Leandro Bacuna - Sold

[UK Redsox]

A fat middle aged bloke who ought to know better than to wear a replica shirt was mooching around outside work earlier. Bacuna 7 emblazoned on the back.

Justice for the Bacuna 7

[peter w]

The problem PW is that if things do go wrong early on the reaction against Bacuna Gabby and Richards Guzan ? will take us back to where we were last season.
It is such an important season we can not afford to take the risk.The situation could get toxic very quickly.
I think the other players you mention will get a fair chance.

I agree but if we perform like we did last season in our first 3 or so games then yes,it'll get toxic quickly. But if there are things to build on and we lose one, or even two, then it'll be disappointment but mixed with hope that we will add to the squad long before the toxicity returns.

[peter w]

Bacuna doesn't deserve the fans ire for me.

He's just not good enough, so he felt the fans frustration.  Harsh, but that's how it works.   

Maybe the championship will be more his standard and he will look half-decent?  Doubt it, though.

He didn't feel the fan's frustration because he wasn't good enough. NOT SURE IF YOU WENT TO GAMES LAST SEASON BUT THE ATMOSPHERE THROUGH THE LATTER GAMES WAS terrible. Bacumna copped a lot but it was because of the interview he gave not his performances. The fans weren't frustrated but angry and in an unforgiving mood.

[Edvard Remberg]

Bacuna doesn't deserve the fans ire for me.

He's just not good enough, so he felt the fans frustration.  Harsh, but that's how it works.   

Maybe the championship will be more his standard and he will look half-decent?  Doubt it, though.

He didn't feel the fan's frustration because he wasn't good enough. NOT SURE IF YOU WENT TO GAMES LAST SEASON BUT THE ATMOSPHERE THROUGH THE LATTER GAMES WAS terrible. Bacumna copped a lot but it was because of the interview he gave not his performances. The fans weren't frustrated but angry and in an unforgiving mood.

And his laissez-faire behavior after each loss, laughing and smiling (and during mistakes).

[peter w]

i doubt that he laughed and smiled after each loss and smiled during mistakes as a way of sticking to fingers up to the fans.

Rather than just use that as an excuse to attack him try and take a scientific approach as to why he may appear to be laughing or smiling:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/201101/why-we-laugh

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudobulbar_affect

there is also something that we all do (I'm assuming) and that is nervous laughter. It is triggered by the need to self-reassure and not because you're laughing at the situation.

Bacuna is a young kid with a positive outlook dealing with a situation that he had not dealt with previously. i doubt that there was anyone at the club to help him and so he became more exposed to the fan's ire. That's why I, and some others, think it's to his credit that through the palpable feelings of isolation, the want for acceptance, the drive to be liked, the belief in himself, that he ended up looking like a grinning goon rather than a struggling professional footballer.

[ciggiesnbeer]

I am sure if RDM picks him fans will give him a fair shake. But lets be fair to the fans here, this is a team (and the previous club management) that  surrendered last season. Deciding they could live with relegation and saw no reason to actually try to change course. Bacuna was one of several players that A.) Gave appearances of not giving a damn about Villa on the pitch. B.) Did or said things off the pitch that reinforced that view.

I know its a cliche but if I did a crap job at work and then mentioned in a public interview that I would like to work at a bigger company then I would expect a bad reaction.

If he gets another chance by RDM then fine he will get support to prove himself. Villa fans are not a vindinctive lot, if anything we are over accepting of failure, but also Bacuna and several other players must recognise they carry the burden of last season by their own actions. Its them that need to change not the fans.

[ClaretAndBlueBlood]

Bacuna doesn't deserve the fans ire for me.

He's just not good enough, so he felt the fans frustration.  Harsh, but that's how it works.   

Maybe the championship will be more his standard and he will look half-decent?  Doubt it, though.

He didn't feel the fan's frustration because he wasn't good enough. NOT SURE IF YOU WENT TO GAMES LAST SEASON BUT THE ATMOSPHERE THROUGH THE LATTER GAMES WAS terrible. Bacumna copped a lot but it was because of the interview he gave not his performances. The fans weren't frustrated but angry and in an unforgiving mood.

sorry, I don't agree with that. I was at the games. He didn't receive the abuse because of the interview, fans took the piss out of him for that

he, and some of the other players, received abuse because of their perceived lack of effort

[peter w]

Bacuna doesn't deserve the fans ire for me.

He's just not good enough, so he felt the fans frustration.  Harsh, but that's how it works.   

Maybe the championship will be more his standard and he will look half-decent?  Doubt it, though.

He didn't feel the fan's frustration because he wasn't good enough. NOT SURE IF YOU WENT TO GAMES LAST SEASON BUT THE ATMOSPHERE THROUGH THE LATTER GAMES WAS terrible. Bacumna copped a lot but it was because of the interview he gave not his performances. The fans weren't frustrated but angry and in an unforgiving mood.

sorry, I don't agree with that. I was at the games. He didn't receive the abuse because of the interview, fans took the piss out of him for that

he, and some of the other players, received abuse because of their perceived lack of effort

His first game after the interview he was booed first when he appeared (I think he was sub?).

And in response to ciggiebeers, didn't he actually say that he wanted to play in the Champions League before the interviewer said for someone like Ajax? Rather than him saying I want to play in the CL with Ajax? He was naive first and foremost.

[SoccerHQ]

A fat middle aged bloke who ought to know better than to wear a replica shirt was mooching around outside work earlier. Bacuna 7 emblazoned on the back.

You work in town as saw a bloke walking through New Street with his name on the back of a Villa shirt a few hours ago!

[peter w]

Or lots of fat middle-aged blokes like Bacuna.

[kieron]

Those who are seemingly willing to give Bacuna another chance; have you forgotten he 'offered out' a fan at Villa Park against Southampton at half time?

Irrespective of his 'Champions League quote' or his footballing ability, there is simply no coming back from that from a fans' perspective.

[Pete3206]

Wow, forgiving crowd. I remember the lazy, can't be arsed attitude that he displayed in most matches and a great display against Palace, which made me think there was a good player there. If RDM can get him playing well then great, but if an offer did come in for him, I'd ship him out without hestitation. Champions League? 'avin a laugh.

[nigel]

Those who are seemingly willing to give Bacuna another chance; have you forgotten he 'offered out' a fan at Villa Park against Southampton at half time?

Irrespective of his 'Champions League quote' or his footballing ability, there is simply no coming back from that from a fans' perspective.

I was about 2 metres from where it was. The bloke in question was shouting every foul expletive imaginable. Leo looked at him, gave him a 'come on' but carried on walking. Not a wise thing to do, I agree. Cantona would have kicked the chap into row Z, though. 

[paul_e]

Those who are seemingly willing to give Bacuna another chance; have you forgotten he 'offered out' a fan at Villa Park against Southampton at half time?

Irrespective of his 'Champions League quote' or his footballing ability, there is simply no coming back from that from a fans' perspective.

I was about 2 metres from where it was. The bloke in question was shouting every foul expletive imaginable. Leo looked at him, gave him a 'come on' but carried on walking. Not a wise thing to do, I agree. Cantona would have kicked the chap into row Z, though. 

I have a real problem with this from some fans.  If you're big enough to call anyone the sort of things that get shouted at people in that situation then you have absolutely no grounds to be offended if they respond.  Before anyone comes out with setting an example or any of that shit it's the responsibility of fans to act like decent people just as much as it is the players, pretty much every other sport has figured this bit of respect out but in football some see it as perfectly acceptable to act like an animal.

[Des Little]

Or lots of fat middle-aged blokes like Bacuna.

Unless it means bacon in some foreign tongue