Aston Villa News 24/7Writer: J P Fear 
Date:Wednesday September 29 2010
Time: 10:37AM
UK time is: 21:31:26
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Millions Of Pounds Leaving On A Summer Free?
James Nursey has an interesting article in The Mirror about Nigel Hokey-Cokey, John Carew and Steve Sidwell.
As James points out, millions of pounds worth of talent who are all out of contract next summer.
Now it will be make your mind up time for Gerrard Houllier but obviously also the players who can make themselves even wealthier with a free move.
Money wise, we have seen millions come in and leave for very little, anyone remember Marlon Harewood? So lets hope this sort of thing comes to an end with Houllier.
John Carew was a swap for Milan Baros so probably around £5m (or £3.5m according to James) if you were putting figures on the transaction. He blows hot and cold, mostly hot v the lesser teams. Will his time now be up? Will he want to stay? The 31-year-old has moved about a fair bit in his career and can get another very nice pay day by moving again.
Hokey Cokey was around £7.5million from West Ham. He is only 26 but again, now he has waited this long, would he accept a new contract or prefer a bigger signing on fee elsewhere?
And as for Sidwell, he moved from Reading to Chelsea on a bosman then to us for £5m. The move just hasn't worked, or not yet has it?
So... millions of pounds potentially leaving on a free. Or does Gerrard cut his losses and get a small fee in January? That is also in the players / agents hands though!
Which of those - if any - would you keep? Our latest poll asks the very same question!
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Your Comments
I just have a feeling that if we let Sidwell have a run in the team he will prove his worth. He is better than Petrov, can tackle and score goals, would like to see him with reo coker 4 a few games.
astonsteve
Id let Sidwell go for £1.5-£2m in Jan to Fulham like we should have in the Summer. We have Bannan coming through, Delph back hopefully in the new year. As for Reo-Coker, Id like to sign him on a 1 year deal, and the same for Carew. Carew has scored 60 odd goals in 140 appearances or something..... we forget that.
leelindsay
Very poor management in letting us get to this position. I think the point missed in the above is that players will want to go and negotiate signing on fees elsewhere. So in the end these will be monetary and not fotballing decisions. Sidwell has history for this and Hokey Cokey cannot be expected to have much loyalty after the treatment he has had. What a waste of the investment made in the club.
Gordonsleftboot
I have to agree with astonsteve, i'd prefer Sidwell to Petrov, and i'd try to keep all three of these players...Carew scores more than any other striker we have, and Reo HokeyCokey has given us some bite in midfield....not worldbeaters maybe, but all of them have their good points.
MASON_PARKER
According to the books, the Carew/Baros swap valued both at £4.3m each.
BOF
I'd definitely keep NRC and Carew... i think i'd let Sidwell go though - he's probably costing us around £40k a week in wages, and for me does not add anything to the team. Carew should be used as a battering ram agaist the weaker teams.
thorpyuk
sidders just aint good enough nor is petrov at that i really dnt know why petrov is captain i never used to like reo but he is giving us that bite in midfirld we need why not try reo and irekand in the middle petrov needs to be dropped
black_villian
Both Carew, heskey & Petrov are all 30 + need new blood in there positions. Sidwell just not clicked, Hebe also.... Mr H needs to rebuild the squad with some younger prospects !
Eddy1
carew needs to be kept, he ignites the holte end and when on form unplayable. reo needs to have a decent run upto christmas and then the manager can judge or offer a contract, as dont forget delph will be on the trail. sidwell can go, and same as a few others beye and osbourne who will never be good enough and on a fair few quid, have faith in our youth system rather then cash mercenaries ....
badge73
Reo and Sidwell = Pretty much a waste of £25m if you count the transfer fee and wages over 3 years
son_of_cher
Be mental to get rid of Carew. We don't really have a wealth of strikers and goal to games ratio Carew is by faaaaaaaaar our best striker. I love NRC, so limited in some of his play but he really doesn't stop trying and running. Will miss him the most if he leaves because he really hasn't done anything wrong. Sidders. Well I have to say with the talent that we have in midfield at the moment I can't see him getting a game.
