Jores Okore

[olaftab]

Oh for sure. Richards has to go. 110%. No two ways about it. ASAP.

Yes but how?

[LeeB]

Oh for sure. Richards has to go. 110%. No two ways about it. ASAP.

Yes but how?

By cannon?

[Dante Lavelli]

Oh for sure. Richards has to go. 110%. No two ways about it. ASAP.

Yes but how?

I'm sure there were quotes where he was boasting that his release clause was 'only' £5m, seemingly thinking that someone would snap him up at that price.  Sunderland might be that stupid.  My guess is that clubs will offer money for him but we may end up giving it back to him to cover a drop in his wages.  Either way, if we can get rid, cost neutral, then I'd be delighted.

[olaftab]

By cannon?

Someone will need to recommission the Great Gustav in that case!

[Mister E]

Jores has been with club three years; anniversary today.
Time to commit and deliver, or to leave.

[edgysatsuma89]

Jores has been with club three years; anniversary today.
Time to commit and deliver, or to leave.

Referendum?

[JD]

Sanchez hasn't looked a player unless he's with Colombia so i'm not sure. But if he needs the Championship to show his level then okay, give him a season. I'd like to use the Okore money to fund either another defender or possibly an attacking midfielder though.

Stop playing Devils Advocate Peter. We should keep Okore. A decent manager and coaches will get the best out of him. He has so much more potential than Clark & Baker.
Not sure i would keep Sanchez though. Sent off for Colombia against Chile and looked a liability most of the game. 

[peter w]

It's not devils advocate JD. Gareth Barry dragged the name of our club through the gutter trying to force a leave and I have never forgiven him for it. Yes, i know that we don't know what happened between black and Okore but what we do know is that for one reason or another Okore refused to honour his contract, respect the fans, and do as he was asked. Whether that was to sit on the bench or run 50 times up the Lickey Hills you don't decide when you do and don't want to play for Aston Villa. For that reason alone he's dead to me.

I don't take this argument of him being such a hero that he played through injury either. Every footballer does it at every level. That is nothing special. You do as you're asked, for me it's that simple. If the medical advice was for him not to then of course he shouldn't, but it wasn't. He was patched up and played. not particularly well but that was because of the injury fair enough. But it happens. 12 months on and you're asked to sit on the bench and Mickey and Minnie Mouse are played in front of you then live with it, it's your job. You may sulk, you may smack the manager one, you may kick the training cones over in protest - that's in-house and that's where it stays.

You don't ever refuse to play for Aston Villa.

I may be blinded by my rage but that's how I see it and unless anyone at Villa says that Okore was hard done by then I want him gone.

[GordonCowansisthegreatest]

It's not devils advocate JD. Gareth Barry dragged the name of our club through the gutter trying to force a leave and I have never forgiven him for it. Yes, i know that we don't know what happened between black and Okore but what we do know is that for one reason or another Okore refused to honour his contract, respect the fans, and do as he was asked. Whether that was to sit on the bench or run 50 times up the Lickey Hills you don't decide when you do and don't want to play for Aston Villa. For that reason alone he's dead to me.

I don't take this argument of him being such a hero that he played through injury either. Every footballer does it at every level. That is nothing special. You do as you're asked, for me it's that simple. If the medical advice was for him not to then of course he shouldn't, but it wasn't. He was patched up and played. not particularly well but that was because of the injury fair enough. But it happens. 12 months on and you're asked to sit on the bench and Mickey and Minnie Mouse are played in front of you then live with it, it's your job. You may sulk, you may smack the manager one, you may kick the training cones over in protest - that's in-house and that's where it stays.

You don't ever refuse to play for Aston Villa.

I may be blinded by my rage but that's how I see it and unless anyone at Villa says that Okore was hard done by then I want him gone.

He wasn't given the opportunity to play....So how can he have refused?

[JD]

I don't think he's a hero when playing injured. In my mind that's stupidity but I've done it and I'm sure you have as well Peter.

I was also pissed off with him when I heard he refused to play, but someone had to take a stance against Black picking Richards, Lescott, Bacuna etc who were playing very poorly whereas Okore was expected to be dropped to the bench. In hindsight it was just immaturity and frustration at the situation and for that reason I am willing to forgive him.   

[ROBBO]

I see your point Pete but I know in my dark distant playing days when I was overlooked (only once that I remember) I spat the dummy big time. Pride comes before a fall so they say and while there is no excuse for someone like Gabby you could never say Okore didn't put the effort in.

[Villa in Denmark]

It's not devils advocate JD. Gareth Barry dragged the name of our club through the gutter trying to force a leave and I have never forgiven him for it. Yes, i know that we don't know what happened between black and Okore but what we do know is that for one reason or another Okore refused to honour his contract, respect the fans, and do as he was asked. Whether that was to sit on the bench or run 50 times up the Lickey Hills you don't decide when you do and don't want to play for Aston Villa. For that reason alone he's dead to me.

I don't take this argument of him being such a hero that he played through injury either. Every footballer does it at every level. That is nothing special. You do as you're asked, for me it's that simple. If the medical advice was for him not to then of course he shouldn't, but it wasn't. He was patched up and played. not particularly well but that was because of the injury fair enough. But it happens. 12 months on and you're asked to sit on the bench and Mickey and Minnie Mouse are played in front of you then live with it, it's your job. You may sulk, you may smack the manager one, you may kick the training cones over in protest - that's in-house and that's where it stays.

You don't ever refuse to play for Aston Villa.

I may be blinded by my rage but that's how I see it and unless anyone at Villa says that Okore was hard done by then I want him gone.

That's the one thing we absolutely don't know.  We've got a he said/she said between Black and Okore and a lack of disciplinary action by the club that suggests that if anything did happen it wasn't as clear cut as you make out

With regards him playing injured, around the time of the Semi Final, there's a direct quote from his agent in the Danish media from the end of that season, stating that he was warned that he was making the damage worse and the doctor's advice was to have the operation there and then.

So yes, your rage is blinding you.

[peter w]

Yes Okore did put the effort in and I did like him. He was dropped on the back of a horrible performance at home against Liverpool and at some point he would have come back in. Yes it probably was immaturity JD, but this had come on the back of a week when every time you turned on the radio there was some more bad news from Villa park. One minute Bernstein and King leaving, the next Gabby, the next okore and I just couldn't believe what we were doing to ourselves.

Anyway, onwards and upwards and I'm trusting Di Matteo and Clarke et al to do the right thing. Whatever that may be.

[JD]

Yes Okore did put the effort in and I did like him. He was dropped on the back of a horrible performance at home against Liverpool and at some point he would have come back in. Yes it probably was immaturity JD, but this had come on the back of a week when every time you turned on the radio there was some more bad news from Villa park. One minute Bernstein and King leaving, the next Gabby, the next okore and I just couldn't believe what we were doing to ourselves.

Anyway, onwards and upwards and I'm trusting Di Matteo and Clarke et al to do the right thing. Whatever that may be.

i know what you mean Pete and I felt the same at the time, but Okore is one I would give another chance to as opposed to Gabby, Lescott, Guzan, Richards etc who were senior players and should have set the example. 

[Dave]

A thought - it was fairly well reported that Okore turned down an approach from Chelsea while at Nordsjaelland.

Would Di Matteo have been manager at the time?

If so it might be a clue as to what our first choice centre-back pairing looks like.