angelman

not sure you can blame RK for that as he was on holiday, wasn't he?

2009/10 - 36 games 2010/11 - 31 games 2011/12 - 46 games 2012/13 - 40 games 2013/14 - 37 games 2014/15 - 36 games 2015/16 - 23 games So he had a hamstring injury last season and then picked up a knock to the knee. It's hardly a surprise that over 7 years, he's suffered an injury. Mané missed a whole handful of games because of a dodgy calf. Pelle missed half as many due to a knee injury. Shane Long has missed just as many games. Etc Etc.

Is Sakho a surprise? Would you want to go to WBA?

What ever happened to that African whizz kid from Midget Land?

Sadio - he's gone. Saido, he hasn't. All strange but it seems that Stoke aren't as appealing to him as all that. 2 days ago, we heard that it was going to be resolved one way or another in the following 24 hours. Still nothing. Who knows what is going on. Are Spurs out of the equation? Maybe that is what he is waiting for.

https://www.grandoldteam.com/forum/threads/ashley-williams.90261/page-116#post-4736842 Seem to think that we were wanting £20m! Which of course is "he isn't for sale but if you want to pay sooo much over the top, then you can".

Of course there is that Catch 22, but as things are, it ain't great. Might take a year or two (or more) to settle down. Or really, the best way would be to bring them through your academy. Man City have just spent something like £200m on theirs, and I wonder how many we will see playing for them in the next 5 years or so. Playing PL/CL on a regular starting basis rather than bit part player. I suspect you could count that on one hand (or maybe less!!).

Kelly & Gough are actually having a decent chat on Talksport about English players at Man City and how badly Sterling is doing, and how bizarre it is to have a £50m likely to be on the bench. Question really, is why any English player wants to go there? The manager has little interest in helping the national squad, nor do the owners. They will just spend spend spend on what they see as the best, and that aint going to be English. Maybe it is about time we change the quota from 8 HG players in your 25 man squad, to 5 HG players in the starting XI.

GitR, I meant more how does Redmond fit into the....Given that Villa are paying Fulham 12 million quid for Ross McCormack who turns 30 next week, it's pretty obvious that any attacking/creative signing we make may need to stretch the purse strings beyond the Club's preferred price of 10 - 12 million.

So how does Redmond fit into things?

I'm on about your belief that Austin can't do a whole season, based on available evidence.

I wouldn't be so rude as to say that that is a complete load of crottin (de cheval), but what is this "available evidence" that you talk about?

AR and a number 10... All I can come up with is a 32yo Arjen Robben

His biggest problem was "refusing" (or refusing to accept) to give the owner a seat on the board. That line from Top Gun comes to mind - "Your Ego Is Writing Cheques Your Body Can't Cash"

It is small money so never understand why such a small release clause. I think some were surprised at Villa's capitulation, so when signing, not really in his mind. Maybe it was a relegation clause. While Wanyama was 50% higher, put in the same bracket as sensibly priced. Who knows what a lot is these days?? Shlong was a lot, but now looks pretty decent value. Palace bidding £30m puts things into perspective for me. Sad that it's gone this way, and the longer we can compete properly without joining them, the better. But I am realistic and realise that all fees have gone up, so no doubt we will break our transfer record sooner rather than later.

Why have the red socks only got 4 white stripes? Isn't everything done in 5s?? The white ones have 5 red stripes.

Pelle replaced by Austin (supposedly) Wanyama replaced by Romeu (supposedly), plus the Danish lad Mané replaced an injured JRod (conjecture), who is no longer injured (possibly)

As I said, I know that it isn't going to be changed. Three things to add - 1) As I haven't seen it in the flesh, I really ought to reserve judgement until post Watford (as not around for the Spaniards) 2) It's all the rage to bring in a 3rd strip (which of course won't happen, so don't take me to task as not being wholly serious). 3) The club like it, and have chosen it, so that's that. As there seems to be a ridiculous practice of clubs changing shirts every season, I guess we'll have yet another one next season. Surprised that clubs haven't brought in a mid-season change! Maybe the rules say you can't. Maybe when a winter break is brought in, clubs can have a pre and post break strip.

HAHA. Good response but suspect it will be lost on him.

Funny isn't it, FF, who is not one to bull's hit, gives a reassurance that he isn't leaving and it is ignored in favour for a story in the paper that he is off to Everton or United. Now those same papers are saying Everton are just about to sign Williams, which may or may not be true. If you believe them on Fonte, why not Williams? Then you have to ask whether Everton are going to sign 2 CBs. Now United ........... well, having just spent £100m+ on a player, do you think JF is high up on their list or do you think that the papers are making a Portuguese connection?

Do you not realise that we are a medium sized provincial club? Do you think a player is going to come here, with no connections to the club/area, and be content to spend the rest of his career with us, when other somewhat larger clubs want his services? Some may have families etc to take into account and like the settled life down here, but players like Pelle, Wanyama and Mané had no ties to the area and went on to bigger and better things. Give me one good reason why any of those 3 should have stayed with us rather than choosing the clubs they went to.

As is oft repeated, you (and others) seem to be saying that we lose these stars out of choice.