Stiliyan Petrov - update

[eastie]

I've seen too many big name players leave villa down the years to hold a grudge against them , it will happen again no doubt - we just have to realise that once established the top players will probably move on to clubs chasing the big trophies.

Hodge was probably the worst example of them all, but once its happened so many times you kind of get used to it.

[Clampy]

The Yorke one is interesting. I was at Goodison that day and he might has well have been back in the dressing room for all the effort he put in but yes, in hindsight he should'nt have played. His kissing of the United badge at Old Trafford in front of us did'nt help his cause either though.

[Irish villain]

I think Barry's NOTW piece was naive but I think he genuinely wanted to let Villa fans know the reason he wanted to leave. Compare that to James Milner who never said a word in public and engineered a move on the quiet yet is treated as some kind of hero to many Villa fans even though he couldn't wait to get out of the place. Never understood that one.

I thought it was MON who effectively encouraged Milner to leave ...

I've always been a strong defender of Gazza Bazza in that he gave us the best 11 years of his career.
What is and is not said in the press is - frankly - irrelevent because most of them are pretty inarticulate anyway (as are the players!).

Milner is different. At the time, I saw him as a better player than Barry. Also, he had played for a number of clubs before joining villa so wasn't 'villa' the way Barry was. He also had two spells at villa and didn't go mouthing off to the press. In addition, Barry had previous having tried to engineer a move earlier in the decade.

Downing is then on a different level entirely. Moving to a declining Liverpool from a villa that were then at a crossroads. 

[Clampy]

Milner moving to Man City has got him a league winners medal and a very healthy bank balance. It has'nt improved him that much as a footballer.

While Barry became an integral part of the Man City team. Milner never did.

You're missing my point about Barry i think. I did'nt begrudge him wanting to move, just the way he went about it.

Where as I thought he was being honest. He wanted a move and he told us, unlike Milner who engineered a move on the quiet. Milner gets the hero treatment and I don't understand it.

The thing is Barry made out that we were standing in his way of his dream move and we was'nt. We put a price on him, it was'nt matched and that should have been the end of it. You have to bear in mind that he was probably one of the best central midfielders in the Premier at the time. We was'nt going to lower our price just because he thought we should.

[eastie]

Milner moving to Man City has got him a league winners medal and a very healthy bank balance. It has'nt improved him that much as a footballer.

While Barry became an integral part of the Man City team. Milner never did.

You're missing my point about Barry i think. I did'nt begrudge him wanting to move, just the way he went about it.

Where as I thought he was being honest. He wanted a move and he told us, unlike Milner who engineered a move on the quiet. Milner gets the hero treatment and I don't understand it.

The thing is Barry made out that we were standing in his way of his dream move and we was'nt. We put a price on him, it was'nt matched and that should have been the end of it. You have to bear in mind that he was probably one of the best central midfielders in the Premier at the time. We was'nt going to lower our price just because he thought we should.

The way it worked out was to his benefit , at Liverpool he would have had nowhere near the plaudits and rewards he went on to get at city,

[KevinGage]

Milner moving to Man City has got him a league winners medal and a very healthy bank balance. It has'nt improved him that much as a footballer.

While Barry became an integral part of the Man City team. Milner never did.

You're missing my point about Barry i think. I did'nt begrudge him wanting to move, just the way he went about it.

Where as I thought he was being honest. He wanted a move and he told us, unlike Milner who engineered a move on the quiet. Milner gets the hero treatment and I don't understand it.

Perhaps because Milner (despite being at the club for a far shorter time than Barry)  had more respect for the club? Or at least behaved in a way that was consistent with that.   The fact that he didn't bleat to the press about his 'dream' move or go the route of citing lack of ambiton as an excuse to get a fat payday elsewhere meant he left on good terms.   

As was said earlier, it's not just leaving.  But the way you go about it.  Milners departure was probably closer to what you'd expect from a captain, commited and wholehearted right up until his last game (which he could have avoided, bearing in mind an injury might have cost him his move), and no pot shots at the club, or 'off' comments, that led to a build up of speculation during the season.

[KevinGage]

Edit

[supertom]

The thing I gauge from the Milner deal, is that it started Lerner's attempts to balance the book. Okay, Milner probably felt like the move would lead to silverware and a hefty paycheck(though I don't think he's as money orientated as the others). But I think it's mostly a case of Lerner and Faulkner, probably justifyably, wanting to cash in when a ridiculous offer was looming.

