Jores Okore

[aj2k77]

I'm amazed we were relegated, so many players of outstanding self belief and ability.
I'd like to get them all in a room and ask them - exactly whose fault was it?

You'd get a chorus of Remi Garde's probably.

[supertom]

My sentiments to most of the squad. Jores included:

[passport1]

He got a game away against Southampton last season that I wish he hadn't.

[Villa in Denmark]

He got a game away against Southampton last season that I wish he hadn't.

That'll be the one where he played against medical advice because there was only him and Vlaar that could still stand up out of the centre backs in the squad. One of the games that meant the routine clean up of scar tissue on the cruciate injury at the end of the season wasn't routine and gave everyone a convenient "made of glass" label because rehab took longer than originally planned?
That one?

[passport1]

Neither you nor I know the state of his fitness or the advice he was given Why do people state their opinion as fact? Unless you are one of the medical staff.

He had a stinker (in my opinion)

[Villa in Denmark]

Neither you nor I know the state of his fitness or the advice he was given Why do people state their opinion as fact? Unless you are one of the medical staff.

He had a stinker (in my opinion)

It's a matter of record over here. Reported in several media outlets a lot more reputable than Ekstra Bladet who've done the last few interviews with him.

So reported fact, not opinion.

EDIT: should have added, yes he had a stinker. As did the whole team, not helped by Sherwood asking them to play a suicidaly high line against the likes of Mané's when both centre backs are running on one leg and your full backs are Hutton and either Bacuna or Lowton playing on the wrong side.

I seem to recall Koeman taking the piss about it in a post match interview.

[Stirchley Villain]

There's nobody in our squad barring the homegrown youngsters  I wouldn't happily say goodbye too.

[tomd2103]

Clark and Baker would do well as a pair in the Championship. Okore can bugger off in my view.

I still hold a slim hope for Clark (though he regressed badly this season), but Baker is just not good enough.  I'd be very disappointed if that defensive partnership ever took the field for us again. 

[Villa in Denmark]

Clark and Baker would do well as a pair in the Championship. Okore can bugger off in my view.

I still hold a slim hope for Clark (though he regressed badly this season), but Baker is just not good enough.  I'd be very disappointed if that defensive partnership ever took the field for us again.

Those two as a pairing are so one sided it's a joke. Which one would play on the right side of the partnership without always wanting to turn the wrong way onto their left foot?

If Okore goes, keep both and get a senior centre back who can play on the right. If Okore stays, keep one, preferably Clark and a senior centre back who can play on the left.

[Mister E]

Okore, huge twat and another with an attitude problem, get gone please before you go for nothing.

Or, a player with a passion for playing who has been frustrated by the managerial clusterfuckery at his inept current club.
I would personally like to see this guy playing for a season with us, rather than the cameo appearances he has made; I suspect there is still a decent player there with good management / coaching.

There's hundreds of players frustrated with lack of opportunity, very few pull the billy big bollocks trick and refuse to take the seat on the bench.

So you believe.
With so much crap emanating from the dressing room - via Twitter, the B'ham press, players' agents, players' mates and so on and so forth - I don't frankly believe much of the 'facts'.
So, did he refuse to "take the seat"?

[Villa in Denmark]

My own personal guess is that he challenged Black as to why he wasn't playing.

Black's response was along the lines of "do you want to be on the bench or not?"

"No I don't want to be on the bench, I want to be playing."

"So you don't want to be on the bench. Fuck Off to the U21 squad."

"Bollocks to this. 4 more weeks to get rid of you."

[paul_e]

My own personal guess is that he challenged Black as to why he wasn't playing.

Black's response was along the lines of "do you want to be on the bench or not?"

"No I don't want to be on the bench, I want to be playing."

"So you don't want to be on the bench. Fuck Off to the U21 squad."

"Bollocks to this. 4 more weeks to get rid of you."

Which is pretty much exactly what I put on here at the time.  Having friends in Scandinavia where I'm the only Villa fan they know means that if any news story has the slightest mention of us in it I get messages about it and the overwhelming impression of Okore from that is that he just wants to play football. He's nothing like the freeloading leeches like charlie who couldn't give a fuck so long as they get paid.  That why I get so frustrated with people just ignoring everything that has ever been said by him and assuming he's a dick he refused to be on the bench.

[VILLA MOLE]

There's nobody in our squad barring the homegrown youngsters  I wouldn't happily say goodbye too.

Yes there is no real pre season dread " oh I hope they dont leave us because we would be lost without them "

[peter w]

I reckon we could get around 5-7 m for him due to age. That'll be a decent enough wedge to get better in. Problem is prices will likely jump for us because we'll have money. I'd keep Clark and have Baker as cover but after playing for a season he may want to move on. So 10 m or so for the pair of them will be an acceptable return. Obviously once he's gone we'll need to buy a right-sided central defender (or two) as I have a feeling Lescott will be retained.

[tomd2103]

Clark and Baker would do well as a pair in the Championship. Okore can bugger off in my view.

I still hold a slim hope for Clark (though he regressed badly this season), but Baker is just not good enough.  I'd be very disappointed if that defensive partnership ever took the field for us again.

Those two as a pairing are so one sided it's a joke. Which one would play on the right side of the partnership without always wanting to turn the wrong way onto their left foot?

If Okore goes, keep both and get a senior centre back who can play on the right. If Okore stays, keep one, preferably Clark and a senior centre back who can play on the left.

My choice.  We could get a few million for Baker and I would rather sell him, and bring an experienced CB to go alongside Okore, Clark and Toner.