Milner on his way?

[Cajun]

Why would Milner be useless in that formation? Most seem to think he would be better in a more central role so it would seem he would be a lot more suited to it.

 

We also need a squad, as said we aren't going to buy 10 players in the summer. This isn't championship manager!

[Parky]

Why would Milner be useless in that formation? Most seem to think he would be better in a more central role so it would seem he would be a lot more suited to it.

 

We also need a squad, as said we aren't going to buy 10 players in the summer. This isn't championship manager!

 

G manning the guns in a last ditch defence of Milner. 

[Cajun]

Not really it just doesn't make sense selling him. We are short in midfield already and he certainly has a lot more going for him than a number of our current midfielders. Its exactly the same as those advocating selling Martins or Taylor.

[Dave]

To be fair, everyone is shitting themselves about being able to get players here, what with the lower wages, lack of Europe etc etc. Why do those same people then advocate making yet another hole to fill?

 

If we can upgrade then great, do it. But that policy applies to anyone in the squad doesn't it.

[Parky]

Not really it just doesn't make sense selling him. We are short in midfield already and he certainly has a lot more going for him than a number of our current midfielders. Its exactly the same as those advocating selling Martins or Taylor.

 

I'd keep him. Two footed, can play either side, relatively young.

 

About £8m should be slapped on his head.

[Cajun]

Not really it just doesn't make sense selling him. We are short in midfield already and he certainly has a lot more going for him than a number of our current midfielders. Its exactly the same as those advocating selling Martins or Taylor.

 

I'd keep him. Two footed, can play either side, relatively young.

 

About £8m should be slapped on his head.

 

[Baggio]

To be fair, everyone is shitting themselves about being able to get players here, what with the lower wages, lack of Europe etc etc. Why do those same people then advocate making yet another hole to fill?

 

If we can upgrade then great, do it. But that policy applies to anyone in the squad doesn't it.

 

Isn't this a position that the majority on here have agreed that we need to strengthen though?

 

So it's not really making another hole to fill.

[Cajun]

We just going for a first 11 next season then? I don't think anyone has said we don't need to improve that area but we still need a squad and he would be a valuable squad player.

[Dave]

To be fair, everyone is shitting themselves about being able to get players here, what with the lower wages, lack of Europe etc etc. Why do those same people then advocate making yet another hole to fill?

 

If we can upgrade then great, do it. But that policy applies to anyone in the squad doesn't it.

 

Isn't this a position that the majority on here have agreed that we need to strengthen though?

 

So it's not really making another hole to fill.

 

Most decided it when he was playing very poorly earlier in the season, and later Geremi hasn't been doing very well either.

 

I just think he's done enough for us to deserve another crack under Keegan, at least as part of the squad if not starting every game.

[Shak]

To be fair, everyone is shitting themselves about being able to get players here, what with the lower wages, lack of Europe etc etc. Why do those same people then advocate making yet another hole to fill?

 

If we can upgrade then great, do it. But that policy applies to anyone in the squad doesn't it.

 

Difference I see there is that Milner seems to have some value in terms of a sale, something that can't be said about any of our other midfielders. Other than N'Zogbia, and I'd sell Milner long before Zoggy.

 

If we're going with 4-3-3, as I would hope we will, we've got Barton, Geremi, Butt and N'Zogbia that will be here and looking to fight for a place. I think it's a given that we'll be looking to bring in a creative midfielder, hence the Modric bid. If we could do that and then spend whatever we sell Milner for on a long-term DM then that would be for the best, surely?

 

Butt/ New Guy to compete at DM with Zoggy, Barton, Geremi and hopefully a really quality CM competing for 2 spots either side of him.

 

About £8m should be slapped on his head.

 

Agreed, but in reality I'd accept anything over £6m once things get going.

 

It's nothing like selling Martins to be fair though Geej. Martins has some attributes that, if harnessed correctly, could make him a very good player ultimately. Milner, solid as he may be, doesn't have any stand out thing that he really excels at, and it's impossible to imagine that he ever will. Shooting, perhaps, but that's about it.

[Baggio]

We just going for a first 11 next season then? I don't think anyone has said we don't need to improve that area but we still need a squad and he would be a valuable squad player.

