Players you thought weren't going to make it, who did

[willywombat]

Been browsing the, 'Players you thought would make it, who didn't',  thread and got to thinking about those players you thought were no-hopers who turned it around and made the grade. Peter Withe for me, journeyman striker with average stamped all over him, massively underwhelmed when we signed him but.....

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

I thought Allan Evans would just be a fringe player and probably move on after a year or two.

[Pat McMahon]

I agree with both of you re Withe and Evans.

For me Kenny Swain as a utility forward player was very so-so. He matured into an excellent full back.

[PGW]

Out of that team you could add Des Bremner to the list.....sheer quality as it turned out!!

[olaftab]

When I heard Ron had signed Withe word donkey came straight to my mind. Just couldn't  understand where as we had Andy Gray  we  will now have a journey man who was only good enough to play for Small Heath. How wrong was I pleased to say!

I also didn't think Cahill would be as good as he is. I thought he was another Ridgewell ...oh hang on that's a top 4 full back I am treating with disrespect!

[Flamingo Lane]

Ken McNaught
Ugu Ehogu
John Robson
Mike Pejic
Andy Lochead
Ray Graydon

[montague]

David Platt was a big surprise.

[dave.woodhall]

Been browsing the, 'Players you thought would make it, who didn't',  thread and got to thinking about those players you thought were no-hopers who turned it around and made the grade. Peter Withe for me, journeyman striker with average stamped all over him, massively underwhelmed when we signed him but.....

And for half a million quid when our record at the time was £300k.

[villan from luton]

Have said it before, but Des Bremners debut was absolutely awful, didnt look as if he had ever seen a football before in his life.

Thought Tony Morley was a desperation signing, and wondered why the feck we had bought an average keeper in Jimmy Rimmer 

[TopDeck113]

That crocked Irish bloke who turned up at the Villa after being drummed out of Old Trafford for being a piss-head.  What ever happened to him?

[Ron Manager]

Been browsing the, 'Players you thought would make it, who didn't',  thread and got to thinking about those players you thought were no-hopers who turned it around and made the grade. Peter Withe for me, journeyman striker with average stamped all over him, massively underwhelmed when we signed him but.....

And for half a million quid when our record at the time was £300k.

Never forgotten the first time I noticed Peter Withe . He was playing for Wolves and turned Emlyn Hughes inside out out with a piece of skill
that surprised me it was that good.

[curiousorange]

Didn't Freddie Bouma get torn a new one by Yossi Benayoun at West Ham on his Villa debut? He went on to be a fan favourite, at least.

[Big Dick Edwards]

Tommy Johnson didn't impress me initially. I think we bought him as a left sided striker but he settled beautifully into the position behind Yorke and Savo in our 3-5-2 period and became a big fan favourite.

[oldham_villa]

I thought Derek Mountfield had a very shaky start to his Villa career. I knew he was a good player from Everton and this thankfully began to show itself.

Alan McInally looked awful when he first came. I remember this attempt at a bicycle kick within the 6yd box at Oldham, and the howls of derision when he missed it completely. Had a great half season the following year and then looked handy for Bayern.

I'm not sure any of us would have realised how great a player Dwight Yorke would go on to become, probably my favourite Villa striker I'm the last 20 years

[LeeB]

I thought Derek Mountfield had a very shaky start to his Villa career. I knew he was a good player from Everton and this thankfully began to show itself.

Alan McInally looked awful when he first came. I remember this attempt at a bicycle kick within the 6yd box at Oldham, and the howls of derision when he missed it completely. Had a great half season the following year and then looked handy for Bayern.

I'm not sure any of us would have realised how great a player Dwight Yorke would go on to become, probably my favourite Villa striker I'm the last 20 years

Agree with all of those mate, remember seeing Dwight's debut in a shit defeat at Palace, complete with a nightmare journey from hell, and not being impressed.

Craig Gardner was pretty woeful when he first came in to the team.