Jores Okore

[aj2k77]

Another one with terrible positioning. If we got a good offer for him then I'd seriously consider selling him. I doubt he'll be signing a new contract, he thinks he's above us by the sounds of it so cash in before he's worth bugger all.

[Toronto Villa]

It's amazing the difference a week makes. Last week Okore has a really good game vs Norwich. People are singing his praises. Then he doesn't really cover himself with glory with that interview followed by an individual and team capitulation. Now for some he's not good enough to play at this level. You have to love football fans and their emotional swings. He had a bad game. They all did. At 23 years old it shouldn't define the player he is or will become.

[brontebilly]

Injury permitting, I think Okore will go on to have a decent career at mid table clubs. Sure he has flaws but at 23 he has plenty of scope to improve. Central defenders tend to improve as they get older. My worry is that he isn't a great reader of the play with a lot of last ditch recovery stuff. But centre back is all about partnerships. In a solid team structure with a calm head next to him I think he would be a decent defender. I think Clark could be that player and complement Okore. For the most of 2015, Clark was by miles our best defender. I've also seen him be outstanding in two Euro playoff games not too long ago. Are we willing to give up on them both that quickly?

Certainly both are individually and collectively good enough for the second division next season. Stick a Jedinak type player in front of them and a keeper comfortable coming off his line like Randolph behind them. We would have a solid spine then

[aj2k77]

Well as it stands he doesn't sound like he thinks he owes us anything as a club and doesn't sound positive towards another contract. So we have 18 months max and lose someone else for nowt or flog him.

[kippaxvilla2]

It's amazing the difference a week makes. Last week Okore has a really good game vs Norwich. People are singing his praises. Then he doesn't really cover himself with glory with that interview followed by an individual and team capitulation. Now for some he's not good enough to play at this level. You have to love football fans and their emotional swings. He had a bad game. They all did. At 23 years old it shouldn't define the player he is or will become.

A couple of things there, I didn't mention him at all after the Norwich game and I know that wasn't aimed at me specifically.  Secondly, I think a lot of people can take players having a bad game.  But if anyone seriously thought they played their hearts out on Sunday but were plucky losers and just had to accept they weren't the better side is really kidding themselves.  They looked like to almost a man they could not be arsed.

[Toronto Villa]

Conversely they all looked liked they cared the week before. There's some deep rooted issues at the club that cannot be fixed mid season. It's a bit like trying to fix issues with your golf game in the middle of a round. It's not easy. Garde needs to get to the end of the season, however it comes to a conclusion and literally start again. The massive question is will he have the stomach for the fight ahead and even more importantly if he does, will the board back him in what he identifies as the solution?

[kippaxvilla2]

Agree on that - there are some seriously strange goings on behind the scenes that is for sure.

[stuart445]

Meanwhile, at pretty much exactly the same time Jordan Veretout was quoted by the Birmingham Mail as saying, "I am not thinking about my situation at all. My focus is on the job in hand. While there’s hope we can still stay up, we’ll continue to fight as hard as we can.” Surely just the stock answer that anybody with an ounce of common sense would give at this particular time?

I've never really rated Okore anyway. He's a good one-on-one defender, but far too clumsy and poor on the ball to ever make a top Premiership centre-back in my opinion. Yesterday was by no means a one off. He was part of the defences that got hammered by Arsenal (twice) and Southampton last season and looked just as 'at sea' as he did yesterday. Quite laughable that he's even thinking about the Champions League, let alone talking about it.

That is because Veretout was speaking in English it's difficult for the newspaper poorly translate and interview from English into English.

People saying he should chooses his words more carefully.  why he was speaking in his native language to a newspaper from that country he answered the question the way anyway Danish speaker would just like we would in our language.  It is not his fault that an English journalist is lazy and doesn't understand  that you can't translate direct word for word from another language to English.

[RussellC]

Meanwhile, at pretty much exactly the same time Jordan Veretout was quoted by the Birmingham Mail as saying, "I am not thinking about my situation at all. My focus is on the job in hand. While there’s hope we can still stay up, we’ll continue to fight as hard as we can.” Surely just the stock answer that anybody with an ounce of common sense would give at this particular time?

