Jimmy Coming Back?

Agreed its time to see if the players like that prefer to play week in week out or sit on the bench or worse and pick up their big pay packets.

Which comes to Gardner.

Said he was a Bluenose, he is young and we gave him a break instead of rotting in Villas reserves, at Blues he would had been a starter, we could have built a side around him, made him future captain and he would have been vital in our Promotion push, having scored 10 goals in a negative side under McLeish in the Prem, Gardner under more attacking Manager in the Championship would have done much better and thus not damaged his credibility or value as a player as far as his future goes.

Even if my Xmass he stuck around, and if we are not running away with the league or worse not even Top 3-4 then by all means he could then move on.

But seems the lure of the Prem and higher wages has lured him away from us, i guess in his defence every player wants to play in the Prem.

But how does he know we wont be in the Prem next season, where he would be a major part of our club and so could be playing for Blues in Prem the club he suposed to love

There is a chance we could be in the Prem next season, while Gardner could be just a sqaud player at Sunderland.

But thats his choice.

Football has little Loyalty apart from the fans, and McLeish's shock exit and even more shocking move to Villa proves that.

I think at some point maybe Milner could go back to Villa, i guess a lot now depends on if he would take a big wage cut and if he can be persauded Villa will fight for a Top 4-6 which is what the club should be doing.

But alas its all about the money and i think over next few years QPR will prove just that (they 2nd richest club in England).

The KiD

i would love milner back at villa, if we pulled this one off i think villa park would be buzzing again plus if Nzogbia came too that would be awesome.

I reckon Milner would be welcomed back, he didn't create the same ill feeling others did when going. He wasn't angling to go, it was just that City came in with a big offer (although Villa should have demanded cash, not accepted Ireland+cash).

He may want to come. He didn't look good last time he played for England, he's not playing enough, and not given enough time in his best positions. Think it would be great.

£14m? How about offering them £6m+Ireland? !!!

Alternatively, asking for Milner+£6m for Downing?

Nice idea, funny if you pulled one of those off

Would be like the Football Transfer version of Swinging

The KiD

I've been suggesting this for a while. It's not as far fetched as you might think, although a season's loan is probably more realistic.
Fair to say that now they're in the Champions League, City finally have the stature to attract world class players along with the cash they've always had.
Milner was already struggling to get a look in and if another 2 midfielders come in (which looks likely) then he's surely going to be bit-part and nothing more.
The lad just wants to play football. I recall his reaction to being subbed during a rare start towards the end of the season, which suggests to me he will be knocking on the managers door. There's the Euro's coming up at the end of next season and I imagine he's concerned that since leaving Villa, he's gone from an almost cert to start for England to be overtaken by the likes of Wilshire and Parker and if it continues, possibly not even guaranteed a place in the squad, especially with the likes of Henderson coming through.
A loan to Villa seems the perfect solution - he's still popular, likes the area and loaning him to Villa suits City as he will get games, we can afford his wages and we're no threat to them.

I really think if Villa want this enough, it's there for them, just depends what the manager's views are - the way things are going, it's more likely to be Barry Ferguson

I think you need to remember that even Man City needs sqaud players and thats what many inc Milner become, if they dont have quality on the bench they are not going to be winning things.

Also Ferguson is vastly underated, he was one of the best passers 2 seasons ago at Blues, this season gone he never shone, but then again who really did?

Gardner did well, Foster aswell, Larsson had a good last few games and prior to Danns injury Johnson and Dann did ok.

No one esle really shone, but Ferguson was far from the worst, i think he and Gardner deserved their places as well as the back four.

Its who McLeish used for the other 4 positons and stuck with who i dont think was doing well or our best options.

The KiD

KiDDO, you have to remember that Milner is already starting on the bench for City and if they bring in 2 more midfielders this summer, then where does that leave him?
...and I'm not saying Ferguson is a bad player, but he sure aint no Milner.

Of late, the Villa fans have been expecting gold and ending up with copper (literally), so to hope for Milner and get Ferguson sums it up perfectly.

They are different players.

Ferguson has leadership and is a fighter, he protects the back four and is the man to start the passing moving forwards, he is a very very good passer 2 seasons ago he was in Top 3 for Total passes and Top 2 for Pass completion.

Milner is a winger and younger more pacey player.

As i said it will come down to if Villa bid for him at a price Man City would sell, then its if the player would want to move to a Villa who should play for 6th-8th (could get less) or if he wants a 4th-6th placed club.

And then how much of a wage cut he would take to play week in week out.

So it could be a real test of the players character, does he earn a lot and not play, does he earn less and not play offten for a top 4-6 club or does he earn less but play week in week out for Villa who if they improve have a outside chance of a Top 6.

Thats one question only Milner can answer.

One things for sure, rotting in reserves while getting paid high, WILL NOT! do his England chances any good at all.

Playing for Villa or other none Top 6 side week in week out will does his England chances a lot of good

So its Football reasons or Financial reasons

The KiD

"Milner is a winger and younger more pacey player."
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KiD, you make a lot of sense and I enjoy reading your posts, but you couldn't be wider off the mark with that statement.

I've seen Milner play the best part of 3 seasons as a winger and he was at best average, predominantly because he has no pace. When he switched to the middle, he was a revalation; possibly the most complete midfielder I've seen in a Villa shirt - and having had a season ticket for 30+ years and played to a reasonable level, it gives my opinion some credibility, though I accept it is only an opinion. It seems Mancini sees him as a winger and there's the problem - they already have Silva and Johnson who are far more effective out wide.
Whilst I don't doubt clubs with higher stature would be interested in him, I can't see City selling to a rival, especially when they're not under any pressure to.
I'm also guessing his wages are around £90k, which apparently is what we were prepared to offer Wayne Bridge and with high earners like Friedel, Carew, Sidwell and Young off our salary bill, the board might see this as a worthwhile risk to get the fans back on board and a buzz the club is so desperate for.

Not really my place to judge Ferguson too much as you're better qualified for that, but based on what I've said, that's why I rate Milner more than BF

Milner would not be a risk as hes a top player and still young and would keep is value if he was re sold. This is the kind of player we need in our midfield and head and shoulders better than anything we have at the moment.
However i fear we will gambe on Delph Gardner and Makoun coming good. We dont have time to gamble as we need quality players in our side full stop. RL pull you finger out and put us back on the map!