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.

We finished top 5 twice and won an FA Cup with him in the team and contributing a lot. His assists and goal contributions are some of the "best of the rest". He needs challenging and a decent coach, he's been able to coast under Rodgers because we've had nobody else and Rodgers couldn't help a player tactically in a million years. I suppose somewhat similar to Tielemans, who on his day is a player who can turn a mid table team into a top 6 contender. But they need pushing and the right management, and competition for places.

Harsh, we haven't played counter attacking football for 5 years or more. Barnes requires a top class coach to work with him and help him, he has a huge amount of ability but he's lacking a number of things that CAN be coached.

Which had nothing to do with it. He spent in January on HIS targets and we got worse, as we have done every time he's bought players pretty much.

Did I say they weren't? I've said already on here they should have sacked him a long time ago, and for that they are culpable. But the notion we are where we are, because we didn't spend one summer is ludicrous. We're where we are because of Rodger's and their inability to act on his nonsense.

Do you blame yourself at work if the culture there is shite, the managers are all shite and you go into work not feeling wanted and you can't wait to get out the door? Or do you blame those who made you feel like that. Now I'm sure most of us have professional pride in what we do and still try our best. But at that level, if you aren't at 100% it can make a massive difference.

Correct, too many players had checked out and the rest were totally demoralised by Rodgers.

It's not a shock to those Leicester fans watching closely the last two seasons, Rodgers has done nothing but throw people under the bus left right and centre, ruin half the squad with his training and instil the most god awful brand of football. It's ALL about him, his brand and nothing else matters. Slagging off players constantly you need and the endless negativity in his football and everything he said. One of the most disliked managers ever to grace our door! Football is cyclical though for clubs our size, even clubs bigger than us (Villa, Newcastle, Leeds). I've seen us win League One, The Championship, Two League Cups, The FA Cup, The Charity Shield and the Premier League. I feel blessed to follow this club, it's utterly batshit crazy but the bad is always weighed out with the good. We'll be back at some point.

I think we improved, which isn't difficult from the utter buffoon who we had in charge before. Unfortunately, I don't think he came in with a singular game plan. Some games we were hung ho, other games ultra defensive. It wasn't particularly cohesive in terms of thinking. He didn't have enough time though really, by that point we'd been drained of almost all confidence by Rodgers. So really hard to come to any conclusive argument for or against him.

Don't think it was ever 7th highest, Everton were always ahead of us. We started cutting back a season or so back due to the FFP changes on the horizon, so it was already coming down. Factor into that all players have a 50% relegation wage drop and the 9 players being out of contract is a god send. It means ALL of those high wages are off the books instantly. Not sure why you think the owners have money issues, they just wrote off £200m debt and were still pressing ahead with a massive ground revamp and the surrounding areas. Of course there were covid issues, but it had no impact on us financially. That was about us being at the top of our limit already in terms of what we could spend and pass FFP. Agree on Rodgers, absolute shit show that bloke and sticking with him when it was obvious to all fans sealed our fate. I lay the blame almost entirely at his door, despite his PR team wanting everyone to think otherwise.

Monaco fans hated him, here he had a good 18 months. Outside of that he's also been poor. I seriously think he has a motivation problem. Eh... if you think this is what's happened to us and what's been the problem, I'm sorry but you're taking your information from the wrong people.