[Archived] Blackburn Sign Chilean Superstar Carlos Villanueva

[nicko]

Shame on you, Alan! Still, at least you didn't write 'Burnley' I suppose . Anyway wasn't it you who said Carlos didn't really have a choice in the matter? Journalistic licence I suppose...

Poor little Carlos, set off to some tin-pot league in the desert.

The Wanderers thing must have been a Freudian slip...it FELT like he was playing for Bolton...

Carlos was upset about being overlooked and left in the stiffs.

However the end of the story and the bottom line came when his club - Audax Italiano - accepted a fee bigger than Rovers would have paid on his form so far.

I understand Rovers were talking about another year on loan...no buy...so chances are the kid would have had the reserves to look forward to again.

I don't think he really wants to go to Dubai, but better there than nowhere.

The compensation for him is a slice of the fee and a big wage.

[Amo]

I'll be sorry to see Carlos leave. He wasn't given a consistent run in the side or in his natural position. However, he kept plugging away and never made a fuss. I wish him all the best in the future.

[nicko]

Just checked on what I sent to the paper...Wanderers never even got a mention in the copy.

Not guilty.

No idea who wrote that in.

[The Prof.]

The Wanderers thing must have been a Freudian slip...it FELT like he was playing for Bolton...

Carlos was upset about being overlooked and left in the stiffs.

However the end of the story and the bottom line came when his club - Audax Italiano - accepted a fee bigger than Rovers would have paid on his form so far.

I understand Rovers were talking about another year on loan...no buy...so chances are the kid would have had the reserves to look forward to again.

I don't think he really wants to go to Dubai, but better there than nowhere.

The compensation for him is a slice of the fee and a big wage.

Oh he'll get to like Dubai - trust me!

[roversmum]

Hope you have suitably chastised them, Alan! I like Carlos. I feel he deserves better, notwithstanding the cash. He should have accepted the offer to join my teddy bear collection

[Billy Castell]

Have fun in the UAE Carlos, and good luck at Al Kebab. Just don't have any codine about your person or have sex on the beaches.

[spencey7]

There was no way in hell a player like Villanueva (a creative midfielder with guile and tricks) was ever going to fit into Allardyce's "style" of play. He was as good as gone the moment Our Esteemed Manager took up the reigns.

Good luck Carlos - if only either of our managers during your spell at Ewood had a clue between them. To think what could have been.

[Billy Castell]

Sure. Jay Jay Okocha and Stelios Gingernobilis were mere bricklayers who did nowt but kick the s__t out of other players and were on a par with Sebastien Chabal.

Carlos New Town had skill, but he may have been a bit too lightweight to cope with the Premier League. I'd have liked to see more of him, but we were in a 'results uber alles' situation, so we couldn't introduce him into English football as much as he probably needed.

[riverside returns]

There is no doubt Carlos has skill to burn but as yesterday showed, he is too lightweight and slow to make a difference. A great fat shame really!

[thenodrog]

There is no doubt Carlos has skill to burn but as yesterday showed, he is too lightweight and slow to make a difference. A great fat shame really!

Indeed. A lovely striker of the ball but he is simply not quick enough and when he is caught he is not robust enough. Opposing players can simply shrug him off the ball far too easily.

[thenodrog]

Good luck Carlos - if only either of our managers during your spell at Ewood had a clue between them. To think what could have been.

Bit of a back handed snipe spencey. Ince was hopeless right enough but even with a poor squad of somebody elses players and a striker crisis for the last two m onths Allardyces points record extended over the season would have seen us somewhere between Fulham and Villa and in the Europa Cup next year. So open up and explain what is your real isssue with him as manager?

[riverside returns]

it was an awful shame to see him shrugged off the ball by those two wallflowers mikel and essien yesterday. but seriously, it is a sad day when might overcomes skill but we heave to admit, he was too slow and too small for this league.

[1864roverite]

I don't think he really wants to go to Dubai, but better there than nowhere.

That last bit of the sentence says it all.

NO ONE ELSE WANTED HIM BECAUSE HE ISNT GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE PREMIER LEAGUE.

[Eddie]

That's never a safe piece of logic. Who wanted Friedel? Samba? Villanueva is clearly talented, whether or not he would properly adjust to the English game is another matter, but he certainly has the ability to be a very good footballer. He's hardly had massive exposure and it isn't surprising that there aren't too many teams lining up to get him. If I were him I'd return to Chile or simply seek out another loan move; sooner or later a side in one of Europe's bigger leagues will think he is a talent worth taking a chance on.

He hasn't been able to fully take his chance here, but he also hasn't failed. I think his recent performances, some of them against very good sides, have shown that he has the potential to adapt to this league, but we aren't really in a position to spend that amount of money on a player who may not adapt and who, even if he does, doesn't really fit into our team. I think in a few years team we'll see Villanueva plying his trade somewhere in Europe and he'll no doubt be fairly well respected. Shame he can't achieve that here.

[1864roverite]

Eddie, when has logic ever been safe ?

Common sense tells us he aint good enough.

Eye witness evidence of him in action tells us he aint good enough.

So what reasoning are you using to suggest that he is good enough ?

[LeChuck]

There was no way in hell a player like Villanueva (a creative midfielder with guile and tricks) was ever going to fit into Allardyce's "style" of play.

