SSN: "Downing won't commit to Villa"

[Chris Smith]

Typical of the modern day footballer - showed no loyalty to Boro and now ourselves  - he`s not even going to play in Europe next season, so I can only presume its for more moeny.
There is a decent player in there but lets face it - he is hardly a totally committed 100% type. For me we will miss Ashley more if only for his work rate.
With Young , Coker and Milner gone who will be stepping up to be "the engine room of the side" - its all quite worrying right now.

When some of our own fans are turning their back on the club it's little surprise that some of the players do the same.

"Turning my back on the Villa" involves making a decision whether to renew my season ticket bearing in mind the increased costs of doing so (ticket prices up, fuel prices up etc) when my salary is 30% down on what I was earning 2 years ago.

Furthermore is the experience enjoyable and worth the expense?

Meanwhile Young and possibly Downing, "turn their back"  for an extra £50K per week - is that really the same ?

It's the same thought process, though. You have an expectation of what you should get get out of going to the Villa and are questioning whether you'll get that next season. That's fair enough but isn't it just what he's doing from a playing perspective?

[pauliewalnuts]

I don't really see any commonality between players paid millions demanding moves after one decent season and supporters questioning whether they can justify the best part of 600 odd quid for a season ticket.

[Greg N'Ash]

20m minimum. that gives us 40m if Lerner gives Mcliesh the money from sales.  6-7, 6-8m pound players to rebuild our squad and finally put to rest the whole MON mistake. just gotta pray Mcliesh can pick-up quality players for those sort of fee's. The worst bit is we're losing the more reliable players in the squad and still have the deadwood and troublemakers.

[Clark W Griswold]

Bye Bye you rat faced prick. I hope you rot in the Liverpool reserves.

[PaulWinch again]

Villa desperately need to show some ambition now, it's almost like we are on the brink.

[Billy Walker]

This is all reminding me a bit of (although, on a lesser scale) the dismantling of the Saunders/Barton team when Doug and Graham Turner came on board.

The philosophy behind it all seems pretty similar: cut costs, sell the better players and replace with youth and, possibly, cut price bargains.  It's a strategy that can work if you get the right manager in.  I do think McLeish has a whole lot more about him than Turner...but then again has he as much to offer as Billy McNeill?  I just don't know - I certainly hope so.

[Pete3206]

Villa desperately need to show some ambition now, it's almost like we are on the brink.

Unfortunately, the ambition ended when club appointed Alex McCleish. I don't dislike the new Villa manager, but he won't attract big names and players with ambition don't want to wallow in mediocrity.

[pauliewalnuts]

Villa desperately need to show some ambition now, it's almost like we are on the brink.

Absolutely agree

[Chris Smith]

I don't really see any commonality between players paid millions demanding moves after one decent season and supporters questioning whether they can justify the best part of 600 odd quid for a season ticket.

The motives are pretty similar i reckon. If it looked like we might win the league next season then Downing would not want to leave and fans would be  more likely to justify spending the money. I wasn't singling VCTM out here as his situation isn't typical but making a more general point about not being seen as an attractive option.

At the moment I doubt we're living up to the way he was sold the club when he signed in the same way that some supporters feel let down by the perceived lack of ambition.

[citizenDJ]

Good players leaving us is a pain in the arse, to say the least.

I think it paints a picture of just how we are viewed as a club, in many ways. We seem to be the club that is the step between 'the rest' and 'the best'. We can attract the players from the clubs below us, and offer a good shot at being noticed by England and, ultimately, by the clubs in the Champions League or who are splashing out a LOT of money.

It might not be palatable, but that's how I view it, and I have done for a long time in truth - before and since Randy Lerner took over. It's going to take a manger of considerable talent, and no little amount of luck, to take us from that position to Champions League. I doubt that McLeish is that good, although I hope he's lucky.

[Greg N'Ash]

This is all reminding me a bit of (although, on a lesser scale) the dismantling of the Saunders/Barton team when Doug and Graham Turner came on board.

The philosophy behind it all seems pretty similar: cut costs, sell the better players and replace with youth and, possibly, cut price bargains.  It's a strategy that can work if you get the right manager in.  I do think McLeish has a whole lot more about him than Turner...but then again has he as much to offer as Billy McNeill?  I just don't know - I certainly hope so.

reminds me more of the fall-out from Gregory's reign but on a bigger scale. Only overpaid players with little market value left at the club so we're now plunging headlong into austerity. Thing is DOL and GT could spot a bargain, not sure AM can

[PeterWithe]

I've long given up on expecting any sort of loyalty from players, if he wants out lets negotiate the best price and he can sling his hook.

[villa for life]

As far as I can see, the only thing that needs to be handled carefully in this matter, is the timing. So as not to dampen morale, it would be better to get a couple of players in before he leaves.

[hilts_coolerking]

At the moment I doubt we're living up to the way he was sold the club when he signed in the same way that some supporters feel let down by the perceived lack of ambition.

If players are leaving and supporters are not renewing then you'd have to say it's a pretty widely held perception and consequently that there might well be some truth in it.

[Clampy]

This is all reminding me a bit of (although, on a lesser scale) the dismantling of the Saunders/Barton team when Doug and Graham Turner came on board.

The philosophy behind it all seems pretty similar: cut costs, sell the better players and replace with youth and, possibly, cut price bargains.  It's a strategy that can work if you get the right manager in.  I do think McLeish has a whole lot more about him than Turner...but then again has he as much to offer as Billy McNeill?  I just don't know - I certainly hope so.

reminds me more of the fall-out from Gregory's reign but on a bigger scale. Only overpaid players with little market value left at the club so we're now plunging headlong into austerity. Thing is DOL and GT could spot a bargain, not sure AM can

He's proved he can in the past, he brought in the likes of Prso, Arteta from Barca and picked up Kris Boyd who went on to score every week for Rangers. It looks as if Small Heath are going to make a tidy profit on Dann and Foster was a good buy as well.

I understand the concerns and agree to an extent but now he's here we're just going to have to trust his judgement.