Fabian Delph - Signed for Manchester City

[curiousorange]

Thing is, everything about this transfer is both logical and predictable. Even the public statement about "my club" and loyalty is words - people break promises all the time. Both parties agreed an absurdly low clause, and even then, Delph has one skill, and someone's going to pay him for that skill at a higher rate than Villa do, in an environment where he'll probably win things or at least play at a more elite level.

But then, football fans are anything but logical and predictable. You may understand why he's chosen to make himself look a tool, but why should you have to like it? It's just one more thing that makes you like football slightly less, and personally, I wasn't looking forward to next season as soon as the final whistle blew at Wembley, and I'm looking forward to it a lot less now.

[dave shelley]

As far as I'm concerned, as soon as it's confirmed he's in talks/having a medical, then the thread should be locked.  At this stage all the vitriol being expressed is just a waste of our energy.  There are more important things in the future of Aston Villa to concentrate on and hopefully look forward to  than the footballing career of a player who lied to us about wanting to be here.

[curiousorange]

As far as I'm concerned, as soon as it's confirmed he's in talks/having a medical, then the thread should be locked.  At this stage all the vitriol being expressed is just a waste of our energy.  There are more important things in the future of Aston Villa to concentrate on and hopefully look forward to  than the footballing career of a player who lied to us about wanting to be here.

Seconded.

[PeterWithe]

As far as I'm concerned, as soon as it's confirmed he's in talks/having a medical, then the thread should be locked.  At this stage all the vitriol being expressed is just a waste of our energy.  There are more important things in the future of Aston Villa to concentrate on and hopefully look forward to  than the footballing career of a player who lied to us about wanting to be here.

As far as I'm concerned, as soon as it's confirmed he's in talks/having a medical, then the thread should be locked.  At this stage all the vitriol being expressed is just a waste of our energy.  There are more important things in the future of Aston Villa to concentrate on and hopefully look forward to  than the footballing career of a player who lied to us about wanting to be here.

Cobblers. I want to work myself into an impotent rage.

[PeterWithe]

Is he in Portugal with the rest of the team or Manchester, he's not actually signed for them yet has he?

He didn't go to Portugal as his wife's baby is due and he is having his medical at City this weekend.

Thank you.

[dave shelley]

As far as I'm concerned, as soon as it's confirmed he's in talks/having a medical, then the thread should be locked.  At this stage all the vitriol being expressed is just a waste of our energy.  There are more important things in the future of Aston Villa to concentrate on and hopefully look forward to  than the footballing career of a player who lied to us about wanting to be here.

As far as I'm concerned, as soon as it's confirmed he's in talks/having a medical, then the thread should be locked.  At this stage all the vitriol being expressed is just a waste of our energy.  There are more important things in the future of Aston Villa to concentrate on and hopefully look forward to  than the footballing career of a player who lied to us about wanting to be here.

Cobblers. I want to work myself into an impotent rage.

Twice?

[Deano's Mullet]

Glad the club told us this is a big club because at the minute it doesn't feel like it

[Desi]

Nobody comes out of this with any credit.

Delph has shown himself to be used by the marketeers.

The marketing department look stupid with interviews and using his images on the new kit launch.

Fox and Lerner should have negotiated a much higher release clause (would a barrier of say £15m have put anyone serious off).

Re the publicity photos featuring Delph: I understand that they were taken in the week before the Cup Final and that there was no indication that Delph might be leaving.

There is no question that the management had tried to get Delph to sign a new contract but it wasn't until January that he (and his agent!) agreed to a new deal and ONLY if there was a 'get out' trigger clause of 8 million.
The club wanted it to be in the 20 mill. area but they were totally stymied!


The problem with the release clause is that Delph and his agent might have wanted it that low and had we not agreed, he'd have gone for nothing.

Spot on. It was a 'take it or leave 't' ultimatum.
As someone said to me 'he could have signed a twenty year contract with us and he could have walked away whenever HE wanted'.
The club were in a no win situation.

[PeterWithe]

As far as I'm concerned, as soon as it's confirmed he's in talks/having a medical, then the thread should be locked.  At this stage all the vitriol being expressed is just a waste of our energy.  There are more important things in the future of Aston Villa to concentrate on and hopefully look forward to  than the footballing career of a player who lied to us about wanting to be here.

