Time To Write A New Script - Angela Leaves The Villa - “Today Is A Great Day”

Well, it did turn into an interesting night for Aston Villa fans. For those not that bothered by youngster Indiana Vassilev’s loan move out to Cheltenham Town, a bit later in the night there was a piece of news we’d all long wanted to hear – utter flop Henri Lansbury finally agreed to move on and the club confirmed his departure as a mutual termination agreement was struck.

All the best, Henri. 👊

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 29, 2021

The 30-year-old former Nottingham Forest midfielder and Arsenal youth graduate made the switch to Villa Park back in January 2017 and for a snip price of £2.75million, many of us in the fanbase were incredibly hopeful about the impact he could have given he had a very decent goal return at The City Ground, scoring 32 goals in 130 league starts for them.

Sadly through a mix of our style of play at the time, injuries, and a total lack of form whenever he was given the chance to play, he departs almost four years to the day having made only 35 starts, 18 substitute appearances and having returned a paltry two goals.

Vital Villa’s Henri Lansbury Forum Thread

We saw him three times this season. Burton, Bristol City and Stoke City and only 15 times in 2019/20 and as I’m sat here, I’m struggling to remember a game where you thought ‘great, it’s finally going to click for him’ after a promising debut.

From such high hopes to hoping he’d have left years ago – we’ve had way too many experiences like that with players over the last decade. There might still be a few more to move on, but Lansbury probably marks the last great disappointment for me, so in some ways is a watershed moment.

Some of the criticism was massively over the top, but I can more than understand the relief and it was coming given he wasn’t given a place in the PL squad this year. You’d imagine he’s sorted for life, but there’s a player in there that we never really saw.

I’m in the camp who hopes he sorts it out and enjoys the twilight of his career so some of us will be looking at Ashton Gate and Bristol City with some interest.

Lazing on the throne might prove to be a mistake in hindsight though!

By paying him a % of the salary he was due for final six months? He then also now is getting a salary at Bristol City, so he is quids in.

— Brigand 💬 (@avfcsarco) January 29, 2021