Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air on August 12, 2010, 07:01:01 AM
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/aug/10/aston-villa-martin-oneill-sven
Out-of-favour central Curtis Davies has claimed he was one of several players not given a fair crack of the whip by O'Neill. Davies was one of six players made available for transfer this summer.
He said: "I was shocked about Martin O'Neill going. I got home, got a text that the gaffer resigned, and it was true. I didn't see it coming to be honest. But a lot of players have been frustrated by not having a fair crack of the whip and I'm one of them.
"There is no guarantee whoever comes in is going to play you or not play you. But if you feel you have got a chance, then you are happy. As long as someone who comes in who is fair, I am sure people will be happy. I felt I didn't have a chance."
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I can't see that doing anything but irritating the new manager before they even walk through the door. Not a smart move.
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All he has done is told the truth, there wasn't a level playing field and there were favorites. I like his honesty, remember the pub team quote?
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Can he explain where he was going to play .......... I think most supporters would tell him he was not even third choice .......... my guess is his attitude was not great in training hence not making the bench ...plus if injuries had taken place during a game CC was already on the pitch
Curtis is best off moving on ...... he has simply not proved himself to be a top six club player in the Prem
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I think Curtis could be a top player with some decent coaching. I know I'm probably in the minority but I would really like him to stay and fight for his place
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They're just quoting interveiws from Sky
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I thought he wasn't being played because one more appearance would trigger a further payment to West Brom. If he was first choice it would be worth it, but as a back up who wouldn't play week in week out probably doesn't seem a sensible action for a manager. So for the odd match he might have been picked for he was overlooked. New manager may he's worth the outlay.
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I think Curtis could be a top player with some decent coaching. I know I'm probably in the minority but I would really like him to stay and fight for his place
Your not the only one. I still think he can go all the way to the very top with decent management. I think he was frozen out in part for non-footballing reasons, MON couldnt stand players who have a mind of their own and are willing to express it. Brian Clough`s relationship with MON as a player comes to mind, the difference is Clough knew how to use and get the best out of him.
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I'm another one who would like to see Curtis Davies stay around (funny contractual payment doo-dahs notwithstanding). He's a good player, and with the right coaching could be a very useful asset for us indeed.
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I thought he wasn't being played because one more appearance would trigger a further payment to West Brom.
i think he has a clause that if he makes so many appearances it will trigger a pay rise/ revised contract. i remember his agent moaning about it in the papers.
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I thought he wasn't being played because one more appearance would trigger a further payment to West Brom.
i think he has a clause that if he makes so many appearances it will trigger a pay rise/ revised contract. i remember his agent moaning about it in the papers.
You're right, I suppose the consequence is similar though, in that it could cost the club disproportionately for a player who isn't going to feature very often.
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"Out of favour player knows better than the manager" shock.
Given the money that we paid for him,I too would like him to come good. Did MON freeze him out? Or has he succumbed to the Moore Bros' "Too much to young" syndrome? I just don't know.
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Of all the players with no excuse for being sidelined Curtis Davies has least to complain about. His performances by his own admission have ranged from passable with the help of his other competent centre backs to downright "pub football" (his words not mine). Others - NRC, Sidwell, Luke Young - have a case for being unfairly sidelined but Davies never made the grade. Martin O'Neill's mistake in his case was paying way, way over the odds for him.
Any player who wants to be taken seriously when trying to use the media to his own advantage should surely have a better command of language than to refer to his coach or manager as "the gaffer" a term in common use in the era of tight perms and even tighter shorts.
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brian green wrote: Any player who wants to be taken seriously when trying to use the media to his own advantage should surely have a better command of language than to refer to his coach or manager as "the gaffer" a term in common use in the era of tight perms and even tighter shorts.
Come on Brian, give the bloke a break :)
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Can he explain where he was going to play .......... I think most supporters would tell him he was not even third choice .......... my guess is his attitude was not great in training hence not making the bench ...plus if injuries had taken place during a game CC was already on the pitch
Curtis is best off moving on ...... he has simply not proved himself to be a top six club player in the Prem
It's quite simple, he should have been one of the first choice centre backs, as he was a couple of season ago, where he played very well until the shoulder injury, and in my view definitely looked a top 6 standard player. He's got pace and intelligence and would make a great foil/partner for Dunne, as he did alongside Laursen. It's been a little bit difficult for him to prove his ability recently as his stubborn, grudge holding manager wouldn't play him. He played through injury to help O'Neill out and was treated appallingly in return. All because his agent tried to invoke a pre-agreed, contracted pay rise and O''Neill didn't like it. Davies is yet another victim of O'Neill putting his own petty prejudices ahead of the good of Aston Villa FC, the culmination of which was him walking out 5 days before the first match of the season. I fully agree with Williy Wombat's and Andy Lochead's second post, Davies an be a very good player for us and I hope he stays.
