nick76 Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 12 minutes ago, sir_gary_cahill said: He was in the u18s and u23s, first team football is a different kettle of fish altogether Exactly, how many players have played at that level of u18s and u23s or versions of those levels down the years that never get close to top tier or 2nd tier football. The amount of years I’d watch those teams and saw players that were quality but you knew that was their level is untrue. I only go to the first team games now because of lack of spare time. RHM was never PL standard at all. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 He was bought as back up, not as a first teamer. However, He could have surprised everybody and forced his way in, but that was a long shot. nothing ventured, nothing gained. He will be gone soon. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 3 minutes ago, nick76 said: Exactly, how many players have played at that level of u18s and u23s or versions of those levels down the years that never get close to top tier or 2nd tier football. The amount of years I’d watch those teams and saw players that were quality but you knew that was their level is untrue. I only go to the first team games now because of lack of spare time. RHM was never PL standard at all. I have rarely gone to Academy games, ever.......It dosen't interest me....testimonials and Friendlies have the same effect on me. I went to the game when we beat Everton 4-1 I think and David Moyes said " You may have won the cup, but I have got Rooney" that said it all for me. I think watching kids exhibit loads of skill in loads of space and having not much physical contact, doesn't tell me much.....not until they can do it, when players get close in trying to stop them and they still shine, do I sit up and take notice. I am only interested in competitive football....but thats me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 9 minutes ago, TRO said: He was bought as back up, not as a first teamer. However, He could have surprised everybody and forced his way in, but that was a long shot. nothing ventured, nothing gained. He will be gone soon. Pretty much this, he is a low budget experienced striker. If everybody was fit he be clearly 4th choice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick76 Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 2 minutes ago, TRO said: I have rarely gone to Academy games, ever.......It dosen't interest me....testimonials and Friendlies have the same effect on me. I went to the game when we beat Everton 4-1 I think and David Moyes said " You may have won the cup, but I have got Rooney" that said it all for me. I think watching kids exhibit loads of skill in loads of space and having not much physical contact, doesn't tell me much.....not until they can do it, when players get close in trying to stop them and they still shine, do I sit up and take notice. I am only interested in competitive football....but thats me. I remember being at that game as well. My reason for going was I had the time, it was one of those peaks when my Villa obsession was at max and it was to watch other football rather than just the first team. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Feet Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 He will be a good player for us in some ways, in some ways I mean he will make an excellent quiz question in a few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick76 Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 22 minutes ago, Hobbit Feet said: He will be a good player for us in some ways, in some ways I mean he will make an excellent quiz question in a few years. No it won’t, it’ll be frustrating, it’ll be on the tip of my tongue. I’ll lose the quiz by one point and cry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 30 minutes ago, Hobbit Feet said: He will be a good player for us in some ways, in some ways I mean he will make an excellent quiz question in a few years. Which 15 million pound striker played just 6 minutes for Aston Villa? I had already forgot who he was when he came on vs Tottenham 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 14 minutes ago, TRO said: I have rarely gone to Academy games, ever.......It dosen't interest me....testimonials and Friendlies have the same effect on me. I went to the game when we beat Everton 4-1 I think and David Moyes said " You may have won the cup, but I have got Rooney" that said it all for me. I think watching kids exhibit loads of skill in loads of space and having not much physical contact, doesn't tell me much.....not until they can do it, when players get close in trying to stop them and they still shine, do I sit up and take notice. I am only interested in competitive football....but thats me. Yes, I was there too, that quote suggests it did mean something to Moyes, after all! I think youth cup games are and were, relatively competitive and over the years, it's given me an early view of some top players on either side, including Brian Little, John Gidman, Steven Davis, Peter Whittingham, Trevor Francis and Rooney. Testimonials used to be worth attending, when it gave players some money to retire with at the end of a long spell at the club, when wages were not at the level they now are. I've been to some decent friendly games over the years as well, such as against Santos, Italy under 21s and Gornik Zabrze, but they are rare examples from a long time ago. Overall, it's a case of take it or leave it, as you so rightly suggest. When I was a schoolboy, I was one of many that would go to Villa Park to watch paint dry, I suppose we all become more selective, as we grow older. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sir_gary_cahill Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 1 hour ago, nick76 said: Exactly, how many players have played at that level of u18s and u23s or versions of those levels down the years that never get close to top tier or 2nd tier football. The amount of years I’d watch those teams and saw players that were quality but you knew that was their level is untrue. I only go to the first team games now because of lack of spare time. RHM was never PL standard at all. The club brought RHM through, he has been nurtured by us, he’s been on a contract since he was 13 years old. The majority of players get a scholarship at 16 years old and the earliest you can get a professional deal is 17 years old (special players get a professional deal at that age) but even then the vast majority that get those contacts don’t make it. Back to RHM, he is our youngest appearance maker for the u18s (14 and a half years old) and then our youngest Premier League appearance maker at 16 and a half years old. He has also played for England u16-u20s. He has been nurtured by our academy staff over the years, if he does leave this Summer, then I’ll be devastated. We nicked him from WBA when he was 9 years old. He hasn’t even started a Premier League match for us, how can you say that he isn’t Premier League quality? