Sorry for the delay, but I quite simply didn’t know what to say about this.
I started to hear this story early this afternoon, whilst at work, but my immediate reaction was that it was an utter load of rubbish.
“How on earth would it be possible for a player to be seen to be leaving a club and then to refute the story by saying he’s staying, only to change his mind again by actually leaving?” was my thinking.
It wouldn’t be possible, as the player would never live it down.
How naive I’ve been.
Given that I had my suspicions that both the loyalty statements were probably written by someone at the club and not Delph himself, I found myself wondering if all was as well as was being portrayed, but you just take categorical statements like “I’m staying at this great football club” at face value, don’t you?
So any doubt was put to the back of my mind.
Anyway, now the decision has been made, I find that I’m asking myself “what’s gone on?”.
And given that it seems he made his decision last night, my guess is that he found out Benteke is going and just decided enough is enough.
Which means that he really thought a lot about Benteke and his ability or he isn’t convinced about what’s happening at the club, which is somewhat worrying.
One thing caught my eye in Delph’s statement and it was the part where he apparently confirmed that Micah Richards definitely didn’t do anything to put Delph off about going to City.
Indeed, it seems he raved about the club.
Thanks Micah.
Oh, one other thing.
I believe Genk are entitled to around five million Euros from the Benteke sale, via a sell-on clause.
So it won’t be £40 million to spend (plus the usual stingy £15 million).
While a part of me doesn’t blame Delph for moving onward and upward to the Man City bench, I also feel that what he’s done here, is about as bad as anything I’ve witnessed in my forty five years or so of supporting the club.
He’s made himself and the club a laughing stock and the words “two-faced, lying bastard” spring to mind.
And while I agree with the thinking that no player is bigger than the club, this is a big loss when combined with Benteke’s imminent departure.
I just hope Tim Sherwood is as good as he thinks he is, as regardless of how poor you think Benteke, Delph and Vlaar might be individually, we’ve now got the spine of the team ripped out and it’ll take some replacing, especially when you consider that we need a team that can gel quickly, if we aren’t going to be involved in another relegation fight.
LMAO “Bet his missus had something to do with it as well the dirty slag whoever she is” PMSL…………..That’s hilarious New Regime LOL
Headline post updated with my thoughts.
I’m trying to contain what I really think.
Say it how it is Badger. This reminds me of the Steve Hodge and Paul Elliot transfer, do you remember them?
They weren’t a par on this, imo.
I think it’s a good job I haven’t had a few beers though.
What gets me B6, is he says he loves the club and the fans and yet he’s taken us from a massive lift to a massive low in just a week.
I hope he doesn’t treat his missus similar.
Or break his other leg in 4 or 5 places.
(Bites tongue)
Totally agree. He should of kept his mouth shut.
This is taken from delphs full statement
“I signed my new contract last season with the view of staying at the club for the duration of the deal and never with the intention to leave a year later.”
If this is true he would not have had a £8 million release clause inserted. Lying twat.
I think you’re wrong, I believe the money is there this year and Lerner is happy to spend. I may be way of the mark but it’s just my feeling. I’m sure Lerner has already made a shit load from sky so it’s what you make on sales you can re-spend I think. Plus we’ve got rid of a fair few players already and slashed the wage bill even further.
Adam, if that’s a reply to me, I believe Sherwood was already hinting about having to balance the books, before this happened.
I’ll be surprised if we spend much more than £30 mill.
Lerner’s recouping money, imo.
It’s as simple as that for me.
LOL they’ll be bigger queues waiting for him than the ticket office on the 7th November
sports witness saying villa not accepting pools payment plan probably need a guarantier
Ahh I did hear right there still trying to get away with coughing up the full amount the tight fucking scouse b******s.I bet he’ll put a buy out clause in there contact they’ll want to sell him for the usual 50 mil negotiations breakdown
Good article… I’m like you with Delph. Surely he should have looked at the likes of Sinclair, Micah, Milner, Johnson and thought at the peak of his England career and realised he was making a mistake.
I complete trust Sherwood who I’m sure is not only as miffed as all of us but would have a decent back up plan. I’d love to see Austin come in and possibly Phillips from Qpr.
As for Delph one day he may realise he’s done the wrong thing. His pay packet won’t say that but one day he might do. Complete wrong decision. He could have done us this year, go to euros then end up at a club who would actually play him.
On a lighter note did Sky Sports throw back / have no job Rodney Marsh write in the 8 million release clause as he’s worth double that.
Well still all be villa tomorrow and in Sherwood I have great faith in tomorrow. He’s energetic and people wanna play for him… Let’s hope Austin is one of them
What a c****. Has ruined his career. Milner got his medals playing for a fraction of the time he should have. Footballers are scum. I’m sure Richards is chuffed about the comments from Delph about it being the best club in the world!!! A nice start lad…let’s hope your Villa career hits the ground running or else the fans will be right on yr back.
