Summer 2010 Transfer Thread: B*llsh*t, Rumours & Wishes

[JJ-AV]

If Man City get Champions League I'd try and get Richards - who will almost certainly be available if they get Jerome Boateng (who is exactly the same kind of defender but better and younger). And Ireland.

Ireland and Milner can both operate in wide areas.

I'd sign Parker, Ireland and try for Berbatov.

Let Heskey, NRC (unfortunately) and Davies go. As well as the ones who are certainties to depart - Beye, Shorey,

-------------------Friedel
Richards----Dunne----Collins----Warnock
-------------------Petrov
------Ashley------Milner-----Ireland
-------------Gabby---Berbatov

Ireland, Milner and Gabby all capable of operating in the other wide area that Ashley isn't occupying. Fluidity and rotation. With Downing on the bench offering cover/alternative. As well as Luke, Cuellar and Big John - that gives us a much stronger squad.

[Dave Cooper please]

[

It's also a bad idea because Milner is twice the player Ireland is.

It's all subjective but no he isn't. Besides they are different types of player anyway, and both could play in the same team if we drop Petrov to the bench.
Ireland isn't better than Milner but he is better than Petrov, therefore buying him would improve us.

I don't see Ireland and Milner as a pair. At Man City on the odd occasion that they let him anywhere near the pitch it's with at least one and often two holding midfield players to allow him to play behind the strikers. We don't play like that and he's not good enough to change the whole team around to accomodate him. He's a luxury player which is why he gets so few start, that and him being a bit of a twat.

Yes he is a twat, no argument there.
As I say, it's all subjective, but with Milner's work rate I could see him doing Petrov's job  but with more creativity and Ireland doing the stuff behind the strikers. It might make us mor effective down the middle rather than relying mostly on getting it wide and throwing crosses in.

Almost certainly not going to happen anyway but an Ireland type of player could fit in very well.

[Risso]

What's the World Cup got to do with anything.

It shows that one is apprecaited and trusted by a top Italain manager and the other isn't. If Ireland is as good as some people suggest why does he rarely start? He's got the ability but he hasn't got the attitude would be my guess.

isn't Ireland irish? That would mean he isn't going to the world cup

Also didn't he try to get out of a match by killing his grannies off? After that I thought Ireland (the country) said FO to Ireland (the man) or vice versa.

Yes, it's his Italian club manager that doesn't play him much.

When he hasn't been injured he's started pretty well every league game under Mancini.  Even when he came back after a month long lay off after being injured against Stoke, he was straight back into the team against Everton, when he suffered another innjury.  Your criticism of him just doesn't stack up I'm afraid.

Not going to the world cup - the Republic didn't qualify, and even if they did, he's not playing for them after Grannygate.

Not being picked by his manager - he's been injured for a good while since Mancini took over, but when fir has been picked loads.  In terms of goals, tackles made, passes made and percentage of passes completed (ie just about every facet of the game) he pissed all over Milner from a great height for last season and the season before that.  Milner's had a better season than him this year, but that's no reason to right a good young player off who has still played  apart in Man city being above us in the table.  I'd love to see him at Villa.

[pdiddybaby]

-------------------Friedel
Richards----Dunne----Collins----Warnock
-------------------Petrov
------Ashley------Milner-----Ireland
-------------Gabby---Berbatov

conservative estitmate but those three would cost around £50m if not more, plus in the region of £200k a week in wages

even if we got rid of some of the players, do you really believe we have THAT kind of money, I don't and the annual report backs that up.

[pedro25]

Man City's Petrov is out of contract in the summer, he would provide useful cover for Young/Downing imo.

[Chris Smith]

When he hasn't been injured he's started pretty well every league game under Mancini.

If that were true we wouldn't be having this debate because there'd be no chance of him being available. He's mentioned now, the same as he was in January, because he's only started 22 league games this season and been sub 6 times scoring twice.

[barrysleftfoot]

I think if you listen to what MON says about better footballing players being brought in, i get the impression he wants to play the Barca system whereby there is 3 narrow central midfielders, who have good pace, good on the ball , good passing, and more importantly, good at pressing.

  Now i consider we have 2 already like that, in Milner and Delph, so i can see somebody like Dorrans coming in, but hopefully better, the lad from Liege?Or Parker from WH.

  At RB, i like MRichards, but he does worry me defensively, i honestly think Onohua looks a betterbet.

