Jores Okore

[RussellC]

Fair enough. I prefer them to put the performances in on the pitch that justify their wages before talking about moving on to "bigger clubs".

I think it's fairly sad that we've become so accepting of players' general behaviour that things like this don't bother us so much. I think what particularly annoys me about this one is that it's come form one of the handful of players that i wouldn't have expected it to.

[KevinGage]

Nothing he has done in a Villa shirt so far would justify a move to a bigger club.

[stuart445]

He has said that if a club came in for him who were playing at a higher level like champions league or Premier league (next season) he'd have to consider it. Don't see what is wrong with that to be honest can you name a player that wouldn't?

[RussellC]

He has said that if a club came in for him who were playing at a higher level like champions league or Premier league (next season) he'd have to consider it. Don't see what is wrong with that to be honest can you name a player that wouldn't?

Veretout?

[Dave]

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.

Another similarity is that the issues with Delph only came about because he was allowed to run his contract down because the club kept delaying talking about it.

Okore might be less of a loss than Delph, but his comments now about no contract talks aren't too far away from Delph's at a similar time.

[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.

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.

I agree, it's not a lost in translation thing. It's a "as soon as he was asked the question, there was only going to be one outcome" thing.

[stuart445]

He has said that if a club came in for him who were playing at a higher level like champions league or Premier league (next season) he'd have to consider it. Don't see what is wrong with that to be honest can you name a player that wouldn't?

Veretout?

Veretout is a different situation though unlike Okore who has proved he's a competent Premier league defender, yes I know he had a bad game Vs Liverpool but 1 crap game doesn't mean a player is crap just like 1 awesome game doesn't mean a player is awesome.

But with Veretout he has to be a bit less upfront as his 1st season in the premier league has ended up in relegation in a team dubbed the worst in Premier league history. So he has to be careful as there is no guarantee that anyone will want him.

[RussellC]

He has said that if a club came in for him who were playing at a higher level like champions league or Premier league (next season) he'd have to consider it. Don't see what is wrong with that to be honest can you name a player that wouldn't?

Veretout?

Veretout is a different situation though unlike Okore who has proved he's a competent Premier league defender, yes I know he had a bad game Vs Liverpool but 1 crap game doesn't mean a player is crap just like 1 awesome game doesn't mean a player is awesome.

But with Veretout he has to be a bit less upfront as his 1st season in the premier league has ended up in relegation in a team dubbed the worst in Premier league history. So he has to be careful as there is no guarantee that anyone will want him.

It's hardly Okore's first bad game though is it? As I mentioned earlier he was a part of the defences that got hammered twice by Arsenal last season and away at Southampton, and looked every bit as poor as he did against Liverpool. I also thought he was dreadful at home to Arsenal this season too.

I'd strongly disagree that he "has proved he's a competent Premier league defender". In his own admission he's never been a guaranteed starter with us even when fit, and our defence has been, for the large part, terrible. I really do fail to see what Okore has done in a Claret & Blue shirt to make some fans rate him so highly.

I'd also say that, if anything, being a more 'proven player' should give him even more responsibility to show some humility and commitment in interviews, not the other way around. 

[Richard E]

I get the impression Okore is possibly a bit too nice to be a really really top central defender.

[Dave]

I get the impression Okore is possibly a bit too nice to be a really really top central defender.

Fabio Cannavaro was one of the best ever and also seems to be one of the nicest people to play football.

[stuart445]

He has said that if a club came in for him who were playing at a higher level like champions league or Premier league (next season) he'd have to consider it. Don't see what is wrong with that to be honest can you name a player that wouldn't?

Veretout?

Veretout is a different situation though unlike Okore who has proved he's a competent Premier league defender, yes I know he had a bad game Vs Liverpool but 1 crap game doesn't mean a player is crap just like 1 awesome game doesn't mean a player is awesome.

But with Veretout he has to be a bit less upfront as his 1st season in the premier league has ended up in relegation in a team dubbed the worst in Premier league history. So he has to be careful as there is no guarantee that anyone will want him.

It's hardly Okore's first bad game though is it? As I mentioned earlier he was a part of the defences that got hammered twice by Arsenal last season and away at Southampton, and looked every bit as poor as he did against Liverpool. I also thought he was dreadful at home to Arsenal this season too.

I'd strongly disagree that he "has proved he's a competent Premier league defender". In his own admission he's never been a guaranteed starter with us even when fit, and our defence has been, for the large part, terrible. I really do fail to see what Okore has done in a Claret & Blue shirt to make some fans rate him so highly.

I'd also say that, if anything, being a more 'proven player' should give him even more responsibility to show some humility and commitment in interviews, not the other way around.

you don't see why we rate him, it's because he came in and it was when our defence was at it's strongest this season Sunday excluded of course but you can hardly blame 1 player for the 6:0

Also at the end of last season Sherwood has said that he was playing through the pain barrier.

[Villa in Denmark]

At the end of last season he was basically on one leg along with Vlaar.

The reason he was out so long at the start of the season was the planned operation to clean up scaring tissue from the cruciate repair was more involved than anticipated due to the extra damage from playing when he shouldn't have.

For me he's decent, especially with the right partner, but top class? Probably not and definitely not captain material.

[boboonthecorner]

Awesome, this transfer window is making me very excited. There's no pissing about, and I like it.

Amazing how a couple of signings can make everything look so rosy, things went down hill so fast

[Duncan Shaw]

Article in the Mirror linked from Beeb Gossip Column of his agent having a moan at Lerner.  Looks like his opening move in getting Jores away in the summer.  Shame because I'd like to think we could build round him at the back.

[VILLA MOLE]

Awesome, this transfer window is making me very excited. There's no pissing about, and I like it.

Amazing how a couple of signings can make everything look so rosy, things went down hill so fast

There is nothing more depressing than looking back at the start of threads like this