Most Gutting AVFC Departure? | Page 3 | Vital Football

Most Gutting AVFC Departure?

holtelower said:
Plenty of them over the years.

McInally - I think if he would have stayed, we would have won the league in 1990

Deano - probably my favourite player (not "the" st - as that is God, but just his whole personaility and way of play)

However, quite topical, but I think the most gutting for me, not for the player himself, but for why the player left and where he went, is one Gareth Southgate. When he went to Boro as they were "a more ambitious club and he will get a chance to win trophies", it just gutted me.

On a similar note - the player I was gutted we never got - Juninho - ditto McInally
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Good shout about McInally and 1990 - we needed another consistent goal scorer to compliment Platt's goals from midfield.
 
Although Andy Gray is my all time favourite CF at the Villa of all the years supporting the Villa I was strangely enough not too fussed when he left because by this time he had become very injury prone and we just couldn't rely on him anymore.
Brian Little getting finished gutted me immensely and Alex Cropley's leg snapping injury was a real bitter pill to swallow.
Gidman leaving was gutting too.
Yorke leaving was the last time I felt sick about a player departing but that was more so the way he done it and his disgusting no show at Everton was a complete lack of respect.
 
Bruce Rioch should have been the signal with a new board that selling our best players was over. Instead it goes on. I was chuffed for Bruce winning the league st Derby he had stuck with us and got us out of the third,when the first division was his aim.
Should have taken over from Bobby Charton for England. He was that good
 
Gareth Barry was a kick in the nads but I also understand a player leaving for an extra £60,000 a week. He is our best Premier League player ever.
 
Nagh, not for me, not even close.

A fantastic servant to the club, a fantastic role model , and maybe he went on to be the most successful (although that is not a given - Cahill probably takes that) but nowhere near "the best ever"

Off my head, God, Yorke, Saunders, Townsend, Staunton (in fact, probably 80% of the Atkinson squad so I won't name them) Mellberg and Laursen are either ahead or at least level with Gareth
 
Dennis Mortimer for me. Even though the greatest team in our history was already breaking up, he was the leader that was holding it all together. Once he had gone, the whole dynamic changed and we were never the same again. Should have been kept until he could no longer walk.

In more modern times, the Yorke departure (and his subsequent childish behavior) was perhaps the most difficult to swallow. It signaled the beginning of the end of JG and his unbridled passion for the club...
 
Yeah, I was at Goodison in about row 5 that day, it was utterly shameful. Just utter disrespect for everyone who was either employed or supported the club.

To me, that has always tainted what I feel for Yorke. The likes of Barry, Mellberg , Saunders and all will always be Villans , even if they had success elsewhere.

Yorke to me, will always be a Man Utd player now, and although he keeps touting hiself for jobs with us - I would never welcome him back

Best song ever though - I'll give him that one !
 
On a slightly different tack from players, my late brother used to drool over the potential of the "Mercer Minors" in the early 60's, Tindall , Deakin, Slueewenhoek, Wright , Aitken etc. but Joe Mercer having to leave on medical grounds and bad injuries to key players put a stop to that, but in later years SGT leaving for the England role... what a dynasty he could have created had he stayed...but we will never know!!!
 
Yeah, he will be on there , he played 300 odd games for us and won the league with Man City. He is probably one of the most well known players so a national publication would have him in.

A national publication probably wouldn't even know who Alan Wright or Ian Taylor are if they introduced themselves to them.

Gareth Barry was "premier league class" - and an excellent one at that

Martin Laursen and Paul McGrath were "world class" and if it wasn't for injury they would never have even been at the Villa in the first place as they would be playing at the likes of Juventus and Real Madrid. (and begrudgingly, I would probably say Yorke is the same)

Its like saying Gary Neville was better than Eric Cantona , or Tony Adams better than Denis Bergkamp

Thats the difference between longest serveant and "best"
 
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