Liverpool sign Benteke; Villa falling to bits

[Hibernia&Alba]

£32.5 million. Big money, but I think he'll prove a good signing: quick, very strong, good scoring record. But poor Villa, oh dear. Their top players are abandoning ship, they have a rookie manager and only just managed to avoid the drop last season. It's a big club, but I fear for them.

[NadeAteMyLunch!]

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£32.5 million. Big money, but I think he'll prove a good signing: quick, very strong, good scoring record. But poor Villa, oh dear. Their top players are abandoning ship, they have a rookie manager and only just managed to avoid the drop last season. It's a big club, but I fear for them.

My English club and I post(although mostly just read) their equivalent .net. It's like a mirror image of here over the past decade or so. Fans extremely restless and very worried for the coming season. Very pissed off at owner and desperate for a few signings to excite them. Sherwood is a very popular figure but he'll have his work cut out if he gets off to a bad start. Selling Benteke and-potentially-replacing him with someone like Adebayor is the sort of thing our board would have done until recently

[Haymaker]

Got to be high on the bookies list for relegation now.

[Hibernia&Alba]

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My English club and I post(although mostly just read) their equivalent .net. It's like a mirror image of here over the past decade or so. Fans extremely restless and very worried for the coming season. Very pissed off at owner and desperate for a few signings to excite them. Sherwood is a very popular figure but he'll have his work cut out if he gets off to a bad start. Selling Benteke and-potentially-replacing him with someone like Adebayor is the sort of thing our board would have done until recently

Aye, very worrying times for the Villa. They should always be in the top division, but you can't keep selling off your best players and expect to compete. The EPL is too strong for that.

[NadeAteMyLunch!]

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Aye, very worrying times for the Villa. They should always be in the top division, but you can't keep selling off your best players and expect to compete. The EPL is too strong for that.

Swap 'Villa' for 'Hibs' in your post and the similarities are quite scary. Same sort of thing happening. Even last season, fighting relegation until the final few weeks yet managing to make the FA cup final before being bumped by 4 goals. Almost identical to us in 2012. We never learned our lessons, hope they do. Morale must be through the floor in the squad watching your star striker and captain walk out in the space of a week. That's what happens when buy out clauses are put in contracts though, especially down south where money is no object

[jacomo]

They've known Benteke was likely to leave for a while, and for what price. Failure to replace him would be scandalous. Maybe Adebayor (who would probably get his customary 10 goals before fading) and a younger talent.

Losing Delph is a big blow, though, as well as Vlaar.

But I think Sherwood is a bit under rated. He does get results.

[McKenzie]

Actually think Villa have the better end of the deal. They'll replace him with Austin, more than likely, with about 20 million spare. That's more than enough to replace delph and then add a couple. It's up to Sherwood to spend wisely now.

[dmc1875]

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My English club and I post(although mostly just read) their equivalent .net. It's like a mirror image of here over the past decade or so. Fans extremely restless and very worried for the coming season. Very pissed off at owner and desperate for a few signings to excite them. Sherwood is a very popular figure but he'll have his work cut out if he gets off to a bad start. Selling Benteke and-potentially-replacing him with someone like Adebayor is the sort of thing our board would have done until recently

I don't think Adebayor is a bad shout. Sherwood got him back playing well, he's a very talented footballer and still at an ok age might not be a bad shout

[allezsauzee]

Everyone thought Southampton were going down last season because they sold off loads of players at huge prices! I'm sure Villa will make a few signings to replace these so called great players that only just avoided relegation

[NadeAteMyLunch!]

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I don't think Adebayor is a bad shout. Sherwood got him back playing well, he's a very talented footballer and still at an ok age might not be a bad shout

Agreed. If anyone can get him playing well then I think it's Sherwood. He's a bit of a marmite character but there's no denying that he gets the best out of his players. What I was meaning for similarity with Hibs in years gone by, was to sell for a high price then look to replace on the cheap.
I think Adebayor and Austin for a combined £15-20mill or so would be great business

[NadeAteMyLunch!]

Fwiw I also think it's a crap move for Benteke! His next move should have been to a team that can almost guarantee champs league football every season. Liverpool can't

[Mikey09]

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£32.5 million. Big money, but I think he'll prove a good signing: quick, very strong, good scoring record. But poor Villa, oh dear. Their top players are abandoning ship, they have a rookie manager and only just managed to avoid the drop last season. It's a big club, but I fear for them.

.... The worlds gone bonkers!!!'

[Sir David Gray]

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.... The worlds gone bonkers!!!'

Apparently Chelsea are about to sign John Stones from Everton for around £30 million!

