Remi Garde - Departs Aston Villa

[gpbarr]

Sensible and realistic. We are not going to be in the PL next year but that needn't be the disaster some think.

Let's not tie all and sundry to survival in PL

[old man villa fan]

What we should expect from the players is that they go out to try and win every game and let the points take care of themselves.

If it does not happen, it does not happen. Revisit the points situation with 6 games to go.

[Dave]

It's been mentioned a million times but it's worth restating: for all the punditocracy bleating about our untried, non-Premier League fruity foreigners, our best players have definitely been the imports, and our worst players those signed from within England.

Yup.

I had a bit of disagreement with one of my work colleagues- genuinely nice bloke - over this.

Said we should look to sign Crouch. I said why - he'll cost a couple of million and 40-50k per week and would want a contract of at least 2.5 years. Though Crouch is genuine pro he could easily degrade like Cole, Richardson, Lescott until recently etc.. leaving us with more debt.

Crouch wouldn't command wages anything like that.

Just like there's no way Derby are paying Bent what he was earning with us and we won't be paying Lescott what he was earning at Man City. As players get to his age their wages drop considerably.

He's now 35, his next two year contract will be for £25,000 per week tops.

Plus he's on a free at the end of the season...Although I suspect there will be a few takers for him

End of next season - he signed a two year extension last January.

Although it wouldn't be a huge surprise if they let him leave for a pretty nominal fee to get his wages off the books.

[PaulWinch again]

Sensible and realistic. We are not going to be in the PL next year but that needn't be the disaster some think.

Let's not tie all and sundry to survival in PL

Indeed and I think most people aren't from this position. It's about getting performances like that every week and developing from there.

[PaulWinch again]

I see the big IFs are making a comeback.

If IF IF IF

How about just try and enjoy yesterday for what it was? It wasn't a flukey win and we played well, IF we can repeat that we'll be on the right track. That doesn't mean we won't be relegated, but it sure as hell means we'll be in a good position to come back up.

[dave.woodhall]

We beat palace at home by a scrappy goal and now we are going to go on a title winning form run!Really?

If we don't snatch at this glimmer of hope then we may as well throw the towel in. Why can't we enjoy the moment and look forward to beating Leicester?

By all means enjoy the moment, but thinking we are staying up is futile. We still have no reliable goalscorer, an untested Goalkeeper and seemingly no one wanting to join us in this transfer window.

We've got as much chance of stopping up as there is of you stopping moaning. Is that fair enough?

[Mortimer's Bear]

We beat palace at home by a scrappy goal and now we are going to go on a title winning form run!Really?

If we don't snatch at this glimmer of hope then we may as well throw the towel in. Why can't we enjoy the moment and look forward to beating Leicester?

By all means enjoy the moment, but thinking we are staying up is futile. We still have no reliable goalscorer, an untested Goalkeeper and seemingly no one wanting to join us in this transfer window.

We've got as much chance of stopping up as there is of you stopping moaning. Is that fair enough?

We really are doomed then.

[Dave Cooper please]

I see the big IFs are making a comeback.

If IF IF IF

I've said it before but if supporting a football club brings anyone so much misery that they can't even be slightly happy when their team wins then it really is time to find a new hobby.

[Risso]

It's been mentioned a million times but it's worth restating: for all the punditocracy bleating about our untried, non-Premier League fruity foreigners, our best players have definitely been the imports, and our worst players those signed from within England.

Yup.

I had a bit of disagreement with one of my work colleagues- genuinely nice bloke - over this.

Said we should look to sign Crouch. I said why - he'll cost a couple of million and 40-50k per week and would want a contract of at least 2.5 years. Though Crouch is genuine pro he could easily degrade like Cole, Richardson, Lescott until recently etc.. leaving us with more debt.

Crouch wouldn't command wages anything like that.

Just like there's no way Derby are paying Bent what he was earning with us and we won't be paying Lescott what he was earning at Man City. As players get to his age their wages drop considerably.

He's now 35, his next two year contract will be for £25,000 per week tops.

You're not factoring in the stupid new TV deal, and the fact that he's still a 'name' and a player who has never relied on pace.  I could easily see him earning 40k plus, as that's the equivalent of 25k in new TV deal money.

[brian green]

When I first saw Peter Crouch play at Dulwich Hamlet, the Hamlet players were on total wages of £80 a week for a win, £20 for a draw, Nothing if they lost.  That was nearly 20 years ago but it illustrates the gulf between the clubs, a gulf which continues to grow.

[oldhill_avfc]

Yeah, but Dulwich is a hamlet whereas Stoke is a city.  Bound to get more.

[cheltenhamlion]

Stoke isn't really a city. Just a collection of shit holes under one banner. Like a small Greater Manchester if you will.

[brian green]

But one house in Dulwich sells for more than a street of houses in Hanley, Burslem, Fenton, Longton or Stoke.

[oldhill_avfc]

Mmmmm ...

but! by definition there's not many houses in a hamlet whereas in a city there's loads of houses, a few hotels, a couple of utilities and some railway stations in a city.   Clearly there's more wealth overall to afford players.

[PeterWithesShin]

Houses cost more in London than in Stoke shocker.