I’m thoroughly dissappointed.
First, because Benteke wants out and second because we seem so willing to let him go, as long as the price is right.
I like to think I’m reasonably pragmatic and fairly sensible, but I have to say from the off that I wish the club would put up a bit more of a stance in trying to keep him.
It’s all well and good saying we’ll only consider bids at the price that we want, but why not come out and re-affirm the £30 mill or whatever it was; and chuck in a “don’t even think of insulting us with £20 mill” comment while we’re at it?
Why not?
Because I don’t believe we’ll hold out for the aforementioned top price.
There you have it, I predict he will go for quite a bit less than £30 mill.
Mind you, I was convinced he would stay this season, so what do I know?
No, it’s the way that we seem to have rolled over on this one that is winding me up.
It’s now a given that Benteke is gone and it’s only a matter of how much.
So, my question here is how long can the game put up with this sort of behaviour from players and agents?
I’ve read all the arguments from the previous thread and have sympathy with all points.
But the underlying feeling still sides with the view that the club should just 100% take charge, in a way that says, if we don’t get offered x, he will remain a Villa player.
So why haven’t we done that?
I reckon the rumoured £20 clause is true, that’s why.
If so, Lambert is going to look a right mug, in my opinion.
I’m digressing.
My point is when is a club going to take a real stand against the agents?
I’ve had people on here trying to tell me that Lerner is doing just that, but I’VE don’t believe it for one minute.
The desire of all football fans is there. We have the Odemwingie debacle and the backing of Albion’s stance to back that up.
Sometime, a club will have to make a major stance and threaten a decent player with being dumped in with the kids.
I wish it would be us, but that isn’t going to happen.
But I believe it will happen. It has too, for the good of the game.
So, given the assumption that Benteke is gone (I refuse to call him Judas, as I feel he’s a misguided kid), what will happen with the money?
Let’s say we get £20 million rising to x.
That’s on top of the extra £30 mill from Sky.
And surely we’d have spent £10 mill even before this lot occurred?
That’s a pretty tidy £60 mill, with Lerner not putting a cent in.
Ok, he’s owed a few quid, after what he’s already put in.
Say £15 mill for him then.
Not unreasonable to the owner an the fans I’d suggest.
Add in the savings on wages and it’s even better for the owner.
So we can look forward to a nice £45 million net spend can’t we?
Er, why are we all laughing?
Because we all know it isn’t going to happen, is it?
We all have our views on why it won’t happen and that’s what I’m looking forward to reading.
I’ll start.
Lerner is just recouping as much as possible, as fast as possible.
Oh, one last thing.
As much as we try and hide it, Benteke is a MAJOR loss, that will need more than improving the team overall.
We need a 20 a season striker, simple.
What’s the chances of that happening again on the cheap?
Sorry for any errors in this one. It’s taken me about an hour to write it.
No wonder 3 are due an upgrade, the internet speed reminds me of the early 90’s
Great post mate hits more than a few nails on the head- Losing Benteke IS NOT A FUCKING SILVER LINING! If Lerner is recouping is he looking to sell? And what really worries me is this young hungry thing- remember Terry Venables Crystal Palace, the team of the 80’s? Relegated in 80/81 well this Lerner /Lambert moneyball thing could go either way it’s fucking huge gamble imo.
Hi badger what pisses me of is how can teams like Swansea hold onto their star player and we can’t. Why hasn’t Michus agent done the same as bentekes? Lerner has probably encouraged a TR to save face IMO Ashe wants to cash in. The club is so badly managed now its untrue. We have a complete knieve joker running the club the quicker he sells the better.
Has anybody come in for Michu?
And has Michu handed in a transfer request?
Oohah why don’t you start a petition or get people to avoid games and make a stand then to get RL out and PL if you think we are poorl run, talk is cheap. You do remember Tekkers has history of forcing moves, why should RL spend loads of moneyon players after what MON did, would you ? If you don’t like it do something more than writing on line, as you seem very negative about the club, and must have a better plan.
Because it just won’t work protests etc are useless. Lerner will only go on his terms not ours
Total guess work, transfer negotiations will remain private .Negativity based on a series of asumptions and media speculation with no foundation.
Good post mate but the only way to get rid of Lerner & Lamberk is to hit the clubs revenue boycott merchandise don;t buy STs make VP a ghost stadium.
TJ sorry mate but I don’t get the correlation between Benteke slapping in a transfer request and you calling for rioting in the streets at VP, it isn’t Lerner or Lambert’ s fault the mercenary fucker wants away.
Just don’t see how you are casting them as the villains of the piece.
God Terry i thought you had turned a corner a few weeks back when you were full of positivity and praise for Lerner and Lambert for building an exciting young team, now because Benteke puts in a transfer request it’s back to Lamberk, Lamberks Lemmings and Lerner out.
