David Villa signs for Atletico Madrid

[Cavehillspur]

He's already mentioning Spurs in his tweets....shame it's a basketball team. Perhaps this is the sign we all needed though!!

David Villa ‏@Guaje7Villa 3m
Increíble ver en directo el primer partido de la final Heat-Spurs! Espectáculo puro! Os dejo unas fotos Amazing to w… http://say.ly/xRd5ZuR

I am definitely taking that as a sign....

 

[dagraham]

I know Ade only turned up for the last 3 games this year but I'd actually be very happy with that. We still need another striker who is first team material as we'll be playing a lot of games and incur injuries, and Defoe doesn't seem to work in this system.

Ade for me does some of his best work off the ball. He makes clever runs, not as a striker getting into goal-scoring positions, but as a dummy runner pulling his man wide. He presses a lot and hassles defenders and can hold up the ball well when on his game. He has a tendency to take the ball wide and drag his man wide too when he doesn't have the ball. If he does this then with Villa coming in from the left to get into a goal-scoring position, along with Bale, who is unplayable at times cutting in on the right, we could absolutely destroy defences.

Whilst I agree with your assessment of Ade's game and how he would fit with Bale and Villa I won't be happy if we start the season with him as our lone striker.

You summed it up in the first line of your post : Ade only decided to turn up in April and for me that's just not good enough. Bad form is one thing but only bothering to show any fire in your belly for the last month of the season is another. All this nonsense about an injury hit season is just excuses for me.

 

[dg8672]

Per Indykaila:

According to our sources, Tottenham have submitted a bid for David Villa within the last 24 hours and are waiting for Barcelona’s reply. The offer is believed to be around 8m-11m and with add-ons. Other clubs are also keen on David Villa, but Spurs have made the first offer for the player. We expect Barcelona’s reply within 48 hours, and David Villa’s representatives have met many clubs officials already regarding his personal package requirement.

 

[Antilokhos]

He's already mentioning Spurs in his tweets....shame it's a basketball team. Perhaps this is the sign we all needed though!!

David Villa ‏@Guaje7Villa 3m
Increíble ver en directo el primer partido de la final Heat-Spurs! Espectáculo puro! Os dejo unas fotos Amazing to w… http://say.ly/xRd5ZuR

Yeah, but did you see that game last night? Their Parker actually pirouettes for a reason, and he actually scores. So no way does this apply to us.

 

[CJMurray]

Per Indykaila:

According to our sources, Tottenham have submitted a bid for David Villa within the last 24 hours and are waiting for Barcelona’s reply. The offer is believed to be around 8m-11m and with add-ons. Other clubs are also keen on David Villa, but Spurs have made the first offer for the player. We expect Barcelona’s reply within 48 hours, and David Villa’s representatives have met many clubs officials already regarding his personal package requirement.

IndyKaila is a fraud.

 

[Snarfalicious]

IndyKaila is a fraud.

While on one level I do agree, he's actually gotten a few things right.

I'm not sure if he just scans the internet and uses other, more prominent, ITKs information (likely), but if he's just a collector of other's information, that's still the same as providing accurate information in my books.

Not sure if anyone's familiar with this reference, but he reminds me a lot of Incarcerated Bob who does similar things with American sports.

 

[CJMurray]

While on one level I do agree, he's actually gotten a few things right.

I'm not sure if he just scans the internet and uses other, more prominent, ITKs information (likely), but if he's just a collector of other's information, that's still the same as providing accurate information in my books.

Not sure if anyone's familiar with this reference, but he reminds me a lot of Incarcerated Bob who does similar things with American sports.

That's the nature of the game. You throw enough shit and some of it will stick.

Look through some of the images on this account: https://twitter.com/indyliar

 

[playboypaul]

http://sofafootball.com/podcast-2/

Listen in from 21:00. Something interesting from Graham Hunter. Sky's Spanish football 'expert'.

