Ashley Young (Goodbye and thank you)

[Risso]

Little undercurrent of things not being handled very well there. It did look a bit shit that on the last day of the season the Villa pitchside announcer was wasking him if he wanted to stay, Young said he did but it was up to the club, then a few days later it's announced he's leaving.

I'd say it wasn't handled in the way he wanted, rather than not very well. My guess is that Emery wanted focus on the game, not on contracts etc. If he'd told him he wasn't being kept on, do you think he'd have performed the same way? He may have tried to hard and got carried away, or the opposite.

Performed the same way? He didn't play mate.

[Clampy]

I presume Emery wanted everyone's attention on the game itself. It was a pretty important one after all.

[Drummond]

Little undercurrent of things not being handled very well there. It did look a bit shit that on the last day of the season the Villa pitchside announcer was wasking him if he wanted to stay, Young said he did but it was up to the club, then a few days later it's announced he's leaving.

I'd say it wasn't handled in the way he wanted, rather than not very well. My guess is that Emery wanted focus on the game, not on contracts etc. If he'd told him he wasn't being kept on, do you think he'd have performed the same way? He may have tried to hard and got carried away, or the opposite.

Performed the same way? He didn't play mate.

He was on the bench. So perhaps it need phrasing slightly differently, 'If he'd been called upon to play,'

[SamTheMouse]

I think he'd have played just the same, and it's a shame he wasn't given the chance to say his farewells to the fans.

[Risso]

I think he'd have played just the same, and it's a shame he wasn't given the chance to say his farewells to the fans.

Exactly.

[LeeB]

I think it was more the focus of the whole team on the objective, I'm sure I read all contract talks were shelved until the season was finished, including those we'd been keen on keeping like Watkins.

[Risso]

I think it was more the focus of the whole team on the objective, I'm sure I read all contract talks were shelved until the season was finished, including those we'd been keen on keeping like Watkins.

I understand that, but then they also knew that there weren't going to be any talks with Young. I just think he deserved a bit better.

[LeeB]

Maybe, but it's a shit business.

[chrisw1]

He got a pretty decent send off anyway and I think was treated brilliantly by the fans.  Overall it was a very good signing for us and him.  I was a bit surprised by the level of affection for him given when he left us, but he earned his plaudits with his performances and overall attitude.

Given the size of our squad and the fact Moreno is injured, I'm surprised he wasn't given one more year, but there's very little sentimentality in elite football.

[Dogtanian]

Maybe, but it's a shit business.

He had a good run though.

[Brend'Watkins]

It's always what's best for the club for me.  Players naturally see it all about themselves just like it was all about himself choosing to go to ManU years ago.  Not much about  goodbyes then were there? I like Young and think he had a great part in our progress this last season but the reality was that he was a back up signing when he came back to us.  That he played his way into a starter place is great credit to him but it wasn't the reason he was signed.

In any case, with the amount of Social Media platforms there are now there's little need to feel you're missing out on any goodbyes.

He's right though about one thing, age is really only a number, at 38 though and playing football at the highest level are not that compatible for a whole season given we have Euro football too.

[chrisw1]

No but you'd still be happy to have him play for a few weeks if Digne gets injured before Moreno is back or on the bench if we don't get a new right back before the season starts. 

[Villan82]

It's funny in football. When a player like Yorke, Young or Joe does the dirty on the ordinary fans by jumping at the chance to move, the ordinary fans are meant to 'suck it up' and appreciate that the player is 'too good' for them and now has 'something better'.

Then years later the likes of Yorke moan, constantly, that we wouldn't give him a coaching job and now Young out there crying that we didn't give him another year or a proper send off. Maybe they should just suck it up and appreciate that we want to move on to something better?

Villa come first for me.

[PeterWithesShin]

He wasn't bothered about farewells the first time, iirc he even came out with the classic "I won't make a decision about my future until the season has finished".

[Hookeysmith]

Thanks for everything
Goodbye
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