Bencey83 has submitted the following and I think it’s an interesting question;
Judging by the recent poll, it appears that the majority of us think that this may be the season that our luck runs out and we make the fateful drop into the Championship.
I thought it would be interesting to consider who we think will remain at the club after the dust settles.
Personally, I can see the following jumping ship at the earliest opportunity, regardless of whether or not we go down:
Benteke (looks totally disinterested at the moment)
Cleverley (probably still hoping for an Everton move)
Bent (he’ll be off as soon as his contract runs out)
Vlaar (as soon as he gets a better offer or when he becomes a free agent)
I can see the following being snapped up by other clubs in England on the cheap if we get relegated:
Delph
Sinclair (will probably go out on loan elsewhere)
Hutton
Cissokho
And I can see the following going overseas on the cheap:
Gil
Sanchez
Okore
Kozak
Weimann
Bacuna
N’Zogbia
Helenius
Sylla
Tonev
Who will we be left with?
I think that Lambert will stay, saying “I owe it to the Chairman and the fans to take us back up” and we will all groan in disbelief as the Villa PR team go into overdrive trying to justify why we have gone down. Maybe he will manage to take us back up – he has a decent track record in the lower leagues – or maybe we’ll just disappear into the abyss with the other once-great teams, such as Forrest and Leeds, who are still struggling to break free from the shackles of the lesser money divisions.
His squad will probably consist of the following (either because nobody will take them off our hands or due to some skewed sense of loyalty):
Guzan
Lowton
Clark
Baker
Bennett
Herd
Westwood
Gardner
Grealish
Robinson
Burke
Steer
Stevens
Donacien
Calder
To be honest, it doesn’t really look too bad a squad of youngsters for the Championship that would probably do well under a good manager, but Lambert would probably take them down another division.
Not sure about this lot, could go either way, as they’re all a bit over the hill. They could well stick around, as I’m not sure there would be a great deal of Premier League interest:
Given
Gabby
Cole
Senderos
Looking through our current squad has made me realise that we do have a good balance of youth and experience and really are under achieving. We should be comfortably sitting in mid table and not flirting with relegation yet again! I despair! UTV!!!
Interesting post Bencey, cheers 🙂
Not sure we will get relegated as I think we have enough in the pot to stay up. Luckily for villa worse teams than us will go down. However it’s not acceptable a club with villas pedigree should be in this position. We definitely need a buyer and then a manager with an ounce of football knowledge. I may not be a football expert but I know the system
Lambert is trying to achieve needs to change.
Maybe lamberts trying to achieve another club record. How many more games without a goal? any other club would have sacked the manager by now, the premiership are laughing at us, we’re a disgrace at the moment and it’s time for change. I must credit the supporters for putting up with this shambles and hope we can turn the corner sooner rather than later.
Up the Villa !! Karl
Interesting post. I would say the Gil. Delph, Benteke and Sanchez has it in their contract if we go down they can go. I also heard a club that goes down would loose around 100 mil, that’s with parachute money. Let’s hope we stay up, and get a new man it.
Here’s three that won’t stick around – sky – Defabet & around 10000 fans.
Dafabet, I wouldn’t care a toss about.
I still don’t know who they really are and have even less interest.
That sponsorship was the start of the real rot, imo.
We should have stuck with a well known name, even if it cost the club money.
Dafabet = daft
and there’s no getting away from that, for me.
$ky, well that’s the gunshot, isn’t it?
Would it prove a killer?
I personally doubt it.
I reckon many championship clubs would appreciate a visit from the Villa, as the away fans will still travel and are truly outstanding.
10,000 fans at home?
Probably, but I thought it was decided between us that the actual fan’s attendance doesn’t really matter these days?
Fans attendance would actually count for more in the championship as there would be less tv money. Thpugh I should imagine we would be the most televised team in that division like newcastle were
Daftabet sponsorship is worth $25m according to sportspromedia.com (what happened that $25m?) the deals up this year and maybe ‘Munson’ would be a more appropriate sponsor (see kingpin).
As for the SKY parachute payments of between £16m and £23m what do you reckon would happen to that, be reinvested in the team? I’d say history isn’t on the side of that happening. Or maybe our glorious leader do an Oyston and pay it into Reform Acquisitions? (that one looks the favourite imo).
“I thought it was decided between us that the actual fan’s attendance doesn’t really matter these days?”
Badger, very tongue in cheek mate but we both know that statement only applies when playing by EPL rules and that we (the attending faithful) would be the largest source of revenue should we face the drop (would that be all bad?).
