Douglas Luiz - back home.

[eye digress]

This could be a beautiful story.

I really hope it turns out that Emery is the one that makes him tick. He was no great shakes for us before Unai arrived, and has been largely poor since leaving us. I’m trying to forget his last six months with us when his form massively tailed off.

It's become a cliché to say that about his last few months but I'm pretty sure he put in important performances in our drive to finish 4th.

He did, though he flagged like the rest of the team in that long, long early spring. But I can still see the footage of him when Duran equalises against Liverpool - tells you everything you need to know about Dougie and the Villa!

[danno]

Undeniable !

I’m sure you have a very good answer as to why and when women created these beauty standards for themselves. You probably just can’t think of it right now.

Please stop.

[andyh]

There will be comments in the older pages in this thread where we were purring about Dougie for months.
I’m certain we referred to him as a Rolls Royce of a player when he was on top of his game.

He is back home,  where he desperately wanted to be. He will be that player again.

[PeterWithe]

Yeah, we were all shitting it that ManCity would exercise their buy back clause well before UE arrived.

[PeterWithesShin]

There'll also be pages about how he looked like he couldn't be arsed and was playing crap.

[enigma]

is it true he has an injury that needs to be managed?

[Olneythelonely]

Please stop.

Will do.

[Somniloquism]

I’d also like to apologise because i thought Sting had 7 hour long tantric sex sessions. However, it was recently revealed that the 7hrs includes going out for food and watching a movie. I hadn’t kept up to date with the latest Sting news, clearly.

Apparently his wee-wee is dark.

[PaulWinch again]

There'll also be pages about how he looked like he couldn't be arsed and was playing crap.

Of course - there’s balance to this. He had some fantastic periods, including in particular Unai’s first 18 months. He also had ropey periods, including his last 6 months at the club - although I don’t think that was helped by the role he was asked to do out of necessity.

Hopefully we’ll get the best version of him.

[Dave]

Hopefully we’ll get the best version of him.

Hopefully. But even if we get the not-perfect version, the fact remains that we need another midfielder to get through the next two months.

We're not about to chuck £70m at Wharton or Anderson. We tried to get Gallagher and couldn't.

For anyone who doesn't think that this is a completely sensible thing to do, if not DL, then what instead? Just Onana / Barkley / Bogarde / Hemmings until April? Or is there another option that would fit our current needs better?

[brontebilly]

I think its cobblers to say he was poor before UE arrived, he was perhaps misused but regularly looked like our best player technically under both Dean and Gerrard.

Arsenal wanted him. That's why he was on the bench that day v Arsenal when he came on and scored from the corner. Emery got the best out of him.

Timing is important in careers. With Tielemans out injured he isn't going to be getting 15 mins off the bench or the odd cup game. Straight into it v Brentford. Hope he grabs this opportunity, same for Bailey and Tammy too.

[eamonn]

He told Luiz
"You look so good
It's just you see
You make me feel
As if we were still lovers"

It's not always true that time heals old wounds
There are wounds that you don't wanna heal
The memories of something really good
something truly real, that you never found again

One of my favourites, you can’t beat some HL !!!!
Well done.

Ta. Louise entered the charts the day I was born and peaked at number 13 three weeks later on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

[dave shelley]

Genuine question.  Didn't Dougie have the opportunity to sign a new contract before he left?

[Dave]

That's definitely what has been reported / alleged.

[KevinGage]

There was word of improved terms offered around autumn 2023 during his (and the teams) exceptional form.

He might not have been in a rush to sign that (neither was Kamara) but doesn’t mean he def wanted out, as has been suggested.