Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: JUAN PABLO on August 02, 2013, 10:35:57 AM
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http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~3334763,00.html
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Paul Merson has lifted the lid on his love for Villa, revealing that he cried his eyes out when he left the club.
Merson joined Villa in a £6.75m move from Middlesbrough in 1998 and enjoyed a superb four seasons in claret and blue, bringing smiles to the faces of fans with his silky-smooth skills in the middle of the park.
Eventually though, the fairytale ended and he was deemed surplus to requirements by Graham Taylor, who had taken over from Merson-admirer John Gregory.
Merson admitted his decision to leave left him cold, primarily because he'd realised during his time in B6 what a massive club Villa were.
He said: "I absolutely loved it at Villa. It was the best part of my career, no doubt. I adored my football at Villa.
"When I left, I was devastated. It was the only time I ever cried when I left a football club.
"I was so, so gutted because I loved the club and loved playing for the club. It's a real good club.
"There was always something happening at Villa. It was lively. It was good.
"You try and tell people in London how big a club Villa is. It's truly massive.
"You talk about sleeping giants and Villa is up there. It's huge.
"I absolutely loved every bit of my time there. But in all honesty, I wasn't aware of the amazing history and tradition when I signed.
"Just before I put pen to paper, I was on Question of Sport and was asked: "How many times have Villa won the FA Cup?" I said: "Once?" I didn't know much beforehand. I wasn't too sure. But it's massive.
"They get packed houses every week at Villa Park. That's a barometer for how good it is there.
"Some seasons when I played we weren't great but the fans always stuck with us. We used to get 40,000 regularly. It's one of the biggest clubs about."
Merson
Merson's departure left deep sadness in the hearts of fans at the time because of the excitement that followed him around as a ball-playing central star.
But looking back now, there are many great goals to remember him by.
The silky-smooth midfield ace himself selects his goals against Coventry in 2001, Everton in 2000 and Sheffield Wednesday in 1999 as his best - for differing reasons.
He continued: "The goal against Coventry was one of my favourite goals. To come back from 2-0 down in a derby match was special. It was important.
"I had booked a stag weekend for me and my brother in America. We weren't playing the following week because it was the FA Cup. John had said it was okay.
"But at half-time against Coventry, he turned to me and said: "You're not going!" So I thought: "I better do something about this."
"People say that I sent Coventry down but I didn't! They had 37 other games.
"Anyway, John let me go and we came back the week after and got beaten. But the season was done by then.
"I enjoyed the one at Everton too.
"That match was one of the worst ever! Goodison Park is a tough place, though.
"Anytime you play there, you know you're in for a game.
"It was a big build-up with Gazza playing for them. He actually went off injured. But it was dire overall and then at the end, I just thought 'hit it.'
"I couldn't run anymore, it was the 90th minute. So I just smacked it.
"The most important goal I scored for Villa was against Sheffield Wednesday. We were 1-0 down to them at home and I scored. I then set up Tayls for the winner.
"If we had lost that game, I think John would have got the sack. I was a big fan of John so that was a vital goal.
"I liked the goals that had significance. The one at Everton came with the scores at 0-0. If you do that at 4-0, that's easy, anyone can do that. It's about scoring them when the game is on the line.
"I am always a great believer that the big goals are the ones when the pressure is on. That's the name of the game.
"The Sheffield Wednesday goal was important. I scored one against Southampton in 1998 when Stan rolled it through. That made it 4-1. They are a walk in the park! When they're 0-0, that's when they're difficult."
Of course, Merson fell in love with Villa during his time in claret and blue.
But sometimes it's not always the actual institution that accretes affection, it's the people that you spend time with.
That's true with Merson, who enjoyed a good relationship with John Gregory and his playing pals.
He continued: "John was different. I really liked him. But we didn't get on at first.
"I was travelling up a lot initially. He was making me travel all the way up and then I'd get in and I'd have a bath.
"I'd go mad! I'd think 'John, you're wasting my time.'
"But we got on well after that. I moved up to the Midlands. After that, I loved every minute of it and was devastated when I left.
"We had some great players, gifted players who could change a game in a millisecond.
