Summer 2013: Villa Transfers, Speculation, Suggestions and Rumours

[pauliewalnuts]

I don' think the bomb squad contains players that give a shit for the Villa just those that are either not suited to the new way of doing things or are deliberately obstructive..

Neither Albrighton or Herd deserve to be lumped with the likes of Ireland et al

And Bent and Given?

It's possible to "not be suited to the new way of doing things" (although not sure how that applies to a keeper) without being obstructive.

This group of players are ones the manager doesn't want to keep. That's fair enough and understandable but I don't see why we are so keen to label them in some way troublesome.

I've never heard Bent or Given described as troublesome. Or Hutton for that matter.

I thought he'd covered that with the 'or' bit.

Agree with Hutton though, his only crime has been not quite being good enough. His attitude has been good from where I'm standing, he's gone out to wherever to get himself some games and do what he actually gets paid for, and he hasn't moaned about it.

Still stands, really, in that if Albrighton 'doesn't deserve it', it sounds like there's some punitive element to it. So why do Given and Bent deserve it?

If they're players we have training with the kids because we don't want them, then that's fair enough. Just because Ireland is there doesn't strike me as a reason to tar them all with the same brush. Most of those players in that group, I can't think of a single occasion on which we know them to have been anything but professional. Shay Given, for example, strikes me as quite the opposite.

I remember reading a quote from Hutton last season saying he fully understood the manager's position re wanting to move him on etc etc, seemed relatively sensible. Shame about the shitness.

[pauliewalnuts]

SSN saying that Fulham have offered us an estimated 6 million for Bent after we rejected a bid of 4 million.

Sorry if this is old news but I hadn't heard this yet.

I don't think we'll get more than 6m for him. Which is mental, really, when you think about it. Someone - a team who plays to his strengths - will get a bargain.

[Percy McCarthy]

Not many people would change their employer for one who pays a lot less money. This is what they all face I suspect, probably Bannan and Bent to a lesser extent I'd say.

[LeeB]

I don' think the bomb squad contains players that give a shit for the Villa just those that are either not suited to the new way of doing things or are deliberately obstructive..

Neither Albrighton or Herd deserve to be lumped with the likes of Ireland et al

And Bent and Given?

It's possible to "not be suited to the new way of doing things" (although not sure how that applies to a keeper) without being obstructive.

This group of players are ones the manager doesn't want to keep. That's fair enough and understandable but I don't see why we are so keen to label them in some way troublesome.

I've never heard Bent or Given described as troublesome. Or Hutton for that matter.

I thought he'd covered that with the 'or' bit.

Agree with Hutton though, his only crime has been not quite being good enough. His attitude has been good from where I'm standing, he's gone out to wherever to get himself some games and do what he actually gets paid for, and he hasn't moaned about it.

Still stands, really, in that if Albrighton 'doesn't deserve it', it sounds like there's some punitive element to it. So why do Given and Bent deserve it?

If they're players we have training with the kids because we don't want them, then that's fair enough. Just because Ireland is there doesn't strike me as a reason to tar them all with the same brush. Most of those players in that group, I can't think of a single occasion on which we know them to have been anything but professional. Shay Given, for example, strikes me as quite the opposite.

I remember reading a quote from Hutton last season saying he fully understood the manager's position re wanting to move him on etc etc, seemed relatively sensible. Shame about the shitness.

I don't know, but I'm guessing he mans that although Given, Bent and Hutton have been professional about things to their credit, they don't actually give a shit about the Villa, whereas the likes of Bannan, Albrighton and Herd who've been with us as kids probably do.

[pauliewalnuts]

Again, where is the evidence that Bent, Hutton and Given don't give any less of a shit about the club than other players? There isn't any.

The one thing these players all have in common is that they're not wanted by the manager. That's fair enough, I just think ascribing some level of not giving a shit / other attitude problem is probably not really needed and unfair to the players concerned.

Surely - although I think players all mostly give a shit only about themselves - by that definition, for example, Christian Benteke's degree of shit-giving is questionable given that he put in a transfer request two weeks ago to get either a pay rise or a move to Spurs?

The one player of that bunch with a questionable attitude up there with Ireland's is Bannan, and he's one of the players you mentioned as having been here since they were kids.

Don't get me wrong, I am not going to shed huge numbers of tears to see any of those players go, I just think it's a little bit unfair the way some of them have had question marks put against their attitudes for no apparent reason of late when it's so unnecessary.

[LeeB]

You're a better man than me pauliewalnuts. I couldn't honestly give a shit about them, they're dead to me anyway.

