Fabian Delph - Signed for Manchester City

[N'Zimidy]

Let's be honest here. He's a good player. He's got a good engine, he's got some very good close control and he can twist and turn his way out of danger.  But really that's where his skill set runs out.  Past that he's a fairly nothing player.  He has no knack for scoring or creating goals, he's not a good tackler by any means and he rarely ever drives a team forward.  His passing ranges from alright to shoddy at best.

He'll be nowhere near that Man City first team.  Not even close.  I don't say that because I'm spiteful but realistically he's not nearly good enough.


That speech five months ago tops it all off though.  What a twat.

EDIT: The transfer will be somewhere smack bang in the middle of Rodwell and Barry. Which incidentally is where his ability and age also lies. He'll play a good 15 games a season and be off to somewhere like Hull or Palace in two years time.

[PaulWinch again]

It seems the mob have already found him guilty though so I'll ask, again, if he's such a terrible person, with no genuine affection for Aston Villa, why didn't he just leave on a free?

Maybe because a career ending injury in the last 5 months of his contract would have left him up shit creek without a paddle, whereas after signing he could have picked up £60,000 a week (or whatever) from his bed for 4 years, which allows plenty of time and money to sort himself out?

I'd like to think he's not that cynical, but that video is a very hard watch today.

It seems a bit far-fetched to me, I just think maybe he changed his mind.

I've seen you do it many times, after you say "no, I'm not going to have another pint".

I'm sorry but declaring your loyalty and signing a 4 year deal and then leaving within 6 months through a clause you inserted into the contract doesn't really sound like a change of mind. It sounds fairly planned.

[Lizz]

Ageing seems to relate to my couldn't care less response to what footballers say and do, but this made me smile, in a wry way:

http://newsthump.com/2015/07/10/fabian-delph-looking-forward-to-challenging-for-place-on-man-citys-bench/

Thanks for the memories.

[OCD]

Delph looked good as an individual but our midfield as a collective wasn't good enough. We're starting over and hopefully the unit we build is much better than the sum of last seasons parts.

[dave shelley]

To me, it's just cynicism of the highest order.  All too commonplace in modern football.

[CT Villan]

Perhaps I'm being naive, but I don't think we'll miss him that much...he's no Ian Taylor that's for sure.

He was definitely one of the least smelly shits in our overburdened septic of a team, but I think we can do better and I'm looking forward to seeing what Timmy does.

[Villafirst]

He won't be first choice. Career will go backwards. To think he had Richards & Sinclair to advise on joining City. Be out of the England team soon. Perhaps the £00k a week turned his head....

[PaulWinch again]

Those saying we won't miss that much are just wrong. He's been very good and he was our captain which is pretty symbolic. That's another thing that makes him a pretty shallow characterless man. He knows how much it'll damage us.

[OzVilla]

Now fully expect Benteke's to be gone by the end of the month and that'll top it off really.

Where would we have been without Delph, Cleverley and Benteke in the last third of the season? For all the vitriol Delph is the nucleus of our side. We may not be any good but we're being left with the dross while the quality rushes for the door.

Fuck me, I already thought TS had a massive job on his hands but we could the fucked before we've even kicked a ball next season at this rate.

Where's this takeover FFS!

[Taylor]

I'm sorry but this is the saddest I've been of any recent villa transfer. I wasn't surprised when Dwight yorke and Ashley Young went to United, even Barry gave us us his best years before looking for a different challenge, but Delph, come on son, you would have been an absolute villa legend. You're now gonna be a bit part player in a team destined to finish second.

[Phil from the upper holte]

Perhaps I'm being naive, but I don't think we'll miss him that much...he's no Ian Taylor that's for sure.

He was definitely one of the least smelly shits in our overburdened septic of a team, but I think we can do better and I'm looking forward to seeing what Timmy does.

He's signed him

[Louzie0]

Tim is signing and bonding with The Lads.

I think he has a plan.

[amfy]

It seems a bit far-fetched to me, I just think maybe he changed his mind.

I've seen you do it many times, after you say "no, I'm not going to have another pint".

They made him sign when he was drunk?

As far fetched as 'I'm going to prove there's still loyalty in football' (but I've put a really low release clause in my contract because.........)

[PaulWinch again]

I'm sorry but this is the saddest I've been of any recent villa transfer. I wasn't surprised when Dwight yorke and Ashley Young went to United, even Barry gave us us his best years before looking for a different challenge, but Delph, come on son, you would have been an absolute villa legend. You're now destined to be a bit part player in a team destined to finish second.

Ashley Young at least had some character at the club even if people don't remember. He gave us a number of years good service, never have false interviews and spoke about with respect. When he left it was for a good fee as well.

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

I love how loads of our fans have suddenly decided he's not that good and won't get in their team. Have a word with yourself, you weren't saying those things when he led us past Liverpool into the cup final. I suppose we've got something similar to look forward to when Benteke leaves