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The Ex-Villa Player thread - Keeping tabs on old Villans


Moneill

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17 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

Too many players, over the squad size limit.

(But also, he's pretty shit)

(Also also, he punched a Saudi (?) footballer in a friendly in Saudi)

I think I remember his 1st start at home (against Fulham I believe) alongside Cuellar??? (or maybe Larson.)

Thing is, he looked really assured and very comfortable with the ball at his feet. There were rumors Manure had been interested in him when he was in our youth teams.

Fast forward a few years and he's playing alongside Baker in the Lambert era and he is nicknamed one half of the chuckle brothers. Who knows how good he could have been if he'd been coached properly for a few years after his debut?

 

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5 minutes ago, TheAuthority said:

I think I remember his 1st start at home (against Fulham I believe) alongside Cuellar??? (or maybe Larson.)

Thing is, he looked really assured and very comfortable with the ball at his feet. There were rumors Manure had been interested in him when he was in our youth teams.

Fast forward a few years and he's playing alongside Baker in the Lambert era and he is nicknamed one half of the chuckle brothers. Who knows how good he could have been if he'd been coached properly for a few years after his debut?

 

In truth I think both of them were asked to do too much too soon, before they were ready. I do have a lot of sympathy for that.

But Clark strikes me as not even really trying very hard these days. Like how hard would it have been not to get sent off in the first ten or so minutes of a crucial home game against Norwich? How hard would it have been not to punch a guy during a friendly on a tour in which your squad place is already marginal?

He's become lazy and brainless IMO.

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27 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

In truth I think both of them were asked to do too much too soon, before they were ready. I do have a lot of sympathy for that.

But Clark strikes me as not even really trying very hard these days. Like how hard would it have been not to get sent off in the first ten or so minutes of a crucial home game against Norwich? How hard would it have been not to punch a guy during a friendly on a tour in which your squad place is already marginal?

He's become lazy and brainless IMO.

It's not like he didn't have good examples to lead him right?

gabb.jpg

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9 hours ago, TheAuthority said:

I think I remember his 1st start at home (against Fulham I believe) alongside Cuellar??? (or maybe Larson.)

Thing is, he looked really assured and very comfortable with the ball at his feet. There were rumors Manure had been interested in him when he was in our youth teams.

Fast forward a few years and he's playing alongside Baker in the Lambert era and he is nicknamed one half of the chuckle brothers. Who knows how good he could have been if he'd been coached properly for a few years after his debut?

 

I can't believe he's 32. I still assumed he was 26 or 27. I've lost track of time! I remember seeing him score twice in a game at home to Arsenal... I was watching it in a bar in Hong Kong. Just checked and it was 2010. Time absolutely disappears. 

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Talking of Clark, his partner in crime was in the news recently as well

He was always getting head injuries at Villa as well. 

Quote

Bristol City are prepared for defender Nathan Baker to be out for the rest of the season with concussion, manager Nigel Pearson says.

Baker, 30, was stretchered off with a head injury during the Robins' defeat by Sheffield United on 30 November.

The centre-back had already returned from a previous concussion in October.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60036961

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4 hours ago, Xela said:

Talking of Clark, his partner in crime was in the news recently as well

He was always getting head injuries at Villa as well. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60036961

He needs to retire and maybe get into coaching. He's suffered so many concussions, and each one gets more serious than the last, I genuinely worry about his long-term health.

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On 05/02/2022 at 00:41, HanoiVillan said:

In truth I think both of them were asked to do too much too soon, before they were ready. I do have a lot of sympathy for that.

But Clark strikes me as not even really trying very hard these days. Like how hard would it have been not to get sent off in the first ten or so minutes of a crucial home game against Norwich? How hard would it have been not to punch a guy during a friendly on a tour in which your squad place is already marginal?

He's become lazy and brainless IMO.

I think both were good guys who gave a lot but needed guidance. Clark still turns up if Ireland call him up but he was never a great defender

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On 05/02/2022 at 01:10, TheAuthority said:

It's not like he didn't have good examples to lead him right?

gabb.jpg

I don't want to get caught up with bashing Gabby, we all know he is an idiot, however it really is a shame that the likes of Clark ended up where they are now when they were set for such a bigger trajectory. With the right senior pros, coaches etc. many of our young talents would have done better from the past 10 years. Thankfully moving forward it seems things are in a much better place, however Ciaran Clark not even getting into Newcastle's 25 man squad is a real shame and shows just how **** up our club was.

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Micah Richards revealing on the BBC that his role was to be a cheerleader for the team, rather than play any football. And that made him borderline depressed

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60296727

Quote

"I was going into Villa every week borderline depressed," Richards said.

"Going in there as a cheerleader and putting on a brave face because that was my role within the team, but if I actually told you the honest conversation about what used to happen when I used to go to the training ground, it got to the situation where I was being treated like a piece of meat.

"But I understood that was football and got on with it, I didn't come out and call people out and feel sorry for myself," Richards said, adding that "the football community doesn't protect people who are vulnerable".

Makes me wonder if he'd have accepted being made redundant. Should the club feel bad about continuing to pay him a full wage for doing effectively nothing? Interested to hear people's thoughts on this and whether they are as cynical about his comments as I am.

I can get it would be difficult to accept that you're past it and can't play on any longer at the top level.... but should I be feeling bad for thinking I would love to be paid a footballers salary to muck around with people in my profession?

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Its a strange one, he wasn't physically capable anymore through injuries and well wasn't really Championship standard if he could play. 

I have a feeling the club didn't pay him off as he was probably insured for them last 3 seasons, so it was cheaper. 

I think if he asked to rip up the contract its another scenario but his agent wouldn't have allowed it

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  • 3 weeks later...

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/60667575

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Former England and Arsenal footballer Paul Merson says it "sickens" him when he sees former players and managers in gambling adverts.

Merson is campaigning for betting laws to be changed as part of an upcoming government review.

 

Last year he made a BBC documentary about his gambling addiction and the industry, saying adverts are a "major trigger".

"I see people in adverts and they are rich," Merson said.

 

The 53-year-old Merson, who had a 21-year league career, added: "I could understand it if they were a League One or League Two player and had not earned much from the game, but the people doing the adverts are multi-millionaires.

"Do they need the money? Do you need that extra £50,000? It sickens me.

"If they knew a family member who was addicted, I don't think they would do it. They don't really understand the addiction and the compulsion and what it does to lives.

"Then you have podcasts sponsored by betting companies. Do you need to make that buck as well? It does my head in."

Betting advertising in football is one of the issues being debated as part of the 2005 Gambling Act review which is set to be announced in the coming weeks.

Campaigners want a ban on football shirt sponsorships, adverts around the pitch and in club marketing.

Merson says he cannot watch adverts on TV during football matches and walks out of the room to avoid being triggered, but has struggled when adverts appear on radio stations and during breaks for comedy programmes.

Speaking at a Gambling Reform Rally he added clubs are "lazy" when they say they cannot find alternative sponsors and could go out of business.

"Most companies would want to be in the Premier League," said Merson. "Why not offer your players less wages?"

Following his documentary, where the two-time First Division title winner explained his losses and how he had been addicted for his whole adult life, Merson expected to be contacted by clubs in order to offer younger players education.

Fair play to Merson trying to make a difference and I am equally as sickened any time I see the likes of Roy Keane or even multi millionaire actors like Colm Meaney degrade themselves for a few pound more when they don't need it.

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