Aston Villa News 24/7Writer: J P Fear 
Date:Wednesday August 29 2007
Time: 1:32PM
UK time is: 01:55:45
Choose your club
Other Sites
Network Navigation
Vital Partners
'If It's Football, It's Vital'
I'm Almost Too Excited To Speak
could we be greedy and ask for more please?
I'm almost too excited to speak. I'm also a sarcastic bugger.
The club have announced that Aston born Zat Knight has completed a £3.5million move from Fulham to Villa.
The 27-year-old giant centre back has signed a four-year deal.
Zat said:
'I have been supporting Villa ever since I first got to know and understand about football really, so it was from a young age. I'm from Aston for starters, so it always made complete sense to support them. Villa were my local team, simple as that. I remember my first game at Villa Park as well, but I was actually quite old by the time I went to see my first game there. I think I must have been about 14. I was certainly at senior school anyway. It was an evening European game against Inter Milan. I remember Dennis Bergkamp was playing for Inter - but we beat them though!'
Adding on the official site; 'The problem was that I was always playing football on the weekend or going training in the evenings so I never got to go to games much. I really haven't seen that many because I've always been playing, and once I turned pro that made it even harder to go to games. I had trials at schoolboy level for Villa but it never got any further than that. As a youngster that was obviously really disappointing, but as it turned out I got opportunities elsewhere and it all turned out good in the end.'
Zat was singed for Fulham in 1999 by Kevin Keegan. He has two international caps, both from 2005.
What a dream, a fan and now a player for the club. Good luck Zat.
Now Martin, I know you've spent wildly throughout this summer, but could we be greedy and ask for more please?
Vital F1 Prediction League - Join now for Monaco
Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.
Join the Vital Fantasy Football League - its Free!
Your Comments
Not a bad signing, but is this really the next level? Hmmm.
The Fear
I know its crazy to talk about the potential of a 27 year old, but I honestly feel Zats best days are ahead of him, and next season could signal the start of a partneship with Cahill that could grow and mature of the next 5 or 6 years! Decent signing in my book
DeanoVilla
The more I think about it, the better it feels. I believe he is better than Ridgewell and no way is Davies 3 times the player! Lets hope Hoyte, Rosienier, Taylor and Defoe follow shortly!
In MON we trust!
Unacceptable. It makes no difference he is a Villa fan, he isnt good enough.
wislor
Go on wislor, give him your best welcome...
Hoss The Villain
This guy is going to be solid. I'm delighted with his arrival. Now Martin, more.
evoflash
Zat Knight could prove to be a good aquisition if used in the right manner. I don't think anyone would rate him above Mellberg or Laursen (or Cahill for that matter), but we need strength in depth and this is how you start to build that. I'm personally not sure that he's substantially better than Ridgewell, though he does have considerbaly more pace, so he can offer something our other three central defensive options don't have. If we struggle with injuries and suspensions come the crucial November to February stretch of the season, having a player with Knight's experience to come in will ensure we stay far stronger than we could last year. Additionally, his presence from this day forward will hopefully increase competition for places and push those in the starting places to maintain/improve their current form. Either way, it's a signing that makes us stronger. It's not 'sexy' and it's not gonna make headlines, but clearly MO'N sees this as another piece of the jigsaw. If he is still keen to bring in Curtis Davies aswell as the local press believe, and can make that deal happen this week, we'll have a wealth of options across the back line that I don't think we've ever had before. A right-back next please.........
Alec
He hope he does well and rams the words down my throat but in my opinion he is cack. Also isnt it about time that people got off Harewoods back, he was getting slated on Saturday before he even came on, pathetic.
wislor
He can't be that cack, he's our joint leading scorer in the league!!
Hoss The Villain
IMO this is a bad signing, Knight is in the same mould as Titus Bramble a poor c/b who is prone to making terrible mistakes that costs goals. no better than Ridgewell.....!
deemz
the only way he strengthens us is because of those O'eill has sold.
Hughes was as experienced, Internationally more so, arguably displaced him at Fulham, and was on the books.
