John Gregory Interview.

[SoccerHQ]

Shame he didn't talk about Robbie Keane either. I remember thinking at the time if we got him we would be serious contenders. As I recall it rattled Man utd, Alex Ferguson went public sticking his nose in, which I believe put Gregory/Ellis off.
Great interview he really is a character.

Had geniunely forgotten about that! Keane for me was more the one that got away than Juninho a few months before that more remember.

What was it, we bid 5.5m but wouldn't go up to 6m like Coventry. Mental. I know people will say typical Doug but pretty sure JG pretty much confirmed it was his decision a few months later when he didn't have to.

Of course that meant we then signed Carbone who played a big part in the cup run but Keane was simply a better all round forward and would've been brilliant linking up with Dublin imo. Perhaps he wouldn't have stayed that long given he liked a few moves in that time but the sort of missing link to push us on further in those times.

[Risso]

Yep, he does have to live with it.

I've never been so disappointed in anything.

What not even the 2015 Final?

You could see that coming though. We just never got out of first gear against Chelsea.

[Drummond]

Yep, he does have to live with it.

I've never been so disappointed in anything.

What not even the 2015 Final?

You could see that coming though. We just never got out of first gear against Chelsea.

Quite. And the Chelsea one was the first one in my lifetime.

Arsenal wasn't disappointment. I'd been ripped off for fake tickets for that one and was just plain angry, the result was like salt in the wounds.

Chelsea had me dreaming and hoping.

[LeeB]

Yep, he does have to live with it.

I've never been so disappointed in anything.

What not even the 2015 Final?

You could see that coming though. We just never got out of first gear against Chelsea.

Quite. And the Chelsea one was the first one in my lifetime.

Arsenal wasn't disappointment. I'd been ripped off for fake tickets for that one and was just plain angry, the result was like salt in the wounds.

Chelsea had me dreaming and hoping.

Explains your nervousness around my pals tickets last year!

[Drummond]

Yep, he does have to live with it.

I've never been so disappointed in anything.

What not even the 2015 Final?

You could see that coming though. We just never got out of first gear against Chelsea.

Quite. And the Chelsea one was the first one in my lifetime.

Arsenal wasn't disappointment. I'd been ripped off for fake tickets for that one and was just plain angry, the result was like salt in the wounds.

Chelsea had me dreaming and hoping.

Explains your nervousness around my pals tickets last year!

Yep! Precisely!

[Pete3206]

We had players that team capable of beating Chelsea and never turned up. That's the thing I'll never understand.

Most disappointing Villa moment of my life.

 

[Mortimer's Bear]

We had players that team capable of beating Chelsea and never turned up. That's the thing I'll never understand.

Most disappointing Villa moment of my life.

 

Yep, made worse by the fact that Chelsea didn't turn up either.

[eamonn]

Shame he didn't talk about Robbie Keane either. I remember thinking at the time if we got him we would be serious contenders. As I recall it rattled Man utd, Alex Ferguson went public sticking his nose in, which I believe put Gregory/Ellis off.
Great interview he really is a character.

Had geniunely forgotten about that! Keane for me was more the one that got away than Juninho a few months before that more remember.

What was it, we bid 5.5m but wouldn't go up to 6m like Coventry. Mental. I know people will say typical Doug but pretty sure JG pretty much confirmed it was his decision a few months later when he didn't have to.

Of course that meant we then signed Carbone who played a big part in the cup run but Keane was simply a better all round forward and would've been brilliant linking up with Dublin imo. Perhaps he wouldn't have stayed that long given he liked a few moves in that time but the sort of missing link to push us on further in those times.

He went to see Keane play in a pre-season friendly for Wolves. He had a poor/quiet game by his standards, and that was ultimately the clincher in Gregory telling Doug not to bother going half a million higher. (Imagine Yanited pulling out of the Yorke deal based on his display at Everton.) As if Keane hadn't shown enough in actual competitive football up to that point...

Between that story and the one Gregory repeated on the podcast - that a Villa fan in a café told him to get rid of Yorke and JG then going to Doug telling him to accept the £12m offer.....it kind of paints him as too impulsive which chimes with the cockiness/swagger in his manner. A little bit too naive all-round, I reckon.

[ez]

I wanted to hear his take on David Unsworth, and getting banned from the dugout, but nonetheless a great interview.

[exigo]

We had players that team capable of beating Chelsea and never turned up. That's the thing I'll never understand.

Most disappointing Villa moment of my life.

 

Yep, made worse by the fact that Chelsea didn't turn up either.

Made worse for me as I broke a tooth that morning, and turned up at Wembley bleeding from the mouth in agony. Took two root canals and over a grand to fix it. Every bloody time I have toothache now it takes me back to that day. A lifetime of hurt until we finally lift the trophy.

[Nelly]

Thanks again for this link. I just finished listening to it. I was moved by Gregory's obvious love for the club, the stadium, the history, his own time there. I really hope we can finally achieve the things he wanted for the club - to be spoken of as genuine contenders and add to the club's silverware.

[rob_bridge]

Shame he didn't talk about Robbie Keane either. I remember thinking at the time if we got him we would be serious contenders. As I recall it rattled Man utd, Alex Ferguson went public sticking his nose in, which I believe put Gregory/Ellis off.
Great interview he really is a character.

Had geniunely forgotten about that! Keane for me was more the one that got away than Juninho a few months before that more remember.

What was it, we bid 5.5m but wouldn't go up to 6m like Coventry. Mental. I know people will say typical Doug but pretty sure JG pretty much confirmed it was his decision a few months later when he didn't have to.

Of course that meant we then signed Carbone who played a big part in the cup run but Keane was simply a better all round forward and would've been brilliant linking up with Dublin imo. Perhaps he wouldn't have stayed that long given he liked a few moves in that time but the sort of missing link to push us on further in those times.

He went to see Keane play in a pre-season friendly for Wolves. He had a poor/quiet game by his standards, and that was ultimately the clincher in Gregory telling Doug not to bother going half a million higher. (Imagine Yanited pulling out of the Yorke deal based on his display at Everton.) As if Keane hadn't shown enough in actual competitive football up to that point...

Between that story and the one Gregory repeated on the podcast - that a Villa fan in a café told him to get rid of Yorke and JG then going to Doug telling him to accept the £12m offer.....it kind of paints him as too impulsive which chimes with the cockiness/swagger in his manner. A little bit too naive all-round, I reckon.

I did know some Villa fans who thought selling Yorke could bring Collymore really to the fore.

I disagreed with them, impolitely

[Gerrin]

We had players that team capable of beating Chelsea and never turned up. That's the thing I'll never understand.

Most disappointing Villa moment of my life.

The cup run was brilliant that year, the Leeds game is one of my all time favourites. Leeds were one of the top teams at the time, Mersin and Carbone were just awesome.

Is the story he tells about the fans throwing Carbone's gold boots back at him after the final true? I remember seeing him with those boots that day and thinking wtf, absolutely no need.