Albrighton

[garyshawsknee]

I wonder if it was down to Lambert liking Bacuna more and he was a cheaper option too.

[PeterWithesShin]

As Glasses says earlier, hindsight makes decision making easy. I don't remember many posts on here missing him when he spent 8 months not starting for Leicester last season. Why wasn't it such a bad decision then?
For the record, his 3rd league start for Leicester was in April.

[glasses]

Of course they weren't the only two options. I'm giving a hypothetical, based on what we had and what we ended up with. I'd say that's pretty fair.

I'd have said it at the time, and still believe now that Marc Albrighton would have been a better player in the last 12 months than Joe Cole. He'd have had a similar impact to Jack Grealishs development (it's down to Jack and coaching staff ultimately).

We didn't play him often enough when we had him, and we didn't try to keep him. He's doing well for himself at Leicester and will more than likely have a good career in the premier league.

[eamonn]

As Glasses says earlier, hindsight makes decision making easy. I don't remember many posts on here missing him when he spent 8 months not starting for Leicester last season. Why wasn't it such a bad decision then?
For the record, his 3rd league start for Leicester was in April.

It was a bad decision based on what he showed in the last few months of Lambert's reign, one of our few bright lights. I wouldn't have had him pegged as a ''only put a shift in when you're looking for a new contract'' type, I think he loved playing for the club he grew-up playing for and supporting and was plenty good enough to get in our team after the 2013/14 season finished.

I'd have kept him at £40k a week and off-set the difference by attempting to get rid of whatever dross we had at the time - KEA, Tonev etc. and not sign Kieron bloody Richardson.

[PeterWithesShin]

I've already said i'd have preferred to keep him, my point is that this thread has appeared with hindsight. There were no such threads for 8 months and virtually no one was overly fussed on his leaving thread.

And we sent Tonev out on a season long loan and let KEA go that summer.

[paul_e]

I wanted to keep him and said as much on here because the player he is this season is the one I thought was in there, as I've said a few times about him if you're a winger who gets 2-3 genuinely good crosses in per game then the rest of your game only needs to be decent for you to have a very good career.  I'm in no way comparing them but look at Beckham as the absolute peak example, worked hard, crossed very well and had a good free kick on him and got himself into many a world team of the year, etc.

[olaftab]

Abrighton has been ok but hardly the star performer we are making him into in latest revision of this thread. Take Vardy out of his Leicester team, which may happen in January, and they will be fighting relegation next season.

[ChicagoLion]

I've already said i'd have preferred to keep him, my point is that this thread has appeared with hindsight. There were no such threads for 8 months and virtually no one was overly fussed on his leaving thread.

And we sent Tonev out on a season long loan and let KEA go that summer.

I think you will find that I was critical of letting him go, I still am.
Another fuck up

[Salsa Party Animal]

So who do you think is better Grealish or Albrighton ?

[ChicagoLion]

So who do you think is better Grealish or Albrighton ?

Albrighton did more and contributed more than Grealish has so far.
Jack has more potential.
I also remember Albrighton comming on playing well and getting dropped a few times and being taken off when he was playing well.
I think he was pretty badly managed.
Thanks Lambert

[Clampy]

It's hard to judge really, Grealish only broke into the squad last season.

[PeterWithesShin]

I've already said i'd have preferred to keep him, my point is that this thread has appeared with hindsight. There were no such threads for 8 months and virtually no one was overly fussed on his leaving thread.

And we sent Tonev out on a season long loan and let KEA go that summer.

I think you will find that I was critical of letting him go, I still am.
Another fuck up

Which is why I said virtually no one, rather than no one. You obviously missed that part.

[wittonwarrior]

He wanted more than we were prepared to give at the time. As usual we got it wrong...

Of course we did...

Anyone ever thought of putting together an 11 of current players we got rid of because they weren't good enough?

1 Scott Carson
2 Phil Bardsley
3 Antonio Luna (but a lot of competition in this position I have to say)
4 Habib Beye
5 Richard Dunne
6 Brett Holman
7 Stephen Ireland
8 Karim El Ahmadi
9 Nathan Delfouneso
10 Marlon Harewood
11 Barry Bannan

"I don't know what effect these men will have upon the enemy, but, by God, they frighten me."

All sold because at the time they just were not up to the Villa required  standard.  Don't start getting too romantic over ex players. The only one who I hold a proper candle for would be Richard  Dunne.

[Rudy65]

I've already said i'd have preferred to keep him, my point is that this thread has appeared with hindsight. There were no such threads for 8 months and virtually no one was overly fussed on his leaving thread.

And we sent Tonev out on a season long loan and let KEA go that summer.

I think you will find that I was critical of letting him go, I still am.
Another fuck up

Which is why I said virtually no one, rather than no one. You obviously missed that part.

I was one of the 'ones'. I even started the thread!


http://www.heroesandvillains.info/forumv3/index.php?topic=52097.msg2605113#msg2605113

[Chris Jameson]

I was sorry to see him go, always liked him. Pleased for him to see him doing well but not for the club he plays for.