The Milner Novela... Final episode page 296

[Percy McCarthy]

If Jimmy does go, I hope it's during Millie Clode's shift on Sky Sports News. She could tell me we'd sold him to Small Heath and I'd still enjoy it.

[BannedUserIAT]

I'm going to afford myself a momentary glimpse of the dream scenario where Milner stays, perhaps signs a contract extension and then we go and sign Ireland anyway.

If you're going to dream, you may as well have the one I had last night.
Milner stays, we rub Man City's nose in it buy signing Ireland, we get that Pelligrino fella in as boss who insists on keeping K-Mac as first team coach. New boss signs top striker. We are Top 4. On the way, it's 0-0 in the 93rd minute against Man City and Barry lines up for a penalty. Friedel saves, ball gets hacked to Ashley who runs through 5 Man City players, feeds Big John who lays it off to Milner to smash it home.

During this whole drama-filled last few mins, Kylie has her hand in my pocket, telling me that John Carew Carew isn't bigger than me at all.

[*shellac*]

I'm going to afford myself a momentary glimpse of the dream scenario where Milner stays, perhaps signs a contract extension and then we go and sign Ireland anyway.

If you're going to dream, you may as well have the one I had last night.
Milner stays, we rub Man City's nose in it buy signing Ireland, we get that Pelligrino fella in as boss who insists on keeping K-Mac as first team coach. New boss signs top striker. We are Top 4. On the way, it's the 0-0 in the 93rd minute against Man City and Barry lines up for a penalty. Friedel saves, ball gets hacked to Ashley who runs through 5 Man City players, feeds Big John who lays it off to Milner to smash it home.

During this whole drama-filled last few mins, Kylie has her hand in my pocket, telling me that John Carew Carew isn't bigger than me at all.

In her Facebook, Susan Boyle mentioned she has a dream quite similar to yours last night.  She dreamt she was Kylie and was at Villa Park.  Was you?

[BannedUserIAT]

Thanks for pre-wrecking tonights dream for me!

In regard to Ireland being told to train with the reserves, I can't help but feel that Milner may reflect on this and wonder if this sort of humiliation will be his in a season or two. Let's not forget that Ireland was Man City's golden-balls. If it can happen to him - especially at the rate that they're trading players - it can happen to anyone.

[Mazrim]

Way to repackage my posts Troy. Ya great galah!

[*shellac*]

Thanks for pre-wrecking tonights dream for me!

In regard to Ireland being told to train with the reserves, I can't help but feel that Milner may reflect on this and wonder if this sort of humiliation will be his in a season or two. Let's not forget that Ireland was Man City's golden-balls. If it can happen to him - especially at the rate that they're trading players - it can happen to anyone.

My pleasure

Not just Ireland as an example, he could look at Adebayor too.  Probably behind Tevez & Balotelli in the striking option this season.

[jembob]

Thanks for pre-wrecking tonights dream for me!

In regard to Ireland being told to train with the reserves, I can't help but feel that Milner may reflect on this and wonder if this sort of humiliation will be his in a season or two. Let's not forget that Ireland was Man City's golden-balls. If it can happen to him - especially at the rate that they're trading players - it can happen to anyone.

You can only imagine that Milner must be thinking that he's joining a real circus. Not only are they messing about with his transfer and humiliating some of their existing players, but Mancini's tactics at the weekend were clueless. Spurs should have really hammered them and if it wasn't for Hart it would have been a dreadful start to the season for Citeh. Their formation was almost MON-esque in the naivety of set up - play 433, with 3 slow holding midfielders in the centre and 3 forwards that don't track back. Utterly brainless although Milner might see himself as the link between midfield and attack.

Either way, Citeh are looking like becoming a machine that signs much of the brightest talent, squanders it and spits it out 2 seasons down the road. Players would be well compensated I'm sure but it's a couple of years wasted out of a short playing career and I can only see genuine guys like Milner being ground down by that sort of setup. Hopefully there's still time for him to change his mind.

[Mr Diggles]

If Milner was being objective about it there are many reasons to think twice aabout joining City.
- why have they prevaricated and arsed about when he is one of their 'top' targets this summer?
- treatment of Bellamy (arguably their best player last year) and Ireland (player of the year twice) and Dunne before that
- why did Adam Johnson (the next big thing) not get a start on Saturday?
- will Milner get into the starting line up as often as he would at Villa?
- they looked poor against Spurs at the weekend, so it may not be the all-conquering team many in the media expected
- with that many 'top' players and big egos there is going to unrest there at some point this season, guaranteed.

