Fabian Delph - Signed for Manchester City

[passitsideways]

Delph is and was a cracking player, along with Benteke one of the few bright spots in a half decade of misery.  His early years with us were blighted because of injury, youthful impetuousness and O'Neill not knowing what to do with him.  Once he established himself I thought he showed he was a class act.  As for the way he left, well I think a lot of people are acting like immature jilted boyfriends over that one and it's quite sad and amusing at the same time.  In any case it seems Villa pretty much forced him out to get him off the payroll, so quite why people have such a downer on him is a mystery to me.  I'd love to get him and Benteke back if we ever get back up, maybe Albrighton at a push, but Westwood and Cleverly can fuck off.

There's basically no logical reason to think that we forced him out, it's a complete and utter furphy.

[purpletrousers]

His goals against the Bitters, twice, and at Wembley still make my tummy tickle.

Ah yes. Ditto. Sigh. They were highlights of recent years.

I do get the idea that the manner of - and ripples from - his u-turn left all parties embarrassed and the heart of our plans for the season ripped out. We never recovered in a way.

I still remember checking my phone and seeing the news he'd very publically changed his mind and committed to us. I was mid a great date, just had a gorgeous summer's afternoon in a central London park, settling down to dinner, when she came back from powdering her nose I had this beaming smile that I'd never be able to fully explain.

Then the body blow of a double u-turn. Speechless.

Yet, I can still imagine myself into his position, head seeing through the loyalty of heart, rising to the challenge of could he be a big fish in a bigger pond? Plus of course family being ever more made for life. It hurt bad. But I could also see he did right by us in getting us a few million (how badly we spent it is not his fault).

The new contract had been exploited by the club, I don't know if they overdid it.  With a touch more success and strength I think he'd have honoured it.

I think he humiliated himself and made a fool of everyone. I do think he *tried* to do it, because he had some rare loyalty, u-turn one was genuinely from the heart I felt.

Gauging his character, is it crazy to think that same heart might prompt him to reflect on returning to give what he can, to pay back? It's exactly what I sense it could do.
If he didn't dare to follow through because he was too scared to be crucified, I'd find that sad.

I'd trust him to give us 110%, if he was brave enough. But at present I'd fear there would be too much hate, which could be our loss.

[XXVilla]

He's a professional footballer. He'll go where the money is. See also Gareth Barry.

[olaftab]

I have erased any little good stuff he did for us from my memory. We looked after him for 4 years and then he £ucked off after a year and half of some usefulness.

[JUAN PABLO]

I've said it before, but I have it on pretty good authority (Man City not Villa) that Delph went because Villa wanted him off the wage bill and asked him to take the offer.

I'd take him back if we get promoted. Would walk into our midfield.

even in a wheelchair?

[KevinGage]

I've said it before, but I have it on pretty good authority (Man City not Villa) that Delph went because Villa wanted him off the wage bill and asked him to take the offer.

I'd take him back if we get promoted. Would walk into our midfield.

Pelligrini said there was more to that deal than was being reported, so you could be right.

Or it could just be a manager covering his player.

[Rigadon]

I've said it before, but I have it on pretty good authority (Man City not Villa) that Delph went because Villa wanted him off the wage bill and asked him to take the offer.

I'd take him back if we get promoted. Would walk into our midfield.

Pelligrini said there was more to that deal than was being reported, so you could be right.

Or it could just be a manager covering his player.

If that is true, he's been very dignified in the face of some pretty full on abuse. 

I thought it was bollox at the time, but with what the Lerner years had become, I can actually believe there's some truth in it.

[KevinGage]

If you look at his comments when he initially agreed to stay that summer, he spoke about the pride he had in captaining the club and plenty of other stuff that was way OTT if he was merely looking to get Citeh to come back with a higher wage offer.

It looked like we had signed his replacement (Gueye) before he was actually off too, so I could see why the club might have been keen to cash in.

Only issue there is Gueye was rubbish for us.

[Diablo]

I personally wouldn't trust any of the official Villa line under Lerner when it was apparent he'd lost interest.

[Ads]

Rumour on the internet is now taken as truth?

I'd certainly take a huge amount of abuse on my shoulders to protect my former employers who'd put me in that situation and stay silent.

[dave.woodhall]

Rumour on the internet is now taken as truth?

I'd certainly take a huge amount of abuse on my shoulders to protect my former employers who'd put me in that situation and stay silent.

You should know by now that anything that makes, or might make, Lerner look bad has to be true.

[passitsideways]

If you look at his comments when he initially agreed to stay that summer, he spoke about the pride he had in captaining the club and plenty of other stuff that was way OTT if he was merely looking to get Citeh to come back with a higher wage offer.

It looked like we had signed his replacement (Gueye) before he was actually off too, so I could see why the club might have been keen to cash in.

Only issue there is Gueye was rubbish for us.

Gueye wasn't rubbish, he did the exact same things that he's getting plaudits for at Everton, but apparently it's impossible to be a good player in an utterly crap team.

[Ad@m]

If you look at his comments when he initially agreed to stay that summer, he spoke about the pride he had in captaining the club and plenty of other stuff that was way OTT if he was merely looking to get Citeh to come back with a higher wage offer.

It looked like we had signed his replacement (Gueye) before he was actually off too, so I could see why the club might have been keen to cash in.

Only issue there is Gueye was rubbish for us.

Gueye wasn't rubbish, he did the exact same things that he's getting plaudits for at Everton, but apparently it's impossible to be a good player in an utterly crap team.

Agreed.  I also thought Gueye looked a decent player for us and with better players around him would've done at least what he's done at Everton.

[KevinGage]

Everton took a punt, seeing as the price was £7.5 million. Which normally buys you 1/5 of a Bolasie in today's crazy mixed up world.

But he was rubbish for us, and if he had let the head drop at Goodison as much as he did at VP they would have bombed him out pronto.  In recent years, Benteke, Delph, Kodjia and -going back a bit further- McInally and Platt in their final seasons, all played in pretty dire Villa sides. They didn't let it detract from their own individual performances.

It could be that the 12 months he had here helped bring him up to speed with English football, and I don't doubt that a combination of better players + Koeman rather than Sherwood or Erik Black would be preferable. 

But I don't recall too many around here (or elsewhere) bemoaning his loss when he bailed at the first possible opportunity.

[LeeB]

Everton took a punt, seeing as the price was £7.5 million. Which normally buys you 1/5 of a Bolasie in today's crazy mixed up world.

But he was rubbish for us, and if he had let the head drop at Goodison as much as he did at VP they would have bombed him out pronto.  In recent years, Benteke, Delph, Kodjia and -going back a bit further- McInally and Platt in their final seasons, all played in pretty dire Villa sides. They didn't let it detract from their own individual performances.

It could be that the 12 months he had here helped bring him up to speed with English football, and I don't doubt that a combination of better players + Koeman rather than Sherwood or Erik Black would be preferable. 

But I don't recall too many around here (or elsewhere) bemoaning his loss when he bailed at the first possible opportunity.

I thought he was wank. Weak as piss, and going forward made Westwood look like Platini.