Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: adrenachrome on April 14, 2011, 12:18:46 AM
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Interesting article(s) from The Shin Guardian (http://theshinguardian.com/2011/04/13/on-michael-bradley-aston-villa/):
The Shin Guardian had the occasion to interact last week with Aston Villa beat reporter Timothy Abraham (http://twitter.com/timothyabraham) who writes for Birmingham’s Express & Star. Abraham gives us an unvarnished, untarnished by American lens view on the goings on inside Villa Park. TSG is thankful to have Abraham’s thoughts here as we respect he’s an on-staff writer for the Express & Star (http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/aston-villa-fc/).
(Editor’s Note: This TSG piece on Michael Bradley (http://theshinguardian.com/2011/03/06/michael-bradley-trying-to-reclaim-mb90-status/)–vetted by Abraham–is a requisite read beforehand.)
TSG: You mentioned Michael Bradley is struggling with game speed. Do you think this is due to lack of game time or is it something different?
Timothy Abraham: Some players do take time to adjust to the pace of English football and I think this is evident in Michael’s case. In his fleeting appearances for the first team he has been caught in possession too easily sometimes and his passing has been found wanting. It is in stark contrast with Jean Makoun – who joined Villa from Lyon in the January transfer window – and has looked at home in English football straight away.
TSG: You mentioned that Michael Bradley won’t likely be resigned by Villa next year. Is he still Premiership material?
Timothy Abraham: The jury is out at the moment. I don’t think Michael’s situation has been helped by Villa having struggled at the bottom of the Premier League for most of the season. With the exception of Jean Makoun Villa manager Gerard Houllier has gone for players who are tried and tested in English football. If Villa are able to pull clear of the relegation battle in the next few matches then Michael might get a run of games towards the end of the season and given a chance to stake his claim to remain at Villa.
TSG: Will Michael Bradley’s situation be impacted at all by Nigel Reo Coker’s? Will Reo Coker resign with Villa? If not, if Bradley an option?
(http://shinguardian.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/reocoker.png?w=118&h=150) (http://shinguardian.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/reocoker.png)Reo-Coker... Timothy Abraham: Nigel Reo-Coker’s future is up in the air at the moment. His Villa career looked over when Martin O’Neill was in charge but he has been reinvigorated under Gerard Houllier. The problem for Reo-Coker is that he is probably not quite good enough for the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea etc so that leaves him with very few options. I think Villa is about his level but my inclination is to say that he is seeking a big contract and with under pressure to cut the wage bill he will not get the kind of deal he is after and will leave the club. I guess there is a chance Michael Bradley could be a replacement but with the kind of money that Borussia Monchengladbach want for him, and with a surplus of midfielders at Villa I think a deal is unlikely.
TSG: About other Americans: Brad Friedel’s club standing? Will Eric Lichaj ever see the light of day at Villa? Or even Brad Guzan?
(http://shinguardian.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/friedel1.jpg?w=150&h=96) (http://shinguardian.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/friedel1.jpg)I want to work....there... Timothy Abraham: I expect Brad Friedel will be offered a new deal although he may well have to accept that he will not be first choice next season as Villa look to sign a keeper for the future. Eric Lichaj has done well at Leeds and, with the exception of a couple of mistakes in a game against Manchester City on a day when no-one from Villa covered themselves in glory, when he came in he did well.
I’m not sure he’s quite in the class of on-loan Tottenham right-back Kyle Walker and with Lichaj being 22 I suspect he may move on sooner rather than later. The same probably applies to Brad Guzan.
TSG: What’s the general perception of Houllier’s reign thus far?
Timothy Abraham: The reviews on Gerard Houllier’s short tenure have been mixed. His development of young talent and commitment to play more aesthetically pleasing football than previous manager Martin O’Neill have been appluaded by a lot of fans.
However, there have been some PR gaffes which has alienated sections of the fanbase. Not least his comments after the defeat against Liverpool (although they were taken out of context) and in particular the decision to field a weakened side in the FA Cup against Manchester City which really angered supporters. Houllier has perhaps been guilty of trying to change too much at Villa at once when he should have waited until the summer to make sweeping changes.