On the other hand, if players were fed bullshit about new owners, who can blame them for not wantong to be in another relegation battle. What a shower we are.
Good points re Richards and bullshit, Bum Bum.
This is how I’m trying to look at it.
While it’s instantly easy to blame the player, I also find myself wondering if he was sold a pup and told Benteke was staying, combined with top players coming in.
I seriously suspect the takeover failure might have messed things up.
I really suspect the club are not blameless here, but that’s for another day.
Does this make Agbonlahor captain. FFS!!!!!
Another good point Kent.
I really hope not, as as much as I like Gabby, he needs to be placed on the “deadwood” list too, imo.
He probably will be Cap though and it shows how far out of touch the hierarchy (read Lerner) really are, if it happens.
Apparently Gabby looked fast (that cock from the Birmingham Mail keeps calling him a Pace Ace?!) and impotent in front of goal tonight…….no change there then.
Sounds like Gil played him through a few times – please just spend wisely on a decent finisher.
We would understand if you didn’t sign the contract (every player wants to win trophies), we could understand if a large bid from a Champions League team was too much to turn down, but THIS!! To twice preach about loyalty! To twice say our club is too great to leave! To say how much you owe our club for standing by you through injury and (until the last couple of seasons) poor form. You Fabian Delph are the pinnacle of classless footballers. In this modern game of poor characters you are setting a new standard, even Sterling had the balls to be honest!
That’s a good first post mate (moms link spotted, but no problem, we’re all on the same side, imo.).
And pretty much sums up how we all feel, I suspect.
Holtender, there is a beautiful poetry to this comment which, when on the piss is exceptional reading. You have summed this whole situation up, for I imagine all true villa fans. perfectly, in few but poignant sentences.
Thanks for your kind words. What a day to be a Villan. I thought Yorke or Platt was hard, but today hurts. I’d like to see the OPTA stats for pints drunk by Villans around the world for the last 48 hours!
2 weeks from now we’ll have Amavi, Townsend and another £20million worth of goal scoring talent to take us forward! I trust Delph can use all his extra cash to stuff inside his tracksuit to keep him warm, spending all those cold Champions League nights, sitting on the bench.
Don’t know why you think we will sign all those players. We have a ready made replacement for Delph in gueye so we will only replace benteke with a striker half as good for half the price
..and the Villa Park circus rolls on! I wonder what’s next… Sherwood getting re-appointed at Spurs?
can you just imagine city s owners checking out new signings see delph ask who is he answer oh just new johson rodwell sinclair only cheaper we have to keep these pesky eufa bosses happy so many local s employed by club good pr
He left because the Sale of the Club broke down at the 11th hour.
The club sale was due to be announced last week but it’s now off. Tom Fox held a meeting with all staff last Wednesday afternoon at VP in which he was supposed to introduce the new owners but much to his embarrassment the purpose of the meeting was changed to something meaningless and which lowered morale even more.
As others have pointed out he could have left for nothing on 30th June as a free agent. We have collected £8m. Still does not justify his behavior and the fact he has dragged Micah Richards in to justify his U turn actions is a disgrace, but whatever….
We had it with Downing so let’s just kick on……..
Another first post, M.
Forgive me if I’m a tad reticent to totally believe everything you say.
Still, your post is reasoned and your grammar and spelling are fine, so who am I to doubt your validity?
That, plus the fact that it’s all pretty plausible.
Welcome, mate.
Oh no my cover is blown I am really the AVFC PR Team…need to create another profile quick…. lol
I have not posted for probably 2 years but its defo not my first post!!!
Only Delph knows why he really left ($£$£$£$) but the Tom Fox meeting last week is true. If you have any contacts at the club feel free to validate but they closed every department early to make a big announcement……
The announcement was pulled and they enraged the employees by blaming them for the state of the club under achieving and under earning below potential (not the players, not the board allowing MON to overspend…..)
You know a company is in a mess when the board start lashing out at employees…….
You bollocked one of my lengthy post for being too intelligenct Badger. Thought you’d have learned not to underestimate yr readrrs by now mate!
Did I, Bum Bum?
Apologies, I forget.
Intelligence is always welcomed 🙂
I know who the proper posters are, but might make the odd mistake.