I've never really rated Okore anyway. He's a good one-on-one defender, but far too clumsy and poor on the ball to ever make a top Premiership centre-back in my opinion. Yesterday was by no means a one off. He was part of the defences that got hammered by Arsenal (twice) and Southampton last season and looked just as 'at sea' as he did yesterday. Quite laughable that he's even thinking about the Champions League, let alone talking about it.

That is because Veretout was speaking in English it's difficult for the newspaper poorly translate and interview from English into English.

People saying he should chooses his words more carefully.  why he was speaking in his native language to a newspaper from that country he answered the question the way anyway Danish speaker would just like we would in our language.  It is not his fault that an English journalist is lazy and doesn't understand  that you can't translate direct word for word from another language to English.

Sorry, but that's absolute nonsense.

I presume that you've also read Villa in Denmark's translation on the previsions page? It's got absolutely nothing to do with 'lazy translation' and everything to do with a player not having the intelligence (or consideration for his club's supporters) to give a sensible answer. We'd be foolish to think that the majority of the players aren't already considering their long-term futures, but to actually discuss it in in an interview (anywhere on the planet) is stupid and selfish whilst things are going so badly on the pitch. He set up himself up for a massive fall, and then proceeded to do just that.

[Villa in Denmark]

Just one thing on that Russell.

2 Danes talking, even in an interview are never going to couch their answers in bland niceties, unless they're a grasping politician. As I said in the things to bare in mind, that situation will always result in straight question = straight answer. That's something he'll have experienced from the day he could understand what was being said on the Danish equivalent of CBeebies, so there would never have been a moment's hesitation in being blunt.

You might as well blame sharks for having sharp teeth.

[RussellC]

Just one thing on that Russell.

2 Danes talking, even in an interview are never going to couch their answers in bland niceties, unless they're a grasping politician. As I said in the things to bare in mind, that situation will always result in straight question = straight answer. That's something he'll have experienced from the day he could understand what was being said on the Danish equivalent of CBeebies, so there would never have been a moment's hesitation in being blunt.

You might as well blame sharks for having sharp teeth.

ViD - understood, completely. I have family in Copenhagen so am familiar with the Dane's straight talking nature. To me though, that doesn't mean that the sentiment has been lost in translation, more that it's just been accurately translated.

I don't think it's appropriate for any player to be talking publicly about their personal future at present, given our current plight. A player of Okore's generation must know that when he gives an interview anywhere on the planet it will make it's way back to Birmingham and have the intelligence and - most importantly - the respect to express the same sentiment that Veretout managed to do so easily.

[stuart445]

Just one thing on that Russell.

2 Danes talking, even in an interview are never going to couch their answers in bland niceties, unless they're a grasping politician. As I said in the things to bare in mind, that situation will always result in straight question = straight answer. That's something he'll have experienced from the day he could understand what was being said on the Danish equivalent of CBeebies, so there would never have been a moment's hesitation in being blunt.

You might as well blame sharks for having sharp teeth.

ViD - understood, completely. I have family in Copenhagen so am familiar with the Dane's straight talking nature. To me though, that doesn't mean that the sentiment has been lost in translation, more that it's just been accurately translated.

I don't think it's appropriate for any player to be talking publicly about their personal future at present, given our current plight. A player of Okore's generation must know that when he gives an interview anywhere on the planet it will make it's way back to Birmingham and have the intelligence and - most importantly - the respect to express the same sentiment that Veretout managed to do so easily.

Well I prefer the straight talking honesty from Okore rather than the Delph way. But some will never be pleased

[RussellC]

Well, obviously, but where has Delph been mentioned?

And no, I'll never be happy when players are talking about jumping ship off the pitch, whilst contributing to our complete and utter demise on it. 

[aj2k77]

I know players have no loyalty at all anymore but I still find it funny when a player has been injured for a large part of his stay come out and say 'yeah but I had to sit on the bench a little bit, so In my eyes we are even'.

[stuart445]

Well, obviously, but where has Delph been mentioned?

And no, I'll never be happy when players are talking about jumping ship off the pitch, whilst contributing to our complete and utter demise on it.

Delph is an example as when Okore was asked a question to which he had 2 options be dishonest or be upfront and honest. I'm a person that likes to know where I stand with people so I respect Okore for that.