Villa player loan watch

[Villa in Denmark]

I see Helenius got on the scoresheet for Aalborg the other day.

Forgot to add this to the thread.

Really good finish from a tight angle. Some good hold up play and through ball for their first goal as well.

[PeterWithesShin]

The Gladiator rattled in a first half hat-trick today as Aalborg strolled to a 5-0 home win over Hobro, who should obviously stick to making sweets.

[supertom]

Maximus Helenius has taken a while to get back in the swing of things, but looks like he's picking up some form. I felt he had something about him. Certainly not lacking in ability. I'll be interested to see if he catches Sherwoods eye in pre-season.

[Villa in Denmark]

Maximus Helenius has taken a while to get back in the swing of things, but looks like he's picking up some form. I felt he had something about him. Certainly not lacking in ability. I'll be interested to see if he catches Sherwoods eye in pre-season.

Ahem.  From Helenius' own thread.

Helenius didn't have the gumption to make it. He lacked an aggressive streak it seems and obviously didn't settle. That's unfortunately what you get when you pay peanuts sometimes. Did he get a fair crack of the whip? Probably not, but Lambert will have his reasons for that. Perhaps Lambert saw enough by August to realise it would take time for Niklas, and then went ahead with the Kozak deal.

However stories about Helenius struggling to settle were circulating pretty early on last season and continued. His agents not particularly done him many favours. I recall one of his ex coaches being asked to give his opinion on Niklas and how he'd settle. The guy said that for a big man he's not good in the air and he needed to improve his strength at this level, and also IIRC, that he'd have to quicken his decision making on the ball.

Now it might be that in another 6months to a year, he might turn it around but if he's not willing to wait and bide his time, then good luck to him. He can go back to anonymity in Denmark.

It wasn't to be. This experiment failed. Goodbye, good luck, not good enough. He clearly doesn't have enough aggression or quite the arrogance to make it in this league, whereas conversely, arrogance has taken Bentdner quite far.

[peter w]

pwned! As I think I've had more than once...

[supertom]

Maximus Helenius has taken a while to get back in the swing of things, but looks like he's picking up some form. I felt he had something about him. Certainly not lacking in ability. I'll be interested to see if he catches Sherwoods eye in pre-season.

Ahem.  From Helenius' own thread.

Helenius didn't have the gumption to make it. He lacked an aggressive streak it seems and obviously didn't settle. That's unfortunately what you get when you pay peanuts sometimes. Did he get a fair crack of the whip? Probably not, but Lambert will have his reasons for that. Perhaps Lambert saw enough by August to realise it would take time for Niklas, and then went ahead with the Kozak deal.

However stories about Helenius struggling to settle were circulating pretty early on last season and continued. His agents not particularly done him many favours. I recall one of his ex coaches being asked to give his opinion on Niklas and how he'd settle. The guy said that for a big man he's not good in the air and he needed to improve his strength at this level, and also IIRC, that he'd have to quicken his decision making on the ball.

Now it might be that in another 6months to a year, he might turn it around but if he's not willing to wait and bide his time, then good luck to him. He can go back to anonymity in Denmark.

It wasn't to be. This experiment failed. Goodbye, good luck, not good enough. He clearly doesn't have enough aggression or quite the arrogance to make it in this league, whereas conversely, arrogance has taken Bentdner quite far.

To be fair this was before the story came up about his illness and personal problems which accounted for his seeming lack of drive.
He's got ability. I thought he looked good in that pre-season.
He may not still gain that aggression or strength required for this league however. We'll see. As with many players under Lambert, they need to be re-evaluated I think in pre-season. Granted I doubt many of those will ultimately make it, but 1-2 may do such as Gardner and possibly Bennett.

[Villa in Denmark]

So you rated his ability high enough to write
"Goodbye, good luck, not good enough."?

[supertom]

So you rated his ability high enough to write
"Goodbye, good luck, not good enough."?

You can have all the ability in the world and not make it. The Moores had more natural talent than Gabby. And as I say, I and most of us weren't privvy to all the facts about Helenius behind the scenes. So on the surface initially, when you have a players agent complaining about lack of playing time and pushing for a move back to Denmark, on the surface it looks a little like a lack of fight.

[Villa in Denmark]

So you rated his ability high enough to write
"Goodbye, good luck, not good enough."?

You can have all the ability in the world and not make it. The Moores had more natural talent than Gabby. And as I say, I and most of us weren't privvy to all the facts about Helenius behind the scenes. So on the surface initially, when you have a players agent complaining about lack of playing time and pushing for a move back to Denmark, on the surface it looks a little like a lack of fight.

It still doesn't answer "not good enough". He might well not have what it takes at this level, there's a hell of difference between the Supaliga and the PL.

I just can't square "I felt he had something about him." with "Goodbye, good luck, not good enough."

[Villa in Denmark]

Video of Helenius' hattrick here

[Ron Manager]

He might still have a chance. We will have to see. Many changes this summer I suspect.

[supertom]

So you rated his ability high enough to write
"Goodbye, good luck, not good enough."?

You can have all the ability in the world and not make it. The Moores had more natural talent than Gabby. And as I say, I and most of us weren't privvy to all the facts about Helenius behind the scenes. So on the surface initially, when you have a players agent complaining about lack of playing time and pushing for a move back to Denmark, on the surface it looks a little like a lack of fight.

It still doesn't answer "not good enough". He might well not have what it takes at this level, there's a hell of difference between the Supaliga and the PL.

I just can't square "I felt he had something about him." with "Goodbye, good luck, not good enough."

As with anything things change in football. Before August Alan Hutton was an abomination that almost no one wanted to see back in the side. And now we're coming up to the end of the season and he's been one of our best players.

It's the football fans prerogative. If he comes back and tries to win his place then I'll root for him. Alternatively if he feels this is a step beyond him at this level and wants to stay in Aalborg, then it'll be goodbye, good luck and ultimately, not good enough. Personally, I hope he does try.
The same applies to Carles Gil. If players really give it their all to make it work at a club then they get my support. If Gil pushes for a move back to Spain this summer then I'm short of sympathy. Again he's got talent to burn. But is he a Premiership player? We'll see.

[Handsworth Wood Villa]

[dave shelley]

Excuse my ignorance please, who's the player we're looking at there and who's he playing for.  Sorry I don't recognise him.

[Handsworth Wood Villa]

Excuse my ignorance please, who's the player we're looking at there and who's he playing for.  Sorry I don't recognise him.

Graham Burke for Notts County.