The opinions are currently split on Grealish with many people (including myself) wanting him to get a lot more time on the pitch and others who believe that he needs to be eased into the game in order to develop him in the best way.
The arguments can be seen from both sides and that is the beauty of this website, opinions count.
Something we can all agree on is that the news of Grealish reportedly working on terms for his new contract at Villa are very promising. Many sites have been reporting on this and although i’m not a major fan of DailyMail, here is a snippet from them,
Jack Grealish has been allowed to leave the Republic of Ireland Under 21 squad to discuss a new contract at Aston Villa.
The 19-year-old has withdrawn from international duty in an effort to resolve outstanding issues regarding his future with Chelsea monitoring developments.
Can we all agree this is good news? It certainly shows passion and desire for the club if he chose to miss out on international duties.
As always, comment, share and retweet.
I agree it’s good news, we need to hold onto home grown talent, but i worry about the hype, remember Stefan Moore, as a kid he had the lot and if you look honestly at our academy out put, with the exceptions of Cahill & Barry (who we nicked off Brighton), there aint been too much to get excited about……hope this one breaks through and kicks on….and don’t throw Gabby up cos he has never got close to where he thinks he’s at.
Hope so!
Just reading the Boring James Milner parody account on Twatter…VERY funny!
The fact that he wants to sign is indeed good news.
My opinion says he’s class and really could be top notch.
But how many of these kids have we seen coming through, go on to ultimately acheive nothing more than mediocrity?
We might have the best academy in the English game, according to the KPIs, but who have we ever produced, that has gone on to be really good?
Cahill is the best example, but we let him go, for reasons that I actually agreed with MON with, at the time.
He couldn’t get a game, when Dunne and GingeTaff were doing really well.
Ok, it has proven to be a monumental mistake, but that happens.
Going back to the point, who have we ever produced from the academy, Cahill apart?
Quite simply no-one, imo.
My point?
It’s the part after making the step up from the academy, that seems to be our problem.
A typical example?
Gardner.
Yep, injuries, but is that really all it’s about?
My final point?
KPIs, my arse.
I’d rather we just produced some good young footy players, than ticked poxy boxes.
That’s what Yanks quite simply don’t understand about footy, imo.
I love a good rant occasionally and feel better now I’ve got that one out of the way 🙂
Makes you wonder what they do at the academy? Where’s the Little’s, Cowans,Gidman’s, Walters etc?
Get them too young coach all the spontaneity out of them and turn then into robotic carbon copies of each other.
Brian little was class and on his day the best player ever to grace VP IMO of course.
Cahill was a shocking decision. There were a lot of Villa fans at the time screaming blue murder when we sold him. A centre back that composed at that age, we should have made way more effort to keep him. He was worth the risk of giving game time to in order to keep him…I feel the same about Grealish.
As of right now he is being kept out by Richardson, a solid player, but not a match winner and definitely not the future of the club. Surely, now the tough games have gone, its worth giving JG a run of games?
More good news on Grealish. Hope the deal will be finalised over this break and he can concentrate on playing good football. I feel we should give him some starts at VP, the crowd are well behind him and he will gain confidence from that and who knows, the unthinkable might happen, we could see a player for Villa that unlocks a teams defence.
I was at Bedworth FC watching my young granddaughter training for Coventry girls and just caught it on Sky, Grealish is a must for Villa ,we have in the past lost lots of young players, I have a habit of looking for ex Villa player’s and they are everywhere in other teams, has Badger saying, our academy must be one of the best in the country, Yes good news if he signs. I missed news about Delp they said something about him ,don’t know what?.
Though if nobody bothering to say I’ll find out myself. Daily Express Online: Fabian Delph missed England training today but the Aston Villa star should be fit for the European Championship qualifier against San Marino on Thursday. Delph impressed on his first Three Lions call-up last month, especially as a starter in the 2-0 win over Switzerland. The 24-year-old again joined up with Roy Hodgson’s squad for this week’s matches against San Marino and Estonia, although sat out of training this morning with a knock sustained in Aston Villa’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester City. The midfielder was kept out of the session as a precautionary measure and instead did gym work, although it is not understood to be anything serious.
Just seen that the Everton game is totally sold out, just under 40k.
That’s good for a team that is currently struggling.
I’m not sure what to think of that.
Maybe it’s something to do with the footy they play?
…and respect Everton deserve perhaps?
Well they’re not turning out to watch us lol; perhaps they think ‘here’s three easy points’!
