Fabian Delph - Signed for Manchester City

[robbo1874]

"I'm not loyal at all. I want to move for more money, but my agent couldn't close the deal. Therefore I'll stop at villa and kiss the badge for another transfer window"

[olaftab]

Delph Fails Medical For City Role:
Tonight we can report exclusively the reason for Delph staying at Villa Park. It was the crucial
Bench test that Delph was not able to pass. Despite being asked repeated by Pelligrini if he would be happy to sit on Recaro v5.1 Delph failed to look him in the eye and say yes.
 A friend of Delph informed MOMS: “Fab was initially under the impression that you didn’t need a medical if you were just joining City to warm the bench and collect the money.”
Despite talking to other clubs about a possible move, Delph chose City because he wanted to follow in the footsteps of both Gareth Barry and James Milner, and keep a Villa tradition going of providing bench warmers for city.

The Manchester club had pulled out all the stops to get their man, even agreeing to perform the medical in a Midland's Park using a bench rather that their famous Recaro seats.

Delph had reportedly already told his Villa teammates and Villa CEO Tom Fox he was off, so was left with egg on his face when he received the results of his medical.


An insider at the Eithad informed MOMS that City were also disappointed in Delph’s medical result, as they will now have to further their search for home-based talent to fill their subs bench for the season ahead. He added, City would now have to reluctantly speak to the likes of Tom Huddlestone and Lee Cattermole to fill the void. He further confirmed that the sitting on the bench test is much more critical for City and its important that English born players pass that.

[frank]

Citeh fans' take on the Delph story:

This has been nothing more than a step in a process where we interviewed a player to assess general suitability and cost benefit. The player (Delph for those guessing) listened to the likes of Andy Gray bleating his nonsense about Milner only getting half a dozen games last season, whereas he must have started 30+ (some CL) and played in 40+ overall, and took advice from our old mate Micah, who wasn't good enough to get a game with us but who steadfastly refused to transfer because nobody else would pay him half of what we were overpaying him.
The player was nervous, was he good enough to earn a place in our 1st 11? He wasn't sure and he didn't have the courage or ambition to make the move without our guaranteeing him game-time, but we were never going to do that because it's the manager's selection and, in any case, we wouldn't want to employ a player who didn't have the courage and self confidence to want to earn his shirt.
Not a problem to the player, as he can stay at the little club where he's a big fish in a small puddle, and we can breath a big sigh of relief because we found him out as the bottle merchant he was before we entered into contract . . phew . . nice one. Now move on.

[PaulWinch again]

Citeh fans' take on the Delph story:

This has been nothing more than a step in a process where we interviewed a player to assess general suitability and cost benefit. The player (Delph for those guessing) listened to the likes of Andy Gray bleating his nonsense about Milner only getting half a dozen games last season, whereas he must have started 30+ (some CL) and played in 40+ overall, and took advice from our old mate Micah, who wasn't good enough to get a game with us but who steadfastly refused to transfer because nobody else would pay him half of what we were overpaying him.
The player was nervous, was he good enough to earn a place in our 1st 11? He wasn't sure and he didn't have the courage or ambition to make the move without our guaranteeing him game-time, but we were never going to do that because it's the manager's selection and, in any case, we wouldn't want to employ a player who didn't have the courage and self confidence to want to earn his shirt.
Not a problem to the player, as he can stay at the little club where he's a big fish in a small puddle, and we can breath a big sigh of relief because we found him out as the bottle merchant he was before we entered into contract . . phew . . nice one. Now move on.

I predict he's a Citeh fan from about 2011 onwards.

[Percy McCarthy]

Westwood said on Sky Sports that the players were in contact with him and knew he was staying.

