Why did Martin O’Neill throw Fabian Delph in at the deep end against Wigan?

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18th, August 2009

15 Comments

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Many Villa fans are starting to wonder if Martin O’Neill is actually the managerial messiah so many people have claimed him to be. O’Neill had a very poor summer, losing some of his best players and then failing miserably to replace them.


Villa’s squad now looks paper thin. New signing Fabian Delph, 19, even made the starting line-up in Villa’s surprisingly lacklustre defeat against Wigan.
This was unfair on the supremely talented Delph, who is not ready to be thrown in at the deep end, especially not for a tricky game on the opening day of the season. Delph did OK but he did make a couple of errors and was substituted midway through the second half. Not great for the teenager’s morale.
O’Neill should have started with Steve Sidwell (the player who replace Delph). Sidwell’s experience would have been a much better match for Wigan’s terrier-like Michael Brown.
You have to wonder too about the state of O’Neill’s relationship with some of his players. On the Villa blogs, there are rumours of a bust-up between O’Neill and John Carew before the Wigan game. This from a commenter on The Villa Blog:
“Martin O’Niell [sic] and John Carew had a stand up argument in the Dressing Room Area after MON told him he was only a substitute for the Wigan match. John Carew got changed back into his suit and walked out of the ground !!!
“That is why he wasn’t even on the bench. Marc Albrighton was quickly changed as a sub, and the Referee was told John had been injured in the warm up so that the teamsheet could be changed.”

Now O’Neill is saying that it’s up to Carew to decide his fitness ahead of Villa’s Europa League match against Rapid Vienna this Thursday. Hmm, something smells fishy.
For all O’Neill’s man-management skills (Carew aside), I doubt his ability to deal effectively in the transfer market. There’s no doubt that Villa need to spend big before the summer window slams shut if they are to get close to the top six again this season. The way things are, they’ll do well to finish in the top eight. Very frustrating for Villa fans, I’m sure – one step forward, two steps back.
Do you think O’Neill is doing a good enough job?

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15 Comments

  1. kieran says:

    It wasn`t the deep end it was a football match,And as he is a pro footballer it is normal for the manager to ask him to play in one.

  2. Sir Prance Alot says:

    FYI – Villa played at Home against Wigan, it wasnt the tricky away fixture you alluded to. Secondly Delph played at home the week before against a Champions League strength Fiorentina squad in a friendly and performed exceptionally. Hence the call the first team.
    Dont be too suprised to see a 19 year old put in to the starting XI, if he’s good enough he’ll play. Note Young and Agbonlahor’s break through to the national team…………..
    Poorly speculated article.

  3. Sir Prance Alot says:

    FYI – Villa played at Home against Wigan, it wasnt the tricky away fixture you alluded to. Secondly Delph played at home the week before against a Champions League strength Fiorentina squad in a friendly and performed exceptionally. Hence the call the first team.
    Dont be too suprised to see a 19 year old put in to the starting XI, if he’s good enough he’ll play. Note Young and Agbonlahor’s break through to the national team…………..
    Poorly speculated article.

  4. Ollie says:

    Ah, my mistake. Of course. Still think it was too early for Delph to make full debut.

  5. London Villain says:

    Littered with errors there. Villa were at home, not away. Carew was at the ground for the whole game and even faced the press at the end of the match to explain the aggravated toe injury. He was replaced by Nathan Delfouneso on the bench.
    Other than that, you’re right about his dithering in the transfer market.

  6. London Villain says:

    Littered with errors there. Villa were at home, not away. Carew was at the ground for the whole game and even faced the press at the end of the match to explain the aggravated toe injury. He was replaced by Nathan Delfouneso on the bench.
    Other than that, you’re right about his dithering in the transfer market.

  7. Dave S says:

    Your stuff on Carew is simply wrong. Delfouneso was the replacement for Carew. Albrighton was already a sub as was announced at the ground and Nathan wasn’t listed as it was too late. Given you got that wrong the rest is probably pants too. Delph did OK as well and isn’t the reason we got beat

  8. Ollie says:

    @ Dave S: not my quote about Carew, as I explained. I have no inside track on Villa. And where did I say Delph cost Villa the game? So you agree it was the right match to give Delph his debut??

  9. JR says:

    MON obviously thinks Delph is good enough to play in the EPL. So he played him. SImple as that. As it happens, Delph was one of Villa’s better players, and should have been left on.
    Expect him to start again at the weekend.

  10. Ollie says:

    Oh, I rate Delph very highly indeed and wish him nothing but success.

  11. villafandan says:

    i was surprised that Delph was given a start ahead of Sidwell or NRC, who both performed pretty well during the Peace Cup. I think it was a simple mistake, not a sign that MON is losing it though.
    As for the Carew thing, surely sourcing stories from blog comments is scraping the barrel… especially from a negatively biased one like that.
    The actual story is very simple – Carew was/is carrying a toe injury and that was known prior to the match. MON put him on the subs list with the hope that it wasn’t so bad and he might be able to use him later in the game.
    During the warm up, JC made it clear he was in too much discomfort so asked to be dropped. MON agreed, but had to clear it with the ref and Wigan before Delfouneso could be named in his place.
    There’s nothing nefarious about the incident whatsoever.

  12. Anonymous says:

    I don’t know, I’ll believe it this time as I did last time, but there’s something not right with MON and Carew and by MON’s track record it will only end when Carew is sold.

  13. wllmhll says:

    delph definitely deserves a place in the team sheet

  14. machine goooner funk says:

    wow what has happened to the readers of this blog? everybody is so thin skinned and simply bitchmade. a city post that was funny was attacked by a bunch of sensitive shiteh twats. now this post draws out a bunch of hurt feelings from the brum supporters. pathetic. ollie keep em coming, its not your fault the readership has become a bunch of soft cunts

  15. Ollie says:

    @ Machine gooner: This is what happens when you make it easier to comment. Attracts the idiots too.

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