New ex-players (and managers) thread

[pork pie fox]

Can’t carry the same vitriol for Tielemans that I have for Rodgers or Evans (don’t know why to be honest), but I also can’t say I’m surprised. Bet he’s one of their highest earners too.

His decline was sharp and he looked a spent force. Same could be said for many under Rodgers, but it felt different with Youri. His fitness levels were always a concern and he has a lot of miles on his legs.

Needs to get out of England where the pace of play slows down a wee bit.

I agree with all this.

 

[SilverFox]

glass half empty

 

[Lako42]

Did a bit of dicking around with AI

 

[Lako42]

 

[Brown Nose]

If you’re Villa do you get rid in Jan? Get him off the wage bill and use the money wisely.

 

[Brown Nose]

Can’t carry the same vitriol for Tielemans that I have for Rodgers or Evans (don’t know why to be honest), but I also can’t say I’m surprised. Bet he’s one of their highest earners too.

His decline was sharp and he looked a spent force. Same could be said for many under Rodgers, but it felt different with Youri. His fitness levels were always a concern and he has a lot of miles on his legs.

Needs to get out of England where the pace of play slows down a wee bit.

I think we both called this scenario. It was obvious to me that Tielemans was not lazy or uncommitted.

He's just no longer capable of playing this pace of football. Much like players like Owen fell off a cliff well before their time because they played too much too early in their careers.

He's taken Villa for a ride with an undoubtedly generous contract. They'll have to cut their losses at some point and he'll begin a declining tour of European cities.

 

[SimonW]

Should be 'He was a star man' obviously.

Great song if we get them in the cup.

 

[jb5000]

I've got to say. I think he should've been sacked way before. And no doubt his stubborn, arrogant attitude contributed to this club's relegation. But we had two 5th place finishes and an FA Cup. He was clearly doing something right. A tale of two halves for me. Don't wish him anything negative.

I think on reflection, most (including Rodgers) would agree that we should have parted ways during the 2022 close season. The rot had clearly set in over the second half of the season before and that kind of thing doesn't get turned around often. But he also gave me one of the two things which I never thought I'd see this club achieve and came very close to establishing us as the kind of force that I would never have believed we could become.

I've no hard feelings, I recommend not thinking about him that much - for those who are obsessing over him and how things go in Glasgow I ask, isn't the best revenge to live well? As a club we're looking like we've moved on and are indeed living well. I expect in 12 months time we'll be back at the top table and looking good for it, focus on that.

 

[Fox Fan]

I've no hard feelings, I recommend not thinking about him that much - for those who are obsessing over him and how things go in Glasgow I ask, isn't the best revenge to live well? As a club we're looking like we've moved on and are indeed living well. I expect in 12 months time we'll be back at the top table and looking good for it, focus on that.

Afraid I do. His attitude and behaviour was the single biggest factor in us being in the championship right now.

There's a reason that clubs can't believe our squad is playing in the championship, and that's because it should never have been within a million miles of getting relegated last season.

Rodgers thought, like Maddison and Youri, that he was better than the club and that kind of thinking seeped into everything about the team.

As you say, had he left at the end of 21/22, he'd almost certainly now be Spurs manager and we would almost certainly be a Premier League team.

 

[pork pie fox]

I think on reflection, most (including Rodgers) would agree that we should have parted ways during the 2022 close season. The rot had clearly set in over the second half of the season before and that kind of thing doesn't get turned around often. But he also gave me one of the two things which I never thought I'd see this club achieve and came very close to establishing us as the kind of force that I would never have believed we could become.

I've no hard feelings, I recommend not thinking about him that much - for those who are obsessing over him and how things go in Glasgow I ask, isn't the best revenge to live well? As a club we're looking like we've moved on and are indeed living well. I expect in 12 months time we'll be back at the top table and looking good for it, focus on that.

