Steve Sidwell - An alternative eulogy

[Concrete John]

I expected him to at least put the effort in when he played

We can accuse him of a lack of ability, but not effort, IMO.

[sfx412]

Another of Mon's superb insightful buys, who failed to do anything of note and one Houllier found easy enough to get rid.

For someone predicted to be the next Barry by many he proved exactly what he was a one season wonder.
Now all we need is to shift Carew, Salifou, Osborne, Beye, Davies, Guzan permanently, and any other trouble maker who doesn't like the idea he might have to really work for his wages now Houllier has arrived.

[Villa'Zawg]

37 starts, 30 sub appearances in all competitions.

Petrov missed only 4 PL starts in the last 2 seasons and Milner missed 9. He rarely had an extended run in the team because Milner, Petrov and NRC are better players and were rarely injured.

I suspect there are much better examples of expensive “waste of space” players at every established top-half Premier League club and I also think Sidwell will do a good job for Fulham.

[darren woolley]

There's two issues here:-

1.  Was he taking the piss while here?  No, we went after him and he signed, always tried hard and never played up.  Decent pro and if Ireland had his attitude we'd have another Jimmy Milner on our hands.
2.  Was he good enough, well no.

So from the perspective of point 1 I wish him well, while from 2 still being glad he's gone.

Would agree with all of that.

I would agree with that aswell.

[aldridgeboy]

All in all he was a poor player for us and I m glad we are no longer paying his wages. However he never mouthed off about his lack of opportunities in the papers and never had a go at the club or the managers. For that I wish him all the best. It reminds me of my ex.. A lovely girl just a bit average and it was never going to work. ( she wasn't Ginger ! )

[Concrete John]

Another of Mon's superb insightful buys, who failed to do anything of note and one Houllier found easy enough to get rid.

For someone predicted to be the next Barry by many he proved exactly what he was a one season wonder.

Two things:-

1.  As his contract wore down he became easier to get rid of ans the amount he'd lose out in lowering his wages became less.  And let's not forget we had agreed to flog him there during the summer until Hughes pulled the plug.
2.  Whoever said he was the new Gareth Barry??

[JJ-AV]

I struggle to think of a more consistently anonymous player whilst on the pitch in all the time I've been supporting Villa.

Mark Fuckinella

Atleast he took a half decent corner.

[Greg N'Ash]

I suppose its not really his fault he failed to make an impact. If you're not good enough there's little you can do.. Just another example of MON's 'kid in a sweetshop' transfer policy. mind you he did recommend shorey to MON which is pretty unforgivable.

[glasses]

Greg, love the new sig!

Sidwell, in short was cack. Impressed in one season for Reading, got a move to Chelsea and got paid a fortune, bought by a club who thought he could reproduce the form of his Reading days, and sadly, it looks like that one season was a blip. Still, he has become a very rich man in the space of four years. Well done him. Surprised nobody has mentioned his goal vs Middlesbrough, and excellent pass for Tuncays winner!

As for the comparison with Ireland, ask yourselves this. Forget his attitude off the pitch. If he is given two years, and the same amount of games as Sidwell in that time, do you think his impact would be more or less than that of Sidwell?

[glasses]

All in all he was a poor player for us and I m glad we are no longer paying his wages. However he never mouthed off about his lack of opportunities in the papers and never had a go at the club or the managers. For that I wish him all the best. It reminds me of my ex.. A lovely girl just a bit average and it was never going to work. ( she wasn't Ginger ! )

See, I kind of have a problem with this. He never mouthed off in the paper about not playing, is just like saying that he was happy to take his salary, and not play. Thats wrong IMO. I think a player mouthing off about not playing, regardless of how good they are, or whether they deserve to be in the team, shows more willing than someone who happily takes his wages, and not earning them.

[garyshawsknee]

Less an impact than Sidwell? Thats quite a challenge,may need to re sign Ivo Stas.

[Concrete John]

All in all he was a poor player for us and I m glad we are no longer paying his wages. However he never mouthed off about his lack of opportunities in the papers and never had a go at the club or the managers. For that I wish him all the best. It reminds me of my ex.. A lovely girl just a bit average and it was never going to work. ( she wasn't Ginger ! )

See, I kind of have a problem with this. He never mouthed off in the paper about not playing, is just like saying that he was happy to take his salary, and not play. Thats wrong IMO. I think a player mouthing off about not playing, regardless of how good they are, or whether they deserve to be in the team, shows more willing than someone who happily takes his wages, and not earning them.

I disagree.

Mouthing off to the press is disrespectful to both the manager and club, IMO.  If he wants to knock on the bosses door and make his case that way, then fair enough, but don't do it through the media.

[saunders_heroes]

Pound for pound, one of the worst Villa signings ever.

[richard moore]

Interesting stats you raise. Its not Sidwell's fault that he hardly played and made much meaningful contribution to the game (I'm sure he's always tried his best), but it does highlight the nonsense that football finances are in.

Why isn't it his fault if he made hardly any contribution?

I struggle to think of a more consistently anonymous player whilst on the pitch in all the time I've been supporting Villa. If that's because he's not up to much, then I don't really know whose fault it is if it isn't his.

Still, he's a nice chap, so well worth his 40k a week for 3 years.

I totally agree! Amazing how nothing can actually be anyone's direct fault anymore...

[ADVILLAFAN]

I read 'super sub' and sniggered.

Says something that one of his best contributions was when he wasn't on the pitch.