Downing Completes Liverpool Transfer

[Matt C]

One of the General's rallying posts would calm us all down.

Nicola Keye will be busy.

[Karl Bridges]

So you're saying the board haven't shown a single bit of ambition?

[Mazrim]

I'm still calm. No point losing your cool over all this bollocks. We all knew this was likely to happen so it's still a case of seeing what happens next and despite Randy and his subordinates making a complete fucking horlicks of this pre season, has plenty of credit with me and deserves a chance to put all this shit right before making any damning judgements.

I'm really not impressed at all though and if there isnt some good news and plenty of it soon the club hasn't so much dropped a bollock as developed a nuclear fusion weaponised bollock, accidentally setting it off somewhere near spaghetti junction.

[Le Lapin]

So Stew has gone to play for the so called Masters of the Universe. Good player, we'll miss him. Done and gone.
Now Faulkner needs to wake the fuck up and go tie up a few deals and restore some "glass half full" atmosphere around here fairly soon. A goal keeper and a direct replacement for Young or Downing would be a good starting point.
I still think we are keeping our powder dry and Randy will back the manager despite the reportage to the contrary.
The club made some conflicting noises last week re Stewart, but what else were they to do, he wasn't for sale for 15mil, they put a price of 20mil on him. A huge ammount. We have done well out of this.

[Villanation]

I don't see how SD asking for a transfer can be used as a rock to beat the board with.

Becuase if the board had shown a single bit of ambition, maybe our best players wouldn't be forming a queue out of B6.  It's not like Liverpool are in the Champions League, therefore Downing must see them as a better bet than us, which in truth, they are.

Also you have to look at the facts, Villa have just lost there last remaining capacity to play wide, that's it, nobody in there right mind can make claim that Albrighton as the capabilty of Young or Downing, Albrighton is still learning his job, Young and Downing are proven Internationals, Downing more so, so we lost ability, a part of our game and real experience.

The club needs to act we are on a countdown to that start of the season, ffs we don't even have a goalkeeper bedded in yet.

[Elli007T]

Quote scum bag Downing a few months back, " I'd stay at villa even if they go down" must of gone on England duty and had his head turned, like what Paul Scholes was saying.

Yeah he's a half decent player, but goes missing if the crowd get on his back, plus would never go in for a 50 % - 50 %....................Pussyclot!!!

[Villanation]

So Stew has gone to play for the so called Masters of the Universe. Good player, we'll miss him. Done and gone.
Now Faulkner needs to wake the fuck up and go tie up a few deals and restore some "glass half full" atmosphere around here fairly soon. A goal keeper and a direct replacement for Young or Downing would be a good starting point.
I still think we are keeping our powder dry and Randy will back the manager despite the reportage to the contrary.
The club made some conflicting noises last week re Stewart, but what else were they to do, he wasn't for sale for 15mil, they put a price of 20mil on him. A huge ammount. We have done well out of this.

Half full or half empty would be a luxury IMO.

[fredm]

Anyone who things is a good sign from the club is kidding themselves.

It is amazing how so many people seem to think selling our best player of last season is a good thing.

20m may or may not be good money, but I can't beliieve how many seem to think we are going to spend that plus the Ashley money on six or seven players. The club have made it clear as day they are reining in the spending  even in that daft "we are looking for a manager" statement they mentioned the need for the candidate to run the club in a "sustainable" way.

Look at who we ended up with as manager. There is a big reason it was him and not some of the more convincing candidates. Or even the manager of Wigan.

We have also constantly been told we need to reduce the wage bill. Selling two players and buying seven increases it, it doesn't bring it down.

Wake up and smell the coffee.

I think you are distorting it a bit here ....selling 2 and bringing in 7 will not bring the wage bill down?  We have not just sold 2, -  Friedl, NRC, plus numerous fringe players have also left, so there are those wages off the bill now.  And why do we need 7 players in - yes it would be very nice but I think that we have the nucleus of a good squad and should be looking to add quality to it.  There have been innumerable threads about the players we have and we all know that if the defenders on the books play to their potential then we are ok.  A goalkeeper is a necessity but everyone knows that will happen, whoever it is that comes.  We have some good young midfielders, together with Makoun who hopefully will step up to the mark, and Ireland who could well turn out to be a top class player as he was at Man City.  So 1 or 2 quality players there would be enough.  Up front we have Bent plus Gabby and Fonz with Heskey as back up.  Another 1 or 2 quality players there would also be quite enough.  So 4 quality players in plus a keeper and very probably 1 or 2 (Heskey/Petrov?) out would make up a decent squad to push on and challenge in the top half of the table without looking over our shoulders at the relegation zone.

