TRon

I only saw Krul in that one Euro game but he looked outstanding in that. To be fair, Forster looks like a hell of a prodspect too. Feyenoord have got themselves a very good young keeper I think.

I'magreed with Kaka on this one, yes Taylor is decent in the air, but on the deck he just backs off and ends up marking no one, IMO making it more difficult for anyone else to know who to pick up. I also thought Habib Beye looked disinterested today, I don't know if he's carrying an injury but he looks way off the pace. Arsenal played well, but we didn't really play with any passion or tempo. Very flat performance. On a positive note, if we are going to have a weakened team, it might as well be at the Emirates, where we probably weren't going to get much anyway. The win last week was much more important.

haha, some people never learn. I'm sure premiership quality footballlers will be playing in the sunday leagues tomorrow. We might find a quality centre forward playing for the Blue Star for a couple of quid. Go get 'em lads they're out there somewhere. I didn't realise that Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourhino had been getting it wrong by buying quality footballers all these years. Slap their wrists. Quite ironic that the 2 strikers most valuable to the club at the present time were "panic signings/trophy signings" bought by the previous regime, but I'll let you absorb that one. There's nowt wrong with trophy signings if they are added to a well balanced squad. Buying one superstar and not being able to strengthen the rest of the squad as a result is what people have usually not been happy about, although you probably already know this. that's what i meant, i.e. we get samuel eto'o in for 30m on monday but don't have a right winger or CM for the rest of the season not sure if he realised what i meant or not Yep that's pretty much spot on.

haha, some people never learn. I'm sure premiership quality footballlers will be playing in the sunday leagues tomorrow. We might find a quality centre forward playing for the Blue Star for a couple of quid. Go get 'em lads they're out there somewhere. I didn't realise that Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourhino had been getting it wrong by buying quality footballers all these years. Slap their wrists. Quite ironic that the 2 strikers most valuable to the club at the present time were "panic signings/trophy signings" bought by the previous regime, but I'll let you absorb that one. There's nowt wrong with trophy signings if they are added to a well balanced squad. Buying one superstar and not being able to strengthen the rest of the squad as a result is what people have usually not been happy about, although you probably already know this.

For £12m you could buy two replacements and I'm pretty sure at least one would be as good as or better than Milner. If only Martin O'Neill had your football expertise eh. A smart comment...very good M'ON is a good coach who likes to play quite direct functional football, for which you need certain types of players. KK plays a more passing game which requires slightly different types. Milner might be worth more to one coach than another. For example, O'Neill might pay £12m but Wenger might not be prepared to even pay £6m.

For £12m you could buy two replacements and I'm pretty sure at least one would be as good as or better than Milner. True, but if we don't buy a replacement then it isn't such a good deal. 1) I think it's a good deal regardless if you take a long term view to improve the quality of the squad. 2) I believe Keegan when he says there will be players coming in.

For £12m you could buy two replacements and I'm pretty sure at least one would be as good as or better than Milner.

Really? then why hasn't he been snapped up by a big club? And does one season where you get noticed really justify this "top, top quality" comment? Enough big clubs have been in for him, but you can't blame them for not wanting to spend £25m on a 27 yr old. I am not justifying the top quality remark, that's just my opinion of him after the Euros. He looks to have everything going forwards...vision, pace, finishing ability. I don't dispute that he has some quality, he has shown flashes of it in the Euros and during last season. But "top, top quality" suggests in my book someone of a standard where a £25m fee wouldn't stop a big club from buying him. Like I said, if he was 23 instead of 27 I'm sure he'd have been sold by now. Drogba? Cantona? Ginola? ""I wish I'd seen him at 21 or 22. I predict he will come to the Premier League, or go to a big club in Italy. The way he plays is something very special."" - Arsene Wenger

Really? then why hasn't he been snapped up by a big club? And does one season where you get noticed really justify this "top, top quality" comment? Enough big clubs have been in for him, but you can't blame them for not wanting to spend £25m on a 27 yr old. I am not justifying the top quality remark, that's just my opinion of him after the Euros. He looks to have everything going forwards...vision, pace, finishing ability. I don't dispute that he has some quality, he has shown flashes of it in the Euros and during last season. But "top, top quality" suggests in my book someone of a standard where a £25m fee wouldn't stop a big club from buying him. Like I said, if he was 23 instead of 27 I'm sure he'd have been sold by now.

Really? then why hasn't he been snapped up by a big club? And does one season where you get noticed really justify this "top, top quality" comment? Enough big clubs have been in for him, but you can't blame them for not wanting to spend £25m on a 27 yr old. I am not justifying the top quality remark, that's just my opinion of him after the Euros. He looks to have everything going forwards...vision, pace, finishing ability.

