The Milner Novela... Final episode page 296

[dave.woodhall]

Just had a tweet from @VillaNews saying it's 'SPECULATION' Done deal. Cash + Ireland.

Must be true then.

You think?

I don't.

Three phrases that mean "Ignore me":

ITK
Done deal
100% correct.

[PaulTheVillan]

Can I just say that Milner isn't going any where. 14 August v West Ham no. 8 shirt  will say MILNER.

Haha.

[boboonthecorner]

Just had a tweet from @VillaNews saying it's 'SPECULATION' Done deal. Cash + Ireland.

I'd hope that's true, Ireland would be ideal and has the craft we need. Although I wouldn't want him and Petrov as a midfield two, we'd have to have someone to do the leg work.

I just want an end to this now. .....

All this talk of him not asking for a move is bollocks, he's just trying to not look the bad guy. He could of come out and said something similar to Ashley Young ages ago if he wasn't such a money grabbing c**t, get rid ASAP.

[JUAN PABLO]

The more I think of this now. Lets get the bloody deal wrapped up and get Ireland. If its 15 million plus Ireland , so be it..

Reading the Man shitty forums, they sound absolutely gutted to lose Ireland .

I wish I could get an update, but Ive lost my bloody mobile..













I like this post from somebody off there



Stevie played well the other night, he was our threat going forward with several decent through passes and also showed determination to track back making two very good tackles to win back the ball. Got tired in the second half, which is understandable.

I think he will be back to his best this season and if he is then we will have another £30+ million pound player on our books.

Selling him to any club in the prem will be a disaster, besides City are his footballing family and that is priceless.

Keep him at all costs!!!

[SoccerHQ]

Ireland has scored 11 league goals over the previous two seasons, Milner 10.

Difference is most of Milners have been from penalties so Ireland carries a great goalscoring threat from central midfield in open play which we don't get from Petrov and NRC who hardly score at all.

[TimTheVillain]

Our Jimmy is back tomoroow, physically speaking.

Can't see him doing a lot of training, can you ??

[JUAN PABLO]

Ireland has scored 11 league goals over the previous two seasons, Milner 10.

Difference is most of Milners have been from penalties so Ireland carries a great goalscoring threat from central midfield in open play which we don't get from Petrov and NRC who hardly score at all.

Ireland has probably palyed less full matches last season too.  

I think if Ireland and Keane ARE coming,   we will definetely be scoring more goals than last season.

[BannedUserIAT]

Our Jimmy is back tomoroow, physically speaking.

Can't see him doing a lot of training, can you ??

Good. Put him on the diet that saw Robert whatsisname lose all that weight.
With extra breakfast pudding.

[hawkeye]

If he doesnt hand in a tranfer request i take it Villa pay his signing on fee? Surely that and agent fees have to be £3m ie 10%.

the conjecture about him not getting a fee from villa if he hasnt written a transfer request is bogus.
If he indicated he wanted to leave then he has effectively said he would like to be released from his contract, if citeh make an offer they are saying they want him released from his contract, at that point Villa can determine and negotiate how the contract is voided

[SoccerHQ]

Ireland has scored 11 league goals over the previous two seasons, Milner 10.

Difference is most of Milners have been from penalties so Ireland carries a great goalscoring threat from central midfield in open play which we don't get from Petrov and NRC who hardly score at all.

Ireland has probably palyed less full matches last season too.  

I think if Ireland and Keane ARE coming,   we will definetely be scoring more goals than last season.

Ireland only did score two league goals last season but then again minimal starts.

I was also surprised to discover Downing scored nine league goals for Boro in 07/08 with only two of them being pens (before following up with zero the next season when Boro went down re-inforcing my belief Downing very much is a confidence player).

[Dante Lavelli]

Doesn't the 25-man squad increase is you have homegrown players.  Or is it just youngsters that can increase the 25-players in the squad?

[Greg N'Ash]

Guardian

James Milner is expected to hold talks with Martin O'Neill when he returns to Aston Villa for pre-season training tomorrow, with the furore last week about his future still fresh in the mind. The England international was given an extended break following the World Cup finals but he is due to report to the club's Bodymoor Heath training ground tomorrow morning, where it is anticipated he will meet the manager to discuss his position.

Milner was deeply upset last Thursday, when O'Neill claimed that he had "intimated" he wanted to leave the club during a meeting held at the end of the season in the wake of Manchester City making a £20m offer for the midfielder. The 24‑year‑old also rejected the suggestion that Villa had offered him a new contract. Villa, however, have maintained that O'Neill was correct in both cases, leading to an unsavoury dispute between player and club.

Whether that can be resolved when Milner reports back tomorrow, together with his England team-mates Emile Heskey and Stephen Warnock, remains to be seen. There are no talks officially scheduled but there is an acceptance that both parties will want to clear the air before Villa prepare to head for Portugal on Wednesday, when the inclusion or exclusion of Milner's name from the party that travels to the Algarve will be revealing.

City had been expected to return with an improved second and final £24m offer before then, but as yet Villa have yet to receive another bid. Villa's asking price is closer to £30m, a valuation that City are unwilling to meet and one that raises the prospect of a cash-plus-player deal, with Stephen Ireland remaining the most likely of the numerous players on the periphery at Eastlands who have been told they can leave this summer, to be used as a makeweight.

Before then Milner could find himself in the uncomfortable position of having to face the Villa supporters, many of whom will have turned against him as a result of O'Neill's comments last week. Villa take on Walsall in a friendly on Tuesday and, although it is unlikely Milner will start or even appear as a substitute after only one day of pre-season training, there is a chance he will be present at the game at Walsall's Banks's Stadium.

Milner, though, is said to be unperturbed about the prospect of receiving a hostile reception from Villa fans. A source close to the player said the former Leeds United trainee maintains he has done nothing wrong and that he would continue to be totally committed when wearing a Villa shirt, whether he was appearing for the reserve team or the first team. Furthermore, he intends to applaud the Villa supporters irrespective of any taunting that might come his way.

Although Milner has a reputation for being one of the hardest trainers and most dedicated players, his professional approach when he returns to the club today is also likely to be influenced by the realisation that there is no guarantee City will come up with the funds to meet Villa's demands. City, despite their extraordinary wealth, have made it clear that they will not be held to ransom and believe that an offer that doubles the £12m Villa paid Newcastle United for Milner two years ago is more than reasonable.

[Monty]

The only really interesting thing there is the fact that an offer as not been forthcoming before Milner returns to training. Whether there's anything to read into with that, time will tell.

[Dante Lavelli]

At the reported 4m I'd like to think that Villa could bid for Flamini anyway.  He's be Milner's replacement should he leave and probably Petrov's replacement if Milners stays.

I'd love MON to complete that transfer so the mood around the club changed.  Basically I don't like the fact that our pre-season/transfer window appears to be dependent on Man City bidding for our player.

[phantom limb]

The bit about him wanting to applaud the fans even if they are booing him does make me feel a tinge of sympathy (if actually true). It's a shame we don't get a chance to bellow abuse at the agent who's clearly shit-stirring his way to a big pay off, and instead the player gets all the flak.