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An interesting read indeed. i wouldn't say Makoun had adapted to the english game in such glowing terms as abrahams makes out though. He looks a cracking player at times but he's still very much finding his way.
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I'd completely forgotten about Bradley to be quite honest.
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The article could ahv ebeen written from a review of comments on here. However, I would agree that the comment about the club situation not helping is valid.
If Borussia set their requirements at a sensible level he could be a useful squad player next season, having had time to get into the English game properly.
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It is in stark contrast with Jean Makoun – who joined Villa from Lyon in the January transfer window – and has looked at home in English football straight away.
Can't disagree more. May be it's a fault at my TV if people are seeing Jean the second as a cracking player, who's made for English football, but I am on the completely opposite opinion. He looks to me a limited player with the odd good pass here and there. Losses the ball way too easily and his limitations and aggression are often pushing him to do quite dirty fouls.
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Makoun may be better just playing behind the forwards as he has great foot skills and a good pass on him, the problem is he doesn't have the physique to play a central role.
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Makoun is going to be a star for us, I reckon.
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It is in stark contrast with Jean Makoun – who joined Villa from Lyon in the January transfer window – and has looked at home in English football straight away.
Can't disagree more. May be it's a fault at my TV if people are seeing Jean the second as a cracking player, who's made for English football, but I am on the completely opposite opinion. He looks to me a limited player with the odd good pass here and there. Losses the ball way too easily and his limitations and aggression are often pushing him to do quite dirty fouls.
At the moment yes, but he is showing signs of settling and improving, look at the move and pass for Bent for his 'offside' goal on Sunday. Next season we'll see a different player.
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It is in stark contrast with Jean Makoun – who joined Villa from Lyon in the January transfer window – and has looked at home in English football straight away.
Can't disagree more. May be it's a fault at my TV if people are seeing Jean the second as a cracking player, who's made for English football, but I am on the completely opposite opinion. He looks to me a limited player with the odd good pass here and there. Losses the ball way too easily and his limitations and aggression are often pushing him to do quite dirty fouls.
I agree totally, I don't think he's cut out for the Premier League. He certainly doesn't deserve a place in the team on current form.
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Makoun is going to be a star for us, I reckon.
Absolutely agree with you JJ.In my opinion we could build a team around him and Bent.If given time to settle he could be a top top player for us.
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It is in stark contrast with Jean Makoun – who joined Villa from Lyon in the January transfer window – and has looked at home in English football straight away.
Can't disagree more. May be it's a fault at my TV if people are seeing Jean the second as a cracking player, who's made for English football, but I am on the completely opposite opinion. He looks to me a limited player with the odd good pass here and there. Losses the ball way too easily and his limitations and aggression are often pushing him to do quite dirty fouls.
I agree with quite a bit of that. From the limited times I have seen makoun I think his fitness is okay but gets caught in possesion too easily probably due to the pace of the game and then his next tackle is a booking.
As far as Bradley goes, if an international who has played in the Bundesliga cant get used to the pace of the game then we may as well fuck him off now
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Bradley - can't judge after one game, but if he can't force his way into the side I doubt he'll be retained.
Makoun - jury still out to a degree, but I think he'd do well with a midfield enforcer alongside him. He had a rep of being able to play the holding role himself, but the requirements to that position are different in the PL to France.
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I think in Parts Makoun has shown some good touches and I think after a pre season he'll do very well for us, Saying that with the likes of Delph & Bannan (when he's back) I think Midfield will be least of our problems
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I thought Makoun was our best player at OT, from what I can remember he had very impressive pass completion stats for that game. Agreed though, he was pretty poor the last couple of times I've seen him. All in all though, and given time, I think he's got the quality to be a success.
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I think both Bannan and Delph will be better than Makoun personally. Bannan's ball to Albrighton away at Fulham was world class.
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I wish people would give Makoun some time to settle. Yes, he;s made mistakes like most Villa players this season but sometimes you can see the quality of his final ball . Next season , he will be a great player for us.
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My thoughts are Makoun will be a top player for us but i can't decide on Bradley because he has not played enough games to judge him on.
