The men we couldn't do without - David Platt

[Sexual Ealing]

Great player, but a twat. His only interest was going to Italy, he was even learning Italian while we were struggling under Dr Jo.

I'm struggling to think of a reason why any of that makes him a twat. Learning Italian, really? Fucking hell.

[rob_bridge]

Great player, but a twat. His only interest was going to Italy, he was even learning Italian while we were struggling under Dr Jo.

Think it's a classic case of a player getting into the England set up and then having their head turned.  Pretty clear Italy made such a big impact on him in 1990.

Was quite impressed by the podcast though.  Seems to be very reclusive from the game and media today, but spoke quite well of Graham Taylor particularly

SerieA was the best league at the time. The money was way better as was the lifestyle. It was light years ahead of English Top Division after the Heysel ban.

No surprise he, like Liam Brady and Trevor Francis before, was a success there because he learnt the language.

[purpletrousers]

Great player, but a twat. His only interest was going to Italy, he was even learning Italian while we were struggling under Dr Jo.

Think it's a classic case of a player getting into the England set up and then having their head turned.  Pretty clear Italy made such a big impact on him in 1990.

Was quite impressed by the podcast though.  Seems to be very reclusive from the game and media today, but spoke quite well of Graham Taylor particularly

It’s an interesting listen. Very very clear he doesn’t speak to anyone and only did this to return a favour to Rambo, and even then after some persistence.
I think that’s fair comment about getting his head turned with England, but he seemed an incredibly honest speaker, doubting himself at every step up, to Man U trial, YTS, Crewe, Villa, only then when making it a highest Intl level stopping doubting himself.

He did specify McInally going to Bayern kind was also a bit of a precedent and that wanting to test yourself, Italy was where all the greatest players were.
 
There were murmurs of Italian interest after Italia 90, it built up in his head.

I wasn’t following us so closely in those days (fond memories of the Inter game but had a few years of watching Moor Green, Ian Taylor et al ) so didn’t feel his loss like many do, but am a bit aligning with those reappraising, tbh, can I be bothered to remind myself why he’s so hated.

I hear myself kind of justifying moving on, in a way I couldn’t for Grealish, but that’s where the personal alignment comes in, he wasn’t one of us.

[purpletrousers]

Great player, but a twat. His only interest was going to Italy, he was even learning Italian while we were struggling under Dr Jo.

Think it's a classic case of a player getting into the England set up and then having their head turned.  Pretty clear Italy made such a big impact on him in 1990.

Was quite impressed by the podcast though.  Seems to be very reclusive from the game and media today, but spoke quite well of Graham Taylor particularly

SerieA was the best league at the time. The money was way better as was the lifestyle. It was light years ahead of English Top Division after the Heysel ban.

No surprise he, like Liam Brady and Trevor Francis before, was a success there because he learnt the language.

Yep. Also interesting to hear him almost embarrassed to recognise how Dr Jo was ahead of his time, it’s almost cliched how much I’ve heard it but it seems spot on.

[cdbearsfan]

Great player, but a twat. His only interest was going to Italy, he was even learning Italian while we were struggling under Dr Jo.

Don't really have any issue with that. Footballers have loads of free time, and they had a lot more then. Learning Italian, or any other language that could be useful in his career, is a far more worthwhile use of time than playing golf and listening to Phil Collins like most footballers of his era.

[VillaTim]

Great player, but a twat. His only interest was going to Italy, he was even learning Italian while we were struggling under Dr Jo.

Nah, silly take .
Model pro, never let us down on the pitch .

[PeterWithesShin]

He's a twat for more than that but if people are happy our star player and captain spent the season learning another language as he planned on leaving at the end of it then that's their choice. Same as it's mine to think he's a spoon faced twat.

[cdbearsfan]

Learning languages is good. Every footballer should do that, they should be made to do it from youth level.

[Clampy]

Onana can speak about 4 or 5 different languages I think. Don't really have a problem with Platt doing it. Maybe playing in Italy is something he wanted to do and like someone said, we made a lot of money off him.

[jon collett]

When he came back to Arsenal he tried to milk Villa receptions but there was a lot of hostility to him.

I remember him being in a box at the clock end and trying to wave to Villa supporters who then gave him abuse. He was shaking his head back.

 Similarly in his first game back at Villa Park he tried to applaud the Holte End and got abuse.

I’ve always figured he went shy after that

[eamonn]

Great player, but a twat. His only interest was going to Italy, he was even learning Italian while we were struggling under Dr Jo.

I'm struggling to think of a reason why any of that makes him a twat. Learning Italian, really? Fucking hell.

Having notions as they say in EIRE.

[purpletrousers]

He's a twat for more than that but if people are happy our star player and captain spent the season learning another language as he planned on leaving at the end of it then that's their choice. Same as it's mine to think he's a spoon faced twat.

Given some if our fan favourites’ addictions with Merson and McGrath, Collymore’s diagnosed depression, stress and anxiety when with us, Platt’s own propensity to live in the bookies when he was supposed to be in college, and getting the sense of the honest, ‘what to do with my time?’ comments when he first landed in Brum, learning a language seems a remarkably good idea that plenty more could do with following, though, naturally it’ll be seen as prep from a move abroad.

Part of me is tempted to ask what he should have done with his time instead?

Developing the devil’s advocate positions a bit more, especially as his fee was essential for rebuilding, why do we hate (him)?

[Allan C]

Platt was my favourite player of that period. His second against Everton in that 6-2 is one of my favourite Villa goals ever. I replay that goal over and over, wonderful. His goal against Belgium is my favourite England goal. During his time with us he was simply superb. To be honest I’m not that bothered that he doesn’t acknowledge his time with us, he’s not that kind of bloke, just a career footballer. I’m just happy to look back on the great memories he provided

[Rico]

Platt was a brilliant player for us, no doubt about it. The game against Bradford was one of those day's at Villa Park where the atmosphere was so ferocious, even though the ground was not full, that there was only ever going to be one winner.

I'm not sure he would have made it into our title winning team though, and here's the thing that always boils my piss: Platt was brilliant, but wouldn't have made it into the 80/81 team, yet the England manager at the time, Ron Greenwood, barely looked in our direction.

Went off on a bit of a tangent there. Sorry!

[Nunkin1965]

What came after doesn't bother me.
He was brilliant for us for a time and virtually unplayable on occasions.
I think you have to enjoy the moment with footballers and Platt for us was outstanding.