I don't recall 'hoofball' happening against Chelsea at all. We were trying to pass it round, even when Samba was upfront we were just launching things at his head and hoping he'd flick it on or something.

The main reason Villanueva couldn't create anything in our team is that there is no-one with any pace for him to thread passes to, that's why he ends up twisting and turning, looking for pass, but end up playing a safe sideways ball. You can't really blame Allardyce for that yet.

[JAL]

That's never a safe piece of logic. Who wanted Friedel? Samba? Villanueva is clearly talented, whether or not he would properly adjust to the English game is another matter, but he certainly has the ability to be a very good footballer. He's hardly had massive exposure and it isn't surprising that there aren't too many teams lining up to get him. If I were him I'd return to Chile or simply seek out another loan move; sooner or later a side in one of Europe's bigger leagues will think he is a talent worth taking a chance on.

He hasn't been able to fully take his chance here, but he also hasn't failed. I think his recent performances, some of them against very good sides, have shown that he has the potential to adapt to this league, but we aren't really in a position to spend that amount of money on a player who may not adapt and who, even if he does, doesn't really fit into our team. I think in a few years team we'll see Villanueva plying his trade somewhere in Europe and he'll no doubt be fairly well respected. Shame he can't achieve that here.

Sorry eddie, but you should have been here watching him live, a talent totally unsuitable to English football, far too slow, so slow hed struggle in the championship never mind the premiership Coventry in the cup (two games) proved that.

Another complete waste of space hired by 'Coco the clown', you can dream Eddie, but we have to endure the reality, thankfully hes gone hopefully to be replaced by a real premiership footballer.

[BPF]

Sorry eddie, but you should have been here watching him live, a talent totally unsuitable to English football, far too slow, so slow hed struggle in the championship never mind the premiership Coventry in the cup (two games) proved that.

Another complete waste of space hired by 'Coco the clown', you can dream Eddie, but we have to endure the reality, thankfully hes gone hopefully to be replaced by a real premiership footballer.

I agree.

I was told today that he'd signed for 'Al's Kebabs'.

True Story

Have fun in the UAE Carlos, and good luck at Al Kebab. Just don't have any codine about your person or have sex on the beaches.

Ok just saw this....Looks like I totally ripped your joke off now. Apologies.

[patrickvalery]

I think in a few years team we'll see Villanueva plying his trade somewhere in Europe and he'll no doubt be fairly well respected. Shame he can't achieve that here.

Completely agree Eddie. I'm almost certain he'll end up in Italy. Slower pace, time to pick a pass etc... Top talent. Unfortunately not in this league. Unfortunately not in this side. But not for a long time have i seen us release a player (i know we've not technically released him) who i believe will make the grade elsewhere. I can just hear all the gripes when he pops up for a decent side in Europe. "Typical bloody Rovers - we had our chance to sign him and let him go. I bet the board wouldn't stump up the cash" etc....

The fact is he would only succeed in England if he played for a top club who could afford to carry a flair players of his size and speed (or lack of). He came accross as a genuine lad who wanted desperately to succeed here and went about it in the right way. He worked hard and he showed the club the respect they deserved for giving him a chance. Perhaps he could have been used more often but with our lowly league position it was a gamble too far even for Ince.

Good luck Carlos. I hope the Dubai move lines your pocket and provides the stepping stone to better things which your talent deserves.

[Eddie]

Eddie, when has logic ever been safe ?

Common sense tells us he aint good enough.

Eye witness evidence of him in action tells us he aint good enough.

So what reasoning are you using to suggest that he is good enough ?

I've seen a reasonable amount of him and will trust my own judgment.

[gumboots]

I've seen a reasonable amount of him and will trust my own judgment.

Well, I'll trust that of the manager and many others including myself who've watched him struggle in the reserves against kids no stronger than himself and he hasn't even stood out there. Unlike Tugay who has often seen the pass after the pass he's about to make, Villanueva is slow of thought which makes him entirely unsuitable for the English league. I can't understand the desperation to ignore what is blatantly obvious to most who have seen him play. Just because you wanted the guy to succeed doesn't mean he was going to. I wanted him to too but he was never going to however much playing time he had in whatever position or formation the way the Premier league is at the moment. Now that may be an indictment of the league and the priorities it has in terms of strength and athleticism over skill, but then football has always been a physical game and the best players like Best were always supremely skilful but also up to the physical challenges thrown at them and possessed football brains that told them how to get out of trouble and how to avoid it wherever possible. Villanueva didn't.

[Guest Kamy100]

According to the Lancashire Telegraph Rovers made a last ditch effort to extend Carlos's loan for another year but this was rejected.

He has so much technical ability but at the moment lacks the strength to be effective in the Premier League. Very strange move for him as I thought that a move to Spain would have seen him really shine.

[JAL]

I've seen a reasonable amount of him and will trust my own judgment.

Behind a TV screen or live ? If you've seen him live which games Eddie.

[dave birch]

Kamy, that's a point I made to a mate last sunday.

Carlos is a player that likes time on the ball, has good skills, and he'd get that in Spain, Italy, Portugal.

It's a pity he couldn't bulk up in England. I'd have loved him to become the next Tugs.

[modes98]

I suppose if the player rejects the move our offer may look better to them.

It's the old money vs better league debate.