Richard Dunne

[LeeB]

Groin injury, I believe. He's had surgery twice on it or do you believe he went under the knife to avoid playing?

Don't the club have insurance policies to recoup money spent on wages for long term injuries?

Is that similar to the "Land Rover bad back"?

[KevinGage]

Richard Dunne is a stain on our club.

For me, he's out there with Hodge.

Didn't we see him looking fit, trim and in training during the snow last January? Remember those pictures that were released?

Maybe he was trying and did have setbacks. Lambert hinted several times that he hoped Dunne would be available  and even indicated that a new contract would be forthcoming.

We have had worse characters than Dunne on the books, including Mr. Stephen Ireland. I don't think Dunne is a shirker, he messed up badly with Collins under Houllier but think he has been a bit of a scapegoat since then.

Agreed. He has been at least competent for most of his (playing) time here.

Top comment, on of the more ridiculous things I have read on here and that takes something .

Bottom one, based on reality. There were many on here who had the knives out for Dunne before he even arrived for some reason. His season that saw him get picked in the PFA team of the year, had them retreat for a while, but as soon as the clubs fortunes went down hill, he was the scapegoat.

He is trying to get fit for next season by training and playing a low key international. It's a long way apart from throwing himself into a relegation battle, which he clearly wasn't ready for. Would people really have wanted a half crocked Dunne to have lined out for us before the Sunderland game, only to have to take him off after 20 minutes?

The Cowans incident, waddling in for pre season training two stone overweight in 2010 and being spotted up town drinking and smoking mark him out as a shit professional, with little or no respect for the Villa.

I undertstand that some Irish Villa fans like to think of him differently, and cut him more slack based on his contribution for his country for 10+ years.  But I judge him purely based on what he's done in C&B, or his behaviour whilst on the clubs payroll. And he's been a letdown, for the most part.  Form, fitness, leadership, the whole nine yards. 

When people have to isolate the one or two good games he's had for the past two years, that says it all for me.  A reasonable, reliable centre half will give you 7/10 performances most games, with the occasional 'mare thrown in. With Dunne, it was the other way around.

It's little wonder people are suspicious about his sudden return to fitness, just in time for an attractive set of games for his country, when he can put himself in the shop window.

Ability wise, he probably was our best centre half for these past few years.  But when measured against Colllins, Clark and Baker (who I actually have hope for, but who is clearly a long way short of the finished article)  that's not actually saying much. It's the worst set of centre halves I can recall us having for the best part of two decades.

[jonzy85]

It will be interesting to see if he plays tonight.

He's been ruled out by Trap.

[jonzy85]

Richard Dunne is a stain on our club.

For me, he's out there with Hodge.

Didn't we see him looking fit, trim and in training during the snow last January? Remember those pictures that were released?

Maybe he was trying and did have setbacks. Lambert hinted several times that he hoped Dunne would be available  and even indicated that a new contract would be forthcoming.

We have had worse characters than Dunne on the books, including Mr. Stephen Ireland. I don't think Dunne is a shirker, he messed up badly with Collins under Houllier but think he has been a bit of a scapegoat since then.

Agreed. He has been at least competent for most of his (playing) time here.

Top comment, on of the more ridiculous things I have read on here and that takes something .

Bottom one, based on reality. There were many on here who had the knives out for Dunne before he even arrived for some reason. His season that saw him get picked in the PFA team of the year, had them retreat for a while, but as soon as the clubs fortunes went down hill, he was the scapegoat.

He is trying to get fit for next season by training and playing a low key international. It's a long way apart from throwing himself into a relegation battle, which he clearly wasn't ready for. Would people really have wanted a half crocked Dunne to have lined out for us before the Sunderland game, only to have to take him off after 20 minutes?

The Cowans incident, waddling in for pre season training two stone overweight in 2010 and being spotted up town drinking and smoking mark him out as a shit professional, with little or no respect for the Villa.

I undertstand that some Irish Villa fans like to think of him differently, and cut him more slack based on his contribution for his country for 10+ years.  But I judge him purely based on what he's done in C&B, or his behaviour whilst on the clubs payroll. And he's been a letdown, for the most part.  Form, fitness, leadership, the whole nine yards. 

