The Milner Novela... Final episode page 296

[Chris Smith]

Maybe mon doesn't want to risk him getting an injury as he was quoted yesterday he fully expects city to be back with another bid.

MON has confirmed on official site that he has a strained back injury and that was the only reason he was left out, and Young had a tight thigh so thats why he was left out....

reporters should wait until answers are given before the tripe they write about

And because its on the official site, it must be true?

So you'd prefer to take the word og a tabloid journalist.

O'Neill said: "There's nothing to look into it [their absence].

"James had a back injury and he had a bit of acupuncture from the doctor but it still didn't do the trick.

"So he was training right up until yesterday.

"Luke was a surprise. He was last off the training pitch today, doing some extra work and then presented the doctor with a thigh problem, which might have been just at the end of training.

"There was no point in risking him.

"If they had been fit this evening, they would have participated in the game. Both are now unlikely to be fit for Benfica."

[Risso]

Come on, Riss. When MON took over at Villa we weren't in any position to sign the sort of players that Spurs had at the time, let alone who they've signed since.

Come on?  Players like Kranjcar, Crouch, Bassong and Defoe are out of our league are they?  I'd suggest not personally.  If you're willing to blow £12m on Stewart Downing, then you can afford any of those.

I'd rather have Carew, Milner, Ashley, Dunne and Collins,who cost about the same.

So would I, which was my point entirely.

[Ross]

Maybe mon doesn't want to risk him getting an injury as he was quoted yesterday he fully expects city to be back with another bid.

MON has confirmed on official site that he has a strained back injury and that was the only reason he was left out, and Young had a tight thigh so thats why he was left out....

reporters should wait until answers are given before the tripe they write about

And because its on the official site, it must be true?

So you'd prefer to take the word og a tabloid journalist.

O'Neill said: "There's nothing to look into it [their absence].

"James had a back injury and he had a bit of acupuncture from the doctor but it still didn't do the trick.

"So he was training right up until yesterday.

"Luke was a surprise. He was last off the training pitch today, doing some extra work and then presented the doctor with a thigh problem, which might have been just at the end of training.

"There was no point in risking him.

"If they had been fit this evening, they would have participated in the game. Both are now unlikely to be fit for Benfica."

I'm not taking the word of anyone Chris, I'm just saying that because its on the official site doesn't mean its true. How many times has a player who is being transfered shortly suddenly develops a mystery injury?

No one knows anything.

[Chris Smith]

Maybe mon doesn't want to risk him getting an injury as he was quoted yesterday he fully expects city to be back with another bid.

MON has confirmed on official site that he has a strained back injury and that was the only reason he was left out, and Young had a tight thigh so thats why he was left out....

reporters should wait until answers are given before the tripe they write about

And because its on the official site, it must be true?

So you'd prefer to take the word og a tabloid journalist.

O'Neill said: "There's nothing to look into it [their absence].

"James had a back injury and he had a bit of acupuncture from the doctor but it still didn't do the trick.

"So he was training right up until yesterday.

"Luke was a surprise. He was last off the training pitch today, doing some extra work and then presented the doctor with a thigh problem, which might have been just at the end of training.

"There was no point in risking him.

"If they had been fit this evening, they would have participated in the game. Both are now unlikely to be fit for Benfica."

I'm not taking the word of anyone Chris, I'm just saying that because its on the official site doesn't mean its true. How many times has a player who is being transfered shortly suddenly develops a mystery injury?

No one knows anything.

If it was just an unattributed statement I might agree but the manager has been very specific and given that he's been honest about the player wanting to move I don't see him now pretending he is injured.

[sfx412]

Surely the one thing the Official site is, is the mouthpiece of the club. Every word posted will be vetted before release to ensure it complies with the dictate of the club. Its the prime source of mindless fodder for the believers.
It always states the company line. No more, no less, what else can you expect. To imply its words are the True Gospel, indicates  some level of naivety or a fanaticism beyond sensible thinking.

[Chris Smith]

Surely the one thing the Official site is, is the mouthpiece of the club. Every word posted will be vetted before release to ensure it complies with the dictate of the club. Its the prime source of mindless fodder for the believers.
It always states the company line. No more, no less, what else can you expect. To imply its words are the True Gospel, indicates  some level of naivety or a fanaticism beyond sensible thinking.

The words are those of an interview MON gave after the game last night. Are you saying you think he was lying? What would be the point? He's already said he thinks Milner wants to leave so he could easily have said we left him out because of it. It's a pre season friendly so if there is even the slightest doubt about fitness they don't play.

Others who might be on their way - Shorey, Sidwell and Davies - featured.

