The price of Emile Heskey

[Eigentor]

Apparently the problems left behind by MON ran much deeper than the wage bill (which the board must take the blame for anyway). By all accounts Houllier expected to enter a relatively healthy enviroment when he accepted the Villa job, but was shocked to discover a squad which he believed was rotten to the core: unprofessional seniors on excessive wages, some guaranteed a place in the starting eleven regardless of form or performance, others were barely used to training and had no interest in developing their game or improving their habits.

Depending on your views, maybe Houllier went to far in his desire to run a tight ship, but as time went by he became increasingly convinced that his number one priority -- apart from avoiding relegation -- had to be to change the philosophy at the club completely.

It'll be interesting to see what McLeish's take on things will be. I honestly don't know whether he's similar to MON or Houllier (but guessing that he's somewhere inbetween.

[Fergal]

Thank god someone made this thread. I have been waiting for years for someone to make a thread so we can all moan about what a bad signing he is and how he doesn't score goals.

Finally this important topic gets the airing it deserves.

If you really don't want to discuss it then don't get involved. 
I was talking to a work mate on the way into the office this morning when he bought up the subject of Heskey.  We were trying to work out the cost per goal of a few players, I remember him taking the piss out of me when MoN signed him.
How would his cost per goal stack up against Carew or even Bent, in the short time he has been with us?

[jonzy85]

Thank god someone made this thread. I have been waiting for years for someone to make a thread so we can all moan about what a bad signing he is and how he doesn't score goals.

Finally this important topic gets the airing it deserves.

If you really don't want to discuss it then don't get involved. 
I was talking to a work mate on the way into the office this morning when he bought up the subject of Heskey.  We were trying to work out the cost per goal of a few players, I remember him taking the piss out of me when MoN signed him.
How would his cost per goal stack up against Carew or even Bent, in the short time he has been with us?

But it has been discussed to death, putting numbers and figures on it doesnt change much.

Als, it's not as if the Aston Villa signing of Emile Heskey was some sort of unique disaster in football transfers. It happens every club every season, where a player is signed for big bucks, put on big bucks and turns out a flop. Amount of money per goals tells you nothing you dont know already.

I wouldnt be surprised if Eck finds a use for him in the squad.

[brian green]

I think Paulie's summary early in his thread is a clear and accurate assessment with such hard information as mere supporters are allowed to have.   I would go further and say that it is my view that the Heskey debacle encapsulates the core of O'Neill's weakness and the glass ceiling which is sixth place in the Premiership is O'Neill's not Villa's.

As for Liverpool being used as a yardstick of probity their current spend is like the man in the wine bar buying champagne all round before going home to a letter box full of county court judgements.   Liverpool are gambling wildly and recklessly in my opinion and if next tuesday Barack Obama cannot cobble a deal together with republicans to extend the limits on US borrowing and the United States defaults, US funding, our own included will be in very serious trouble.   As one commentator put it it would make the 2008 banking crisis look like forgetting to pay the milkman.

[Bigmelonface]

Thank god someone made this thread. I have been waiting for years for someone to make a thread so we can all moan about what a bad signing he is and how he doesn't score goals.

Finally this important topic gets the airing it deserves.

If you really don't want to discuss it then don't get involved. 
I was talking to a work mate on the way into the office this morning when he bought up the subject of Heskey.  We were trying to work out the cost per goal of a few players, I remember him taking the piss out of me when MoN signed him.
How would his cost per goal stack up against Carew or even Bent, in the short time he has been with us?

But it has been discussed to death, putting numbers and figures on it doesnt change much.

Als, it's not as if the Aston Villa signing of Emile Heskey was some sort of unique disaster in football transfers. It happens every club every season, where a player is signed for big bucks, put on big bucks and turns out a flop. Amount of money per goals tells you nothing you dont know already.

I wouldnt be surprised if Eck finds a use for him in the squad.

Not posted for a while but feel the need here, this is Heskey that is being discussed the entire planet was aware that he was exactly the kind of player we did not need, 'turns out to be flop' :-)

Google Emile Heskey's career.

[Villa'Zawg]

I think Paulie's summary early in his thread is a clear and accurate assessment with such hard information as mere supporters are allowed to have.   I would go further and say that it is my view that the Heskey debacle encapsulates the core of O'Neill's weakness and the glass ceiling which is sixth place in the Premiership is O'Neill's not Villa's.

As for Liverpool being used as a yardstick of probity their current spend is like the man in the wine bar buying champagne all round before going home to a letter box full of county court judgements.   Liverpool are gambling wildly and recklessly in my opinion and if next tuesday Barack Obama cannot cobble a deal together with republicans to extend the limits on US borrowing and the United States defaults, US funding, our own included will be in very serious trouble.   As one commentator put it it would make the 2008 banking crisis look like forgetting to pay the milkman.

All of my life I have been hearing that the other big clubs who are spending more than this big club are reckless and will go bust.

[pauliewalnuts]

re spending, what if the money isn't there?

An Everton situation, if you like, they just don't have the money to spend. What should Kenwright do in that situation? Throw all his personal wealth at it? Borrow?

There must always be a point at which the well runs dry.

[Bigmelonface]

I think Paulie's summary early in his thread is a clear and accurate assessment with such hard information as mere supporters are allowed to have.   I would go further and say that it is my view that the Heskey debacle encapsulates the core of O'Neill's weakness and the glass ceiling which is sixth place in the Premiership is O'Neill's not Villa's.