  I would hope he goes foe a good wide player as well, to give competition to both Downing and AYoung, a Hleb nfor instance, or Lee at Bolton as a cheaper option

  Striker, again a footballer needed to complement Gabby/Fonz better, i do like the guy at BBurn, think he is going to be a very good player.

[Risso]

When he hasn't been injured he's started pretty well every league game under Mancini.

If that were true we wouldn't be having this debate because there'd be no chance of him being available. He's mentioned now, the same as he was in January, because he's only started 22 league games this season and been sub 6 times scoring twice.

We're having this discussion because he's a player that a few people would like to see at Villa.  

The fact that he's missed a big chunk of the season through injuries doesn't make your assessment of him correct.  You've just come up with two poor arguments as to why he's not very good, which have both been shown to be a load of rubbish.

His stats for the last two seasons mark him out as being one of the best young players in the league.  An injury plagued season shouldn't be enough to write him off, or else we'd better do the same with Downing as well.

[Monty]

BLF, I agree that it looks like the rather holistic Barca-style 4-3-3 is the ideal for our club, and I actually think that would allow Petrov to play better for longer rather than getting shagged out in the current 4-4-2. What we need with him and Milner is either a really forward-thinking fantasista like Hleb or more of a tempo-dictating midfielder like Aquilani. I see Delph as a long-term replacement for Petrov, only more mobile and providing a bit more flexibility (good as Petrov is, his best physical years are behind him). Dorrans would fit the mould as well as a good, technical, hard-working midfielder.

[pdiddybaby]

Man City's Petrov is out of contract in the summer, he would provide useful cover for Young/Downing imo.

I think Petrov has higher aims than to be a reserve at Villa

reality is needed when people mention names, read the wage thread below and then adjust your sights

[pedro25]

So a club with Champs League ambitions can only have 2 wide players on decent money on it's books with kids as back up?

I doubt he'd join thinking he'd only be a reserve.

He's out of contract so if he wants to stay in the prem he needs to be realistic about his wage demands.  It wasn't long ago Mido was on big wages at Spurs, what's he on now at Wigan?  About £1grand a week I believe.

[Chris Smith]

When he hasn't been injured he's started pretty well every league game under Mancini.

If that were true we wouldn't be having this debate because there'd be no chance of him being available. He's mentioned now, the same as he was in January, because he's only started 22 league games this season and been sub 6 times scoring twice.

We're having this discussion because he's a player that a few people would like to see at Villa.  

The fact that he's missed a big chunk of the season through injuries doesn't make your assessment of him correct.  You've just come up with two poor arguments as to why he's not very good, which have both been shown to be a load of rubbish.

His stats for the last two seasons mark him out as being one of the best young players in the league.  An injury plagued season shouldn't be enough to write him off, or else we'd better do the same with Downing as well.

A big chunk? He's figured in games in every month of it according to Soccerbase. NRC has missed a big chunk, Ireland has had a minor niggle in comaprison.

He's a good player but his attitude is shit, his work rate is suspect and his performances this season have been avaerage at best. In short, not what we need.

[pedro25]

I mean West Ham of course for Mido.

[Risso]

A big chunk? He's figured in games in every month of it according to Soccerbase. NRC has missed a big chunk, Ireland has had a minor niggle in comaprison.

He's a good player but his attitude is shit, his work rate is suspect and his performances this season have been avaerage at best. In short, not what we need.

As you know full well, you don't haqve to have one bad injury to miss lots of games.  Ireland was out for nearly a month between the end of December and the end of January, and the same between March and April.  If you're questioning his work rate, dig out the stats for the last two seasons, you'll see his tackling AND passing were both top notch.  He's not a luxury player at all, he puts a decent shift in as well, which is partly why he was Man City player of the season last year.

I don't think we've any chance of signing him though, due to his no doubt vast wages at City.

[Smithy]

In terms of goals, tackles made, passes made and percentage of passes completed (ie just about every facet of the game) he pissed all over Milner from a great height for last season and the season before that.  Milner's had a better season than him this year, but that's no reason to right a good young player off who has still played  apart in Man city being above us in the table.  I'd love to see him at Villa.

I just wanted to mention that comparing Ireland (a centre-mid) against Milner (a winger) in the previous two seasons in a little unfair.  Of course the winger is going to be less involved.

The only fair comparison would be Milner THIS year against Ireland's stats (pick a season, I don't suppose it matters much).  I don't know where you got the stats from, so can't make the comparison.

I'm not saying he Ireland isn't a good player - I just don't think he's a player I would want as a first choice in our 11 ahead of Milner.  On the bench, or to rotate with Milner, certainly.