Deemed surplus -v- Great signing

[Sexual Ealing]

Westwood's been in a top ten side for the last couple of years.

He's been a squad player, only became a regular starter when Defour got a bad injury. Lowton has been more impressive.

He's still doing better than he would've if he'd stayed here and continued absorbing abuse.

Yeah he's done alright in fairness but really Burnley have used him as we should've. Had him as a sub, then they started winning and he then fits into that and their style.

Too many of our lower league signings were thrown in way too early. Someone like Bennett (as much a contender for this thread as Westwood) should've been eased in gently as you could see he was miles out of his depth starting premier league games. Others like Westwood and Lowton showed potential at times but difficult to keep improving when the club has a losing culture running through it.

By the time we were relegated Westwood was too associated with losing Villa teams for it to work out in the championship.

A fair assessment.

[Mister E]

Ladies and gentlemen I present to you Mr Peter Crouch

Good call. Dolly(?) was far too quick to get rid; and cheaply, IIRC

[brian green]

And we could have got him for fourpence ha'penny when we had him watched at 17 playing for Dulwich Hamlet.

[Neil Hawkes]

Savo Milosovic, and please excuse the spelling.

[stevenavfc]

Curtis Davies is another that fits in both lists. Highly regarded at WBA (named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year for 2006–07). Struggled throughout his time at Villa before eventually resurrecting his career at Hull (voted as the Player of the Year 2014) and now at Derby.

[stevenavfc]

Most notorious of all Sasa Curcic from Bolton to Villa. Quoted as saying "the worst decision of my life." Later admitted drug use and wild partying in Birmingham. Good grief don't we pick 'em!

[darren woolley]

I must admit letting Cahill and Albrighton go was a bad mistake.

[eamonn]

I think Albrighton has said his preference was to stay at Villa even on a lower salary. Not hard to believe given he's often been seen at our games since he's left.

[dcdavecollett]

Any assessment of Albrighton should mention the fact that he had two or three throat operations while he was here, along with a few ankle issues.

Still, at least Lambo brought in Tonev as a replacement.

(Goes upstairs to stick a few more pins into Lambert voodoo doll...)

[simboy]

As to players that improved at Villa Park, thought Ashley Young did and then struggled at yanited for years... Delph improved with us and isn’t pulling up trees at Citeh ... Andy Gray ... had his best years at VP,struggled at the dingles and the blue scouse.

[Steve67]

As to players that improved at Villa Park, thought Ashley Young did and then struggled at yanited for years... Delph improved with us and isn’t pulling up trees at Citeh ... Andy Gray ... had his best years at VP,struggled at the dingles and the blue scouse.

Andy Gray struggled at Everton?  Not from what I recall.

[brian green]

Lay off Sasa Curcic please.  How many other clubs have a player go on to be a Las Vegas magician?  Not many.  Alan Brazil can turn a horse into a field and that's about it.

[SoccerHQ]

Curtis Davies is another that fits in both lists. Highly regarded at WBA (named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year for 2006–07). Struggled throughout his time at Villa before eventually resurrecting his career at Hull (voted as the Player of the Year 2014) and now at Derby.

His best seasons have tended to come in the championship, always struggled in the premier league.

Mad to think we paid 10m for him. Come understand it in 2017 but this was 2007 when lower player weren't going for ridiculous fees unless we were signing them.

[john e]

whether the ones that got away were ever good enough or not the fact remains we never got very good upgrades on most of them or we wouldn't have kept falling back and back and back

[simboy]

As to players that improved at Villa Park, thought Ashley Young did and then struggled at yanited for years... Delph improved with us and isn’t pulling up trees at Citeh ... Andy Gray ... had his best years at VP,struggled at the dingles and the blue scouse,

Andy Gray struggled at Everton?  Not from what I recall.

His record wasn't all that good there was it? Not looked it up but something like 12 goals in 50 games as opposed to 55 (?) in 115 games for us?  I know we bought him back from there and he wasn't a patch of his 76-78 self.

They bought Lineker and really went on from there, we bought back Gray and, well, were completely shit ...