FLVillan Posted July 3, 2023 Share Posted July 3, 2023 This is an interesting thread. I've always maintained that leaving Villa is, in the majority of cases, a kiss of death. Very few managers and players who leave us go on to bigger and better. Yorke, Young, Barry, Milner, Gueye are the obvious recent exceptions. But the list that left and never performed to the same level is far longer, stretching all the way back to the 70s. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted July 3, 2023 Share Posted July 3, 2023 Ha, I see this thread is tagged “Nostalgia”. Being reminded of some of the personalities who have “graced” our training grounds and changing rooms over the years, I did wonder if this was a typo for “Nausea”! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwivillan Posted July 3, 2023 Share Posted July 3, 2023 MON... Just kidding forever a carnt 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveAV1 Posted July 4, 2023 Share Posted July 4, 2023 2 hours ago, Kiwivillan said: MON... Just kidding forever a carnt Spelt incorrectly in 2 different ways! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted July 4, 2023 Share Posted July 4, 2023 On 03/07/2023 at 06:21, DCJonah said: Or inherited a team that finished 6th, destroyed anything good about them. Destroyed any fight or comeback spirit the club had. Broke our transfer record, was more interested in enjoying his day out at anfield and our best two performances came when he was nowhere near the training ground or pitch. 9th place is the most false league position in our prem history IMO. It was a woeful season. MON walking out destabilised the team. We may have finished 6th, but we lost Milner and made some awful decisions at a time when the chairman was looking to cut back - and MON walking put just before the season wrecked a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted July 4, 2023 Share Posted July 4, 2023 42 minutes ago, Dodgyknees said: MON walking out destabilised the team. We may have finished 6th, but we lost Milner and made some awful decisions at a time when the chairman was looking to cut back - and MON walking put just before the season wrecked a lot. Having read his book, he regrets leaving us when he did on a matter of principle, but it was Randy selling Milner (when he had agreed that he would not) and taking Ireland as part of the deal (when Martin had said that he wasn't worth anywhere near the money they were asking) behind his back, that led him to decide he couldn't work for Randy any longer. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted July 4, 2023 Share Posted July 4, 2023 2 hours ago, Dodgyknees said: MON walking out destabilised the team. We may have finished 6th, but we lost Milner and made some awful decisions at a time when the chairman was looking to cut back - and MON walking put just before the season wrecked a lot. A manager departing doesn’t necessarily destabilise a squad. Look how Emery has revitalised the squad that Gerrard couldn’t get much out of. It’s the quality of the new manager that counts, and the attitude. First thing Houllier said when he came in was he had always seen Villa as a “7th-12th club” (despite us having finished 6th three seasons in a row). He then more than proved his point by taking us down to 16th. You wouldn’t get that approach from a decent manager. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderball Posted July 4, 2023 Share Posted July 4, 2023 12 hours ago, FLVillan said: This is an interesting thread. I've always maintained that leaving Villa is, in the majority of cases, a kiss of death. Very few managers and players who leave us go on to bigger and better. Yorke, Young, Barry, Milner, Gueye are the obvious recent exceptions. But the list that left and never performed to the same level is far longer, stretching all the way back to the 70s. Generally our best players have left (Keown, Platt, Bosnich, Yorke, Milner, Cahill, Downing, Benteke, Young, Gueye, Delph, Traore, Veretout, Ayew, Grealish) and have kicked on, Benteke arguably the exception; you could argue that Westwood and Albrighton have surprised by having relatively decent careers against opinion at the time when we were languishing in the Championship. Alternatively the other side is those that have been at the end of their careers; already on downward trajectory or just plain rubbish (this is a long list). When you look at it like this you can see how we failed to generate any revenue and were paying big wages for bigger names at the end of their careers with no resale value. We have historically sold the crown jewels so its no wonder how we ended up relegated really. We are in such a different place these days, you have to pinch yourself. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwivillan Posted July 4, 2023 Share Posted July 4, 2023 12 hours ago, Dodgyknees said: MON walking out destabilised the team. We may have finished 6th, but we lost Milner and made some awful decisions at a time when the chairman was looking to cut back - and MON walking put just before the season wrecked a lot. I remember when he signed someone posted Celtic fan opinion that he was great man manager but will ultimately saddle club with old players on high wages with no resale value then leave. So true. Robertson must have done a lot in setting the team up as he retired after Villa and MON perpetual loser everywhere else he went 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marka Ragnos Posted July 4, 2023 Author VT Supporter Share Posted July 4, 2023 (edited) 10 hours ago, thunderball said: Generally our best players have left (Keown, Platt, Bosnich, Yorke, Milner, Cahill, Downing, Benteke, Young, Gueye, Delph, Traore, Veretout, Ayew, Grealish) and have kicked on, Benteke arguably the exception ... He's holding his own in the MLS at the moment for Roo's DC United -- up for the MLS golden boot (which is I guess sort of like a silver boot?). But it feels good to see him still getting some love ... what an amazing career he's had, really, closing in on 20 years in professional football. Don't you love this very American-style "kickass" marketing imagery? Edited July 4, 2023 by Marka Ragnos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sulberto21 Posted July 4, 2023 Share Posted July 4, 2023 Suso. