Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine

Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: eddiemunster on May 21, 2019, 10:51:47 AM

Title: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: eddiemunster on May 21, 2019, 10:51:47 AM
Any idea as to when Micah Richards' Sponging is finally over??
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: Chico Hamilton III on May 21, 2019, 10:53:45 AM
End of June? they'll be passing a leaving card around the changing room with an envelope for people to chip in a few coppers
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: VILLA MOLE on May 21, 2019, 11:02:14 AM
I wonder if he will give a similar speech as vincent company ??
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: SaddVillan on May 21, 2019, 03:06:11 PM
Apparently he'll be giving Gareth Bale lessons on how to handle the remainder of his Real Madrid contract to maximum effect: €17m pa with 3 years left.

One major difference - Bale helped Real to win a bit of silverware.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: Toronto Villa on May 21, 2019, 03:20:53 PM
I’ll still say this. Why is it his fault? I don’t like Micah Richards but he has no obligation whatsoever to walk away from a very lucrative and lengthy contract that was offered to him. He got injured. Clauses regarding how much he gets compensated, the whole lot or a percentage will be clearly stipulated. The club could have let him go at any point but didn’t because it made more financial sense to keep him around. Probably because insurance was picking up a chunk of it while he remained employed. So I don’t blame him and to call him a sponge isn’t really accurate or fair.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: Des Little on May 21, 2019, 03:41:46 PM
Doesn't our mate Ross stand to gain financially if we win on Monday?
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: Legion on May 21, 2019, 03:46:45 PM
He leaves our employ in June.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: brian green on May 21, 2019, 03:46:55 PM
Money is one thing.  To be despised by the Villa fans is a very different ball of wax.  Any normal person could tolerate being judged a freloader but to be judged a player who could have been a Hall of Fame candidate regardless but screwed up is a very different thing.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: Ad@m on May 21, 2019, 04:16:01 PM
I’ll still say this. Why is it his fault? I don’t like Micah Richards but he has no obligation whatsoever to walk away from a very lucrative and lengthy contract that was offered to him. He got injured. Clauses regarding how much he gets compensated, the whole lot or a percentage will be clearly stipulated. The club could have let him go at any point but didn’t because it made more financial sense to keep him around. Probably because insurance was picking up a chunk of it while he remained employed. So I don’t blame him and to call him a sponge isn’t really accurate or fair.

It's more the perceived lack of effort.

I don't like him and I don't like that we signed him but John Terry earned himself plenty of fans when videos emerged of him getting fit post-injury by running up and down the Holte steps.  Whereas Richard's efforts to actually contribute to the club amount to what exactly?
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: Lastfootstamper on May 21, 2019, 04:52:59 PM
Calling it a day, said the Daily Mail, January this year (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6641229/Aston-Villas-Micah-Richards-heading-retirement-football.html). He's not got locked in his own house, he's not hushed the crowd following his first goal for 7 years. I think he'd have been more than happy with an ability to pound those Holte steps. I wasn't his biggest fan, bit of a loose cannon on the pitch for me. But I don't think he's deserved the vitriol directed at him.
Quote
It is understood talks last year to allow Richards to become a free agent were undermined because insurance premiums would not cover Villa, who were therefore happy to keep him on the books for the duration of his contract.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: ktvillan on May 21, 2019, 05:12:53 PM
I’ll still say this. Why is it his fault? I don’t like Micah Richards but he has no obligation whatsoever to walk away from a very lucrative and lengthy contract that was offered to him. He got injured. Clauses regarding how much he gets compensated, the whole lot or a percentage will be clearly stipulated. The club could have let him go at any point but didn’t because it made more financial sense to keep him around. Probably because insurance was picking up a chunk of it while he remained employed. So I don’t blame him and to call him a sponge isn’t really accurate or fair.

It's more the perceived lack of effort.

