[Miyazaki]

Birmingham Mail - Sport - Aston Villa - Aston Villa FC news - Richard Dunne: I've joined Aston Villa to break the top four

[jdinho]

I'm a follower of Villa and wonder what else he was going to say

[pixelpixel]

Originally Posted by jdinho

I'm a follower of Villa and wonder what else he was going to say

Another crazy Irish man

[Miyazaki]

Originally Posted by jdinho

I'm a follower of Villa and wonder what else he was going to say

Its a pity that there isn't a tongue-in-cheek or irony emoticon as i'm pretty sure the previous Villa captain left us for Man City and talked about cracking the top four.

[Coffin]

Originally Posted by Miyazaki

Its a pity that there isn't a tongue-in-cheek or irony emoticon

[Abbeygoo]

I wish Richard Dunne all the best with his new team as he was always a great player for us. Good luck Dunney!!

On topic, I read that quote with interest as Dunne never says that Villa have a better chance of breaking the top four, does he?

[jdinho]

Originally Posted by Miyazaki

Its a pity that there isn't a tongue-in-cheek or irony emoticon as i'm pretty sure the previous Villa captain left us for Man City and talked about cracking the top four.

Captain for Captain + £6mil =

[Miyazaki]

Originally Posted by Abbeygoo

I wish Richard Dunne all the best with his new team as he was always a great player for us. Good luck Dunney!!

On topic, I read that quote with interest as Dunne never says that Villa have a better chance of breaking the top four, does he?

IMO it is implied as we all know who the 'top 4' are. He says he joined Villa to crack the 'top 4'. He wouldn't have left Man City if he thought they could do it as well.

[Abbeygoo]

Originally Posted by Miyazaki

IMO it is implied as we all know who the 'top 4' are. He says he joined Villa to crack the 'top 4'. He wouldn't have left Man City if he thought they could do it as well.

Too many smilies there.

You wouldn't expect him to say anything else would you? I think Dunne is a tremendous professional and he is saying the right things when he has joined Villa ... its not like he's going to say "i've joined because I wasn't going to be playing at City and am not bothered where we finish in the league". The reason he left City was not because he wanted to find a team he thought would crack the top 4, he was already at one!! It was purely and simply down to playing games. He wouldn't have been a first choice at City, he will be at Villa.

Leaving Richard Dunne aside for one minute, do you think that Villa have a better chance of cracking the top four than either Manchester City, Everton or Tottenham?

[dazza74]

Originally Posted by Abbeygoo

do you think that Villa have a better chance of cracking the top four than either Manchester City, Everton or Tottenham?

Usual tosh from a player rejected by his old club. I don't fancy Villa or Everton at all for cracking the top 4 myself. Tottenham seem to be on a roll I can see them having a go but I fancy your club myself because I reckon you could get yourself possibly into the top 4 by the end of the year and maybe given the wealth you have bring some more quality in during the January transfer window for the remainder of the season. The only club I would currently put the mortgage on for finishing in the top 4 would be Chelsea, I think it's wide open this year.

[Munkey Boy]

Originally Posted by Miyazaki

IMO it is implied as we all know who the 'top 4' are. He says he joined Villa to crack the 'top 4'. He wouldn't have left Man City if he thought they could do it as well.

I don't think it's the case that he left due to career ambitions, sure he wanted regular first team football, but he wasn't going to get that at City.

Hughes, rightly so IMHO, identified the defence needed strengthening if City were to progress, and part of that was to use Dunne as a squad player rather than first name on the team sheet. I'm not saying Dunne was pushed out, it was his choice to leave, but only because better players were standing in his way. Dunney was (is) loved at City, he was an above average player in a mediocre side for many years and won player of the year four times.

But the thing is, and I'd guess the majority of City fans would agree with me here, is you won't find Dunney in a top four team. I'd love to be proved wrong, but all too often he loses players, gets wrong side and is prone to red cards and own goals at crucial times. I wish him all the best, but I'd argue the very fact that Dunne could be playing regularly for Villa is an argument against them top-fouring it.

[QuietRiot1983]

Tabloid toilet paper in twisting words shocker.

[Munkey Boy]

Interesting video on Sky Sports of Dunney:

Sky Sports | Football | Premier League | News | Dunne aims swipe at City

Very strange - and upsetting actually - to hear him say he was pushed out. Still got his sense of humour ("They said they needed the money!") but after all he's done for us, I wish he was allowed to stay and fight for his place like he wanted. Plus he mentioned a top 6 for Villa

All the best Dunney, hope you get some success too.