Merson
"Dion was a great lad. I still see him now. He was a top, top centre-forward. If he hadn't had the injuries he had, he would have gone on and played for England a lot more. He had a leg-break at Man Utd and a neck-break at Villa. But he was a top player.
"Tayls was a top player - what an engine!
"I never realised how good Gareth Southgate was until I arrived at Villa. I thought he was just another steady centre-back. I genuinely couldn't believe how good he was. He was phenomenal - as a captain and as a person. He was as good as I have seen from anyone.
"There weren't too many better left-backs around than Alan Wright. He was Mr Dependable. He never let you down. If he was a bit taller, he'd have played for England regularly.
"We had good players. I can reel them off.
"Lee Hendrie was a good player. Gareth Barry? What can you say about him? He was different class. He was a big player at Villa. It's rare someone stays at a club as long as Gareth did with Villa. I was a big fan of Gareth."
Merson's proudest spell at Villa was the run to the 2000 FA Cup, which had plenty of drama and intrigue along the way.
It also, he admits, brings feelings of frustration with Villa too easily outgunned in the final showpiece against Chelsea.
He added: "When you look for the third round of the FA Cup, you think 'here we go.' Man Utd weren't in it that year either if you remember.
"To draw Darlington at home, it's a dream. It really is. It wasn't easy but drawing a lower division team at home, that's all you can ask for.
"Then we were drawn at home again - perfect - to Southampton. That was tight but after that we started thinking 'we've got a chance.'
"The next round against Leeds was one of the best games I have ever played in. I remember it was on a Sunday and Leeds were a top team, a good, good side.
"They went 1-0 up and then Benny scored to make it 1-1. They scored again and to be fair, they were the much better team. There was no comparison.
"We were lucky to be 2-1 down at that point - we'd had one shot on goal! Then Benny scored an absolute worldy out of nowhere.
"I thought he was going to roll it into me and then make a run off me. He shot and I thought 'what the hell do you think you're doing?' It flew in. He had that in his locker. He had exceptional skill.
Merson
"I then chipped the ball over two players and Mike Duberry came smashing into me. But thankfully from that move, Benny scored his hat-trick.
"I remember I had concussion. I will never forget the paper the next day. Frank Bruno had fought Mike Tyson the previous night. They had a massive picture of Frank and I. I was smothered in blood and Frank didn't have a spot on him. The headline said: "Guess who fought Mike Tyson?"
"Then we were in the quarter-finals. All you ask then is a good draw. To get drawn away to Everton was tough.
"It was a great win. I set up both goals but I didn't play well.
"We scored right on the stroke of half-time. When we got in the dressing room, John bought me off. He hadn't seen the goal. He thought it was 1-1 still.
"We had a huge argument. He said 'you're off'. I went into a right strop. He hadn't seen the goal but that happened a couple of times with John.
"He'd be doing the teamtalk and we'd be looking around at each other and thinking 'does he know the score here?' Seriously. He'd have left the stand early and not seen the goal. But we hung on.
"Then we got Bolton at Wembley for the semi-final. I'm not a great lover of the semi-final being at Wembley. But to get Bolton was a dream. I thought 'here we go.'
"We'd missed Chelsea, which was the name of the game.
"But Bolton battered us. There's no question about that. They were a much better team that day.
"Dean Holdsworth missed a great, great chance. He must still wake up every day and think about it. He must do.
"I shouldn't have played. I had sciatica in my back. I was coming towards the end of my career and you realise there won't be too many more chances to play in a semi-final.
"I played and I was poor. I was one of the worst players on the pitch. But we held on.
"Fair play to Dean. He took a penalty in the shoot-out after his miss in the game and scored.
"I was taking the final one. I had taken one in the 1998 World Cup in France so John put me at No.5 for the experience. I had put myself forward.
"We had good penalty-takers as you could see. They all wanted to take one, too. I didn't have to take on because of their phenomenal efforts and David James's heroics.
"I think we could have kept going and scored penalties all night. I had that much faith in us from the spot.
"What a moment for Dion too. It was phenomenal after what he'd been though with his broken neck. But that's the kind of guy he was - mentally strong.
