James Milner joins Aston Villa - £12m!

[Optimistic Nut]

As already mentioned, Valencia or SWP in and I'd be chuffed.

[colinmk]

After reading nufc.com it seems more like he is looking for an improved contract which is fair enough. Why he should be on so little compared to Duff, Smith etc? The guy has always given 100% and if his contract is that much lower then he should be given a new one.

[Baggio]

Just reading the comments from the PFA.

 

It looks like he tried to force our hand to get a pay rise and it's backfired.

[Liam Liam Liam O]

After reading nufc.com it seems more like he is looking for an improved contract which is fair enough. Why he should be on so little compared to Duff, Smith etc? The guy has always given 100% and if he is contract is that much lower then he should be given a new one.

 

What has he done to warrant an improvement of the one he was happy to sign 12 months ago?

[Liam Liam Liam O]

Just reading the comments from the PFA.

 

It looks like he tried to force our hand to get a pay rise and it's backfired.

 

Made himself look like a bit of a wanker in the process to be honest, can't see how that statement has helped him either.

[colinmk]

After reading nufc.com it seems more like he is looking for an improved contract which is fair enough. Why he should be on so little compared to Duff, Smith etc? The guy has always given 100% and if he is contract is that much lower then he should be given a new one.

 

What has he done to warrant an improvement of the one he was happy to sign 12 months ago?

 

Become a regular starter.

[Cajun]

He definitely shouldn't be asking for an improved contract, he had a very poor season and these shit players getting paid too much were getting paid too much ages ago (apart from Smith I suppose? Can't remember exactly when the new contract was signed).

[Baggio]

He definitely shouldn't be asking for an improved contract, he had a very poor season and these shit players getting paid too much were getting paid too much ages ago (apart from Smith I suppose? Can't remember exactly when the new contract was signed).

 

Aye, I don't understand when people say that Smith and co get more when they're shit.

 

We know they're shit and overpaid, that doesn't mean people should get a pay rise off the back of that.

[NG32]

The fuckers picked his moment, hasn't he?

 

If we've got someone lined up - flog the t***.

 

If we haven't - flog the t*** in January.

 

He has or the club has announcing it?

[Parsley]

He's a good player who might not offer enough for the first team but would certainly add depth and usefulness to the squad. Honestly I don't see the harm in giving the lad a slight pay rise - his demands will probably be very reasonable and would certainly cost us less than shelling out on SWP or Lennon who aren't as big an improvement on Milner as many seem to think. Would rather keep Milner and use that replacement money on a quality AMC tbh.

 

[Cajun]

He definitely shouldn't be asking for an improved contract, he had a very poor season and these shit players getting paid too much were getting paid too much ages ago (apart from Smith I suppose? Can't remember exactly when the new contract was signed).

 

Aye, I don't understand when people say that Smith and co get more when they're shit.

 

We know they're shit and overpaid, that doesn't mean people should get a pay rise off the back of that.

 

I can kind of understand why a player would be pissed off that shite like that get paid more (probably double) than they do and add half as much (if that) to the team but yeah Milner knew this when signing his last contract (fairly recently).

[Baggio]

I wonder if the boo boys will have it in for him if he plays for us again?

 

[TRon]

He's a good player who might not offer enough for the first team but would certainly add depth and usefulness to the squad. Honestly I don't see the harm in giving the lad a slight pay rise - his demands will probably be very reasonable and would certainly cost us less than shelling out on SWP or Lennon who aren't as big an improvement on Milner as many seem to think. Would rather keep Milner and use that replacement money on a quality AMC tbh.

 

 

He's a good squad player and I'd like to keep him on that understanding. Can't see him being happy on the bench though so best to get good money for him now and buy a quality player who commands a first team spot on performance week in week out.

[colinmk]

He definitely shouldn't be asking for an improved contract, he had a very poor season and these shit players getting paid too much were getting paid too much ages ago (apart from Smith I suppose? Can't remember exactly when the new contract was signed).

 

Aye, I don't understand when people say that Smith and co get more when they're shit.

 

We know they're shit and overpaid, that doesn't mean people should get a pay rise off the back of that.

 

I can kind of understand why a player would be pissed off that shite like that get paid more (probably double) than they do and add half as much (if that) to the team but yeah Milner knew this when signing his last contract (fairly recently).

 

That's true but the point .com makes is that he has seen Taylor get a much better contract than him who is pretty much equal in terms of his value to the club as a whole. I can see why he would think he is entitled to a similar contract to Taylor. Slapping in a transfer request is not the way I would of hoped he would go about it though and the whole thing with the club going public about it makes me think that there is a replacement lined up.

