New Manager

[Ascotexgunner]

Prices really are inflated nowadays, Moore could somehow leave for about 10 million, Swift for 5 million and Ilori and Barrow for around 4 million each, you'd be surprised.

In all honesty, our squad has 31 first team players, including Loader and Rinomhota, this needs to be cut down to about 25 maximum and then if the new manager wants to make his own signings that's even more that needs to go. Some of Stam's signings and Clement's have been a massive waste of wages and transfer fees (Popa, Ilori, Clement, Edwards, Aluko, Meyler, Walker, McNulty) when they weren't really needed

There's no way any of our players are going that kind of money in the near future, so I wouldn't just be surprised, I'd be absolutely amazed!!! Why would anyone pay £5m for Swift or £4m for Ilori or Barrow?

It's well and good talking up these fees and suggest League One clubs would be interested in our players, and I'm sure many would. I think we're still very good payers though so I doubt those clubs would be able to afford them.

Why did we sign Ilori for 4 million when he was completely unproven at this level?

Cos he had Liverpool on his CV.......which begs the question, if he's that good and promising why are you selling him so cheap from a PL club and why is noone queuing up for him? Probably the same as Blackett and ManU.
There are a lot of duds in the PL that I doubt would make it in this league but still clubs at our level are prepared to splash the cash for them.

[Theroyalbox]

Ainsworth in - top bloke, done well at Wycombe and he's local.

[Silver Fox]

If I was a press photographer or Sky producer at Saturday's game I'd like to think I'd have managed to get at least one snap of the directors box

Yes, especially as they were quite able to snap the owners box, with them there. But nothing on this agent who was apparently at the game...

Interesting picture of the owners box. the male owner was there in his red coat and Reading scarf looking bored out of his skull,
There was somebody behind him too that looked like he was asleep.

Wasn`t that the agent sitting next to Howe in the directors box?

Put up the picture and we can try to work it out

[CountryRoyal]

With Ainsworth, Jokanovic and Castro that’s three names which fans have reason to get excited about, even with the understood skepticism. When was the last time you could say that?

[genome]

I was a bit confused about us considering Ainsworth, then I realised Wycombe aren't in League Two, they're 9th in League One

[Hoop Blah]

There's no way any of our players are going that kind of money in the near future, so I wouldn't just be surprised, I'd be absolutely amazed!!! Why would anyone pay £5m for Swift or £4m for Ilori or Barrow?

It's well and good talking up these fees and suggest League One clubs would be interested in our players, and I'm sure many would. I think we're still very good payers though so I doubt those clubs would be able to afford them.

Why did we sign Ilori for 4 million when he was completely unproven at this level?

From memory I think it was reported as £2m, but I could be wrong.

Regardless, at the time he was a player with some potential, a good pedigree and a decent reputation but not a lot of first team history (I'm not sure you'd have found many Villa fans saying he was worth £4m though!). He's now played what, 20 times for us? In that time I'd hazard a guess that he's proven a bit more of his ability, albeit not in a positive way.

I'm not sure that using our valuation of a player is a pretty good benchmark either. Would you expect to get £7m for Aluko just because that's what we paid for him?

[Hendo]

There's no way any of our players are going that kind of money in the near future, so I wouldn't just be surprised, I'd be absolutely amazed!!! Why would anyone pay £5m for Swift or £4m for Ilori or Barrow?

It's well and good talking up these fees and suggest League One clubs would be interested in our players, and I'm sure many would. I think we're still very good payers though so I doubt those clubs would be able to afford them.

Why did we sign Ilori for 4 million when he was completely unproven at this level?

From memory I think it was reported as £2m, but I could be wrong.

Regardless, at the time he was a player with some potential, a good pedigree and a decent reputation but not a lot of first team history (I'm not sure you'd have found many Villa fans saying he was worth £4m though!). He's now played what, 20 times for us? In that time I'd hazard a guess that he's proven a bit more of his ability, albeit not in a positive way.

I'm not sure that using our valuation of a player is a pretty good benchmark either. Would you expect to get £7m for Aluko just because that's what we paid for him?

Ilori has played 56 games for us, including sub and cup appearances.

On his day, he is a very, very good CB. But can have an absolute shocker.

[CountryRoyal]

I was a bit confused about us considering Ainsworth, then I realised Wycombe aren't in League Two, they're 9th in League One

Yeah I had to check as well

When we’re doing shockingly I find it hard to take too much of an interest in most of our own league outside of the relegation teams, let alone any of the other leagues! Boo football boo.

[Hendo]

I was a bit confused about us considering Ainsworth, then I realised Wycombe aren't in League Two, they're 9th in League One

I thought they were L2 as well, he is doing exceptionally well at a smaller club.

I expect a lot of other people assumed they were L2 as well.

[genome]

Why did we sign Ilori for 4 million when he was completely unproven at this level?

From memory I think it was reported as £2m, but I could be wrong.

Regardless, at the time he was a player with some potential, a good pedigree and a decent reputation but not a lot of first team history (I'm not sure you'd have found many Villa fans saying he was worth £4m though!). He's now played what, 20 times for us? In that time I'd hazard a guess that he's proven a bit more of his ability, albeit not in a positive way.

