midds

If throwing money at players is how they convince them to go to Sunderland then that's up to them. They don't have to live anywhere near Sunderland city itself tbh. We've paid way over the odds for ordinary players in the past so we aren't really in a position to have a pop now. Whether they'll be a success and be 'value for money' is another matter entirely.

Your new shirt doesn't fucking fit anyway!

For £23m? nar not that, but I'd still be surprised if thats the fee he leaves for. The price will drop like a stone as Zenit's first CL game approaches. No way will any buying club want him cup-tied. He'll end up going for about £15m top whack.

Wasn't he pictured holding up a Barca shirt last week? I think he's got an over-inflated opinion of himself imo. He's a very good player but I honestly believe the top, top clubs in Europe wouldn't pay anywhere near what Zenit want.

Well said that man.

I think it is in with the deleted threads. Just had a rake in the bin.

I'm lost now like. What thread?

Spunk?

Have you been drinking again? Stone sober. K. I was there wasn't I? What? Greasy mediterranean type called James getting an exclusive interview for Newcastle Online. Who else could it be? Ah right.

Have you been drinking again? Stone sober. K. I was there wasn't I? What?

I don't think anyone's 'turning on him' - more some are saying he's not as good as he was and if the deal is good enough, they'd be willing to cash in on him. I'd be quite happy to keep him here if the bid was shit.

Have you been drinking again? Stone sober. K.

Have you been drinking again?

Thanks, Spence, I forgot about that bit. That sticks in my craw. "This is my dream move, don't deny me it", well ask for a transfer, you money grabbing t***, or isn't it really your dream? Footballers all over, that. Ronaldo, Barry & Lampard all of them have indicated they want out but not one of them has the stones to ask to leave because they will lose hundreds of thousands of £££'s. Look at us last year soft cock Barton did not ask to leave Man City but he had release clause of £5.5 million which we stumped up & then he asked Man City for the £300K he was due as he did not ask to leave. Of course Man City told him to do one & Newcastle end up paying Citeh £5.8 million to get him & City then passed the £300K on to JB. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!! Dug his heels in and got it in the end though didn't he? Just not right. Why can't a player just be honest and say "Thanks for having me here, it's been a pleasure but I want a move. I need a fresh challenge."

Memory like a sieve - who's in for Johnson again? :-[ The mighty Fulham. That's right. Pretty much like for like though? I do rate Bent higher than Johnson tbh and he is younger as well so it's good from that point of view- Johnson will have no re-sale value in a couple of seasons time. re: Tainio he's a decent player but ALWAYS injured. Made of glass. Never realised Johnson was 27. If you were going to flog him then now's the time like!

http://www.safc.com/news/?page_id=15265 Good for them and good for Finland. Atleast he can expect to play and not sit on the bench. Not a bad buy for them*. He's a decent player who'll probably get better because he'll be getting his game regularly. *Depends on the fee obviously.

Memory like a sieve - who's in for Johnson again? :-[ The mighty Fulham. That's right. Pretty much like for like though?

Memory like a sieve - who's in for Johnson again? :-[

But you're completely ignoring the player's wishes here. It certainly not a given (pardon the pun) that he'll agree to this move. If a player doesn't want to go, the transfer doesn't happen and we can all stop discussing it. I would have thought that was patently obvious. Clearly not...

No-one in our squad is irreplaceable and if the deal is right then I'd take it. Harper's decent and Krul shows a lot of promise by all accounts. Got to trust the boss on this one.

Totally agree with this to be honest. Great servant for the club, said he'd give it a couple of seasons when O'Neill was appointed and did so. Now he wants the chance to play at the highest club level which is totally fair enough and Villa just can't get there. Feel sorry for the fans, but they have to realise sometimes players need to go up in their career, much like we did with Gazza, Waddle and Beardsley back in the day. Just shows how much football has changed over the years that returning players struggle to get warm welcomes when the come back. The sentiments are correct but the way he's going about it, is not. You don't go mouthing off to the Screws of the World, like a spoilt little brat, wanting the world to feel sorry for you and critcising your boss. But I do agree that he's given a nothing club like Villa tremendous service and is within his rights to want to better himself. You do realise they've won the European Cup don't you?

How much for? on a side note, think Blackburn are in for a very troublesome season. Agree with that. Ince is making some very strange decisions in the transfer market.

I think it's more to do with the way he's gone about trying to get his move tbh. Benitez and Gerrard should have said nowt and Barry was out of order in slagging O'Neill off in the rags. Had he gone about things differently then I think the Villa fans would have understood and accepted it. He's acted like a cock and he's now hated. Tough shit Barry.

I take the point mate, but I'm curious as to where mick saw what he says he did ? If he can't give the link, then I'll leave it at that. He's quoted in this article (I know it's the NoTW but it's direct quotes) as saying that he bought the club to "have some fun". He's not in it for the money. http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/1301_ashley.shtml Now can we drop it? Please? Let's move on.