The truth about the Bomb Squad - Shay Given | Vital Football

The truth about the Bomb Squad - Shay Given

sirdennis

sirdennis

Alert Team
His autobiography is out this week and is being serialised in the Birmingham Mail and the Daily Mirror.

Todays bit covers some of the goings on at Villa.

I had a poor summer at the Euros in 2012 and when I first met Paul Lambert after he came in to replace Alex McLeish, I got the feeling he wasn’t too keen on me as his first-choice keeper.

I went in to his office a couple of times to see him but the vibe wasn’t good.

He asked me how the Euros had been. “How’s your head, are you ok?”

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/what--happening-here-truth-13768827
 
Some more about Gabby and Roy Keane

Gabby Agbonlahor took an almost instant dislike to Roy Keane at Aston Villa' -

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gabby-agbonlahor-almost-instant-dislike-13771699
 
Yeah, just been reading about Shay Given and his comments about asset stripping.... which is exactly what we were saying at that time.

Still makes me bloody angry arcing back to those times.... we're certainly paying for it still, but at least with the good Doctor at the helm, hopefully it won't be long before we're back.

 
Interesting reading. Bad times. One thing Roy said in his autobiography was that he liked Bent as a player, liked his attitude, and could never understand why he wasn't playing.
 
sirdennis - 17/10/2017 10:21

Gabby Agbonlahor took an almost instant dislike to Roy Keane at Aston Villa
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I can't imagine Roy Keane thought too highly of Flabby either.

I would love to have seen it kick off between them :3:
 
The the 'bosses' in the dressing room didn't like a coach (a boss of theirs) telling them what to do. Sounds about right.

Yeah, interesting McParland, I could never understand the way Bent was treated, another massive waste of funds provided by the owner at the time.
 
Dear God what a shambles. It makes me feel a bit ill when I re-visit that time period at the club. Lambert sounds just as passive aggressive and cowardly in private as he did in public too. "How's your head?" lol just tell him you don't rate him drop him.

As far as Gabby and Keane go I don't like either of them but it seems to me that somebody stood up to bully boy Keane for once and his answer was to tuck his tail and run. Maybe he's only hard when he's ending people's careers with sly assaults.
 
Bikini Inspector - 18/10/2017 02:24

Dear God what a shambles. It makes me feel a bit ill when I re-visit that time period at the club. Lambert sounds just as passive aggressive and cowardly in private as he did in public too. "How's your head?" lol just tell him you don't rate him drop him.

As far as Gabby and Keane go I don't like either of them but it seems to me that somebody stood up to bully boy Keane for once and his answer was to tuck his tail and run. Maybe he's only hard when he's ending people's careers with sly assaults.
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Hopefully, we'll look back and laugh at stuff like the bomb squad in a few years time.
 
Yes when you read things like Given has described then it's not hard to see what a mess the club was in.

Morale must have been as low as it could possibly be and the only surprise is that we managed to stay up as long as we did.
 
Bikini Inspector - 17/10/2017 17:2
As far as Gabby and Keane go I don't like either of them but it seems to me that somebody stood up to bully boy Keane for once and his answer was to tuck his tail and run. Maybe he's only hard when he's ending people's careers with sly assaults.
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Doesn't read like that from the extract i saw. Bascially says Gabby was talking to Lameberk and Keane joined in and Gabby told him to butt out in no uncertain terms. Although no furthet context is given.

I dont really like Keane but compared to what Gabby has done in the game Keane is another level. I can well understand the multi trophy and international cap winning Roy Keane looking at someone like Gabby as a complete waster. 'Shows me yer medals you fat fecker'

Maybe if Gabbby had listened to Keane he would not have spent the past few years stealing a living from our pockets.
 
It came from Lambert BB and non of those claims appear to be new to be fair. I'd have covered it if there wasn't anything fresh.
 
mike_field - 18/10/2017 06:52

It came from Lambert BB and non of those claims appear to be new to be fair. I'd have covered it if there wasn't anything fresh.
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Really? That's insane.

I can understand him not wanting Charles since he wasn't producing anything on the pitch but players like Given and Bent were way better than anything we had on the pitch. Dumping them into the bomb squad made them look toxic to other clubs.

I supported Bruce's bringing back of Gabby last season. Managers need to use every available tool. Lambert should have done the same or at least used them until he could sell them. He should have been sacked. It's horrendous management.
 
BodyButter - 17/10/2017 13:51

It was madness. You'd have to assume it came from the top.
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Manager level only, there is no way (and to be fair, you all know I had very good contact at the time with above) they wanted the big money spent on him wasted.

Same as the McCormack with this lot, it won't be Xia/Wyness not wanting to try him, the decisions are the managers and in so many ways that is right as it is their jobs on the line.
 
Yup utter madness and counterproductive on every level. But Lambert wanted his young, cheap and hungry vision to work and thought it was a way of stamping his authority on the side.

Bent case in point - skipper one minute then bombsquad the next.
 
We've had several managers who have wasted players, either by playing them out of position or, by playing them in the wrong system.
Sadly it's still happening.
 
1958Villan - 23/10/2017 00:20

We've had several managers who have wasted players, either by playing them out of position or, by playing them in the wrong system.
Sadly it's still happening.
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Yep, and it's happening throughout football, not just our club. It comes down to personalities. Some players want to play and will tear down brick walls, others believe they have a god given right to play because of their ego and the same goes for managers.

Steve Bruce loves Elmo simply because he will do whatever Bruce requires and tbf there is some value in that. This is why we were recruiting ex captains and leaders - strangely, it doesn't always work out (Mr McCormack & Mr Richards!)
 
The recruitment of captain JT has really proven it's worth as we no longer hear of dressing room unrest. JT just wouldn't allow it to happen.
 
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