It might be a tad pre-emptive to be sitting here and contemplating January already, but with a string of games coming up between then and now that might not make for the best of reading as a Villa fan, I figured it might be wise to divert our attention elsewhere.

Aston Villa, as we all know too well, have something of a ramshackle bunch of players on the payroll at present. Some, like Gabby Agbonlahor, need to held on to at all costs. Others, like Habib Beye, need to be sold as soon as is practically feasible.

In some areas of the field, we seem like we have a fair amount of cover but, in others, it seems like the total reverse. How is it that we can have three right backs, but a distinct lack of wingers? Just how did things get so unbalanced?

Addressing The Balance

So I guess the questions come now on where we need to improve, and just who might do a job in improving the squad. Below are a few of the people I personally rate, who I also believe are able to be signed by the club.

Goalkeepers

In Shay Given, Villa have a great keeper, albeit one that is getting on a bit at present. At 35, Given does have the potential for fulfilling his whole five year contract, but to presume he will definitely do that is a tad presumptuous. That said, with more pressing concerns elsewhere, and the emergence of Ben Siegrist likely to mean his transition to Villa’s number two number one, I’m not featuring targets in the goalkeeping area.

Defenders

Whether we care to lambast the team’s defensive capabilities because of team errors, or individual mistakes, any team I would want playing for Villa needs more steel and ability at the back. Dunne and Collins have become Villa’s partnership largely because of lack of options, rather than consistent performances over the years. After all, following a season last year where there was a public bust-up between them and our former manager Monsieur Houllier, can we really suggest they are there for any other reason besides lack of options?

Cuellar and Clark are alternatives, but with Cuellar not proven since surgery, and Clark only being one defender, I feel it’s time to invest in a solid and imposing centre half. Whilst many might go for the Cahill option given Gary’s prior links to the club, for me there is only one man who I would be pursuing – Christopher Samba.

Samba won’t be without his suitors though given his undoubted ability and imposing size, but a move in January might be the best chance of securing him before someone else does. Even though Samba signed a long term contract extension last season, I can’t see him being at Blackburn for more than the next few seasons barring a serious change of management and ownership.

Securing Samba would also set the foundation for a spine of a team – something I have always suggested needs to be in place for Villa to thrive. With Samba in the team, the defence would be significantly more imposing, and would have better distribution from the back. Of course, his purchases is only one piece in the jigsaw, but it would be a major one in my opinion.

Defensive Midfielders

Given the usage of 4-2-3-1 as our current and recent formation, a defensive midfielder is likely to be on the cards. Whilst Herd is doing a solid job so far in this area, questions need to be asked about the longevity of some of the other options or, for some of the younger choices, their suitability at this level.

Is Delph good enough as a defensive midfielder? Is he even one at all?

Is Petrov likely to last more than the current season? Should we really be trying to keep him for longer?

For me, the answers to both sets of questions are “no”. Delph offers promise, but I’m not sure that’s enough. Petrov, on the other hand, is at the other end of his career, and offering him an extension would be foolhardy in my opinion.

Whilst there are players who can operate in their mid-30s as midfielders, Petrov isn’t one of them.

As much as he can chip in with a top quality goal or two, he doesn’t suit the role of a defensive midfielder regarding ability, and he lacks the pace and movement of someone in the attacking three. Thus if we can sell both, I actually think Villa could invest better.

In this area, I’d be looking at someone like Fabrice Muamba. All through his career, Muamba has demonstrated capability when it has come to playing this role. As a Bolton player, he must surely be perceived as being able to be bought, and he would certainly offer something that Petrov doesn’t, not only in terms of longevity, but in terms of contribution.

Attacking Three

Part of what makes the analysis of the attacking three in the 4-2-3-1 formation is the ambiguity of the roles of these players. What exactly are they? Wingers on the outside, or inside forwards? Is the middle player a midfielder, playmaker, or a striker?

For me, these three need to involve attacking type players, especially given the inclusion of two defensive midfielders. Heskey, for all his hold up play when he gets involved is far from the solution.

Ireland, at least to date, seems like he is lacking something to become the solution in terms of interest. Ireland undoubtedly has the potential but Villa, like any other side, need application as well as brilliance.

If we assume that we are going to continue to play Gabby and N’Zogbia as part of the three, then the other player needs to be both a playmaker. In an ideal world, this problem would be solved by our ownership of Stephen Ireland, but this is far from an ideal world.

For me, Junior Hoilett would be a great purchase, either meaning that N’Zogbia could play in the middle as a secondary striker, or Gabby could be pushed up to partner Bent with N’Zogbia and Hoilett wide. Both options offer more than we currently have.

Forwards

With the nature of playing one up top, and the inclusion of Darren Bent in the squad, this role seems almost like a shoe-in, and one that picks itself. The problem here is that Bent isn’t immune to injury or other issues, so he really does need some kind of player who a) can play up front, and b) has the ability to sit on the bench.

In order to find a player such as this, Villa really need to be looking at a young and adaptive player. Nathan Delfouneso has promised so much but hasn’t come up with the goods to date, so who?

In my opinion, the type of player Villa should be looking at is Marvin Sordell. Already in the England U21 squad courtesy of his great performances with Watford, Villa would undoubtedly offer him a bigger stage, as well as full England international strikers to work along side.

Sordell is undoubtedly destined for greater things and, in reality, with the Danny Sturridge boat already having sailed for somewhere outside B6, then Villa need to be looking for the next big thing now rather than later.

Anyway, those are my brief picks. What do you think? Are they achieveable? Are they good enough? Who else do you think we can attract?

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