Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Hookeysmith on August 29, 2012, 09:19:29 AM
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With our current midfield i really think he would have been ideal
Stan Herd
KEH Ireland Holman
I think that MF has graft, guile, ball retention, mobility and some grit
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Sorry Hookey, I don't see KEA as a wide player.
Petrov was very good last season, scored some vital goals. Always gave 100% and was one of the only players who seemed to give a shit.
I think he's a huge miss. Sorry to say I don't think he'll ever play for us again.
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Whenever Petrov wasn't in the side last season we struggled massively and were overrun in midfield. There is still noone in the squad who can do his job. My midfield would look more like this:
Stan KEA
Delph Ireland Holman
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I think KEA is effectively a replacement for Stan. Where they both playing together, we'd have a really strong central midfield.
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I think he's as much of a miss off the field as on it. It's obvious the other players loved him to bits and he was a calming influence on the team. Along with his experience and quality he's a huge miss.
HE WILL PLAY AGAIN AT VP.
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Stan was having his best season for us before illness struck. He really was our Mr. Aston Villa and a great mentor to the younger players. With Petrov in the side we were more secure at the back and offered a slightly better goal threat at the other end.
I hope noodles is right, would love to see him back at VP.
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Even with his legs starting to go a bit, still one of the few quality players in the side. I think we'd be much better with him back in the team. I haven't given up hope of seeing him in a Villa shirt again, either.
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Would be a day to remember if Stan did return at VP.
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I think KEA is effectively a replacement for Stan. Where they both playing together, we'd have a really strong central midfield.
Yep. What that midfield needs really is a new Stan to go alongside KEA - good ball retention, discipline, a bit of experience.
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We miss his influence and experience hugely. Lamberts way of playing would have suited Stan a lot too as he wouldn't have to be chasing the ball all the time and knackering himself out. Our midfield is sorely lacking in a leader and someone who can just compose the side a bit. I don't rate Bent as a skipper at all. Looking at the rest of the team currently, and there doesn't appear to be any other decent skippers. Ones for the future possibly, but not for the here and now.
I'm still very concerned about the coming season given the squad we have. That said, all of Lamberts signings look promising. I think Lowtons been decent. Not spectacular, but he's made a solid start. Stepping up can be hard sometimes but he's not look out of place and I think he'll get better. Tidy on the ball, decent in defence. Like him.
Vlaar seems good too. When he's settled to the pace and physicality of this league and learns what he can and can't get away with in terms of physical duels he'll be very good. He's a potential future skipper too.
KEA I think will be very good indeed. He's a decent all rounder, plenty of energy and some quality on the ball.
2-3 more good signings in the next two days would go a long way. Lambert appears to have a good eye. If however he doesn't get in some valuable experience, it could prove costly.
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If he does play again it would be fantastic. If he doesn't it would be great for him to actually go up and collect the FA Cup at Wembley this season. (It's definitely our season)
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Not only as a player, but as the only person in the dressing room who I would call an ambassador for the club. I think his influence in the dressing room is going to be so sorely missed and I hope upon hope that one day he'll play again.
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Huge loss. Everything crossed he gets back. Even for one game, knowing he was in good health would be a day to celebrate and remember forever.
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I was sadly one of the ones who started to moan a lot about his lack of legs / fitness and not being able to go past the 70 minute mark - i felt shit when the news came out (but like others how was we supposed to know)
A great player and really miss him
Hopefully he will be one of those many players that Villa touch and he stays in the area and declares his love for us - the support the fans and the club gave him and continue to do so with the 19 minute must have made an impression on him
He will be back!
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We miss his influence tremendously. Not so sure we will see him play for us again sadly but I hope I am wrong on that.
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I'd be amazed if Stan played competitively again. The amount of time it will take to get the all clear (fingers crossed) and then to try and get match fit is beyond him I reckon. Would be great to see him play some part in a testimonial though.
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I'd be amazed if Stan played competitively again. The amount of time it will take to get the all clear (fingers crossed) and then to try and get match fit is beyond him I reckon. Would be great to see him play some part in a testimonial though.
Hey, maybe the club should organise some sort of charity match in his honour, preferably against one of his former clubs......
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I'll put my head above the parapet and admit to never having been a fan of Petrov. He frustrated me by, in a team built to counter attack, frequently stopping and playing it backwards when there was a chance to rip forward. Yes we retained possession, but in areas that could do no harm to the opposition. The very fault we identified as a failing against West Ham.
That said, he often had little choice due to the lack of movement around him, and we did seem a little more solid when he played.
I suspect he may have been in his element and come into his own in Lambert's system designed around passing and movement. I hope he gets a chance to show us.
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We miss his influence, reading skills, experience and calmness, but we don't miss his power or lack of stamina. What we need is to find next Petrov with James Milner engine :)
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3 years ago ,I would have sold him,his fitness under MON was questionable ,especially the inability to track opponents back. Under Houllier and TSM he seemed leaner and quicker and was a great calming influence . He was living on borrowed time in Prem Lge terms but such a horrible illness puts everything else into second place and winning that battle is the most important thing.
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We tend to forget - with all the Leukaemia worry - that Stan has often been the target of discontent from the terraces - with many feeling that his legs had gone - or that he didn't score enough - but I always thought such criticisms were muddle headed.
Stan used to be an attacking midfielder - spraying the ball and scoring freely - but at Villa he became more of a central cog - protecting the defence and distributing the ball to the players MON chose to mount swift incisive counter attacks. The truth was revealed when he got injured under MON - and the team struggled.
I found this on a football stats webpage.