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Brian you normally talk a lot of sense on the all too rare occasions you post, but I couldn't disagree with you more about Davies. He was honest enough to admit when he had played badly but I don't see how you can say he didn't reach the required standard. Prior to his shoulder injury he was excellent, and at Anfield last season he was immense. The lad has got talent and a good coach will bring that out. If he has one fault it's that he's a bit too honest and willing to express that honesty through the media. It seems honesty irritates a lot of people these days.
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I would like him to stay too his shoulder injuries are behind him, he just needs to realise the world has changed financially since he signed that clause where he plays 50 league matches and gets a new deal wont help.
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I think Curtis could be a top player with some decent coaching. I know I'm probably in the minority but I would really like him to stay and fight for his place
Your not the only one. I still think he can go all the way to the very top with decent management. I think he was frozen out in part for non-footballing reasons, MON couldnt stand players who have a mind of their own and are willing to express it. Brian Clough`s relationship with MON as a player comes to mind, the difference is Clough knew how to use and get the best out of him.
I think he could end up being a top class defender but the reason he wasn't playing is because
Cuellar Collins Dunne Warnock
Young Cuellar Dunne Warnock
Young Cuellar Collins Warnock
Cuellar Collins Dunne Young
are all better defensive line ups than with Davies in it. Oh, and he was injured for 3/4 of the season.
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I would like him to stay too his shoulder injuries are behind him, he just needs to realise the world has changed financially since he signed that clause where he plays 50 league matches and gets a new deal wont help.
And Curtis is free to waive that clause if he wants............................
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I actually cannot believe some of the responses here to Curtis' latest soundbite.
I always used to back and believed he would come good (still hope so) but I remember him being pretty much a scapegoat for the season before last's collapose.
But last year, he got injured, Dunne, Collins and Cuellar came in and formed one of the best defences in the league.
Fair enough if we were leaking goals all over the place. Curtis was given more chances by MON than most throughout his Villa career I reckon.
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Cuellar's a decent old fashioned stopper but if we get a coach who places a little more emphasis on technical ability and keeping the ball than ONeill did then he's going to be a bit further down the pecking order I suspect.
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Can we change the title of the thread to "Curtis Davies puts the Timmy Mallett foam hammer in"?
Saying that, it must be frustrating sometimes, but given his injury and the defence going on a good run, there must be other players more frustrated.
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I would like him to stay too his shoulder injuries are behind him, he just needs to realise the world has changed financially since he signed that clause where he plays 50 league matches and gets a new deal wont help.
And Curtis is free to waive that clause if he wants............................
he can't wave because he might hurt his shoulder
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There's a good player in there somewhere and I hope he now proves it.
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Can't see a way back for him, given his contract position and the need to cut spending. Shocking we paid more for him than Man United did for Evra and Vidic. Transfer masterstroke that one. :o
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If there is a clause that triggers a new deal when he plays his 50th league game, I don't see a problem with that. We just give him one that's worth less per week. Simples.
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If there is a clause that triggers a new deal when he plays his 50th league game, I don't see a problem with that. We just give him one that's worth less per week. Simples.
you can't, otherwise he's eligible for a free transfer
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well we are going to probably need him on Saturday.. so he gets my backing... good luck to him.
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I like curtis i think we should keep him.
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If there is a clause that triggers a new deal when he plays his 50th league game, I don't see a problem with that. We just give him one that's worth less per week. Simples.
Yep. The clause states that he can re-negotiate his contract after he has played 60 games. He's on 25k a week at the moment. I'd let him play his 60th game and then halve the offer. See how desperate to play he really is.
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Can't see a way back for him, given his contract position and the need to cut spending. Shocking we paid more for him than Man United did for Evra and Vidic. Transfer masterstroke that one. :o
Haven't you heard Greg? Wages are the new transfer fee and those two are believed to be on at least £75k per week.
Edit: Mutters... must use preview, must use preview...
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At his best Davies is probably a more talented player than either Collins or Cuellar. However, he is sloppy, and prone to too many mistakes, so I'd rather have 90 minutes of somebody playing at 90% of his ability in Cuellar say, then 80 minutes at 100%, and 10 minutes at 50%, if that makes any sense.
