Quote from: dave.woodhall on September 09, 2018, 10:56:50 PMThe Crouch story is similar to Angel, who gained a lot of sympathy when he was apparently treated badly on his arrival. As was said at the time, "He expected help 24 hours a day, and Villa don't do that for anyone".That’s not remotely as I recall it. He arrived, hardly speaking any English. His wife and child were then taken ill, and he was messed around by the hotel he was in. Gregory admitted they didn’t do enough to help him settle, which is why they appointed the player liaison officer afterwards.
The Crouch story is similar to Angel, who gained a lot of sympathy when he was apparently treated badly on his arrival. As was said at the time, "He expected help 24 hours a day, and Villa don't do that for anyone".
Where's that from 'Skillz? Didn't Peter have the gumption to sort himself out with an apartment or was it bad old Doug's fault somehow?
Quote from: Risso on September 09, 2018, 11:50:37 PMQuote from: dave.woodhall on September 09, 2018, 10:56:50 PMThe Crouch story is similar to Angel, who gained a lot of sympathy when he was apparently treated badly on his arrival. As was said at the time, "He expected help 24 hours a day, and Villa don't do that for anyone".That’s not remotely as I recall it. He arrived, hardly speaking any English. His wife and child were then taken ill, and he was messed around by the hotel he was in. Gregory admitted they didn’t do enough to help him settle, which is why they appointed the player liaison officer afterwards.He was asked to move his room in the Belfry for one night. That was the extent of his being messed around.
Quote from: dave.woodhall on September 10, 2018, 12:12:56 AMQuote from: Risso on September 09, 2018, 11:50:37 PMQuote from: dave.woodhall on September 09, 2018, 10:56:50 PMThe Crouch story is similar to Angel, who gained a lot of sympathy when he was apparently treated badly on his arrival. As was said at the time, "He expected help 24 hours a day, and Villa don't do that for anyone".That’s not remotely as I recall it. He arrived, hardly speaking any English. His wife and child were then taken ill, and he was messed around by the hotel he was in. Gregory admitted they didn’t do enough to help him settle, which is why they appointed the player liaison officer afterwards.He was asked to move his room in the Belfry for one night. That was the extent of his being messed around. Yes but this was a (relatively) young man who had just moved continents, I believe had a very small grasp of the english language, and had a wife, who presumably couldn't speak the language, and a small child who was not very well. Perhaps the reasons for him being "messed about" were not made very well to him leaving him frustrated and upset that no one seemed to bother to ensure he fully understood what was happening.
It wasn't just his son who was ill, it was his wife. And if Taylor did say that, it was utterly pathetic of him. What was his excuse for failing to get much out of every other player in the squad as well then?
Quote from: Risso on September 10, 2018, 11:30:46 AMIt wasn't just his son who was ill, it was his wife. And if Taylor did say that, it was utterly pathetic of him. What was his excuse for failing to get much out of every other player in the squad as well then?Nice to see the Angel love-in still burns brightly. 2002-03 was a poor season; the many and varied reasons for that have been explained in full ever since. Sir Graham would probably have admitted that he shouldn't have come back - there's certainly enough evidence that had he known the full extent of what he was taking on he wouldn't have done so. I can't see how him being honest about a player years after the event makes him pathetic, but then again I can't understand why someone would want to stay in a job where he was so upset about being treated so badly. I wonder what Ryu's doing these days?
Quote from: dave.woodhall on September 10, 2018, 11:39:43 AMQuote from: Risso on September 10, 2018, 11:30:46 AMIt wasn't just his son who was ill, it was his wife. And if Taylor did say that, it was utterly pathetic of him. What was his excuse for failing to get much out of every other player in the squad as well then?Nice to see the Angel love-in still burns brightly. 2002-03 was a poor season; the many and varied reasons for that have been explained in full ever since. Sir Graham would probably have admitted that he shouldn't have come back - there's certainly enough evidence that had he known the full extent of what he was taking on he wouldn't have done so. I can't see how him being honest about a player years after the event makes him pathetic, but then again I can't understand why someone would want to stay in a job where he was so upset about being treated so badly. I wonder what Ryu's doing these days? I'd normally agree with you on the spoilt footballer thing, Dave, but I think a man sat in a hotel in a country on a different continent where he can't speak the language with no family or friends suddenly finding his wife and young son ill is going to have a few problems, regardless of his income. I had the misfortune to have my son fall ill abroad and it was a nightmare, irrespective of the fact I am a mature man who has spent a lot of years in a tough working environment. Of course, you know more about the circumstances than I do, but I feel for him in that situation. I certainly didn't feel like finding an interpreter when I was at my wit's end.
At the time my heart bled for this man earning a fortune, who apparently couldn't contact anyone who speak Spanish to help him. It still does, as it does for all footballers. Incidentally, Sir Graham said that one of the reasons he couldn't get much out of Angel two years later was that he was still moping about his supposed ill-treatment.
Quote from: dave.woodhall on September 10, 2018, 11:24:21 AMAt the time my heart bled for this man earning a fortune, who apparently couldn't contact anyone who speak Spanish to help him. It still does, as it does for all footballers. Incidentally, Sir Graham said that one of the reasons he couldn't get much out of Angel two years later was that he was still moping about his supposed ill-treatment. That's a bit like Gregory saying that Stan Collymore was earming too much money to be really depressed.