All in all I think he could be perfectly correct to suspect his career will be better served by staying at Villa, especially in the short term. But is he being that objective?

[TimTheVillain]

I'd still prefer Ireland plus £18 million.

MIlner's a great player but he's no Messi.

He wants to go, that's enough for me.

[Hookeysmith]

This is what i dont get with Citeh

They throw huge amounts of money around on players that are simply not worth it then when a quality player of Milners ability is in the offing they are arguing the toss over money.

I did not hate them due to the windfall of money they have (like i did not begrudge Chelsea as deep down we all would have wanted it the same for us) but the way they have acted makes my blood boil - they really are chavs that have won the lottery - and guess what their pretty decent fans are now becoming as obnoxious as the United fans they used to hate.

I think it is all starting to fall apart at Wastelands new star striker with attitude problem states he does not want to be there, the Bellamy / Ireland issues that are done yet, Adebeyor rumbling about being 3rd choise, Given throwing his toys out

James if you are reading this then maybe in the future you will see that by staying with us you have had a lucky escape as i am sure all those ego's will come crashing down and they will bounce from amanager to manager until the Shieks get bored with it all

[Mr Diggles]

Even the Real Madrid 'galactico' experiment failed to a large degree, why would Milner think it would be any different at City when cracks of discontent, mismanagement, and general delusion is beginning to show?

If he goes there I have no doubt he will regret it in two or three seasons time when he is the next player that they banish to the reserves.

[midnite]

They're making Chelsea's antics when they first got took over look like the model way to run a club.
City don't have a clue! Mancini will be sacked by november and the new manager will want to spend £150 in the january window and sack off a load of players that are already there. Milner could be one of them. He really shouldn't go. Yes £18 million would be nice but i'd rather keep Milner.

[jonzy85]

I can't help feeling that if we had a new manager in place or lined up that it might sway Milner's opinion to stay.

As it is there is a certain amount of instability at Villa, albeit with the feel good factor from Saturday.

But it was just one result. Even if K-Mac is to get the job, I think it would do us the world of good if Randy et al kept Milner in the picture.

If he does go to City, I cant see where he is going to fit in the team.

Mancini is playing with 3 'holding' midfielders. Cant see Milner being deployed there and besides they have about 5 players for there already.

The alternative is that he is one of the attacking 3, playing out wide. I think we all know how much better he is playing in the centre as he does for us.

I just dont see that position being available in City's team. It's one of the reasons Ireland is on his way out. Irrespective of the Milner deal, we should be looking to sign him and I think I will.

Also City have made some blunder letting it be known publicly what is holding up the Ireland transfer. They will have to cave in to some extent and once again they will have been taken for ransom in the glare of the media. They would have been far better off cutting a deal quickly with Ireland.

[Monty]

Anyone see that Stuart James thing in the Guardian?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/aug/16/aston-villa-manchester-city-james-milner

He tends to get these things right, must have a good contact or something. Anyway, seems Milner's set his own deadline on the deal, or he'll just stay. Have to say, if this isn't at least partially the result of the weekend's game I'll be very surprised. I can imagine that at the beginning of the summer there wasn't the greatest mood around the club, what with the pessimistic way we ended the season and MON's potential resignation. He then goes off for England duty and perhaps suspects that greener grass lies elsewhere when he sees players from other teams in far better spirits than those at Villa. He comes back, he hears about the situation with the wage bill, tells chairman, manager and chief executive that he wants to go, has a fall out with MON and doesn't play while the seemingly inevitable transfer takes its course. Then comes MON's resignation, and the liberating effect it has on the players. He finds that he's still at the club for the West Ham game, and plays his heart out, finding that the fans respond not only to him but to the rest of the exciting display, with plenty of promise for the future, while at the same time a joyless Man City scrape to a draw at White Hart Lane in a similar way to how we did last season, he hears of the way that the likes of Bellamy and Ireland have been treated, and thinks to himself that staying at Villa wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. So, still wanting in a perfect world to leave, he sets his deadline that he'll live by, whatever the consequences.

I still expect him to leave, as I can't believe Cook will risk upsetting Mancini this much (he's surely already pissed off everyone else at the club) by refusing to sanction a pay-off for Ireland that amounts to Yaya Toure in two months. Still, nice to see that they're as much of a madhouse as I'd hoped.

[Hookeysmith]

I think it would be ahuge boost to us if James came out and pledged his future with ut

Would be a huge confidence thing for randy, club, players and fans

Would make the obvious statement that all was not well at the club in MON's final months

Would show city up for the classless wankers we all knew they were