SSN: "Downing won't commit to Villa"

[QBVILLA]

What i'd really like is for one of these footballers to come out and say,

"It's too much money to turn down"

Rather than giving us all of this guff they come out with.Liverpool are splashing the cash at the moment and to all sense and purposes they're a more attractive proposition than Villa, but like us there's no european football on offer.However, as with Barry,Milner and Young they got into the England squad based on what they did for us in the Premierleague,lack of CL football didn't harm them.
From waht i've read on here there seems to be a school of thought that Barry,milner and Downing are just greedy bastards whereas Young is the one with ambition as he's gone to Man United.Well i'd bet my bollocks that had United or any of the top 4 not been interested he'd have gone to whoever offered him the most money as well. Downing will be no different, he won't feel he owes Villa anything in a similar way that Bent didn't look back at sunderland when we came in.It's the way it is.
The most depressing thing of it all though is just a few years back we as a club were in a position where we had Liverpool coveting our then best player (Barry) and mr O'Neill was able to tell them to do one despite the fact we'd have a far less valuable player on our hands as his contract whittled down.Now though we've got Downing with 2yrs left and we're pretty much all resigned to losing him as it's 'good business for a player with only 2yrs left on his contract'.In 12 months someone will be in for Bent and we'll be giving it 'Oh it's good business for a 28yr old'.
To cut the bullshit though the simple fact is that unless you replace an outgoing player with one who is at least on par then the team gets weaker.

[JUAN PABLO]

To be honest, 20 million for Downing would be daylight robbery on our part. I'd take the money and buy then with our add it to the coffers and sign some decent foreign talent to compliment our quality youngsters. Downing was easily our best player last season but that was more an indication of how poor our season was. I'd still only say he had a 7/10 season to be honest. And if I'm further being honest, that's the best you'll get from him. Fuck him off, and buy someone better. He's a good player, but he'll never be close to being a great player. Ash Young will be missed far more.

Always thought this myself...        what a c**t thou ..   

[monkeyboy]

Spidey sense in tingling about next year.

I'd like to think i'm  glass half full type of punter - but this summer has pushed even the most optimistic of us to the brink of despair,

bottom line - we are not far off pre season and we have released or sold more players than any other in the premiership (including all of the promoted teams),

- we don't have a keeper,
- we don't have a left back
- Dunne is likely to be the size of a zeppelin by now
- we are desperate to get rid of our back up centre half,
- Warnock wants out and we need to get rid
- we are welcoming back a space cadet who hates the city and the club,
- we have a captain who is not worthy of his spot in the team
- we have just sold our most creative player - ok he turned into a diving prima donna but he did create
- our player of the year is tossing himself off at the thought of getting his house screwed by scouse vermin rather than see out his contract with us
- we have just appointed a manager that nobody wants with a poor track record and a poor footballing philosophy
- Emile Heskey shows no sign of leaving (this is possibly the most depressing of all.

5 years in this is not what i expected - i'll still be there next year (tragically can't wait for the start of the season!!)

Can't wait to write a positive post - hope i can soon, we need to make a statement or 3 soon - else we are in for another long year.

Glad i'm not Benty - ETF must be the understatement of the year for him !! (sure he'll console himself with a truck load of cash however) - bt if this carries on we couldn't blame him for looking elsewhere for the sake of his career.

Right - time for a strong drink!!

[monkeyboy]

*EDIT

Glad i'm not Benty - WTF must be the understatement of the year for him !! (sure he'll console himself with a truck load of cash however) - bt if this carries on we couldn't blame him for looking elsewhere for the sake of his career.

[Nev]

It's as predictable as Stephen Ireland putting in poor display, if the club reduce their ambition than both players and supporters will become disillusioned, thats why there was so much opposition to the appointment of McLeish.

It's no good calling players all the names under the sun, they hold a lot of power these days and even back when Southgate left, the clubs intention and desire to progress is at the forefront of most players minds because their career will progress too.

The clubs intention is clear with the latest appointment, and along with quality players departing, we will find it very hard to attract equivalent replacements.

The only hope is that the manager can surprise us all and make the club attractive once again by getting good results, but many people have their doubts.

The club have made their choice and the consequences now follow, as sure as night follows day.

[Greg N'Ash]

Spidey sense in tingling about next year.

