First I’d like to apologise for last week’s no-show. I was called up for an unexpected appointment, and unfortunately that meant I had no time.

But here we are, Wednesday the 15th of August, and just a stone’s throw from the launch of our 2012/13 Barclays Premier League campaign, kicking-off against West Ham on Saturday.

Reflecting back on our summer, it has been one heck of a ride. We eventually got our wish and Alex McLeish paid the price for an extremely poor showing from his Villa side last term, regardless of the fact it was never going to be possible for the fans to get behind him and stay positive whilst he was at the helm. His tenure was always bound to end in tears.

And then of course we went through the inevitable managerial speculation and were being linked to anyone and everyone, from Fabio Capello through to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, before finally announcing on June 2 that Paul Lambert was the right man to take the club forward.

Our preseason tour of America was a success with two 1-0 wins followed by a respectful 2-2 draw (and shootout win) against the Portland Timbers. Little emphasis was put on the results over in the States—it was more to do with finally having some life back in the team. We were actually passing and moving, and working hard as a unit for the first time in over a year. A huge breath of fresh air swept across B6.

I’m content with the players that have come into the club so far—and delighted with the ones that have been sent packing. Both Karim El Ahmadi and Brett Holman look like they can play and whilst we’ve seen little of recent recruit Ron Vlaar, I’m expecting him to be a sturdy rock at the heart of our defence.

Paul Lambert insists that he’s happy to go into the season with the current squad, which perhaps hints that we may be looking to bring in a couple of faces before the end of August, something I think our squad most certainly requires. In an ideal world I’d like to see us bring in a new left-back, centre-back, winger, and a forward to play second fiddle to Darren Bent, but realistically I can only see two more coming in. That’s unless Lerner does decide to substantially, yet sensibly, invest in playing staff following the sale of the Cleveland Browns.

Further rumours this week surrounded Ipswich Town left-back Aaron Cresswell, and it looks like they’re holding out for something toward the £5 million mark. I think that’s a little steep for a player that has yet to prove himself at the top level of the game. A cash plus add-on incentive may be the best way to go in any potential deal.

The most interesting rumour that I’ve heard this week was a £13 million deal for Manchester City’s Adam Johnson. Obviously there are a whole host of clubs being linked to the 25-year-old England winger who perhaps feels that it’s now inevitable he will have to leave the champions for guaranteed first-team football. Apparently, though, it is Everton who have first refusal on a loan deal after Jack Rodwell went the opposite way.

I’d be extremely impressed if Villa splashed a further £13 million on transfers combined this summer, never mind parting with that kind of fee for one player. If this happened—and that’s a big if—it would be viewed as a statement of intent from Lerner and an indication that he may well be here for the long haul. We could finally put to bed any speculation that he’s looking to sell the club.

Turning our attention to Saturday’s trip to Upton Park, I think the big question mark is who Paul Lambert will partner alongside Vlaar in central defence. I’m hopeful that Ciaran Clark will be given a fair opportunity this season and would like to see him from the outset.

It’s looking increasingly likely that Matthew Lowton will start at right-back, whilst the hapless Stephen Warnock will remain our first choice left-sided defender for now. The rest of the side picks itself really, and that’s why I genuinely think that we need to strengthen before the end of the transfer window.

The most pleasing thing to watch over the past couple of weeks was Darren Bent bagging a brace in our friendly draw against a strong Werder Bremen side last weekend. That’s exactly what we want to see a week before the big kick-off.

I think Saturday will prove to be a very interesting match, especially as they, too, have a few new faces. It’s likely to be one of those tight affairs where no one wants to open up and give the opposition a chance to put one away. A typical season-opening encounter between two very competitive and likely evenly matched teams. My prediction is a 1-1 draw with Darren Bent grabbing the goal for the Villa.

Overall, we can look back on a very positive preseason and the vibe amongst supporters is a positive one. If things don’t go well for us we must stay with Lambert and get behind the lads—berating both the manager and the players won’t do us any favours whatsoever. With everything that happened last season, at least we know we’re bound to see more attractive football and this new, not-so-defensive style of play may still take a little bit of getting used to.

Put your seat belts on, and get ready for the highs (for which I hope there are many) and the lows of the next nine months. The journey is just about to begin.

Up The Villa

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