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

[Rigadon]

Lerner is never going to be the mouthpiece some seem to need. 
 

He doesn't have to be Rigadon, he just needs to get somebody on board with good PR skills and a reasonable knowledge of the football industry.

It appears to me that we have no one fitting that description at the club.

A fair point Rip.  A big pre season for P Faulkner who I have never really warmed to.

[Mazrim]

Yeah and he's contradicted himself a couple of times so why believe one "tweet" and not the other?
He knows more than most about what's going on but privy to Villa's spending power he is not.


What I know:
- Houllier was planning more signings in January than we made.
- Houllier and McALLister were lining up players for this summer.
- We've since signed our biggest ever sponsorship deal.
- We've since sold Ashley Young for £20m.
- We have a billionaire owner who has a record of giving managers money to spend.
- The wage bill has been reduced dramatically, which was the main issue.

I find it very difficult to marry all that up with some of the rumours lately.
I'm not saying there will be limitless money to spend and I would be suprised if he chose McLeish as the manager to spend large amounts but there will be a fair amount. Certainly more than simply to buy one keeper.
But we'll see.

[eastie]

Yeah, he also told Villa fans to their face that you dont tell the media how much you have to spend.
And after that speculative remark from Kendrick about only having money to spend on a keeper he wrote something else about having money for other targets a week later or something.

Did he? Can you show me?

[UsualSuspect]

I dont read AM saying he may not have much money to spend as some Steven hawking like cunning plan. Do you think Whelan at Wigan would watch that and think hmmmm Villa have said they ain't got much money I'll knock 3 million of Nzogbia

We have a billonaire owner, we have spent big on Bent - people know we aren't paupers

[eastie]

A billionaire owner yes- a bottomless pit, no.

[UsualSuspect]

A billionaire owner yes- a bottomless pit, no.

Exactly

So when people say we had 26 million from Milner and 16 for AY so we have X to spend - no we don't

RL has dipped into his pocket many times so what is to stop him saying to AM you have a tight budget because Im not spending any more money until I sort the wages out and address our losses?

To me AM saying he may not have money to spend was trying to manage our expectations

[Jockey Randall]

I'd imagine the losses we have made some money would go towards them - scroll through matt kendricks twitter if you wish to see them maz , you don't need to be a twitter member although a few posters have pasted his tweets on here in recent days as proof.

Seems fairly reliable as journalists go , but we will find out soon enough.

Something just came to mind with this, I'm sure I read Kendrick tweeted that the reason Lerner doesn't do interviews is because of some personal issue. Anyone else remember this?

[eastie]

That's how I see things too usual suspect,I think bent was a necessity as relegation was a real threat and would have been financial disaster- there comes a time when you are making record losses that you have to make cutbacks .

[eastie]

Yes jockey I read somewhere that randy had had personal family issues which the press had reported on and he hasn't dealt with the press ever since.

[UsualSuspect]

That's how I see things too usual suspect,I think bent was a necessity as relegation was a real threat and would have been financial disaster- there comes a time when you are making record losses that you have to make cutbacks .

Eastie agree with you 100%

Bent was a great signing, out of the blue and IMO he kept us up.

But just thinking we have sold 2 players for say 30 million so we have that to spend is naive.

I think it is also somewhat naive to think that the likes of Dann, Nzogbia, Parker etc will automatically come to us.

In my mind even Ronaldo would want to play for us but the harsh reality is that to a lot of players we aren't attractive

[Mazrim]

Yeah, he also told Villa fans to their face that you dont tell the media how much you have to spend.
And after that speculative remark from Kendrick about only having money to spend on a keeper he wrote something else about having money for other targets a week later or something.

Did he? Can you show me?

"Alex McLeish is actively looking to bolster his squad following a host of summer departures with the Frenchman one of his top priorities."

Last week. After saying there was (probably) only money for a keeper a week or so before.

The point being. Nobody knows how much we have to spend, including Mat Kendrick.

[eastie]

I would hope that if downing left then mcleish would get all the money to spend , kendrick did imply there was cash for a keeper plus any money generated by mcleish.

[Jockey Randall]

That's how I see things too usual suspect,I think bent was a necessity as relegation was a real threat and would have been financial disaster- there comes a time when you are making record losses that you have to make cutbacks .

Eastie agree with you 100%

Bent was a great signing, out of the blue and IMO he kept us up.

But just thinking we have sold 2 players for say 30 million so we have that to spend is naive.

I think it is also somewhat naive to think that the likes of Dann, Nzogbia, Parker etc will automatically come to us.

In my mind even Ronaldo would want to play for us but the harsh reality is that to a lot of players we aren't attractive

Unless you're in the Champions league or spending money all over the shop, who is attractive these days?

[Mazrim]

I would hope that if downing left then mcleish would get all the money to spend , kendrick did imply there was cash for a keeper plus any money generated by mcleish.

Not in the article I quoted from he didnt.
The Mail's message has been one of not letting Downing go. Therefore, if there is money for other targets as he said, its not from selling Downing.

See what I mean? Contradicting. Dont take any of it as gospel.
There is only one way of seeing what cards Randy has and that's after he's laid them down.

[Concrete John]

I dont read AM saying he may not have much money to spend as some Steven hawking like cunning plan. Do you think Whelan at Wigan would watch that and think hmmmm Villa have said they ain't got much money I'll knock 3 million of Nzogbia

We have a billonaire owner, we have spent big on Bent - people know we aren't paupers

Some people on here don't seem to!

And it isn't a case of Wigan dropping their valuation on N'Zogbia as they think we're broke, but rather no inflating it as they think we're rolling in it.