[Percy McCarthy]

Citeh fans' take on the Delph story:

This has been nothing more than a step in a process where we interviewed a player to assess general suitability and cost benefit. The player (Delph for those guessing) listened to the likes of Andy Gray bleating his nonsense about Milner only getting half a dozen games last season, whereas he must have started 30+ (some CL) and played in 40+ overall, and took advice from our old mate Micah, who wasn't good enough to get a game with us but who steadfastly refused to transfer because nobody else would pay him half of what we were overpaying him.
The player was nervous, was he good enough to earn a place in our 1st 11? He wasn't sure and he didn't have the courage or ambition to make the move without our guaranteeing him game-time, but we were never going to do that because it's the manager's selection and, in any case, we wouldn't want to employ a player who didn't have the courage and self confidence to want to earn his shirt.
Not a problem to the player, as he can stay at the little club where he's a big fish in a small puddle, and we can breath a big sigh of relief because we found him out as the bottle merchant he was before we entered into contract . . phew . . nice one. Now move on.

Whatever.

[CJ]

"little club....big fish in small puddle..." Oil money hasn't changed the Citeh supporters at all really has it. Tosser

[silhillvilla]

Whilst we fully expect Talksport and Sky to constantly lie , make stuff up and get things wrong, I expect better from the BBC.
For them to run with a main headline of it being a done deal is disgraceful.

[OzVilla]

Citeh fans' take on the Delph story:

This has been nothing more than a step in a process where we interviewed a player to assess general suitability and cost benefit. The player (Delph for those guessing) listened to the likes of Andy Gray bleating his nonsense about Milner only getting half a dozen games last season, whereas he must have started 30+ (some CL) and played in 40+ overall, and took advice from our old mate Micah, who wasn't good enough to get a game with us but who steadfastly refused to transfer because nobody else would pay him half of what we were overpaying him.
The player was nervous, was he good enough to earn a place in our 1st 11? He wasn't sure and he didn't have the courage or ambition to make the move without our guaranteeing him game-time, but we were never going to do that because it's the manager's selection and, in any case, we wouldn't want to employ a player who didn't have the courage and self confidence to want to earn his shirt.
Not a problem to the player, as he can stay at the little club where he's a big fish in a small puddle, and we can breath a big sigh of relief because we found him out as the bottle merchant he was before we entered into contract . . phew . . nice one. Now move on.

If we were ever in their position id be totally embarrassed if a Villa fan ever wrote something like that.

What tossers they've got following them.  They're just a northern Chelsea really.

[Richard E]

"little club....big fish in small puddle..." Oil money hasn't changed the Citeh supporters at all really has it. Tosser

Turning into everything they used to hate about Man U supporters.

[LeeB]

"little club....big fish in small puddle..." Oil money hasn't changed the Citeh supporters at all really has it. Tosser

Try to remember these are the views of one prick, and not their supporters on the whole.

God knows I wouldn't want some of the ridiculous shite I've read on here attributed to me.

[pauliewalnuts]

I don't know about "disgraceful".

It's only a football transfer, and football transfers are always surrounded by an element of guesswork.

[silhillvilla]

I don't know about "disgraceful".

It's only a football transfer, and football transfers are always surrounded by an element of guesswork.

If it's "guesswork" which seems the case the BBC should keep it in their "gossip" section not make it the main story ??!!

[Dante Lavelli]

Whilst we fully expect Talksport and Sky to constantly lie , make stuff up and get things wrong, I expect better from the BBC.
For them to run with a main headline of it being a done deal is disgraceful.

My guess is that the release clause does exist and Man City did trigger it.  If that was confirmed by either club then it is not unreasonable for the BBC to cover the story as they have.  Where everyone appears to have been wrong is that they assumed Delph would want to leave whereas it appears he still has unfinished business at Villa. 

For all our sanity, I hope we can get him to sign a new deal where a more realistic value is inserted as I fear that the clause will be triggered most windows, or at least speculation, with a value of 8m.   

[damon loves JT]

All this tells me that if you really want to know something, don't read the Mail - go to the Wetherby Food Festival.