In the wake of Paul Lambert stating that Aston Villa would be unable to acquire “big type of players in January”, I found myself pondering who exactly Lambert deems to be a big type of player? Is it the size of the transfer fee, the amount of wages the player commands or demands, perhaps it’s the age of the player or his notoriety, or maybe it’s a combination of all the aforementioned contributing factors.
Logically if a team does not have any big type of players, and doesn’t intend to get any “big players”, then one could strongly argue Aston Villa are not a “big club”, right?
Randy Lerner’s reign to date has been one of upheaval with several managers being tasked with the mission of reviving the club’s fortunes. Regardless of Mr. Lerner’s intentions, there is a possibility that Aston Villa will never achieve success under his governance. Maybe they will, maybe they won’t.
Last month, it was widely reported that Austrian drinks firm Red Bull are seeking to buy a suitable English football club. Red Bull are no strangers to the sporting world with their portfolio boasting football clubs from Germany, Austria, Brazil, Ghana, and America while the company also occupies the ultra-competitive world of Formula One.
Ralf Rangnick, the sporting director of Red Bull Salzburg, has been tasked with heading the search. If Ralf Rangnick identified Aston Villa as the club that fits the bill for Red Bull, should the claret & blue masses be filled with glee or trepidation?
The road Villa has embarked on is one that is highly admirable and earns plenty of plaudits on the way with regard to investing in youth and potential; the problem is the road is long and fraught with danger – as stated earlier, there are no guarantees in life or football, and thus playing it safe may mean little more than survival, not success.
The world of football can be an unforgiving one, and perhaps aggressive change is required for Aston Villa to be a successful footballing entity. Of course, maybe change itself is the enemy, and Villa should ally itself with consistency & patience – again, I don’t have the answers, but I do know frustration when I feel it.
One must also remember that success often comes at a price or in the form of sacrifice. If Red Bull were to acquire the club, how much of the Villa soul and tradition would be lost or under threat? How would the fans feel about it if, as they have in other areas, bring success with them?
Could it mean Jeff Sterling on a Saturday evening uttering the words “Aston Villa Red Bull 2 Cardiff City 0”? Or could we end up seeing Villa Park turned into the Red Bull Arena? How would that feel to fans? Would it be uproar at change, or cheers for progress?
Who knows, maybe we are better off with the devil we know in the form of a chairman who is rarely seen or heard rather than a new owner. Whatever happens, it feels like Villa will be stuck with their current owner unless things change with regard to Lerner’s stance towards the club.
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