The Milner Novela... Final episode page 296

[march]

Interesting photo's of Milner laughing

http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/FootballNewsDetail/0,,10265~2106329,00.html

of course Pravda could be doing this for obvious reasons. However on the link on the front splash page Milner is prominent.

IS that a message he is staying

[pedro25]

For me what we sorely lacked last season was the ability to unlock packed defences at VP, just one player who could do this, be it a forward, wideman or playmaker, could have made the difference to us getting 4th and could do the same this season although it is getting harder and harder to do so.  Surely pocketing 3.5 mill in Jan for Gardner and saving around £100 grand a week wages for him, Bouma, Harewood, Marshall and O'Halloran means we should be able to buy the one missing player at least.  Then we are well stocked everywhere else so it makes sense to sell first, then replace, if Shorey, Beye, Heskey, Sidwell, Milner or whoever move on.

[Mazrim]

“We are going to be linked and very obviously, even without wanting to lose players of the calibre of Milner, we would want to try and recruit some players.

“But as the chairman mentioned way back, maybe it is a case of probably having to sell to buy and that is something you would have to be really constructive about. That is something I am building into at the moment.

O.K, one more and then its Cricket...

MON is agreeing with the context that Randy/ General etc used regarding "sell to buy" in that its related to wages and not transfer fees. So, I think, its actually further supporting my argument in that its all about wages only.

O.K, now I'm off. Have fun.

Says you, putting your slant on it, whereby others may put a different slant on it. Thereby making my entire point for me.

Have fun at the cricket. I shall be working. Or pretending to.

Well England are making a bit of a Horlicks of it this morning so I'll look forward toi the bowling.

Paulie, "your point" isnt anything I'm arguing with. Of course I am going to put my slant and my opinions forward. I have provided lots of support for my argument though and I'm waiting for anything convincing in reply. Anything at all.
I understand about how opinions can differ. Honestly, I do. It's pretty basic stuff.

[Villa'Zawg]

Swapping sides during a game is a tactical thing.  Having two players for each position is an issue of squad depth.

As for having 4 over £10m, I think that's misleading as Milner should be discounted due to either a) he'll be playing central if he stays or b) he's going to go.  Let's not forget he tried for Zaki and RSC upfront, who would both be £10m+ strikers, so maybe it's not by choice we haven't spent heavily up top?  And if we had a winger comparable to Gabby's ability and age emerging through the squad we would have bought 1 less £10m winger, IMO!

Wow, Zaki and RSC.  As ever, if you're going to limit yourself to buying from other british clubs, it's always going to be hard.

I wouldn't have wanted either player either, but if the argument is that we're spending on wingers to the detriment of the strikers, that view does need to be balanced with the fact that we have tried for strikers and had no joy, so it's not necessarily purely by choice we have that imbalance.

He's been trying for four years now, though, so surely that argument must be wearing a bit thin?

Gabby and Carew are two of the top 10 PL strikers over those 4 years.

I don't care where you buy them from, in order to sign a striker that you are confident will replace Gabby or Carew you're going to have to spend very big money.

[Risso]

Gabby and Carew are two of the top 10 PL strikers over those 4 years.

I don't care where you buy them from, in order to sign a striker that you are confident will replace Gabby or Carew you're going to have to spend very big money.

I'm glad that O'Neill signed Carew, and that he has helped Gabby develop into such a good player, so no arguments on that score.  However, those two players are not going to play every minute of every game, and the players he has bought as back up have proved to be woefully inadequate.  So whilst  I can see that to replace Gabby would take many millions of quid, to get somebody who's a bit closer to his or Carew's ability than Harewood or Heskey, not so much.  If he has a bit more imagination and knowledge in the transfer market, which he hasn't.

[Mazrim]

MON has made as many good decisions as he bad ones regarding our strikers and I hope he puts another one (or two) in the good column this summer.

[Villa'Zawg]

Gabby and Carew are two of the top 10 PL strikers over those 4 years.

I don't care where you buy them from, in order to sign a striker that you are confident will replace Gabby or Carew you're going to have to spend very big money.

I'm glad that O'Neill signed Carew, and that he has helped Gabby develop into such a good player, so no arguments on that score.  However, those two players are not going to play every minute of every game, and the players he has bought as back up have proved to be woefully inadequate.  So whilst  I can see that to replace Gabby would take many millions of quid, to get somebody who's a bit closer to his or Carew's ability than Harewood or Heskey, not so much.  If he has a bit more imagination and knowledge in the transfer market, which he hasn't.

