Concrete Ron

[peter w]

I'd hope we offer him our facilities and help with his recuperation.  It'd be the classy thing to do and would only reflect well on the club.
Having him about might also be beneficial to the younger players.

I agree, offer him use of the club facilities whilst he gets fit, it's the right thing to do, I don't think I'd want to offer him another contract but it reflects well on the club to offer to let him train with us, etc.

Not sure I agree. He obviously decided a while ago that he wants to try and find another club so I don't see why we should help in his recuperation. What about after 4 months using our facilities he then goes and signs for Southampton? No, if he doesn't want to stay he should pack his things and go.

[Brend'Watkins]

I'd hope we offer him our facilities and help with his recuperation.  It'd be the classy thing to do and would only reflect well on the club.
Having him about might also be beneficial to the younger players.

It might be the classy thing to do you're right but in his case he did come out and say he could play at a level above us.  That being the case, he should find a level above us to help with his recuperation.

[Steve67]

We owe each other nothing. Contract expired from both sides. Whilst it might be helpful to Vlaar, it doesn't help Villa one iota.

[cdbearsfan]

I'd hope we offer him our facilities and help with his recuperation.  It'd be the classy thing to do and would only reflect well on the club.
Having him about might also be beneficial to the younger players.

I agree, offer him use of the club facilities whilst he gets fit, it's the right thing to do, I don't think I'd want to offer him another contract but it reflects well on the club to offer to let him train with us, etc.

Not sure I agree. He obviously decided a while ago that he wants to try and find another club so I don't see why we should help in his recuperation. What about after 4 months using our facilities he then goes and signs for Southampton? No, if he doesn't want to stay he should pack his things and go.

I agree. If it were some ageing former Villa hero looking to get up to fitness to try to find himself a lower league team, I'd be happy to help out.

For a player who has shown as much interest in re-signing for us as Bono has interest in paying taxes, and could potentially play for a scummy and/or competing club, no chance.

Would people be happy if we help Ron out then he signs for West Brom, for instance?

[paul_e]

We owe each other nothing. Contract expired from both sides. Whilst it might be helpful to Vlaar, it doesn't help Villa one iota.

No we don't but it's a nice thing to do, I like the idea of us being a club where the players are treated properly and who do things the right way.

[VillaAlways]

We owe each other nothing. Contract expired from both sides. Whilst it might be helpful to Vlaar, it doesn't help Villa one iota.

No we don't but it's a nice thing to do, I like the idea of us being a club where the players are treated properly and who do things the right way.

But he's not our player though. He could have been but he wanted to play at a higher level.

We owe the bloke nothing.

[paulcomben]

Then said players dick us around before leaving for Manchester City?!

[paul_e]

To keep it simple for me it's hard to chastise players as mercenaries if that's how they get treated by the clubs.  If that cycle is going to break it will be because someone steps out of line and does things 'just because' and I'd be more than happy for us to be a club willing to do that for our ex-players.  I understand all the arguments against it, I just can't agree with the whole 'dead to us now' attitude that people have towards ex-players whilst also being pissed off by players who put their bank balance/trophy cabinet ahead of the club.

[dave.woodhall]

To keep it simple for me it's hard to chastise players as mercenaries if that's how they get treated by the clubs.  If that cycle is going to break it will be because someone steps out of line and does things 'just because' and I'd be more than happy for us to be a club willing to do that for our ex-players.  I understand all the arguments against it, I just can't agree with the whole 'dead to us now' attitude that people have towards ex-players whilst also being pissed off by players who put their bank balance/trophy cabinet ahead of the club.

I can't argue with that. We're Aston Villa; we do things right.

[CT Villan]

We tried to do things right...we stood by him through his numerous, sometimes extended, injuries and offered him a new contract. He chose not to sign and wanted to 'leave quietly'. Well he made his bed and now he has to sleep in it. There is a cost to letting him use our facilities which would no doubt require supervision of our medical staff when they should be entirely focused on our players. There are other ways to show how classy we are, this isn't one of them.

[pauliewalnuts]

We tried to do things right...we stood by him through his numerous, sometimes extended, injuries and offered him a new contract.

The only reason we'd have done that would be because it made sense to us to do it, there's no standing by him about it - footballers get injured, it happens, and when they're contracted to a club, that club has to wait until the player recovers.

I don't mind Vlaar, he comes across as a nice bloke, and I understand why he was taking his time on this deal, as it will be the last big one of his career. I also understand why he didn't jump on a new deal with us - his stock was high last summer, higher than it has ever been, theoretically he was in the perfect position of being very wanted, and very available.

None of that really reflects badly on him as a player, not at all.

I just think that he's a multi millionaire, and perfectly able to look after himself and his own needs without us offering him some sort of artificial contract (I know you didn't say this, am speaking in general).

If we offered to let him use BMH to get fit again, I'd be absolutely fine with that, and I have no doubt that that's the sort of thing we'd do - in fact, I would hope we would.

That's it, though, the only reason there should be some sort of contractual attachment would be if it made sense for us. In these circumstances, I don't see how it would

[dave.woodhall]

We've got the equipment, we've got the staff and they'll either be working or they won't. I can't see that it would cost us much and bearing in mind how according to some our PR stock has plummeted this week, it would reflect well on us. 

[cdbearsfan]

Nah. It's like letting your ex-girlfriend stay in your house after she's left you in a tantrum claiming she can do better, with a book full of phone numbers of all the wealthier blokes in town.

[pauliewalnuts]

Nah. It's like letting your ex-girlfriend stay in your house after she's left you in a tantrum claiming she can do better, with a book full of phone numbers of all the wealthier blokes in town.

Nah.

You've grown apart over time, she's moved out. She's finding it tough moving on and is mentally "in a bad place", so you let her kip on the sofa for a bit.

However, you both know that sexual contact would be bad. Luckily, you're both grown up enough to realise it.

[RichardBatchelor]

We owe each other nothing. Contract expired from both sides. Whilst it might be helpful to Vlaar, it doesn't help Villa one iota.

No we don't but it's a nice thing to do, I like the idea of us being a club where the players are treated properly and who do things the right way.

THIS