Andreas Weimann

[QBVILLA]

I fully expect players to leave if there is money on the table elsewhere. Man U, who win everything, offer the glamour and everything else have been held to ransom in recent years by Ferdinand and Rooney. Lost Tevez to City as well. What chance Villa where there has been no silverware for 17yrs? I find it easier to expect zero loyalty from the players and just enjoy good players in their time with us.

As has been mentioned many times elsewhere they'll get first team football at Villa.  At a place like Man City they'll be a very small fish in a very big ocean full of superstars and you've seen what happens to young players who get a move to Man City recently.  I'd say for someone like Weimann to move to City at this stage of his career could be highly damaging and that staying at Villa would be the much better option.

Or you could look at it that it is a short career and the money on offer is the biggest factor. Would Young and Milner have had more game time if they stayed with us? Rodwell at Everton? Sinclair at Swansea?
I agree with you that it should be about football but hand on heart if it was me being offered (for example) £15k a week at Villa for first team football or £60k a week to warm the bench elsewhere i'd take the cash. These players are only one bad tackle away from retirement so money has to talk.

[MoetVillan]

QB, I disagree.  I think the reason they take the option to go to a big team is because they think and believe they can break into the team and stay there.  Thats why they are where they are, belief.  I think if they honestly know they are just going to be a benchwarmer, not many of them would take it.  They want to play.  Thats why they gave up so much of their life to train week in week out

[Ads]

People really think Inter are interested and this isn't just another "Come on Villa, chuck another £5,000 on the package"?

[QBVILLA]

QB, I disagree.  I think the reason they take the option to go to a big team is because they think and believe they can break into the team and stay there.  Thats why they are where they are, belief.  I think if they honestly know they are just going to be a benchwarmer, not many of them would take it.  They want to play.  Thats why they gave up so much of their life to train week in week out

I'd like to believe you are right and daresay there are some players who fit that description but with the money that is on offer it has to turn heads. The gulf between the wages paid at the likes of City and United to the Villa's and Everton's of this world these days is a lot bigger than it was even ten years ago. Nothing should be taken for granted in a footballer's career and the chance to be financially secure for life is one very few would resist in any walk of life in my opinion. That's why there are so few one club men these days. Outside of the very wealthiest clubs who have players who amass three/four hundred games these days? We had Barry and when he left after eleven years he got called a greedy bastard lol.
Loyalty is a trait exclusive to fans. Players and staff have their own personal agendas and that's the way it is.

[onje_villa]

Andi is one player I think that genuinely loves the club, he appreciates it and as long as we offer him a good deal he'll sign up. After all he's young and he'll carry on getting rave reviews by staying at the club.

Only two things could scupper it:

Us ballsing it up by offering a pittance
Playing in the Championship

[paul_e]

I reckon they will see the potential at Villa, the ambition of the manager and stay....

 As long as the chairman and CEO are ready to back the manager's vision (and we stay up, of course) I have no fears that our betters players will stay and want to kick on with our club.

This is the problem.  I think players will feel betrayed by the board following the last transfer window where we all but rolled over and surrendered.  The lack of foresight by the board in not reinforcing the squad and particularly the defense was staggering.  If we do stay up it will be by the skin of our teeth.   How is a player supposed to read 'ambition' through those lines?

If any decent offers come in for our better players I suspect they will be off.  And frankly you couldn't really blame them, notwithstanding most of us think the manager has potential.

I actually think the exact opposite is true.  The players were in a massive rut and as a club we backed them to have the quality to see us out, I think a lot of the players will have huge respect for Lambert showing them his backing in such a risky way.  We have a young side that are growing together and a manager willing to put his reputation on the line to back them, I think that will have some sway with keeping players at the club (the ones Lambert wants to keep at least).  I firmly believe Andi will sign a new deal early in the summer.

[Billy Walker]

I reckon they will see the potential at Villa, the ambition of the manager and stay....

 As long as the chairman and CEO are ready to back the manager's vision (and we stay up, of course) I have no fears that our betters players will stay and want to kick on with our club.

This is the problem.  I think players will feel betrayed by the board following the last transfer window where we all but rolled over and surrendered.  The lack of foresight by the board in not reinforcing the squad and particularly the defense was staggering.  If we do stay up it will be by the skin of our teeth.   How is a player supposed to read 'ambition' through those lines?

If any decent offers come in for our better players I suspect they will be off.  And frankly you couldn't really blame them, notwithstanding most of us think the manager has potential.

I get no impression at all that the players feel betrayed - I would hope they feel motivated and encouraged by having a manager who trusts and believes in them. 

[Steve R]

A precedent has been set with young players going to clubs for money rather than first team football.

I would also think that barring the financially metal - Chelsea or Man City - we ought to be able to offer a similar deal to anything he might get elsewhere. Arsenal for example are unlikely to come in with a 70k a week offer.

Unless he's asking for 60-70k on the basis that he's been every bit as productive as Darren Bent and more, something should be possible.

The key bit of that Inter article, which I assume came from his agent, was the 'if Villa fail to sign him...' bit. It may be a different story when his next contract comes up, but I think we'll keep him this time around.

[MoetVillan]

If I had seen a bunch of older players coming in, expecting to just walk into the team, i think that would have had a demotivating effect on me.  You could argue our better performances as a team have come since the transfer window.  It may not have seemed like a "successful" transfer window to a fan, but maybe it was more than valuable to the players themselves?  Who has really kicked on since January in the bottom half?  Sunderland??  Newcastle?? QPR??

[Nelly]

I fully expect players to leave if there is money on the table elsewhere. Man U, who win everything, offer the glamour and everything else have been held to ransom in recent years by Ferdinand and Rooney. Lost Tevez to City as well. What chance Villa where there has been no silverware for 17yrs? I find it easier to expect zero loyalty from the players and just enjoy good players in their time with us.

This is my outlook in it too.

[dave.woodhall]

I'm certain that the reason for our lack of January activity was the manager's belief in the current squad. Whether he's right is something we'll soon find out.

[eastie]

I'm certain that the reason for our lack of January activity was the manager's belief in the current squad. Whether he's right is something we'll soon find out.

So do you believe more money was available to him then , Dave?

[MoetVillan]

I reckon more money was available, but likely wasnt enough to get the player(s) he wanted, and he didnt want to waste the money on players that didnt fit with his plans

[eastie]

I reckon more money was available, but likely wasnt enough to get the player(s) he wanted, and he didnt want to waste the money on players that didnt fit with his plans

Or maybe the players he wanted were not available in January but may be in the summer?

[Irish villain]

I'm certain that the reason for our lack of January activity was the manager's belief in the current squad. Whether he's right is something we'll soon find out.

That is amazing. Brave man if true.