Keener window-cleaner

I think he'd fit right in.

I normally don't like slagging-off players who are still at the club, but I just hope so much that the Hull rumour is true. I think what I dislike the most about him is his gesticulating and yelling at others when we concede, although he is as much at fault for the goal. Please chew your gum and lift weights for 65' a week somewhere else.

Hit a mine and went missing.

I'm not sure if I like Tony in his death skull t-shirt or Tony in his blue vest the most, I just know I love both of em!!!

Very glad with this! Especially that he is a tall full back!! I've had issues with short full backs ever since Alan Wright. I'd say full backs will need to clear away crosses and corners almost as much as the central defenders, so having a tall full back (like the mighty Mellberg when he played there) makes me really pleased!! LIke the look of the new back four!!

Played in the national team? Check. Pace? Check. Gabby says hi! Imagine the anticlimax if our new Real no9 world class striker would be Gabby welcomed back into the fold...

Before the appointment of RDM I wanted us to get Pearson instead, but then during the Derby game when saw the both of them in the dugouts it struck me that I was glad that Dr Tony went to Rome in a Ford Mondeo and brought us back RDM, and not Pearson. It seems as if RDM does everything right at the moment. Hats off to Dr Tony as well as I got the impression that RDM was his personal choice.

Is he taller than Elphick?

Really??

You go Tony!!

As someone so nicely put it when he joined, he finally got the move to the club he started supporting in retirement...

I hope he stays under the radar for us for a while.

Shipping out some deadwood? Now that would make a beautiful day...

I haven't seen that much of Das Boot but I remember that he was highly regarded a couple of years ago. He seems to be in the Kozak mould though, tall, but not very well built and not really a target player. Looks like his goals the last seasons mostly have been tap-ins, so we'd need players to create chances for him. I think I would prefer either a real target player or a quick no9 like Nahki Wells. I get the impression that these lanky forwards like Kozak/Crouch/Gestede kind of makes the team often just hoof the ball up front, but then they are not good enough to keep hold of the ball - so instead of creating chances or keeping possession we just give the ball away...

I'd rather see him work on his speed!

Very pleased with him! According to those squawka stats he had 97% passing accuracy, only one failed pass! Don't know how reliable those stats are but seems likely.

I think it's a bit harsch on him. Except that stupid tackle towards the end I thought he did a good job defensively, tracked back good, made some important tackles and won a couple of headers in the middle of the pitch. He passed the ball around fairly well and at least tried some through balls. I'd give him a 6 of 10 and thought there was no big difference between him and Westwood today. If his shot had gone inches more to the right he would have made all the difference in the game and won us three points. A couple of games, some more confidence, getting to know the teammates better and I think he can be a good player for us in the Championship, at least I'd give him a couple of more games before writing him off.

Except a couple of spells in the second half I thought we dominated the game and we were obviously unlucky not to score. I'm quite pleased with this as I rated Derby as one of the strongest teams in the Championship, dominating them away is very positive. It's also positive that we didn't let them Huddersfield us in the second but actually kept going. A cheeky bid for Hughes? Strange he is still with them. I thought he was the best player on the pitch. In the second half he seemed to play in a more advanced position and that caused us problems.

With Jedinak on the pitch I expect something like this, giving the hairdryer treatment to anyone not running after his defence splitting passes...

I agree that it's not as simple as being a defensive midfielder or attacking midfielder and that Westwood is more of a deep lying central midfielder. I think it worked when he played in a three man midfield like the FA-cup semi final when he had Delph and Cleverly on each side and Grealish in front of him. In a two man midfield it gets more problematic as I would demand more that the quite vague Gregg Evans-favourite expression of keeping the team ticking. Shouldn't every player have the basic ability to pass the ball around according to the managers instructions, i.e. keeping the team ticking? At least I demand more of an Aston Villa midfielder. I think he is prone to giving free kicks and penalties away and I think that's partly because he is not good enough defensively, too slow and too weak. I want a deep lying midfielder to be able to pass the ball around and to be good defensively. I wouldn't mind keeping Westwood as long as we are in the Championship so I agree with you that good enough for where we are at the moment. He would at least be an ok squad player and could do a job coming on and keeping possession in the latter parts of games when we are leading. But I still don't think he is good enough for Aston Villa and sadly for me he emptomises our decline and lack of ambition of the last years, so I may well treat him a bit unfairly because of that. Xavi a couple of years ago would be welcome :-) (though I'm actually not sure how well he would work if his Barcelona/Spain teammates dont come along).

Unfair. He makes the dinner tick.

So one key pass in two games. The problem for me is that he is too slow, too weak and too short to be a defensive midfielder, and clearly is not creative enough to be an attacking midfielder. In the same way as has been mentioned in other threads that "hard working" should be a minimum requirement, basic passing should also be a minimum requirement for a professional footballer. He is good enough for an average Championship team, but not good enough for Aston Villa in my opinion... Thanks for the graphics by the way, it's really interesting! I'd like to see those for all players.

It aint done unti it's ITSWTT.