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At his best Davies is probably a more talented player than either Collins or Cuellar. However, he is sloppy, and prone to too many mistakes, so I'd rather have 90 minutes of somebody playing at 90% of his ability in Cuellar say, then 80 minutes at 100%, and 10 minutes at 50%, if that makes any sense.
It makes absolute sense, and I agree 100%.
He's looked good for six months, out of three years so far. The other three centre backs have been far more consistant.
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Thankfully o neill has gone and players can all start from scratch- just heard coppell has quit after one game , didn't he do that at man city once-strange man!
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Thankfully o neill has gone and players can all start from scratch- just heard coppell has quit after one game , didn't he do that at man city once-strange man!
I don't think you've thought through all of the potential implications.
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Thankfully o neill has gone and players can all start from scratch- just heard coppell has quit after one game , didn't he do that at man city once-strange man!
Oliver Kay says he's retiring from football full stop. Phew.
I don't think you've thought through all of the potential implications.
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Of all the players with no excuse for being sidelined Curtis Davies has least to complain about. His performances by his own admission have ranged from passable with the help of his other competent centre backs to downright "pub football" (his words not mine). Others - NRC, Sidwell, Luke Young - have a case for being unfairly sidelined but Davies never made the grade. Martin O'Neill's mistake in his case was paying way, way over the odds for him.
Any player who wants to be taken seriously when trying to use the media to his own advantage should surely have a better command of language than to refer to his coach or manager as "the gaffer" a term in common use in the era of tight perms and even tighter shorts.
The tighter shorts were indeed a sartorial abomination and probably deleterious to blood flow to the genitalia, but what are we to make of the long shorts or short longs in vogue today?
On TV, I have seen John Terry wearing shorts which conjoin with his socks, which have been pulled up to his knees.
Ghastly. Quite ghastly.
I blame USA basketball. Cultural imperialism innit.
Awesome.
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We need at least 4 centre halves to be in with a fighting chance, so I definitely would like to keep Curtis...but would Randy??
That's the question...
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Can't see a way back for him, given his contract position and the need to cut spending. Shocking we paid more for him than Man United did for Evra and Vidic. Transfer masterstroke that one. :o
He also cost over £40m less than Lescott and Toure.
There's a very good defender in there somwehere. It's his big chance on saturday keep others out of the team.
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If there is a clause that triggers a new deal when he plays his 50th league game, I don't see a problem with that. We just give him one that's worth less per week. Simples.
Yep. The clause states that he can re-negotiate his contract after he has played 60 games. He's on 25k a week at the moment. I'd let him play his 60th game and then halve the offer. See how desperate to play he really is.
I don't see the point in driving away a good player who has already cost us a fair bit in transfer fee and wages when he is one of the lower paid of the first team squad and also has the potential to be a very good asset for us. 30-35k is not excessive for a PL player in a top 6 squad so it would seem sensible to offer him that, with add ons if we break the top 4 or he becomes a regular England international. Of course it all depends on whether the new coach wants him or not.
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If he is fit, it will be interesting to see if he plays and triggers the pay rise. If we still want to sell him, it will be easier if he is earning less. If we want to keep him, then we will need to put the cash up.
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There's a good player in there somewhere and I hope he now proves it.
I agree, but he's made a rod for his own back now. A combination of factors led to him losing his place and a drop in form. He's only got himself to blame if he can't impress the new manager.
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Curtis was given more chances by MON than most throughout his Villa career I reckon.
Which is what you'd expect after spending a ridiculous £9m on him.
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To Be frank, isn't everyone's first choice pairing Carlos and Dunne with Luke at RB? I do agree that there is a great player in there somewhere, he did well when Zat Knight hit dodgy form, but Laursen and Mellberg also made him look better than he was.
If Jimbo's going to be as good as he was in his first 15 games last season, the Curtis wont get a look in unless it's early cup rounds.
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Curtis need to work hard, keep his head down and perform when called up and do his best to keep Cuellar, Clark and Collins off the starting 11 (assuming Dunne is playing)
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There's a good player in there somewhere and I hope he now proves it.
I agree. Given the chance through proper squad rotation, he could be a very good defender for us.
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While I'm not Davies' biggest fan, Fernando Torres has been quoted as saying he and Cuellar are the best central defenders he's played against in England!
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Thankfully o neill has gone and players can all start from scratch- just heard coppell has quit after one game , didn't he do that at man city once-strange man!
I don't think you've thought through all of the potential implications.
I was thinking more about MON taking the Bristol City job.