If you read the post I've just agreed with you'll get my take on Milner. Decent player but no better than we already have imo. If he's been bought to play out wide, then I'd prefer SWP or Adam Johnson (although I suspect we won't play with wingers this season). Box to box, no better than Yaya or Michael Johnson. Holding, no better than NDJ or Barry. In the hole, no better than Ireland or Silva. Wide in a front three, no better than Tevez or Balotelli. In short, I can see the logic in every signing/potential signing we've made this window, because they strengthen an area where we are weak or lack depth, but I just don't get this one.

Are any of you saying what a pointless signing Milner would be aware of a complete lack of energy in our midfield last season - and also aware of the energy Milner provided for Villa? If Milner was a City player last season I think we would have strolled 4th and possibly pushed Arsenal for 3rd.

He isnt the worlds best but a vast improvement on what we had in the middle of the park last year. Ok we now have Yaya, and if he is out for 6 weeks after the Spuds game??? We go back to the midfield generals of Ireland and Barry? Good look not being overun by Everton again with that! Players like Milner make teams play better, and you probably only really appreciate it when you watch the player control games week after week, and Milner certainly played a pivotal role in a Villa midfield that controlled a lot of games. Can you name any game last season where we bossed midfield? Even in the games we won comfortably it was pretty obvious where our weakness lay. Too easy to sometimes blame the defence when that defence has midfielders running at them unapposed.

Granted he is overpriced at 25 million, but money really isnt an issue, if Villa manage to challenge us due to the money they got for Milner good luck to them - but this will because they overperformed and we underperformed. Villa are not our rivals anymore. If they are next season we deserve another season of failure.

I'm sorry Monkfish, but I very rarely ever remember us 'controlling' a game last season with Milner in the middle.

All relative fellow Fish, if you'd watched us last year the by comparison you controlled midfield, in fact for the bulk of the game at COMS I would say your midfield dominated the game (certainly after the first 15mins you controlled the game and totally controlled the 2nd half), our firepower up front was just too much for you and you were a bit toothless up front

Seen at Villa sites that £ 24 Mill bid has been rejected. Have you heard anything?