Xela Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 7 minutes ago, nick76 said: Sorry I meant home debut…technically I’m wrong as debut but sod it, it’s his Villa Park debut and that counts right? you’re trying to ruin my lovely memory I was there mate, it was a glorious day at VP! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 9 hours ago, Tom13 said: Carlton Cole actually had a good debut, I knew it was a one-off as I'd seen loads of him before he joined us. Yep. I came away from that game convinced we were going to win the league and they’d award Carlton Cole the ballon d’Or that season. Sadly it wasn’t meant to be. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWARLEY2 Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 1. BILLY GRAHAM 2. STAN 3. Aaron Danks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ_Villain Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 Was it Nilis’s debut when he scored that beauty against Chelsea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 1 hour ago, one_ian_taylor said: Let me guess, to an opposition player? To the touchline! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferguson1 Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 João Félix Oh wait, sorry, wrong thread 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLVillan Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 We've had some very good debut performances down the years, but Dublin probably just shades it for me. Notables: Petrov, Didier Six, Benteke, Nillis, Cole, Baros. I also seem to recall Mervyn Day getting off to a brilliant start with us. He'd replaced Spinksy, who had been in an awful run of form and pulled off some great saves. Like Baros, Heskey and others though, he quickly faded. Another interesting thread would be worst home debuts: Tommy Craig. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLVillan Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 9 hours ago, HongKongVillan said: Remembered he had a few good games to start off with, but typically for us, he was there at the wrong time learning his trade mainly from Richard Numpty Dunne and James Collins, shame he would have been so much more if he was looking up to Mellberg/Laursen. I recall O'Neill signed Dunne, Collins and Warnock the same week and threw them all in together at Small Heath away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLVillan Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 10 hours ago, Zatman said: I don't want to go full Roy Keane but I dont really get impressed by strikers scoring on debut unless it's a youth player Fair point. Even Heskey scored on his debut at Portsmouth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Follyfoot Posted January 12, 2023 Author VT Supporter Share Posted January 12, 2023 4 minutes ago, FLVillan said: We've had some very good debut performances down the years, but Dublin probably just shades it for me. Notables: Petrov, Didier Six, Benteke, Nillis, Cole, Baros. I also seem to recall Mervyn Day getting off to a brilliant start with us. He'd replaced Spinksy, who had been in an awful run of form and pulled off some great saves. Like Baros, Heskey and others though, he quickly faded. Another interesting thread would be worst home debuts: Tommy Craig. 200 K from Newcastle, if I remember. Quite a lot of money in those days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREAT_BEARD_OF_ZEUS Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 Sasa Curcic against Derby. Seem to remember him missing a golden chance to score but he played a blinder. Was so excited after seeing him in that game, shame he turned out to be a complete nut job. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HKP90 Posted January 12, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted January 12, 2023 I'd love big Dion in his prime up front for us now. I remember seeing him play in person from near the touchline, and his strength was phenomenal. Great heading ability and could score in or out of the box with his feet. Great player. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one_ian_taylor Posted January 13, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted January 13, 2023 The one that came to mind first was Diin Dublin, but Mark Draper's mist have been pretty decent (wasn't at the game and can only remember a but if the highlights) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozvillafan Posted January 13, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted January 13, 2023 Aleksander Tonev His debut was against Norwich on 21 September 2013 - a game which we won 1-0 away.... ... but no thanks to Tonev. In fact, his debut was utterly shocking. Any and every time he received the ball he shot - no matter the angle or the distance or players in a better position - and each ended with the same result: The ball in orbit. So why was this the best debut? Because we weren't sure if he was any good or not as he'd only made a couple of sub appearances before this match but all doubt was removed after his debut. What a stinker. Some of the responses are funny, read on for a couple of pages from about halfway down here: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one_ian_taylor Posted January 13, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted January 13, 2023 Was thinking Alan Thompson at home to Middlesbrough scoring from a free kick (I was working in the kitchen in the North Stand and remember Peter Withe holding the door tonone of the hospitality suites as I went through loaded up with dishes) - but apparently his debut was at Everton the week before, so totally irrelevant. But the Boro game was I think Paul Merson's last for them, and he was pretty decent - rare example of us signing a player seemingly because he played well against us doing well, and he scored on debut for us too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one_ian_taylor Posted January 13, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted January 13, 2023 11 minutes ago, ozvillafan said: Aleksander Tonev His debut was against Norwich on 21 September 2013 - a game which we won 1-0 away.... ... but no thanks to Tonev. In fact, his debut was utterly shocking. Any and every time he received the ball he shot - no matter the angle or the distance or players in a better position - and each ended with the same result: The ball in orbit. So why was this the best debut? Because we weren't sure if he was any good or not as he'd only made a couple of sub appearances before this match but all doubt was removed after his debut. What a stinker. Some of the responses are funny, read on for a couple of pages from about halfway down here: Mention of Kozak in that thread - seem to remember him having a pretty decent first few games for us before injuries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 Btw special mention to Zat Knight. His last game for Fulham he scored for us and his 1st official game for us he scored vs Chelsea in a great win 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one_ian_taylor Posted January 13, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted January 13, 2023 Remember being told we had beaten Sheff Weds and that there was a brilliant 16 year old at cente back called Gareth Barry who was nailed on to be great for us. Anyone at the game remember how he played? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick76 Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 20 minutes ago, one_ian_taylor said: Remember being told we had beaten Sheff Weds and that there was a brilliant 16 year old at cente back called Gareth Barry who was nailed on to be great for us. Anyone at the game remember how he played? I can’t remember the game or how he played but I went to his non-first team games he played before his debut and you could tell he was a star. Many of us were very excited about him moving to the first team. We didn’t think it would happen so quickly but seeing the progression from his initial days has always put him in one of my favourites Villa players. It was great to see his Villa career and not to be disappointed as so many youngsters do that never fulfil what was thought was their potential. I think there was no doubt he was going to be a star but it was nice to be proved right. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody1000 Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 14 minutes ago, nick76 said: I can’t remember the game or how he played but I went to his non-first team games he played before his debut and you could tell he was a star. Many of us were very excited about him moving to the first team. We didn’t think it would happen so quickly but seeing the progression from his initial days has always put him in one of my favourites Villa players. It was great to see his Villa career and not to be disappointed as so many youngsters do that never fulfil what was thought was their potential. I think there was no doubt he was going to be a star but it was nice to be proved right. He’s probably my favourite Villa player. While I’m sad that he left the club the way he did, he was the best player in the best side we’ve had in the last 20 years imo. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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