As to inviting him on board, can this drivel stop, it doesn't push my guilt button one bit, and I'd doubt it pushes anyone else's. If you are happy with second rate players enjoy, mid table Martin and mid table mediocrity amongst Villa fans, wouldn't be the first time
What successful clubs need are winners, on the pitch and in the stands, Knight is a make weight, a typical O'Neill purchase of the 80's pity most of us live in 2007 and had thought our clubs finances if not the managers ability were up to better
avfc48
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the idea of a transfer window is to get all the bog-standard clogger squad players at the start of the window so they can be used for the August games if needed. So why sign someone of Zat's "quality" at this stage? I've praised MON all along, and have said he will bring the players in by the time the window shuts (check my article sif you want ;-) ) but even I'm starting to worrying now as his pattern of signing players this summer isn't quite "right," for lack of a more suitable world.
DerryVillan
* suitable word that should be - in a suitable world all the players would be in by now, and they'd be world-class, Champions League regulars! But that world and reality don't mix.
DerryVillan
im gutted
ric112
I might be totally wrong, but does MON think he can mold (or is it mould) us into the modern day version of Leicester City? Long ball, big lads, low quality and high passion? If he does, I think he'll be proved very wrong, those days are over if you want to be at the top level. Still, Wed, Thursday and Friday left, maybe miracle upon miracle, we'll get the quality we've failed to get all summer?
The Fear
decent signing as long as hes back up squad player and we bring in a better defender like curtis davis or metersacker
suky
Meld may be the word you are looking for, but mould will suffice Mr. Fear.
Hoss The Villain
A modern day version of Leicester? Did you see us on Saturday Fear or were you too busy banging the advertising hoardings as usual? ;) lol We played an attacking game along the ground with pace and excitement. So far removed from his old Leicester team. I think thats how he wants us to play most games but when things aint going too well a big bruiser like Knight could be just what we need.
DeanoVilla
I think you are wrong JPF. MON used those tactics at Leicester because that's what he had to work with. He made the best of the materials he had and played to their strengths. To paraphrase Cloughie, its players that win games, not tactics. It seems to me that MON has been 'less than happy' when we have played the long ball, and has wanted the team to play football. Doesn't sound like 'long ball, big lads, low quality' stuff to me. As for high passion, yes please - every match we play!
BobTheBuilder
There may be some surprises with our Zat!
Gazvilla
Some of the comments on here are disgraceful. The lad hasn't even kicked a ball for us yet and you are slating him. He's an England international and further more he's a Villa fan. Look at Ian Taylor he wasn't the most talented but he'd run through a brick wall for this club, i expect Zat to be the same. He's one of us so lets get behind him. This season is all about getting into Europe with a steady solid squad, then when that is achieved bigger names will come. Living on past glories and history is no longer a draw to todays players. If you are not in europe then you will struggle to bring big name players in.
weller77
Bought no doubt as a good, solid second-string central defender which is much needed. Hopefully Davies from WBA will follow in next 2 days to become 1st choice replacement for Mellberg or Laursen. Looks like Gardner has won the RB slot. Welcome aboard Zat and the very best wishes from all Villa fans.
villacross
JPF- I wouldn't describe Ashley Young ,Scott Carson and Reo Cocker as low quality - would you?
smaff
Alec-I don't follow your this is MON's "pieces of the window" argument. - Hughes goes to fulham for £1mill and displaces Knight then Knight comes to Villa for £3.5mill. Seems to me that it has cost Randy £2.5mill to move backwards. Or have I missed something somewhere?
villacross
Gazvilla - as long as they're not more "own goals".
villacross
Good luck Zat, you may need it with all the negative rubbish.
morky13villa
What ever happened to blind faith?
evoflash
Maloney, Carson, Coker & Young have been class signings. Jury's still out on Carew (goal scoring wise) & Petrov has disappointed SO FAR. We are bound to sign one or two failures. No one on this thread comes up with any better alternatives in my opinion. We are working in a transfer market totally controlled by the top 4 clubs and the CL teams of Europe - Drenthe, Snjeider, SWP, Gudjonsson...maybe in the in the future but not now FFS. Also you have to accept that some players would rather say join Everton or Man City rather than us.
tarzan
Smaff, I don't really count loan signings, do you? Young quality and learning. Hokey Cokey looks a good signing. Harewood, Petrov very low. Zat, we'll see, hope he is good, but seems slow and not sure how much better than Ridgewell. Is he really the next step up?