[Concrete John]

Wht does everyone in the Bomb Squad need to be there for the same reason?  To me, it's a mixture of those that aren't good enough (Bannan, Delfouneso, Hutton), those that have an attitude problem (Ireland) and those that we can't afford to keep as subs (Bent, Given).  Either way, they're not in Lambert's plans, so are kept away from the main squad that are.

[Chris Smith]

You're a better man than me pauliewalnuts. I couldn't honestly give a shit about them, they're dead to me anyway.

I think that's pretty much how I feel. Players are really just commodities these days. It's an elaborate game, when they're playing we pretend to care about each other but, deep down, know that they'll soon be the object of affection elsewhere and with scarcely a backwards glance as they go through the motions of ingratiating themselves to a new set of fans.

I know that the there is the odd exception but mostly we're all complicit in a huge deception.

[Concrete John]

You're a better man than me pauliewalnuts. I couldn't honestly give a shit about them, they're dead to me anyway.

I think that's pretty much how I feel. Players are really just commodities these days. It's an elaborate game, when they're playing we pretend to care about each other but, deep down, know that they'll soon be the object of affection elsewhere and with scarcely a backwards glance as they go through the motions of ingratiating themselves to a new set of fans.

I know that the there is the odd exception but mostly we're all complicit in a huge deception.

A point that will be proven by the first Spurs fan who says "He wasn't that good anyway" once they flog Bale.

[LeeB]

You're a better man than me pauliewalnuts. I couldn't honestly give a shit about them, they're dead to me anyway.

I think that's pretty much how I feel. Players are really just commodities these days. It's an elaborate game, when they're playing we pretend to care about each other but, deep down, know that they'll soon be the object of affection elsewhere and with scarcely a backwards glance as they go through the motions of ingratiating themselves to a new set of fans.

I know that the there is the odd exception but mostly we're all complicit in a huge deception.

And I know we're all human and that, but any hurt feelings are hugely compensated by their financial rewards.

I'm being made redundant tomorrow, six weeks money for six years service, so my heart bleeds for the unused footballer.

[sid1964]

We will see how many of the bomb squad want to play football or are prepared to sit on there backsides until the end of their contracts.

I would be surprised if any of the bomb squad even get a game in the reserve team.

[paulcomben]

From BBC Lancashire: "Blackburn manager Gary Bowyer says talks with Aston Villa's Barry Bannan have stopped, but a deal could be resurrected."

Oh dear, none of these players are moving willingly, are they. Probably hanging on in the hope of a PL club coming in for them later during the deadline scramble.

[pauliewalnuts]

From BBC Lancashire: "Blackburn manager Gary Bowyer says talks with Aston Villa's Barry Bannan have stopped, but a deal could be resurrected."

Oh dear, none of these players are moving willingly, are they. Probably hanging on in the hope of a PL club coming in for them later during the deadline scramble.

It's the flip side of the sort of money we've splashed out on some players contracts over recent years, I imagine. They're going to be reluctant to walk away from big money (see also NRC, Marlon F Harewood et al)

[dave.woodhall]

From BBC Lancashire: "Blackburn manager Gary Bowyer says talks with Aston Villa's Barry Bannan have stopped, but a deal could be resurrected."

Oh dear, none of these players are moving willingly, are they. Probably hanging on in the hope of a PL club coming in for them later during the deadline scramble.

You can't blame them for holding out for the best deal. Plus no-one with any sense would move to Blackburn at the moment.

[supertom]

Where Bent and Given are concerned, and Hutton to be fair, they've all been complimentary about the club. They've all worked hard and not moaned. I won't tar them with the same brush as Ireland say who hasn't done enough on the pitch. In Hutton's case he's just shit. He can't help that. He also seems incapable of controlling the red mist that sees him attempt to slice someone in two almost every game. He's shown good grace in fairness to him.

As for being on the bomb squad. Well it's Lamberts perogative. I have no problem with him doing it. For varying reasons there are 8 odd players on there. However one common factor is that they're all being paid too much for how we want to run our club. Bent is on 80k a week roughly. Ireland must be similar. Given was given a 5 year contract on massive wages too. Hutton is on what, 35-40k? Again, he was given a long contract too. Zoggy came here for money. He'll be on 50-60 at least. Fonzy and Bannan are rumoured on 20k a week. A million a year. Which for young players who've not come close to reaching the potential people felt they would 2-3 years ago, is way, way too much.

That is why I've no problems with them being on the bomb squad. Herd and Albrighton will be on roughly the same is Bannan and Fonz I guess, Herd a bit less perhaps. I've no problems with those two getting one final year. I'd like to see Alby given a run under Lambert to see whether he can get back to his best, whilst Herd is always committed and is adaptable.