The Milner Novela... Final episode page 296

[curiousorange]

I'm not going to sit here and pretend we'd be a better team without Milner 'cos we wouldn't, but you have to think realistically now the papers seem determined to flog him off. What does he bring to the team? What would we be losing? What is his realistic worth? Are there similar players who could do the same job and are they gettable for a team in Villa's position? All of these questions will be being pondered, I'm sure, by all at Villa IF Milner has indicated that he's interested by any offers.

One thing to bear in mind, however, is the positioning of Milner at the start of the season. His success in central midfield was part tactical masterstroke and part happy accident, in order to accomodate a fit again Downing. We undoubtedly became a better side with Milner in the centre and we'd be removing a hell of a lot by letting him go but he's a grafter rather than a schemer and as such might not be as difficult to replace as you'd think. Barry wasn't.

[atomicjam]

Jimmy is more the heart beat of a team than a world class footballer- the very thing that that lot of Manchester do not have. So only sell if we get a better team from it, for me that is Ireland, Bellamy, Hart and a few million aswell. Take what we want from any deal or tell the chavs to fuck off.

[atomicjam]

For whats its worth: SSN- Villa reject 20million bid for James Milner.

[MattW]

A plethora of publications reporting a £20m bid.

The Times and the Telegraph seem to think we'll let him go for £30m. The Guuadian is the only one to include a direct quote from a 'Villa source', and says the Milner will leave it up to the club.

Excerpts...

The Times
Although Martin O’Neill, the Villa manager, is understood to be loath to sell Milner and his club are expected to reject the bid, he has been told that he must sell to buy and may welcome a bidding war if it drives the price closer to his £30 million valuation.

As Liverpool discovered to their cost over Gareth Barry, the former Villa midfield player, O’Neill will dig his heels in if required and will not let Milner leave for a penny below his asking price. O’Neill may even demand that Milner submit a transfer request if the player signals his desire to leave.

Milner, 24, has two years left on his existing contract, but while Villa would like to extend that deal, it seems unlikely that the player will remain at the club he joined for £12 million from Newcastle United in August 2008.

The Telegraph
Lerner has informed O'Neill he will have to sell if he is to buy this summer but the club are believed to want close to £30 million before they are prepared to countenance losing Milner, a substantial profit on a player who cost £12 million when he moved to Villa Park in 2008.

The Guardian
A Villa spokesman said last night: "We have received an offer from Manchester City and this has been firmly rejected. We plan to sit down with James Milner and his representative after the World Cup to agree a new, long-term deal and this remains our position."
...
There is no suggestion that Milner will do likewise at Villa, with sources close to the player saying he will leave the decision in the hands of his clubdespite the prospect of more than doubling his £45,000-a-week wages at City.

[cdbearsfan]

If he does go, does anyone reckon they would let us have De Jong? I quite like him every time I've seen him. Ireland is very good but not sure about his attitude.

Give us... De Jong, Santa Cruz and £15 million and I would take it.

[Greg N'Ash]

20m is just the first shot over the bows. laughable offer really. not to mention insulting.

[BannedUserIAT]

If Milner is offered the opportunity of doubling his wages & playing in a side that will be playing CL football on a regular basis then you can't blame him for being tempted by what could be on offer.

Doing what now? Man City have been moneyed up for some time now. How many CL games have they played in so far?

I agree with earlier posts that, should we sell, there needs to be some decent players coming the other way as everyone will know we have the "James Milner Money" burning a hole in our pocket and we'll get bent over as a result.

Ireland (to go some way to replacing him), Hart and 15 million that'll pay for a class midfielder. MoN can then go sell, Heskey, Salifou, etc and use that money to buy a striker. We'd have some team then.

[Greg N'Ash]

its a good idea in theory troy but would say Ireland come to us on 80k a  week? would he take a pay-cut? could we afford the wages some of the players they may offload are on?

[Pete3206]

And so it begins.

So long James.

[BannedUserIAT]

I just want a statement from O'Neill telling Man City to go fuck themselves.

Obviously, he won't say it exactly like that though.

"Go fuck yourself. T'riffic"

[Jimbo]

What a depressing and derisory offer. Let's just look at the facts again...

This is a young English player, respected throughout the game for having an exemplary attitude both on and off the pitch - a very rare commodity these days. In his new position in the centre of midfield, he's industrious and indefatigable, as well as a great example to his team mates - he never gives up. He's now established in an England squad about to head into the World Cup with a manager who might just be capable of bringing home gold.

Domestically, he's improved dramatically since we signed him, and with his attitude and application he shows every sign of improving further still. And Man City - our rivals for fourth place next season (a team we'd be reluctant to strengthen at our expense) offer 20 million? Do they think we've given up or something?

Do they really think we'd sell before a world cup, after which - if he has a great tournament - his value could shoot up by 25-30%?  

Lescott went to Man City for 24 million last season!

Gary Cock et al are well and truly taking the piss with this one. 40 million or fuck you, and the camel you rode in on.

[ashkar]

15m and ireland, richards, bellamy. Use money to buy quality  central midfielder.

[Shrek]

I've just woke up and Villa have made the right noises, but one horrible player I do not want is Stephen Ireland. He is an arrogant prick who would dissrupt our dressing room.

Bellamy would maybe work as he would have alot of respect in the dressing room, but still disruptive.

I think it's 50/50 that he'll go, I'm hopeing he likes the stability at villa and the fact he should be the next captain.

[TopDeck113]

This is the first shot in the battle that will see us selling Milner.

Citeh have made an offer and we all know that, unlike Liverpool and Barry, the Lescott saga proved that if you play hard-ball with them they'll just keep upping the offer.   The only possible glimmer is with their tendency to behave like a kid in the candy store when it comes to buying players: they might just lose interest and start the pursuit of another target.

However, if Villa indicate that there might be a valuation they have in mind, that won't be the end of it. Man Utd might not be in the same spending league as their neighbours, but they can still manage the one-off £30m+ transfer.

Much is made of Milner's integrity and him not being money driven, but he's going to spend the next six weeks living cheek-by-jowl with players earning significantly more than him and who play regular Champion's League football.  He'll end up feeling the "poor" relation and that might start him thinking...

I think the biggest disappointment in all this is not that other clubs bid for our best players, but we've let a young, bright talent with his best years ahead of him get to two years left on his contract.  It is that more than anything else that has significantly weakened our hand.

[Jimbo]

Much is made of Milner's integrity and him not being money driven, but he's going to spend the next six weeks living cheek-by-jowl with players earning significantly more than him and who play regular Champion's League football.  He'll end up feeling the "poor" relation and that might start him thinking..

He already lives cheek-by-jowl with players who drink, have questionable attitudes and earphones bigger than dustbin lids but he doesn't follow their lead. None of us know what Milner wants, although we do know he's ambitious. Maybe he'd want to see what we can offer him after the world cup before he starts being swayed by those around him? I'd hope that he knows he can do better than Man City.