"To get in the final was amazing. It was the ultimate. When you're a kid, you dream of playing in the FA Cup final. I was lucky because I'd played in one before. So I was more pleased for the younger lads.
"When I was a kid, I'd get up early with the family and be glued to the television all day. There would be the build-up - the cameras outside the hotels and in the coach on the way to the game - that sort of thing.
"But when you're in it, it's not like that at all. You're at the hotel, you turn up and play the game. It's only afterwards, perhaps the year after and you think 'wow, that was us.'
"We were really poor, too negative and we showed Chelsea too much respect. It was one of the worst cup finals ever. To call it an anti-climax is a compliment.
"I'd rather have got beat 10-0 and had a go. We didn't look like scoring in the month of Sundays. We should have gone for it. But that's history now."
The key for all us fans is we're all glad Merse was part of our history!
Snap up retro shirts from our online store.
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I love him.
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It's funny but I often find him to be quite negative about us on Sky
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Great interview, wish we had someone like him in the centre of midfield now.
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It's funny but I often find him to be quite negative about us on Sky
I some times think it's probably because he cares about the club, and wants the best for us. I know at points last season, I was very negative about the club, and I've been a fan for 33 years!
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It's funny but I often find him to be quite negative about us on Sky
I guess he must just be frustrated at the fact we've struggled so much in recent years. In his period we were top 8 regularly and had big money, high profile players (whether or not they performed is another matter).
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Yes, a fantastic interview. I wanted to start a thread about it myself, but have no idea as to how to start a thread!
As a 16 year old at that time, I absolutely loved Merson! The Coventry goal moment was one of the craziest I've ever gone at Villa Park!
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Merse is a class act. You just have to wonder how good he could have been if he'd have looked after himself better. If he was fitter and had more control of his vices at the time he would have been world class. In terms of ability he's one of the most gifted players this country has produced.
You look at some of the most talented players England has had in the last 20 years though and for one reason or another it just never worked out like it should have. Gazza obviously is the prime example. He should have been winning us tournaments. Like Merson, if Matt Le Tissier had worked harder in the gym and improved his stamina he'd have been a Worldy.
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It's funny but I often find him to be quite negative about us on Sky
I guess he must just be frustrated at the fact we've struggled so much in recent years. In his period we were top 8 regularly and had big money, high profile players (whether or not they performed is another matter).
Yes, I think you're right. A bit like us really
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It's funny but I often find him to be quite negative about us on Sky
I some times think it's probably because he cares about the club, and wants the best for us. I know at points last season, I was very negative about the club, and I've been a fan for 33 years!
Ive been negative about us too in recent seasons . I do feel like the leash as now come off thou.
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He has had a bit of a downer on us at times over the last few years but I put that down to him being in his Sky bubble and going along with a lot of their cliches.
I did enjoy his argument with them all over us being bigger than Newcastle though. To be fair, he's also a bit harsh on Arsenal, so maybe it's out of affection or that he wants us and them to do better than we have been lately. He also (sometimes quite blatantly) takes the piss out of Small Heath, so it's quite obvious where his heat is.
In general, he's very entertaining on Soccer Saturday - love his rhyming slang for 'post' - Casper or beans.
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Yes, a fantastic interview. I wanted to start a thread about it myself, but have no idea as to how to start a thread!
Just click on new topic, top right of page
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Yes, a fantastic interview. I wanted to start a thread about it myself, but have no idea as to how to start a thread!
Just click on new topic, top right of page
Cheers mate, feel like a bit of a prat now:)
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Yet, wasn't he saying that Benteke should go to Spurs as they're a bigger club?
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Never realised quite how good he was until he played for us. One of my favourite players over the 35 years or so I've been going to VP. Remember him in a box in Witton Lane when we beat the Blues 5-1 - he was absolutely loving it!
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Never realised quite how good he was until he played for us. One of my favourite players over the 35 years or so I've been going to VP. Remember him in a box in Witton Lane when we beat the Blues 5-1 - he was absolutely loving it!
I remember a game he played against us for Arsenal, in the Brian Little (as manager) days. Think we were 2-0 up, and he took the game by the scruff of the neck, and was absolutely brilliant, as Arsenal ended up getting a draw, with a late equaliser. I realised then just how good he could be.