I'm not sure that using our valuation of a player is a pretty good benchmark either. Would you expect to get £7m for Aluko just because that's what we paid for him?

Ilori has played 56 games for us, including sub and cup appearances.

On his day, he is a very, very good CB. But can have an absolute shocker.

Aye. Still remember his performance in that semi final against Fulham. He was imperious.

[Pepe the Horseman]

You’d have thought there would be, wouldn’t you....

If I was a press photographer or Sky producer at Saturday's game I'd like to think I'd have managed to get at least one snap of the directors box

Yes, especially as they were quite able to snap the owners box, with them there. But nothing on this agent who was apparently at the game...

They showed a clear shot on the telly of Howe, with Joorabchian (or someone who looked a lot like him) sat next to him, looking bored, playing with his phone.

[muirinho]

There's no way any of our players are going that kind of money in the near future, so I wouldn't just be surprised, I'd be absolutely amazed!!! Why would anyone pay £5m for Swift or £4m for Ilori or Barrow?

It's well and good talking up these fees and suggest League One clubs would be interested in our players, and I'm sure many would. I think we're still very good payers though so I doubt those clubs would be able to afford them.

Why did we sign Ilori for 4 million when he was completely unproven at this level?

Cos he had Liverpool on his CV.......which begs the question, if he's that good and promising why are you selling him so cheap from a PL club and why is noone queuing up for him? Probably the same as Blackett and ManU.
There are a lot of duds in the PL that I doubt would make it in this league but still clubs at our level are prepared to splash the cash for them.

Aren't all signings a gamble one way or another? You're basically trying to buy a player that you"see", that other clubs haven't. And depending on your mindset, you'll forget the ones that worked while talking about the ones that don't - or vice versa!

- lower league signings - ridiculous wasting money on unproven punts like McNulty - OR - we should do more of that, look at Kitson
- signings from relegated clubs - obvious they are negative influences, useless footballers, took their clubs down etc etc OR - great opportunity, think how good he'd be in a decent team (very few moan about Yiadom being from Barnsley for instance)
- player not getting games for a PL club - he just needs games, must have great technical skills, good bargain (Harper, Sidwell) OR blindingly obvious why they are letting him go (Blackett etc)

We just need other clubs to buy into the dream for our players - rather than the reality.

Or maybe, it's us that's the problem and not the individual players, who might flourish in a different environment.

[Hendo]

If I was a press photographer or Sky producer at Saturday's game I'd like to think I'd have managed to get at least one snap of the directors box

Yes, especially as they were quite able to snap the owners box, with them there. But nothing on this agent who was apparently at the game...

They showed a clear shot on the telly of Howe, with Joorabchian (or someone who looked a lot like him) sat next to him, looking bored, playing with his phone.

Was at the game so didn't see this.

Did anyone snap a picture from their TV of this, didn't see one on Twitter?

[Barney]

Not sure why the love fest for Ainsworth.

Been at Wycombe for over 6 years. Any good and some other club would have snapped him up. And no one is mentioning the near relegation out of the football league a few years ago when Wycombe (under Ainsworth) survived on goal difference.

Each to their own, but not for me.

[Silver Fox]

You must have missed the posts about his Michael Hutchence tribute act

[Pepe the Horseman]

Yes, especially as they were quite able to snap the owners box, with them there. But nothing on this agent who was apparently at the game...

They showed a clear shot on the telly of Howe, with Joorabchian (or someone who looked a lot like him) sat next to him, looking bored, playing with his phone.

Was at the game so didn't see this.

Did anyone snap a picture from their TV of this, didn't see one on Twitter?

I was surprised by the lack of people mentioning it at the time, so maybe it wasn't him. Judging by my post on here, it was around 10 mins into 2nd half, if you Sky+'d it and wanna take a look.

[genome]

Yes, especially as they were quite able to snap the owners box, with them there. But nothing on this agent who was apparently at the game...

They showed a clear shot on the telly of Howe, with Joorabchian (or someone who looked a lot like him) sat next to him, looking bored, playing with his phone.

Was at the game so didn't see this.

Did anyone snap a picture from their TV of this, didn't see one on Twitter?

Pretty sure it's not him

[muirinho]

They showed a clear shot on the telly of Howe, with Joorabchian (or someone who looked a lot like him) sat next to him, looking bored, playing with his phone.

Was at the game so didn't see this.

Did anyone snap a picture from their TV of this, didn't see one on Twitter?

Pretty sure it's not him

Chin and mouth look different to me.

[Snowflake Royal]

Him apparently sitting next to Howe at the game has added significant weight to the stories.

So there's a picture of this we can all see then?

You’d have thought there would be, wouldn’t you....

There was definitely footage during the game of Howe and someone sitting next to him who was labelled as KJ on here during the match. I assumed they knew what they were talking about,not having a clue what KJ looked like myself.

I've since googled photos and there's a resemblance from what I remember of the footage.

[Hendo]

Thank you for posting the pictures.

Not 100% convinced its him.

*insert hna? meme of mystery man in Madejski Hotel*