I thought most of evertons home games are pretty much sold out. Never notice any empty seats on tv
Probably because they know they will slaughter us and is a winnable game for them lol. Could be there’s no game this week so more money for fans to go.
Now there’s the scenario, no team fears us today, no wonder we have poor gates,
Bill the home record over the past season or 4 as hardly helped matters, Villa park is hardly a fortress these days.
Plus once your start core support starts to dwindle and they get out of habit of going down VP and then start to peruse other interests it’s hard to get them back because lets face it even with Villa’s low prices (well low in relation to other EPL teams) it’s not the cheapest interest in the world.
Spot on BWS
So true it’s not the fact we lose most home games it’s the dire anti football we play. If we played good attacking entertaining football and lost 3.2 I wouldn’t have a as much of a problem as losing 1.0 playing anti football
Very true BWS..
Hey Bill you read these plans by the Premier League to play a round of fixtures overseas?
This was so obviously coming particularly with the amount of American owners who are just about the brand and have imo absolutely no concept of the rich history and traditions of English football.
Well that shows the value of the home fan to your average EPL club owner.
That’s been on the cards for years BWS don’t tell me its popped up again? So now the yanks are hijacking our sport now.
Bill, not sure it’s the clubs that want it; in fact they seem to be against the idea. Being pushed by the EPL as I understand it to do with ‘global image’ more likely television revenues behind it – not that I’m being cynical LOL
That’s naive H60 remember he who pays the piper calls the tune. Sudamore is simply the piper.
Hold my hand up, it’s a fair response BWS and I didn’t even get my facts right anyway. Must try harder -:)
I’d say that’s 50-50, when you see how the English F A pushed football at the yanks over the year’s , it’s pay back time, I’ve never really understood the game, only because they don frames and padding and make it look ‘as’ if its more masculine than our rugby, I suppose I’m old fashion when its the yanks, all umph ‘and thunder with that game.IMO 🙂
Here’s the link Bill have a read….
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/oct/07/premier-league-38th-game-overseas-fixtures
Yep and our national stadium. England games to go round the country because USA American football franchise is more lucrative. Though how anyone in this country can watch a game that has more ads than X factor is beyond me.
Back to Grealish – If I understand reports correctly he pulled out of the Ireland U21’s game to sort out his contract with Villa but then I read that PL and Foxy have pi**ed off to Yanksville! Can anyone work out (tell me) what’s actually going on?
Still think he’ll sign a new four year deal as will Delph IMHO. Vlaar; reckon that one’s in the melting pot but maybe not so critical with the emergence of Baker (Did he not come through the academy?).
Contracts are irrelevant anyway he can sign a 10 year deal and utd etc would still get him if they come calling. The only upside is we get more money for Lerner.
Eh, depends on if he wants to go there or not. Not every youngster believes in going to the “big clubs” as he’ll want to play. Could be loyal, who knows?
Hitchens,
Lambert has gone to New York to meet Lerner to discuss money ie available transfer money for the winter window and no doubt what he’ll be allowed to pay in wages.
I think he’s been out there for a couple of days at least, so I doubt he’ll be much longer.
Why they can’t do this sort of thing over a video conference, I don’t know, but it’s probably a bit of a Jolly for Lambert and a chance for Lerner to get to know Fox better.
Things are probably a bit up in the air too, with Lambert not even knowing when he’d be due back over here.
The point is Grealish pulling out means we’ll probably get a conclusion soon, but there’s a fair bit of time to get things sorted.
As for Baker, yes, he came through the academy.
Thanks Badger. It’s interesting that all the focus is on Grealish with questions being asked about why we’ve failed to produce youngsters from our ‘highly rated’ academy that have gone on to be very good footballers (like Little, Cowans, Gidman etc.) and yet noone in the discussion mentioned Baker? I think he’s going to be a very good player but seems to be slipping under the radar from an academy perspective.
Anyone watching this shower of shite on the box, Oh we have a pen now, god England might win this game now, hic’ hic’ Hitchen60 Baker got off to a bad start, many jumped on his back, but he had a lot to do with shit defenders,ie left and right midfield and defence, but beginning to show promise, just hope he hangs onto his form.
