Most underrated Villa Players

[Silhillvilla]

Tommy Johnson. Putting his debut to one side, I thought he was better than the credit he got. Like an early James Milner prototype

 

[JuanPabloAngel]

Ray Houghton was very good.
Surprised though that no-one has mentioned Ian Ormondroyd......

To be fair, Ormndroyd (and Ian Olney, come to think of it) were key players in our promotion back to the First Division and in our title challenge in 1989/90.

 

[garygaryshaw]

To be fair, Ormndroyd (and Ian Olney, come to think of it) were key players in our promotion back to the First Division and in our title challenge in 1989/90.

Think we signed Ormondroyd after we’d gone back up, a double signing with Nigel Callaghan from memory.

 

[JuanPabloAngel]

Think we signed Ormondroyd after we’d gone back up, a double signing with Nigel Callaghan from memory.

My bad.

Had recollections of him scoring v Bradford in the promotion season.

I'm an old man, forgive me

 

[garygaryshaw]

My bad.

Had recollections of him scoring v Bradford in the promotion season.

I'm an old man, forgive me

I remember him playing for Bradford at VP towards the end of that season. He hit a screamer wide of the post which smashed into the back of a stewards head, standing near me. Knocked the poor fellow clean out.

 

[1958Villan]

One of my all time favourites Leighton Philips.

 

[JW1985]

Nobby Solano. He was brilliant in his short time with us and he's certainly got to be in contention for our best ever January window signing. He was the catalyst to us finishing 6th in DoLs first season, though we somehow didn't qualify for Europe and he was player of the season the next year.

 

[Silhillvilla]

is Clement Lenglet in this list ? I'm still trying to work out whether he's very good or average to be honest and if he's suited to the Premier League

 

[DeanoVilla]

To be fair, Ormndroyd (and Ian Olney, come to think of it) were key players in our promotion back to the First Division and in our title challenge in 1989/90.

Weren't we on course to win the league with Olney & Ormandroyd at one point, only to try to 'strengthen' by signing Cascarino and throw the title away?

 

[Platypus]

Considering it's his birthday I'd like to put forward Gareth Barry. Perhaps more underrated outside of Villa but still I'd say underrated by some Villa fans too.

Probably because he's completely unglamorous but he was consistently excellent over such a long period and seems to get forgotten when we talk about Villa greats.

 

[JW1985]

Considering it's his birthday I'd like to put forward Gareth Barry. Perhaps more underrated outside of Villa but still I'd say underrated by some Villa fans too.

Probably because he's completely unglamorous but he was consistently excellent over such a long period and seems to get forgotten when we talk about Villa greats.

He was consistently excellent for us and was actually a pretty dangerous attacking threat as well as a solid defensive player. It was a succession of England managers who used him as a water carrier that got him his reputation as a boring player.

Didn't like the way he left us but I feel his reputation actually faded after he joined city. If you ask the average non Villa/man city fan their main memory of him it'll be him getting absolutely ruined by Ozil at the 2010 world cup.

 

[DeanoVilla]

Considering it's his birthday I'd like to put forward Gareth Barry. Perhaps more underrated outside of Villa but still I'd say underrated by some Villa fans too.

Probably because he's completely unglamorous but he was consistently excellent over such a long period and seems to get forgotten when we talk about Villa greats.

Spectacular player. Underrated by morons.

 

[Old Trinity Villan]

Very true, I am guilty of it, under Houllier I just thought he had gotten too slow and lacked the athleticism needed to play that type of football. This was the era just before we started seeing the likes of your Kantes and Ganas come thru. The game very much started to speed up.

The entire team suffered the loss of Milner we lost our engine in midfield. None more than Stan as a Attacking Mid at Celtic he didn't have to get around the pitch. And under MoN he was excellent at reading the game and again didn't need to run around like a headless chicken.

Of course what followed next was a decade of terrible centre mids until McGinn showed up.

Indeed. People moan about our midfield. Dear God we have watched some poor stuff before the last few years.

 

[JW1985]

Indeed. People moan about our midfield. Dear God we have watched some poor stuff before the last few years.

So you're saying you don't fondly remember the classic Lambert era midfield of Ashley Westwood and El Ahmedi.

 

[Wicked Messenger]

Gary Cahill. Infamously underrated by MON though and not by us.

 

[sirdennis]

So you're saying you don't fondly remember the classic Lambert era midfield of Ashley Westwood and El Ahmedi.

With Bacuna and that Australian bloke . Jordon Bowery on the wing as well.

 

[JW1985]

With Bacuna and that Australian bloke . Jordon Bowery on the wing as well.

Brett Holman. When we signed our new Aussie keeper I asked my dad if he could remember the other Australian players that we'd had. He got the Bos obviously. He got Chris Herd but he couldn't remember Holman even after he'd given up and I told him.

Never minded Bacuna that much to be fair. Only Villa player I've seen play in every outfield position. Bowery though, another Lambert masterpiece.

 

[Pangloss]

Bacuna buried himself when he talked about joining a Champions League club

 

[Platypus]

So you're saying you don't fondly remember the classic Lambert era midfield of Ashley Westwood and El Ahmedi.

I actually think Ashley Westwood was underrated. I think he was okay-ish but everyone else thinks he was abysmal.

 

[Melon Donkey]

I actually think Ashley Westwood was underrated. I think he was okay-ish but everyone else thinks he was abysmal.

No . He was actually fucking abysmal!