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If he was anywhere near selection he would be on the bench at least.
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I think both Bannan and Delph will be better than Makoun personally. Bannan's ball to Albrighton away at Fulham was world class.
Bannan's lack of physical presence is hindering his ability to be a top player.
It's not 'just' height, it's his lack of ability to be physical enough in the middle.
Creatively speaking, he's got immense talent - but that question mark will always be there I think.
Makoun will be a top player, not much doubt about it.
Bradley - who knows ?
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I think Makoun will be a top player for us, once he's given a chance to settle.
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I will say in Bradley's defence, his two appearances have come in very tough circumstances. He came on when we had 10 men at Blackpool and played in the reserve side at Man Citeh.
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I think both Bannan and Delph will be better than Makoun personally. Bannan's ball to Albrighton away at Fulham was world class.
Bannan's lack of physical presence is hindering his ability to be a top player.
It's not 'just' height, it's his lack of ability to be physical enough in the middle.
Creatively speaking, he's got immense talent - but that question mark will always be there I think.
Makoun will be a top player, not much doubt about it.
Bradley - who knows ?
Tim totally agree about BB and his size he needs to play in a 5 man midfield, I would like to see us line up with
A N Other
Walker Clark Cuellar Young
Delph/bannan makoun NRC
Albrighton bent Downing
4-5-1 defending
4-3-3 attacking
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I don't buy the idea that Bannan is not "big" enough, to win the ball, (Dennis Wise, Chrissy Price, Alan Wright, Gordon Strachan), that is just not the stronger part of his game, it's nothing to do with height. His passing ability is fantastic though.
I would rather see Bannan than Bradley, Bradley looks out of his depth with the pace of the game.
Makoun has shown some good touches, i think he will be good, he just needs to control the aggression.
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I don't think Bannan will be anywhere near as good as Makoun, personally. Delph on the otherhand....
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As a side issue is Delph injured again?
i remember Delph against Man ure at Home last season and he was the bollocks
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I think both Bannan and Delph will be better than Makoun personally. Bannan's ball to Albrighton away at Fulham was world class.
As was Albrighton's control and finish. yet another game we dominated and somehow didn't win.
As for the thread I was surprised that bradley has been as poor as he has and similarly I haven't seen enough of makoun to suggest he is going to be anything but a slightly better berson. Although he does seem to have a big head on a little boys body. very odd. for that reason alone i'd sell him./ he looks wrong.
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As for the thread I was surprised that bradley has been as poor as he has and similarly I haven't seen enough of makoun to suggest he is going to be anything but a slightly better berson.
That's my opinion as well. Neat and tidy, capable of the odd defence splitting pass, but without the overall game to be a success in the Premier League. Hope I'm wrong, but he really hasn't impressed me so far.
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Bradley has been unlucky to a degree because of our position we cant really take a gamble and let him have a couple of games. Still unless he or whoever looks very impressive I'd rather see how we get on with Delph.
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As for the thread I was surprised that bradley has been as poor as he has and similarly I haven't seen enough of makoun to suggest he is going to be anything but a slightly better berson.
That's my opinion as well. Neat and tidy, capable of the odd defence splitting pass, but without the overall game to be a success in the Premier League. Hope I'm wrong, but he really hasn't impressed me so far.
He needs a full pre-season ;)
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Good read that and an interesting inside view, this summer sure will be interesting (as long as we are still in the PL).
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Makoun needs time to settle. I'd prefer to see NRC, Petrov and Delph starting in our current predicament. Though I don't think he is cut out for the defensive role and I see him as more of a deep lying playmaker. This is a concern as I reckon Delph might prove to be even better in that role.
Bradley hasn't played at all in a fair situation to judge him accurately. I'd like to see him have a run out with the first team so I can judge him on a fair test. Maybe if we pick up a few wins in our next two and look safe.
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Makoun has already shown that while he often looks like a foul waiting to be committed, he can both win the ball and do something positive with it, and we haven't had a player like that for a while. Writing him off at this stage is ridiculously premature and to do the same to Kyle Walker on the basis of one poor and one below-average game in three months is pathetic.