[pinkeye]

Have a read of the piece on nufc.com and their opinion of the whole scenario, I think they have just about summed things up perfectly when you consider that Milner is on less that £30k per week and plays his heart out week in week out, granted his final product is not great but, he can only get better, while other players are on double his salary purely on reputation from their previous clubs and do fuck all for us.

 

Milner is a player we should be looking to keep and further develop.  It would make me really mad to see him in 5 years time playing for another club as one of the best English players in the Premier League, quite possible in my opinion............

[Baggio]

He definitely shouldn't be asking for an improved contract, he had a very poor season and these shit players getting paid too much were getting paid too much ages ago (apart from Smith I suppose? Can't remember exactly when the new contract was signed).

 

Aye, I don't understand when people say that Smith and co get more when they're shit.

 

We know they're shit and overpaid, that doesn't mean people should get a pay rise off the back of that.

 

I can kind of understand why a player would be pissed off that shite like that get paid more (probably double) than they do and add half as much (if that) to the team but yeah Milner knew this when signing his last contract (fairly recently).

 

That's true but the point .com makes is that he has seen Taylor get a much better contract than him who is pretty much equal in terms of his value to the club as a whole. I can see why he would think he is entitled to a similar contract to Taylor. Slapping in a transfer request is not the way I would of hoped he would go about it though and the whole thing with the club going public about it makes me think that there is a replacement lined up.

 

I doubt .com know what they both earn any more than we do.

 

From what I remember Taylor was offered the same as Milner and Zoggy but turned it down, he held out for 12 months and got himself a better deal.

 

What Milner has to remember is that while he was sat collecting bigger money from his new contract Taylor was earning far less.

[Baggio]

Have a read of the piece on nufc.com and their opinion of the whole scenario, I think they have just about summed things up perfectly when you consider that Milner is on less that £30k per week and plays his heart out week in week out, granted his final product is not great but, he can only get better, while other players are on double his salary purely on reputation from their previous clubs and do fuck all for us.

 

Milner is a player we should be looking to keep and further develop.  It would make me really mad to see him in 5 years time playing for another club as one of the best English players in the Premier League, quite possible in my opinion............

 

The point is we should be moving on the flops on big wages, not giving average players similar money to keep them happy.

 

And people wonder why our wage bill got out of control.

[Stu]

Reading between the lines, from what has been published by NUFC, the PFA and the piece on .com it's clear that Milner has been advised to put in his transfer request due to a (likely) flatout refusal of a new contract by the club - whether it's Keegan or not, I don't know.

 

I can't see the PFA being your typical shark merchants like the Willie McKay's of this world, thus I'm inclined to believe what they've said - Milner's contract probably was agreed in principle when we called off the move to Villa - we probably offered to match the terms Villa had in compensation for messing him about with the on/off transfer.

 

That it took a year to get signed and agreed is more the club's fault than the players, I can't see an employee not wanting to sign for a payrise if they're happy where they work - Milner's always publicly stated that he likes living in the North and thinks we're a good club to be at.

 

I recall Allardyce and Keegan both commenting on the number of games he'd been playing for the club (and country) over the past two years, so it only seems fair that the lad is rewarded for his efforts and development, particularly if his so-called peers (Taylor, N'Zogbia) are receiving vastly improved deals.

 

Whatever happens to the lad, it'd be an absolute travesty if he gets any stick from our supporters - no doubt the mongs will start to heckle him under the false belief he's gone to the press but Milner hasn't done anything but conduct himself professionally and in a way that we would like to believe all of our players do.

 

After the last five years of the Bellamys, Roberts, Sounesses, Dyers, etc washing our dirty linen in public, it's a shame that when we do have a player who wants to keep negotiations between himself, the club and his agent (PFA) the club go and hang him out to dry by publishing what they have.

 

If he does end up going - thanks a lot for the commitment and looking like you actually care, we've not had a lot of those attitudes in black and white lately  :clap:

[Dave]

From what we can glean, the player isn't particularly mad about moving to Aston Villa - unlike when he was there on loan under former Leeds boss O'Leary.

 

And while the lure of Champions League football (at the moment anyway) is an obvious reason to fancy life at Liverpool, Milner is said to be happy playing at SJP.

 

The success of the public and private campaign to get Milner's contemporary Steven Taylor an improved contract seems to have been the trigger for this discontentment.

 

It's just over a month since Milner's fellow England U21 international was awarded a new £35K a week three-year deal, after Mike Ashley's intervention.