At least you know I’m real 🙂
🙂
the club is run like so poorly its laughable. when Delph signed a new contract and professed his love for the club it seems utterly amazing to me that that his agent or whoever it was allowed to put an 8 million release clause in there. it seems to me that was a statement of intent if there ever was one. I think someone with a bit of balls could have negotiated much better for the club. Now i know people will come on here and start shouting that the club had no choice but that’s bollox and quite frankly if that was the case they would have been better off letting him go anyway. the sad fact is the club are run by a shower of muppets and just to finish anyone that thinks that big wads of cash are gonna be thrown around for new players they are deluding themselves same old same old. Sorry for all the negativity but i see nothing to be positive about going forward
Bring back Falkner!!!! lol
I know – let’s blame the club when in fact Delph has behaved without any class and completely dissed all the Villa fans with his behaviour. I know all is not right at Villa Park but I do think Lerner is trying to put the business on a sound footing and recent senior managerial appointments support this view.
The anticipated takeover could have fallen down on any number of issues (one of which may have been Lerner seeking certain assurances over future financial sustainability for the club) but no way would the blame for a failure to close the deal be directed at staff – that’s complete rubbish.
Yes, we are losing the spine of the team but given the general level of criticism aimed at Vlaar and Delph In particular, (and Benteke has received his fairshare as well) I’m surprised that so many posters are actually concerned they are leaving.
But then Villa fans are fickle – aren’t we?
No you misunderstood.
They did not blame the takeover failure on the employees.
The purpose of the (all staff) meeting had been changed as it was massively hyped to be a full blown announcement on new owners. The takeover could have been recoverable at that point so a smokescreen message was sent by Tom Fox…..
He told the staff they need to work harder to earn the club more revenue so we can attract better players and pay our current squad better to prevent them from leaving. Something the staff took the wrong way. They laid on free drinks and food for staff but all walked out in disgust.
Tim Sherwood has since confirmed the takeover is now dead – so Delph has probably decided to move on due to this statement.
Again who knows about Delph…only he knows….but the takeover seems to be gone and this treatment of hardworking and loyal AV staff is atrocious.
i think Hitchens comment was more a dig at me M. the point i am making is who was the f…..g genius at the club that allowed such a shite contract happen. The fact is it was always his intention to leave and whoever negotiated this contract was a muppet and should have shown a bit more balls cus fact is it was as good as him walking out for nothing it just smacks of total stupidity
M, your point is noted, mate.
Hitch – much sense in what you say.
I keep reading that phrase ‘spine of the team’ – but look at just what that ‘spine’ achieved in the last 3 years or so. A dozen, maybe two dozen good individual performances in nearly 120 league games, and maybe 20 cup matches. Perhaps half a dozen games where two or three of them managed to have a good game at the same time…
‘Spine’ ? Seen more of a spine in a jellyfish.
Let those who want to go leave, find fresh faces who don’t think they’re doing us a favour by being paid £x,000 a week to put on the shirt for 90 minutes.
Ardent, agreed, not much of a spine, but it’s all we had.
If you think we can improve it easily, you’re a braver man than me.
Quote me now, where I say we’re going to be in trouble yet again this season.
I’m reading these posts from “M”, which are probably total bollox.
But why do they ring true to me?
There’s something seriously wrong down the Villa, imo.
spot on Badger that is the problem the spine of the team is gone good or bad everyone’s point of view differs. now it has to be replaced with new players 2 problems will they be top draw replacements NO secondly will they be able to settle in to the team and gel from the off i doubt it. so i think we are in a spot of bother. i hope to god i am wrong and your right something is clearly wrong at the club the take over has now failed and i believe that was our saving grace
I don’t think many are concerned they are leaving it’s more to do with the way Delph went about it. No one on here that I can think of wanted Vlaar to stay and Benteke, in most fans eyes, deserves his chance, weather that’s with Liverpool is another matter but he still deserves his chance to play for a team challenging at the right end of the league table. Delph is just a C–T for the way he went about it, not the fact he wanted to go.
Watching Delph off the pitch is much like watching him on it. Turn this way, turn that way, turn back again – oops, lost the ball. Well you can place a bet now on Citeh conceding more goals in the league next season than in the last season, and a small gamble that Kompany actually hits Delph after one gaffe.
I stick to my idea that Sherwood really meant it when he told the cup finalists they could find other clubs for their losing mentality. 5 gone now. GIVEN VLAAR CLEVERLEY DELPH BENTEKE.
I am not sure what to make of M’s comments. The staff meeting would not have been called to announce new owners until 1/ the ink was dry on the contract, and 2/ more importantly Randy’s bank called him to say the £150M had arrived. So whatever it was for, it wasn’t to announce a take-over.
The meeting was announced 10 days in advance so perhaps the deal it was expected to go through by then but was probably delayed so TF could not disclose it.
Whatever the purpose the agenda seem to be have been pulled….
During Randy’s time there he has never called an All Staff Meeting like this, closed every department mid-afternoon (when the shop has a sale on and the ticket office are selling season ticket renewals etc) and certainly not put on a free meal and drinks for everyone mid-afternoon to tell everyone they need to work harder next Season.
