Idrissa Gueye - now gone

[SoccerHQ]

Only Villa could set a buyout clause for less than we paid for him!

I'd imagine it would be higher if we were still in the PL, however much like his wages dropped as we got relegated so would his buyout clause.

I'd also be amazed if we paid 9m all in one go to Lille, hardly any transfer is done like that as indeed him going to Everton will be in instalments.

[SoccerHQ]

I think he's premier league quality for sure but I don't think he's top half material. I'm not too gutted he's going really.

I'm not too fussed about any of them going. As a kid I was gutted when Andy Gray went to Wolves and Tony Morley went to Albion. I'm not crying myself to sleep over any of last seasons lot.

Yep, I was disraught when Dwight Yorke went to Man. United but you get over these things as you get older.

In recent times the likes of Milner, Young and Benteke going have all been blows that have really hurt us...no chance Gana is in that category.

[curiousorange]

Di Matteo has confirmed in the press conference today that he's going to be leaving btw.

[AVH87]

Di Matteo has confirmed in the press conference today that he's going to be leaving btw.

I think Wyness' tweet on Gana was pointless and looks a bit silly now. At least save it for when we've got a chance of keeping the player because they don't have a fairly low release clause.

[Dante Lavelli]

Only Villa could set a buyout clause for less than we paid for him!

I'd imagine it would be higher if we were still in the PL, however much like his wages dropped as we got relegated so would his buyout clause.

I'd also be amazed if we paid 9m all in one go to Lille, hardly any transfer is done like that as indeed him going to Everton will be in instalments.

What have you read which suggests that we paid it all upfront?

[passitsideways]

I think the last full Villa game I watched - I forget which but probably the Norwich home match - Gueye managed to lose the ball every time he wrestled it away from one of the opposition players. I'm all for the arguments about statistics and how he was in a shit team and everything, but he couldn't pick a five yard pass with nobody near him. There are shedloads of tenacious midfielders who can do that so he won't be missed. Finding one who knows what to do with the ball once he's won it is the bigger issue.

See, this is the sort of post that bothers me with analysing Gana - although I don't mean to single you out, plenty of previous posts have been along this line. You know how you can verify such a claim as the one you made? You go to a website, and look at his pass completion stats, and one site has him completing 53 passes a game at 85.6%. That's a shitload of completed passes, and a perfectly decent completion rate for someone completely incapable of even the simplest pass.

I recognise perfectly well that pass completion doesn't indicate the overall quality of one's passing, in terms of progressiveness or under what sort of pressure they were made. But we're not arguing that far: we're simply talking about a claim that he apparently can't consistently complete simple ones.

I'd be far more accepting of the "stats are misleading" argument being parroted around re Gana if his stats were more modest, but the truth is, they're exceptional, or at least the ball-winning ones (tackles and interceptions are). I'm not saying exceptional stats make him an exceptional player, but at the very least a decent one. I mean, if it was so easy for a bog-standard midfielder to be second in the league in both categories, well, that's news to me, because it's never happened for.

[markeeeebeeee2005]

I initially felt pretty disappointed when this was announced. But then I watched more games at the start of the season (understandably?) where he looked good and also really put a shift in.

I'm not sure how I feel now, as people who watched Villa more than me are generally saying he is bobbins and the stats are telling a different story.

I'd probably prefer if he'd stay on the whole.

[Brend'Watkins]

Pass completion stats are misleading.  In the case of three named man even more so.  So I'd rip 'em up and use the one thing that strikes me about this player and that is, he's not as shit as Salifou was.

[Lobsterboy]

He wants to go so let him go - I'm not losing too much sleep over us selling an integral part of our worst ever team!

We were so poor last season I can't say I would miss any of them other than Ayew, Amavi and Grealish to be honest

[themossman]

Late to thread so presumably this has been covered... but is it right that he has a release clause that's lower than what we paid for him a year ago? If so, surely the weakest bit of bargaining ever conducted by a football club.

I'd imagine it would be higher if we were still in the PL, however much like his wages dropped as we were relegated, so would his buyout clause.

The same kind of thing that a lot of clubs do.

Ah yes that makes more sense. It's quite educational, this getting relegated.

[Richard E]

Di Matteo has confirmed in the press conference today that he's going to be leaving btw.

I think Wyness' tweet on Gana was pointless and looks a bit silly now. At least save it for when we've got a chance of keeping the player because they don't have a fairly low release clause.

It was probably said more from a "look, our hands are tied" perspective so as to try and reassure fans we are not intent on selling the family silver.

[adrenachrome]

Release clauses inserted into contracts by imperialist running dogs!

Dr. Tony Xia
✔
@Dr_TonyXia

Once someone has clause in contract, looks like being giving a chance to betray. Said staying one day and escaped the other day. D now G!
3:48 PM - 29 Jul 2016

[Clampy]

Di Matteo has confirmed in the press conference today that he's going to be leaving btw.

Blimey, not RDM as well.

[kippaxvilla2]

Release clauses inserted into contracts by imperialist running dogs!

Dr. Tony Xia
✔
@Dr_TonyXia

Once someone has clause in contract, looks like being giving a chance to betray. Said staying one day and escaped the other day. D now G!
3:48 PM - 29 Jul 2016

I want Tony to finish this tweet with 'For you Mr Gueye, there will be no tomorrow.'

[supertom]

In a year he'll be yet another:
"Remember him?"
"Umm (wracks brain)...Oh yeah...he was shit."