A cheer and raised glass for Olof Mellberg
Thursday, 24 January 08, 11:41 AM · Comments (34)
After the Liverpool result the other night one of the things I said I wanted to talk about was our defensive players. I never got round to it, but I'm going to touch on it now.
Offer Mellberg £50,000 a week to stay for three more seasons. Hell, offer him more if that's what it is going to take. He's an excellent defender and for me a great right back.
It's not just me that thinks like this. There is the small matter of a team called Juventus in Italy that also think he's pretty good at right back and trust me - if he had a natural right sided winger playing just in front of him, with a little pace, we'd see a much better Mellberg going forward too.
The thing is, he looks to be off and Blackburn this weekend could be his last game at Villa Park and if we're lucky enough to have the opportunity to say good bye, the proper Holte End way, I say sing it loud and thank him for his service.
Martin O'Neill told us over a year ago he was going to sort out a contract for Mellberg and a few days later Mellberg seemed very happy when he was talking to the press.
"I would like to stay at Villa if they offer me a new contract. Definitely. I am not looking to leave. There is no reason to say 'no' if there is a new contract offer."
I'm not going to say someone was fibbing, but that's how it seems to me. But I should have figured it out when the manager said he was going to sit down with Smiler McCann and offer him a contract too!
Anyway, we don't know what is going to happen but reports from Sweden and Italy suggest that Juventus want Mellberg as soon as possible and a little someone in Birmingham is saying Mellberg wants to say good bye to Villa Park the right way.
Could it be that he's off next week? I hope not - but the writing appears to be on the wall with Mellberg.
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34 Comments · Add yours
it would be nice if we knew it was definately his last game so we could give him the send off he deserves.ps im already growing my beard for the occasion ;D
Been brilliant since his time at villa ... and don't worry us nutters at the very back of the holte will make sure he gets a good send off!
Mellberg, theres only ONE Mellberg!!
There's no doubt that Mellberg's been a great servant to the club and will be remembered by us all for years to come. He became a Villa legend to me when he stated that he genuinely hated the blues and a number of people within the club. For the past seven seasons he's given his all and proved to be a quality 'centre back'. I must say I don't agree with you Damian when you say he's a quality RB. I can't fault him for his efforts at right back and at times he has looked like a right back but more often that not I have to say he has distinctly looked like a player playing out of position. We definitely need a natural right back, someone who specialises in that role and can get forward as well as defend. I agree with you if the Blackburn game is Mellberg's last at VP then we should be told so he can get a proper send off which he thoroughly deserves. With that said I think it's time for Mellberg to move on. He's never going to play at CB for us again so a new challenge is probably what is best. I wish him all the best whatever happens.
great servent 2 villa so wish him well.. solid center back but sorry no good at right back,he just kicks the balls up the pitch whenever he gets it and all that does is give da ball away..i would luv 2 c him stay but only as a center back.
hero!! great and honourable servant to the football club. there is and will always be one olly mellberg!!
utv
Maybe the reason he said he'd love to stay was because at the time there was no clubs intrested in him.Now Juve have shown an intrest who can blame him for wanting to play for 1 of the biggest clubs in the world.Good look Ollie, perhaps 1 last goal before you leave hey m8
melberg has been given great service for villa. good luck to him
what does SOTC and UTV mean..... i asked this in an earlier post but no one answered :D
SOTC - shit on the city
UTV = Up The Villa
Anyone think the Holte chanting 'Please don't leave us!!' For the whole match might affect his decision at all?
If not, how about a chant of 'We will miss you!'?
been brilliant and still is sorry to see him go but lets face it who wouldnt o if given the chance we are no top 4 club yet
up the villa (utv) for parker
£5 million and Luke Moore for Alan Hutton ... Yes please!!!
Reported from the daily mail, yeah i know its only a rumour!
But its the best one ive heard for a while!
Farewell and good hunting in Italy Olly. You will be remembered with fondness at VP for many years. :'(
This has to be the first bad decision that MON has made to let Olly go I can't understand been a different class for us for over 7 years. If he wasn't at the centre of defense for the years he was then maybe we could of fallen a divison. Sad day when he leaves us and it isn't to retire. THANKS FOR EVERYTHING MELLBERG YOU WILL ALWAYS BE IN OUR THOUGHTS. UTV.
cheers for filling me in on the SOTC and UTV
that rumour about alan huttun sounds great and the chances are it wont happen seens as it started as a rumour but ive seen him play and hes quality and luke moores heart isnt in it no more
He aint died lads ... cheer up!
Why will Blackburn be his last game? Are Juventus actually going to buy him from us when they could get him for free in the summer, or is the rumour I heard correct that we are going to release him from his contract early?
I really hope not as he has been decent at RB and great at CB over the years, it is a nice thing to do letting him go early but we cant afford to do it. We need all the players we can get and he is one of our best. If they are buying him from us I think thats ok as long as MON goes out and spends it on another player.
Either way I will miss him as he has been a Villa great and I hope everyone gives him a good goodbye :'(
Mellbergs always reminded me of a U - Boat Submarine Commander.