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 20 hours ago, thunderball said: Generally our best players have left (Keown, Platt, Bosnich, Yorke, Milner, Cahill, Downing, Benteke, Young, Gueye, Delph, Traore, Veretout, Ayew, Grealish) and have kicked on, Benteke arguably the exception; you could argue that Westwood and Albrighton have surprised by having relatively decent careers against opinion at the time when we were languishing in the Championship. Alternatively the other side is those that have been at the end of their careers; already on downward trajectory or just plain rubbish (this is a long list). When you look at it like this you can see how we failed to generate any revenue and were paying big wages for bigger names at the end of their careers with no resale value. We have historically sold the crown jewels so its no wonder how we ended up relegated really. We are in such a different place these days, you have to pinch yourself. Bosnich had one season as first choice for United and then went to west London night clubs. Downing failed at Liverpool so personally I wouldn't put them in the kicked on list. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 23 hours ago, briny_ear said: A manager departing doesn’t necessarily destabilise a squad. Look how Emery has revitalised the squad that Gerrard couldn’t get much out of. It’s the quality of the new manager that counts, and the attitude. First thing Houllier said when he came in was he had always seen Villa as a “7th-12th club” (despite us having finished 6th three seasons in a row). He then more than proved his point by taking us down to 16th. You wouldn’t get that approach from a decent manager. We finished 9th under Houllier one and only season. 16th was Mcleish. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skarroki Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 On 04/07/2023 at 08:47, John said: Having read his book, he regrets leaving us when he did on a matter of principle, but it was Randy selling Milner (when he had agreed that he would not) and taking Ireland as part of the deal (when Martin had said that he wasn't worth anywhere near the money they were asking) behind his back, that led him to decide he couldn't work for Randy any longer. Think his explanation is both likely true and also completely understandable. If you're in a senior role and you're public facing, and someone higher up whos private and hidden keeps making poor decisions on your behalf, is there any point continuing in the role? I've had similar experiences and hated it. Soon as another job comes along you jump ship I think. In MONs case he had a few quid in the bank to fall back on and could afford a few days out of work. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 10 minutes ago, skarroki said: Think his explanation is both likely true and also completely understandable. If you're in a senior role and you're public facing, and someone higher up whos private and hidden keeps making poor decisions on your behalf, is there any point continuing in the role? I've had similar experiences and hated it. Soon as another job comes along you jump ship I think. In MONs case he had a few quid in the bank to fall back on and could afford a few days out of work. Or he said this to get some Villa fans to buy his book and fund his retirement. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommo_b Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 I don’t hold any Ill feelings towards MON at all, the ship was started to sink before he left, due to Randy. MON made it great to support Villa again for a time, it was exciting having so many players in the England squad, mixing it with the best teams, being in the chase for Europe. I was gutted when he walked out, course I was young then and not internet savvy like we all are now with more insights into the behind the scenes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HKP90 Posted July 5, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted July 5, 2023 2 minutes ago, Tommo_b said: I don’t hold any Ill feelings towards MON at all, the ship was started to sink before he left, due to Randy. MON made it great to support Villa again for a time, it was exciting having so many players in the England squad, mixing it with the best teams, being in the chase for Europe. I was gutted when he walked out, course I was young then and not internet savvy like we all are now with more insights into the behind the scenes. I must admit, i've never been as angry at a Villa manager as I was after the european debacle. While I've mellowed a bit toward him, and in general I do remember that time fondly, I will always be at least moderately narked off about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 4 hours ago, The Fun Factory said: We finished 9th under Houllier one and only season. 16th was Mcleish. We were 16th in about Jan/Feb. He then spunked most of the money we had made from player sales on Darren Bent whose goals helped us climb the table a bit. At the time of his heart trouble that ended his season with us we were 10th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChesterDad Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 I don’t really get the Southgate gate, he was a really good player for us and full value for £4 mill if I remember correctly, he is a bit conservative as a manager but overall he has done a good job with the national team. The anti Villa thing is something that I find hard to swallow - surely he would not spite himself ? Also McLeish - a really good guy by all accounts and honest with it. His only crime was being naive enough to think we would buy into him after his blues tenure, but how many managers turn down Villa? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villatillidie95 Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 N'Zogbia, he was the bit of quality we had at a time the rest of the team was devoid of it. He never lived up to that ridiculous Wigan form, but he did okay for us and remember him curling in a few important freekicks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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