Your point sounds reasonable but I'm struggling to think of any gabby/carew calibre strikers bought by top 6 teams recently that didn't cost a great deal of money. One or two perhaps but I don't think it is easy without spending a lot of money. We could and should be stronger up front but I can understand that we had more pressing needs elsewhere in the squad.

[pauliewalnuts]

Gabby and Carew are two of the top 10 PL strikers over those 4 years.

I don't care where you buy them from, in order to sign a striker that you are confident will replace Gabby or Carew you're going to have to spend very big money.

Well, Carew only cost us whatever Baros was valued at, so, what, 5 or 6m?

Sunderland bought Darren Bent, and he's scored hatloads*. Redknapp bought Defoe, and he scored hatloads. I appreciate 15m is a lot of money, but it's hardly a sum out of our reach based on the spending of the last few years.

It is difficult finding goalscorers, that's true. Martin's attempts at finding them have fallen well, well short though.

* And I dont even know if "hatload" is an actual word

[pauliewalnuts]

Your point sounds reasonable but I'm struggling to think of any gabby/carew calibre strikers bought by top 6 teams recently that didn't cost a great deal of money. One or two perhaps but I don't think it is easy without spending a lot of money. We could and should be stronger up front but I can understand that we had more pressing needs elsewhere in the squad.

Why only top six teams?

[Villa'Zawg]

Gabby and Carew are two of the top 10 PL strikers over those 4 years.

I don't care where you buy them from, in order to sign a striker that you are confident will replace Gabby or Carew you're going to have to spend very big money.

Well, Carew only cost us whatever Baros was valued at, so, what, 5 or 6m?

Sunderland bought Darren Bent, and he's scored hatloads*. Redknapp bought Defoe, and he scored hatloads. I appreciate 15m is a lot of money, but it's hardly a sum out of our reach based on the spending of the last few years.

It is difficult finding goalscorers, that's true. Martin's attempts at finding them have fallen well, well short though.

* And I dont even know if "hatload" is an actual word

I think you meant shedful.

[pauliewalnuts]

Gabby and Carew are two of the top 10 PL strikers over those 4 years.

I don't care where you buy them from, in order to sign a striker that you are confident will replace Gabby or Carew you're going to have to spend very big money.

Well, Carew only cost us whatever Baros was valued at, so, what, 5 or 6m?

Sunderland bought Darren Bent, and he's scored hatloads*. Redknapp bought Defoe, and he scored hatloads. I appreciate 15m is a lot of money, but it's hardly a sum out of our reach based on the spending of the last few years.

It is difficult finding goalscorers, that's true. Martin's attempts at finding them have fallen well, well short though.

* And I dont even know if "hatload" is an actual word

I think you meant shedful.

I think that's probably it.

[Concrete John]

Well, Carew only cost us whatever Baros was valued at, so, what, 5 or 6m?

Sunderland bought Darren Bent, and he's scored hatloads*. Redknapp bought Defoe, and he scored hatloads. I appreciate 15m is a lot of money, but it's hardly a sum out of our reach based on the spending of the last few years.

It is difficult finding goalscorers, that's true. Martin's attempts at finding them have fallen well, well short though.

* And I dont even know if "hatload" is an actual word

Defoe was only ever going to follow his uncle Harry around.  Bent is the one striker I agree we've 'missed out on'.

[Villa'Zawg]

Your point sounds reasonable but I'm struggling to think of any gabby/carew calibre strikers bought by top 6 teams recently that didn't cost a great deal of money. One or two perhaps but I don't think it is easy without spending a lot of money. We could and should be stronger up front but I can understand that we had more pressing needs elsewhere in the squad.

Why only top six teams?

because they are in the same market for players as we are

[stevenjos]

MON has made as many good decisions as he bad ones regarding our strikers and I hope he puts another one (or two) in the good column this summer.

Strikers in;

Carew
Harewood
Sutton
Heskey



so 1 good 3 bad?

[pauliewalnuts]

Your point sounds reasonable but I'm struggling to think of any gabby/carew calibre strikers bought by top 6 teams recently that didn't cost a great deal of money. One or two perhaps but I don't think it is easy without spending a lot of money. We could and should be stronger up front but I can understand that we had more pressing needs elsewhere in the squad.

Why only top six teams?

because they are in the same market for players as we are

So are the rest of the league.