I don't like him and I don't like that we signed him but John Terry earned himself plenty of fans when videos emerged of him getting fit post-injury by running up and down the Holte steps.  Whereas Richard's efforts to actually contribute to the club amount to what exactly?

Wasn't he also supposed to have been a major contributor to the clique culture that froze out the French speaking players to a degree?  That was a major contributory factor to our relegation I think.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: Duncan Shaw on May 21, 2019, 05:17:24 PM
I think any free agent then also gets paid for July if they don't find a club.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: Toronto Villa on May 21, 2019, 05:48:59 PM
I’ll still say this. Why is it his fault? I don’t like Micah Richards but he has no obligation whatsoever to walk away from a very lucrative and lengthy contract that was offered to him. He got injured. Clauses regarding how much he gets compensated, the whole lot or a percentage will be clearly stipulated. The club could have let him go at any point but didn’t because it made more financial sense to keep him around. Probably because insurance was picking up a chunk of it while he remained employed. So I don’t blame him and to call him a sponge isn’t really accurate or fair.

It's more the perceived lack of effort.

I don't like him and I don't like that we signed him but John Terry earned himself plenty of fans when videos emerged of him getting fit post-injury by running up and down the Holte steps.  Whereas Richard's efforts to actually contribute to the club amount to what exactly?

Wasn't he also supposed to have been a major contributor to the clique culture that froze out the French speaking players to a degree?  That was a major contributory factor to our relegation I think.

Not that I want to sound a defender of his but is there any truth to that? If it was anyone I would put my money on Dim Tim who after saying he agreed with the signings, complained bitterly about them when things went shit shaped. If anyone destroyed the atmosphere it was him.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: Jon Crofts on May 21, 2019, 06:09:05 PM
The Fat Santa video did it for him.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: danno on May 21, 2019, 06:28:15 PM
Harsh as it is I think it's better for us that he has had his injury problems.

When he was fit because of his profile and wages we felt the need to play him and frankly he was mince.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: LeeB on May 21, 2019, 07:21:08 PM
Harsh as it is I think it's better for us that he has had his injury problems.

When he was fit because of his profile and wages we felt the need to play him and frankly he was mince.

A very good point.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: cdbearsfan on May 21, 2019, 08:30:34 PM
I genuinely can't even remember him playing for us. I'm not even sure he exists.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: Ad@m on May 21, 2019, 09:17:02 PM
I genuinely can't even remember him playing for us. I'm not even sure he exists.

All I remember of him is watching him argue with the fans at Wycombe.

Neither his, nor the club's, finest hour...
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: Toronto Villa on May 21, 2019, 09:43:43 PM
I genuinely can't even remember him playing for us. I'm not even sure he exists.

All I remember of him is watching him argue with the fans at Wycombe.

Neither his, nor the club's, finest hour...

The club was such a fucking disaster back then. Just so much disharmony, complacency and bitterness sewn into the fabric.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: Sexual Ealing on May 21, 2019, 09:47:03 PM
I genuinely can't even remember him playing for us. I'm not even sure he exists.

All I remember of him is watching him argue with the fans at Wycombe.

Neither his, nor the club's, finest hour...

The club was such a fucking disaster back then. Just so much disharmony, complacency and bitterness sewn into the fabric.

I don't think he did himself a disservice there. I think he was captain at the time and he was just pointing out that booing wasn't helping.

And he's been a great servant to the club over the years.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: Legion on May 21, 2019, 09:48:02 PM
I genuinely can't even remember him playing for us. I'm not even sure he exists.

All I remember of him is watching him argue with the fans at Wycombe.

Neither his, nor the club's, finest hour...

The club was such a fucking disaster back then. Just so much disharmony, complacency and bitterness sewn into the fabric.

The polar opposite as to how it is now.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: olaftab on May 21, 2019, 10:01:43 PM
I don't think he did himself a disservice there. I think he was captain at the time and he was just pointing out that booing wasn't helping.

