The signing’s confirmed then and having read the stories about the three-year deal, I have to say I’m very encouraged.
Everything seems to be backing up what we thought, in that he’s a good leader and it’s always pleasing when the previous employer talks about how he was a model professional. We can’t get enough of those types, after all, it would seem.
Even better, was the fact that he cut his honeymoon short, which I thought was a bit above and beyond the expected.
I mean, there’s no way the club would have ordered him to do that at risk of the deal falling through; imagine if that got out to the press, for example.
Elphick made a great statement too, talking about how it was an easy decision coming to the Villa;
“It’s obviously what gives us our living. When a club come calling like Villa it’s the least you can do to give up five days of your honeymoon.
I just think as soon as you hear the name Aston Villa…
Obviously it’s not been such a good time recently but when you see what they’ve done over the summer with the new owner and new manager I didn’t take much convincing at all.
I’m absolutely delighted. It didn’t actually take long. As soon as I heard about Villa’s interest it’s something that turned my head straight away.
To be able to come here and represent such a great club with such great history is going to be a real honour for me.”
And while you often hear this sort of stuff from newly signed players, it just seems genuinely sincere for some reason.
He comes across as a really down to earth type, whose feet are still planted firmly on the ground. Again the sort we need more of.
All I know is he must have a very understanding wife!
I’ve noticed a few “dislikes” in the previous comments about Elphick, but have to confess I’m perplexed as to why that should be. What’s not to like about this signing?
Hence we need a vote, which might fish out what some of us don’t like about the idea of signing him.
For clarity, I’ve seen that he isn’t the quickest of defenders, but I don’t see that as so much of a problem in the Championship.
Probably pretty obvious what I think.
Welcome and here’s to happy days, Tommy.
Finally got some leadership in the back. Next to Clark, next to Okore, next to Toner. Think it’ll finally be good to have.
Hope Clarke has long gone
Solely because of one International game? One I’m gonna guess you didn’t even watch? Go back to his first game where he was class.
No Andrew, i’d imagine off the back of being total dog shit and far too error prone, one swallow and all that …
Bar amavi the rest of our defence was utterly SHITE, I must of missed the last season concerning Clarke.
You mean when Lescott and Richards together? probably.
Rock on Tommy welcome, I hope he doesn’t get to comfortable on that physio table in the picture provided. 😀
Really good signing. A strong captain can be so vital. Just think of players like Keane, Terry and Morgan, it’s doubtful that their clubs would have achieved so much without their presence.
Welcome Tommy
UTV
Bit small for a CH plus injury prone. We’ve enough injury defenders as it is!
@Oohaah
I was wondering who voted to say that it was a bad signing
Now I know 🙂
Ha ha you found me out
Look how many games he’s missed over the last 5-6 seasons, in fact I gave you the numbers… Only last season, where he suffered a freak long term injury, was his only bad season in terms of injuries. He’s not injury prone at all.
But he was last season and he’s not getting any younger
I believe he is a leader something we have been missing for years.
He’s made the right noises so far about the club’s history/traditions.
[Just a shame those meant so little to the tossers last season…]
Don’t worry that will be knocked out of him by the losers he will be playing with
I often wonder what some Villa fans want, take Oohah, we sign a player and straight away hes crap, the very least hes better that what we have, no wonder player’s shy from us with fans like Oohah, its a start to build our team may it continue for me. Lets welcome any player that seeks to come and play for our great club Aston Villa , Oohah give the new coach, manager, and players a chance. PLEASE.
Bill as someone posted awhile ago,if Ooha found a tenner in the street he’d moan it weren’t twenty.
Ps I do find some of his posts entertaining to say the least,Ooha cheer up ffs
I do Giddy but he kills enthusiasm, any chanc we sign that Michael McGovern what saves he’s made for Ireland.
very entertaining posts tonight :))
well said bill, i have wondered the same thing regarding what fans expect. also agree with the northern ireland goalie. free transfer he had a good game against the germans.
No I like being miserable 😓
Bottom line is hasn’t Uncle Oohagh been proved right the last few years. Just saying 😄😄
You’ve been saying that we will be relegated for 6 seasons. 5 out of those 6 you were wrong. How about you try and support the team before you start slagging them off?
Give us all a break!
Flippen heck we wernt far off onky missing it by the skin of our teeth. We were always going to go down in the end we all knew that really
I never said he was crap I said he was injury prone !
And as per usual you’re incorrect. He’s far from injury prone. 1 bad injury doesn’t make you injury prone. Wilshere is injury prone. Amavi isn’t as an example. Freak long term injuries happen. He has no history of injuries.
Clark! It’s spelt Clark!
Good solid signing to start the new era. We need leaders, experienced heads and good characters and Elphick seems to tick all those boxes.
I think Clark will be more than good enough for the championship, sure he makes errors but at that level he’ll be fine. Its the troublemakers Richards and Lescott we need out the door whatever the cost
Clarke is not good enough he is a liability
Actually Oohah, I would like to see Clark playing under some on-field leadership, which Tommy will provide. My first impression of Clark was that he might make up into that leader of the back four that all teams need. Sadly that does not now seem likely, some players have that leadership stamp but most don’t. That does not make Clark a bad defender if he learns to take orders and carries them out.
Before his attitude got corrupted and before he came to Villa the same could have been said of Lescott, Told what to do by a good partner, he was quite effective. As for Richards – no bloody chance! Just no self discipline or glimmer of a team player.
I just don’t think he has the ability though OOL and far too error prone though all are defenders and midfield are.