 

[Parkie]

http://sofafootball.com/podcast-2/

Listen in from 21:00. Something interesting from Graham Hunter. Sky's Spanish football 'expert'.

Cliff notes version:
Villa has been approached by Spurs, went to training ground and impressed by AVB and the "project". Wants to finish top level career in Prem. Barca want 16m Euros for him. Arsenal are interested but will take their time over it. CL spot gives them an edge, plus he once said in an interview that he likes Arsenal's style but Spurs are willing to pay him more, have shown the clear interest and would probably move quicker on the deal.

 

[deppman007]

Who would you rather have, villa or soldado?

 

[ButchCassidy]

Who would you rather have, villa or soldado?

Soldado in a heartbeat. But he will cost £20m, not £11.

 

[Blake Griffin]

villa. more adaptable and is just simply better.

 

[Snarfalicious]

Who would you rather have, villa or soldado?

If we want to run the 4-3-3, Soldado.

But, if we want to run the 4-2-3-1, Villa.

You really can't go wrong with either, though.

 

[shaqTHFC]

If we want to run the 4-3-3, Soldado.

But, if we want to run the 4-2-3-1, Villa.

You really can't go wrong with either, though.

In terms of the role of the striker, what's the difference in those formations? Wouldn't we want the same attributes i.e someone who can finish as well as being smart enough to bring the wingers and midfielders into play?

 

[Snarfalicious]

In terms of the role of the striker, what's the difference in those formations? Wouldn't we want the same attributes i.e someone who can finish as well as being smart enough to bring the wingers and midfielders into play?

In the 4-2-3-1, the importance of a true lone striker is a a little more understated in my opinion. Playing through the channels and having a player behind the striker that can pick up the intelligent runs into the box is just as valuable as the striker themselves. Which is why I would opt for Villa because he's incredibly smart and just knows how to exploit defenses with creative runs and also finding his teammates effectively.

In the 4-3-3, the importance of a ball winner and a guy that can be a physical presence becomes a little more valuable in my opinion. Obviously Soldado has that ability to play up top and get on the end of the crosses played into the box.

I do believe Villa could play up top in a 4-3-3, but I would have felt a lot more confident in it a few years ago. When you look at Porto of the AVB days, he had Varela-Falcao-Hulk as his front 3. Falcao is, in a way, similar to Soldado. Bale is our Hulk and Bernard could be our Varela. Varela has never been much of a goal scorer but his value is in chipping in a fair amount of goals but his distribution/final ball into the box.

 

[Monkey boy]

This Villa transfer reminds me very much of the 'YKW' transfer saga from back in the Hoddle era. At first everyone laughed, then it didn't seem so far fetched, then it made sense to everyone, then it seemed like a certainty, then it never happened, then he signed for Lolerpool and man did he flop!!

For anyone that doesn't know who YKW refers to its Fernando Morientes, abbreviated to You Know Who (YKW) due to the amount of times his name was mentioned by every man and his dog.

 

[yojambo]

Who would you rather have, villa or soldado?

Both.

 

[Dembele'Disciple]

No thanks. We should be looking to the future and he's in the past. This isn't 2008 when he was still a top class forward. He's currently not even better than defoe at this point. Either we get in a young striker with loads of potential or we sign someone in his prime, not someone that is past it.

 

[CJMurray]

No thanks. We should be looking to the future and he's in the past. This isn't 2008 when he was still a top class forward. He's currently not even better than defoe at this point. Either we get in a young striker with loads of potential or we sign someone in his prime, not someone that is past it.

He's currently not even better than defoe

He's currently not even better than defoe

He's currently not even better than defoe

He's currently not even better than defoe

 

[CoopsieDeadpool]

He's currently not even better than defoe

He's currently not even better than defoe

He's currently not even better than defoe

He's currently not even better than defoe

Beat me (and 20,000 other members of SC) to the punch there!!

UNBELIEVABLE JEFF