As for Liverpool being used as a yardstick of probity their current spend is like the man in the wine bar buying champagne all round before going home to a letter box full of county court judgements.   Liverpool are gambling wildly and recklessly in my opinion and if next tuesday Barack Obama cannot cobble a deal together with republicans to extend the limits on US borrowing and the United States defaults, US funding, our own included will be in very serious trouble.   As one commentator put it it would make the 2008 banking crisis look like forgetting to pay the milkman.

All of my life I have been hearing that the other big clubs who are spending more than this big club are reckless and will go bust.

The thing is Dawg if your going to spend money and be reckless!! Why spend it on a player that has proven over an entire career to not be very good?

We could have taken a chace on younger player for £3.5m and put him on an 10th of the wages and he would have made just as much of an impact, anyone would have done to be fair.

[pauliewalnuts]

Cant we compare our wage bill against Liverpool?  Fuck me, we think we have some deadwood to shift, take a look at the players on their books, and what some of them must be raking in (sorry "earning").  Deadwood?, its like Sherwood forest the day after Friar Tuck fell asleep instead of keeping an eye on his mead still.

Someone mentioned that Jovanovic is on 120k a week.

I genuinely had never heard of him until he went there. In fact, even now, if he turned up in my living room, wearing a Liverpool kit, I'd struggle to identify him.

Yes, all teams make really poor financial decisions. This one, though, is of extra significance to us because it is *our* poor financial decision and we're currently in an environment where the impact of such decisions is starting to be felt.

[brian green]

I have been hearing since Rupert Murdoch bought the News of the World that he is a shit and will one day get his comeuppance.   In the van was Private Eye who christened him the Dirty Digger.

A major football club and that does not include Small Heath will go bust within the next two seasons.   I work as a ramper for a major betting firm.   That is not casual speculation.

[Eigentor]

I don't think we can blame the board for wanting maximum return on their investment. There's no denying that we have invested in and are still suffering huge costs from players who add very little to the team. But that's one of the reasons why it's legitimate to question the appointment of McLeish (allthough I can understand posters who are tired of the debate on want to move on to other issues), because hiring a top manager is in my opinion the best way to get the most out of the clubs resources.

[Villa'Zawg]

I think Paulie's summary early in his thread is a clear and accurate assessment with such hard information as mere supporters are allowed to have.   I would go further and say that it is my view that the Heskey debacle encapsulates the core of O'Neill's weakness and the glass ceiling which is sixth place in the Premiership is O'Neill's not Villa's.

As for Liverpool being used as a yardstick of probity their current spend is like the man in the wine bar buying champagne all round before going home to a letter box full of county court judgements.   Liverpool are gambling wildly and recklessly in my opinion and if next tuesday Barack Obama cannot cobble a deal together with republicans to extend the limits on US borrowing and the United States defaults, US funding, our own included will be in very serious trouble.   As one commentator put it it would make the 2008 banking crisis look like forgetting to pay the milkman.

All of my life I have been hearing that the other big clubs who are spending more than this big club are reckless and will go bust.

The thing is Dawg if your going to spend money and be reckless!! Why spend it on a player that has proven over an entire career to not be very good?

We could have taken a chace on younger player for £3.5m and put him on an 10th of the wages and he would have made just as much of an impact, anyone would have done to be fair.

It's fair to say that he hasn't worked out, as is the case with many players at all clubs. It isn't fair to say that there was no possibility of it working out. How many players have scored more goals than Heskey during his Career? I bet there are even higher priced players who haven't scored as many goals as Heskey has whilst at the Villa.

[brian green]

To return briefly to the problem of sovereign debt which is relevant to a thread which is about excessive and possibly unjustified expenditure.   Italy has passed through its Senate a bill making 47 billions of euros of austerity measures, it will almost certainly be approved by the lower chamber on monday.   Spain is also struggling to sell its bonds and appears to be as financially distressed as Italy.

I mention this because Tevez's agent (did I say agent) thinks he can bounce City by threatening  a move by his star to Italy or Spain.   Brer Rabbit may be planning a jump into the wrong briar patch.

[GJH]

NEVER EVER a goal scorer, but a great target man! Never had a goalscorer to play with him though.

Rooney and Owen said he was the best strike partner they had played with and thats why they scored goals with him.

He's a big awkward nuisance upfront and every time he played for us the 2 opposing centre halves always had trouble marking him, leaving space for a goal scorer.

Got a good footballing brain (if not he wouldnt have played over 600 games) I would like to see heskey and Bent play together, think Bent would score 20+ goals easy.

Overpaid he definateley is, but when we signed him he was Wigans main forward and still in the England Squad. So he was probably on 40-45k a week at Wigan?

[hawkeye]

To return briefly to the problem of sovereign debt which is relevant to a thread which is about excessive and possibly unjustified expenditure.   Italy has passed through its Senate a bill making 47 billions of euros of austerity measures, it will almost certainly be approved by the lower chamber on monday.   Spain is also struggling to sell its bonds and appears to be as financially distressed as Italy.

I mention this because Tevez's agent (did I say agent) thinks he can bounce City by threatening  a move by his star to Italy or Spain.   Brer Rabbit may be planning a jump into the wrong briar patch.

Damon you are wasted on here, we have an off topic thread about the credit crisis, be good to see your opinions