The cycle of players using us as a stepping-stone to a so-called bigger club needs to end. It started to become noticeable to me when Dwight Yorke wanted to leave us for Manchester United, this lead to one of the funniest lines from our then manager John Gregory. The media used to lap up every Gregory quote at that time, but the signs were there and very serious. Gregory was trying to build a side to challenge for footballing honours, so when Yorke went to Doug Ellis’s house to beg to go to Manchester United; that was the day when Aston Villa became a selling club and allowed their players to walk all over them.
Gregory said: “If I’d had a gun at the time, I would have shot him.”
So how are we meant to build a football squad if a number of our players want to leave our club once they start to show the potential that we first saw in them? Vlaar and Delph are leaving Villa, if not in this transfer window, then definitely at the end of the season, and for nothing!!! Benteke is a ticking time bomb; I’ve already had Villa fans say to me, that they wouldn’t blame him if he wanted to go, because we’re rubbish and he needs to further his career. Other fans are worried about the good performances that Carlos Sanchez has been putting in lately; they think it will only be a matter of time before he leaves and who can blame them, it’s happened a million times before.
Just imagine if there ever came a time when players from our club would want to leave us for the likes of Middlesbrough F.C, how embarrassing will that be. Look, I know we are a million miles away from having a good football squad, and there doesn’t appear to be any light at the end of the tunnel, but for Villa fans to give the want away footballers our blessing to leave, will only make it easier for them to go. And when our next batch of quality players has gone, we’re back to square one again. This lot who run our club probably won’t bring this cycle to an end, but they could at least make it a lot harder for our Villa stars that want to leave. UTV
I think you have forgotten Southgate and Ugo left us for borough a few years ago and it was humiliating then. How is any club going to build a competitive team if they are always selling to the big four ? We are the worst culprits but we are so crap you could not blame any player wanting to leave.
LERNER OUT
I didn’t forget mate. I’ll have to brush up my writing when I’m trying to be sarcastic.
The only way to break the clcye is to be successfull , when that happens we can look forward to players , good players wanting to stay or come to the villa to actually win trophies but alas that is only a pipe dream because like our previous owner learner Is unwilling or unable to want to see our club challenging at the top of the premier league , we need to take on the spurs model to move forward it may cost us in compensation fees but we will move forward , spurs owner has a remit that the club plays free flowing attacking football and if the manager fails in this he is moved on , that’s the business that is football it’s cut throat but there’s no room for sentiment
We are currently a club on the road to nowhere. The frustration felt by the supporters has to be shared by the players.
We lack leadership, drive and ambition. Until that scenario changes, we have to accept that the better players who shine in the claret and blue, will always have one eye on the exit door.
I think it’s down to the players to get us out of this mess, in recent games we’ve been unlucky in front of goal, with a bit of luck we could have had a extra seven points.
We are not being outplayed by anyone, we’re just having no luck in front of goal.
Hopefully this transfer window we can bring in a playmaker and someone who can put the ball in the net.
Our defence is solid, shame Vlaars on his way, but he’s injury prone, so perhaps it’s good he’s going, we need stability at the back, Okore and Clark give us this.
Villa play their best football with wingers, grealish is a little light weight, needs to hit the gym, he’s got the pace and the skill but gets knocked off the ball easily.
Agbonlahor has the pace to frighten anyone, he’s not a prolific goal scorer, so he should be used to run past defenders and to set up Benteke, or anyone else who can get in the box.
I like, Westwood, Sanchez and Delph in midfield, but with the likelyhood of Delph going we need to find a ideal replacement, Cleverley is not the man for this job I’m afraid, I would be worried if Lambert paid £7million for him, I would pay £3mill tops.
Stop blaming the manager, the players need to start performing.
every team is vunerable in this league,, apart from chelsea and the mancs
and even then the euro boys can come calling,,,
so buy low sell high,, and be prepared,,,,
its annoying when pool or the mancs come in and swipe a player
especialy when the replacements dont fit the bill,,,, err zoggy,,,
but it really hurts when they go to midlesboro
we just need to score goals, and we will be fine
Any team that doesn’t qualify for the Champions League are a selling club that includes 5th and 6th places in the league Only Southampton are bucking this trend to date. Spurs sold Bale Liverpool Suarez so the rest haven’t got a prayer.
The thing that concerns me is that we are no further forward than when Lambert arrived. His win record is worse than any other manager wev’e had, in fact even more worrying than McLeish. How can anyone defend Lambert when after three years there is no improvement and they are nearly all his players. When you buy mediocrity you end up mediocre,
Paul Messenger…No, they are NOT all Lamberts players!
Gabby, Clark, Baker, Weimann, Hutton, Bent, CNZ were already at the club!!
When Lambert has paid decent money in this case upwards of 4 million he has bought well IMO…..Benteke, Kozak, Vlaar, Sanchez and Okore are all VERY GOOD purchases. Given that Benteke is the costliest of Lamberts signings he has done well with a pittance to spend. Aim your venom at Lerner, he is the one without ambition.
Lerner out!
Nothing new is it? I think players come here looking at the size of the club and end up disappointed with the direction. Sanchez is top draw in that role and will leave. Right now if you are a villa player you will feel like you are going nowhere.
Vlaar out
Delph out
Lambert out
Lerner out.
I’m out.
You sure have….UTV
The only person I know of who could put a ball in a net and would be a realistic transfer is Moussa Sow. Other than him, no-one.
Lerner is the only one to blame. We won’t keep players with our wage structure regardless of success.
That’s how ‘boro robbed ours and how Spurs keep theirs along with the desired living around London.
Any manager will have the same problem…
Learner isn’t a cash cow, club has to pay it’s way. He needs to sell the club.
Nice to find a rich Arab though…lol…
i got it. the other chap should leave his bedroom more often. theres a accountesy firm who put out a paper on the prem leage evary year and thay say its a lot less risky to offer your top players good mony to stay than transfers as about 70% of transfers fail. the problem is the average players want the same mony. we nead a setup like in the us with a larger differanc from top to average players but you nead every team to do it. but the botom teams are so desperate to stay in the gread leage thay will pay stuped mony to the average players. maybe instead of parachute payments the idea of a second prem leage would be werth looking at but thers allso medals to ad in. its allso not helped by the fa and there pupet managers only picking players from big clubes cleverly 15 caps having a laf but he is better than the dros fergy castoffs bruce took to sunderland. thanks for your time Dave
When you write some of these articles at least have a handle on the financial side of football least you continue expecting miracles, we cant afford to keep players that want to leave as other teams are in a position to pay more than us, our revenue base is the 9th or so highest in the league, if you factor in the sugar daddy owners we will be around 12 or so in the league. Villa needs someone who can pump in money to make us compete
LERNER has a lot to answer for to the villa fans he has completely let them and the club down. I have heard a lot of difference amounts he supposedly has put in the club all exaggerated but I do know he has had a lot of money back from selling players. Paul Lambert is only doing what he can with LERNER expecting to have wages of players rock bottom by comparison of other teams and a pittance transfer chest.
LERNER only wants to sell the club he isn’t interested in and never speaks to the fans .