Gregory on Talksport now

[seanthevillan]

Balaban really was awful for us. My mate covered the reserves for local radio and even at that level he said Balaban looked out of his depth. 11 years ago we spent £6million and 20K a week on him. Almost makes Hutton and his wages look a bargain.

I watched him in training at BH the once, he was absolutely terrible, that transfer stinks.

He scored a lot of goals for a lesser team, couldn't hack it in England, then went on to score a lot of goals for other lesser teams.  It happens.  He scored 47 goals in 83 games for Club Brugge.

I'm sure the week before the league started, or just when we'd signed him, he played for Croatia against Scotland at Hampden and missed a one-on-one, or simple chance (though Croatia won).

Remember listening on the radio about "Villa's new signing Bosko Balaban" and my Dad wondering whether he'd be any good, with this unexplainable sense that deep down we both knew he wouldn't.

[PeterWithesShin]

Its a shame that final will go down as one of the worst ever.

Lots of FA Cup finals are rubbish. It's only because we played in it that it sticks in our mind so much.

I disagree, it was a dreadful final and the worst i can remember in the last 40 years and villa were an utter embarrassment that day - a dreadful inexcusable display on the biggest of occasions.

Way way over the top. It was a poor game, but as I said there's been plenty of poor FA Cup finals over the years. From memory the Man Utd v Chelsea in 07 was dreadful as was Man Utd v Milwall, Portsmouth V Cardiff. Lots of others too. It was major disappointment for us, but at least Gregory got us there. No other Villa manager has got us there in about a million years. That match against Leeds will live long in the memory as well. So much for the shit football under Gregory that people love to spout on here.

The Chelsea match last season may well will live long in the memory for those who were there, the odd decent match doesn't mean the majority of the rest of the football wasn't dour and negative though.

As I said earlier, if in doubt go and read H&V or THT from 99/00 season onwards under Gregory. While we had the odd good game and the odd good run of results, the quality of football overall was poor, especially given the value of the players he had. And if the football was so great, how come that the 2 lowest average attendance seasons we've had since the attendance boom of the mid 90s were the last 2 full seasons under JG (99/00 00/01)?

[ktvillan]

I'd waited 35 years, from the age of 5, for Villa to get to an FA Cup final.  And when we did, we didn't even try.  Whatever good stuff Gregory did is totally undermined by that one disgraceful performance.   

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

I'd waited 35 years, from the age of 5, for Villa to get to an FA Cup final.  And when we did, we didn't even try.  Whatever good stuff Gregory did is totally undermined by that one disgraceful performance.   

To say we didn't try is wrong. You don't get to an FA Cup Final and not try. It'd be much more apt to just say we were shit.

[Risso]

Its a shame that final will go down as one of the worst ever.

Lots of FA Cup finals are rubbish. It's only because we played in it that it sticks in our mind so much.

I disagree, it was a dreadful final and the worst i can remember in the last 40 years and villa were an utter embarrassment that day - a dreadful inexcusable display on the biggest of occasions.

Way way over the top. It was a poor game, but as I said there's been plenty of poor FA Cup finals over the years. From memory the Man Utd v Chelsea in 07 was dreadful as was Man Utd v Milwall, Portsmouth V Cardiff. Lots of others too. It was major disappointment for us, but at least Gregory got us there. No other Villa manager has got us there in about a million years. That match against Leeds will live long in the memory as well. So much for the shit football under Gregory that people love to spout on here.

Completely agree SH.  I always thought we had a chance under Gregory, against whoever we played.

[eastie]

I'd waited 35 years, from the age of 5, for Villa to get to an FA Cup final.  And when we did, we didn't even try.  Whatever good stuff Gregory did is totally undermined by that one disgraceful performance.   

To say we didn't try is wrong. You don't get to an FA Cup Final and not try. It'd be much more apt to just say we were shit.

What's worse is that Chelsea were really poor that day and there for the taking- we blew it !

[QBVILLA]

His handling of the SVC situation was poor to say the least.

Now that is an understatement.

Don't remember many disagreeing with him at the time though.

Excellent point. No one seemed to be saying "poor Stan", more along the lines of "How can he be depressed on £20k a week, he ought to try working for a living". Rightly or wrongly that was the reaction.I liked Gregory as Villa manager for the way he continually bigged the club up.Some of the football was dour but he was in complete contrast to O'Leary who thought we were on par with chuffing Charlton.

[PeterWithesShin]

Its a shame that final will go down as one of the worst ever.