Average Match Rating – 7.08
The 32-year-old Bulgarian was Aston Villa’s highest rated player last season based on overall match performances. Picking up an overall rating of 7.08, Petrov was the only Villa player to make it over the 7 point mark during a disappointing campaign for the side.
Pass Success Percentage – 83%
Of players to make at least 5 appearances for the side, Stiliyan Petrov was Villa’s most accurate passer in the Premier League last season with a pass success percentage of 83%. Not only was he the most accurate passes, but he also played the most passes – at an average of 43.1 passes per game.
‘Was Fouled’ Per Game – 1.4
Showing that he’s not just good at retaining the ball through accurate passes, Petrov showed that he can have quick feet and a quicker mind, earning more free kicks per game from being fouled than any other player that spent the full season with the club (Fabian Delph was fouled 1.5 times per game, but was loaned out to Leeds halfway through the season).
Interceptions Per Game – 3.6
Higher than anyone else in the whole of the Barclays Premier League, Stiliyan Petrov averaged 3.6 interceptions in each game that he played.
Man of the Match Awards – 4
Stiliyan Petrov picked up 4 Man of the Match awards in the Premier League last season, more than any other Villa player. Stephen Ireland and Gabby Agbonlahor got 3, with no other Villa player earning more than just single award.
So opinion is one thing. Facts are quite another.
Whether we will see him back is in the balance - but even if his playing career is done - PL could do worse than invite Stan onto the team as a coach - because like PL - Stan could do it at the highest level yet remained very much a team player. He has been nothing but super for Villa. And I'm sure we all wish him the best and hope to see him wearing a Villa badge again soon. In a shirt or on a tracksuit.
One Stan Petrov.
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There were some real Stan haters on this site and I never quite understood that.
I think he was comming closer to the end of his career with The Villa and I would love to see him in a Villa shirt again.
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I am not answering this question as Stan has not announced his retirement.
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I am not answering this question as Stan has not announced his retirement.
Thats right the question is obviously infering that he has retired, thanks for pointing that out. ::)
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Whenever Petrov wasn't in the side last season we struggled massively and were overrun in midfield. There is still noone in the squad who can do his job. My midfield would look more like this:
Stan KEA
Delph Ireland Holman
Still think he could have done a job for us this season, but probably in a more defensive role and in midfield that looked like:
Stan
KEA Bannan / Holman
Ireland
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I think someone like Mark Halsey would be an inspiration To Stan. To see someone go through what he did and return to full fitness was extraordinary.
I'm not saying that Stan will play again, but I'm certain that he'll do everything humanly possible to make it happen.
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If it comes down to Stan never playing for us again but beating Leukemia and leading a long and happy life, we'd all take that.
Don't see him playing again really although nice touch the club have still named him in the premier league 25 just in case.
If he announces his retirement, I'm sure he'll be on the VP pitch waving goodbye just like Laursen did. There won't be a dry eye in the house, trust me.
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I remember at the start of last season being Pro-Petrov amongst a thread of anti Petrov comments. At the time he was our best midfielder and his form until Xmas proved that. It's a shame such news is required for fans to appreciate him.
As for the future, Petrov will never play at the highest level again. He's well into his thirties and not only needs to secure his life, but fight off the disease and return to strength/fitness before even kicking a ball. This is at least a year away if not longer so there's no way he'll be playing at a high level again, maybe testimonials, charity games and the like.
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He took an almighty amount of stick at times in his first season, but his intelligence and ability shone through. I'd love him to play for us again but sadly I doubt it.
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He took an almighty amount of stick at times in his first season, but his intelligence and ability shone through. I'd love him to play for us again but sadly I doubt it.
Fabulous on hs debut at west ham he struggled to reach those heights very often afterwards, a good solid pro but his best days were behind him in a villa shirt- would like to see him on the back room staff as he is a positive influence but the main thing is he beats this illness and I wish him every success , a fabulous bloke who sets a great example of what a pro footballer should act like .
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Stan has been a good player for us. I think he struggled to adapt to the style of the Premier League initiailly, and then adapted his game to a style which could see him perform to a higher standard. I think we will miss an older head in the middle of the park. But, I don't think he'd be an automatic starter now.
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I'm not sure how much of the best of Stan we saw and when his illness started to to affect him. We saw the best of him on his debut that's for sure. Going by that I think if he returned and combined peak fitness with the experience he has and the respect he has as captain then I think he'd be indispensible.
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Does anyone think he will play again?
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I hope he play's for us again we do miss him.
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It would be nice to have an update to give us an idea what might be happening on his footballing career. Is he back at training yet ? I think he can be our super sub in midfield covering for 3/4 players.
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It would be nice to have an update to give us an idea what might be happening on his footballing career. Is he back at training yet ? I think he can be our super sub in midfield covering for 3/4 players.
I think he's a long way off being back in training salsa and would be surprised if he comes back to play at the top level.
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Of course he's not back in training he's still in remission!
I really don't see him playing again BUT say he does get the all clear by xmas (not that I understand it's as simple as that by beating Leukemia) then maybe after a couple of months of training it would be an extraordinary touch to bring him on in injury time in our last home game perhaps?
I've said this before but I could never understand why MON denied Bouma a farewell sub appearence at VP a couple of seasons ago when our last game with Blackburn was a dead game.
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Indeed. Especially considering, to his credit, he spotted the Mellberg opportunity.
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I would be very surprised if Stan plays at the top level again. I think the priority is trying to recover from an extremely severe illness and hopefully having a long and happy life. Football really isn't that important next to all that. If he could return that would be nice, but I really doubt it.
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I don't think he'll play again at the top level.
I wonder if he fancies doing his coaching badges? maybe a management career?