Micah Richards - Released

[Richard E]

According to the Guardian he'll be playing at centre-half rather than fullback.

Vlaar replacement I'd guess

Hopefully.

[Dave]

He's signed according to this:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aston-villa/11680634/Aston-Villa-manager-Tim-Sherwood-makes-Manchester-City-defender-Micah-Richards-his-first-summer-signing.html

I'm sure that it'll happen and that he'll sign for us, but that just says that he has agreed to sign for us and that the club will announce the signing at some point.

Which (apart from the fact that a medical might have taken place) isn't really anything more than the article that PWS started this thread with a week ago.

[Villa in Denmark]

According to the Guardian he'll be playing at centre-half rather than fullback.

Vlaar replacement I'd guess

Hopefully.

So not only are they able to announce the signing before anyone at the club has even hinted that it might be happening, but they now know where Sherwood's planning on playing him.

For all those worried about Okore only being a whisker over 6', how does Richards improve on that.

I'd personally say that a back line of

Richards - Okore - Clark - Richardson / A.N.Other would be better defensively than what we lined up with for most of last season.

The Okore / Clark partnership seemed from (my these days fallible) memory to coincide with one of our better spells, until injuries caught up with us again.

[Hookeysmith]

He is out of contract and contracts (IIRC) run from July 1st to July 1st. Out of contract players can agree a deal with new club up to 6 months prior to current contract ending so I assume officially he will sign on July 1st

[Pete]

According to the Guardian he'll be playing at centre-half rather than fullback.

Vlaar replacement I'd guess

Hopefully.

So not only are they able to announce the signing before anyone at the club has even hinted that it might be happening, but they now know where Sherwood's planning on playing him.

There are no direct quotes but it reads like they've spoken to someone at the club, it says that Sherwood was tempted because Richards can play at centre half, and that Richards likes the idea. Daniel Taylor is a reputable journalist, I doubt he'd just make it up . Why would he?

[Hookeysmith]

Pro's

Very athletic
Was only replaced at Citeh by a world class player in Zabaletta
Winning mentality
Very strong defensively (or he was before he disappeared)
Former England international who will have the chance to show the world what he is made of and possibly get his place back

Cons

He did seemingly disappear for a good while
Not sure what he is like once over the half way line - Bacuna cannot defend but adds something to our attack
Without being too pessimistic I would have thought he would be coveted by those further up the food chain

[Ryu]

I think I'd rather see him as a marauding full back than a centre half but if he's still got the pace and power he had when he first came through he could be a useful addition.  I'm not sure I'd like to see the Clark and Okore partnership broken up, though.

[Dave]

He is out of contract and contracts (IIRC) run from July 1st to July 1st. Out of contract players can agree a deal with new club up to 6 months prior to current contract ending so I assume officially he will sign on July 1st

Liverpool have announced the signings of Milner, Bogdan and Ings, all of whom are in the same position as Richards contract-wise.

[Hookeysmith]

He is out of contract and contracts (IIRC) run from July 1st to July 1st. Out of contract players can agree a deal with new club up to 6 months prior to current contract ending so I assume officially he will sign on July 1st

Liverpool have announced the signings of Milner, Bogdan and Ings, all of whom are in the same position as Richards contract-wise.

Just goes to show I know fuck all

[PaulWinch again]

Welcome Micah, very glad to have you here.

[TheMalandro]

He is out of contract and contracts (IIRC) run from July 1st to July 1st. Out of contract players can agree a deal with new club up to 6 months prior to current contract ending so I assume officially he will sign on July 1st

Liverpool have announced the signings of Milner, Bogdan and Ings, all of whom are in the same position as Richards contract-wise.

Just goes to show I know fuck all

Join the club

[SamTheMouse]

My memory is hazy, but I remember him being quite good at right-back, and dire at centre-half.

Hopefully he's improved since then.

[dekko]

This line in the guardian article caught my eye:

 

Sunderland had also spoken to him at length about joining them as a centre-back and there was interest from Everton and West Ham in the player

I feel a bit better knowing that Sherwood isn't the only person who thinks he can be a CB

[Smirker]

Happy with this.

[OCD]

Spending a year in Italy should have improved his defensive game.