Everyone will have their own opinion and that is the general consensus from those at the club and to me it sounds feasible…….
fabien delph is a fuckin RAAATT of the highest order ,fucked us over twice.Dirrty lyyyin rrrrrrrrrrat.Sorry think were fucked next season no matter who we sign.
Well as much as I thought Delph was a good guy I now think he’s a complete shit.
Why tell us he’s staying only to go within days? Did we do something wrong? No he’s just a total, absolute utter shit.
Hope he warms the bench at Citeh or years to come and goes grey without another England game.
To give Benteke his due he might be leaving us but at least he’s kept his gob shut and I thank him for that.
I know players come and go but to play the loyalty card and then renege so soon show a total lack of class.
UTV and f**k Delph
Yes, we all agree, Delph has now reached Field Marshall status when it comes to being a c**t. The highest c**t honour out there currently. He is a top c*nt of the very highest order. A proper c*nt.
But, he wasn’t actually good at playing football and contributed to a very poor villa outfit for years. I see lots of talk about ‘spine’ and us losing it, had there been a ‘spine’ since…fuck remembers? I believe that’s the one true thing we’ve been missing for so long now. I never rated Delph personally, I feel he was an over-achiever in an exceptionally poor team, which made him look better than he is. I can guarantee he’ll never secure first team football for Citeh or England.
It’s absolutely not the end of the world losing a player like a Delph, it’s under the circumstances in which we lost the c**t which bites the hardest.
No player is bigger than the club. Utv
I agreed he was simply the best of a shot bunch of midfielders I honestly don’t care he’s gone especially as we’ve a like for like replacement in gueye
Badger, I don’t believe Delph’s actions make Villa look bad rather the opposite; rather the focus of criticism will be on Delph with some sympathy for the club and fans. Delph has done untold damage to his reputation and his career and he’ll have to live with that. Reputations (particularly bad ones) are easily made but difficult to dispel.
In respect of the £8m buy out clause, I suspect that was wanted by Delph’s agent geared to a fear that we would be relegated last season. Without the benefit of hindsight it was probably a reasonably good deal for all parties at the time.
Disappointed with the turn around by delph, not bothered he is leaving to be honest as he is easily replaced with his style of play. Yes he drives forward with ball beating players, but we have other players who can do that (Gil,grealish,Sinclair). You can’t blame him going for the financial rewards, but I cannot seeing him being a regular- big risk in my eyes to cement his England place in the team. I think someone has already mentioned on here Milner suffered, and he brings more to the table than delph does. As for benteke, we have got to take the money as long as it invested wisely. Just wish it wasn’t Liverpool, as they in my eyes are not a champions league team and never will be. Just wish it would hurry up and be done with.
We have to trust what Tim and Ray are trying to build, and will interesting to see what style of play we will adopt this year. It could be that Delphs u turn was greatly accepted by Ray and Tim as they don’t want that style of play! Same with benteke! Let’s see what new faces arrive in the next few weeks, a striker (goalscorer) is vital (adebayor would not be a bad choice as he is quality when he wants it).
Early days yet! Let’s be positive about the start and assess after the 1st 6 games.
Braga game yesterday – first half really good, dominated and created lots of chances – second half a bit dreary.
However Gil looked great playing more or less in Delph’s position and gave 2 or 3 stunning forward passes for Gabby. Is it just me or has he beefed up since he joined the Villa? When I saw him last season great football but it looked like a stiff breeze would knock him over. Yesterday he looked stockier and stronger and, if I’m honest,looks like he has the beating of Delph in every department.
Richards was great too. Fast and athletic, good tackles.
I’d like to see Kozak play with Gabby and Gil and Grealish as we might have something there, playing the ball on the ground rather than just lumping it to the big man.
Delph gone, Benteke gone, Vlaar gone, Cleverley gone and I find I’m still optimistic, perhaps even more so. If Amavi joins us and another striker we might just be okay this season.
UTV
Let’s be fair, the frustrating thing is knowing we will pay 15m for townsend and hull want 10m for Brady!
So today we have Alan Shearer, Joey Barton and Stan Collymore all ripping the piss out of Delph. I can’t remember seeing so much bad press about one players transfer in a long time. Everybody is laughing at you Delph.
If/when Delph comes back to VP, I hope he gets the same sort of reception that reduced Barry to a quivering wreck.
A bit part player who is only at Citeh to make up the English quota. Enjoy the Carling Cup games Judas Mk 2.
…but Lambert thought it a good idea…
….but look at what else he thought was a good idea – Tonev, Hellenius, Sylla ….the list is endless!
…add Becoming Manager of Aston Villa to that list…