So the debate rages on as to whether Ross McCormack should get another chance at Aston Villa or whether the gate is now closed on him! I think Bruce might get the final say on this (what with him being the manager and all!) but it`s been an interesting talking point. The forum thread > click here has very differing views, as do these articles.
I put the case in Would You Give Ross McCormack Another Chance? that, IF Villa can`t buy a striker able to make an instant impact (and because of the FFP rules, we can`t) and IF we can`t loan someone (and lets be honest, most strikers capable of scoring from the get go are not loaned out) then can Villa really afford to keep spending upward of £12million only to not use players? We`ve blown so much money over the years it`s untrue.
I`m not saying let him walk straight back into the team, I`m just saying if Hogan – Paul McGrath forbid – picks up an injury, we can`t rely on Davis to shoot us to promotion. McCormack, if played right, could.
But then you have the flipside of the argument Why Ross McCormack Was A Bad Buy For Aston Villa
The poll results are interesting. Our twitter poll has him as being given a reprieve (!)
Villa needing a striker. No money to spend (FFP rules) and Ross (14 goals in 16 games down under) returning. Would you give him a 2nd chance as long as he stays away from gates?https://t.co/2Mq77AC9Bg
Vital Villa (@VitalVilla) January 25, 2018
And so does our site poll:
Would you give Ross McCormack another chance?
Poll Date: 25 Jan 2018
Suggested By: JP Fear
Yes, just keep him away from gates 52%
No, gate closed! 44%
Unsure 4%
So there you have it. I wonder how Steve Bruce will vote!?
And some comments, the rest you can see in the forum and article links above (oh and join up and join in, you can leave comments via your face and twitty logins)
Good points but a shame you did the analysis now and not after some other club spent £4m or whatever to buy him off us!
gordonsleftboot
Can’t be a coincidence that no one in the top division ever seemed to have considered him. Was he at Leeds at the same time as Snodgrass.? Would he know anything SB doesn’t?
jbd656
At the end of the day, he’s a Villa player and in a position where we are not well covered. Unless we can make a decent loan signing to provide cover/competition (and January is not a good time for that) I think the club would be cutting off its nose to spite it face if we didn’t at least give him the chance to prove himself. What choice is there? Gabby? Hahahahahahaha do me a favour!!
JuanPabloAngel
well he played exceptionally well for Fulham alongside the lad that went to Celtic and was fed by the excellent Tom Cairney. If you play a player who is limited but excellent within certain styles of play and make him play a game that does not suit him it leads to an unhappy player that loses confidence and can lead to depression and disillusionment,,, all of a sudden he is playing in a side playing football that suits him et voila 14 goals,, hmmmm,, haven’t we seen this before,,, ahh yes Hogan,,,,, and have we scored from a free kick this season,,,, im not sticking up for him but Bruce`s management and tactics, team selection and style have been nothing short of apocalyptic until the first decent run this season, and even then we had to wait till the virus saved us at the end of the year to see real progress im not saying he is whiter than white but we dont know the full facts,, his mind set and the reason why he became so unhappy and depressed we did not buy the wrong player,,, lansbury hurihane bjarnason bree tishibola elphick delaet hogan gollini amavi and mccormack have been poor for this club,,, but as some have shown play the right football and they will come good,,,, and with the introduction of Agnew that finger of doubt points right at steve bruce,,,, he has caused this mess,,, but we are where we are and if bruce continues the improvement that i give him credit for then this will all be forgotten,,, by most,,,,
austinmaxi
Point remains, IF hogan gets injured and IF we can’t get a proven scorer on loan, we are really risking promotion without back up. Davis’s time hopefully will come, he’s had a good run in the team and not been able to score though. Do we just waste the £12m (unless he can be sold) or do we try to have him as backup? I know what I’d do
The Fear
I agree with austinmaxi, i think Ross has issues with the way Bruce expects him to play, which has probably caused him to throw his dummy out. Think both of them need to put this behind them and move on. Maybe Agnew is the answer.
AV Dave
Spot on GM , To me he’s another Snodgrass . Good at championship level but Snoddy has the right attitude and he knows how to unlock doors or should I say gates !
villan57
I normally just read the comments from you guys but feel that the way that Bruce has failed to use these players correctly, thus these players getting stick is sometimes unfair. I don’t rate Bruce, his style of football is boring, I also reckon the guy is a bully of a coach behind closed doors. I believe that Ross M is a good player, his track record at other clubs, big and small, is excellent, facts don’t lie. Why is it that all the squad have been struggling to play their natural game under Bruce. Could it be he plays players in the wrong position? we know he does. could it be his hoof ball style of English football that he had us playing for 14 months that killed off the confidence of our players? Again we all watched how poor games under him are. isn’t it coincidence that his favourite player have now lost their position in the squad due to Bruce having to play players he didn’t rate due to the virus, fan pressure other wise we wouldn’t of seen what Borg , Hogan or Elthic could do or the younger guys that have saved his job. For me its AGnew who has got these players playing again. The style of play is better now than when it was Bruce & Calderwood the dinosaurs. Imagine for a second what he can do for Mac when he returns, who is a good striker. yes the guy has made mistakes but Bruce has made more yet is lorded by many because we are 4th. With the squad we have, a good coach would of had us neck and neck with wolves. Agnee Has changed us and the players confidence, not Bruce. Funny how all the squad was struggling under Bruce prior to Agneews arrival. Lets give McCormack another chance?
Liononthebed
Don`t be a stranger Liononthebed, really appreciate input on the site, your opinions are very welcome. Have to say I’ve not heard anything of him being a bullying sort (and I do have good ears around the place) I know a few of the previous ones were for sure.
The Fear
Ross sounded a nightmare (!!) at Fulham. Ahem! Off wiki: On 21 January 2015, McCormack scored a hat-trick in the first 32 minutes of a 3-2 win over Forest at Craven Cottage.[63] At the start of April, he scored in four consecutive games,[64] and on the 25th he scored another treble in a 4-3 home win over Middlesbrough.[65] He received the majority of the fans’ votes for Fulham’s Player of the Season.[66] McCormack retained the club’s award the following season, with nearly three-quarters of the votes cast, and was also included in the Championship Team of the Season and beaten only by top scorer Andre Gray as the league’s Player of the Season.[67] He scored 23 times over the season in addition to nine assists
The Fear