Clark got slated for one missed timed tackle in the last Irish match. When others on the field were shit for the whole game .
Clark came close to two other own goals in the game he finally scored with his third attempt. He makes way too many mistakes for my liking. The missed (unnecessary) tackle last time out was typical of his poor judgement.
Good god Guzan’s been awful tonight. Doesn’t help the absolute trash in front of him but all 3 goals could’ve been saved. Maybe not the free kick, that one was a beauty, but the other two… Easily should’ve done better. He had a pretty decent tournament up till this game but wow has it gone from decent to crap real fast.
And there you sum it up perfectly, Andrew;
“Doesn’t help the absolute trash in front of him”
I actually think this applies to quite a few of the Villa players, which is why I haven’t attacked/targetted some of the usuals as much as some other Villa fans might have.
To me, it’s more that a lack of confidence has stemmed from the top.
If those in control don’t give a toss, it’s just too easy for those lower down to think the same way.
It’s about discipline and proper procedure.
And I don’t believe there’s been any down the Villa for ages.
Again, this is Lerner’s legacy, imo.
Lol Andrew he was Gordon banks the other night in your eyes.he’s fucking useless
Never. He’s had a fairly strong competition but last night he was awful.
Guzan has to go
Ist game
Sheff Wed v Villa 7th August….live on Sky Sports
I say this every season why is our opening fixture away yet again???? Fuck nows the last time we we had an opening home game.
First 6 games:
Sheff Wed (A)
Rotherham (H)
Huddersfield (H)
Derby (A)
Bristol C (A)
Forest (H)
Scum……….sty 29 Oct
Scum……….VP 22 Apr
A tricky first fixture for us away to Wednesday one of the better teams in the league .
Imagine saying that a few years ago – Makes my heart bleed… !
Come on cheer up!
Third last game is against the noses. We’ll need 3 points for promotion and that will be the game we’ll get them. I have foreseen it 🙂
UTV
League Cup
Luton (A)
So the reaction from the Hatters?
‘So, arguably the biggest club we could’ve drawn at this stage are coming to Luton…we look forward to hosting @AVFCOfficial w/c Aug 8 #COYH’
We may be in the Championship but we are still a GIANT club!
UTV
Last time I went to Luton or should it be lootin I had my car nicked.
Serves you right for driving there 🙂 I should write and complain to Nick Owen Giddy!
Only joking mate.
I heard they only got £15 scrap for it. 🙂
I’m just glad Lerner has finally gone, the worst thing that ever happened to our club a total jerk !
I wonder how a Brexit vote will affect footy?
Turkey aren’t in the EU they still play in Europe.
So is the Isle of Man and they are not in it 🙂
And Australia are in the Eurovision Song Contest! The world’s gone mad!!!!!! Come on ROI!!!!
Giddy, 20% of Turkey is in Europe, they only held back because of Cyprus of not being in the eu, they invaded Cyprus to protect Turkish Cypriots in the late 50s, so all this they won’t be in the eu is crap.
Yep. I’ll be voting LEAVE!
Me too though it will be fixed for remain to win. Make sure u bring a pen with
Bill I read different to your reason, Turkey haven’t passed let’s say a fit & proper test by the EU & are some way from doing so.also Cameron mentioned a similar thing the other day.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3655236/Nailed-four-big-EU-lies-Talks-Turkey-stall-Brexit-WON-T-spark-trade-war-say-Germans-Brussels-NOT-reform-open-borders-deportation-jobless-EU-migrants-myth.html
Agree Bill. If we stay in we effectively will be bordering with Syria. Vote Leave
Interesting question, Bum Bum.
All I know is I’ve had a lot of mails from some remain outfit that is working hard in trying to get me posting their articles that talk about how sports people want to remain. The last one was just last night emphasising how John Barnes was misquoted by the leave side.
We try and avoid politics, as I believe sport ideally shouldn’t be political, so I won’t post them.
The point is I haven’t received any mails involving sports people suggesting that we should leave.
We don’t want sports people on here telling us to remain Badger. Must of them like Beckhams don’t have to put up with the consequences of staying. They are worth millions and he dosnt even live in the UK ffs! Same as champagne socialists like Geldolf! Vote out 👍
Hmm.
Let me clarify this, Oohah.
I don’t want to see any politics mentioned on here, as it should be seperate from sport, ideally.
Hence you won’t be seeing my opinion, as much as I do have one.
Disagree Badger sport is very political these days. We may even have the Chinese gov have a share in our club. If that’s not political IV no idea what is 😄
Won’t make any difference we will still get overpaid overpriced prima donnas
Iceland is a shop and even they are in it :)….but not for much longer!
Is the capital of Iceland still Bejams 😄
So England’s all-stars meet Iceland in the knock-out stages, who’d of guessed it? And if we beat them it’s Sainsburys next.
As good as a bye for England. Should at least get to final as Spain v Italy so another big boy out
Well done MON, Keane and the ROI boys!!!!!
Keane is actually smiling!!!!
And ROI have a score to settle with the French. Remember that handball Thierry???
Can you believe it? 25% of the remaining countries left in the Euros are from our neck of the woods!
Best of luck ROI, England, Wales and NI.
Shame Scotland missed out eh??? 😀
Who?
I’ve had quite a bit of mileage in winding real-life jocks up, but actually feel a bit sorry for them.
That said, sod Scotland. They’d have given us plenty if the shoe was on the other foot.
And that’s what it’s all about for me; the banter.
I love it 🙂