babyblue

Tried to warn people and got shouted down. I really don't know what his issue is, he's got ability without question. Perhaps he's just one of those players that doesn't really want to be a footballer and it's just a job.

Didn't he miss his last few also!

With respect, that's really not the case in terms of discussing his performances. I've tried to remain completely level headed here about when he's been good, when he's been bad and I hope my posts reflect that. He genuinely hasn't been very good, sure you'll have the odd flash here or there. But it's really mirrored his performances for Belgium where he's been criticised quote a bit also, also at Monaco. That's not to say he won't be good, he's 100% got it within him. He had an amazing 18 months over a couple of spells where he was genuinely brilliant. Plus... it's a free transfer, yeah he'll get a nice pay packet and bonus. But it's still a good deal, even if he ends up being a squad player.

With respect, that's really not saying much considering everyone outside perhaps Maddison was total and utter dog sh***. Plus, whoscored is frankly nonsense and massively padded out towards attackers. The amount of times I've seen someone fluke an assist or goal off their arse after a terrible performance and get MOTM is laughable.

Poor as in loads of mistakes, slow to get back, slow to get forward, or frankly just anonymous a lot of the time. Numbers can mask a performance can't they, does popping up with something good in the 80th minute when already 4-0 down and stat padding, does that make it a good performance?

He has had poor seasons even in a more attacking position. But his and our best football was played with him and Maddison as 8’s with Ndidi holding. Later on when Rodgers shit the bed, it was more Maddison as a 10 and Ndidi and Tielemans behind.

Read it again

I don’t think anyone but a couple of idiots bares villa any bad will in this scenario.

That’s what he needs, he coasted here without proper competition.

That was the year before, Maddison was player of the season last year and this year…. Well I couldn’t even tell you if we had the award. As I said a few times it went: Brilliant during last loan. Poor season by loan standards. Brilliant season (Player of season year). Poor season by previous standards. Poor season by previous standards.

The counter point to that is that he was poor in his second season when we were playing well as a team and finished 5th. His form was up and down here as I said, as it was elsewhere.

I don’t think he’s like that, more a case of people see a player not 100% committed and angling for a move away, it impacts them also.

Look there are a few things going on here, and not a lot of it has to do with Villa. People are massively pi**ed off about relegation, it shouldn’t have even been on the cards let alone happen. They are really pi**ed off with Tielemans, as his attitude the last two years has caused issues. And part of that attitude issue was caused by him seeing out his contract for what he thought was going to be a massive move away. So for all those problems we’ve had stem from him, not just performances, also how it looks to other players etc to have someone clearly running a contract down… he’s moved to a team who finished lower than we were when we first started offering him massive new deals to sign. The frustration is, if you’d signed your contract two years ago and been committed, we could still potentially (maybe unlikely) be having high finishes! There was more at play than him, I’m just trying to explain peoples frustration. In terms of Tielemans, and I’m not trying to be disrespectful here. The reason he’s ended up with you reflects on how far his performances have dropped off in the last two years. At his height for us he was getting concrete interest from clubs on the next step up the ladder. The only frustration aimed at Villa is that he’s taken a backwards step from where we were (not now) when we first offered him contracts! So people are thinking… all that for what!? Those slating him aren’t wrong, he’s been poor. He really has, it’s not bitterness. BUT… he had 18 months (his first loan season and then his second full season) where he was genuinely brilliant. You know when you just see a player who is on another level. They see things in a way nobody else does on the pitch and it’s just obvious. He was like that! Nobody really knows what you’ll get. What I would say is that he’s not put any consistency together in terms of several years in his entire career. Monaco fans slated him before he joined us, and I kind of get it now. So even if he’s world class for 6 months, I’d see how it pans out long term. Realistically, on a free you can’t go wrong really. At worst you’ve got a decent squad player for nothing.

As I said, we’ve not played that way for 5 years. So how’s he got all the goals and assists if that’s the only way he plays?

Barnes 100% has the ability to work in tight areas with other players. He's no way just a knock it over the top and let him run type player. Sure he can do that, but he can link up with others. What he used to be brilliant at was doing things quickly, the ball would come to him and he's make a first time pass, a quick one two, or knock it and run, doing things before the opposition had time to be set. Unfortunately, brand Brenden dictates, slow it down, keep the ball, take 175 touches rather than 1 or 2. The whole bloody things just becomes stagnant. I don't know what your style is now, but if it's front foot positive and quick football (no not just counter attack), then Barnes would be a brilliant option to have. The best football we played was at the start under Rodgers, when we still had a mix of our old counter attacking, blended with some of his passing football. It was really positive and exciting to watch... but the longer he got his claws into the players, the more he coached the positive aspect from them.