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoony Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 4 minutes ago, sir_gary_cahill said: The club brought RHM through, he has been nurtured by us, he’s been on a contract since he was 13 years old. The majority of players get a scholarship at 16 years old and the earliest you can get a professional deal is 17 years old (special players get a professional deal at that age) but even then the vast majority that get those contacts don’t make it. Back to RHM, he is our youngest appearance maker for the u18s (14 and a half years old) and then our youngest Premier League appearance maker at 16 and a half years old. He has also played for England u16-u20s. He has been nurtured by our academy staff over the years, if he does leave this Summer, then I’ll be devastated. We nicked him from WBA when he was 9 years old. He hasn’t even started a Premier League match for us, how can you say that he isn’t Premier League quality? This is kinda why I don’t get why people rave about our academy. Who from our academy is actually a quality player in our team? Is it just Grealish? We hardly ever bring through quality players. In my Villa lifetime from 02-03 (from the top of my head) it’s probably just Gareth Barry (if you can even count Barry), Vassell, Davis (at a stretch), Cahill (who ended up being quality elsewhere), Albrighton (see Cahill), Agbonlahor and Grealish. That doesn’t seem like a great return. As for Baston, scored against me on football manager yesterday. Bastard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodders0223 Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 He has got some pedigree, it was a punt and we were not going to be whacking out 10m - 20m on another striker. It was a sensible signing. Hey ho. Few months left on his deal so free to talk to anyone he likes over in Spain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick76 Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 52 minutes ago, sir_gary_cahill said: The club brought RHM through, he has been nurtured by us, he’s been on a contract since he was 13 years old. The majority of players get a scholarship at 16 years old and the earliest you can get a professional deal is 17 years old (special players get a professional deal at that age) but even then the vast majority that get those contacts don’t make it. Back to RHM, he is our youngest appearance maker for the u18s (14 and a half years old) and then our youngest Premier League appearance maker at 16 and a half years old. He has also played for England u16-u20s. He has been nurtured by our academy staff over the years, if he does leave this Summer, then I’ll be devastated. We nicked him from WBA when he was 9 years old. He hasn’t even started a Premier League match for us, how can you say that he isn’t Premier League quality? Easy, I’ve seen him with my eyes quite a bit! I’ve haven’t seen him this season but given he’s only in Derby’s u23’s it seems like he hasn’t got any better. He’s just not good enough! Don’t see why you would be devastated? But we obviously view players differently, I was never very impressed with Bannan or Delfouneso. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 So will we extent his contract until August now? I completely forgot we had him on the books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 15 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said: So will we extent his contract until August now? I completely forgot we had him on the books. Nah, he's going back to Spain from what I've read Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 Watch him hit 20 goals in La Liga for some mid to lower table team next season and get another big move and flop again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 5 minutes ago, Zatman said: Watch him hit 20 goals in La Liga for some mid to lower table team next season and get another big move and flop again He was supposedly almost a done deal to Zaragoza a week or so back but it seem to have stalled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
useless Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 Surely we will extend his contract for another month or two, we still need him for the very same reason that we needed him in January. If Samatta was to get injured we'd be left with Davis as our only striker, I doubt we'd risk that when fighting a relegation battle unless Borja himself insists that he doesn't want to stay. But I'm sure he'd be happy to stick around to try and make an impression, even if it's with a vew to earning a deal somewhere else, it's not as if he's going to play for another club this season. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 I agree. We are paper thin on strikers even if you include Baston. When all is said and done we have never really replaced Tammy from last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sir_gary_cahill Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 12 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said: I agree. We are paper thin on strikers even if you include Baston. When all is said and done we have never really replaced Tammy from last year. I don’t think Wesley should be written off, far from it, I think he has a lot of potential and I also think that Samatta has shown some promise in his fleeting appearances so far. As for Davis and Hepburn-Murphy, I think they both have a lot of potential. It was always going to be very difficult to replace Abraham, I was hoping we might try for him permanently but Chelsea have sense, I think he’s a fantastic centre forward Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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