Birkir Bjarnason - Released

[Clark W Griswold]

I always go back to my first impression of Paul Merson when he came to us. I'll admit to getting it wrong initially!

If your first impression of Paul Merson was that he couldn't be arsed you would have been right. And then after a few months he decided he could be arsed and was fabulous.
As pointed out, players like Ugo and Petrov looked pretty poor to start with, and even the likes of Townsend, Laursen, Angel and Bozzie looked a way off the player they became for us.
There's been plenty over the years that started slow and did well, and some that started well and ended up quite shit, Carlton Cole, Peter Enkelmann etc

[PeterWithe]

He may well be a good player, but sticking him straight in after a 5 week break was utter stupidity.

I think Bruce was entitled to have expected him to have kept himself in better shape for those five weeks of rest.

[john e]

I always go back to my first impression of Paul Merson when he came to us. I'll admit to getting it wrong initially!

If your first impression of Paul Merson was that he couldn't be arsed you would have been right. And then after a few months he decided he could be arsed and was fabulous.
As pointed out, players like Ugo and Petrov looked pretty poor to start with, and even the likes of Townsend, Laursen, Angel and Bozzie looked a way off the player they became for us.
There's been plenty over the years that started slow and did well, and some that started well and ended up quite shit, Carlton Cole, Peter Enkelmann etc

just look back at the first few ages of the Ashley Westwood thread,
 we thought we'd signed the new Gareth Barry

[PeterWithesShin]

Lansbury hadn't played for 7 weeks before he started against Preston.

[Matt Collins]

I just think we should have signed someone who'd played football before

[Jon Crofts]

Utter gash footballer.

[supertom]

Like a poor mans Brett Holman. Let that sink in for a while...poor man's...BRETT HOLMAN...
Good lord.

[BOB MANSFIELD]

Kodjia what was that ?

[BOB MANSFIELD]

Took my train of thought away from what I was going to say about Bjarnasson. He still looks like a bit of a fish-out-of-water but he seems to be gaining fitness and strength and might last the whole 90mins today. Can't say this is a game for Grealish to be the saviour.

[Risso]

Like a poor mans Brett Holman. Let that sink in for a while...poor man's...BRETT HOLMAN...
Good lord.

On a par with Salifou for me.

[VillaAlways]

Yet he came the closest to scoring for us tonight

[LukeJames]

He looks absolutely shite, like he's won a competition to have a kick around but then with this manager they all do.

[QuintonVilla]

Let's be honest we could sign Messi and we'd turn him to shit.

Bjarnason is gash though. It's like we've pulled someone from the crowd who's half pissed, they run about like a headless chicken and kick the ball away as soon as it comes near them.

[kippaxvilla2]

I'm convinced he's really a Swedish guitar player called Benny.

[ChicagoLion]

Is Bjarnson as good as Westwood?