[Archived] Blackburn Sign Chilean Superstar Carlos Villanueva

[RevidgeBlue]

To be fair, you've planted your feet just as firmly in the pro-Ince camp.

Well, he was after all my choice as manager, what am I meant to do - change my mind before a ball's been kicked?

I do think that 99% of the stick he's received before, and since being appointed has been grossly unfair which is probably why I've been sticking him up for him so much. (Wish I was being paid for the shift I 've put in as his unofficial PR man on here.)

As for what's ACTUALLY happened on the pitch - four points from two games and we've put the kids in and dismissed Grimsby with a style and panache we never managed under Hughes.

Transfers - quite encouraging so far imo but I'll probably be moaning as much as the next person if we don't bring in Bentley's replacement by midnight on Monday.

So overall it's very early days, but quietly encouraging imo, certainly no reason to change from my inital position of support of Ince.

P.S. I note I haven't received your apology admitting I was right about Bentley last season yet!

[Scotty]

P.S. I note I haven't received your apology admitting I was right about Bentley last season yet!

Right about what?

[den]

Here you are Rev. Bert agrees with you.

[RevidgeBlue]

Right about what?

That he wasn't performing for most of last season - hindsight has I think shown he was right up his own backside.

[Kai]

As for what's ACTUALLY happened on the pitch - four points from two games and we've put the kids in and dismissed Grimsby with a style and panache we never managed under Hughes.

But we stuffed everton 4-1 away with a make-shift side under Hughes...

[Scotty]

That he wasn't performing for most of last season - hindsight has I think shown he was right up his own backside.

He may well have been "right up his own backside" (I don't agree) but he was still one of our best players last year. Which is why Spurs paid approx. £17M for him, why he forced his way into the England squad, and why we missed him terribly against Hull.

Anyway, this is supposed to be a thread about Villanueva. Let's hope he can give us the creativity that Bentley used to or, if not, we sign someone else who can. Otherwise I'm afraid we're not going to achieve much this season.

[joey_big_nose]

He may well have been "right up his own backside" (I don't agree) but he was still one of our best players last year. Which is why Spurs paid approx. £17M for him, why he forced his way into the England squad, and why we missed him terribly against Hull.

Anyway, this is supposed to be a thread about Villanueva. Let's hope he can give us the creativity that Bentley used to or, if not, we sign someone else who can. Otherwise I'm afraid we're not going to achieve much this season.

I don't know. For me the signs are looking pretty good. Last season we were a side with two regular creative outlets: Bentley and Cruz. Tugay made a cameo every now and again. Otherwise our team was pure athleticism.

We have lost Bentley but, potentially, increased our set of outlets: Grella, Dunn, Andrews, Carlos and whoever we sign as a right winger will all come into contention as players who can move the ball. Obviously a lot of this comes down to the quality of the right winger, and the abilities of Grella and Andrews. But we are clealy going to be more than a two trick pony this season. There will be a much larger capacity to redirect our threat through substitutions and changing pre match tactics. Last season we were often forced to move Bentley around to redirect the focus, this time we will have more quality creative personnel (although perhaps no one of the singular ability of Bentley unless Carlos comes good) throughout the side and on the bench.

Maybe it won't pay off, Andrews will live up to our expectations as a League One player and Grella will be all physique without the finesse, but at first glance the squad looks more rounded this year. I like what Ince is doing in shifting emphasis whilst retaining the core athleticsm of Hughes' team.

If we can shift McCarthy and sign some pace up front on top of a very good right winger I really think we could be in and around the top eight.

[sjsbrfc]

But we stuffed everton 4-1 away with a make-shift side under Hughes...

Are you serious or just taking the ######?

[AussieinUk]

Well done Mr Pineapple, great debut (albeit against Grimsby)! Long may this continue..

[67splitscreen]

Not sure what to make of the translation for his name.

I will leave to the imagination of others.

Villanueva

1. habitational name from any of the numerous places named Villanueva, from Spanish villa ‘(outlying) farmstead’, ‘(dependent) settlement’ + nueva (feminine) ‘new’ (Latin nova).

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

Vee-ya-n-way-va for England.

And yes, apparently this is the correct pronunciation, not Villa-Ooh-Ever like I was saying.

EDIT: Typing it as Vee-ya-n-waiver seems to get less confusions

[DeadlyDirk]

I'm predicting exciting times ahead for Rovers with this guy on board, he may take a little while to adapt but no doubt he has talent, can't wait to see him strut his stuff in the premiership.

Don't want to jump the gun too early as it was only Grimsby but for someone who isn't apparantley fully fit it was definitely a great start!

[92er]

Ok, if I can find one thing to criticise, it's the translation. Surely he's not called CasaNueva? Doesn't his name translate as New Village, if anything?

Anyways, nice to see Rovers now having an advertising presence the Latin American world - anyone else notice the Blue Cross Cement billboard in the BBE? Cemento Cruz Azul, Mexican company?