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Yet, wasn't he saying that Benteke should go to Spurs as they're a bigger club?
And also said that if we sold him we'd be in relegation trouble in the coming season.
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Pedant's Alert
"I remember I had concussion. I will never forget the paper the next day. Frank Bruno had fought Mike Tyson the previous night. They had a massive picture of Frank and I. I was smothered in blood and Frank didn't have a spot on him. The headline said: "Guess who fought Mike Tyson?"
Nope Tyson had fought Julius Francis.
I remember because it was best mate's stag do we watched it in a bar in Amsterdam and I won the sweep on round KO. Francis had his soles of his shoes sponsored by News of the World
Then watched the Villa match the next day.
There were 3 Villa fans and 3 Blues fans amongst others. We took their money when Benny got the 3rd :)
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Never realised quite how good he was until he played for us. One of my favourite players over the 35 years or so I've been going to VP. Remember him in a box in Witton Lane when we beat the Blues 5-1 - he was absolutely loving it!
I remember a game he played against us for Arsenal, in the Brian Little (as manager) days. Think we were 2-0 up, and he took the game by the scruff of the neck, and was absolutely brilliant, as Arsenal ended up getting a draw, with a late equaliser. I realised then just how good he could be.
I think that was either just before or just after Wenger joined .
Last 15-20 minutes he dragged us all over the place IIRC.
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What surprised me the most about the interview was him saying he enjoyed his football with us and being at Villa, more than any other time during his career.
I too have thought that he has come across very negative about us at times on sky, eg Benteke move to spurs etc
The Coventry game will always stay with me. I will never forget that during the celebrations in the holte when that goal went in, a guy behind me ended up being about 5 rows in front after stacking it jumping on seats. Good times
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Never realised quite how good he was until he played for us. One of my favourite players over the 35 years or so I've been going to VP. Remember him in a box in Witton Lane when we beat the Blues 5-1 - he was absolutely loving it!
I remember a game he played against us for Arsenal, in the Brian Little (as manager) days. Think we were 2-0 up, and he took the game by the scruff of the neck, and was absolutely brilliant, as Arsenal ended up getting a draw, with a late equaliser. I realised then just how good he could be.
I think that was either just before or just after Wenger joined .
Last 15-20 minutes he dragged us all over the place IIRC.
Wasn't it someone like Nigel Winterburn that equalised in injury time for them? Savo with two for us?
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I think part of what might sour his memories of Arsenal was that he had some of his worst troubles off the field when he was with them. By the time he came here he was now at the tail end of his career, but ended up playing some of the best football of his career, and consistently. Moving away from London also probably helped him somewhat too.
Given his ability he didn't really have as much of an impact in his younger days as he should have.
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I think part of what might sour his memories of Arsenal was that he had some of his worst troubles off the field when he was with them. By the time he came here he was now at the tail end of his career, but ended up playing some of the best football of his career, and consistently. Moving away from London also probably helped him somewhat too.
Given his ability he didn't really have as much of an impact in his younger days as he should have.
Yep should have been an England regular throughout the 90's but he was 20 years behind the times when it come to off field lifestyle - one of the reasons Wenger moved him on.
Anyway loved him at the Villa. Proper bums on seats player he was. Apaert from Benteke and A Young we haven't had many in recent years
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There is a lot of genuine affection in that interview.
I think a lot of players and managers fall in love with this club; only a few move on to win more, but nobody has ever moved to a better club in 139 years.
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Never realised quite how good he was until he played for us. One of my favourite players over the 35 years or so I've been going to VP. Remember him in a box in Witton Lane when we beat the Blues 5-1 - he was absolutely loving it!
I remember a game he played against us for Arsenal, in the Brian Little (as manager) days. Think we were 2-0 up, and he took the game by the scruff of the neck, and was absolutely brilliant, as Arsenal ended up getting a draw, with a late equaliser. I realised then just how good he could be.
I think that was either just before or just after Wenger joined .
Last 15-20 minutes he dragged us all over the place IIRC.