 

That was seen partly as a reward for services rendered to date and also as an investment in the club's future by securing talent that had begun to develop here.

 

The argument appears to be that Milner matches Taylor in those respects, but signed a contract in 2007 that was equal only to that which Taylor was already on - and the hoped-for parity has not been forthcoming.

 

There's also a realisation that Milner's departure would see him replaced by an unknown quantity, with no track record at this club - or maybe even in this league, country or continent - but who would command the level of wages Milner is seeking.

 

Under those circumstances, the question is being asked of Newcastle, why take the risk and end up with another Emre or Luque etc. etc.

 

Comment:

 

Having played his proverbials off for two hours on Tuesday night, there's no doubting Milner's on-field commitment.

 

After all, many other players would have conjured up an injury in order to avoid playing and being cup-tied.

 

Frustrations about his variable shooting and distribution remain, but even when his touch has deserted him, he's never hidden and his work rate remains undiminished - little wonder then that Keegan likes him so much.

 

In our eyes Milner's genuine graft and honesty have

provided an antidote to the feeling that we've signed mercenaries, thugs and conmen in recent years.

 

And having breathed a sigh of relief when the likes of Dyer, Jenas and Kluivert took their baggage and egos elsewhere, we feel the opposite about a man who to us is the very essence of anti-bling.

 

No Hello Magazine appearances, no pimp my ride or cribs -type nonsense, no car crashes, no night club antics, no grappling in the street. A game of darts appears to be his major vice....

 

To see a trio of gutless wonders who've done sweet FA for this club in the shape of Duff, Barton and Smith remain here on mega money while Milner goes sticks in our throat.

And we've not even started on the £100K+ horserace owner and his future.

 

If a football club is to go forward, then players that leave the team have to be replaced by an improved player in that position - note that we don't consider Duff to be in that category.

 

Our loyalty to individual Newcastle players ceased a long time ago - our line remains that anyone can go if they're not happy.

 

£10m may be considered good business for Milner - but only if that money is used to improve the team. We remain to be convinced whether that can be achieved in any timescale - let alone the week we have remaining.

 

On that basis to allow Milner to leave seems illogical and says much about the current state of affairs at SJP, including the manager's diminished influence this time around. It's not like it was in the brochure.

 

Can see quite a few disagreeing with them tbh.

[Liam Liam Liam O]

How long has Milner been negotiating for before deciding to hand in this request?

[Stu]

He definitely shouldn't be asking for an improved contract, he had a very poor season and these shit players getting paid too much were getting paid too much ages ago (apart from Smith I suppose? Can't remember exactly when the new contract was signed).

 

Aye, I don't understand when people say that Smith and co get more when they're shit.

 

We know they're shit and overpaid, that doesn't mean people should get a pay rise off the back of that.

 

I can kind of understand why a player would be pissed off that shite like that get paid more (probably double) than they do and add half as much (if that) to the team but yeah Milner knew this when signing his last contract (fairly recently).

 

That's true but the point .com makes is that he has seen Taylor get a much better contract than him who is pretty much equal in terms of his value to the club as a whole. I can see why he would think he is entitled to a similar contract to Taylor. Slapping in a transfer request is not the way I would of hoped he would go about it though and the whole thing with the club going public about it makes me think that there is a replacement lined up.

 

I doubt .com know what they both earn any more than we do.

 

From what I remember Taylor was offered the same as Milner and Zoggy but turned it down, he held out for 12 months and got himself a better deal.

 

What Milner has to remember is that while he was sat collecting bigger money from his new contract Taylor was earning far less.

 

Milner also had to wait 12 months for the club to stop dithering over the improved contract offer (matching of Villa's terms) and was still earning less for that period.

[Liam Liam Liam O]

 

Can see quite a few disagreeing with them tbh.

 

They can say how much more of a model pro he is than Jenas, Kluivert & Dyer all they want, fact is he's nowhere near as good a footballer as any of them.

[k2]

What ever Milner is on, its a lot less that Barton, Duff, Smith. Can anyone make the case that he should be 1/2 of their wages at best. What ever doubts one may have of his ultimate quality he stands out both on and off the field as a professional. All these people saying he is a C**t and that he should F Off, and that he has no talent, should ask themselves why doe O'neil rate him so highly. This is not his doing but the clubs but the idiots running matters on the Barrack Road.

[Liam Liam Liam O]

 

Milner also had to wait 12 months for the club to stop dithering over the improved contract offer (matching of Villa's terms) and was still earning less for that period.

 

Why sign it then?

[k2]

Not as good as Kluivert, dear me, he is a kid, he is only 21, is that what we have come too.