Joe Cole

[cannock villa]

So we did.  I blame the acid. The overall point remains though.

Yep. And I was much more inclined to trust Ron Saunders' assessment of players than Paul Lambert's.

I bet Blues and Albion fans wouldn't

[Jon Crofts]

Did Ron actually refer to Peter Withe as the final piece of the jigsaw when he bought him?

Or reflecting on the purchase when reviewing how he built the Champions?

Just curious.

I think that was Tony Morley he was referring to, could be wrong though.

[john e]

Did Ron actually refer to Peter Withe as the final piece of the jigsaw when he bought him?

Or reflecting on the purchase when reviewing how he built the Champions?

Just curious.

I think that was Tony Morley he was referring to, could be wrong though.

In the DVD Ron says Peter Withe was the final piece

[Jon Crofts]

Did Ron actually refer to Peter Withe as the final piece of the jigsaw when he bought him?

Or reflecting on the purchase when reviewing how he built the Champions?

Just curious.

I think that was Tony Morley he was referring to, could be wrong though.

In the DVD Ron says Peter Withe was the final piece

I stand corrected, it was Morley he said needed to get into what Saunders called 'starting positions'

[john e]

Did Ron actually refer to Peter Withe as the final piece of the jigsaw when he bought him?

Or reflecting on the purchase when reviewing how he built the Champions?

Just curious.

I think that was Tony Morley he was referring to, could be wrong though.

In the DVD Ron says Peter Withe was the final piece

I stand corrected, it was Morley he said needed to get into what Saunders called 'starting positions'

And he also said Morley needed a 'kick up the arse every week'

I don't think Morley got on well with RS but I don't suppose he minds the medals he won

[Legion]

Remember when Morley gave him the two-fingered salute after he scored?

[ChicagoLion]

Remember when Morley gave him the two-fingered salute after he scored?

His second?

[ez]

I went to a Q&A evening with Morley as one of the speakers. Someone asked him if he was glad when Saunders resigned. He answered no and that he liked Ron Saunders. Also didn't Morley sign for Saunders twice more after us?

[claret and blue blood]

Talking to Hammers fan today at work and he was of the opinion Joe can still cut it in the Prem.He was their  second top scorer inspire off only playing 15 or so games and Allardyce  not allowing him the freedom to take players on.

[pauliewalnuts]

I went to a Q&A evening with Morley as one of the speakers. Someone asked him if he was glad when Saunders resigned. He answered no and that he liked Ron Saunders. Also didn't Morley sign for Saunders twice more after us?

What was that story about Morley's house burning down, and him having to sleep in his car - imagine that these days - and asking Saunders for some sympathy of some sort (can't remember circumstances) but getting zero?

And before the match at Everton, didn't Saunders tell him he wasn't going to pick him, as he was an Everton fan as a kid and he didn't think he could trust him to do his best, only to then pick him, and he scored the goal of the season?

I don't think that sort of thing would work these days - in fact, it wouldn't - but what brilliant stuff.

[dave.woodhall]

I went to a Q&A evening with Morley as one of the speakers. Someone asked him if he was glad when Saunders resigned. He answered no and that he liked Ron Saunders. Also didn't Morley sign for Saunders twice more after us?

What was that story about Morley's house burning down, and him having to sleep in his car - imagine that these days - and asking Saunders for some sympathy of some sort (can't remember circumstances) but getting zero?

And before the match at Everton, didn't Saunders tell him he wasn't going to pick him, as he was an Everton fan as a kid and he didn't think he could trust him to do his best, only to then pick him, and he scored the goal of the season?

I don't think that sort of thing would work these days - in fact, it wouldn't - but what brilliant stuff.

Saunders definitely told him that Pat Heard was playing against Everton before changing his mind late Friday afternoon. Morley had also asked for a transfer the week before Saunders left, only to come off the list the day after he'd gone.

[KevinGage]

I went to a Q&A evening with Morley as one of the speakers. Someone asked him if he was glad when Saunders resigned. He answered no and that he liked Ron Saunders. Also didn't Morley sign for Saunders twice more after us?

What was that story about Morley's house burning down, and him having to sleep in his car - imagine that these days - and asking Saunders for some sympathy of some sort (can't remember circumstances) but getting zero?

And before the match at Everton, didn't Saunders tell him he wasn't going to pick him, as he was an Everton fan as a kid and he didn't think he could trust him to do his best, only to then pick him, and he scored the goal of the season?

I don't think that sort of thing would work these days - in fact, it wouldn't - but what brilliant stuff.

And that's the kind of reaction you'd want off a player:  "I'll show that prick."

Ginola (nowhere near as important a player to us) did similar to Gregory.

Today, players would just sulk and get on to their agents to initiate a move.

[Matt Collins]

On a sort of related note, one of the signs that SGT was not suitable for modern football came against Charlton at the Valley.

Mark Kinsella hadn't played for months. SGT recalled him, on the basis that he'd be fired up against his former team. Needless to say he continued to be dogshite and we lost 3-0. This might have worked a decade earlier, but it smacked of a very old fashioned approach to management.

That and taking a villa side that had been top 7 for about 5 years running and almost getting them relegated, whilst buying players that make some of the current crop definitely look premier league class (UDC, Kinsella, Leonhardsen, Gudjonsson). Anyone who thinks Ashley Westwood isn't streets ahead of that lot doesn't know what they're talking about.

[Steve67]

I have heard it said that the West Ham style of football didn't suit Joe Cole, because the ball was going over his head from back to front quite a lot. Er, isn't this the way Villa are playing?  I hope that this transfer works becuase Cole is a decent player down the middle, but we have to give him the ball.

[Pete3206]

Talking to Hammers fan today at work and he was of the opinion Joe can still cut it in the Prem.He was their  second top scorer inspire off only playing 15 or so games and Allardyce  not allowing him the freedom to take players on.

He made 25 appearances for West Ham last season, 20 in the league. That surprised me to be honest.