Is there a team with less ambition than.....

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

ASTON VILLA?

Now, granted, I've NEVER seen this chap play...but STILL

I remember there fans LAMBASTING O'Neil for FAILING to get them Champions league football. Now they are REAL contenders for relegation. Seriously, look at their squad now.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19415192

"Aston Villa are set to sign Chesterfield striker Jordan Bowery for £500,000.

BBC Radio Sheffield understands the 21-year-old will complete his move to Villa Park on Thursday.

Bowery has scored 10 goals in 83 league appearances for the Spireites since making his debut at the age of 17.

Villa, currently bottom of the Premier League, claimed their first win of the season with a 3-0 victory over Tranmere in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday. "

 

[Bladders]

I dont think the owner is that interested and isn't particularly sports savvy.

He's presided over the demise of the Cleveland Browns for the last decade with poor appointments and drafting and they've just got worse every year, and now he's just sold them.

He's obviously showing little willingness to invest and you have to think O'Neil saw this coming as they've steadily gotten worse since his departure.

 

[Mellotron]

O'Neill did a PHENOMENAL job there, Villa were more of a selling club than Everton yet consistently came in around 5th-7th for a good few years.

I'd put forward Palace as a club with possibly less ambition, but can't think of many more past that.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

O'Neill did a PHENOMENAL job there, Villa were more of a selling club than Everton yet consistently came in around 5th-7th for a good few years.

I'd put forward Palace as a club with possibly less ambition, but can't think of many more past that.

I think what it is, it's the WHOLE package at Villa.

A LOVELY stadium, a fantastic heritage, a strong support and a team of QUALITY about 3 or 4 seasons ago.

It's just gone tits up. I would be SO worried if I was a Villa fan now. Darren Bent's agent should be working overtime to try and engineer a move away now or in January. Absolutely wasted there.

 

[Sam Ovett]

They signed Joe Bennett from Boro who looked very good when they came to the Amex

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

They signed Joe Bennett from Boro who looked very good when they came to the Amex

I still wouldn't call that a signing to match what Villa should be aiming for.

they seem prepared to accept the decline. It's quite sad.

 

[Mellotron]

I still wouldn't call that a signing to match what Villa should be aiming for.

they seem prepared to accept the decline. It's quite sad.

Their owner is a billionnaire but unwilling to really back the side. Under him they've sold Barry, Young, Milner and Downing, all for good money, and almost always just replaced them with youth teamers.

 

[Spider]

For the amount O'Neill spent they should have been up there sniffing around the Champions League spots - he wasted so much money on mediocre players (Nigel Reo-Coker?) then got the hump when the owner told him he couldn't spend any more.

It's pretty crazy, though, that failure to qualify for the Champions League in one season will probably determine the club's future for nearly 10 years - in terms of revunue lost and players leaving.

 

[Gwylan]

Their owner is a billionnaire but unwilling to really back the side. Under him they've sold Barry, Young, Milner and Downing, all for good money, and almost always just replaced them with youth teamers.

That's not true at all - quite the opposite in fact. They spent millions under O'Neil - wasn't Bent alone something like £18m plus? The trouble with Villa is precisely the fact that the owner spent so much money that they're now deeply in debt. According to one site, they're technically insolvent
Villa Aston Villa News and Views

I think a more accurate description than 'lack of ambition' would be 'belated attempt to come to terms with reality'

 

[Mellotron]

That's not true at all - quite the opposite in fact. They spent millions under O'Neil - wasn't Bent alone something like £18m plus? The trouble with Villa is precisely the fact that the owner spent so much money that they're now deeply in debt. According to one site, they're technically insolvent
Villa Aston Villa News and Views

I think a more accurate description than 'lack of ambition' would be 'belated attempt to come to terms with reality'

Barry went for around £15m
Milner similar
Ashley Young - £18m
Downing - £15m

So thats about £60m. Bent was £18m. By and large they have replaced proven quality players with youth teamers. That's why they've been declining for years. They may well be in debt but the money has certainly NOT been spent on the first team.