Wasn't it someone like Nigel Winterburn that equalised in injury time for them? Savo with two for us?
Honestly can't remember except we moaned the ref played too much injury time. I remember Yorkie had a chance to bring it into the corner and waste time but went for goal instead giving them possession for the last minute.
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My Dad and my Grandpa will agree with Merson about Gareth Barry. They are not at all impressed with Villa fans boo somebody who served the club so well.
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It's funny but I often find him to be quite negative about us on Sky
Not sure about that. have a look at this;
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It's funny but I often find him to be quite negative about us on Sky
Not sure about that. have a look at this;
Can't see YT at work - is that when he says we are bigger than Newcastle?
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At the time he left Merson said something to the effect that GT had told him he was not guaranteed a starting place and the he (Merson) didn't want to be on the bench. He'd have done it for Arsenal, but not Aston Villa.
Maybe after joining Portsmouth he changed his mind.
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I'm never sure how to regard Merson with how he talks about us. Sometimes it's positive, sometimes negative. He certainly has higher regard for us than he does Middlesbrough though.
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It's funny but I often find him to be quite negative about us on Sky
Not sure about that. have a look at this;
Can't see YT at work - is that when he says we are bigger than Newcastle?
Yep. I think it's obvious that he holds us in great regard as a club, and our support too.
I think anything negative he's had to say would be more about us as a team in the last few years and, let's face it, it's probably no more negative than any of us have been at times!
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I enjoyed watching Merson in a Villa shirt - and didn't realise how talented he was until he played for us - but instinctively take his views on Villa with just a tiny pinch of salt. He's a Gooner legend through and through.
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It's funny but I often find him to be quite negative about us on Sky
Not sure about that. have a look at this;
Which player were they talking about leaving Newcastle to go to Villa? Obviously a couple of seasons back.
I'll never forgot that game against Leeds in the Cup, Merse and Benni were amazing, to have one player of that calibre, but to have them both in the same team!
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It's funny but I often find him to be quite negative about us on Sky
Not sure about that. have a look at this;
Which player were they talking about leaving Newcastle to go to Villa? Obviously a couple of seasons back.
I'll never forgot that game against Leeds in the Cup, Merse and Benni were amazing, to have one player of that calibre, but to have them both in the same team!
Can't see the link, but was it Milner?
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I think it was Milner, yes.
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Every time i see that video, the outrage and shock at the suggestion that we could be bigger than newcastle, i remind myself that my hatred for sky is not irrational.
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There's some history waiting to be written here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Merson
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I know i'm almost certainly in the minority, but i'm not much of a fan of his time with us. I also think he comes across as a twat, an opinion that only increased after reading the book about him.
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I thought he was a decent player, but no more than that. His one footedness used to drive me crazy.
However my nephew was in the children's hospital when Merse was at the club and he and Southgate were absolutely brilliant with the kids in hospital so I have always had the impression he was a good man.
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It's funny but I often find him to be quite negative about us on Sky
Not sure about that. have a look at this;
Which player were they talking about leaving Newcastle to go to Villa? Obviously a couple of seasons back.
I'll never forgot that game against Leeds in the Cup, Merse and Benni were amazing, to have one player of that calibre, but to have them both in the same team!
Loved that game
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I remember a game , It was the most dull game I had seen in years and then he hit this 40 yarder in the back of the net , well it seemed that far . It was awesome , not many could do that . Wish I could remember the game :/
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I remember a game , It was the most dull game I had seen in years and then he hit this 40 yarder in the back of the net , well it seemed that far . It was awesome , not many could do that . Wish I could remember the game :/
Everton away.
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I liked him. Still do.
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I remember a game , It was the most dull game I had seen in years and then he hit this 40 yarder in the back of the net , well it seemed that far . It was awesome , not many could do that . Wish I could remember the game :/
Everton away.
oh cheers PWS
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It was a shame really that his career here fizzled out like it did. That was Graham Taylor's perogative though. He seemed to come in and then take some of our more technically gifted players out the side for one reason or another. He preferred energetic players in midfield and I also recall like some managers we've had GT inherited a squad he didn't feel was fit enough (Houllier was the same, he felt we'd been slacking under MON). Part of the reason he ended up dropping Merson was because he wasn't fit enough. He was carrying more weight than normal too. Was a bit of fat bastard by the time he was at Pompey onwards. Likewise it was a shame that he came in and almost instantly dropped our top scorer JPA. I thought Pablo was well on his way to netting 20 goals that season but GT clearly didn't fancy him.
