Nathan Baker - Sold

[nuninho]

I was gutted when Cahill left as were many on here. Can't say Baker leaving will bother me too much. He's nowhere near the class Cahill was when he departed.
I'll never forgive O'Neill for letting him go. Such a stupid thing to do.

My recollection was MON didn't have a lot of choice as Cahill wanted a first team place guarantee, which rightly or wrongly, MON wouldn't provide. He could have kept a unhappy player I guess, but decided not to.

Doesn't the first bit contradict the second? MON did have a choice and chose to spend a combined £13m on Zat Knight and Curtis Davies instead of play Cahill.

And pissed off Mellberg too. Imagine inheriting Cahill and Mellberg, and getting rid of both of them for Knight, Davies and Cuellar.  Then having to replace them a year later due to the abject shitness of all of them.

Indeed. I know I've posted this before, but I still find it mind boggling.

2008-9: buys entire defence - Cuellar, Shorey, Young, Davies - total approx 28m

decides doesn't rate some of them, so ..

2009-10: buys entire new defence - Collins, Dunne, Warnock, Beye - total approx 20m

That's very nearly £50m on two entire defences in a little over 12 months.

Not to mention the fact that in 2007-8 he'd already spent £5m on another CB, Knight.

Absolutely insane scattergun, lazy transfer policy.

Shorey, Young, Warnock all were in and around the England squad at the time as well.  It wasn't just centre backs that O'Neill didn't fancy. 

[Hookeysmith]

I was gutted when Cahill left as were many on here. Can't say Baker leaving will bother me too much. He's nowhere near the class Cahill was when he departed.
I'll never forgive O'Neill for letting him go. Such a stupid thing to do.

My recollection was MON didn't have a lot of choice as Cahill wanted a first team place guarantee, which rightly or wrongly, MON wouldn't provide. He could have kept a unhappy player I guess, but decided not to.

Doesn't the first bit contradict the second? MON did have a choice and chose to spend a combined £13m on Zat Knight and Curtis Davies instead of play Cahill.

And pissed off Mellberg too. Imagine inheriting Cahill and Mellberg, and getting rid of both of them for Knight, Davies and Cuellar.  Then having to replace them a year later due to the abject shitness of all of them.

Indeed. I know I've posted this before, but I still find it mind boggling.

2008-9: buys entire defence - Cuellar, Shorey, Young, Davies - total approx 28m

decides doesn't rate some of them, so ..

2009-10: buys entire new defence - Collins, Dunne, Warnock, Beye - total approx 20m

That's very nearly £50m on two entire defences in a little over 12 months.

Not to mention the fact that in 2007-8 he'd already spent £5m on another CB, Knight.

Absolutely insane scattergun, lazy transfer policy.

Is it any wonder Lerner pulled up the drawbridge?

[themossman]

And makes you realise what a good chance of top 4 we had with a better manager at the helm.

[silhillvilla]

Whilst frittering away £50m on average defenders MON was also busy hounding Gary Cahill out of the club .

[dean saunders left boot]

http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~4972842,00.html

Confirmed loan deal season long

[Rudy65]

I was gutted when Cahill left as were many on here. Can't say Baker leaving will bother me too much. He's nowhere near the class Cahill was when he departed.
I'll never forgive O'Neill for letting him go. Such a stupid thing to do.

My recollection was MON didn't have a lot of choice as Cahill wanted a first team place guarantee, which rightly or wrongly, MON wouldn't provide. He could have kept a unhappy player I guess, but decided not to.

Doesn't the first bit contradict the second? MON did have a choice and chose to spend a combined £13m on Zat Knight and Curtis Davies instead of play Cahill.

And pissed off Mellberg too. Imagine inheriting Cahill and Mellberg, and getting rid of both of them for Knight, Davies and Cuellar.  Then having to replace them a year later due to the abject shitness of all of them.

Indeed. I know I've posted this before, but I still find it mind boggling.

2008-9: buys entire defence - Cuellar, Shorey, Young, Davies - total approx 28m

decides doesn't rate some of them, so ..

2009-10: buys entire new defence - Collins, Dunne, Warnock, Beye - total approx 20m

That's very nearly £50m on two entire defences in a little over 12 months.

Not to mention the fact that in 2007-8 he'd already spent £5m on another CB, Knight.

Absolutely insane scattergun, lazy transfer policy.

Shorey, Young, Warnock all were in and around the England squad at the time as well.  It wasn't just centre backs that O'Neill didn't fancy.

totally agree that that was MON gone mad. However, all the players were decent at the time and I seem to recall even Beye was rated by the Geordies

[pauliewalnuts]

I was gutted when Cahill left as were many on here. Can't say Baker leaving will bother me too much. He's nowhere near the class Cahill was when he departed.
I'll never forgive O'Neill for letting him go. Such a stupid thing to do.

My recollection was MON didn't have a lot of choice as Cahill wanted a first team place guarantee, which rightly or wrongly, MON wouldn't provide. He could have kept a unhappy player I guess, but decided not to.

Doesn't the first bit contradict the second? MON did have a choice and chose to spend a combined £13m on Zat Knight and Curtis Davies instead of play Cahill.

And pissed off Mellberg too. Imagine inheriting Cahill and Mellberg, and getting rid of both of them for Knight, Davies and Cuellar.  Then having to replace them a year later due to the abject shitness of all of them.

Indeed. I know I've posted this before, but I still find it mind boggling.

2008-9: buys entire defence - Cuellar, Shorey, Young, Davies - total approx 28m

decides doesn't rate some of them, so ..

2009-10: buys entire new defence - Collins, Dunne, Warnock, Beye - total approx 20m

That's very nearly £50m on two entire defences in a little over 12 months.

Not to mention the fact that in 2007-8 he'd already spent £5m on another CB, Knight.

Absolutely insane scattergun, lazy transfer policy.

Shorey, Young, Warnock all were in and around the England squad at the time as well.  It wasn't just centre backs that O'Neill didn't fancy.

totally agree that that was MON gone mad. However, all the players were decent at the time and I seem to recall even Beye was rated by the Geordies

Yes, which is what makes it so stupid. They might have been decent, but why buy all of them?

[dicedlam]

http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~4972842,00.html

Confirmed loan deal season long

''Continuing his football education''  makes it sound like he is part of the youth academy.
Never rated him. He was either a liability or injured.  The Championship is probably the right level for him.

[KRS]

His 5 year contract just means that we'll get a transfer fee above what he receives in wages if he proves himself out on loan. Won't be a large profit but an astute bit of business and I expect he'll be sold next summer to Bristol or another Championship club. I don't think he'll make it at PL level.

[PaulWinch again]

Never really rated him, but good luck on loan.

[mr underhill]

his best bit was the beard. Probably more suited to ZZ Top than football.

[john e]

he has had some really good games at villa, which is more than you can say for some others

[mr underhill]

really? he was brave yes, but always too close to a liability wrapped inside a calamity

[ClaretAndBlueBlood]

Whilst frittering away £50m on average defenders MON was also busy hounding Gary Cahill out of the club .

that's not quite true is it. Cahill wanted to leave because he wasn't getting enough games - and he probably wasn't quite ready to be a first team fixture at the time. Should have forced him to stay another year and then he would have been ready

[Brend'Watkins]

I'm very pleased about this.  I was developing a nervous twitch every time he had the ball. 

Hopefully he does well there and they want him permanently come the end of the loan.