Ash won't sign a new contract till the summer.

[not3bad]

Oh good another saga is going to start.

I was just going to post when are we going to change the thread title to " The Young Novella"

I remember the first 3 pages of this thread...

EDIT: Except we're now on page 4.

[Quiet Lion]

Sell him in the summer, replace and move forward.

He wants to go and it is a small time move trying to hold on to players when they want to leave. Lets just get a good price and move on.

[Rigadon]

Now it's happening to the 'big clubs' like Man Utd there will be more of a discussion about this whole business of contracts and their worth. 

Really, what is the point of contracts anyway aside from a marker to how much a player is worth / not worth?  It's this issue that makes me wonder if Young & agent is actually after a move this Christmas as the club will not want it's best player running his contract down. 

Spurs after Christmas. 

[PeterWithesShin]

Not much of a surprise really, and in the same situation (taking my Villa hat off) i'd probably do the same if i'm honest. In each of the last 2 summers he's seen our best player leave. In the past year we've signed one part-ex player. And we have a new manager which could lead to him to want to take the time to see how things go on and off the pitch.

And on the potential plus side, for the rest of the season he's either going to be playing for a new contract with us (the better he plays the more ££ he can ask/demand) or playing for a move. Either way it could be motivation to him finding the form of a couple of years ago, and a flying AY can only be beneficial, even if it is only short term.

And the main reason i'm not going to slit my wrists over it is even if he goes, Villa will go on. We've lost better players than him in the past. And I really can't be arsed over a player anymore.

[Pete]

This would have bothered me far more twelve months ago, before Albrighton had showed he's good enough and Downing had started coming good.

[PaulWinch again]

Problem as much as anything is the message it sends. It's hardly reassuring to those at the club and prospective purchases that we sell our best player each summer(obviously if it happens again).

[Concrete John]

As good as Ash is, since Randy has come in we've shown we can get top money for any of our players that other clubs try to pilfer.  Even with a year/18 months on his contract I'd expect £15m-£20m, which added to the Milner money would give Gexxa a great war chest to start his signings with.

Still not convinced he won't stay though.

[Brend'Watkins]

As Fergie said...

"Cows, don't you just love 'em"

or something like that.

[VillaAlways]

This would have bothered me far more twelve months ago, before Albrighton had showed he's good enough and Downing had started coming good.
[/quote



Then Albrighton continues to improve,plays for England gets his head turned and so it continues

[not3bad]

Well he'd better put a few shifts in for us between now and the end of the season.

[dave.woodhall]

Two years ago, a major loss. Now, an inconvenience. Who's to say Gez wants him long-term anyway?

[PaulWinch again]

I suppose Ireland is perfect for the role Gez wants Ash to play anyhow.

[Concrete John]

I suppose Ireland is perfect for the role Gez wants Ash to play anyhow.

I'm not so sure Gezza does want him to play there exclusively.

Ash started playing there pre-season under MON and K-Mac kept him there.  Houllier hasn't really chaged the majority of the first team too much yet, so has stuck with the 4-4-1-1 formation.  Once Gabby is fit I wouldn't be too surprised to see us play some games in a 4-4-2, which would mean Ash wide, or as we did against Chelsea with Irealnd behind the striker.

The bit of rotation he's hinted at would mean Ash playing both centrally and wide as the season progresses.

[Toronto Villa]

It will only be a saga if we make it one. Taking a devil's advocate approach, let's say he does get his head down and becomes again the player we know he can be. If he still decides to leave, good for us as his transfer value will go up. If he stays, good for us, as we will have some player. Either way, I don't get the impression with Houllier he'll be the only player that can do what he does. We all know there are technically gifted players all across Europe, Africa, S.America etc that are as good or better than Ash and I hope that the future of Villa sees more of those players arriving as opposed to us just relying on one.

[Mazrim]

Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves eh?

Why cant it be just as he said and that he'll leave contract negotiation until next summer?
Its fine by me. Theres no rush and if at the end of it all he wants out, fine.
I really hope he stays though.
He puts in plenty of effort and is a class player, one of our best in recent times.
Some of the criticism lately from Villa fans has been a disgrace to be honest.