The Fear
At the very least he brings a bit of height to what is essentially a pretty small (in stature) team. If Laursen is injured or rested, which he will need to be from time to time we need someone with a bit of height and presence to fill in for him, and as much as I like Gary Cahill, at the moment I think we need someone with a bit of experience as cover when we are playing a Mark Viduka for instance who would bully a young inexperienced defender. As has been said many times, at this point we don't offer european football so therefore can't realistically compete for the very top players so in the meantime MON is putting together a squad to take us forward. Let's give the guy a chance and our support, welcome aboard Zat!
Jon.H
Oh, forgot Maloney, now he looks a total gem. Reason I don't count loans by the way is we are meant to be building a squad capable of making the champions league, or that is what we are told. How on earth does a loan signing fit into that ?
The Fear
Im with Fear on this. On matchday we will all get behind Zat and marlon because they are now Villans. But on the forums lets be honsest and say that at the end of last season, Zat Knight and Marlon Harewood would be way down on the quality we were expecting. UTV.
tylervilla
Everyone is entitled to their opinion but Zat Knight will be a good signing. I hope I'm wrong but Laursen will not play more than 25-30 games this season. Consequently we need good cover, that is what Knight is. The references to Ridgewell are laughable. Ridgewell was prone to far too many mistakes and always looked shaky. Stop looking at our former youth players through rose-tinted glasses.
notthedougellisstand
Undecided. He's not what I'd expected or hoped for, but our complete summer of transfer dealings falls into that category. I'm disappointed, and concerned, that we haven't set the foundations this summer to help support the move on up to the next level. We look to have wasted a great opportunity to really strengthen the squad with an influx of quality, allowing better players to switch clubs without seemingly the slightest bit of interest from within Villa Park. Only over the course of the past few days have we seemed to realise that time was fast running out, and here we are, still short on both quality and numbers.
glensider
Was he any good when he was at Fulham then?
Blue is the colour
Is anyone as nervous as me that we seem to have been stopped being linked with right backs? The Hoyte/Johnson/Bowsinga (even Rosenior which I don't understand at all) rumours have disappeared through the (transfer) window.
VillaYamYam
JPF: I think loan signings fit into the drive for Europe as follows: if you are a team that isn't already in Europe you can't sign CL players, which makes it difficult to get into Europe, because you don't have the quality, and so on. Viscious circle. Loan signings of good (probably young) players helps you to GET into Europe, making it possible to sign better players permanently. This seems a pretty sound strategy to me. The alternative is to sign only lesser players (who would come to us willingly) and to get slated for making only 'low quality' signings. IMO, if there is a good loan signing going, grab him!!
BobTheBuilder
Villacross: Hughes didn't go to Fulham and displace Knight, so your maths isn't relevant. Hughes (a RB who had a LOT of critics on this forum) went to Fulham and we bought Knight (a CB) a while later. Unconnected as far as I can tell.
BobTheBuilder
BobTheBuilder - Hughes was originally a CB when at Newcastle and DOL and MON played him out of position at RB. IMO you will soon be convinced that he has little to contribute and certainly less reliable than Hughes, had he been played in his natural CB position. At £3.5mill O'Neill must be desparate to find bodies.
villacross
Martin O'Neill keeps saying he won't buy any old player, only players on his wonder list that will improve on the quality of the squad.
Quality not quantity he says, until I can get the right fullback I want I will wait he reckons.