When people have to isolate the one or two good games he's had for the past two years, that says it all for me.  A reasonable, reliable centre half will give you 7/10 performances most games, with the occasional 'mare thrown in. With Dunne, it was the other way around.

It's little wonder people are suspicious about his sudden return to fitness, just in time for an attractive set of games for his country, when he can put himself in the shop window.

Ability wise, he probably was our best centre half for these past few years.  But when measured against Colllins, Clark and Baker (who I actually have hope for, but who is clearly a long way short of the finished article)  that's not actually saying much. It's the worst set of centre halves I can recall us having for the best part of two decades.

I accept that this is a more balanced criticism of Dunne than "he's a stain". But I still think it's harsh. You could say that his performances for Ireland cloud my opinion, but I would say that he was playing in a team, well set up and played to his strengths. He has been part of the worst Villa squad I can remember over the last couple of years and like many others has disappointed at times. I would also argue that his solid performances outweigh the calamities significantly and all this while playing with, as you say the worst set of centre halves in 20 years.
He's not the first player to have examples of unprofessional behaviour and won't be the last, but to use them as an argument that he has sat on his hole this year pretending he has an injury is a bit bizarre, especially when the club have stated he has undergone surgery twice this year.

[KevinGage]

I'd like to think it is purely just coincidence. 

He's out of tonight's game anyway. 

For all his faults, I never took him to be someone who would pick and choose his games.

[LeeB]

I'd like to think it is purely just coincidence. 

He's out of tonight's game anyway. 

For all his faults, I never took him to be someone who would pick and choose his pies.

Corrected.

[damon loves JT]

He is probably desperate to play, and for all we know was desperate to play for the Villa too. The club's medical staff would have had the final say, I guess.

[Tuscans]

Dunne talking shit in my opinion...its because you were injured all season. Brad is better than Shay and Warnock....well, he's Warnock.

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11677/8753537/Transfer-News-Richard-Dunne-is-looking-for-new-club

[Damo70]

He is basically sticking up for his mates but makes a fair point about experience. He is also pointing out the way Villa and PL have chosen to move forward. Having started the revolution last summer and seen it work out generally speaking, Lambert isn't going to do a U-turn in his policies now.

[rob_bridge]

Dunne talking shit in my opinion...its because you were injured all season. Brad is better than Shay and Warnock....well, he's Warnock.

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11677/8753537/Transfer-News-Richard-Dunne-is-looking-for-new-club

Jeeps if he citing Warnock as part of his arguement then that is shite. Warnock seemed to shit stir from the moment O'Neill left. Best of luck Dunney - we never seen much out of you for the money, more than (S) Ireland, CNZ and a few others but still not good enough overall

[Fernando Partridge]

Republic of Ireland and Georgia
Westwood, Wilson, R.Keogh, Delaney, McShane, A.Keogh, McCarthy, Hoolahan, McClean, Cox, Long (C)

Dunne on bench and was talking about being fit since may1st

big 3 games for dunney in where he wil go and play next as out of contract  - good luck to him

[spangley1812]

He has just come on........

[PeterWithesShin]

He has just come on........

I always thought he was a big girl.

[bertlambshank]

The club owe the fat bastard nothing.

[SoccerHQ]

Richard Dunne is a stain on our club.

For me, he's out there with Hodge.

Dunne has been on the whole a good player for us. We'll probably never know the ins and outs of what happened last season, but to class him in the same bracket as Hodge is quite laughable.
Talk about OTT!

The shit you gave those who actually bothered to turn out for us last season, and yet you defend this useless sack of shite.

You haven't got a clue why Dunne was out for the season yet you've jumped to the conclusion that something sinister was going on and now you're putting him in the Hodge class. Just laughable.

Absolutely I have.

He's just took the best part of £3m out of my club for doing fuck all for a year, and bookending this period he's been selected for international squads, and the two years before that he staggered between disgrace and liability.

He was injured. Would you prefer it if injured players didn't pick up their wages?
Dunne has never been a disgrace or a liability. In fact if he was fit this season I'd bet my bottom dollar we wouldn't have conceded a horrific 69 league goals.

He played most of 10/11 and we conceded 60 goals that year so yeah small reduction.