Baker and vlaar should be first choice pairing now IMO
I think it’s because baker has only just come of age so to speak. He has definitely improved this season
Gotta give props to Lambert on this one. Past regimes would’ve sold him ala Davies, but Baker’s come on well, could be a decent talent for the rest of his career here.
i always thought Baker had potential but never sure it would ever happen till this season he still has a long way to go though. As for Clarke I really cant see him being more than a bit part player for us at best
Gotta agree, was one of the few who backed Baker last season and will continue as I do like him. Clark needs playing time to grow and I wouldn’t want that to be at Villa of the 5 CB’s we have. Definitely a player we could get rid of for someone maybe a bit better even.
Baker has one decent game and oohah is having a wankfest over him. Wonder why he wasn’t praising Vlaar after one decent game.
I’m also praising Baker and not on one game either. I think he’s steadily improved and looks a decent prospect at CB. Last season he played in a very poor back line and had a few injury problems but he did OK. Apart from Vlaar, where are the rest of that defensive line up?
That’s true Hitchy, Clarke was a liability and it made him (Baker) look incompetent but say he’d have had a Vlaar or a Senderos putting him right he’d have probably done ok.
One thing I don’t like about him is for a big fella he seems a little fragile and a bit injury prone (mind you on saying that, that seems to be about par for the course with our centre halfs).
Remember when Ugo broke into the first team at Villa? He got slated by the fans that first season, but he didn’t do too badly in the end.
Going back even further Ken McNaught had a hard time off it in his first season at VP, I think we can safely say he came good in the end too.
Spot on BWS – Ken McNaught was truly terrible that first season; we bought him on the back of his displays against us for Everton in the three times played League Cup Final ( if my memory isn’t playing tricks on me). He got some right pasting by the fans; turned out to be one of Villa’s great CB’s and a fan favourite.
someone once told me that out of all the positions centre halves take the longest to settle in and usually need a season. Think Vlaar was crap in first season but has improved since alas his injury record is still dire and he always seems to be out for the big games when we need him the most!!
I remember those Everton centre backs in the finals and actually thought we had bought the wrong one!
My memory might be failing me now, but could the other one have been Mick Lions?
Mick Lyons I believe it was mate.
I thought he was the better of the two.
Shows what I know, as per usual 🙂
I was going to do a bit of a rundown of the news of late, but there really isn’t much happening.
I hate this friendly/international crap, as it just ruins the impetus of the season for me.
Still, it won’t matter much, as I’m destined to miss pretty much every Villa game until Chrimbo 🙁
Unless I can wangle things, which I will, when the current pressure eases off 😉
Even though the footy being served isn’t great, not seeing it, is way worse.
Totally agree disrupts the natural flow of the season but then again wasn’t the supposed reason for the formation of the EPL? To facilitate internationals?
Even though the amount of English players playing in it as dropped to an all time low and the worst thing is we (or should I say Deadly) were instrumental in its (the EPL’s) formation – the greedy bastard.
Bit us on the arse now hasn’t it? And worst still we have a stand named after the prick!
I agree BWS yes deadly is or was a prick fuck this playing abroad bollox nice to be back missed you all possibly feelings not mutual off to the pub.UTV VTID SOTC
Better memory than me!!
His Instagram implies he will sign next week.
Ya it looks like Grelaish signature is nearly over the line, I heard the irish U21 manager king sate he was fine with him pulling out for the contract talks.
delph, Ya I am very eager to hear news on that one.
as for the academy talk, its like the lottery really, I think of Arsenal, and realistically what young talent did they bring to absolute fruition tier 1 player, most of them were robbed from other acadamies, I am a little sore thinking of Dan Crowley, but look we did the same with Harry Forrester and Carruthers and they failed to make the cut, its impossible to know really.
Baker has had some really good performances this season, but to be fair – i don’t see a huge difference between how he has played this season and last. I see some of the same errors its just that there is so much more solidity around him that he looks that much better.
Which is great, hopefully it sill build him up confidence wise and help solidify his composure.
Vlaar and senderos have things to offer him in terms of development, obviously more from Vlaar, defensively and tactically, but Senderos is more similar to Baker in physique so his technique is more relevant to Baker.
Either way, it would be great to see him continue as he has performed the last few games ..lossess not withstanding.
Clark is in the wilderness a bit this year no more than Baker last year, but perhaps we will see him get a run like Baker where he has decent protection in front of him and a strong partner beside him.
Anyone else see that our U18’s were 2-0 up against Chelsea last week and ended up losing the game 12-2 ???? Doesn’t bode too well for defenders coming through the Villa youth academy in the future…
Mirror claim we’ve officially offered Delph a new 4 year contract and Grealish is expected to sign a new contract this week.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/aston-villa-offer-fabian-delph-4432827
test