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Makoun has already shown that while he often looks like a foul waiting to be committed, he can both win the ball and do something positive with it, and we haven't had a player like that for a while. Writing him off at this stage is ridiculously premature and to do the same to Kyle Walker on the basis of one poor and one below-average game in three months is pathetic.
Agreed completely, if Walker stays he could be excellent for us. Makoun like I've said I believe will be excellent for us.
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Makoun has already shown that while he often looks like a foul waiting to be committed, he can both win the ball and do something positive with it, and we haven't had a player like that for a while. Writing him off at this stage is ridiculously premature and to do the same to Kyle Walker on the basis of one poor and one below-average game in three months is pathetic.
Like Petrov you mean?
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Makoun has already shown that while he often looks like a foul waiting to be committed, he can both win the ball and do something positive with it, and we haven't had a player like that for a while. Writing him off at this stage is ridiculously premature and to do the same to Kyle Walker on the basis of one poor and one below-average game in three months is pathetic.
I've seen extremely scant evidence of his ability to win a ball.
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Makoun has already shown that while he often looks like a foul waiting to be committed, he can both win the ball and do something positive with it, and we haven't had a player like that for a while. Writing him off at this stage is ridiculously premature and to do the same to Kyle Walker on the basis of one poor and one below-average game in three months is pathetic.
I've seen extremely scant evidence of his ability to win a ball.
And I've seen plenty.
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Makoun has been a liability so far but I expect he will improve with a full pre-season and given the time he needs to acclimatise to the pace of the PL
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I like what i've seen of Makoun so far. There's been a couple of games where he's look off the pace a little but that's to be expected i supposed. Petrov looked off the pace for two seasons so it's only fair we give Jean II a bit longer than 10 games before we write him off.
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I'm not sure he's being written off by anyone but i fail to see what has got anybody so excited by him. yeah, the odd pass or the odd tackle, but that's pretty mch the same from anyone. he looks ordinary for me but hopefully that will change.
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Makoun has already shown that while he often looks like a foul waiting to be committed, he can both win the ball and do something positive with it, and we haven't had a player like that for a while. Writing him off at this stage is ridiculously premature and to do the same to Kyle Walker on the basis of one poor and one below-average game in three months is pathetic.
I've seen extremely scant evidence of his ability to win a ball.
And I've seen plenty.
Which games?
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Makoun is going to be a star for us, I reckon.
I agree.
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Makoun has already shown that while he often looks like a foul waiting to be committed, he can both win the ball and do something positive with it, and we haven't had a player like that for a while. Writing him off at this stage is ridiculously premature and to do the same to Kyle Walker on the basis of one poor and one below-average game in three months is pathetic.
And I agree with this too.
I apologise for adding nothing with those two posts.
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Makoun has already shown that while he often looks like a foul waiting to be committed, he can both win the ball and do something positive with it, and we haven't had a player like that for a while. Writing him off at this stage is ridiculously premature and to do the same to Kyle Walker on the basis of one poor and one below-average game in three months is pathetic.
I've seen extremely scant evidence of his ability to win a ball.
And I've seen plenty.
Which games?
Most of the games he's played in.
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Makoun has already shown that while he often looks like a foul waiting to be committed, he can both win the ball and do something positive with it, and we haven't had a player like that for a while. Writing him off at this stage is ridiculously premature and to do the same to Kyle Walker on the basis of one poor and one below-average game in three months is pathetic.
I've seen extremely scant evidence of his ability to win a ball.
And I've seen plenty.
Which games?
Most of the games he's played in.
Are you sure you're watching the right team and player? He makes Stewart Downing look like Vinnie Jones.
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Are you sure you're watching the right team and player? He makes Stewart Downing look like Vinnie Jones.
Looks like you're in the minority there.
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Are you sure you're watching the right team and player? He makes Stewart Downing look like Vinnie Jones.
Looks like you're in the minority there.
Does it, why? Some people rate him, and that's fine. He may well turn into a useful player for us. I've watched every game he's played though, and one thing he certainly isn't is handy in the tackle.