[Risso]

So you're saying the board haven't shown a single bit of ambition?

Not lately, know.  No business sense, no ambition.  Completely hopeless the lot of them.

[UsualSuspect]

Anyone who things is a good sign from the club is kidding themselves.

It is amazing how so many people seem to think selling our best player of last season is a good thing.

20m may or may not be good money, but I can't beliieve how many seem to think we are going to spend that plus the Ashley money on six or seven players. The club have made it clear as day they are reining in the spending  even in that daft "we are looking for a manager" statement they mentioned the need for the candidate to run the club in a "sustainable" way.

Look at who we ended up with as manager. There is a big reason it was him and not some of the more convincing candidates. Or even the manager of Wigan.

We have also constantly been told we need to reduce the wage bill. Selling two players and buying seven increases it, it doesn't bring it down.

Wake up and smell the coffee.

Couldn't agree more

[Karl Bridges]

I don't see how SD asking for a transfer can be used as a rock to beat the board with.

Becuase if the board had shown a single bit of ambition, maybe our best players wouldn't be forming a queue out of B6.  It's not like Liverpool are in the Champions League, therefore Downing must see them as a better bet than us, which in truth, they are.

Also you have to look at the facts, Villa have just lost there last remaining capacity to play wide, that's it, nobody in there right mind can make claim that Albrighton as the capabilty of Young or Downing, Albrighton is still learning his job, Young and Downing are proven Internationals, Downing more so, so we lost ability, a part of our game and real experience.

The club needs to act we are on a countdown to that start of the season, ffs we don't even have a goalkeeper bedded in yet.

That isn't in question, I said how can SD wanting out, to the point of losing money, be used to attack the board.

[Villanation]

Anyone who things is a good sign from the club is kidding themselves.

It is amazing how so many people seem to think selling our best player of last season is a good thing.

20m may or may not be good money, but I can't beliieve how many seem to think we are going to spend that plus the Ashley money on six or seven players. The club have made it clear as day they are reining in the spending  even in that daft "we are looking for a manager" statement they mentioned the need for the candidate to run the club in a "sustainable" way.

Look at who we ended up with as manager. There is a big reason it was him and not some of the more convincing candidates. Or even the manager of Wigan.

We have also constantly been told we need to reduce the wage bill. Selling two players and buying seven increases it, it doesn't bring it down.

Wake up and smell the coffee.

I think you are distorting it a bit here ....selling 2 and bringing in 7 will not bring the wage bill down?  We have not just sold 2, -  Friedl, NRC, plus numerous fringe players have also left, so there are those wages off the bill now.  And why do we need 7 players in - yes it would be very nice but I think that we have the nucleus of a good squad and should be looking to add quality to it.  There have been innumerable threads about the players we have and we all know that if the defenders on the books play to their potential then we are ok.  A goalkeeper is a necessity but everyone knows that will happen, whoever it is that comes.  We have some good young midfielders, together with Makoun who hopefully will step up to the mark, and Ireland who could well turn out to be a top class player as he was at Man City.  So 1 or 2 quality players there would be enough.  Up front we have Bent plus Gabby and Fonz with Heskey as back up.  Another 1 or 2 quality players there would also be quite enough.  So 4 quality players in plus a keeper and very probably 1 or 2 (Heskey/Petrov?) out would make up a decent squad to push on and challenge in the top half of the table without looking over our shoulders at the relegation zone.

Joker in the pack there for me is Darren Bent, he's known to be petulant, the very same sources that people are quoting now in terms of what Downing said as to his commitment to the club a few weeks ago, wasn't those same sources quoting Bent as saying if the club lost Young and Downing he would be very concerned.

[oldtimernow]

So you're saying the board haven't shown a single bit of ambition?

Not lately, know.  No business sense, no ambition.  Completely hopeless the lot of them.

Quantify lately please, pre or post Bent, pre or post Downing, pre or post Young.

Blame the board for somethings ok but can you blame them for the mindsets of players they signed who then turn their backs for more money than we can imagine having?

[Merv]

I'm still feeling positive. If we can keep hold of Bent after the January 2012 transfer window, we'll stay up.

I'm only half joking.

As for Downing, I'm pleased we've reached a conclusion swiftly. Yes, let's hope we've been waiting for Liverpool to offer the required fee so know exactly what we've got to spend. We now need arguably two wingers or wide midfielders to make the squad competitive - on top of other areas that need strengthening. Lots to do.

[JUAN PABLO]

I'm happy the Wankers has gone to be honest ..