Great players who were crap at Villa

[slowandlow]

On 02/06/2020 at 14:27, VillaChris said:

Going back a bit, maybe not quite great but Hadji had played well in Spain, scored for Morocco in 98 world cup and had also been pretty good in his two seasons at Coventry. Pretty baffled by the lack of impact he made here considering our main playmakers at the time were both well into their 30s when he joined, Merson and Ginola and Gregory was trying to get Ginola out (Merse also left us by end of that season). He was still here in 2004 which is incredible as I can hardly remember any games he played under Graham Taylor or O'Leary.

Was excited by us signing him but he just faded into the background.

Edit: Won African player of the year award in 1998.

Maybe memory playing tricks but thought he started off quite well for us in his first season under Gregory and we found ourselves top of the league in October time (ish)

Never seemed to get much of look in under Taylor/O'leary, not sure whether he was injured a lot or just not rated, but was a disappointing end after a fairly promising start

Edited June 3, 2020 by slowandlow

[Zatman]

On 02/06/2020 at 15:27, VillaChris said:

Going back a bit, maybe not quite great but Hadji had played well in Spain, scored for Morocco in 98 world cup and had also been pretty good in his two seasons at Coventry. Pretty baffled by the lack of impact he made here considering our main playmakers at the time were both well into their 30s when he joined, Merson and Ginola and Gregory was trying to get Ginola out (Merse also left us by end of that season). He was still here in 2004 which is incredible as I can hardly remember any games he played under Graham Taylor or O'Leary.

Was excited by us signing him but he just faded into the background.

Edit: Won African player of the year award in 1998.

Its a position we have struggled in and probably cost us top 4 under MON. Between Merson and Jack we struggled for a central playmaker. 

Hadji was a quality player but was in his 30s when we signed him bit like Berger. Sign both at the peak and we would have got a lot out of them

[VillaJ100]

Not really a 'great' player, but Bertrand. Came in and was clearly a level above for a couple of games but the rate at which he regressed was frightening. Don't know whether that's Lambert's pathetic coaching, or him just not being arsed, or both. 

[peterw]

We haven't signed that many 'great' players that are or were in their prime that didn't do it for us. In memory i can only think of Tommy Craig and at a push Frank McAvennie (although he was at the end of his career). Arguments between Villa fans and his own mind make Tony Cascarino a debatable choice, less so Nigel Callaghan who was just utter gash.