O Neill didn't want to sell him. There was some rumours he didn't appreciate how the Milner money would be re-invested, and didn't want Ireland as part of the deal. Possibly here-say, but we all know what happened a week before the season started. Then within a week the deal was done with Ireland coming this way.

As for Downing. He is a weasily shit. And he did seem determined to desert a quite blatantly sinking ship, but I've absolutely no qualms with taking 20 million for such an average player.

[saunders_heroes]

Milner moving to Man City has got him a league winners medal and a very healthy bank balance. It has'nt improved him that much as a footballer.

While Barry became an integral part of the Man City team. Milner never did.

You're missing my point about Barry i think. I did'nt begrudge him wanting to move, just the way he went about it.

Where as I thought he was being honest. He wanted a move and he told us, unlike Milner who engineered a move on the quiet. Milner gets the hero treatment and I don't understand it.

Perhaps because Milner (despite being at the club for a far shorter time than Barry)  had more respect for the club? Or at least behaved in a way that was consistent with that.   The fact that he didn't bleat to the press about his 'dream' move or go the route of citing lack of ambiton as an excuse to get a fat payday elsewhere meant he left on good terms.   

As was said earlier, it's not just leaving.  But the way you go about it.  Milners departure was probably closer to what you'd expect from a captain, commited and wholehearted right up until his last game (which he could have avoided, bearing in mind an injury might have cost him his move), and no pot shots at the club, or 'off' comments, that led to a build up of speculation during the season.

I don't remember Barry aiming any pot shots at the Villa ever, and how is engineering a move from the club on the quiet showing more respect than Barry who had at least had the honesty to tell Villa fans the reasons he wanted to leave? Milner's move was snide and just everything you'd expect from a mercenary footballer, yet Barry's honestly is met with derision from fans. I'll never understand the modern day football fan. They want honesty from a football player and yet when they get it they're still not happy.

[KevinGage]

You didn't read the NOTW article or even hear about it, then? 

Milner wanted to leave because of MON's prehistoric approach, playing half fit players and running players into the ground. He didn't have an issue with the club.

I've long accepted for the majority of players it's a job, but if they don't love the club, they can at least respect it.  You (weirdly) see Milner's behaviour as snide, I say he did it by the book.  Whilst he was still on the clubs payroll, he shouldn't be doing anything to damage the clubs reputation in public.

As for your last response, there is honesty and there is being served up shit, or hit around the face with a wet kipper.  You appear to be happier with the latter catergory. So much so, that you'd gladly go back for seconds.

[saunders_heroes]

You didn't read the NOTW article or even hear about it, then? 

Milner wanted to leave because of MON's prehistoric approach, playing half fit players and running players into the ground. He didn't have an issue with the club.

I've long accepted for the majority of players it's a job, but if they don't love the club, they can at least respect it.  You (weirdly) see Milner's behaviour as snide, I say he did it by the book.  Whilst he was still on the clubs payroll, he shouldn't be doing anything to damage the clubs reputation in public.

As for your last response, there is honesty and there is being served up shit, or hit around the face with a wet kipper.  You appear to be happier with the latter catergory. So much so, that you'd gladly go back for seconds.

Milner left the club after O'Neill walked, so why on earth are you blaming him for Milner wanting out? And if engineering a move on the quiet is your definition of "by the book" then quite frankly as a fan you deserve all the shit footballers heap onto you.

[KevinGage]

Milner wanted to leave after the Chelsea 7-1 game,  though this only became known during the summer - whist MON was still here.  This didn't oocur back in the deep mists of time, so I'm surprised you're so sketchy on the details. 

[eastie]

I don't think it's right to say Milner wanted to leave the club because of the football mon played- it got him in a final and the England team after all- villa could not compete with the wages on offer at man city and the attraction of playing with some top class players in the champions league.

Call it money or ambition if you wish but to say he wanted to go because of mon is wrong.

[saunders_heroes]

Milner wanted to leave after the Chelsea 7-1 game,  though this only became known during the summer - whist MON was still here.  This didn't oocur back in the deep mists of time, so I'm surprised you're so sketchy on the details. 

But O'Neill had walked before Milner left, so what was his excuse for leaving then? More money. Chances of silverware etc etc? Ahh yeah, the same old shit.

[eastie]

Milner wanted to leave after the Chelsea 7-1 game,  though this only became known during the summer - whist MON was still here.  This didn't oocur back in the deep mists of time, so I'm surprised you're so sketchy on the details. 

But O'Neill had walked before Milner left, so what was his excuse for leaving then? More money. Chances of silverware etc etc? Ahh yeah, the same old shit.

Exactly that , money and better chance of silverware !