I’d like to go on record as saying you are clearly schizophrenic.
TJ thought he was schizophrenic but now he’s in two minds about it.
BWS you are a level headed guy, what’s your view on the goings on at the moment?
Do you think Lerner is at fault?
Apparently we offered to double his wages, so it’s clear he could earn more elsewhere, it can’t be the CL thing as Spurs aren’t in it yet he does have two of his Belgium teammates there and Spurs are a London club so with that in mind, do you think if we were to quadruple his wages, it would make any difference?
Cheers Guest.
So Benteke wants away, he used AVFC as stepping stone to further his own interests and it’s Randy fault? What absolute and utter tosh.
Double / Treble / quadruple his wages I don’t think it would make a happerth of difference I honestly think he’s been tapped up by the Spuds – he’s set his stall out that’s where he wants to go and they are quoting £15m in the press, it all dovetails just a little to nicely.
Mind you I think he’s (CB) is in for a shock because we aint Genk and RL / PL aren’t going to be bullied and I don’t think for one minute PL’s gong to stand for his Gent antics.
Bent, Given, Ireland, Hutton didn’t tow the line and ended up training with the reserves so does CB think he’ll be treated any differently? If so I think the fella might be in for a bit of a wake up call.
Lets hope we take the same stance we did with Barry but money talks loudly to Lerner I’m afraid
Couldn’t have put it better myself, and that right there is why i come on these forums, to actually have a sensible discussion.
Terry was abducted by Langford and brain washed. But he’s ok now 🙂
Anon, that’s exaclty what the club have said mate? I posted this up yesterday. We are taking a good stance on this. Here it is again…
In a statement, the club said: “In response to reports that Christian Benteke has not travelled to Germany with the club and has made a transfer request, we can confirm that both are accurate.
“For clarity’s sake, however, he had already been given extra time off until July 18 and was reminded that there are three years remaining on his contract. We consider him to be a Villa player and expect that he will be with us for the 2013-14 season.
“Having received his transfer request, we have also informed him that should we receive an offer within an appropriate timeframe during pre-season which meets our valuation we would act upon it. But he will remain a Villa player should this not happen.”
Can’t do much better than that. UTV
You could always say catch yourself on. Get a grip he’s not for sale.
Benteke hasn’t yet gone, the season hasn’t started, the window hasn’t closed. Let’s add that Villa haven’t rolled over and said ok, off you go, so until he goes, we haven’t capitulated and your post is really just a better written version of what Oohah spewed out yesterday.
This is quite a good piece in the BM:
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-comment-piece-mat-4922176?
I’ve just posted that too Foxy ( awaiting moderation) a good read love the line – “Benteke must think Loyal T is the name of a rapper”.
Quality.
According to goal.com the spuds aren’t willing to meet our valuation and are going to offer £15m (I know it’s laughable) and apparently CB don’t fancy Liverpool so not only does the fella wants away but to the club of his choice and for a fee of his liking.
Then according to the Guardian Lerner and Lambert are taking a very tough stance and are looking for around £30m.
I can see this getting very very messy.
Lose a great player…. Yet end up with a far better team. What happens next is entirely down to what Randy gives Lambert.
P and P
I think the club are acting exactly how they should, they have received a transfer request but are saying they will only listen to offers that match their valuation and before the season starts….. If he then throws a sulk because the offers were not large enough or too late throw him in the reserves which will make him miss out on the world cup…… The stroppy, spoilt mercenary tosser.
as above, yes I believe we are taking a stand and I believe we will(clauses aside)we don’t exactly need the money(or we aren’t desperate like some clubs)and as is being said in the football world outside of villa ‘we hold all the cards’.
its a shit situation and there’s no doubt a big blow for us and we will miss having him in the team, this was always on the cards.
and who says Michu isn’t going to go? its not even august yet.
like BWS says its not a silver lining but 20m+ for a player having 1/half a good season is good business, even if he has another good season at villa his price wont go any higher, you’re not going to see him rise to the 30m+ status of yer ronaldos and so on, Christ RVP was what? 22m? a poor season at villa and we’d be lucky to get 10m or break even. and lets remember it was only feb onward that he really started to kick on and that was when the team as a whole was playing well not just one player.
the big question as the article brings up is will we get the money to spend on players coz(and I really do know its not a silver lining, id much rather have benteke stay)but we could make a real killing here and do some really good business.
Have a read of this NM puts it into some sort of perspective.
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-comment-piece-mat-4922176?
Whats going on
Bill my words to you early this morning, pushed by greedy agents, clubs have got to get together and stop this idiotic moves by greedy bastards agents for their own sake. You cannot blame players money talks, we need people like Lambert to stand up and us to back him.
Anon Giddy is still awaiting help from you on Langfords e/mail.
Michu will be playing in Europe next season, so is probably happy to stay put.