He might find Italy too warm.
But what a great servant for the Villa he's been.
Skol & cheers.
I thought he was going to bolton! seriously give him all the respect he deserves.
still got my MELLBERG 4 away shirt from 3 years ago, and still wear it with pride, if he does go, definitely want a juve one with the same
lads, just incase it is his last game, lets sing his song like it has never been sung b4. and i dont meen just us lads at the back of the holte and the lads in the north. it would be good 4 the trinity and witton lane 2 join in. he deserves it!! GOOD LUCK AND THANKS OLOF.
I'm finding it increasingly difficult to trust MON's ability on the transfer market. Yes, he has signed good players and is doing a great job but when it comes to scouting the UK and Europe for new players he often baffles me. Allowing Mellberg to go when he had a lifetime to work on achieving the contrary is another blow to the right side of the Villa defence, a side of the pitch MON clearly dislikes, given we have a right winger playing on the left, central midfielders adapting to right back and right winger positions and an overall infuriating inability to bother looking with purpose for players on that side of the pitch. If Mellberg is really off (and as an Italian I can assure you all websites over there seem certain of the Swede's imminent arrival at Juventus) and no quality replacement is found between now and the end of the transfer window all the hard work aimed at stepping up to big boys level will have been seriously undermined. I hope MON proves me wrong over the next week because if he blows the season due to his letargic and secretive transfer market dealings then I shall find it a little hard to like him as much as I do now. At least this time around Bardsley has signed for Sunderland and we don't have to loan him in again...
I can't help thinking MON hasn't done nearly enough to keep him at the club.
micheal P
MON deserves credit from us not grief. He has done a wonder job so far. The mellberg thing we only know snippets of details. It may have been impossible to keep him! I remember back at the start of the season a huge number of people questions MONS signings and said we would be in a relegation battle, but we are not. We are the best of the rest without spending big as yet. MON will spnd big when he can spend big on the big players he wants. He has a proven track record everywhere including Villa. What Newcastle, Spurs etc would do to have martin at the helm they spend masive amounts on players and for nothing.
THE DOG WILL HAVE ITS DAY. THE CLUB AND MON NEEDS OUR SUPPORT, AND IN MY OPINION DERSERVES ALL OF OUR SUPPRT
Have i missed something ? Because from what i can see Mellberg hasn't signed with anyone yet! Yeah he could leave but i also believe there's a great chance he could stay aswel, if we finish in a european slot i think he'll stay because his heart is with this club and his kids love life here. Yeah it might be juventus but family comes first for some people. Until he signs for someone then i'll believe he's staying.
I can't see anywhere that Olly has signed either so lets live in hope..eh?
I put something that was off topic on the last thread regarding our squad but i dont know how to post it over to this one where it is a little more suited to subject.
Anyways...i'm worried that we'll be left MEGA exposed unless MON has a delve or three ! (see previous post, if you can be arsed !)
Damian...i'd be grateful if you would paste the post for me if it's possible...ta mate in advance
UP THE VILLA ;)
Mellberg has been one of my favourite Villa players for years now and its going to be really sad to see him go, i wish him all the best at JUVE (if thats where he is going).
By the way did anyone notice that Risse wasnt even on the subs bench when we played Liverpool on Monday, i sense a move to Villa park couldbe on the horizon....
Why do they call McCann 'Smiler'?
Arrlui - good question.
About the Olof thing, shame on anyone who says shame on MON. There are two possibilities:
1. MON wanted to keep Olly, but Olly wanted a crack at something different and wasn't really interested in singing.
2. MON doesn't see Olly in his long term plans.
I don't have a problem whichever it is. I actually have a suspicion it's the first of these. MON said last week that it's difficult when a player wants to make that big final move of his career. I think MON did want to keep him, but both sides have agreed that this could be best for Olly.
MON's not an idiot, and I don't think he'll ever make an obvious mistake like this.
i just hope he does get a good send off, from what i can remember angel just kind of left, which was a shame, mellberg deserves a lap of honour round the ground after that last home game
olly olly olly
oy oy oy
Olaf has been a rock, and I know we're all grateful he's played out of position this year.
But I do think we can do better with a dedicated RB, and right now, we've got four CBs.
So, it does seem Olly is perhaps surplus to requirements. Not in terms of heart, or loyalty, or ability, but in simple numbers. As Laursen mentors the youngsters, the future doesn't look bad there at all.
If he does go after tomorrow or later, sing him a grand farewell, all of you in attendance. The whole ground, loud and long.
Good luck and thank you, Olaf.
Olly has been about the best professional we have had at the club in recent history. He deserves everything he gets offered at Juve and I personally can't wait to see him in the famous black and white (not that lot near scotland) playing in the Champions League next season.
Good Luck you big, bearded, VP legend, you really deserve it and thanks for everything and always remember wherever you are you can always hate the dirty bluenosers!!! ;)
kohoutek ... you like him so much you can't even spell his four letter name right. haha!
We may have 4 CBs but there is no doubt in my mind that the best combination is Laursen & Mellberg