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It's funny but I often find him to be quite negative about us on Sky
Not sure about that. have a look at this;
Which player were they talking about leaving Newcastle to go to Villa? Obviously a couple of seasons back.
I'll never forgot that game against Leeds in the Cup, Merse and Benni were amazing, to have one player of that calibre, but to have them both in the same team!
Can't see the link, but was it Milner?
I think it must be Carroll, because he mentions signing Bent in January too. Think we chose the better option there.
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It was a shame really that his career here fizzled out like it did. That was Graham Taylor's perogative though. He seemed to come in and then take some of our more technically gifted players out the side for one reason or another. He preferred energetic players in midfield and I also recall like some managers we've had GT inherited a squad he didn't feel was fit enough (Houllier was the same, he felt we'd been slacking under MON). Part of the reason he ended up dropping Merson was because he wasn't fit enough. He was carrying more weight than normal too. Was a bit of fat bastard by the time he was at Pompey onwards. Likewise it was a shame that he came in and almost instantly dropped our top scorer JPA. I thought Pablo was well on his way to netting 20 goals that season but GT clearly didn't fancy him.
I can't remember the circumstances of Merson leaving. What was his report like with Graham Taylor from their England days together? He did score on Taylor's first game back as boss - a 1-1 draw with Chelsea. A few months later we won 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on the last day of the season. Can't remember if Merson was involved but Crouch and Vassell had productive afternoons.
Oyvind Leonhardsen was brought in late that summer, presumably to replace the flair and experienced craft of Merson. I don't think Oyvind was as bad as some people say (certainly did more than Holman) but 02/03 was a real struggle, especially with the two awful derby results and things were shaken up again the following summer when O'Dreary arrived.
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It was a shame really that his career here fizzled out like it did. That was Graham Taylor's perogative though. He seemed to come in and then take some of our more technically gifted players out the side for one reason or another. He preferred energetic players in midfield and I also recall like some managers we've had GT inherited a squad he didn't feel was fit enough (Houllier was the same, he felt we'd been slacking under MON). Part of the reason he ended up dropping Merson was because he wasn't fit enough. He was carrying more weight than normal too. Was a bit of fat bastard by the time he was at Pompey onwards. Likewise it was a shame that he came in and almost instantly dropped our top scorer JPA. I thought Pablo was well on his way to netting 20 goals that season but GT clearly didn't fancy him.
I can't remember the circumstances of Merson leaving. What was his report like with Graham Taylor from their England days together? He did score on Taylor's first game back as boss - a 1-1 draw with Chelsea. A few months later we won 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on the last day of the season. Can't remember if Merson was involved but Crouch and Vassell had productive afternoons.
Oyvind Leonhardsen was brought in late that summer, presumably to replace the flair and experienced craft of Merson. I don't think Oyvind was as bad as some people say (certainly did more than Holman) but 02/03 was a real struggle, especially with the two awful derby results and things were shaken up again the following summer when O'Dreary arrived.
Oyvind was only bought after an opening day 0-0 at spurs. I distinctly remember Taylor saying that he didn't even realise he still played for spurs until he as his name and squad number on the back of the match day programme.
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Yeah, remember that. Were Norway in England's World Cup '94 qualification group? Might have impressed Taylor then. Though he was always a good player for Wimbledon.
So from Merson to Leonhardsen to Berger in consecutive seasons and different managers, was it?
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Fair play to him if I ever see him I will but him a pint
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Fair play to him if I ever see him I will but him a pint
I'd lend him 50 quid for the bookies but only if he promised to spend all week there trying to win it me back.
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I think he did well at Villa, showed some great moments and then some less so.
