David Villa

[Attack11]

I just think that Villa hasn't played since the WC game against Australia, Whilst he is a seasoned professional and would be keeping himself in tip top shape... Match fitness is something that can not be manufactured. The last thing the club would want is for Villa to play against Sydney FC and come off injured..

 

Imagine how that would look to the public, media, members and supporters..

[n i k o]

While villa has to answer to CFG I don't think it should be a problem. No doubt they would want their star player in condition to avoid getting injured not only for the aleague but more importantly for New York.

[NewConvert]

While villa has to answer to CFG I don't think it should be a problem. No doubt they would want their star player in condition to avoid getting injured not only for the aleague but more importantly for New York.

 

Good point. I wonder whether that also means that there may be other constraints placed on City regarding DV such as that he can't play more than 60 minutes per game or that he is to be left on the bench when playing against hacks.

[n i k o]

No doubt the utmost attention will be paid to villa regarding his preperation, games he plays, time on the pitch etc. While we played Bendigo and hume for our preseason, villas preseason will consist of playing in the aleague and will be treated accordingly.

Edited September 10, 2014 by n i k o

[Deeming]

He Tweeted a picture of himself looking very happy and comfortable in Central Park (NYC). 
With a month before the season starts he didn't look to be in a hurry to get out here.

[Heart_fan]

He Tweeted a picture of himself looking very happy and comfortable in Central Park (NYC). 

With a month before the season starts he didn't look to be in a hurry to get out here.

 

Yep saw that too.

 

Not a great sign really for him being in the mood to get over here quickly, but I hope he does have the right mindset when he does finally arrive.

[M13]

To be honest I think you will prefer a David Villa playing knowing that everything like his place to live etc are sorted in NY compared to a guy trying to sort things out by phone on a daily basis while playing in Melbourne..

[mulhollanddrive]

Lampard playing against Arsenal, Villa getting ice baths in a bin.

[KD.]

He Tweeted a picture of himself looking very happy and comfortable in Central Park (NYC).

With a month before the season starts he didn't look to be in a hurry to get out here.

It doesn't look like he is in a hurry because it is just a picture.

[jw1739]

Has it ever been unequivocally stated by the club that Villa will be here for the start of the season? Or even that he will play 10 matches as a guest player? IIRC the announcement was that he "would play a part for us next season" or similar.

 

For example: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/football/spanish-superstar-david-villa-heading-to-the-aleague-for-a-stint-with-melbourne-city/story-fnk6rlg0-1226944133920

[Deeming]

Has it ever been unequivocally stated by the club that Villa will be here for the start of the season? Or even that he will play 10 matches as a guest player? IIRC the announcement was that he "would play a part for us next season" or similar.

 

For example: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/football/spanish-superstar-david-villa-heading-to-the-aleague-for-a-stint-with-melbourne-city/story-fnk6rlg0-1226944133920

Yeah I'm starting to fear this will end up like when an International team comes to play in Australia and then the real stars of the team only make a short cameo appearance. 

[HEARTinator]

He seems to be very comfortable in New York a few days ago

 

https://twitter.com/Guaje7Villa/status/510548006694035456/photo/1

 

Maybe he found out he was playing alongside Redders and the Hoff and taking ice baths in wheelie bins so he's pulled the pin on coming here

Edited September 14, 2014 by HEARTinator

[silva10]

He seems to be very comfortable in New York a few days ago

 

https://twitter.com/Guaje7Villa/status/510548006694035456/photo/1

 

Maybe he found out he was playing alongside Redders and the Hoff and taking ice baths in wheelie bins so he's pulled the pin on coming here

He just hasn't seen Melbourne yet

Edited September 14, 2014 by silva10

[Dylan]

He definitely won't play round 1. It would be good to know how many minutes constitutes 1 game. For example if he is on the bench until he is subbed on in the 80th minute would that constitute 1 game?

[drewmelbcity]

He definitely won't play round 1. It would be good to know how many minutes constitutes 1 game. For example if he is on the bench until he is subbed on in the 80th minute would that constitute 1 game?

 

yes, just as games count to a players career even if they are substituted on for the last 5 minutes or so.

[jw1739]

 

He definitely won't play round 1. It would be good to know how many minutes constitutes 1 game. For example if he is on the bench until he is subbed on in the 80th minute would that constitute 1 game?