[Abbeygoo]

Yeah I watched that before and thought it was a touch strange and at odds with what Mark Hughes said about Dunne before he left.

Still, good luck Richard .......

[QuietRiot1983]

On other forums, I see people saying "no time for sentiment in football" but I disagree, with all our money, surely we're one of 2 clubs who can afford to be sentimental.

I would love nothing more than seeing the Dunney Monster lift a trophy, even if it meant him coming on for the last 15 minutes.

Very sad to see him and Elano go this window.

[Abbeygoo]

Originally Posted by QuietRiot1983

Very sad to see him and Elano go this window.

I agree about Dunne but Elano was never going to be effective enough in our midfield

[RMCF]

Did Dunne ever say this about Villa before he moved to them

[branny]

Dunney will remain a City legend. He had a poor season last year but pretty much has been a stand out player every season bar that.

Personally, I'd have liked him to stay as a squad player but reality is that Nedhum, Micah Big Vince et al could all 'fill' the CB role if required.

He's a solid player but nothing more. Sure he'd get into most Prem teams but in reality he would not be a regular in any top 4 teams.

Still, all the best to him, he's been a fantastic servant and a humble captain.

[Miyazaki]

Originally Posted by branny

Dunney will remain a City legend. He had a poor season last year.

Wasn't he your player of the season last year?

[Munkey Boy]

Originally Posted by Miyazaki

Wasn't he your player of the season last year?

Nope, it was Stephen Ireland. Dunney was year before last.

[Abbeygoo]

Strange reading some of the comments this morning surrounding Garry Cook's involvement (apparantley) in getting Dunne a move out of the club. Also, it was good of Dunne to wish us all the best, I'm sure he's very much a City fan .... and will be given a tremendous reception when he comes back with Villa.

Seems a far cry from all his troubles a few years back at City when, if it wasn't for Kevin Keegan, he could have been booted out for turning up a training a little worse for wear shall we say.

All the best Dunnaldinho......

[Miyazaki]

Originally Posted by Abbeygoo

Strange reading some of the comments this morning surrounding Garry Cook's involvement (apparantley) in getting Dunne a move out of the club. Also, it was good of Dunne to wish us all the best, I'm sure he's very much a City fan .... and will be given a tremendous reception when he comes back with Villa.

Seems a far cry from all his troubles a few years back at City when, if it wasn't for Kevin Keegan, he could have been booted out for turning up a training a little worse for wear shall we say.

All the best Dunnaldinho......

I can understand what Dunne is saying about Cook's excuse of balancing the books. Why wasn't he just straight with Dunne?

[Abbeygoo]

Originally Posted by Miyazaki

I can understand what Dunne is saying about Cook's excuse of balancing the books. Why wasn't he just straight with Dunne?

God knows, that's a really strange one. That can't be the reason surely as what difference would £6m make?

Anyway, you have a quality centre half and we have some better ones enjoy the season fella!

[branny]

Originally Posted by Munkey Boy

Nope, it was Stephen Ireland. Dunney was year before last.

And the 3 before that too!

[Abbeygoo]

Funny thing with the Villa connection but at the moment, despite all the superstars playing up front, Gareth Barry already looks a likely candidate for the award this season.

[thfccambs]

Originally Posted by Abbeygoo

despite all the superstars playing up front,

Team full of superstars are you now?

[Abbeygoo]

Originally Posted by thfccambs

Team full of superstars are you now?

trust you to pick up on that, it was a tongue in cheek remark .....

[Rorifett]

Re: Previous Man City captain thinks Villa have better chance of cracking top 4.

Well, all I can say is he is the man with the inside knowledge lol


But seriously it'll be anyone's guess as to what happens this season, if Spurs hadn't had a poor start last year they could've been up there challenging, if Everton had a better start last year they could've challenged, Villa were challenging until they threw it away, City were touch and go but have added some good players and consistent league performers, Arsenal were a bit poor to begin with but came through in the end.

This year everyone bar Everton and Villa seem to have started better or improved their squad so it'll be good to see how it all pans out, would be interesting if the 'top 4' got pulled into scraps with the chasing pack too, might end up a bit like the motor racing with people chopping and changing places with each other whilst losing position on the rest of the chasing pack.

[Abbeygoo]

I think it will at least shake things up a bit and there are a few more teams now that can potentially take points off the big four namely us, Villa, Everton and Spurs.

We had a crap record last year winning just four points from our eight games against the top four so we have to improve on that ..... mind you, we've already equalled the number of away wins we got last season so anything's possible!

[sdb123]

Originally Posted by Abbeygoo

Gareth Barry already looks a likely candidate for the award this season.

We're only a month in to the season....