Matthew Lowton

[Brend'Watkins]

My point being that if he didn't score that goal most of us wouldn't recall much about him other than being a good prospect of which we have had many over the years. Like Lowton initially most saw huge potential in him and the goals he scored and the assists helped mask some of the defensive flaws in his game. Not saying that could have happened with Cahill and as it turned out he went on via Bolton to become a very good player. I'm just saying to skews our view of Cahill a little to being better than he probably was at the time.

Before that goal I can remember stating that we have a future England center back in the making. He wasn't the finished article then or anywhere near it but the signs were there. It was a big bollock dropped letting him go as we did.

[tomd2103]

What makes it worse is he sold Cahill for peanuts then spent millions on dross like cuellar, knight, Collins and dunne.  pubeheaded bell end.

Though I'd take those players over any of the dross we've got now.

Zat Knight over Clark ? Dunne over Okore ? Cuellar over Richards ?
Behave

I would definitely take the Richard Dunne of his first couple of seasons and in fact, that type of CB is exactly what we currently need.  Unfortunately, his interest in playing for us left with O'Neill. 

[bob]

Letting Cahill go was a mistake and pretty sure it was obvious at the time with O'Neill oddly and stubbornly preferring Knight.

[Risso]

Gary Cahill was player of the season, and young player of the season when he was at Burnley.  I used to know a couple of Burnley fans from having worked there for a while, and they thought he was one of the best defenders they'd seen.  And as for the poster on the previous page who thought that Cahill was a bit soft, absolutely no chance.

And I think the idea that Villa fans over rate him because of a goal is bit insulting to be honest, we can just generally recognise a good player when we see one.  In any case, I don't recall many people pining for Zat Knight based on his superb finish against Arsenal.

[Toronto Villa]

I certainly don't overrate him. I just think our memory of him is maybe more fond than it should be because of that goal. There is no doubt he was a very promising talent but he didn't have to leave. He could have stayed and fought for his place. The way it went with the other players unless MON had a personal gripe then he'd have worked his way into the first team. It's a shame how it all went down and that he felt he had to go to Bolton to get regular first team action. But it also says a lot that he went to Bolton and not to a higher profile side as to how many other managers felt about him at the time. If everyone thought he'd become the player he is then he would have gone elsewhere. I think most saw him as a very good prospect, not quite ready for the first team and with room for improvement. Just as MON probably and his coaches saw him at the time.

[dave.woodhall]

I wondered how long that "He wasn't prepared to fight for his place" nonsense would take. He didn't get in the team because O'Neill didn't like his style, and when he did play he always looked what he's become - an England regular.

[Toronto Villa]

He still could have stayed at the club. He didn't have to leave. Did the manager force him out and tell him he had no future because of his style? If he did I stand corrected. And if he looked an England regular why did he end up at Bolton valued at around £5m and not a club of greater significance? Because future England regulars costing £5m don't come around every day. You'd think they'd be lined up around Villa Park to sign him.

[silhillvilla]

My point being that if he didn't score that goal most of us wouldn't recall much about him other than being a good prospect of which we have had many over the years. Like Lowton initially most saw huge potential in him and the goals he scored and the assists helped mask some of the defensive flaws in his game. Not saying that could have happened with Cahill and as it turned out he went on via Bolton to become a very good player. I'm just saying to skews our view of Cahill a little to being better than he probably was at the time.

Before that goal I can remember stating that we have a future England center back in the making. He wasn't the finished article then or anywhere near it but the signs were there. It was a big bollock dropped letting him go as we did.

Agree

[dave.woodhall]

He still could have stayed at the club. He didn't have to leave. Did the manager force him out and tell him he had no future because of his style? If he did I stand corrected. And if he looked an England regular why did he end up at Bolton valued at around £5m and not a club of greater significance? Because future England regulars costing £5m don't come around every day. You'd think they'd be lined up around Villa Park to sign him.

I can remember us selling two England internationals to Middlesbrough; there wasn't much of a queue for either of them. You can attempt to re-write history as much as you like but the fact is that Cahill looked every inch a top quality player of the future when he was here and just about everyone except Martin O'Neill thought so.

[JUAN PABLO]

I wondered how long that "He wasn't prepared to fight for his place" nonsense would take. He didn't get in the team because O'Neill didn't like his style, and when he did play he always looked what he's become - an England regular.

Exactly . So many people on here saying I'm going to bet he will be England captain one day when he was at villa

[Toronto Villa]

He still could have stayed at the club. He didn't have to leave. Did the manager force him out and tell him he had no future because of his style? If he did I stand corrected. And if he looked an England regular why did he end up at Bolton valued at around £5m and not a club of greater significance? Because future England regulars costing £5m don't come around every day. You'd think they'd be lined up around Villa Park to sign him.

I can remember us selling two England internationals to Middlesbrough; there wasn't much of a queue for either of them. You can attempt to re-write history as much as you like but the fact is that Cahill looked every inch a top quality player of the future when he was here and just about everyone except Martin O'Neill thought so.

I'm not re-writing anything Dave. I asked a question as to why more clubs didn't see what apparently everyone except MON did? And I'm not defending MON because none of us want to see our top prospects leave.

[paul_e]

I certainly don't overrate him. I just think our memory of him is maybe more fond than it should be because of that goal. There is no doubt he was a very promising talent but he didn't have to leave. He could have stayed and fought for his place. The way it went with the other players unless MON had a personal gripe then he'd have worked his way into the first team. It's a shame how it all went down and that he felt he had to go to Bolton to get regular first team action. But it also says a lot that he went to Bolton and not to a higher profile side as to how many other managers felt about him at the time. If everyone thought he'd become the player he is then he would have gone elsewhere. I think most saw him as a very good prospect, not quite ready for the first team and with room for improvement. Just as MON probably and his coaches saw him at the time.

This was the main problem, he did this and deserved a chance to keep his spot but mon decided to sign Davies and Knight and push both of them in front of him.

[dave.woodhall]

He still could have stayed at the club. He didn't have to leave. Did the manager force him out and tell him he had no future because of his style? If he did I stand corrected. And if he looked an England regular why did he end up at Bolton valued at around £5m and not a club of greater significance? Because future England regulars costing £5m don't come around every day. You'd think they'd be lined up around Villa Park to sign him.

I can remember us selling two England internationals to Middlesbrough; there wasn't much of a queue for either of them. You can attempt to re-write history as much as you like but the fact is that Cahill looked every inch a top quality player of the future when he was here and just about everyone except Martin O'Neill thought so.

I'm not re-writing anything Dave. I asked a question as to why more clubs didn't see what apparently everyone except MON did? And I'm not defending MON because none of us want to see our top prospects leave.

I have absolutely no idea, but I do know that virtually everyone on here thought he was mistaken, and this was at the height of his popularity.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I wondered how long that "He wasn't prepared to fight for his place" nonsense would take. He didn't get in the team because O'Neill didn't like his style, and when he did play he always looked what he's become - an England regular.

MON not even bothering to speak to him was one of the main reasons Cahill decided to leave. He claimed in an interview in the Meaning Evil that he would have been prepared to stay and fight for his place if he'd been told he was still in the manager's plans.

I'm still looking forward to Chris Smith eating his hat when Cahill eventually captains his country.

[saunders_heroes]

Could have been worse, he could have signed for Small Heath but he was on record saying he didn't want to be considered a "Villa reject" so he turned them down.
Damn you O'Neill for letting him go.