Lots of FA Cup finals are rubbish. It's only because we played in it that it sticks in our mind so much.

I disagree, it was a dreadful final and the worst i can remember in the last 40 years and villa were an utter embarrassment that day - a dreadful inexcusable display on the biggest of occasions.

Way way over the top. It was a poor game, but as I said there's been plenty of poor FA Cup finals over the years. From memory the Man Utd v Chelsea in 07 was dreadful as was Man Utd v Milwall, Portsmouth V Cardiff. Lots of others too. It was major disappointment for us, but at least Gregory got us there. No other Villa manager has got us there in about a million years. That match against Leeds will live long in the memory as well. So much for the shit football under Gregory that people love to spout on here.

Completely agree SH.  I always thought we had a chance under Gregory, against whoever we played.

Everyone had more of a chance back then though as it was before the Sky and CL money went through the roof and created the gulf between the top few and the rest. And Chelsea were pre-Abrahmovic. It's why West Ham and Forest were able to finish top 5 in that time.

[Clampy]

As for Gregory, bearing in mind one minute he was managing Wycombe Wanderers (his first managerial job i think) then next managing Aston Villa, he probably could'nt believe his luck. Yeah he overpaid on some dross (what manager has'nt) and the footy was'nt always great but overall i think he did a reasonable job.

He was a breath of fresh air at the time and we did well to stay top of the league for as long as we did that one season. He was unlucky to lose Yorke and who knows how good Luc Nillis would have been?

I think the one mistake he did make was taking the Derby job as soon as he did.

[Clampy]

Its a shame that final will go down as one of the worst ever.

Lots of FA Cup finals are rubbish. It's only because we played in it that it sticks in our mind so much.

I disagree, it was a dreadful final and the worst i can remember in the last 40 years and villa were an utter embarrassment that day - a dreadful inexcusable display on the biggest of occasions.

That match against Leeds will live long in the memory as well. So much for the shit football under Gregory that people love to spout on here.

That's a good point. Whilst there was some poor footbal along the way, there was some great stuff as well. As well as the Leeds game, the one game that sticks in my memory is Southampton away at The Dell on Dublin's debut. We murdered them 4-1 and it should have been more. Did'nt we have an all English starting 11 around that time as well?

[berneboy]

Its a shame that final will go down as one of the worst ever.

Lots of FA Cup finals are rubbish. It's only because we played in it that it sticks in our mind so much.

I disagree, it was a dreadful final and the worst i can remember in the last 40 years and villa were an utter embarrassment that day - a dreadful inexcusable display on the biggest of occasions.

I agree. My family joined me for a very special day out with the world watching and it was awful. I would rather have lost 4-1 or something than watch us create a dreadful spectacle for the closing of the old Wembley with so many nations sharing the horror. We should have had a go.

[eastie]

Its a shame that final will go down as one of the worst ever.

Lots of FA Cup finals are rubbish. It's only because we played in it that it sticks in our mind so much.

I disagree, it was a dreadful final and the worst i can remember in the last 40 years and villa were an utter embarrassment that day - a dreadful inexcusable display on the biggest of occasions.

That match against Leeds will live long in the memory as well. So much for the shit football under Gregory that people love to spout on here.

That's a good point. Whilst there was some poor footbal along the way, there was some great stuff as well. As well as the Leeds game, the one game that sticks in my memory is Southampton away at The Dell on Dublin's debut. We murdered them 4-1 and it should have been more. Did'nt we have an all English starting 11 around that time as well?

.
 
Yes we did clamps,  the Gregory ere was a reasonable time and there were some good players bought in, if we had got Robbie Keane and juninho in when in a position of strength who knows what could have been achieved- although there were some dreadful games under Gregory it was far better than some of the stuff we have seen over the last couple of years.

[silhillvilla]

Didn't he sign all his players via 1 agent - Tony Stephens of SFX ? Didnt that lead to all the suspicions ?

[olaftab]

Haha just started listening and Gregory said Dion Dublin would be worth "at least 25m" today.

Yes he is correct there. Dion was a fantastic footballer. One of the most intelligent players around. And if we use the Andy Carroll scale he would be worth £40M.

[LeeB]

Haha just started listening and Gregory said Dion Dublin would be worth "at least 25m" today.

Yes he is correct there. Dion was a fantastic footballer. One of the most intelligent players around. And if we use the Andy Carroll scale he would be worth £40M.

Before he broke his neck, he was as good a centre forward as I've seen in a Villa shirt.