Summer transfer rumours, speculation and out-and-out b*ll*cks.

[curiousorange]

Not convinced on Adam. Faded after Xmas. There are a lot of uncertainties around centre mid so it's a difficult one to call:

- can petrov sustain recent form
- will NRC stay
- will makoun adapt
- will delph, bannan and gardner push on

Adam would have been a huge waste of money in January. I think he would have been better had he gotten his move and not thrown his toys out of the pram so obviously, but not by much. Now if he does end up at B6, we'd have gotten him for a far more realistic price.

[Ads]

I like the look of Any Townsend's stunt double at Coventry.

As for Adam, I think the reason he's faded is because Liverpool and ourselves disrupted him.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Changed my mind totally about Kirkland.

MOTD showed the goals from the opening day of the season Wigan v Blackpool.

Kirkland was at fault for 3, maybe 4 of the goals.

[Dazvillain]

Read a stat the other day stating that Adam has given the most passes away more than any other Prem midfielder

[curiousorange]

Changed my mind totally about Kirkland.

MOTD showed the goals from the opening day of the season Wigan v Blackpool.

Kirkland was at fault for 3, maybe 4 of the goals.

Didn't change my mind, I always thought he was crap.

[Karl Bridges]

Ha ha snapping off of hands comes to mind, from Sportingo

Aston Villa are bracing themselves for a bid for defender James Collins from Liverpool when the transfer window reopens.

The Reds are already believed to be in negotiations for Villa’s Ashley Young while they have also been linked with moves for Stewart Downing and Stephen Warnock. However, manager Kenny Dalglish is also casting covetous glances towards Collins.

The Wales international has endured a topsy-turvy time this campaign mirroring hisclub’s have alternating form under Gerard Houllier. At his best, Collins is a classic obdurate defender who excels in the air and is confident in the tackle and he has been a resounding success since his £5m move from West Ham in 2009.

Now, Liverpool want to add him to their back line as they attempt to forge a team capable of challenging for the Premier League title next season. The forward division has already been strengthened with the January arrivals of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez and the next step is the reorganisation of the defence. With Jamie Carragher not getting any yiounger, a new centre back is paramount and Collins ticks every box needed to fit in at Anfield.

While the Reds will not want to be held to ransom, Villa will demand at least £14m for a man who at 27 years old is entering the prime years of his career.

[ozzjim]

If anyone offered anything around 10m plus for Collins we should bite their arms off!!!

Ditto 5 million for Dunne. Both have been better lately, but still look like Laurel and Hardy half the time.

Watched goals on Sunday and MOTD and Adam should be fined by Holloway for his display - just woeful giving away the ball so cheaply on just the highlights, so be interesting if that puts sides off.


Need a lot of rebuilding this summer though:

1GK
1 Right Back
1 Left Back
2 Centre Backs (on the premise Dunne and Cuellar will go, and possibly Collins)
1 Centre Mid
1 Winger to replace Ash
1 Number 10 to play behind Bent


So about 8 players. Don't think we will get them all, but they are needed - if we did and they are of the Bent quality we will do great next season.

[Toronto Villa]

Dunne can fuck off once the season is over. I wouldn't be completely against retaining Collins. However, if someone offered 10m for him then I'll fly back to England and drive him to his destination. Honestly, the papers just make up stuff, and pluck numbers out of the air. He's only 27, so if he can mend his ways with the manager, then he'd be a good role player.

[hartman_1982]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6880702,00.html
Bassong? Excellent at Newcastle and I really rate him

[KevinGage]

News of the World saying that Downing will be going to either Liverpool or Arsenal for £10m

3 points i want to make on this jamrag paper....

1. we brought Downing for £12m when he had a bad injury and now after the best season of his life he is only worth £10m

2. now we are "staying" in the premiership we need to build on our squad and not let hime move, Randy would never allow it

3. Downing said on sky sports just 2 weeks ago that he's owes a lot to Villa and he wouldn't leave even if we got relegated!

i can't believe what this paper says, also states that he would welcome the move to a bigger club!!!!! i am no longer going to read this shitty paper on a sunday - will stick to the sunday sport in future!

There's just too many of these rumours for there not to be something in it, serious interest from other sides at least.

There was mention on SSN towards the end of the window that 'sources close to Downing'  (agent by any chance) had confirmed there was definite interest from Liverpool.  Links before that with Sunderland (don't see that one happening anytime soon in fairness) and just this week reports on local radio that he was unsettled.

That might just be down to all the general shite that's gone on this year. And if it is, fair play to him for delivering the level of performance he has in the circumstances.

It wouldn't surprise me if he's off though. He might just look around at the rebuilding job that needs doing compared to other clubs and decide elsewhere is a better bet.

Don't see why anyone would think we'd be selling him for less than we paid mind. He's under contract,  improved since he came here, is a key part of the side and featuring regularly for England = worth less now than 2009?  Does not compute.

[Toronto Villa]

but aren't those rumours completely contradicted by recent comments that Downing actually made himself? About how he owes the club a huge debt for having faith in him when he was injured, and how he really enjoys playing here.

The papers will always pick on a "smaller" clubs better players and link them to the bigger clubs as if it is inevitable they want to leave. We are coming up to the summer window and the machine is already gearing itself up. Expect many more of these rumours, not just for us off course, but even at the biggest clubs. You're seeing Ronaldo to Milan right now as one, so we won't be immune, because it sells papers and creates conversation.

[eastie]

Downing would hardly be likely to say he wanted to leave would he-if liverpool want him i would expect him to want to go there as would be the case with any of our players sad to say.

We are a big club but liverpool are a much bigger club regretfully!
If however they did want him id expect is to be looking at closer to £20m than £10m.

As regards collins and dunne id be happy with £5m for each.

[Shrek]

One more win and we can start sorting contracts out on Downing and NRC and hopefully Ash.

Unfortunately we are in a sticky situation with Downing because we only gave him a 4 year deal instead of 5.

He 2 years left meaning next summer we will have to sell to recoup what we paid, unless he signs a new deal of course.

[Saunders9]

Is get Nzogbia from Wigan, Gradel from Leeds n maybe Grant Holt from Norwich tho not sure of his age

[midnite]

Now we're pretty much 99% safe. Any chance we can sack off gary mcallister and bring in Ray Wilkins? That would be a great addition to the squad in my view.