I'd like to think i'm  glass half full type of punter - but this summer has pushed even the most optimistic of us to the brink of despair,

bottom line - we are not far off pre season and we have released or sold more players than any other in the premiership (including all of the promoted teams),

- we don't have a keeper,
- we don't have a left back
- Dunne is likely to be the size of a zeppelin by now
- we are desperate to get rid of our back up centre half,
- Warnock wants out and we need to get rid
- we are welcoming back a space cadet who hates the city and the club,
- we have a captain who is not worthy of his spot in the team
- we have just sold our most creative player - ok he turned into a diving prima donna but he did create
- our player of the year is tossing himself off at the thought of getting his house screwed by scouse vermin rather than see out his contract with us
- we have just appointed a manager that nobody wants with a poor track record and a poor footballing philosophy
- Emile Heskey shows no sign of leaving (this is possibly the most depressing of all.

5 years in this is not what i expected - i'll still be there next year (tragically can't wait for the start of the season!!)

Can't wait to write a positive post - hope i can soon, we need to make a statement or 3 soon - else we are in for another long year.

Glad i'm not Benty - ETF must be the understatement of the year for him !! (sure he'll console himself with a truck load of cash however) - bt if this carries on we couldn't blame him for looking elsewhere for the sake of his career.

Right - time for a strong drink!!

depressing reading but thats how i see it in a nutshell

[Irish villain]

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.

As I've said before I have changed my thinking on the MON walk out. The lack of ambition will be undeniable unless at least £40m is spent replacing our best players.

[Irish villain]

Ominous tweet from Kendrick: 'It's my understanding Eck will get cash for a new keeper, but might have to generate funds himself for other #avfc signings'

We will be fighting relegation with a weaker team next season at this rate.

[PaulWinch again]

Ominous tweet from Kendrick: 'It's my understanding Eck will get cash for a new keeper, but might have to generate funds himself for other #avfc signings'

We will be fighting relegation with a weaker team next season at this rate.

Fucking hell if that's true it's a disgrace.

[greta]

Ominous tweet from Kendrick: 'It's my understanding Eck will get cash for a new keeper, but might have to generate funds himself for other #avfc signings'

We will be fighting relegation with a weaker team next season at this rate.

But if he sells Downing hasn't he generated over 30 million?

[Irish villain]

Ominous tweet from Kendrick: 'It's my understanding Eck will get cash for a new keeper, but might have to generate funds himself for other #avfc signings'

We will be fighting relegation with a weaker team next season at this rate.

Fucking hell if that's true it's a disgrace.

Makes one think again doesn't it? A lot of us have egg on face if this is true. I argued that Bent was not a panic buy and that MON was a C U Next Tuesday until I was blue in the face. The squad needs investment of at least £30m, that's if we keep Downing! There needs to be more communication from the owners in my view.

[pauliewalnuts]

Ominous tweet from Kendrick: 'It's my understanding Eck will get cash for a new keeper, but might have to generate funds himself for other #avfc signings'

We will be fighting relegation with a weaker team next season at this rate.

But if he sells Downing hasn't he generated over 30 million?

A new keeper plus what we generate by selling our two best players is nothing like enough to stand still, let alone push on.

I hope there's no truth in Kendrick's tweet, because if there is, I'm afraid it's another season spent in the relegation battle

[PaulWinch again]

Ominous tweet from Kendrick: 'It's my understanding Eck will get cash for a new keeper, but might have to generate funds himself for other #avfc signings'

We will be fighting relegation with a weaker team next season at this rate.

Fucking hell if that's true it's a disgrace.

It's all very well scaling back but if we sell Downing and Young we need to be spending £15-20 million net with the amount of players that need replacing. So about £50 million net. We cannot afford not to spend fuck all net, if that's the case Randy may as well sell up and go.

[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.

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.

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.

I agree.  Like the tail end of last season, the supporters have to be positive and really lift the young lads and the club.

[Dante Lavelli]

Ominous tweet from Kendrick: 'It's my understanding Eck will get cash for a new keeper, but might have to generate funds himself for other #avfc signings'

We will be fighting relegation with a weaker team next season at this rate.

Okay so Foster for £10 million plus £45 (young + downing + random dead wood) to buy a winger (£15m) a full back (£5m) a centre back (£10m) and a decent midfielder (£15m). Then promote the likes of Albrighton, Licaj, Delph, Bannan etc. It's not that bad is it?

£55m is a pretty healthy chunk of money to reinvest.