As far as I'm concerned, as soon as it's confirmed he's in talks/having a medical, then the thread should be locked.  At this stage all the vitriol being expressed is just a waste of our energy.  There are more important things in the future of Aston Villa to concentrate on and hopefully look forward to  than the footballing career of a player who lied to us about wanting to be here.

Cobblers. I want to work myself into an impotent rage.

Twice?

I might go for three, I'm that impotent, no, not that, angry.

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

I'm finding it hard to understand the anger towards Delph. Do you think it was his idea to come out with those comments? I'm angry towards the club for letting his contract run down, agreeing to an 8m release clause (although they may not have had a choice, we don't know), making and releasing that video, the kit promos that were released only a few days ago. I'd love an explanation for those things.

So basically, everything the club does is wrong, and everyone who shits on them is fine.

Well, no, but the club should be taking more than their fair share of the blame for this. I'd really like to hate Delph right now, but I can't as I feel he's not the main culprit.

So the player who tells fans that he was here 'for the long haul' then decides to piss off a few moths later is not the main culprit? Really?

Yup as I don't think it was his idea. If you have proof Delph came up with the idea of the video and the kit promos, I'll change my view.

[LukeJames]

I'm finding it hard to understand the anger towards Delph. Do you think it was his idea to come out with those comments? I'm angry towards the club for letting his contract run down, agreeing to an 8m release clause (although they may not have had a choice, we don't know), making and releasing that video, the kit promos that were released only a few days ago. I'd love an explanation for those things.

So basically, everything the club does is wrong, and everyone who shits on them is fine.

Well, no, but the club should be taking more than their fair share of the blame for this. I'd really like to hate Delph right now, but I can't as I feel he's not the main culprit.

So the player who tells fans that he was here 'for the long haul' then decides to piss off a few moths later is not the main culprit? Really?

Yup as I don't think it was his idea. If you have proof Delph came up with the idea of the video and the kit promos, I'll change my view.

Do you have proof that the club came up with it?

[Clampy]

I'm finding it hard to understand the anger towards Delph. Do you think it was his idea to come out with those comments? I'm angry towards the club for letting his contract run down, agreeing to an 8m release clause (although they may not have had a choice, we don't know), making and releasing that video, the kit promos that were released only a few days ago. I'd love an explanation for those things.

So basically, everything the club does is wrong, and everyone who shits on them is fine.

Well, no, but the club should be taking more than their fair share of the blame for this. I'd really like to hate Delph right now, but I can't as I feel he's not the main culprit.

So the player who tells fans that he was here 'for the long haul' then decides to piss off a few moths later is not the main culprit? Really?

Yup as I don't think it was his idea. If you have proof Delph came up with the idea of the video and the kit promos, I'll change my view.

Delph still would have had to give his permission to do the video in the first place. What do you think the club did, strapped him to a chair?

[dave shelley]

As far as I'm concerned, as soon as it's confirmed he's in talks/having a medical, then the thread should be locked.  At this stage all the vitriol being expressed is just a waste of our energy.  There are more important things in the future of Aston Villa to concentrate on and hopefully look forward to  than the footballing career of a player who lied to us about wanting to be here.

As far as I'm concerned, as soon as it's confirmed he's in talks/having a medical, then the thread should be locked.  At this stage all the vitriol being expressed is just a waste of our energy.  There are more important things in the future of Aston Villa to concentrate on and hopefully look forward to  than the footballing career of a player who lied to us about wanting to be here.

Cobblers. I want to work myself into an impotent rage.

Twice?

I might go for three, I'm that impotent, no, not that, angry.

I was going to say, there's pills you can get for that today...I beleive! 

[Jon Crofts]

Libor Kozak waves Delph off from Portugal.

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[Villa in Denmark]

Well goodbye Fabian. No hard feelings but you will never be fit to lace the boots of midfielders such as Morty, Sid or Alex Alex Cropley.

To be fair, very few ever will be.
(as someone too young to remember Cropley, but as those that can seem to rate him as highly as Sid or better, I'll take that as about as good a recommendation as you can get.)