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

[Klaus Katt]

Max Gradel from Leeds looks a good replacement for Young. Don't know about his crossing.

[JD]

they've played a few games. I could name a load of non-entities from the youth team in DOL's time that could be included as 1st team players by that criteria - they weren't. Just kids making their way and if you really think someone like Herd has made it as a 1st team player now there's no hope for you.

I didn't say he had made it, I said he has paid for the first team. Your count was based on 'knocking out youth players' which they aren't. Don't change things to suit your own mind (which seems a scary place to be).

You are full of absolute crap Greg and will twist anything to meet your own argument when in fact you can't make it stand up.

Oh and by the way, there's shit loads of hope for me, I'm very successful in both my personal and work life, so life over here in New zealand is a box f fluffies for me. 

either way if you include the youth players from DOL's time then we still have a smaller squad which rather negates your point about me doctoring the figures

Seriously though Greg, without toying with you, I'm not happy with the current squad the same that you aren't. Whereas these young guys have played first team, it puts an awful burden on them for next season if we don't make another 3-4 decent established signings.
I think we are all getting frustrated with the non signings, especially after selling two of our best players for nearly $40 mill.  (sorry no pound sign on my PC).     

yep. i'm certainly getting annoyed but i'm getting more annoyed with people carping on about the club needing to reduce the squad size/salaries when with the best will in the world we're going to have to rely very much on the kids this year as it stands. Maybe when the general; decides to stop hiding he'll answer a few questions about it.

He won't answer it and probably shouldn't have to. We had a shit season last year, we have let players like Carew, Reo Coker, Friedel go, have sold our best two players (alledgedly) and have spent 3.5 mill and are quibbling over 1mill for a replacement winger.
It is very, very frustrating, as we all want to see Villa challenging for cups and a European place in the league.

[Concrete John]

Squad size comaprisons and where you make the cut off between youth and 1st team players is always going to split opinion.  I have no intention of doing this, but I'd guess you go back to the squad when DOL arrived/left and call it 20 games, so anyone from the youth who's played that many is 'in' and the rest not, then apply the same to our present squad.

But we all know it's not about size, but total wages.  Whatever the numbers, what we have now is costing us an awful lot more than what we had then, and that's the big issue.

[Greg N'Ash]

Squad size comaprisons and where you make the cut off between youth and 1st team players is always going to split opinion.  I have no intention of doing this, but I'd guess you go back to the squad when DOL arrived/left and call it 20 games, so anyone from the youth who's played that many is 'in' and the rest not, then apply the same to our present squad.

But we all know it's not about size, but total wages.  Whatever the numbers, what we have now is costing us an awful lot more than what we had then, and that's the big issue.

your probably right but it gets to the stage where further cuts becomes a false economy. you've got heskey, Beye, and Cuellar, at worse off the books next summer. It would be worth shouldering their salaries for a year and bringing in 3 decent players just to put some meat on the bones of the squad. As it stands we're 1 injury away from having to reply on the kids excelling themselves in so many positions. Yes we shouldn't have pissed millions away on shite players but at the end of the day they let MON do it and should take some responsibility. In other words, get yer wallet out Randy.

[eastie]

come on greg dont put a downer on things , we need to see if the younger lads are up to it and our squad is much better than you portray-we have potential and now they need to prove it , next summer we will know who has made it and we can address the situation with many big paid players out of contract then-this year will be a learning curve and mid table but next year we can push on .

[Greg N'Ash]

come on greg dont put a downer on things , we need to see if the younger lads are up to it and our squad is much better than you portray-we have potential and now they need to prove it , next summer we will know who has made it and we can address the situation with many big paid players out of contract then-this year will be a learning curve and mid table but next year we can push on .

Look as a fan, to me there's not much better than a homegrown youth player making the grade but we have to be sensible here. Say we lose Warnock or young through injury, and the kid who comes in has a nightmare which often happens with inconsistant young players. If you have a decent squad then you can take them out of firing line. As it stands, they're gonna have to sink or swim and in some cases you'll have a very promising young player with his confidence destroyed.

[James]

This, from the Daily Express via Sporting Life.com:

"Aston Villa will not increase their £9million bid for Charles N'Zogbia and will walk away from the deal if Wigan continue to stall for more money."

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

Max Gradel from Leeds looks a good replacement for Young. Don't know about his crossing.

There was talk of him joining Lille, not sure if it's a done deal though.

[Risso]

come on greg dont put a downer on things , we need to see if the younger lads are up to it and our squad is much better than you portray-we have potential and now they need to prove it , next summer we will know who has made it and we can address the situation with many big paid players out of contract then-this year will be a learning curve and mid table but next year we can push on .

We saw last season that they mostly weren't.  Not as regular starters in any case.

[UsualSuspect]

This, from the Daily Express via Sporting Life.com:

"Aston Villa will not increase their £9million bid for Charles N'Zogbia and will walk away from the deal if Wigan continue to stall for more money."

What a surprise

The 9 million that Nzogbia and his agent assumed he could leave for even though it was not written in his contract?

Fuck me just buy him or move on to someone else instead of fannying about

[Greg N'Ash]

this N'zogbia lark is just embarrassing now. Move on, there's better value abroad anyway.

[Ger Regan]

Embarrassing? Really?

[Greg N'Ash]

Embarrassing? Really?

I have no wish to see us get it up the hoop from Wigan twice in a month. they want 10m or so it seems, good luck to 'em. i'm sure there's a queue a mile long waiting to buy him (not!). Last thing we need now is to give 'em 10m and then have likes of Sunderland come in and offer him more wages

[eastie]

come on greg dont put a downer on things , we need to see if the younger lads are up to it and our squad is much better than you portray-we have potential and now they need to prove it , next summer we will know who has made it and we can address the situation with many big paid players out of contract then-this year will be a learning curve and mid table but next year we can push on .

We saw last season that they mostly weren't.  Not as regular starters in any case.

they are a year older now risso and id hope the likes of delph, bannan , clark, baker and the fonz will have learnt a lot last season -they will be stronger and if given their chance its down to them to grasp it-of course we would all love to sign 5 quality players but we must accept thats not an option and back the youngsters.

you have your options greg of stamping your feet and complaining about finance or going to the ground and supporting the players on the pitch -your choice my friend?

[Ger Regan]

I have no wish to see us get it up the hoop from Wigan twice in a month. they want 10m or so it seems, good luck to 'em. i'm sure there's a queue a mile long waiting to buy him (not!). Last thing we need now is to give 'em 10m and then have likes of Sunderland come in and offer him more wages

So it's embarrassing because of something that might (but in all likelihood won't) happen? Gotcha.