‘Tony Pulis is apparently up there with Jesus. Although, it has to be said, Pulis turning a headless chicken into a ‘£30m world beater’, pips simply turning water into wine.’
With the regular football season now at an end, the gates to BS transfer rumours have been flung wide open. It has been noticed that a lot of the more outlandish rumours start off at the Daily Mirror, before being recycled by The Sun, Daily Mail, local papers and low rent footy websites. Then gullible Villa fan social media accounts spread them as legit, like wild-fire without considering their validity.
You know the routine.
Here’s a couple of examples from the Mirror: the first an example of inflated value and invisible sources to create a headline, and then an example of a perpetually recycled Villa rumour that pops up EVERY transfer window.
Who?
Neil Moxley @ The Mirror
Headline
Chelsea closing in on £30m transfer of Adama Traore from Middlesbrough
Spiel
Boro will be fighting to retain the services of the Spanish Under-21 star, who has shone since Tony Pulis took over as manager.
Pulis’ men are still hoping to secure promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs. But even if they do go up it will be a struggle to hold on to Traore, who was with Barcelona and Aston Villa before joining the Teessiders.
The 22-year-old would love another crack at the top flight in England, having previously had limited chances at that level with Villa and then Boro.
Now though, he is looking more like the finished product.
The deal may be eased through as former Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon is a close confidant of Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson.
Everton and Newcastle have also been linked with Traore, but the west London Blues have long been leading the chase.
A source close to the situation said: “Adama knows there is major interest – and Chelsea have always been at the head of the queue.”
Evaluation
1.Tony Pulis is apparently up there with Jesus. Although, it has to be said, Pulis turning a headless chicken into a £30m world beater, pips simply turning water into wine. Traore is not a £30m player, at this moment in time.
2. Again…£30m? When Traore landed at Villa, there were a few questions about the player’s footballing IQ. Both Tim Sherwood and Remi Garde raised their eyebrows when they first saw him train and were puzzled by why Villa’s money ball scouting system had paid millions for such a raw player.
Having said that, considering Villa had very little to play for during the back end of their relegation season, maybe Traore should have got more minutes. Watching the unconventional approach of the player trying to beat an entire team on his own, would have been preferable to watching whatever his teammates were trying to do.
3. Next season, Chelsea will be trying to put themselves back into the position to challenge for the title again. Will dropping £30m on the unpredictable Traore help in that task? I can’t see it. The two English clubs that the player has signed for have both been relegated in his first season with them.
4. If Boro don’t get promoted, then there’s no doubt Traore’s agent will try to get him a move to the Premier League or back to Spain. But beggars can’t be £30m choosers.
5. PS – If memory serves MOMS right, I think Villa have a sell-on clause on Traore, so if a miracle £30m deal happens, we won’t kick ourselves too much from not making a big profit.
Muppet Muppet Score: 7/10
Yes, Traore may try to focus a move, if Boro don’t make it back to the PL, but £30m and to Chelsea? Very unlikely indeed.
Who?
James Nursey @ The Daily Mirror
Headline
Aston Villa want Gareth Barry back – but only if they are promoted to the Premier League
Spiel
Aston Villa will try to bring Gareth Barry back to the club if they are promoted.
Barry, 37, is the leading all-time Premier League appearance holder with 653 games.
The left-footed midfielder, currently sidelined after a knee op, wants to play on in the top-flight if bottom club West Brom are relegated.
He has a clause enabling him to quit The Hawthorns if the bottom club drop into the Championship.
And Mirror Sport understands Villa will look to bring in the former England international if they go up.
Barry has put his Cheshire mansion up for sale for £4.5million and wants to relocate permanently back to the Midlands.
Villa are potentially willing to include coaching opportunities too if Barry is interested.
Barry made his name at Villa Park from 1997–2009 before leaving for Man City where he won the title in 2012.
Evaluation
1.Welcome to the Aston Villa Retirement Home, where players approaching 40 can earn a few more million before they retire. Thank god this journalist, Mr Nursey, isn’t going to be Villa’s boss next season.
2. With the recent news that John Terry could potentially remain at Villa next season, if they got promoted, could a Premier League team field two players that will be 38-years-old next season, and get away with it? It depends on whether they want to get relegated or not.
3. There’s a reason not many, if any, 38-year-old players ply their trade in the Premier League…
4. Notice the lazy journalism approach of ‘Oh, he’s an older player, so i better mention something about coaching opportunities‘. Zzzzz.
5. …I better throw in the old, ‘selling his mansion to move to Birmingham’ angle too.
6. The only position Barry would play is DM and Villa already have three players that can play the role. Two of them, Mile Jedinak and Glenn Whelan, also are no spring chickens and Villa won’t want to be paying another oldie to job share with them.
The player that perhaps would do a better job in that role in the Premier League is Birkir Bjarnason, but he may look to move on. Certainly, if Villa stay in the Championship and he has a good World Cup, he’ll try to force a move, having had to mainly play second fiddle this season. Expect the Icelandic international to move to Burnley, where he’ll play European football next season alongside Ashley Westwood!
Muppet Muppet Score: 8/10
The old sentimental rumour favourite has long reached its expiry date.
UTV
Canada Square clickbait trash!!