 

yes, just as games count to a players career even if they are substituted on for the last 5 minutes or so.

 

Correct. You can, for example, receive a cup-winner's medal even though you came on with a few seconds to go and didn't even touch the ball.

 

And in terms of guest players my understanding is that the eligibility is 10 consecutive matches played by the club.

[loriente]

Remember Madaschi didn't even play for the first couple of weeks of his 10 week stint.

[Red or Dead]

I wouldn't mind if he misses Round 1. As long as he plays in Round 3 and Round 11, I'll be happy.

[n i k o]

Lol at victory supporters thinking the club have no clue as to when he will arrive. Geez they're simpletons.

[Murfy1]

Villa has now started training with the football, going off a recent video of him:

 

http://instagram.com/p/s7pJ3pvBcZ/

 

 

His instagram pictures show he's been training in the gym for about 10 weeks as well:

 

http://instagram.com/davidvilla?modal=true

 

 

 

So it looks like he's been keeping himself pretty fit, and perhaps the video above, posted 3 days ago, indicates that he's gearing up to play football soon..

[rass]

He's such a professional - I don't doubt he'll be ready to fire from his first day.

Can't see him treating this as just a kick-around holiday.

[hakz7]

He's such a professional - I don't doubt he'll be ready to fire from his first day.

Can't see him treating this as just a kick-around holiday.

Even if he does treat it like that, he'd still make most of our squad look like amateurs... Well some of them actually play like it but still.

[drewmelbcity]

Villa has now started training with the football, going off a recent video of him:

 

http://instagram.com/p/s7pJ3pvBcZ/

 

 

His instagram pictures show he's been training in the gym for about 10 weeks as well:

 

http://instagram.com/davidvilla?modal=true

 

 

 

So it looks like he's been keeping himself pretty fit, and perhaps the video above, posted 3 days ago, indicates that he's gearing up to play football soon..

 

I don't mind that he is not here yet. However no indication of when he will be here and which games will he play makes supporters cautious on his true intentions on playing down under. That being said he is a world class player and disappointing almost 8,000 Melbourne City fans would not bother him in the slightest. 

[mulhollanddrive]

Keep in mind the best imported goal scorers - Del Piero, Fowler, Heskey, Kewell barely have played a final.

 

Without cohesion and other players playing their part, Villa won't be scoring more than a few goals through his own talent.

[Falastur]

 

Villa has now started training with the football, going off a recent video of him:

 

http://instagram.com/p/s7pJ3pvBcZ/

 

 

His instagram pictures show he's been training in the gym for about 10 weeks as well:

 

http://instagram.com/davidvilla?modal=true

 

 

 

So it looks like he's been keeping himself pretty fit, and perhaps the video above, posted 3 days ago, indicates that he's gearing up to play football soon..

 

I don't mind that he is not here yet. However no indication of when he will be here and which games will he play makes supporters cautious on his true intentions on playing down under. That being said he is a world class player and disappointing almost 8,000 Melbourne City fans would not bother him in the slightest. 

 

 

With respect, Villa is still a player. He goes where he is told to go. He's not bigger than CFG, and if he tried telling CFG "I'll go to Australia when I feel like" then there would be hell to pay. If Villa is not in Australia yet it is because CFG doesn't want him there. Obviously I'm no ITK and can't tell you for certain why that is, but I'd still guess what I guessed a few weeks ago, which is that CFG are petrified of risking getting him written off in a pre-season friendly and aren't willing to let him play a non-competitive match.

[mjake1234]

Villa has now started training with the football, going off a recent video of him:

http://instagram.com/p/s7pJ3pvBcZ/

His instagram pictures show he's been training in the gym for about 10 weeks as well:

http://instagram.com/davidvilla?modal=true

So it looks like he's been keeping himself pretty fit, and perhaps the video above, posted 3 days ago, indicates that he's gearing up to play football soon..

I don't mind that he is not here yet. However no indication of when he will be here and which games will he play makes supporters cautious on his true intentions on playing down under. That being said he is a world class player and disappointing almost 8,000 Melbourne City fans would not bother him in the slightest.

