The Milner Novela... Final episode page 296

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I’m not criticising him for making money, I just think we should call a spade a spade. He’s going for the money. If you want to win things in Manchester, then you go to Man United.

They can't afford him.

And that's fair enough. If you're after medals, then perhaps the side that just won the double?

That's all by the bye.

The fact is, he's got a choice between staying with us or going to Man City, where, yes, he will earn far more money but, like it or not, he's got more chance of winning things or playing CL football than he has with us.

The fact he'd do even better going to Man United or Chelsea doesn't really come into it.

I’m not sure if says more about the quality of Milner or the state of the modern game to be honest.

[phantom limb]

From The Times

James Milner finally looks set to move to Manchester City after Aston Villa accepted a £27.5 million package in which Stephen Ireland would move in the opposite direction.

The England midfield player was pulled out of Villa’s friendly with Valencia last night as the Barclays Premier League clubs grew ever closer to a compromise deal. After a week of negotiations, City have agreed to pay a fee in excess of an initial £15 million that would rise to about £20 million once Milner achieves certain targets.

Although the deal could be slowed down because Milner is likely to be summoned to go away with England tomorrow night, in preparation for Wednesday’s friendly with Hungary, that would allow Martin O’Neill, the Villa manager, time in which he can convince Ireland that his future lies at Villa Park and also do a deal to bring in Aiden McGeady as his replacement from Celtic.

“We are close with Milner,” Mancini, whose club have spent about £75 million this summer, said last night. City’s signings include Yaya Touré, Aleksandar Kolarov, David Silva and Jérôme Boateng.

The wheels of the deal will move more swiftly if O’Neill can do his own part-exchange to entice McGeady from Celtic. The Glasgow side have accepted a £9.5 million bid from Spartak Moscow for the 24-year-old, but McGeady would prefer to join Villa.

Celtic would like to sign Nicky Shorey, who is surplus to requirements at Villa Park, and if they can persuade him to move to Scotland rather than West Bromwich Albion, O’Neill could offer Celtic £7.5 million plus Shorey for the winger he groomed in his time in charge at Celtic Park. Mancini is also hoping to secure the services of Mario Balotelli, the Inter Milan forward, before the transfer window closes, despite City’s offer of £25 million for the player being £5 million below Inter’s valuation.

“We are probably closer with Milner than with Balotelli,” Mancini said. “We are close, but we have time.”

So we are getting Ireland then? It's a shame to see Milner go but this seems like a pretty damn good deal to me. Shorey buggering off at the same time is like Christmas.

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That means Milner will be play Champions league from this time next year onwards

Barry thought that this time last year.

They’re obviously geared up for success with the money they’re throwing at the situation, but I think the biggest could possibly prove to be keeping on Mancini and not chucking millions at Mourinho.

Watching Man City against Man United, ourselves and Spurs confirmed to me that the bloke has no bottle when it comes to the crunch and I’d be surprised if he’s still the ring master come the end of the season.

We’ll see I suppose.

[pauliewalnuts]

I’m not criticising him for making money, I just think we should call a spade a spade. He’s going for the money. If you want to win things in Manchester, then you go to Man United.

They can't afford him.

And that's fair enough. If you're after medals, then perhaps the side that just won the double?

That's all by the bye.

The fact is, he's got a choice between staying with us or going to Man City, where, yes, he will earn far more money but, like it or not, he's got more chance of winning things or playing CL football than he has with us.

The fact he'd do even better going to Man United or Chelsea doesn't really come into it.

I’m not sure if says more about the quality of Milner or the state of the modern game to be honest.

It doesn't really make much difference, sadly.

They're going to pay him more money and they're better placed to do things.

It is depressing as fuck, but I don't really blame him for it. I'd probably do the same in his boots, and I'm a Villa fan.

In fact, of course I would do the same.

That means Milner will be play Champions league from this time next year onwards

Barry thought that this time last year.

Difference is that they're now another year down the line, and a lot stronger. Look at their squad, it is very strong.

Throwing huge amounts of money at it does not guarantee instant success, but eventually it is bound to pay off. They'll probably drop a lot of bollocks, sack a few managers, go through a fair amount of strife, but they'll get there in the end. On the flip side, though, achieving success without huge amounts of money is pretty impossible.

