Micah Richards - Released

[Drummond]

It's an interesting article that.

Someone at the club should have done what Dean Smith did. Be honest and tell him he was done.

As for asking a fee to get shot, how stupid was that?!

I'm surprised that the club doc didn't tell him he was shot and for us to claim on the insurance...

[UK Redsox]

I thought that one of the problems was that Villa were unable to get insurance for a pre-existing injury, or is that just a rumour ?

[Dogtanian]

Haunted by the ghost of Micah Richards

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49845993

 

Very interesting article.

I've heard before that it is awful for footballers who are out injured long-term because they can effectively get isolated from the rest of the team and as people who spend their lives in a tight group this can be really tough on them.

I don't have a problem with Micah Richards.  I liked him as a player, I liked how when he had the ball in defence and nobody was moving or wanted it from him he would just take it up the field himself, big and powerful.  I've no doubt that had he been able to continue playing he could have been a Villa hero.

Because he is a footballer, and because we love the club, we hold him to a higher standard.  If anyone here has ever been ill or injured and worried about whether or not they will be able to carry on doing their job then you'll know how horrible those thoughts are and how it can often be easier to hide what you are going through rather than facing it and getting help.  It's almost like if nobody tells you the bad news then it isn't going to be true.  I don't think he's done anything that the average person wouldn't do, it's human nature.

As for paying his wages and keeping him on the books, well that's Villa's failing pure and simple.  Strong management would have been sitting down with him to find a resolution.  They didn't and it enabled him to keep the self-delusion going that he was still a professional footballer.  How many of us would give up that dream if no-one was pushing us to face reality?

[hilts_coolerking]

Well, at least in his dotage Richards will be able to claim 'Eric Black liked my attitude'.

[Dogtanian]

Well, at least in his dotage Richards will be able to claim 'Eric Black liked my attitude'.

Yep, I'm sure he will put that as pride of place above his Premier League medal, FA Cup winners medal, and England caps!

[Axl Rose]

No, he's the bad Santa and that's enough for me. Moron.

[Abbeyfealeavfc]

Richards would never have been a "Villa hero"
Putting everything to oneside except his footballing ability, the guy had no positional sense whatsoever whether he was at right back or centre back. This was part of the reason he went off on mazy runs that he couldn't recover from, not some thought that he didn't have someone to pass to. The guy was a defensive liability and if he had played long enough he would have been found out. Villa heroes are McGrath, Melberg, Laursen, etc. It's probably best not to confuse Richards with these guys.

[Dogtanian]

Ah sorry, I forgot in football everyone's only ever as good as their last season.  It's completely sensible to discard his entire career and achievements because he had one poor season in our shit car-crash of a club at the time.   

[mallo]

Interesting article - the unanswered question for me is whether he was part of alienating the new signings in the relegation season. He can't be blamed for the contract he was offered - that part was the idiots in charge at the time. Wish him well but he's going to have to get a lot better than his debut on the championship show.

[brontebilly]

Ah sorry, I forgot in football everyone's only ever as good as their last season.  It's completely sensible to discard his entire career and achievements because he had one poor season in our shit car-crash of a club at the time.   

He had hardly played for a few years before coming to us. A failed loan spell at Fiorentina included. He was practically semi retired before Sherwood decided to bring him in as captain in a position he had not played in several years.

[danno]

I thought he was a good right back, but I'd seen him playing at centre back with the likes of De Jong and Toure playing in front of him and had been very unimpressed.

Although at the time, I just kind of shrugged my shoulders and thought at least he's on a free...

I was disappointed (but not shocked) the move didn't work out, but I place no blame on Micah Richards, just that mug Sherwood.

[TaxDodger]

Call me Mr Cynical, and I appreciate the whole mess was mainly Sherwood's fault rather than his, but quite frankly I couldn't care less if he came into training with a smile on his face. He was shit when he played and was a huge drain on the club's resources for many, many seasons. At best I'm indifferent to how successful his career is from this point. In fact, I hope it goes very badly so I don't have to hear his name again. Anyway, I'm off to kick a puppy.

[Abbeyfealeavfc]

No need to apologise dogtanian. You're entitled to your opinion as indeed I'm entitled to mine. Enjoy the game tomorrow and I'm sure we're both willing a Villa win! UTV!

[Dogtanian]

No need to apologise dogtanian. You're entitled to your opinion as indeed I'm entitled to mine. Enjoy the game tomorrow and I'm sure we're both willing a Villa win! UTV!

I hardly think this is an appropriate time for maturity.   

[eamonn]

Us wanting a fee for him as late as into the 2017/18 season looks so wrong-headed even in hindsight. Xia probably justifying the spends on Championship mediocrity with the notion that he could still recoup money from sales.

Also, he doesn't mention any psychological evaluation or such help at Villa after spending long periods training alone and Bruce saying he was worried about him. I'm not saying he should have been molly-coddled but it's two decades since Collymore was "too rich to be depressed" as John Gregarious saw it. Richards was an expensive asset, we should have handled him better.