Transfer Speculation / Gossip

[PaulWinch again]

I'm not saying you have to keep him, but it would be better business sense not to make it so obvious that you don't want him. If you want to sell an assett you don't want to indicate to the buyers that you place no value on it.

[DrGonzo]

Which he has done consistently for the last 18 months.

[LeeB]

I'm not saying you have to keep him, but it would be better business sense not to make it so obvious that you don't want him. If you want to sell an assett you don't want to indicate to the buyers that you place no value on it.

To be fair Paul, if you're not picking a £20m striker then people are going to infer that you don't rate him.

I'd be more inclined to question the managers approach if he chose to play him in the hope of selling him.

[Dante Lavelli]

I'm not saying you have to keep him, but it would be better business sense not to make it so obvious that you don't want him. If you want to sell an assett you don't want to indicate to the buyers that you place no value on it.

typically I'd say you're right but we'd be giving him away for free anyway and therefore it is his wages which will be the problem and not anything Villa can control.

[Toronto Villa]

We've made our money on Bent just by staying up that season irrespective of how the media might like to spin it. If we can get a few quid and shed his salary job done. The bloke can't get into a Fulham side desperate for goals and points. Darren Bent it appears has lost any drive he once had as a professional footballer. Maybe it's just that his personal life is more important and he's made his money which is fine. But to expect to rise from the ashes in our cause, well it just isn't going to happen? I'm not entirely a believer in the approach we've take with the bomb squad, but in saying that I see no real value in most of them, including Bent. And I never thought I'd write that especially given the joy and fanfare when he signed and what he was able to do for us for a short time.

[bobdylan]

If Fonz, Marc and Gardner are released when their contracts expire this summer and given Holt and Bertrand's loans expire, not taking into account the younger players such as Grealish, Robinson, Johnson, Carruthers, Donacien, Burke, Drennan etc. i work out we still have a senior squad of 27 players
Given Guzan Steer
Lowton Hutton
Bennett Luna Stevens
Vlaar Okore Clark Baker
KEA Herd Westwood Delph Sylla Bacuna
N'Zogbia Tonev
Bent Benteke Kozak Helenius Bowery Weimann Agbonlahor
Four of these are bomb squad, so if we shift them that leaves 23, but surely this is still top heavy given reinforcements are needed.  I would have thought the maximum no. of senior players we'd want in the squad is 23 and we need at least 3 additions, so I think 3 further players over and above the bomb squad need shifting, but are we likely to sell 7 players in one window?  I think the last two summer windows we've only sold 1/2 players each time.  I wouldn't be sorry to see Herd, Bowery and N'Zogbia leave, likewise Luna if Bertrand signs permanently.

[ADVILLAFAN]

I still think there's a good player in N'Zogbia, but I think we'll attempt to sell him.

Could do with selling the likes of Given, Hutton, Bent and to a lesser extent Stevens.

I would be looking to sell Clark, maybe Luna, Herd (for his off field antics as much as anything) and Bowery.

Think Bennett, KEA, Sylla, Tonev and Helenius deserve another season to see if they play better.

[john e]

Don't be suprised if we actually signed Holte, Lambert likes his mates and yes men,
I reckon Hoolahan is virtually nailed on as well

[Ads]

Yes men?

All players are yes men, as there is only one boss in a dressing room.

[Clampy]

Don't be suprised if we actually signed Holte, Lambert likes his mates and yes men,

Out of interest, what makes you say that?

[Dave]

I still think there's a good player in N'Zogbia, but I think we'll attempt to sell him.

I'm not sure who we would sell him to. If we assume that he's still on 'old strategy' wages (£40k? £45k?) I can't see any other club wanting to match them. He's still got two years left on his contract, so I don't see why he is going to want to move anywhere else for lower wages.

It's not like his sparkling form is going to persuade anybody that he is worth paying that sort of money for.

The one thing that I think could work in our favour is that he strikes me as somebody who is likely to suffer from Lee Hendrie syndrome - and that with probably one more good contact left in his career he might start to think that he needs to earn it. If my suspicion is correct then I'd rather he were doing that with us rather than out on loan somewhere.

[PaulWinch again]

I'm not saying you have to keep him, but it would be better business sense not to make it so obvious that you don't want him. If you want to sell an assett you don't want to indicate to the buyers that you place no value on it.

typically I'd say you're right but we'd be giving him away for free anyway and therefore it is his wages which will be the problem and not anything Villa can control.

I think it's more of a general thing than just Bent. We really need to stop isolating players we don't need, I think it's been proven that it doesn't help us get them off the books.

[Ron Manager]

Yes men?

All players are yes men, as there is only one boss in a dressing room.

With the notable exception of Danny Blanchflower of course.

[manic-road]

I'm not saying you have to keep him, but it would be better business sense not to make it so obvious that you don't want him. If you want to sell an assett you don't want to indicate to the buyers that you place no value on it.

typically I'd say you're right but we'd be giving him away for free anyway and therefore it is his wages which will be the problem and not anything Villa can control.

I think it's more of a general thing than just Bent. We really need to stop isolating players we don't need, I think it's been proven that it doesn't help us get them off the books.

What's the alternative? I don't want to see them getting games ahead of more deserving players just to try and sell them, also we don't know what their attitudes are like in training.

[Malandro]

Yes men?

All players are yes men, as there is only one boss in a dressing room.

With the notable exception of Danny Blanchflower of course.

The chelsea players didn't seem to give a shit about one of their previous managers either