Dafabet deal http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/new_deal_to_fill_villas_coffers_ahead_of_new_season
Karl Oyston
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2888709/Karl-Oyston-s-texts-revealed-true-nature-Blackpool-chairman-club-deserve-break-obnoxious-reign.html
Iv got to the stage where it wouldn’t bother me if we went down. It’s pointless staying in the prem treading water just to narrowly avoid relegation each year. Players like Benteke will be off anyway as long as he’s not injured again and tbh he’s no loss the way things stand at the moment. Villa have traditionally always had to go a step back to go 2 steps forward. In the 70s we were in the old division 3 but we rose from the ashes to win 2 league cups, one league title, one European super cup and of the European cup. Then enter Ellis and bad times so yet again we had to go down to rebuild and move forwards. When we came back up we had good times and runners up spot under Taylor, then BFR we were runners up again plus a couple of league cup wins. Then bad times yet again briefly interrupted under MON who blew our best chance of a generation of getting top 4. So now the time has come again where we have hit rock bottom and maybe a couple of years in the lower leagues will see us rebuild and move 2 steps forward. We did it under Ellis we can do it under Lerner.
Codswallop
I do find it interesting you’re claiming they’d go for cheap. A few worse financially off teams held out for “bigger” money for their players despite going down. James McCarthy instantly springs to mind, going for what, 12m still? Snodgrass to Hull for what, 7m? Brighton held out for 8m for Ulloa, Cardiff got near 15m for Mutch and Caulker. While I can definitely see the likes of Benteke and Delph having clauses that they’ll go for a specific amount, no way are we not holding out for “bigger” money and they definitely won’t be going anywhere “cheap”.
Anyways, going down.
Guzan I think could be sold, unless he feels loyal to Villa, a newly promoted side or a side needing a better keeper will definitely be in for him.
Given I’d hope would be sold. No way Villa could afford his wages, or should even try (should’ve looked to sell him over the summer/January).
So i think Steer would be our keeper. Siegrist will be gone most likely so an older back up keeper would be an option.
Cissokho clearly will be sold. A LB would be a must.
For CB, Okore and Vlaar definitely would be off. Clark could be but I think he’ll be one we see around still with Baker. Senderos is another I can see around still. With Donacien so I think if we stick with a back 4 we’d be okay at CB.
Hutton will probably be gone, Lowton as our RB? I’d be fairly happy with that.
Sanchez, Westwood, Delph and Cleverley probably all gone. Maybe I can see Westwood staying but I have my doubts.
Outwide: Gil back to Spain, I can honestly see Richardson staying. N’Zogbia will probably go, Grealish I hope would stay but I don’t know. Loyally maybe but I don’t think Lambert would still use him.
AM: Cole. I don’t quite know what he’d do. Unless he got an offer from a QPR if they stayed up or some newly promoted club, I can see him around still.
Strikers: Weimann will be gone, probably Germany is my bet. Think we could make a couple million on him though. Gabby I think will stay. Always said he’s a 1 team man. Benteke obviously gone. Kozak? Maybe back to Italy, over to Germany or maybe Spain. Or he could be like Zigic and surprisingly stay at a club in the Championship despite him being too good.
As for out on loan?
Luna sold or loaned out again, Bennett I could see being our LB. Enda Stevens back up? Probably not as his contracts up too.
Herd, Sylla and Gardner’s contracts are up.I can see offering Gardner a new one. Sylla maybe as well as he’s not nearly as bad as claimed. Would be good enough then.
Tonev gone, out of contract.
Bent, Helenius and Robinson are out of contract in the summer as well, definitely need Robinson to extend. Wouldn’t mind Helenius extending. Of course Bent would be an absolute plus for us but I doubt it.
Although will we do so much business in getting rid of so many players? I have my doubts.
Seems I was wrong on a few of the out of contract players. Those were the contract lengths at their loan clubs. Seems we’ll lose very few. In fact I believe it’s just Vlaar.
Interesting input on the contracts. I hope you’re right on us holding out for bigger fees for players. It does seem to be the case that players go for bigger money when they move between the English leagues. Maybe not so much if they go back overseas.
Hey everyone stop being so defeatist….We have captain Lamberk sailing the good ship HMS Villa….
Just read his pre match comments ..“But our season won’t be defined by Arsenal and Chelsea. It will be after that we have to get wins” …. so he has thrown the towel in against Chelsea already….You just couldn’t make it up.
If we are relegated 3 things worry me the most:
1. big club with huge outgoings = Lerner will be even tighter with his cash
2. every other clubs cup final against us
3. Lerner will think Lamberk is best person to bring us back up
Forget which players are leaving, how about Lamberks post match interview after being relegated…… I am definitely going for “You can’t blame the lads, we just have to pick ourselves up and go again”.