As for the comments about Spurs being a bigger club than us well they are at the moment IMO, is he wrong to give his view as a tele pundit? Also, is his comments that we might struggle without Benteke wrong, he is a major player for us? I think he is just being honest and prefer that to some old Liverpool scum seeing them lose 4-0 and adamant they had been robbed. I think Merson is just saying what other people are thinking. Another comment I readin the article is the one try saying to people in London that Villa are a big club. Having worked down there for 26 years I can vouch for that, but still recite 26 May 1982 to them and they piss off
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I absolutely loved the Magic Man, he was the last player to get me up off my seat with excitement every time he touched the ball.
His goal that relegated Coventry is one of my favourite ever goals.
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Was he called the Magic Man because he disappeared in front of your very eyes during games?
*innocent smiley*
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Remember him being at the 5-1 demolition of small heath. He was in a corporate in the Witton Lane stand close to the Holte. We all started singing "One Paul Merson" he stood up up and clapped then bowed down in homage. Remember him joining in the "Easy, Easy" chant. Class
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It was a shame really that his career here fizzled out like it did. That was Graham Taylor's perogative though. He seemed to come in and then take some of our more technically gifted players out the side for one reason or another. He preferred energetic players in midfield and I also recall like some managers we've had GT inherited a squad he didn't feel was fit enough (Houllier was the same, he felt we'd been slacking under MON). Part of the reason he ended up dropping Merson was because he wasn't fit enough. He was carrying more weight than normal too. Was a bit of fat bastard by the time he was at Pompey onwards. Likewise it was a shame that he came in and almost instantly dropped our top scorer JPA. I thought Pablo was well on his way to netting 20 goals that season but GT clearly didn't fancy him.
We were also in a similar situation to just after MON left where we had ageing players on big money and could not afford it anymore. We sold Yorke and had to buy Dublin and Merse but probably paid them both more then what Yorke was on in the first place. It was the start of the last round of Doug cost cutting.
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I absolutely loved the Magic Man, he was the last player to get me up off my seat with excitement every time he touched the ball.
His goal that relegated Coventry is one of my favourite ever goals.
one mine also. I was in line when he kicked it, it was like time stood still.
Loved watching him.
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He was one of the finest passers in the game and certainly the finest passer we have had since Sid. And he does love us. When he speaks negatively he is speaking as a fan - a typical fickle fan. His piss takes of the noses are hilarious. But for the most part he is just honest, tell it how it is. I didn't see the bit about telling Benteke to join Spurs but he was reflecting his impression of our ambition if he did say it. Just honest.
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Was his left foot that crap?
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Was his left foot that crap?
He often didn't need it. I remember him on a number of occasions running down the left wing then hitting a cross on the outside of his right boot into the box. Different gravy on his day.
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When we signed him the fee seemed a little excessive, I remember a lot of eyebrows being raised. What a good signing he turned out to be.
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Superb player who seems from a distance to be controlling his gambling and drink addictions (long may that continue). I don't watch Sky often but the times that I have seen him on it there seems a genuine fondness for the club. I remember his press conference in 1994 being particularly brave at the time. Didn't know there was a documentary about him - I'll have to check it out.
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His book is quite revealing too. Not to the extent of God's but I do remember a passage where a few months after joining us in 1998 and us sitting top of the table he took advantage of an injury or suspension to go on a gambling trip to Las Vegas or somewhere in the US. Couldn't help thinking ''what a selfish twat" at the time but I guess his addiction problems took/take a long while to stop completely if they ever do.
He did fall asleep, half-pissed on a motorway a year or two back didn't he? I imagine he still has to be careful with his vices. He's lucky in a way that he's quite an outgoing, ebullient personality who Sky are happy to employ. Meanwhile the other Paul must be idle in Ireland a lot of the time.
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I loved him, one of my favourite players of that era. I remember sometimes he'd be running with it and then change direction and run in what appeared to be the wrong direction. Then 'bang' out of nowhere some audacious lob would hit the bar.
Class act.
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Was his left foot that crap?
He often didn't need it. I remember him on a number of occasions running down the left wing then hitting a cross on the outside of his right boot into the box. Different gravy on his day.
Different gravy for sure.
Berbatov was was pulling similar stunts at our gaffe last season.