 

[Mellotron]

For the amount O'Neill spent they should have been up there sniffing around the Champions League spots - he wasted so much money on mediocre players (Nigel Reo-Coker?) then got the hump when the owner told him he couldn't spend any more.

Couldn't agree less. Barely spent a bean (NET) and pretty much always kept them competing. The sides around him were all spending £20m-odd on players like Van Der Vaart. Villa couldn't ever compete with that.

 

[Gwylan]

Barry went for around £15m
Milner similar
Ashley Young - £18m
Downing - £15m

So thats about £60m. Bent was £18m. By and large they have replaced proven quality players with youth teamers. That's why they've been declining for years. They may well be in debt but the money has certainly NOT been spent on the first team.

All those players were acquired though (and only Barry was cheap) so the net profit made from selling all of them probably wouldn't pay for Bent, let alone the other players they've acquired.

According to that Villa fans website, the club is £253m in debt - to get that much into debt a club has either moved to a new ground or splunked the cash on players. It's not the former so wonder what it could be.

I did notice that it cost £12m to get rid of McLeish and staff - that alone convinces me that Lambert is safe for some time.

 

[Mellotron]

All those players were acquired though (and only Barry was cheap) so the net profit made from selling all of them probably wouldn't pay for Bent, let alone the other players they've acquired.

According to that Villa fans website, the club is £253m in debt - to get that much into debt a club has either moved to a new ground or splunked the cash on players. It's not the former so wonder what it could be.

I did notice that it cost £12m to get rid of McLeish and staff - that alone convinces me that Lambert is safe for some time.

Please show me who they have "spunked money on" in the last 2-3 years i.e. £10m+ signings, bar Bent.

None. None at all.

Their line up features the likes of Herd, Bannan, Clark, Albrighton. They're a side full of youth teamers. I'm not disputing that they're in trouble money-wise, but the money has not been put back into the playing side, no question.

 

[Storer 68]

For the amount O'Neill spent they should have been up there sniffing around the Champions League spots - he wasted so much money on mediocre players (Nigel Reo-Coker?) then got the hump when the owner told him he couldn't spend any more.

It's pretty crazy, though, that failure to qualify for the Champions League in one season will probably determine the club's future for nearly 10 years - in terms of revunue lost and players leaving.

Indeed. Looks at these numbers particulalry the Villa one.... - they shouild be up looking for a Champions League spot not looking desperately over their shoulder at the Championship

Millions spent since Jan 2003
•1. Chelsea 673
•2. Man City 572
•3. Liverpool 414
•4. Man United 352
•5. Tottenham 350
•6. Arsenal 214
•7. Aston Villa 201
•8. Sunderland 187
•9. Newcastle 174
•10. Everton 129
•11. West Ham 123
•12. Wigan 110
•13. Fulham 107
•14. Portsmouth 100
•15. Birmingham 92
•16. Blackburn 87
•17. Stoke 84
•18. Bolton 76
•19. Middsbrough' 71
•20. West Brom 64
•Source: Deloitte


All The Martin O'Neill Signings + Villa Net Spend



Thought we'd do a quick reminder of the ins and outs since Martin O'Neill's arrival + forum thread link as below and net spend details.

FIRST SEASON 2006/2007 :

Out

Kevin Phillips WBA £700k
Matthieu Berson Levante £1m
Ulises De La Cruz Reading Free
Peter Whittingham Cardiff City £250k
Eric Djemba Djemba Quatar Free
Juan Pablo Angel New York Red Bulls Free
Milan Baros Lyon Swap
Mark Delaney Retired

In

Stiliyan Petrov Celtic £6.5m
Didier Agathe Celtic Free
Chris Sutton Celtic Free
Phil Bardsley Manchester United Loan
Gabor Kiraly Crystal Palace Loan
John Carew Lyon Swap
Ashley Young Watford £9.65m
Shaun Maloney Celtic £1.1m



SECOND SEASON 2007/2008:

Out

Gary Cahill Bolton Undisc (in region of £4m?)
Liam Ridgewell Birmingham £2m
Jlloyd Samuel Bolton Free
Lee Hendrie Sheffield United Free
Chris Sutton Retired
Didier Agathe released
Steven Davis Fulham £4m
Aaron Hughes Fulham £1m
Gavin McCann Bolton £1m
Robert Olejnik Falkirk Free

In

Wayne Routledge Tottenham £1.5m
Moustapha Salifou FC Wil Undisc.
Curtis Davies West Brom Loan
Zat Knight Fulham £3.5m
Scott Carson Liverpool Loan
Harry Forrester Watford £250 000 initial fee rising on appearances
Eric Lichaj Unattached Free
Marlon Harewood West Ham Undisc (region of £3.5m?)
Nigel Reo-Coker West Ham £8.5m

THIRD SEASON 2008/2009

Out:

Luke Moore (West Brom - £3.5million)
Olof Mellberg (Juventus - free)
Patrick Berger (Sparta Prague - free)
Thomas Sorensen (released)
Shaun Maloney (Celtic, £1million)
Wayne Routledge (undisclosed)

In:

Curtis Davies (WBA undisclosed but around £7.5million?)
Steve Sidwell (Chelsea £5.5million)
Brad Friedel (Blackburn, undisclosed but in the region of £2 - £2.5million)
Brad Guzan (Chivas US, undisclosed, starts at around £800k up to £2m on appearances etc?)
Nicky Shorey (Reading, around £4m?)
Luke Young (Middlesbrough, around £5m?)
Carlos Cuellar (Rangers £7.8million)
James Milner (Newcastle, around £12million?)
Arsenio Halfhuid from Excelsior (undisclosed)
Emile Heskey from Wigan Athletic (£3.5m)

FOURTH SEASON 2009/2010

Out:

Gareth Barry (Manchester City, £12million)
Stuart Taylor (Manchester City, free)
Zat Knight (Bolton £4 - £4.5million)
Martin Laursen (retired)
Craig Garnder (Blues in January, £3.5million)

In

Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough around £10m + add ons)
Fabian Delph (Leeds United - undisclosed fee - around £6m including add ons?)
Habib Beye (Newcastle, undisclosed but around £3m?)
Andy Marshall (free agent)
Stephen Warnock (Blackburn Rovers - around £6m + add ons?)
James Collins (West Ham United - around £5m)
Richard Dunne (Manchester City - around £6m)

*Loan fees not included. Figures rounded up or down. Only a rough guideline!*

FIFTH SEASON 2010/2011

Out:

Andy Marshall (released)

In:

Thread: Click Here

 

[Gwylan]

... the money has not been put back into the playing side, no question.

According to the company report, Villa spend 90% of their turnover on salaries (second highest in PL). Do you really think that money is being splashed on programme sellers and car park attendants and not players? Really?

As Storer68 points out, Villa have spent very heavily on players in the last ten seasons - they may not be making big buys now but that's because all that spending has put them heavily in debt.

I had this same argument with a Villa fan yesterday. He too was bemoaning the lack of investment in the side and the replacement of senior players with kids and was urging Lerner to spend heavily. It's a hell of a gamble: it might keep Villa up but relegation with those levels of debt would mean certain administration. I think Villa are doing the right thing - they've spent like a drunken sailor now it's time to sober up.

 

[Durlston]

I was up in Birmingham a couple of weeks ago, the local paper and people were very pessimistic about the Villa and Blues chances. They're not expecting their new managers to turn things around overnight and Birmingham are not a massive club now in the Championship (Lee Clark is a gamble with not a great deal of managerial experience).

For the second city in this country they're both well underachieving at the moment.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

I think I remember reading their AVERAGE wage was £38k

LOLZ

 

[Postman Pat]

Just had a bid accepted for Clint Dempsey from Fulham. A decent signing for Villa.

 

[itszamora]

Christ, Martin O'Neill spent a hell of a lot on some rubbish.