Villa player loan watch

[adrenachrome]

It's strange how our academy has worked out with strikers in recent years. I would say in terms of natural ability, the Moores and Delfouneso had more than Gabby and Weimann. As it has transpired of course, the latter are still in the top flight playing regularly.
I think you need exceptional hard work, and to be honest, in Gabby's case, he was a limited player as a lad (still is if we're honest) who had one exceptional attribute. To still be a Premier League regular after 8 years takes a great deal of hard work and will to succeed. He's improved slowly as a player too. Likewise Weimann might be struggling at the moment, but the lad isn't the most technically gifted. He does work bloody hard though, and not only that, he's overcome a serious injury early in his career too and still broken through.

I think another part of it is aggression. Gabby has plenty of aggression in the way he plays, as does Weimann. They don't let the big boys bully them. To some extent I felt like the Moores and Fonzy could sometimes be wet blankets. They could get bullied out of games. Of course Darius was a bit of a softy but still succeeded at this level, though in truth he had a hell of a lot of talent but what he lacked in aggression he made up for in application, even if it times you just wish he had more self confidence.

If only you could meld Fonzy and Weimann together. You'd have a hell of a player.

Some interesting points there.

Remember that DV and JPA had to bulk up and lose some pace due to the farcical all-in wresting arena which describes a dead ball into the box in the modern PL. 

Also, variants of 4-5-1 often end up with what in past years would be  striker being moved wide. To play up front alone you need to be the type of player who is not deterred by rough treatment. Think of Savo: very underrated in the role.

[PeterWithesShin]

Attitude is very much as important as talent. Look at Byfield for example, nowhere near the talent of the Moore, Fonz, and yet his attitude meant he had a decent pro career.

[supertom]

Attitude is very much as important as talent. Look at Byfield for example, nowhere near the talent of the Moore, Fonz, and yet his attitude meant he had a decent pro career.

And Jamelia too. That's worth a tip of the hat to the guy.

[Dante Lavelli]

I also think that a lot of the players are given big contracts too young. 

Being on the brink of failure is probably the best motivation any young player can have and that desperation and work ethic probably sticks with them for the rest of their careers.  I recall Gabby being pretty woeful on loan at S. Wednesday and Weimann had that injury, whereas when the Fonz looks at his bank account I doubt 'failure' is one of the words which pops into his head.

[OCD]

It's true. Young players tend to lose their hunger when they feel like they've made it already.

[Dave]

I also think that a lot of the players are given big contracts too young. 

Being on the brink of failure is probably the best motivation any young player can have and that desperation and work ethic probably sticks with them for the rest of their careers.  I recall Gabby being pretty woeful on loan at S. Wednesday and Weimann had that injury, whereas when the Fonz looks at his bank account I doubt 'failure' is one of the words which pops into his head.

At the same time though, if we have promising players coming through and we want them to stay then we have to offer them the sort of wages that other clubs would.

A club like Man City or Arsenal will think nothing at all of offering a promising youth player the sort of money that we pay Delfouneso.

If we had let the 17 year old version of him leave (bearing in mind that he was playing and scoring for us at that age) then I think there would have been uproar on here. There was enough discontent when that youth player whose name I forget went to Arsenal last year and he was nowhere near the first team.

Sometimes players don't kick on in the way you'd hope, but unless they are offered the same sort of terms as they might be elsewhere then it's a sure-fire way to not have them in the first place.

[Dante Lavelli]

I also think that a lot of the players are given big contracts too young. 

Being on the brink of failure is probably the best motivation any young player can have and that desperation and work ethic probably sticks with them for the rest of their careers.  I recall Gabby being pretty woeful on loan at S. Wednesday and Weimann had that injury, whereas when the Fonz looks at his bank account I doubt 'failure' is one of the words which pops into his head.

At the same time though, if we have promising players coming through and we want them to stay then we have to offer them the sort of wages that other clubs would.

A club like Man City or Arsenal will think nothing at all of offering a promising youth player the sort of money that we pay Delfouneso.

If we had let the 17 year old version of him leave (bearing in mind that he was playing and scoring for us at that age) then I think there would have been uproar on here. There was enough discontent when that youth player whose name I forget went to Arsenal last year and he was nowhere near the first team.

Sometimes players don't kick on in the way you'd hope, but unless they are offered the same sort of terms as they might be elsewhere then it's a sure-fire way to not have them in the first place.

I agree.  It's a fine balance and the timing of that first fat contract is largely a coincidence. 

To put it another way I'd prefer that we do offer enough to keep these youngsters because the extra £2-5k/week is peanuts compared to losing a star player completely.  However, in the particular instance of the Fonz, he signed during a period where we were generally paying too much in wages anyway so getting £20k a week (guess) is easier to justify when Habib Beye is picking up £40k/week.

[supertom]

It's a shame some of these lads can't think a little further ahead. A footballers career is short. Earning say 20k a week on a 4 year contract is bloody great if you're 20 years old, of course. But what about pushing to succeed at the top level? What about working your bollocks off to try and sustain a 10 year career at the top and earn even more on average?

Some players (Gabby) do, some don't sadly. 1-2 of Fonzies mates will probably still be at Villa in 5-6 years time and he'll be long gone. When his bank balance isn't looking quite as impressive when he's flitting around League 2 (if he's bloody lucky), I'm sure he'll look on enviously at the lads like Clark and Weimann who may either be here still, or at the very least playing at a high level.

In Fonzies case I hope I'm wrong, but I can't see him getting another bite at top flight football, short of a lot of work. Whitts got another shot, and even so, spending most of your career in the Championship is no bad thing. Likewise Davis went to the mickey mouse league for a bit but has come back strongly. Even Luke Moore dropped away before getting another stab with Swansea, and that was enough to get him a transfer to Turkey and then the MLS, which will have been quite an experience for better or worse. I see him going Stefan's route unfortunately. Will he be happy as a non-league superstar? Who knows.

[eamonn]

Luke's gone to America? How did that come about? British players seem to last about two minutes in Turkey. Trouser the big signing-on fee, enjoy the odd adulation and local women before they realise they're not cut out for living there long-term?

[cdbearsfan]

I think players tend to grow frustrated in the Turkish League when they discover, shortly after arriving, that their new employers have no intention of actually paying them.

[adrenachrome]

I think players tend to grow frustrated in the Turkish League when they discover, shortly after arriving, that their new employers have no intention of actually paying them.

Bread heads.

[supertom]

I think players tend to grow frustrated in the Turkish League when they discover, shortly after arriving, that their new employers have no intention of actually paying them.

Bread heads.

You'd think Darius might have had a word in Luke's ear on this one. It was never gonna end well.
He's ended up at JPA's old MLS club, Chivas.

[eamonn]

I wonder if JPA had a word with him about Chivas. They had the makings of an interesting partnership for half of O Neills first season alongside Gabby.

[supertom]

I wonder if JPA had a word with him about Chivas. They had the makings of an interesting partnership for half of O Neills first season alongside Gabby.

We played some good football with the three up top. Luke then got injured and when he bought Sutton in he switched to the standard 4-4-2. From then on we only really played good football on the counter attack.

[eamonn]

Mikey Drennan at the double at Dagenham for Pompey. Put them two up in twenty mins.