[pauliewalnuts]

Anyone else just see that inerview with Stephen Warnock on SSN? Speaking after the match last night.

Clearly sounds like Milner's decided he wants to be off.

Can't find the interview quoted in full, but the basics were (paraphrasing) "i was in the same position last year when I wanted to move on, and James is in that position now"

[Chris Smith]

Anyone else just see that inerview with Stephen Warnock on SSN? Speaking after the match last night.

Clearly sounds like Milner's decided he wants to be off.

Can't find the interview quoted in full, but the basics were (paraphrasing) "i was in the same position last year when I wanted to move on, and James is in that position now"

Which is what the manager said a couple of weeks ago when Milner was, allegedly, "furious".

The situation hasn't changed though, until they make an offer that we accept he's not going anywhere.

I've been thinking about where the compromise might come, something like £25m plus add ons that take it up to nearer £30m might allow both clubs to claim they got the deal they wanted.

[Chris Smith]

Double top.

[ozzjim]

Double top

40 million would be ambitious Chris.

I think we just need to get the deal done at 18-20 million plus Ireland and get on with our summer.

[miffa]

Anyone else just see that inerview with Stephen Warnock on SSN? Speaking after the match last night.

Clearly sounds like Milner's decided he wants to be off.

Can't find the interview quoted in full, but the basics were (paraphrasing) "i was in the same position last year when I wanted to move on, and James is in that position now"

I watched the interview with Warnock and came to the same conclusion as yourself. Reading between the lines Milner has obviously discussed his desire to leave for Eastlands with his current team mates, and they are all playing the diplomat - Carew was saying similar a few days ago.

[march]

Double top

40 million would be ambitious Chris.

I think we just need to get the deal done at 18-20 million plus Ireland and get on with our summer.

agree, decent deal for us that

[adrenachrome]

Torygraph:

Doubts growing over James Milner's Manchester City deal as talks with Aston Villa drag on

By Sandy Macaskill in the Algarve
Published: 11:13PM BST 31 Jul 2010


There were growing concerns on Saturday night that James Milner’s proposed move to Manchester City could collapse because of an impasse over price, after another week went by with Aston Villa and City still no closer to agreeing on a fee.

Sources close to the deal have admitted that the protracted nature of negotiations is becoming increasingly exasperating, for despite the season being two weeks away no one seems to be any the wiser over where Milner will be playing.

“Who knows what might happen in the foreseeable future,” Martin O’Neill said. “I’m not even sure myself.”
 
With everyone in the dark there is a danger of reading too much into the most insignificant of matters, but it certainly seemed symbolic when it emerged that there was not enough room for Steve Sidwell, Luke Young, Milner, and Nicky Shorey (another of those out of favour), to join O’Neill in the dugout during Saturday night’s 3-1 against Feyenoord in Vila Real de Santo Antonio in Portugal.

On such a humid evening it seemed strange to think of the four players as being stuck out in the cold, and it was doubtless unintentional, but O’Neill’s decision to leave both Milner and Young out of the squad entirely for the club’s first fixture of the Guadiana Trophy despite both being fit to play was indeed revealing. It suggests that O’Neill remains confident a deal over Milner can be struck with City.

Discussions with City continued last week but the two clubs remain some way apart in the valuations of the player, with the pace of negotiations is frustrating all concerned. Villa are understandably anxious.

It is clear that after two summers of fairly unrestrained spending O’Neill is being required to work within tighter constraints, and he had hoped that Young’s proposed move to Liverpool would have freed up £2.5 million, but the player decided against the move because of personal reasons.

O’Neill is similarly hopeful that Sidwell will complete his anticipated £3 million move to Fulham, but the Villa manager has accepted that Mark Hughes’ arrival at Craven Cottage could have thrown a spanner in the works.

“I think that situation is certainly still very much in the balance,” O’Neill said. “With a new manager coming in it might be different. I don’t know if that will make things happen more quickly or not.”

The protracted Milner negotiations, and the failure to move peripheral players on more briskly, could mean that Villa miss out on Aiden McGeady.

Spartak Moscow are understood to have bid in excess of £9 million for the Celtic winger, and although Villa sources suggest that O’Neill’s interest in the player is serious, it is likely that they will be unable to compete in a price war unless Milner’s deal goes through.

[KevinGage]

NOTW has it that Citeh will come back with an improved offer this week.

Supposedly it's far closer to our valuation -with add ons.

[Karl Bridges]

NOTW says that they will look at £25m with add ons instead of twenty with £4m in add ons. It does mention any of Ireland, Onouha, Richards and Bridge as possible make-weights.