Well if Harewood and Knight improve the quality of the squad I'd be surprised, although I'm sure there are many in the God squad who won't be
avfc48
We have to give the guy every opportunity. Not a huge fan favourite at The Cottage, but hopefully MON can shape him into a more than useful central defender. He's reliable cover I would suggest, if nothing else.
glensider
Been a disappointing summer purchases wise though. I expected more quality and numbers.
glensider
Have Your Say
Recent Articles
Petrov Delighted With Assistant Coach Role (Wednesday May 22 2013)
Broadcasting Revenue For AVFC For 2012/13 Season (Wednesday May 22 2013)
N'Zogbia Exit And £5m Given To Keeper? (Wednesday May 22 2013)
Villa's Pre Season Schedule (Tuesday May 21 2013)
Vlaar Pleased With First Good Touch Of The Game (Tuesday May 21 2013)
Villa Season Ticket Help Sessions (Tuesday May 21 2013)
They Think It's All Over - Not Yet - Soccer Sevens (Tuesday May 21 2013)
Vital Villa Man Of The Match v Wigan (Tuesday May 21 2013)
The Aston Villa Summer Transfer Thread Pt 1 (Tuesday May 21 2013)
Brentford Midfielder Linked (Tuesday May 21 2013)
Archived Articles
Vital Members League (view all)
| 1. | Pride of Lions | 965 |
| 2. | The Fear | 758 |
| 3. | BodyButter | 500 |
| 4. | kefkat | 403 |
| 5. | CDX_EIRE | 328 |
| 6. | ClivetheVillan | 289 |
| 7. | Villan57 | 244 |
| 8. | thefacehead | 241 |
| 9. | DeanoVilla | 217 |
| 10. | mike_field | 194 |
League Results (view all)
| Latest Results | ||||
| Wigan | 2 | - | 2 | Aston Villa |
| Aston Villa | 1 | - | 2 | Chelsea |
| Norwich | 1 | - | 2 | Aston Villa |
| Aston Villa | 6 | - | 1 | Sunderland |
| Man Utd | 3 | - | 0 | Aston Villa |
| Aston Villa | 1 | - | 1 | Fulham |
League Table (view table)
| Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| 12. Fulham | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | -10 | 43 |
| 13. Stoke | 38 | 9 | 15 | 14 | -11 | 42 |
| 14. Southampton | 38 | 9 | 14 | 15 | -11 | 41 |
| 15. Aston Villa | 38 | 10 | 11 | 17 | -22 | 41 |
| 16. Newcastle | 38 | 11 | 8 | 19 | -23 | 41 |
| 17. Sunderland | 38 | 9 | 12 | 17 | -13 | 39 |
| 18. Wigan | 38 | 9 | 9 | 20 | -26 | 36 |
Breaking League News
| Liverpool: Begovic To Replace Reina?
» Liverpool : 22/05/2013 20:54:00
|
| Coates thanks friend Pulis
» Stoke : 22/05/2013 18:30:00
|
| Petrov Delighted With Assistant Coach Role
» Aston Villa : 22/05/2013 16:52:00
|
| Boateng Signs Two Year Deal
» Fulham : 22/05/2013 16:50:00
|
| Sullivan Warns Of Complacency!
» West Ham : 22/05/2013 16:49:00
|
| Lukaku Desire
» West Ham : 22/05/2013 16:48:00
|
| Carroll Withdrawal
» West Ham : 22/05/2013 16:47:00
|
Current Site Poll (view all polls)
|
|
1 © - All content copyright Vital Network Ltd, not to be reproduced without explicit permission Copyright Issues
Cookie Policy
At Vital Football, we along with most other modern websites use small files called 'cookies' to create the most secure, effective and functional website possible for our users. Without these files our business model, based on advertising, breaks down and we would be unable to continue to provide the services that you are here to utilise. By continuing to use this website after seeing this message, you consent to our use of cookies on this device unless you have disabled them. For full details please read our Cookie Policy which can be found here. However, if you would like to disable cookies on this device, please view our Cookie Policy which contains an opt-out tool for disabling advertising cookies. Please also visit our information pages on 'How to manage cookies' if you would also like to block all other types of cookies. Please be aware that parts of this site will not function correctly if you disable cookies.