I noticed the advert on Saturday.

[LeChuck]

EDIT: Typing it as Vee-ya-n-waiver seems to get less confusions

Vee-ya-nu-waiver

That would be closer I think, just to emphasis the 'oo' sound a little bit more on that 'u'. It's definitely 'Vee-ya' though.

[blue phil]

He may well have been "right up his own backside" (I don't agree) but he was still one of our best players last year. Which is why Spurs paid approx. £17M for him, why he forced his way into the England squad, and why we missed him terribly against Hull.

Spurs throw money away like water and he's hardly forced his way into the England team - if anything he'll sneak into the team by being the least worst option .

Against Hull we failed utterly to put anyone in the right wing spot and so ended up being totally unbalanced . One good signing by Ince and we'll soon forget the softarse ever played for us .

[LeChuck]

I don't know. For me the signs are looking pretty good. Last season we were a side with two regular creative outlets: Bentley and Cruz. Tugay made a cameo every now and again. Otherwise our team was pure athleticism.

We have lost Bentley but, potentially, increased our set of outlets: Grella, Dunn, Andrews, Carlos

Sounds exactly like the kind of talk that was going on when we sold Duff and replaced him with a load of people in different positions. We regretted that then and we'll regret not replacing Bentley.

[DingleBaiter]

I noticed the advert on Saturday.

Some of us move round into different seats, to see how the other half live. One game in the Jack Walker upper and it makes the Blackburn End see positively bipolar, or at least breathing.

All this talk about Mr "head of fragmentation grenade" (thanks wikipedia translation) has made me see the light.

So, he's a pudding with a lucky touch. Some among us would rather stake a claim to spotting something negative about him in the hope it proves true, so that they can point out how perceptive they are rather than be swept along with all the hype. Isn't that what we're all saying? Bring back Jimmy Corbett I say.

As for Duff and Bentley, of course we missed them. Sometimes you only realise how good a player is when he's gone - cripes, it didn't sink in we'd lost Big Al (wheres my fringe) Shearer until halfway through the next season when the long punts weren't getting trapped.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Negatives: Poor Control, lacks pace, doesn't look up once he starts running, easily dispossessed, play-acts (poorly) & clumsy in the challenge.

I disagree about poor control - first 15 minutes definitely - but that could be nerves or lack of fitness.

I thought he did look up - maybe some of his passing was done a little bit blind and flashy - but I think he was trying to impress. The more the game went on the more he improved.

Clumsy in challenge - I think this was partly fitness. I would prefer this as a positive - even at 4-1 he was still chasing lost causes.

Pace - if he had pace - he would be at Real Madrid.

As people have rightly says - he has it all to do again in the Premiership - but irrespective of the opposition that was the best debut I have seen for a long time. If you don't beleive me read some of the Grimsby web sites.

For the first time in a while - I left Ewood with a broad smile on my face - u-tube has so far been proved correct.

Anyone else reminded of Zola ? Same stature - same ideal position (just behind striker(s)) - mean free kick.

[philipl]

Are you serious or just taking the ######?

Every so often there is a post I do not understand at all.

Anyway, glad that Carlos made such a great impact and good thinking to hold him back to debut for the Grimsby game.

[joey_big_nose]

Sounds exactly like the kind of talk that was going on when we sold Duff and replaced him with a load of people in different positions. We regretted that then and we'll regret not replacing Bentley.

Im sure we will replace him. Only certain thing is that whoever we do replace him with will not be as good as him right now, but hopefully as they settle they will improve.

I thought it was going to be one of Pennant, Joaquin or Ireland (Ireland has to be available now City have signed Zabaleta). But then the recent silence makes it seem like maybe we are looking at other people. I simply cannot believe we won't sign a right winger.

If we get one of those three, or someone of similar standard and potential, I think we will be significantly stronger than three months ago.

[T4E]

I've only just seen the goals on Youtube, but Charlie didn't look too lightweight when he held off the big number 5 in the lead up to Derbs first goal.

[67splitscreen]

I've only just seen the goals on Youtube, but Charlie didn't look too lightweight when he held off the big number 5 in the lead up to Derbs first goal.

I think this was said, in the early days, that Chilean football is hardly made up of fairies.

[rover6]

Something is confusing me, we sign a skilful second forward and people infer that a weakness of his is that he can't play central midfield.

Damn that Paul Robinson, can't dribble for toffee. (Pies may be a different matter.)

[den]

Something is confusing me, we sign a skilful second forward and people claim that a weakness of his is that he can't play central midfield.

Damn that Paul Robinson, can't dribble for toffee. (Pies may be a different matter.)

You might understand more, if you saw him.

[LeChuck]

I think Rover6's point is that Villanueva was never, ever signed to play central midfield, so complaining about his weaknesses in that position is completely pointless.

He's right as well. A few of us tried to point this out when people making line-ups with him in the centre of midfield to try and dispel the myth before it got out of hand, but it seems it failed.