I can agree and sympathise with most of that, but the part I struggle with is Rodgers’ inability to accept his role in our failure last season. I was fully behind his appointment at the time and his success over the first couple of years (yes, it’s a relative success, even with the failure to get 4th place), was admirable. However, his arrogance and stubbornness last season also has to be accepted and I don’t feel like he was willing to accept his part in what happened, even when some of it is literally of his doing.

 

[SilverFox]

I think we both called this scenario. It was obvious to me that Tielemans was not lazy or uncommitted.

He's just no longer capable of playing this pace of football. Much like players like Owen fell off a cliff well before their time because they played too much too early in their careers.

He's taken Villa for a ride with an undoubtedly generous contract. They'll have to cut their losses at some point and he'll begin a declining tour of European cities.

He’s 26. I don’t get how he can be done.

 

[Brown Nose]

He’s 26. I don’t get how he can be done.

Over 500 senior appearances at his age is way too many. That's an average of 50 games a season for 10 years since he was 16.

There is a chart somewhere that I posted a while back that showed him as a outlier when measured against just about every comparable player.

He's had a full career condensed into a decade.

 

[Micky]

Over 500 senior appearances at his age is way too many. That's an average of 50 games a season for 10 years since he was 16.

There is a chart somewhere that I posted a while back that showed him as a outlier when measured against just about every comparable player.

He's had a full career condensed into a decade.

He looks ****ed when he's running. He is also not a naturally light player.

 

[fitz]

Both Rodgers and Youri deserve nothing more than us chuckling away at them. Since bottling top 4 again in 2021 Rodgers spent most of his time begging for that pay off (I'm more pissed with Top on that one). Youri slapped his notice in at the end of that season without a solid job offer on the table. He then put the amount of effort in that many do seeing out their notice.

Both could have done the jobs they were paid to do for those 2 years but instead chose to take the piss. Only right that we take the piss in return. The pair of ****s.

 

[Brown Nose]

Over 500 senior appearances at his age is way too many. That's an average of 50 games a season for 10 years since he was 16.

There is a chart somewhere that I posted a while back that showed him as a outlier when measured against just about every comparable player.

He's had a full career condensed into a decade.

Just compared him with Vardy. They've played almost exactly the same number of senior professional matches for club and country.

 

[Orifice]

We all slate Youri for playing as if he couldn't be bothered in his last season for us.
Hearing about how he's doing at Villa, perhaps he wasn't just being half-hearted for us, maybe has just ran out of steam. He may have been doing what he could.

 

[fitz]

We all slate Youri for playing as if he couldn't be bothered in his last season for us.
Hearing about how he's doing at Villa, perhaps he wasn't just being half-hearted for us, maybe has just ran out of steam. He may have been doing what he could.

It could be but I would imagine trying to play top level football after doing little more than walking as exercise for 2 years would be difficult for anyone. There's also the mentality change that's needed after a lengthy spell of checking out. Occam's razor etc etc.

 

[camberwell fox]

Just compared him with Vardy. They've played almost exactly the same number of senior professional matches for club and country.

Yes but Vardy is also finished isn’t he?

 

[popillius]

He’s 26. I don’t get how he can be done.

He isn't. It's a complete misunderstanding of biology to suggest so. The fact of the matter is that it has been nothing to do with him being 'broken' or 'overplayed' which is nonsense, more that he has failed to do even the basics well enough when he's been on the pitch for them.

The reason behind this, is that, contrary to some of the rubbish you'll read on here, Tielemens is the type of player who must play every week and perhaps more if you want to get the best out of him. This is not happening at Villa so they'll never see him at his best until they get him into a rhythm. They can't do that unless they give him games and time which, given the performances of their midfield so far this season, isn't going to happen unless there is an injury.

I don't feel any real dislike towards the guy, I don't care much about him either way to be honest but if Villa want the best version of him, they won't get it in bit parts.

 

[londonfox]

Yes but Vardy is also finished isn’t he?

The way most managers would use him - 90 mins of endless runs into the channels looking to get on the end of hopeful long balls - Yes

The way Enzo uses him - No.