 

We'll still have a squad with Geremi as back up and LuaLua getting to the age where he should be getting pushed more by Keegan.

 

Milner on the other hand is a player with a decent price on his head because he's young and English, he's an average footballer though so it would make sense to cash in on him now before his value drops, which it surely would if he's going to spend a season as back up (not that I think he'd be happy here as back up btw)

 

 

[Cajun]

Its like Martins in the fact that he is one of the few (striker in Martins case) midfielders who doesn't have a lot of baggage hanging over him. Emre is a crock, Duff is shit, Barton is a headcase and N'Zogbia is a stoppy little cunt apparently looking for a move everytime something doesn't go his way.

 

 

[Cajun]

We just going for a first 11 next season then? I don't think anyone has said we don't need to improve that area but we still need a squad and he would be a valuable squad player.

 

We'll still have a squad with Geremi as back up and LuaLua getting to the age where he should be getting pushed more by Keegan.

 

Milner on the other hand is a player with a decent price on his head because he's young and English, he's an average footballer though so it would make sense to cash in on him now before his value drops, which it surely would if he's going to spend a season as back up (not that I think he'd be happy here as back up btw)

 

 

 

We don't have a big enough squad as it is and I reckon we would be lucky to get a player as good/valuable to us as Milner for £5m.

[Baggio]

We just going for a first 11 next season then? I don't think anyone has said we don't need to improve that area but we still need a squad and he would be a valuable squad player.

 

We'll still have a squad with Geremi as back up and LuaLua getting to the age where he should be getting pushed more by Keegan.

 

Milner on the other hand is a player with a decent price on his head because he's young and English, he's an average footballer though so it would make sense to cash in on him now before his value drops, which it surely would if he's going to spend a season as back up (not that I think he'd be happy here as back up btw)

 

 

 

We don't have a big enough squad as it is and I reckon we would be lucky to get a player as good/valuable to us as Milner for £5m.

 

Our squad isn't all that small, it just looks worse because we lack any sort of quality in certain areas, across midfield being one of them.

 

As Shak has said, sell Milner and spend the money on a defensive midfielder, then spend the sort of money we were prepared  to pay for Modric on another attacking talent or two.

[juniatmoko]

We just going for a first 11 next season then? I don't think anyone has said we don't need to improve that area but we still need a squad and he would be a valuable squad player.

 

We'll still have a squad with Geremi as back up and LuaLua getting to the age where he should be getting pushed more by Keegan.

 

Milner on the other hand is a player with a decent price on his head because he's young and English, he's an average footballer though so it would make sense to cash in on him now before his value drops, which it surely would if he's going to spend a season as back up (not that I think he'd be happy here as back up btw)

 

 

 

We don't have a big enough squad as it is and I reckon we would be lucky to get a player as good/valuable to us as Milner for £5m.

 

Our squad isn't all that small, it just looks worse because we lack any sort of quality in certain areas, across midfield being one of them.

 

As Shak has said, sell Milner and spend the money on a defensive midfielder, then spend the sort of money we were prepared  to pay for Modric on another attacking talent or two.

 

i think people forgot how hard it is to find a quality player.. even we slapped him with incredible tag price (modric case)... i think gejon has fair point to say

[Cajun]

Sell Milner once he has been replaced and we have a backup who is better. I don't think we will be in a position to do that until next summer.

[Baggio]

We just going for a first 11 next season then? I don't think anyone has said we don't need to improve that area but we still need a squad and he would be a valuable squad player.

 

We'll still have a squad with Geremi as back up and LuaLua getting to the age where he should be getting pushed more by Keegan.

 

Milner on the other hand is a player with a decent price on his head because he's young and English, he's an average footballer though so it would make sense to cash in on him now before his value drops, which it surely would if he's going to spend a season as back up (not that I think he'd be happy here as back up btw)

 

 

 

We don't have a big enough squad as it is and I reckon we would be lucky to get a player as good/valuable to us as Milner for £5m.

 

Our squad isn't all that small, it just looks worse because we lack any sort of quality in certain areas, across midfield being one of them.

 

As Shak has said, sell Milner and spend the money on a defensive midfielder, then spend the sort of money we were prepared  to pay for Modric on another attacking talent or two.