And he's been a great servant to the club over the years.
Indeed. I believe a testimonial match would be quite in order for the legend that is Micah.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: Legion on May 21, 2019, 10:08:25 PM
I don't think he did himself a disservice there. I think he was captain at the time and he was just pointing out that booing wasn't helping.

And he's been a great servant to the club over the years.
Indeed. I believe a testimonial match would be quite in order for the legend that is Micah.

A statue would be most appropriate.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: Sexual Ealing on May 21, 2019, 10:17:21 PM
I don't think he did himself a disservice there. I think he was captain at the time and he was just pointing out that booing wasn't helping.

And he's been a great servant to the club over the years.
Indeed. I believe a testimonial match would be quite in order for the legend that is Micah.

A statue would be most appropriate.

I don't think that renaming the ground - or indeed the club - in his honour would be inappropriate.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: PeterWithesShin on May 21, 2019, 10:21:17 PM
I'd buy a ticket in the 'Micah Richards is a ******' stand.


*I don't actually think he's a ******.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: cdbearsfan on May 21, 2019, 10:26:14 PM
I genuinely can't even remember him playing for us. I'm not even sure he exists.

All I remember of him is watching him argue with the fans at Wycombe.

Neither his, nor the club's, finest hour...

Fucking Hell, in the ocean of shit that was that season I forgot about that island of faecal discharge.

We won the replay, as I recall. One of only about five matches we won in all competitions.

Of course, we still beat Small Heath 😂
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: danno on May 21, 2019, 10:36:20 PM
I don't think he did himself a disservice there. I think he was captain at the time and he was just pointing out that booing wasn't helping.

And he's been a great servant to the club over the years.
Indeed. I believe a testimonial match would be quite in order for the legend that is Micah.

To be played February 29th? It's only fitting it be played on a day as rare to make an appearance as the man himself.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: Fasth56 on May 21, 2019, 11:03:37 PM
He's not even good enough to play in his own testimonial.

Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: purpletrousers on May 21, 2019, 11:13:20 PM
I genuinely can't even remember him playing for us. I'm not even sure he exists.

I take it you weren’t at Luton when Di Matteo moved him from full back to centre back.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: cdbearsfan on May 21, 2019, 11:37:28 PM
He played under Di Matteo? Fucking Hell. That's more recent than I thought.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: PeterWithesShin on May 22, 2019, 12:16:18 AM
He played under Di Matteo? Fucking Hell. That's more recent than I thought.

He played under Bruce as well, started the home game against Wolves.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: KRS on May 22, 2019, 12:32:27 AM
Micah Richards: a complete disaster of a signing. A complete and utter waste of time, money and resources. Along with Gabby, he would be the poster boy of all that has been wrong with our club over the last 5 years or more. Looking forward to the day he leaves and hopefully everything else will have aligned so we can clearly see that we are moving forward in the right direction.
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: Jon Crofts on May 22, 2019, 03:38:24 PM
Talking of money sponges.......
(https://i.ibb.co/N68Jb0r/bacuna-richards-lescott-cropped-179ya5anjtq9i1090lqacrecky.jpg) (https://ibb.co/N68Jb0r)


Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: Dave P on May 24, 2019, 01:39:55 PM
When he goes on 30th June, it will be a staggering 988 days since his last appearance!
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: VILLA MOLE on May 24, 2019, 01:43:10 PM
He played under Di Matteo? Fucking Hell. That's more recent than I thought.

He played under Bruce as well, started the home game against Wolves.



I just  remember Luton in the Cup Dear lord out of position much ??
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: itmustbe_it is! on May 24, 2019, 02:19:50 PM
Think he also played in the pre-season game at Shrewsbury ? Remember thinking he was fatter than me, which is going some
Title: Re: Money Sponge Countdown
Post by: dcdavecollett on May 24, 2019, 06:32:36 PM
Looking on the bright side, at least Micah didn't cost us too much in win bonuses...
SimplePortal 2.3.6 © 2008-2014, SimplePortal