How about, “I thought we were excellent!”
Most of the players staying on your list are from the youth set up.
Lambert doesn’t play players from our youth system and they probably don’t want to play for Lambert anyway.
That leaves
Guzan
Lowton
Westwood
Steer
I see Lambert this week is putting the focus on Benteke being out of form.
If i was Benteke i would have become pissed off being given one or two chances a month.
Most great strikers get 4, 5 chances a game.
His poor form of late is down to Lambert crap tactics making him that way.
Interesting post but a little ‘over the top’ in regards to the number of players leaving IMHO. If you look at clubs recently relegated it’s actually surprising how few players have left. Agreed the most attractive will aka Benteke etc. but I believe a lot more than u think will stay with the club. Remember as well that we only pay Championdhip wages so it’s likely to be Randy’s pocket that us hit hardest – well that’s based on the majority of views here as to where the Sky money goes! Hope you get the point I’m trying to make
You’re probably right Hitchens. I was playing devil’s advocate and thinking worst case scenario. It would be quite interesting to see how a team from our youth set up got on in the Championship though.
Possible starting 11 in the Championship then?
Guzan/Steer/Given (can only see Steer being here but then again it’s possible Guzan will be
Lowton-Clark-Baker-Bennett
Gardner-Sylla/Westwood (if he stayed)
Bacuna (unless he goes back to Holland) – Grealish
Weimann-Gabby/Helenius/Kozak
That could definitely get us back into the Prem with a better manager than Lambert.
I take that it won’t affect the club that much, erm, corporate boxes won’t sell, sponsors won’t pay large fees, programmes will be affected, beer and pies will go down, then theirs the paying fans, we will be on that slippery slope, one way out ? Get rid of the problem, Lambert, then you will find they will have to sell players off and reduce the staff.
I’d love to see Helenius given time and some game time. I think it would be a mistake to let him go without ever giving him a proper run out. Kozak as well if we do go down I think would be a massive asset and would score a lot of goals. I actually would rather Kozak be playing and Benteke out with the broken leg.
Helenius – feared he was going to die – addicted to sleeping pills – deep depression – lost eight kilograms -confined to the toilet – ruined physically.
Has he got a season ticket?
shouldnt laugh but that was quite funny
I’d never wish a broken leg on anyone!
Would love to see, N’Zogbia, Given, Richardson, Luna, Tonev, Cole – all out of the club, plus im 50/50 about some others….Weimann, Gabby, Bennet, Herd. The amount of wages saved straight away would be nice and plus it wouldn’t really affect the squad as we have imo some good youngsters to provide the cover.
He’s playing a lot in Denmark at the moment. He played in the Europa League too this season which none of our lot can put a claim to. So he’s recovered now I guess. I think the main part of it was Lambert and what’s going on behind the scenes day to day.
How heart breaking when a 6 year old boy feels the need to help Villahttp://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/watch-six-year-old-aston-villa-fan-5114985. How will we generate young fans with bad displayed so called football at Villa Park.
Just watched it – what a great kid!
He’s only 6 and he even he knows we need to change managers. Someone please send the link to Bernie and Tom ASAP
Sorry meant Randy and Tom!!!
That little 6 year old coming on central news sports.
I am almost too depressed to comment on this post, but there is one fact that may be overlooked. In the manager’s and all the players’ contracts there will be a break clause activated by relegation.
It is there to allow the club to reduce their wages, but if you propose to offer somebody reduced terms you cannot hold him to the contract. The players are not out of contract and free agents who can walk out of the door, but they can force the club to put them up for transfer unless the club keeps them on at the same wages.
Termination payments will also be reduced or cancelled. Lambert and any player will be able to be dismissed without paying up the full contract, probably only 3 months wages.
Please note I do not know the details of any Villa contracts, but the provisions I mention are quite common in the case of relegation, so I think they are likely to apply.
OLL is it known as the shower of shite clause?
seems like we joined the players in giving up, waving the white flags,
i have abandon hope on the chelsea game. i might even avoid watching or listening to this mismatch. so i don’t hit the lows again, i did all this week from the arsenal game.
the hull game is key. big IF, but if we can come out of the chelsea game with some bollocks, some fight, everything that seems to be going against us, can quickly change.
time to believe or at least while its mathematically possible
p/s avoid the chelsea game at all costs,
I’m not even contemplating relegation . We are better than that I’m expecting benteke to save us . Maybe I hope . Gill and Sinclair can provide the ammunition.
And then your alarm went off.
Dreaming I’m only Dreaming, I feel a song coming on.