There's a good chance Manchester City will win the league again in my lifetime. There is next to no chance Aston Villa will. Depressing.

[ozzjim]

Agree re the manager there, but lets face it, at some point they will throw the cash at a Hiddink or Mourinho and start winning a lot of football matches.

16 million, with add ons to 20 and Stephen Ireland who this time last year you would have paid Milner and some cash for, is a bloody good deal.

McGeady, well we will have to see how he does, but if he is creative at least it is a step in the right direction and Robbie Keane we know will get 10-15 league goals and generally be much more creative than any of our other forwards. Basically straight swapping those 3 for Milner will probably mean we are likely to score more and be better to watch.

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I disagree with doing the same, but then I already posted my fantasy mad man football lifestyle elsewhere.

I don’t blame him either really. That doesn’t mean I like him for it and why should I? We all have an emotional attachment to the club and I don’t like the idea of being used as a rung on the ladder- even though that’s the game. We can all accept that players come and go, we all know it’s a business and a profession to them, but that doesn’t mean we should smile and enjoy that side of the sport.

[ozzjim]

Agree totally Ads, and he will be called a greedy f many times by me when on the box this season playing in his new girly shirt with his new girly pals that are all having a love in for the cash, but it does not mean that in the cold light of day I would not do the same. It is too much money, and their careers are too short to turn it down.

[achilles]

Do people really believe that 500 million in 2-3 years and City won't win the title at some point. Man for man they now have as strong a squad as any in the league, and yeah they have to get some of them playing at their best, but they should be at least top 4. That means Milner will be play Champions league from this time next year onwards, knowing he is a homegrown one, and earning over 100k a week while doing it. He is making the decision any of us would make, even as Villa fans. Safeguarding the rest of his life, he has his head screwed on does Milner. Comes from a fairly middle class background, and will see the value in the move.

Can't really argue with that but it doesn't make it any the more palatable.

[pmk1981]

right it has been made more or less clear that he is off to man city to keep the bench warm along with barry.

we are possibly getting 27.5 million and an potentally equally good play in stephen ireland who scores more goals from open play.

i for one can say im happy with that

with the rest of the cash go and get a goal scorer in robbie keane and possibly mcgeady as backup on the wings

after this all going through i think we will have a much much better team than if milner stayed !!!

[Legion]

No need for McGeady. We have plenty of options there.

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I still think we'll be a central player light. If NRC is going to stay and be used, then that's not too bad. But we're still left with an injured Delph and Petrov as our industry in there.

[pmk1981]

i think we just need squad players in case of injuries.  towards the end of the season players were tired and we didnt have any quality to bring in

[old man villa fan]

No need for McGeady. We have plenty of options there.

Agree with that.  We are struggling to fit Young and Downing into the same side and have Albrighton as well.

I will be disappointed if we sign him as the money can be far better spent in other areas i.e. forward, right back, central midfield and a couple of good young players for the future.  Milner money will not stretch this far so will need topping up.

[pauliewalnuts]

i think we just need squad players in case of injuries.  towards the end of the season players were tired and we didnt have any quality to bring in

I don't.

I honestly don't think more cover is going to make much difference. We had it last year and didn't really use it, certainly as the season got longer.

Sooner or later we are going to have to increase the "peaks" of our team - replace our first teamers with better players.

If we don't do that, then we'll scratch around 6th or so ad infinitum.

[Mazrim]

There's a good chance Manchester City will win the league again in my lifetime. There is next to no chance Aston Villa will. Depressing.

Fucking hell Paulie, that's right up there with the most unbelievably miserable posts I've ever read.
Who know's what's going to happen in the near future, never mind in 10, 20 or 40 years time?
Did Man City envisage being in the postion they are now a few years ago? I very much doubt it.

I personally think the money bubble will burst eventually and the mega rich will get bored and find something else to do and give us our game back in some form of normality or other. And if they dont, fuck it because I'm happy with who we've got and short of insisting Randy becomes 10 times as rich overnight I'm not sure what can be done about it money wise.

By the way, you're not terminally ill or something are you?