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Are you sure you're watching the right team and player? He makes Stewart Downing look like Vinnie Jones.
Looks like you're in the minority there.
Does it, why? Some people rate him, and that's fine. He may well turn into a useful player for us. I've watched every game he's played though, and one thing he certainly isn't is handy in the tackle.
Because more people seem to like the look of him (the majority) than not (the minority).
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Are you sure you're watching the right team and player? He makes Stewart Downing look like Vinnie Jones.
Looks like you're in the minority there.
Does it, why? Some people rate him, and that's fine. He may well turn into a useful player for us. I've watched every game he's played though, and one thing he certainly isn't is handy in the tackle.
Because more people seem to like the look of him (the majority) than not (the minority).
Which would be for his passing rather than his ball winning I'd imagine.
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Are you sure you're watching the right team and player? He makes Stewart Downing look like Vinnie Jones.
Looks like you're in the minority there.
Does it, why? Some people rate him, and that's fine. He may well turn into a useful player for us. I've watched every game he's played though, and one thing he certainly isn't is handy in the tackle.
Because more people seem to like the look of him (the majority) than not (the minority).
Which would be for his passing rather than his ball winning I'd imagine.
You can imagine whatever you like.
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Was impressed with Makoun in the Man U and Fulham matches.
Fulham in particular, he looked like he was quite comfortable to get on the ball as much as possible and was always one move ahead, not just playing the obvious pass. He does have a bit of bite to his game as well, but he needs to time his challenges better.
Since the Fulham match he's been more miss than hit though. A few nice touches, but you often don't notice him unless he's giving the ball away. There is talent there, and I hope we get the full benefit of it. I do wonder how a possible change of manager in the summer might impact on him though. It'll impact on all players, but as a foreigner still looking to adapt Makoun might feel it more than most.
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Makoun is no better than Petrov at this moment in time. He may get better and there are people who are seeing things that I have missed. But how much of that is objective and how much is it hoping to see what we want to?
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Im very much in the Pro Makoun camp, the through balls to Ash and Bent against Wolves and Newcastle were sublime, we have'nt had a player that can play those sort of passes for a long time.
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He moves the ball on quicker than Petrov.
Petrov can be canny and win the foul, but another consequence of dwelling on the ball too long is the opposition don't always need to foul you to win the ball back.
Makoun is a bit sharper in his movement and is not afraid to mix it up more with long range passes (Stan has it in his locker to do more of the latter, but invariably he opts for the square ball to retain possession).
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Petrov very seldomly loses possession which is not something you can say about Makoun.
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Petrov's an extremely safe player were as Makoun tries trickier passes.
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And gives away the ball. I know which I prefer, and the defence.
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I like Petrov, if were to pesist with Ged, which I hope we do, then we need as many players as possible who are comfortable on the ball, hence why I'd keep him and move NRC on, going off the point a little there though.
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For continuity as much as anything else, we could do with keeping Stan on.
There will be plenty of outgoings this summer as it is.
Is he able to play the all action midfielder role? probably not. Don't think I've ever seen much of that from him in a Villa shirt TBH. He also quite clearly can't last 90 minutes, certainly not in back to back games anymore.
But for 70 minutes, or from the bench in the latter stages of a match to calm things down and do the things he does well (retain possession and so forth) he could still have an important role to play for us. By all accounts he's popular with the players too, and is respected as a captain. Even when he wasn't captaining the side in the first 2/3 years, he was the one who would try and make the young players and new signings feel part of the set up, according to Bannan and a few others who mentioned him by name.
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The defence-splitting passes that he's provided for Ash when he hit the bar against Wolves and for Bent's offside goal last weekend are something we've seldomly, possibly never, seen from the likes of Petrov and NRC.
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Are you sure you're watching the right team and player? He makes Stewart Downing look like Vinnie Jones.
Looks like you're in the minority there.
Does it, why? Some people rate him, and that's fine. He may well turn into a useful player for us. I've watched every game he's played though, and one thing he certainly isn't is handy in the tackle.
Because more people seem to like the look of him (the majority) than not (the minority).
