Me? Hate Steve Sidwell? Never. I'm not doing a little jig of glee in my apartment right now. I'm not cackling with joy over the fact that I'll never have to see him make another miscued dirty tackle in claret and blue. No, I am perfectly composed.
According to the Aston Villa Official Twitter, Sidwell has signed with Fulham for an "undisclosed fee":
Steve Sidwell has joined Fulham for an undisclosed fee. #avfc
Aston Villa
AVFCOfficial
Now, that could mean that Aston Villa paid Fulham to take him, but I'm choosing to be optimistic here. Villa get money, the club has $40k off the wage bill, and we fans don't have to look at a weasley face. Granted, it's probably not enough money to pay Wayne Bridge's salary for more than a week, but it's a little something in the pockets.
Who's next to go? John Carew? Luke Young? Stephen Warnock? While the January transfer window usually brings in overpriced players coasting on their reputations (see the deals Birmingham City are making if you need a reference), Gerard Houllier could go a long way to making peace with his detractors if he manages to find a good pickup to keep the Villa from the relegation zone.