, I shouldn't let it get to me.

I still believe this is all a bad fucking dream.

[Ger Regan]

I figured as much, didn't want it to come across as having a go either......

[N'Zimidy]

I was just going to make this topic. In all honesty we NEED to get rid of the deadwood and have a proper clear-out. If we were to go down then all of these players would be off the books almost immediately:

Given (50k), Vlaar (30k), Dunne (50k), Ireland (75k), N'Zogbia (50k), Makoun (35k), Petrov (40k), Bent (80k) and Benteke (25k).

Absolutely no guarantee we would be able to get rid of all of those.  Why would Given and Ireland go anywhere when they are unlikely to get the kind of money we are paying them?   

Relegation clauses.

[Trinitymiddle]

I was just going to make this topic. In all honesty we NEED to get rid of the deadwood and have a proper clear-out. If we were to go down then all of these players would be off the books almost immediately:

Given (50k), Vlaar (30k), Dunne (50k), Ireland (75k), N'Zogbia (50k), Makoun (35k), Petrov (40k), Bent (80k) and Benteke (25k).

Absolutely no guarantee we would be able to get rid of all of those.  Why would Given and Ireland go anywhere when they are unlikely to get the kind of money we are paying them?   

Relegation clauses.

There are several players at the Villa, including Dunne and Ireland and Bent with no relegation clauses in their contracts. It was in the papers a few weeks ago. Article below from Daily Mirror:

Aston Villa are sitting on a ticking time bomb that will force the club into a major cut-price clear-out if they are relegated.

Sunday Mirror Sport understands top-paid Villa players Darren Bent, Stephen Ireland, Shay Given and Charles N’Zogbia do not have relegation clauses in their contracts.

With Gabriel Agbonlahor and Alan Hutton also on healthy deals that run to 2015, Villa cannot afford to go down without slashing the wage bill.

Villa’s annual wage bill for those six alone – who have all been dumped or demoted by manager Paul Lambert – is just under a staggering £17million.

A Villa Park source said: “The big earners do not have relegation clauses and the club cannot afford to keep paying them if they go down. Their only option will be to find new clubs for them.” The expensive contracts of Richard Dunne and Stephen Warnock expire in the summer and they will not be renewed if the club cannot find buyers for the pair this month.

But Villa are terrified of the double threat of being relegated and stuck with an enormous wage bill for players who are not part of Lambert’s plans.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I figured as much, didn't want it to come across as having a go either......

I was pretty much told what would happen by a journo at 11am yesterday (bar the players names) so why it still puts me in a rage, I don't know.
Denial I guess.
Somehow hoping that we would get some experience and quality in.

[tomd2103]

I was just going to make this topic. In all honesty we NEED to get rid of the deadwood and have a proper clear-out. If we were to go down then all of these players would be off the books almost immediately:

Given (50k), Vlaar (30k), Dunne (50k), Ireland (75k), N'Zogbia (50k), Makoun (35k), Petrov (40k), Bent (80k) and Benteke (25k).

Absolutely no guarantee we would be able to get rid of all of those.  Why would Given and Ireland go anywhere when they are unlikely to get the kind of money we are paying them?   

Relegation clauses.

There are several players at the Villa, including Dunne and Ireland and Bent with no relegation clauses in their contracts. It was in the papers a few weeks ago. Article below from Daily Mirror:

Aston Villa are sitting on a ticking time bomb that will force the club into a major cut-price clear-out if they are relegated.

Sunday Mirror Sport understands top-paid Villa players Darren Bent, Stephen Ireland, Shay Given and Charles N’Zogbia do not have relegation clauses in their contracts.

With Gabriel Agbonlahor and Alan Hutton also on healthy deals that run to 2015, Villa cannot afford to go down without slashing the wage bill.

Villa’s annual wage bill for those six alone – who have all been dumped or demoted by manager Paul Lambert – is just under a staggering £17million.

That is a concern.  Those are the kind of wages that have resulted in Portsmouth being in their current position. 

[Fergal]

I figured as much, didn't want it to come across as having a go either......

Ger Regan the voice of reason...

[N'Zimidy]

I was just going to make this topic. In all honesty we NEED to get rid of the deadwood and have a proper clear-out. If we were to go down then all of these players would be off the books almost immediately:

Given (50k), Vlaar (30k), Dunne (50k), Ireland (75k), N'Zogbia (50k), Makoun (35k), Petrov (40k), Bent (80k) and Benteke (25k).

Absolutely no guarantee we would be able to get rid of all of those.  Why would Given and Ireland go anywhere when they are unlikely to get the kind of money we are paying them?   

Relegation clauses.

There are several players at the Villa, including Dunne and Ireland and Bent with no relegation clauses in their contracts. It was in the papers a few weeks ago. Article below from Daily Mirror:

Aston Villa are sitting on a ticking time bomb that will force the club into a major cut-price clear-out if they are relegated.

Sunday Mirror Sport understands top-paid Villa players Darren Bent, Stephen Ireland, Shay Given and Charles N’Zogbia do not have relegation clauses in their contracts.

With Gabriel Agbonlahor and Alan Hutton also on healthy deals that run to 2015, Villa cannot afford to go down without slashing the wage bill.

Villa’s annual wage bill for those six alone – who have all been dumped or demoted by manager Paul Lambert – is just under a staggering £17million.

A Villa Park source said: “The big earners do not have relegation clauses and the club cannot afford to keep paying them if they go down. Their only option will be to find new clubs for them.” The expensive contracts of Richard Dunne and Stephen Warnock expire in the summer and they will not be renewed if the club cannot find buyers for the pair this month.

But Villa are terrified of the double threat of being relegated and stuck with an enormous wage bill for players who are not part of Lambert’s plans.

Well that's just shocking. I highly doubt that source is accurate though. Relegation clauses are a must have for any club outside of the top four. Anyhow, Bent will find a suitor. Dunne is gone. N'Zogbia has probably shown enough to get a new club. The only one's we would be left with would be Given and Ireland. Ireland's contract is up at the end of next year so the need for Premier League football probably means he'll take a transfer out so extend his career another 5-6 more years. I really do think we'll only be stuck with Given and he's not even a bad option to have.

[eamonn]

What If...Lightning Seeds wasn't it? Harmless guitar-pop but feckin' ear-candy all the same. Fair dos. They're not Evertonians, are they? Feck 'em, then.

[TonyD]

If we go down, cut the costs to the bone, look like coming back up and RL deliberately screws it up - well that would ridiculous.

[danlanza]

Says it all to me this tune.

[ozzjim]

I think Given would go because he is a top pro and would take a free transfer out.

Ireland - again nominal fee someone will take the nutter.

Dunne/ Warnock both not going to be here.

Hutton - 2 clubs have taken him on loan- 500k he would be gone.

Bent will still go aroun 8 million

Benteke will go for 15 ish relegated or not.

Vlaar - Maybe go but would get our money back.

About what - 25 million a season?

Gabby would re-negotiate a lower deal or be sold too, and there would be takers.

Then Lerner would have to give the man in charge 10 million of the proceeds to get a couple of centre backs, a big battering centre forward and an old head in the middle of the park to keep it all under control.