Which would be for his passing rather than his ball winning I'd imagine.
You can imagine whatever you like.
Thanks. Think I'll give "Makoun the ball winning midfield enforcer" a go, it seems to be working for you.
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Are you sure you're watching the right team and player? He makes Stewart Downing look like Vinnie Jones.
Looks like you're in the minority there.
Does it, why? Some people rate him, and that's fine. He may well turn into a useful player for us. I've watched every game he's played though, and one thing he certainly isn't is handy in the tackle.
Because more people seem to like the look of him (the majority) than not (the minority).
Which would be for his passing rather than his ball winning I'd imagine.
You can imagine whatever you like.
Thanks. Think I'll give "Makoun the ball winning midfield enforcer" a go, it seems to be working for you.
Some things take less effort than others.
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Makoun is a bit of a Carrick, not great at tackling, decent short passing, every now and then mskes a decent pass. Decent but not exciting. We have not had a pass and move midfield player like him in the team. Until we know the sort of system we are intending to play its difficult to make a judgement.
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How many ligue 1 players settle in straight away without a pre-season behind them? Makoun has shown more quality than not so far, just sometimes looks like he is trying too hard to rise to the speed/physicality of the game. I'm 100% certain he will have a eureka moment and he will just feel comfortable and play his natural game without giving away the ball/silly fouls. Bradley I wouldn't write off just yet, having so much less time on the ball then in the bundesliga or eredivisie would make it especially hard for a midfielder to adjust, but I still think there is a chance for him to do something impressive before the end of the season.
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Bradley I wouldn't write off just yet, having so much less time on the ball then in the bundesliga or eredivisie would make it especially hard for a midfielder to adjust, but I still think there is a chance for him to do something impressive before the end of the season.
Back on the Bradley thread, it's all about the valuation that Borussia put on him; that's the decision on whether to keep or not. If he has 50 international caps he must have something that can add value to the squad.
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Am I missing this great surplus of central midfielders we've got?
I can't see Bradley being signed permanently if he isn't even making the bench, NRC I think will leave, Pires hopefully aswell and a few on here want Petrov moved on aswell (although I think we should keep him as a squad for another year).
So that would leave us with Makoun and two promising kids in Delph and Bannan, one still slowly getting back from a bad injury.
As well as pratically a new defence, we're going to have to sign a central midfield player or two this summer.
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Was impressed with Makoun in the Man U and Fulham matches.
Fulham in particular, he looked like he was quite comfortable to get on the ball as much as possible and was always one move ahead, not just playing the obvious pass. He does have a bit of bite to his game as well, but he needs to time his challenges better.
Since the Fulham match he's been more miss than hit though. A few nice touches, but you often don't notice him unless he's giving the ball away. There is talent there, and I hope we get the full benefit of it. I do wonder how a possible change of manager in the summer might impact on him though. It'll impact on all players, but as a foreigner still looking to adapt Makoun might feel it more than most.
Me too but he has declined a fair bit since then.
I too think he'll be consistantly very good next season but he needs to watch his tackling otherwise he'll miss half the games through suspension.
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I've seen enough to suggest Makoun might be a cracking PL player. He needs to become more dominant in games but that may be more to do with our poor formations and tactics this season.
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Think Makoun has got a big future with us.
Bradley can piss off, not good enough.
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I've only seen him play for us thrice. As a sub, that Man City game, and the reserves game. And so far, I'm still not sure. I thought he was great against Pool. But yeah, he's a wee bit slow and loses the ball very easily when he's played for the first team. Can't fault him though because not everyone can come into the PL and instantly turn into a star. Though I'm not entirely made up on him yet as he hasn't played that many games for us. And in the current relegation fight, its not exactly helping his chances either. Its a bit harsh on him I think.
At the end of the day, I'm not too fazed whether he stays or not by the end of the season. If he stays, then ok, we can blood him into becoming a great player. He's still young and he's got a great attitude. But if he leaves, then whatever. We tried. I'm confident Houllier can get us another one that's just as good as Bradley or better.
I still hope we get to see more of him this season in the first team. Just to come to a final conclusion.