You are right. The two clubs involved, the players and agents should all just agree on everything with a couple of calls. I still think we should have asked for £25m for Milner then phoned Villa to agree on it within 40 mins tops. I said ENQUIRE, yes, ENQUIRE!! Not wrap up the deal!! not agree terms, just ENQUIRE!! F****** read my post properly then respond I attempted to read your post but I'm still trying to work out what it is you are complaining about.

Arshavin is top, top quality, but I doubt he will come here.

You are right. The two clubs involved, the players and agents should all just agree on everything with a couple of calls. I still think we should have asked for £25m for Milner then phoned Villa to agree on it within 40 mins tops.

pity the ideas are holier than thou, patronising, aloof shite. nailed. beautifully crafted sanctimonious bullshit.

I doubt this will get through to some of the nuggets on here but worth pointing out all the same.

Fuck me, talk about irreplaceable. How are we going to survive this tragedy??

Nah, haven't you read the thread, it's a piece of piss to find someone much better and cheaper (fee & wages) than Milner. My God you are right...we should never have let Milner go for even £20million !!! He is irreplaceable!!!! Well if we don't get someone in before the transfer window closes then, erm, yes, he is. Well since he wasn't playing at the end of last season through injury, he clearly isn't.

Nah, haven't you read the thread, it's a piece of piss to find someone much better and cheaper (fee & wages) than Milner. My God you are right...we should never have let Milner go for even £20million !!! He is irreplaceable!!!!

Not as confident of getting a result now that Fabregas looks like being fit. Still think we might sneak a point though.

That's the only thing that worries me. Though tbf he's been saying similar nice things about Smith and Ameobi that everyone was so keen to dismiss as fibs, so why not the same here? As always, it depends on who comes in. If we get someone like Arda (from what I've seen of him, anyway), KK won't give a flying f*** that Milner's gone. The only way I could see KK agreeing to such a move assuming he has a say which I think he will do is if the money was to be used to bring in someone much better. I still don't think he'd be happy though and to be honest, no manager likes losing players they want to keep even if they get a better player in as a replacement. I'm not blaming the club or anything here btw, if Milner wants to leave which may well be, there isn't much anyone can do. KK might not be happy but he's not stupid either. Someone would have had to pay Milner the extra money for a new contract, do you think KK would offer to give him a cut of his own wages? At the end of the day, whoever pays the bills is the one who makes the decisions and KK will understand that. He paid Terry Macs wages for his first part season Well if he wanted to keep Milner so badly he could always pay his...

That's the only thing that worries me. Though tbf he's been saying similar nice things about Smith and Ameobi that everyone was so keen to dismiss as fibs, so why not the same here? As always, it depends on who comes in. If we get someone like Arda (from what I've seen of him, anyway), KK won't give a flying f*** that Milner's gone. The only way I could see KK agreeing to such a move assuming he has a say which I think he will do is if the money was to be used to bring in someone much better. I still don't think he'd be happy though and to be honest, no manager likes losing players they want to keep even if they get a better player in as a replacement. I'm not blaming the club or anything here btw, if Milner wants to leave which may well be, there isn't much anyone can do. KK might not be happy but he's not stupid either. Someone would have had to pay Milner the extra money for a new contract, do you think KK would offer to give him a cut of his own wages? At the end of the day, whoever pays the bills is the one who makes the decisions and KK will understand that.

Happy to oblige

I said before I think he'll do ok for Villa, hish high, hopeful crosses will probably find their way towards Villa's big men. Pointless in our style of play though.

I don't really blame Milner, I think he'd have stayed given any encouragement. He gambled and he lost basically. i blame him because he signed a contract last year and wanted a better deal because someone else got one. that someone else was in the last year of his contract (the normal time for renegotiating contracts). pure and simple greed IMO. It could be argued he was worth a better contract (not my opinion though) and he probably thought it was worth a go to ask for one. In any case, it's a good day for the club. A great fee for an average player, and a message sent out to the rest of the squad. Be careful what you wish for... he agreed to the contract and knew what it meant,he also knew that it meant should he play poorly and not be in the first team squad he'd still get paid at that level. it cuts both ways but players now want it all one way. i stand by my "pure greed" opinion. Well, regardless, he's welcome to fuck off to Villa and earn his higher salary there.

I don't really blame Milner, I think he'd have stayed given any encouragement. He gambled and he lost basically. i blame him because he signed a contract last year and wanted a better deal because someone else got one. that someone else was in the last year of his contract (the normal time for renegotiating contracts). pure and simple greed IMO. It could be argued he was worth a better contract (not my opinion though) and he probably thought it was worth a go to ask for one. In any case, it's a good day for the club. A great fee for an average player, and a message sent out to the rest of the squad. Be careful what you wish for...