Nigel Reo-Coker and John Carew released by Aston Villa

We have a number of players with contracts expiring this summer and uncertain futures, but the one with the biggest question mark over his head was Nigel Reo-Coker. That question mark remains no longer, the club have just announced that he has been released along with nine other players.

I know Reo-Coker wasn’t in everyone’s list of favourite players, but he’s always given 100% and frequently was the only one providing anything close to the grit we needed in the centre

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Battle of the big money strikers, Carew on loan, Makoun arrives

Five days ago, I wasn’t much looking forward to Saturday, but how quickly things can change; all it took was £24m! Seriously though, it’s amazing what a boost the acquisition of Darren Bent has provided. To everyone, fans and players alike it would seem; Gabby, Ash & James Collins all waxing lyrical about Bent joining the team.

It’s also given Gerard Houllier a massive boost in the eyes of many fans who were doubting him, but ultimately it will still come

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It’s got to be done: January transfer round up

It’s been an interesting, yet quiet week for me. I’m really not a fan of the transfer window periods, there’s so much nonsense being regurgitated. Some of it by people who don’t know any better, but mostly by people who know full well that they’re peddling baseless speculation in search of traffic.

However, the new air of openness at Villa Park under Gerard Houllier is refreshing and perhaps the glimpse of the work behind the scenes we’ve been given helps temper

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Ambition remains as big changes planned

One of the words on the street is that Houllier and Randy Lerner are meeting today to flesh out finances for player acquisitions. Then again, that was also one of the words a couple of weeks back, so who knows?

However, it seems self evident that there’s plenty to discuss and that they’ll be getting together at some point. It also seems self evident that there will be some significant activity in January one way or another.

Paul Faulkner seems

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The Carew Situation – Part I [Updated with GH video following team meeting]

I’ve been mulling over writing a post exploring how player registrations, contracts and amortization of transfer fees work for a little while and planned on using John Carew as an example since there seemed to be a growing opinion that he should simply be sold in January. As if it’s really that simple.

That was before the spat that emerged via the media this weekend between player and manager, something that’s impossible to ignore, so I’ll save what I had in

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Carew out with calf injury, but is Houllier likely to show faith in Delfouneso?

And the hits just keep on coming. The breaking news is that John Carew is the latest name on the casualty list with a torn calf that will keep him out for three weeks.

Curiously, the Birmingham Mail, in an exclusive, say that the injury occurred “during a challenge with Brad Friedel during a training ground practice match yesterday afternoon”. What’s odd about that is the official site published an article this morning entitled “Houllier looking for Carew to

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With Heskey out, surely now is Delfouneso’s chance to shine

You’ve probably already seen that Emile Heskey tore the medial meniscus in his right knee in training and will require an operation, keeping him out for three to four weeks.

With Gabby still on the come back trail after his own operation, John Carew always susceptible to a sudden injury, if this is not Nathan Delfouneso’s chance to get some time on the pitch, I don’t know when is.

With so many of the youngsters getting a look in so

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Amazing Shot – John Carew Fixes Sign At Villa Park – Video

I love these types of videos and this is quite nicely done, although no one involved is in any danger of winning an Oscar any time soon.

John Carew gets bored during filming before an interview and fixes an annoying flickering light behind the Villa badge on the North Stand using his skills. Yes, that’s Jack Woodward’s dulcet tones you hear in the background making convincing requests for “maintenance” to fix the sign before Carew steps in.

Perhaps Carew could put

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News Picks and Clicks – Mar 30th

Here’s the news that’s caught my eye in the last couple of days.

Martin O’Neill Rumour

I didn’t plan on touching this as it’s just some silliness from a forum. However, it was repeated by a couple of blogs for reasons best known to the bloggers in question and now the bastion of journalism that is The Daily Mirror are reporting that Martin O’Neill has quit. Martin O’Neill is now a trending topic on Twitter in the UK.

I’ll stick my neck

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