David Villa: Page 15 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

David Villa

Clrnc

Yeah, watching him for 90 minutes against a very very poor Malaga side, not impressed at all. Really struggling with football sometimes, can't even control.

Kurtz

I'd rather Gomez if we're looking for strikers who can't control.

Gazza M

y va marquer wrote:
Not sure how I feel about this.
He'll be hoping to make the Spanish squad for the WC so motivation shouldn't be a problem.
If he's not run into the ground and is up to the physical side of the PL I think he could score plenty.
He's a proper goal getter, deadly accurate, that's something that shouldn't desert him?

he's lost a fair bit of mobility and explosiveness, which does impact his ability to get on the end of chances.

i was all for this in january out of desperation, not so keen now

Mirth

I don't think he would be a bad signing in conjunction with someone like Jovetic. And he's certainly a step up from every other striker we've had in the past few seasons, aside from one.

It'll be good to have someone who actually had made it as a top footballer and knows what it takes at the highest level. As Qs said some time ago, the mentality at this club is to finish fourth because they don't know any better, bringing in a World cup and Champions league winner will help change that dynamic.

I also don't think his own decline explains his drop in form. He's been injured and asked to play second fiddle to Messi, which is bound to have a knock on effect. For his own sake, he's got to get out of Barcelona.

lorddulaarsenal

He'd be a stinky signing. He'd be on big wages and a year down the line we'd have to buy another striker anyway

Mirth

Not necessarily, he might just give us some breathing space. I don't think any Champions league club in Europe will look at Villa as their primarily source of goals. The wages are an issue but, let's face it, we're probably the most cautious club in Europe when it comes to paying pensioners.

I sort of hope he has the same effect as Raul did at Schalke.

y va marquer

Hmm, yeah.
Or like Larsson when he went to Barca.
I used to love Larsson actually.

Irishgunner

I genuinely think that he'd end up like Arshavin if we signed him...

Good for 6-12 months, then massive physical/motivational decline, crippling us with his high wages.

y va marquer

What makes you think Villa's character is anything like Arshavin's?
We might only offer him a two year contract?
He's 31, it's not like we're going to make any profit selling him on anyway

Mirth

I don't know why we need to get so worried about wages, the club can afford it. I'd rather they took a risk paying Villa 70k than paying Chamakh and Squillaci 50k each.

Irishgunner

y va marquer wrote:
What makes you think Villa's character is anything like Arshavin's?
We might only offer him a two year contract?
He's 31, it's not like we're going to make any profit selling him on anyway

Don't have a clue about his character, I'm worried about his physical decline though. The leg break worries me greatly, plus the fact that he's never played outside of Spain.

If we do sign him, I wouldn't really complain, but I think that we should pursue other targets.

Klaus

The leg break is a big concern. I'd be fine with the signing for the only reason that it's David Villa. He could have a season left in him where he ends up as the top scorer, like Batistuta did when he went to Roma. At the very worst he won't offer more than what we've already got. Realistically he will. I haven't seen us linked to any strikers who would be a major step up in level so far anyway. I think Villa would contribute more next season than Jovetic, for instance.

Clrnc

Don't think so. Jovetic is far better at this stage and more likely to last the whole season as well as improve the team than Villa.

Villa won't be a bad signing if he is signing with someone like Jovetic, but might be a terrible acquisition if signed alone for Giroud starting role.

Kurtz

Would be a catastrophic signing. Take the money that could be spent on Villa and Grenier and use it for one of Benteke or Jovetic.

Plus he's old and declining. Why would you ever spend on old and declining!? I'd rather we recalled Vela or Joel Campbell. Or experiment with Sanogo.

Klaus

I'm not talking about potential, I'm talking about impact next season. Jovetic is definitely not a class above Villa going by this season (and he's pretty injury prone himself). He's a project. You sign him if you want a player on his way up who you can mold a bit. You sign Villa if you want an experienced player who's already peaked. The question is whether he's too far gone to be useful for us.

y va marquer

Kurtz - one of your alternatives to this impending catastrophy is to "experiment with Sanogo"?
I take it you're just kidding?

Mirth

Kurtz wrote:
Plus he's old and declining. Why would you ever spend on old and declining!? I'd rather we recalled Vela or Joel Campbell. Or experiment with Sanogo.

Because there's no rule that says you should not? On average, older players are riskier signings but good players are more capable of extending their careers. Pirlo, Raul, Giggs, Larsson, Scholes and several others have had plenty of success into their 30s despite being called old and declining at one point or the other. And Villa is definitely someone who can be mentioned alongside those names.

Villa may not be a good signing but that's a judgement call that can only be made based on watching him. Blanket statements about age lead to the kind of thought process that made us ship out half our over 30s in the space of two seasons between 2005-2007.

Rex

Think Klaus is probably correct in his assessment regarding Villa and Jovetic. I'd much rather we signed Jovetic though. For obvious reasons. Ideally, it wouldn't be either Villa or Jovetic, but both.

Kurtz

y va marquer wrote:
Kurtz - one of your alternatives to this impending catastrophy is to "experiment with Sanogo"?
I take it you're just kidding?

Yes half kidding. But one of my guiding principles (if you will) with regards to transfers is youth and upside. Sanogo is a bit injury prone himself but he has youth and upside. Villa is on the downslope.

If someone gave you a binary choice: Spend 5 million on Villa and have him as first choice for Arsenal or spend peanuts on Sanogo and experiment with him in cup games and PL games as he develops which would you choose?

I'd go with Sanogo because A. Youth, B. Upside C. He's around for more years, is cheaper, and needs games to develop anyway.

Give Podolski the minutes you'd give Villa. This is all about opportunity cost. Why are we using our Benteke/Jovetic/Higuain money on Villa?

Captain

Villa was always a tad overrated. Has class but never been a bloke that you build upon. Used to be compared to eto'o which was an absolute joke.

I'd take him as a last resort.

« Previous Page Next Page »