If we got paid to take Richards it would be a bad deal. Both him & Lescott have gone as footballers. We must do better. Also, we shouldn't go near Ryan Mason for more than £8 million & I'd have a chunk of that based on our survival!
Richards, gone as a footballer? Isn't he, what, 29? He's had a bad season at Villa but that's hardly enough to write him off.
Sadly it happens. He's had a few knockbacks at the end of his career @ Man City, hardly played since Zabaleta arrived, which clearly knocked his confidence - he's not the same player he was. Didn't shine (admittedly were not a great team) @ Villa. One of the greatest ever footballers, Georgie Best, was washed out at 28 - confidence shattered, for different compound reasons - but Richards would be a big risk, even as a second stringer imo.
I think being made captain of Villa with the amount of scrutiny and pressure they were under can't have helped. Coming here under the wing of Davies and Dawson would help him immensely.
All that may be true, but in all fairness, without being captain, he would be under just as much pressure @ City... despite how well Davies, Dawson and (hopefully Phelan) may have nurturing instincts. At this level - it's bloody difficult to shake off insecurity that has built up inside him. I personally thought he was going to be a superstar - it went wrong somehow. Too much of a risk for me anyway.
Funnily enough, one Curtis Davies had a bad season at Villa and was consigned to the Championship, deemed 'not good enough'. Villa have a nasty habit of turning good footballers into mediocre ones, thankfully City have a good rep for rescuing them.
In the years gone by i always thought of us as a club that ended peoples career!! The like of Gary Bradshaw, ben morley and 90% of youth teams..... I agree i would like to think we are a bit more savvy now and obviously a better standard. Anybody coming to us now knows they are going to play. Question i ask is would Richards keep Odubajo out of the side when hes fit again, likewise with Dawson? I think know so for me hes only a squad player at 50K+ a week.
small club mentality fans baulking at fees , palace are throwing 30ms around for **** sake, lets all shrivel at price tags and not sign anybody behave we pay through the nose for tickets, merchandise for ourselfs and the kids, the clubs raking in millions in tv deal, i personally want my team to spend this money in order to secure players that will improve us, people are moaning about the allams pocketing cash, now moaning about spending too much on a player, you really couldnt make it up haha!!!; spend the 14m get mason in eithr that or leave the 14m to end up inshareholders pockets
Ok 50K+ per week for Richards or 20K for Dave lets be sensible mate. Not moaning in the slightest just been real
I'm pretty sure Hutch has just copy pasted that from an Arsenal forum and changed the relevant names.
Davies' powers of self belief & recovery are far superior (did you hear his explanation of his situation @ Villa on the Sportstalk interview on Monday). I think Richards may well be beyond repair, unfortunately, as he did look very handy once.
Richards could thrive in our squad. I expect been at Man City you are constantly stressed, huge squad, massive expecting from fans, managers focused on performance not players. At Villa last season no player seemed happy, board was in a mess, managers struggling, fans with unrealistic views. Here we have a very strong team unity, players have been in a similar or worse positions (Davies at Villa, snodders massive injury, livermore tragedy), supportive players, realistic expectations, and no egos. At City if you work hard and do your bit for the team you will be respected. I think we would be a.good fit for him and him for us on right deal
My reservations about Richards aren't his ability but his personality. He's a big time Charlie prick who could undo all the great work we've achieved on creating this team spirit.
are you pissed pete? Where did i include richards in that statement? I expect it off sydney he struggles to get dressed for **** sake