With respect, Villa is still a player. He goes where he is told to go. He's not bigger than CFG, and if he tried telling CFG "I'll go to Australia when I feel like" then there would be hell to pay. If Villa is not in Australia yet it is because CFG doesn't want him there. Obviously I'm no ITK and can't tell you for certain why that is, but I'd still guess what I guessed a few weeks ago, which is that CFG are petrified of risking getting him written off in a pre-season friendly and aren't willing to let him play a non-competitive match. And I would also suggest that they are timing his arrival for maximum media effect. Where are GAGA?

[Deeming]

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2014/09/18/new-york-city-fc-star-forward-david-villa-seattle-sounders-class-above-rest-?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=News&utm_campaign=Unpaid
 

"However, [Villa's] set to be away from New York for a time, as Villa will leave the city for a quick loan spell for the fall and winter with Melbourne City FC in the Australian A-League, which kicks off Oct. 10.

"I don't know if it's official, but it will be next month," said Villa."
 

Looks like rumor Villa will be arriving just as the season starts or has just started is correct.

My natural paranoia is concerned about 'quick'. There was never anything official as far as I could see about completing the 10 games guest stint. Quick to me at least sounds less than 10. It might just be the journo's choice of words and it might not be much different but I would think if it was to be 10 games it would be described as something else: 'short-stay', 'short-stint', or 'brief...' or even mentioning '10 games'.


 

[Dylan]

The club source was first week of October and everything from that quote from him wouldn't suggest otherwise.

you're reading too much into it saying he is coming for less than the 10 games. I think this plan for villa has been set on stone for months, in terms of when he is arriving, playing etc and they are just not saying anything publicly.

Just to throw a spanner into the works. I think he will debut at the first home game and I think that they originally planned to have a round 1 home game to which villa would take part and when that didn't happen then the plan changed a bit.

I base this on torn Asunder's write up of the last FRG meeting where I think Munn or David Lyon said we get two requests for the fixture each year and this year they wanted round one home and the Xmas derby at home and they seemed a little annoyed they didn't get both requests and there might have been a little snipe at the FFA when they explained this.

Anyway it's all in the FRG meeting thread.

[Kiro Kompiro]

it does also say "for the fall and winter"

[perthheart]

Villa debut to come on as a sub in the first derby parachuting into the ground. He will probably break his leg in said game.

[Deeming]

it does also say "for the fall and winter"

 

true I read too quickly

[drewmelbcity]

Why would he say i don't know if it's official lol is he hoping to not have to come to Australia haha

[Murfy1]

I agree that Villa's stint has most probably been sorted out on the whole since the beginning. The original announcement by the club seems to fully match the latest information:

 

Villa, 32, who was unveiled by the Major League Soccer club as its inaugural player on Monday, will play, train and contribute to Melbourne City FC’s Hyundai A-League campaign between October and December 2014

 

 

I also think it's significant that the club hasn't released a statement saying that the media reports about Villa playing 10 games is inaccurate. The club released a statement 24 hours after a single media report suggested that the club was interested in signing Lampard, so given that precedent I can't help but think that the club would have corrected the media articles that said Villa will play 10 games. Because now the media has repeated the line that "Villa is a guest player who will play 10 games" so many times that it has pretty much been accepted as fact, and I really think it would blow up in the club's face if they willingly let the public form this false impression about Villa's stint at Melbourne City.

 

 

I think it's probably right that Villa won't play 90 minutes ten times. But I think that Villa will be with Melbourne City between the first week of October and mid- to late December, and he will play about 10 games, and maybe even 10 games, but he will be subbed off, probably around the 60 minute mark, multiple times.  

[Kiro Kompiro]

Or he could come on at the 60 minute mark, as i think he will in the begining.

[HEARTinator]

'Villa' and 'cotton wool' go together well. The bloke is being used as a marketing tool in Melbourne and will be used sparingly. His main purpose will be to be match ready for NYC FC.

[n i k o]

Whether he plays ten games or not I still want a jersey with his name on it

Edited September 19, 2014 by n i k o

[Tonyboozeadams]

Whether he plays ten games or not I still want a jersey with his name on it

Wrong thread. This is villa, not hoffman

[Tesla]

Correct. You can, for example, receive a cup-winner's medal even though you came on with a few seconds to go and didn't even touch the ball.

 

And in terms of guest players my understanding is that the eligibility is 10 consecutive matches played by the club.

I thought for a cup, just being in the match squad = get a medal if your team wins.

[n i k o]

Jvs confirms villa is scheduled to play first round

[johnno cpfc]

Official announcement this week re david Villa.