The guy may well be a very good player with a promising future but £30 million for a 21 year old who's only played at the top level in England for two seasons is absolutely mental.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

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Apparently Chelsea are about to sign John Stones from Everton for around £30 million!

The guy may well be a very good player with a promising future but £30 million for a 21 year old who's only played at the top level in England for two seasons is absolutely mental.

I read last week on here that he wasnae worth £5m, its a funny old game.

[jacomo]

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Fwiw I also think it's a crap move for Benteke! His next move should have been to a team that can almost guarantee champs league football every season. Liverpool can't

None of the really big boys thought he was worth it. Dangerous player when on form but hasn't shown it throughout a season yet.

[Scouse Hibee]

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None of the really big boys thought he was worth it. Dangerous player when on form but hasn't shown it throughout a season yet.

That about sums it up for me.

[Iain G]

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They've known Benteke was likely to leave for a while, and for what price. Failure to replace him would be scandalous. Maybe Adebayor (who would probably get his customary 10 goals before fading) and a younger talent.

Losing Delph is a big blow, though, as well as Vlaar.

But I think Sherwood is a bit under rated. He does get results.

Its a ridculous sum of money for Benteke, for every good match I've seen him in there has been another he looks liek he isn't interested, maybe do well in a team that creates more chances, not sure if that team is Liverpool though?!

Like has been said, think its a good bit of business for Villa and providing the re-invest it wisely across the whole team then they may do well.

[Keith_M]

Have Villa ever been relegated?

[number9dream]

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Have Villa ever been relegated?

Yes. With Billy McNeill at the helm. 1986, I think. He arrived late on after getting canned by Man City, who also went down.
Good quiz question about a manager taking two clubs to relegation in one season.

[PeterboroHibee]

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They've known Benteke was likely to leave for a while, and for what price. Failure to replace him would be scandalous. Maybe Adebayor (who would probably get his customary 10 goals before fading) and a younger talent.

Losing Delph is a big blow, though, as well as Vlaar.

But I think Sherwood is a bit under rated. He does get results.

Hes barely had any games as a manager, so Im not sure he can really be considered over- or under-rated.

His strength seems to be in man motivating, which is fine, but I think he has been found out on quite a few occassions tactically. I do find him a bit unconvincing. He also has next to no experience with signings, so its a huge ask for him to rebuild a fairly poor side who have just lost their three best players. Worrying times for Villa!

[Future17]

No doubt that they'll miss Benteke and Delph, but they have made a couple of decent potential signings in Gueye, Amavi, Richards and Sinclair. If Grealish delivers on the promise he showed towards the end of last season and Sherwood can get the best out of the likes of Carles Gil (who he didn't use much last season, I reckon they'll be safe from relegation.

Will still be interesting to see who they bring in and whether Sherwood even gets to spend the money though.

[Keith_M]

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Yes. With Billy McNeill at the helm. 1986, I think. He arrived late on after getting canned by Man City, who also went down.
Good quiz question about a manager taking two clubs to relegation in one season.

[nellio]

Depends who Villa look to bring in. The lad from Lille is supposedly very good and Grealish has good potential. Always though Scott Sinclair was good too but wasted at Man City.

[jonty]

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Actually think Villa have the better end of the deal. They'll replace him with Austin, more than likely, with about 20 million spare. That's more than enough to replace delph and then add a couple. It's up to Sherwood to spend wisely now.

he could start with a 5m offer for a certain Scott Allan........

[RoslinInstHibby]

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Apparently Chelsea are about to sign John Stones from Everton for around £30 million!

The guy may well be a very good player with a promising future but £30 million for a 21 year old who's only played at the top level in England for two seasons is absolutely mental.

Expensive cos he is English and they need to make the quota....

[HappyHanlon]

Might have lost Benteke but they've just earned a massive payday.

Also signed Amavi, Gueye, Micah Richards and Scott Sinclair....

They'll be mid table this season.

[Stevie Reid]

No bad: -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33759920

[Iain G]

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No bad: -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33759920

Not as good as the one I saw Atalanta score at QPR yesterday

[Hibernia&Alba]

Villa have brought in plenty of players to replace their big names, but it's a question of whether they're as good. I haven't tipped them to go down, but I think they'll find it hard whilst their team is gelling.

[NadeAteMyLunch!]

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Villa have brought in plenty of players to replace their big names, but it's a question of whether they're as good. I haven't tipped them to go down, but I think they'll find it hard whilst their team is gelling.

I think Sherwood has bought really well. Hopefully they gel together. That's always the risk with bringing in a lot of new faces