brummie

Oooh, that wouldn't go down well. He'd be summoned to London to explain himself. Just reading his name in the press today has made me feel rather queasy. I'm going to have to go for a lie down.

That's it. If we spent 10m on a player in a position we're already pretty blessed in, on a player who can't play until January, that gives an indication of what sort of budget we have. We're clearly nothing like Man City's budget, but then again, nobody is, but there is definitely a large sum of money there. (incidentally, thus far it is Downing, Beye and Delph in, total 20, Barry and Knight out, total 16.5, so we've barely started spending yet). We got a profit for Zat Knight. That's remarkable.

Without wanting to sound coarse, we've got shit loads of money, Lerner has made it clear to O'Neill he can basically spend as much as he wants (in fact, his fellow director General Krulak actually said openly 'if Martin wants 30m for a player, he can have it". In fact, the word in informed circles is that if anything, Lerner is annoyed at O'Neill's reluctance to spend. The money isn't the problem. It is persuading the player to come to a non CL team that is the issue.

God, just when I thought it could get no worse for you, there are the O'Leary rumours. Just wait until he starts talking you down and telling you you can't compete with the Middlesbroughs and Doncasters of this world.

Delph is looking very, very good for us today.

What on earth is that supposed to mean? Did I diss Inter at some point? My only football memory of Inter is us pissing all over them 2-0 in the UEFA CUp in 1991 (I closed my eyes and ears for the return leg). Although I kept my eyes and ears profoundly open when we twatted them out of the same competition three years later. So that's two memories. Slain by the mightly Phil King. Muhahhahaha! EDIT shit, I forgot beating them 3-0 pre season last year.

*that dog emoticon, here*

Tuncay is far from a weasel. Very good player that does more than his fair share defensively. Apparantly Liverpool are signing Tainio. By weasel, I mean a player with a bit of flair, a bit of guile, something a bit different.

Benitez will still no doubt whine about his lack of transfer funds. Alonso they got 30 million, they forfeited outstanding money owed to them from Portsmouth for Glen Johnson, Arbeloa(sp) sold, then there is the Robbie Keane 15million - they have yet to spend. I think Benitez has a point. Although the RK 15 million they'd only spent a few months previously. Benitez wastes money. He'll probably just spend it all on a pacific island, or a coal mine or something.

At every opportunity, Ashley has done the worst thing he could possibly do for the club. Whether that is down to incompetence or vindictiveness, I don't know. My faith in the human spirit makes me want to think it is just incompetence, but Christ, you really do have to ask yourself how anyone could thing that the situation now is in anyway protecting his investment (and I choose that criteria as it is the one thing which he should be worried about, even if he doesn't really give a shit about the club beyond that). It really beggars belief. When you went down, I thought if you managed to keep hold of a nucleus of half decent players (for that level) and indulged in some sensible purchasing you'd come straight back on, you'd be a stick on for it. But looking at what has happened since, and looking at some of the other decent clubs in that division next season, I really do fear for you. The tragedy of it all is that - to an outside observer - it actually does look like it has happened by design, and not through circumstances.

I don't rate Taylor, but at least he quite clearly gives a shit, which judging by the way they rest of them scurried off the pitch last game of the season puts him in a minority of one. Off on a tangent a bit, but i read this on a Villa forum the other day, talking about Alan Smith Now, you can say what you like about the fan taunting him, but I think his response probably says quite a lot, too.

I hope we do buy Tuncay. He's exactly what we need, a slightly weaselesque player with a bit of guile about him. A Merson, an errr Benito Carbone.

Luke Young is there I think. LB - Shorey, Bouma RB - Luke Young, Beye, Lichaj CB - Cuellar, Davies. Spot the holes.

I'm glad someone got what i was hinting at.

Why did he never get a chance for Scotland? *wink*

That money is the club's money, not Mike Ashley's.

Orange manfat. How vile.

Well he is in Hull having talks right now so I hear. Press tittle tattle disclaimers, obv, but the Express and Star get it right on matters down here a lot more than the other local papers. http://www.expressandstar.com/2009/08/07/villa-to-beat-off-hull-for-beye/

Beye apparently due at our training ground today, they're hoping to seal it by end of play today.

Nice one Villa! A good solid club for Beye to go to. Should make up a bit for the lumbering them with James Milner. Thank God he isn't going to Hull. You say lumbering, but that is unfair. He was very good indeed for most of the season, after settling slowly. Overpriced, yes, that's fair, but lumbering implies he's not up to much, which conflicts with what we've seen this year. I know, I know ... Just not a fan of the guy. I know he was productive for you last season, doesn't mean I have to admit it though. I'm like that. Wait till FatArse Barry starts playing for Citeh

Nice one Villa! A good solid club for Beye to go to. Should make up a bit for the lumbering them with James Milner. Thank God he isn't going to Hull. You say lumbering, but that is unfair. He was very good indeed for most of the season, after settling slowly. Overpriced, yes, that's fair, but lumbering implies he's not up to much, which conflicts with what we've seen this year.

I'd be amazed if we were. He's too foreign league based for Martin. Our scouts don't have passports. Any more on Beye going to Villa? Hoping to seal it tomorrow, apparently.

I'd be amazed if we were. He's too foreign league based for Martin. Our scouts don't have passports. In fact, the one who "scouted" Marlon Harewood clearly doesn't have eyes, either.

We've done what we have under MON despite his transfer policy, rather than because of it. Moyes, for example, is far more adept in the transfer market than O'Neill is. However, having said that, life with him and Lerner hasn't been boring for a second (unlike the unremitting torpor of the last years of Ellis) Cuellar I think will come good this season, though, and possibly Davies too (who, lest we forget, was on the fringes of the England squad earlier this season). Luke Young, Ashley Young and Carew have all been good signings. As has Petrov (well, one excellent season, two gash ones). He gets it wrong far too often for my liking, though. Still, f*** it, he's got us back to 6th, which I believe is about our average position since the inception of the premiership. What he needs to do now is show his mettle and move us on. That'll be the challenge. it cant be surely Sixth in the all time PL table. 8th is our average position, though. Well, 8.1, if you will, so not far off. It annoys me a bit that people think we'd been as we were in the last few years of Ellis for a long time, which is bollocks. From 1996 - 2002 our finishes were 4th, 5th, 7th, 6th, 6th, 8th and 8th, then 2 years later, even Pugnose O'Leary managed a 6th. Our highest PL finish is 2nd. Obviously, all the above assumes we buy into that "football was invented in 1992 bullshit", which of course, it wasn't.

We've done what we have under MON despite his transfer policy, rather than because of it. Moyes, for example, is far more adept in the transfer market than O'Neill is. However, having said that, life with him and Lerner hasn't been boring for a second (unlike the unremitting torpor of the last years of Ellis) Cuellar I think will come good this season, though, and possibly Davies too (who, lest we forget, was on the fringes of the England squad earlier this season). Luke Young, Ashley Young and Carew have all been good signings. As has Petrov (well, one excellent season, two gash ones). He gets it wrong far too often for my liking, though. Still, fuck it, he's got us back to 6th, which I believe is about our average position since the inception of the premiership. What he needs to do now is show his mettle and move us on. That'll be the challenge.