Steven Davis

[brontebilly]

We had Barry, Petrov, Reo-Coker and Milner is perhaps the correct answer?

Could've done with him in that period where we had likes of Herd, El-Ahmadi etc polluting the central midfield. Southampton signed him in summer 2012 and he did a good job for them.

Aside from the first four, MON rated Sidwell and Craig Gardner higher than Davis. That was the real issue, athletes over footballers. MON wasn't one for rotating either so he didn't keep many players outside the first eleven that happy. He ended up selling the most of those former youth players for decent enough money in some cases (Luke Moore, Ridgewell, Cahill, Davis ).

Had high hopes for Sidwell but he was a massive disappointment and actually quite similar to Davis at the time, could chip in with odd goal and ballboy assist but would go missing for long spells in game so in true MON fashion we replaced with similar player on double the money Davis would've been on.

Gardner did o.k job as utility player in 07/08. After his slow start Petrov really came into his own as that season went on so I could see sense in cashing on, selling Cahill when we did remains the major error of that period given Laursen had to retire about six months later and Mellberg left on a free.

Gardner did ok, and I think MON wasn't too happy when he was sold, but Davis was much the better footballer for me. Cahill was a big error alright but MON rated Curtis Davies the better player I guess between them. Zat Knight gets thrown into the Cahill debate regularly but he was only bought as backup really.

Mellberg was playing RB by then wasn't he? Mellberg and later Cuellar at RB...a hard watch!

[purpletrousers]

I wonder if he'll manage to break Robbie Keane's Irish record of 146 caps. Might just fall short unless he plays till he's 40.

No googling, which former Villa player, still playing is ahead of them both in intl caps, 151?

Bradley, the American son of the team manager. Can't remember his first name. That's my guess anyway.

Not a Villa player, we only had him on loan.

I did think quite carefully about the way I phrased that, he played for the Villa, albeit only 4 times, therefore he is a former Villa player right? [shrug]

[SoccerHQ]

We had Barry, Petrov, Reo-Coker and Milner is perhaps the correct answer?

Could've done with him in that period where we had likes of Herd, El-Ahmadi etc polluting the central midfield. Southampton signed him in summer 2012 and he did a good job for them.

Aside from the first four, MON rated Sidwell and Craig Gardner higher than Davis. That was the real issue, athletes over footballers. MON wasn't one for rotating either so he didn't keep many players outside the first eleven that happy. He ended up selling the most of those former youth players for decent enough money in some cases (Luke Moore, Ridgewell, Cahill, Davis ).

Had high hopes for Sidwell but he was a massive disappointment and actually quite similar to Davis at the time, could chip in with odd goal and ballboy assist but would go missing for long spells in game so in true MON fashion we replaced with similar player on double the money Davis would've been on.

Gardner did o.k job as utility player in 07/08. After his slow start Petrov really came into his own as that season went on so I could see sense in cashing on, selling Cahill when we did remains the major error of that period given Laursen had to retire about six months later and Mellberg left on a free.

Gardner did ok, and I think MON wasn't too happy when he was sold, but Davis was much the better footballer for me. Cahill was a big error alright but MON rated Curtis Davies the better player I guess between them. Zat Knight gets thrown into the Cahill debate regularly but he was only bought as backup really.

Mellberg was playing RB by then wasn't he? Mellberg and later Cuellar at RB...a hard watch!

Yeah the CB thinking was a complete mess around that time. Laursen playing the full season in 07/08 was brilliant but we should've always known his knee would go at some point and it did halfway through the next season. Rather than Heskey we probably should've got a CB in that window as defensively we really fell apart from that point.

Just remembered aswell a few weeks after we sold Cahill, Davies did his achilles at Arsenal and was out for the season. Think Knight actually started about 30 games in 07/08 and then became first choice again in January 2009....and he was then sold the following summer again to Bolton to join up with Cahill.

We finally got it right in summer 2009 but as good a job as they all did in 09/10 defensively it was all short term thinking compared to what we're doing know where Martinez, Mings and konsa should all be around for us for next 3 seasons.

[Gareth]

I remember him mostly from that FA Youth Cup win...watched 2/3 of the games on that run & although the Moore’s took the glory he was always the best player,

Mad to think around 240 odd caps from just 2 players in that final

[Risso]

I remember him mostly from that FA Youth Cup win...watched 2/3 of the games on that run & although the Moore’s took the glory he was always the best player,

Mad to think around 240 odd caps from just 2 players in that final

Who was the other one?

[LeeB]

I remember him mostly from that FA Youth Cup win...watched 2/3 of the games on that run & although the Moore’s took the glory he was always the best player,

Mad to think around 240 odd caps from just 2 players in that final

Who was the other one?

Rooney