- Jun 16, 2011
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LOVE THIS MATE!Agreed. My (only) son's middle name is Rafael- and that only because the wife wouldn't allow it as a first name.
Fucking LOVED Van der Vaart. And yeah, somehow you could feel that when he kissed the badge he actually meant it.
I reckon we would've got 4th in that 1st AVB season if we'd kept VDV and not signed Sigurdsson.He was so good. AVB getting rid of him was like Graham getting rid of Ginola.
I reckon we would've got 4th in that 1st AVB season if we'd kept VDV and not signed Sigurdsson.
Siggy got 3 goals in 33 appearances that season.
VDV got 13 in 33 the year before.
Even if VDV wasn't really an AVB type player, there's no way he wouldn't have got more than 3 goals, even if he was only playing for 60 minutes per match.
imagine being so stupid to think that in any world Gylfi Sigurdson was a better player than Van Der Vaart.
i think the main problem was moving bale to center, which forced sigurdsson to the flanks which was definitely a disasterI reckon we would've got 4th in that 1st AVB season if we'd kept VDV and not signed Sigurdsson.
Siggy got 3 goals in 33 appearances that season.
VDV got 13 in 33 the year before.
Even if VDV wasn't really an AVB type player, there's no way he wouldn't have got more than 3 goals, even if he was only playing for 60 minutes per match.
I reckon if there was more will on the part of the club we could've probably persuaded him to stay. Easy to say with hindsight, but didn't he break up with his wife like 2 months after he went back to Hamburg anyway?That's not what happened. VDV asked to go back to HSV to be with his family again because they were on the verge of getting divorced and he wanted to try and work things out. They had stayed in Hamburg the whole time while he was with us because she was a presenter for German TV.
We let him go for compassionate reasons not because we didn't think he was up to scratch.
That's not what happened. VDV asked to go back to HSV to be with his family again because they were on the verge of getting divorced and he wanted to try and work things out. They had stayed in Hamburg the whole time while he was with us because she was a presenter for German TV.
We let him go for compassionate reasons not because we didn't think he was up to scratch.
Always a difficult one to judge. My understanding is VDV thought AVB thought he was in decline. As AVB had just taken over it was reasonable for VDV to think he might be manager for a couple of seasons so he wouldn't get much of a look in.VDV left because AVB had said he wasn't guaranteed his place from the off, and he took the hump. He's admitted since that it was a mistake and he should've stayed and earned his spot.
True but VDV was getting s bit older and had had a knee injury. His playing career was coming near an end.Michael Dawson also got told by AVB that he wasn't an automatic starter anymore. He soon forced himself into the team and eventually had one of his better seasons. People deal with challenges in different ways.
True but VDV was getting s bit older and had had a knee injury. His playing career was coming near an end.
True but with the knee injury and playing style VDV potentially had a shorter playing career than centre backs who often play into their mid 30s.They're the same age, but I absolutely think we sold him at the right time. He always just grinds my gears with his moaning about how AVB was somehow unfair to him.
Agreed. My (only) son's middle name is Rafael- and that only because the wife wouldn't allow it as a first name.
Fucking LOVED Van der Vaart. And yeah, somehow you could feel that when he kissed the badge he actually meant it.
True but VDV was getting s bit older and had had a knee injury. His playing career was coming near an end.
I have never had a problem with AVB selling VDV. I might be mistaken because I don't watch German football but what I read suggested he wasn't on top of his game when he returned to Germany. Seems we likely did sell him at the right time, possibly could have got one more season out of him.Which makes AVB right.. right?
Sig and VDV are very similar in terms of output - both could get you 20 goals a season playing in the right role/position. Rafa just had that little bit more personality and got involved with the fans a lot more which will always put him top in the popularity charts.
I personally still think we sold Sig too soon; but, just like Rafa, he's not a player that you can fit in any system.
Like Sig, is a slightly over valued player by casual observers of the game. His goal output is good, but he is not incisive with his passing, he isn't dynamic or a particularly intelligent player. He rarely takes the game by the scruff of the neck. The only comparable aspect is that they both play more or less the same position, but very different kind of players. Sig's absolute peak is being a useful option for a CL team, never more than that.Which makes AVB right.. right?
Sig and VDV are very similar in terms of output - both could get you 20 goals a season playing in the right role/position. Rafa just had that little bit more personality and got involved with the fans a lot more which will always put him top in the popularity charts.
I personally still think we sold Sig too soon; but, just like Rafa, he's not a player that you can fit in any system.