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Makoun - definately got a future with the club, how big remains to be seen. I think he'll definately improve to some extent, and he's not bad at the moment.
Bradley - Only seen a few bits but oh dear. Not been involved since, doesn't look good.
We still need a nasty type in the middle with plenty of legs. A Viera type. I would partner that player with Makoun, Delph or Bannan long term. Thats the only problem, we have a lot of similar players in that position. If we go 3 in the middle like Barca, each one will get more game time. Reo Coker should be kept as another option.
Would love Milner back mind if we go with 3 in the middle.
Be nice next season playing 3 in the middle, and the options as Viera type, Milner, ReoCoker, Makoun, Delph, Bannan.
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Watched Bradley in the reserves against Liverpool and even the kids were making him look slow. Get rid not a prem player .......
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i had actually forgot about him, like im trying to do with this season
Makoun is a 33 year old 27 year old - another Kanu, Milla, Sodje's (all of them) - looked amazing on his debut for 45 minutes then his age caught up on him, 2nd game similar but not that amazing etc etc
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i had actually forgot about him, like im trying to do with this season
Makoun is a 33 year old 27 year old - another Kanu, Milla, Sodje's (all of them) - looked amazing on his debut for 45 minutes then his age caught up on him, 2nd game similar but not that amazing etc etc
He's Cameroonian, not Nigerian. Players from Cameroon have no recent history of age falsification while playing in Europe. What you have done, in a fairly racist fashion, is conflated the whole of Africa to one stereotype. Well done.
Also, the Sodje family is from London, of Nigerian descent. Pretty hard to falsify a British passport as a professional footballer, you'd think. But please, don't let facts and logic get in the way of your mindless bigotry.
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Watched Bradley in the reserves against Liverpool and even the kids were making him look slow. Get rid not a prem player .......
Mate of mine saw him and said he was embarrasing.
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Watched Bradley in the reserves against Liverpool and even the kids were making him look slow. Get rid not a prem player .......
Mate of mine saw him and said he was embarrasing.
I can't see there's any chance of us keeping him. He hasn't impressed, and central midfield is one area where we're not desperately short on numbers. I expect he'd cost a fair bit as well.
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Watched Bradley in the reserves against Liverpool and even the kids were making him look slow. Get rid not a prem player .......
Mate of mine saw him and said he was embarrasing.
I can't see there's any chance of us keeping him. He hasn't impressed, and central midfield is one area where we're not desperately short on numbers. I expect he'd cost a fair bit as well.
Are Borussia near the relegation zone?
It seems odd that they'd let him go out on loan if so. I was never over struck by him when he played for the USA.
My mate used that age old comparison about him when playing for the reserves.
'He looked like a pisshead holding a kebab, trying to run to catch the last bus home.'
File under Salifou.
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Once we're safe, if we beat Stoke say, I imagine he'll get a run-out in the last few games and get a chance to prove himself.
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Once we're safe, if we beat Stoke say, I imagine he'll get a run-out in the last few games and get a chance to prove himself.
Not so sure Eamonn, it's £500,000-ish for every Premier position.
I think Houllier will be desperate to get us as high as possible.
Although, if he does fancy a shuffle about, put Gardner on for a couple of sub appearances.
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Once we're safe, if we beat Stoke say, I imagine he'll get a run-out in the last few games and get a chance to prove himself.
Not so sure Eamonn, it's £500,000-ish for every Premier position.
I think Houllier will be desperate to get us as high as possible.
Although, if he does fancy a shuffle about, put Gardner on for a couple of sub appearances.
Didnt it go up to a million per place recently? Even if we accept that we're safe, there are still about 10 positions we could end up in.
Keep shit players out of the team and lets try to finish on a high. If Bradley wants to 'prove himself' he can do it in training and the reserves.
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I wouldn't say it was a pointless venture. Nothing ventured nothing gained and all that ! However he hasn't impressed on any occasion I have seen him and he's done nothing to suggest he can improve us next season. Thank for coming but no thanks.