Astriel
i agrre that sideers has to move on, he hasnt captured that from since he he had at reading, We need a top class finisher i think i would prefer to keep carew but he does get injured a lot, reo this is his chance to show us he want to be here i think, i would like lassana diarra and Dzeko sign for us or Huntelaar we need a goal predator and a real battler in midfield, petrov is good technique but not helpfull as a battling ball winner i think,
ClivetheVillan
has anyone else thought why we dont try against the big boys in league play ireland off gabby or heskey, put ash back on left wing, in a 5 man midfield with reo as a sitting midfielder, ireland would flourish like that hoipe houlls dont play ireland in central mid role
ClivetheVillan
i hear ya PTP, but i just still cant believe why MON bought these players to destroy there confidence on the bench cos he fell out with them?? i was told by celtic fans he is best man manager around and on sky they used to say it?
ClivetheVillan
Personally, I'd like to see NRC and Carew staying on with us.
Reo is starting to make a case for being in the starting XI with his typically energetic displays - I think he's got a point to prove that he's good enough for this Villa side.
As for Carew, he has stated multiple times he loves playing for the Villa so I think if he was offered a new contract he'd stay - unless he has bad blood with Houllier seeing as it was him who off-loaded him for Baros back in France.
Sidwell I wouldn't shed a tear to see leave. He lived off the back of a couple of good seasons for Reading when moving to Chelsea and costing us £5m, and has had a handful of good games at best. I hate disagreeing with anyone, but for those saying that a) he's better than Petrov, and b) that he can tackle...for me the evidence is quite the contrary.
Mayo_12
Agree - Sidwell is a kicker and hacker, not a footballer. As for Petrov he has a good attitude and came good after 2 years of underachievement - but he has not pushed on for the last 12 monthsseems to be slipping backwards I fear. Bannan yes, Reo, maybe, Delph, hopefully. Sidders goodbye. Carew is a legend, I wish - but rarely a 90 minute man, and never more than 10 good games a season.
stennyvilla
I think this is a sign of poor management on behalf of o'neil. I would let sidwell go we wouldnt get too much for him, I think carew has much to give as an impact sub or even a lone striker at home...Reo i think is a very good player under the right management, in a 3 man midfield he is very good. I think that lettin reo especially go on a free transfer is poor buisness.
P.Avfc
i agree AVFC4ME, Reo may well still fancy the move back to london, and he was treated bad by a certain manager i agree but i hope he carries on playing how he is and decides that he wants to play for us thats the most important thing, he can still force into england team if he stays
ClivetheVillan
Depends where we are in the league also - if we are still there or thereabouts around the CL spots, then we should apply pressure to make them sign up or ship out....
YatesyVillain
reo wont leave he likes it at the villa you can tell he jus didnt like o neil
black_villian
If NRC keeps getting a regular game I think his decision will come down to football rather than money (so Yatesy's point is well made), I've always been impressed with him when I've heard him talking - very articulate and a real football / familly man. Sidwell is a real shame, at Reading he looked like he had the potential to be the next Platty but his move to Chelski (on a bosman for loads of cash!) was a big mistake and basically killed his career. Think he needs to go to a smaller team where he can play every week. Finally Carew, I really can't see why so many fans love him, he's lazy, has a first touch that most sunday league players would be embarrassed of and seems to have a lack of desire to play (some players will play with broken bones, he has three weeks off with a chipped finger nail), his career has gone through the same cycle at every club he's been at and normally ends up with him being offloaded after 3-4 years. Keep NRC and let the other two go.
AVbornandbred
I wouldn't let anyone leave unless we know that cash is freely available to bring in better replacements.
glensider
I'm sure as Mr H sees them play a bit and train a bit he will have his own ideas as to who he wants to keep and who he wants to let go. I think we'd have still been in this position even without the change of manager, as several of these players were bit part players.
Revdpete
i know where u coming from glensider but its because of the wage bill that we cant sign players so i would hope slashing the wages bill would free them 40k per week places
ClivetheVillan
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