 

i think people forgot how hard it is to find a quality player.. even we slapped him with incredible tag price (modric case)... i think gejon has fair point to say

 

Of course if we can't find a quality player then keep him, no point in swapping for a player of similar quality.

[Shak]

Its like Martins in the fact that he is one of the few (striker in Martins case) midfielders who doesn't have a lot of baggage hanging over him.

 

Yeah but the massive difference is that Martins can offer us something of significance on the pitch. Can Milner?

 

Duff and Smith have no baggage, model pros by all accounts. But they need to be sold on, because they're rubbish (Milner is better than both of them, admittedly).

 

The problem with keeping him as back-up for this year and looking to move him next summer is that his price tag invariably figures to drop if he's sitting on the bench most of the year. So, barring he actually comes in and does well, now is the time to sell him on, while we can hopefully get a nice fee for him.

 

As Baggio says, our depth isn't all that bad really, it's just a lack of real quality that is the problem moreso.

[Cajun]

I reckon he will still be getting a decent amount of games. He will still be worth more than Geremi who is probably on more wages aswell and imo isn't any better.

[TRon]

When we were in freefall there were three players starting most games who ran around a lot and put in 150% effort although we couldn't score a goal to save our lives. Those three were Milner, Smith and Duff. I can remember in the pre-match thread when I heard Viduka, Martins and Geremi had been brought into the team at the expense of those three I almost jumped for joy because I knew we could at last hit back with goals.

 

I'm not saying Milner was as much to blame as the other two but he's of that mould. Runs around a lot without much cutting edge and little prospect of goals. Sell while the price is high.

 

 

 

 

[Cajun]

For me Milner is exactly what you want in a squad player (for someone where we are), he is young, willing to fight, can play in different positions, will come in and perform to a good level and imo would be able to adapt to different formations.

 

£5m won't get you much these days so I would stick until he is replaced with better.

[Cajun]

When we were in freefall there were three players starting most games who ran around a lot and put in 150% effort although we couldn't score a goal to save our lives. Those three were Milner, Smith and Duff. I can remember in the pre-match thread when I heard Viduka, Martins and Geremi had been brought into the team at the expense of those three I almost jumped for joy because I knew we could at last hit back with goals.

 

I'm not saying Milner was as much to blame as the other two but he's of that mould. Runs around a lot without much cutting edge and little prospect of goals. Sell while the price is high.

 

 

 

 

 

Its a bit harsh blaming Milner for us not scoring when you have Alan Smith in the team who was probably standing behind Harper/Given for 89 minutes.

[TRon]

When we were in freefall there were three players starting most games who ran around a lot and put in 150% effort although we couldn't score a goal to save our lives. Those three were Milner, Smith and Duff. I can remember in the pre-match thread when I heard Viduka, Martins and Geremi had been brought into the team at the expense of those three I almost jumped for joy because I knew we could at last hit back with goals.

 

I'm not saying Milner was as much to blame as the other two but he's of that mould. Runs around a lot without much cutting edge and little prospect of goals. Sell while the price is high.

 

 

 

 

 

Its a bit harsh blaming Milner for us not scoring when you have Alan Smith in the team who was probably standing behind Harper/Given for 89 minutes.

 

I don't blame him for Smith's lack of goals or Smith for Milner's. N'Zogbia has plenty of faults but he does provide and score goals. Milner doesn't create or score enough for an attacking player. He's a right-sided Duff, although obviously gives a bit more. But not much.

[Guest Alan Shearer 9]

Keep him, sell Smith and Duff.

[Shak]

For me Milner is exactly what you want in a squad player (for someone where we are), he is young, willing to fight, can play in different positions, will come in and perform to a good level and imo would be able to adapt to different formations.

 

£5m won't get you much these days so I would stick until he is replaced with better.

 

Depends on our scouting system and who Keegan wants to target I suppose.

 

5 or 6 million if spent correctly can give us a player who can be valuable part of our first team, which I just don't think Milner ever will be. I'd rather we took the chance on someone else because, while there are no gaurantees a new signing will make a bigger impact and be a first team player, I think you have to try and get better rather than just accept your lot.