We're a selling club

[KRS]

I've read numerous comments like these lately, and they conveniently ignore that Arsenal have kept Fabregas for two season despite him wanting out; that Man Utd managed to keep Vidic and Rooney despite them looking for moves at a point in time; that Modric's contract runs out in 2016 and Spurs have rejected his transfer request. Yes, these clubs have sold and may have to sell players they would have liked to keep, but they're a long way from emulating Villa.

Very different stories and scenarios when you consider all the players you mention at the other clubs have lengthy contracts as opposed to AY and SD. Lets see how the Modric saga pans out now that he has reportedly actually handed in a transfer request to test Spurs resolve (SSN sources).

Players and agents have far too much power these days unfortunately. We're no more a selling club than any other club, and no more a buying club than any other club (excluding Man Citeh!). The transfer market is used to buy and sell players...using it to your advantage is a massive part of football and football as a business.

[Villa'Zawg]

I get involved in more than enough daft arguments on here. I'm not going to get involved in an argument about whether Parker and N'Zogbia are  an improvement on Milner, Young and Downing.

That's a different point to the one you made earlier, though, which was about the level of teams that would be interested in them.

I'm willing to bet that neither Spurs or Chelsea will buy Parker. I can just about see the possibility that one of them would take him on loan to cover a temporary gap in their squad.

Redknapp has already tried to buy him once.

Redknapp has reportedly tried to buy every player that has ever set foot in the centre-circle. With the amount he has spent on midfielders it is hard to imagine that he couldn't have bought him before now if he had really wanted to.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/west-ham/8287430/Tottenham-offer-West-Ham-Robbie-Keane-and-2-million-for-Scott-Parker.html

I think that story falls some way short of the "definitive proof" test.

I do though like the idea of Harry agreeing to loan Keane to West Ham and then suddenly saying "I'll tell you what, you keep 'im and I'll take Scotty Parker of your hands. I'll even throw in a few quid to help with Robbie's additional wages".

[Rip Van We Go Again]

All I can say on all this is that for a long time Villadawg was telling us the brakes were being put on spending, 99% of us doubted him.

Turns out he was spot on.

[Mister E]

All I can say on all this is that for a long time Villadawg was telling us the brakes were being put on spending, 99% of us doubted him.

Turns out he was spot on.

Even ignoring the amounts spent by ManUre, Liverpool and Sunderland so far? - and before our little splurge (hopefully next week) on 3-4 players? and Citeh's anticipated pitch for Modric and Aguerro? Hmmm.

[KRS]

All I can say on all this is that for a long time Villadawg was telling us the brakes were being put on spending, 99% of us doubted him.

Turns out he was spot on.

Why? Just because we havent done any business in the first couple of weeks after appointing a new manager in which we've settled with his previous club, allowing manager to assess squad and identify transfer targets, and generated additional revenue for new players? Will we still be putting the brakes on if we spend over £20m in the next couple of weeks?

[Rudy Can't Fail]

All I can say on all this is that for a long time Villadawg was telling us the brakes were being put on spending, 99% of us doubted him.

Turns out he was spot on.

Even ignoring the amounts spent by ManUre, Liverpool and Sunderland so far? - and before our little splurge (hopefully next week) on 3-4 players? and Citeh's anticipated pitch for Modric and Aguerro? Hmmm.

I think Fletch is referring to when Lerner 'blocked' the signings of 30 year old Robbie Keane for a fee rumoured to be £12m and £9m Aiden McGready. It was the first time Randy said no to MON but in hindsight you can fully understand why, you just need to see how much we were paying players that never got used, some we are still unable to get off the wage bill.

You have to ask yourself was Lerner right to put the brakes on spending until we got our house in order or should he have just carried on spending regardless? Whatever to think, we're still in a mess after 5 years of poor financial management of player aquisitions.

[Toronto Villa]

I still think there is a big difference between managing the business responsibly and a hardline to the manager "you must sell players before you can buy anyone".

Things clearly got out of hand and now we have to get the place sorted again. They made mistakes in allowing MON too much rope, but then again I don't see MON wanting it any other way. And with such a popular appointment it would have been dangerous on the boards part to confront on his dealings even in hindsight they probably should have.

McLeish will be allowed to spend. He didn't have to sell Downing, but the player made the situation unmanageable. I don't think net spend is the only we should look at how we operate our business from now on. I'd rather we did things a bit smarter and with the use of good scouts find gems out there, alongside our own academy and supported by one or two very good signings that all play a part in our success. I don't think anyone wants to see ever again 30-40 million of players sitting on the bench contributing nothing at all.

[Chris Smith]

I do though like the idea of Harry agreeing to loan Keane to West Ham and then suddenly saying "I'll tell you what, you keep 'im and I'll take Scotty Parker of your hands. I'll even throw in a few quid to help with Robbie's additional wages

".

Although that's the opposite way round to how the story is presented. What was that you were saying about facts. ;-)

[Rip Van We Go Again]

and before our little splurge (hopefully next week) on 3-4 players?

Please bear in mind that any 'little splurge' will still not amount to what we've received from Ashley, Weasel and Cuellar.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Will we still be putting the brakes on if we spend over £20m in the next couple of weeks?

How does that compare to the near £40m we bring in?

[Rip Van We Go Again]

All I can say on all this is that for a long time Villadawg was telling us the brakes were being put on spending, 99% of us doubted him.

Turns out he was spot on.

Even ignoring the amounts spent by ManUre, Liverpool and Sunderland so far? - and before our little splurge (hopefully next week) on 3-4 players? and Citeh's anticipated pitch for Modric and Aguerro? Hmmm.

I think Fletch is referring to when Lerner 'blocked' the signings of 30 year old Robbie Keane for a fee rumoured to be £12m and £9m Aiden McGready. It was the first time Randy said no to MON but in hindsight you can fully understand why, you just need to see how much we were paying players that never got used, some we are still unable to get off the wage bill.

Well it's not true about McGeady and Keane is it?
I was the first one to put that info on here and every man and his dog refused to believe it.

[villan from luton]

Yet we paid out good money in January for Bent and Makoun. Lets just see how things go without jumping to conclusions.

[Iago]

From what I have been told Randy will continue investing into the club. Granted, it remains to be seen so far this summer.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

From what I have been told Randy will continue investing into the club. Granted, It remains to be seen so far this summer.

Well you never know.
I've been told that Megan Fox is going to give me a blow job so powerful that she'll be able to smoke a cigarette sticking out of my arse, so we'll see.

[Clark W Griswold]

Yes, i would say if we only spend the Downing money, we can safely say that we are putting and end to the spending. It would amount to a profit of around £13m in the last 4 windows, or £7m if we end up paying £24m for Bent.

I think it would mean approximately £75m spent in 6 years (assuming we don't spend in Jan also, or £81m relating again to Bent. Unsurprisingly, this leaves us with a pretty mediocre side, considering we were a poor side at the start of it.

As it stands today of course, those figures are actually less £20m, we are assuming we will have the Downing money.