How big a loss is Stan

[PeterWithesShin]

I'd be amazed if Stan played competitively again. The amount of time it will take to get the all clear (fingers crossed) and then to try and get match fit is beyond him I reckon. Would be great to see him play some part in a testimonial though.

[Ger Regan]

I'd be amazed if Stan played competitively again. The amount of time it will take to get the all clear (fingers crossed) and then to try and get match fit is beyond him I reckon. Would be great to see him play some part in a testimonial though.

Hey, maybe the club should organise some sort of charity match in his honour, preferably against one of his former clubs......

[ktvillan]

I'll put my head above the parapet and admit to never having been a fan of Petrov. He frustrated me by, in a team built to counter attack, frequently stopping and playing it backwards when there was a chance to rip forward.  Yes we retained possession, but in areas that could do no harm to the opposition.  The very fault we identified as a failing against West Ham. 

That said, he often had little choice due to the lack of movement around him, and we did seem a little more solid when he played. 

I suspect he may have been in his element and come into his own in Lambert's system designed around passing and movement.  I hope he gets a chance to show us.

[Salsa Party Animal]

We miss his influence, reading skills, experience and calmness, but we don't miss his power or lack of stamina. What we need is to find next Petrov with James Milner engine

[claretandbeer]

3 years ago ,I would have sold him,his fitness under MON was questionable ,especially the inability to track opponents back. Under Houllier and TSM he seemed leaner and quicker and was a great calming influence . He was living on borrowed time in Prem Lge terms but such a horrible illness puts everything else into second place and winning that battle is the most important thing.

[sonlyme]

We tend to forget - with all the Leukaemia worry - that Stan has often been the target of discontent from the terraces - with many feeling that his legs had gone - or that he didn't score enough - but I always thought such criticisms were muddle headed.

Stan used to be an attacking midfielder - spraying the ball and scoring freely - but at Villa he became more of a central cog - protecting the defence and distributing the ball to the players MON chose to mount swift incisive counter attacks.  The truth was revealed when he got injured under MON - and the team struggled.

I found this on a football stats webpage.

Average Match Rating – 7.08
The 32-year-old Bulgarian was Aston Villa’s highest rated player last season based on overall match performances. Picking up an overall rating of 7.08, Petrov was the only Villa player to make it over the 7 point mark during a disappointing campaign for the side.

Pass Success Percentage – 83%
Of players to make at least 5 appearances for the side, Stiliyan Petrov was Villa’s most accurate passer in the Premier League last season with a pass success percentage of 83%. Not only was he the most accurate passes, but he also played the most passes – at an average of 43.1 passes per game.

‘Was Fouled’ Per Game – 1.4
Showing that he’s not just good at retaining the ball through accurate passes, Petrov showed that he can have quick feet and a quicker mind, earning more free kicks per game from being fouled than any other player that spent the full season with the club (Fabian Delph was fouled 1.5 times per game, but was loaned out to Leeds halfway through the season).

Interceptions Per Game – 3.6
Higher than anyone else in the whole of the Barclays Premier League, Stiliyan Petrov averaged 3.6 interceptions in each game that he played.

Man of the Match Awards – 4
Stiliyan Petrov picked up 4 Man of the Match awards in the Premier League last season, more than any other Villa player. Stephen Ireland and Gabby Agbonlahor got 3, with no other Villa player earning more than just single award.

So opinion is one thing.  Facts are quite another.

Whether we will see him back is in the balance - but even if his playing career is done - PL could do worse than invite Stan onto the team as a coach - because like PL - Stan could do it at the highest level yet remained very much a team player.  He has been nothing but super for Villa.  And I'm sure we all wish him the best and hope to see him wearing a Villa badge again soon.  In a shirt or on a tracksuit.

One Stan Petrov.

[hawkeye]

There were some real Stan haters on this site and I never quite understood that.
I think he was comming closer to the end of his career with The Villa and I would love to see him in a Villa shirt again.

[olaftab]

I am not answering this question as Stan has not announced his retirement.

[hawkeye]

I am not answering this question as Stan has not announced his retirement.

Thats right the question is obviously infering that he has retired, thanks for pointing that out.

[tomd2103]

Whenever Petrov wasn't in the side last season we struggled massively and were overrun in midfield.  There is still noone in the squad who can do his job.  My midfield would look more like this:

             Stan        KEA

Delph          Ireland        Holman

Still think he could have done a job for us this season, but probably in a more defensive role and in midfield that looked like:


                         Stan

                  KEA           Bannan  / Holman

                      Ireland

[Pete3206]

I think someone like Mark Halsey would be an inspiration To Stan. To see someone go through what he did and return to full fitness was extraordinary.

I'm not saying that Stan will play again, but I'm certain that he'll do everything humanly possible to make it happen.

 

[SoccerHQ]

If it comes down to Stan never playing for us again but beating Leukemia and leading a long and happy life, we'd all take that.

Don't see him playing again really although nice touch the club have still named him in the premier league 25 just in case.

If he announces his retirement, I'm sure he'll be on the VP pitch waving goodbye just like Laursen did. There won't be a dry eye in the house, trust me.

 

[Nastylee]

I remember at the start of last season being Pro-Petrov amongst a thread of anti Petrov comments. At the time he was our best midfielder and his form until Xmas proved that. It's a shame such news is required for fans to appreciate him.

As for the future, Petrov will never play at the highest level again. He's well into his thirties and not only needs to secure his life, but fight off the disease and return to strength/fitness before even kicking a ball. This is at least a year away if not longer so there's no way he'll be playing at a high level again, maybe testimonials, charity games and the like.

[phantom limb]

He took an almighty amount of stick at times in his first season, but his intelligence and ability shone through. I'd love him to play for us again but sadly I doubt it.

[eastie]

He took an almighty amount of stick at times in his first season, but his intelligence and ability shone through. I'd love him to play for us again but sadly I doubt it.

Fabulous on hs debut at west ham he struggled to reach those heights very often afterwards, a good solid pro but his best days were behind him in a villa shirt- would like to see him on the back room staff as he is a positive influence but the main thing is he beats this illness and I wish him every success , a fabulous bloke who sets a great example of what a pro footballer should act like .