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I wouldn't say it was a pointless venture. Nothing ventured nothing gained and all that ! However he hasn't impressed on any occasion I have seen him and he's done nothing to suggest he can improve us next season. Thank for coming but no thanks.
The team he came from are rock bottom of the German League.
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Once we're safe, if we beat Stoke say, I imagine he'll get a run-out in the last few games and get a chance to prove himself.
Would prefer to see Gary Gardner given a chance.I wouldn't say it was a pointless venture. Nothing ventured nothing gained and all that ! However he hasn't impressed on any occasion I have seen him and he's done nothing to suggest he can improve us next season. Thank for coming but no thanks.
The team he came from are rock bottom of the German League.
He can help their push for promotion next year then.
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ESPNsoccernet (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/912524/mcallister:-villa-could-sign-bradley-on-permanent-deal?campaign=rss&source=soccernet&cc=5739)
Aston Villa could still sign Bradley
April 27, 2011
Michael Bradley could still join Aston Villa this summer despite his lack of first team football since joining the club on loan in January.
Michael Bradley: Limited first team action at Villa
GettyImagesMichael Bradley: Limited first team action at Villa
Bradley, a United States international, has started only one game and appeared once as a sub following his switch from Borussia Moenchengladbach at the turn of the year.
But Villa's assistant manager, Gary McAllister, who is in charge of first team affairs while manager Gerard Houllier recovers from illness, has suggested Bradley could yet be offered a permanent deal.
McAllister told the Express and Star: "Michael has done enough on the training ground to suggest there might be something come the end of the season because he is an honest, hard-working guy as well as a good player.
"It's true that it has been hard to play him at a time when we have had senior experienced players available in the situation we have been in.
"And that is purely all that has held him back, nothing else, because his attitude has been top draw. He is a fantastic professional for such a young guy - he has captained his country don't forget and he is a top player.
"With four games to go it is something that Gerard and I will be speaking about because there are a few guys in the same boat as Michael. We are aware of these things. There are three or four players who we feel that if we have got ourselves into a better position earlier in the season then certain people would get more game time.
"But we're still very much aware that we need to keep this run going and, when a team does well, you don't want to be making big changes or changing things for the sake of it."
Villa also have decisions to make on Nigel Reo-Coker and Brad Friedel, whose contracts both expire in the summer. Ashley Young's future is sure to be the subject of speculation too, with only 12 months left on the England international's deal.
McAllister was adamant that Houllier would be the one to drive the decision making process.
He said: "I think we need to be sat down with Gerard, the chairman and Paul Faulkner because they are very important decisions for people's lives. We're aware of the situation and it will all be sorted.
"There has been no direct dialogue with these guys yet, but I'm sure they understand the situation."
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A mistake, in my opinion.
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Makoun is a deep lying play maker. I think we'll only get the best out of him with 2 other midfielders along side him. Kind of like how Obi Mikel does at Chelsea.
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A mistake, in my opinion.
I'm with you there Rip!
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Two appearances. How can we base any opinion on him from so little action? And even then one has been in the white flag game at City and the other as a sub when we were down to ten. He has not had a fair crack to impress yet. I have seen him play more often for USA! USA! USA! than I have us.
He COULD still be a decent player for us.
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That article may hint that we could see him before the end of the season. The three of four others I am guessing may be Bannan, Delph and Gardener?
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That article may hint that we could see him before the end of the season. The three of four others I am guessing may be Bannan, Delph and Gardener?
Bannan has just been recalled and Gardner is definitely in contention, so you'd hope so. Delph? I suppose it depends on his injury situation.
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Mmmmmm....The jury is still out with the majority, but delivered it's verdict with some already?
Shame, I have seen him regularly for the past two seasons and despite being in a lower Bundesliga club, I rate him.
The reason he left was due to his relationship with the then manager who kept subbing him for no apparent reason to the constant amazement of me and the Borussia fans.
Stick with him, he is still young, I believe that he will be an asset for Villa if given the chance. ;)
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I'm a fan of Bradley and hope we do sign him. Like Makoun I think that he just needs to get used to the pace of the Premier League, but once he does he will be a very good player for us. Of course in order to get up to the pace he needs to play some games.