NurembergVillan Posted September 7, 2016 Moderator Share Posted September 7, 2016 15 minutes ago, sidcow said: Straight to feet every time. Apart from when passing out wide to Tony Daley, when he would (wisely) put it in behind the full back so that 1) Daley would blast past his opponent to get to the ball; and 2) Daley wouldn't have to run as far with the ball at his feet...! EDIT - also, just to clarify my earlier replies, I'm a huge fan of Sid. He was one of the best players I've seen in a Villa shirt. But I'm fed up of supporting a shit football team, so I've put my trust in the new owner and management to know the best way to remedy that. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 Done a good job for us and wish him the best of luck if he wishes to continue in football development at a different club. He has helped to produce a lot of youth players who have gone to the senior side, which is his job. Whether or not they have been used well by the first team was not down to Sid- players such as Whittingham, Davis, and Albrighton spring to mind. Much more pluses than minus and to boot is a Villa legend so all the best Sid and thanks for all your hard work for the last 18 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 Gordon was a great player and along with the rest of the 80 - 82 team always has had time for Villa fans. He was a true professional on the pitch as well as off it. Sad to see him leave the club in this way and I very much doubt the reason more youth players did not come through to the first team to stay during his time with us had anything to do with Sid himself. Possibly young players are now reluctant to do and act as Gordon did and to listen to advice from someone who has been there and done it... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midfielder Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 Good luck and all the best Sid. And yes like John says above, horses for courses. New approach new ideas... I love Sid but like what's happening behind the scenes. They're certainly looking to improve as many components as they can, where they can. And if this has an end result of youth quality improvements then so be it. The club needs dragging forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omariqy Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 Another issue we have had is helping youngsters with the mental side of the game. For example I dont think Jack Grealish would have had the issues he had last year if the people in charge had focused on the mental side of the game with him since a young age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastie Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 Interesting to see who Steve round brings in as tony mcandrew and Ben petty appear to have gone too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubliner Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 Not 100% sure if he's left of his own accord or if he's been told to pack his bags. If it's the latter, that was such a classy statement to put out there by him. Sid just oozes class both on and off the pitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastie Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 18 minutes ago, dubliner said: Not 100% sure if he's left of his own accord or if he's been told to pack his bags. If it's the latter, that was such a classy statement to put out there by him. Sid just oozes class both on and off the pitch. Would appear odd if all 3 decided to leave a month into a new season - maybe Steve round wants things done differently - Tony mcandrew has also been a great servant down the years and I wish him and Ben petty well too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastie Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 Gary Gardner - 'Sad to see Sid Tony and Ben petty leave would like to thank you all for helping me to progress to where I am now '#avfc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villarocker Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 What a great player and true Villa legend. I can remember the days when he and Platt were immense in midfield where you could almost guarantee that Sid would find Platty's runs every time he made them. Awesome player and great Villa man. Good luck for the future, Sid. Let's hope that this new regime can take Villa back to the dizzy heights that you once helped take them to and you can experience the highs that we fans experienced when watching you and some of your teammates play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 Some have a point, our academy hasn't produced any stars in a long time. Only green, baker, Gardner and grealish in current squad. Only grealish has reached a decent level thus far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted September 8, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted September 8, 2016 Best passer of a ball I ever saw (not just in a Villa shirt, either). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markavfc40 Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 (edited) Looking at this sentimentally then seeing him no longer associated with the club is gut wrenching. Sid is my favourite all time Villa player and his status as a legend was secured many years ago. Despite the above if it is deemed that someone else can perform his current role better and will help us produce more players from the youth yet up that can make the step up to the first team then I am in favour of this. I love the idea of having ex-players who had success at the club,and who have genuine sentiment for the club, involved. That has to be balanced with them being the best person you can attract for that role though and in this case it seems that isn’t the case. It could also be that Sid has gone a little stale and a fresh start for him elsewhere may also do him good. I wish him well. Edited September 8, 2016 by markavfc40 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 3 hours ago, Eastie said: Gary Gardner - 'Sad to see Sid Tony and Ben petty leave would like to thank you all for helping me to progress to where I am now '#avfc Some might see this more as a damning indictment 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumourmill Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 Best thing to happen to the accademy long over due. The lost of Mcandrew is a blessing 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanAVFC Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 4 hours ago, Eastie said: Gary Gardner - 'Sad to see Sid Tony and Ben petty leave would like to thank you all for helping me to progress to where I am now '#avfc Not exactly a glowing endorsement though is it Gary 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phumfeinz Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 With new ownership, management and a new squad I feel a change in the backroom staff was necessary. Considering the world-class facilities that people bang on about all the time our youth development has been quite disappointing for some time now. Legend, legitimately, but time for a change. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Richard Posted September 8, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted September 8, 2016 Great player and some of my fondest memories of this club are hi link up play with Morley, sublime and truly world class at a time when that phrase meant something. However, I have been very very unimpressed with the academy and for me I have no issues with this. It struck me as shoe horning someone into a role because of who they were , not what they could bring. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkyvilla Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 Perhaps inevitable with a new technical director coming in that there'd be a massive shake up. It may even have been highlighted by Bernstein and King when doing their audit. Best wishes to Sid, I'm a bit young to have seen him play much but it's sad to see a legend leave. Whether we will see a load of world class players coming through the academy in the next decade I'm skeptical, fewer and fewer English players seem to be making it despite all these 'improvements' in academies and coaching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romavillan Posted September 8, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted September 8, 2016 6 minutes ago, sharkyvilla said: Perhaps inevitable with a new technical director coming in that there'd be a massive shake up. It may even have been highlighted by Bernstein and King when doing their audit. Best wishes to Sid, I'm a bit young to have seen him play much but it's sad to see a legend leave. Whether we will see a load of world class players coming through the academy in the next decade I'm skeptical, fewer and fewer English players seem to be making it despite all these 'improvements' in academies and coaching. Yes I'm sad to see Sid go too, I'm sure he could still offer us something in some capacity but maybe for the best. We won't know for a while though will we either way? Re: the highlighted bit, it never ceases to amaze me this. It's really bonkers, even when serie A was completely choc full of the world's best players Italy still managed to produce players to compete at that level. Even now the Italy national side is widely considered to be the weakest it has been for a long, long time it would still beat us and our "stars" quite comfortably more times than they lost I reckon. It has happened consistently over my lifetime that a country with a slightly larger population has produced way better players and won international trophies with them. Every generation it's the same it seems to me, we seem to end up with the same technical and tactical limitations regardless of manager and formation and players. Weird and deeply cultural if you ask me. That said, maybe the scarcity of academy products who can play at the highest level is nothing to do with Sid? Maybe it's more to do with the whole football setup in the UK? Anyway, big thanks to Sid, one of the few English players in the last 40 years to be technically as good as his continental counterparts! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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