All summer long, in fact for the better part of a year now, the press and a lot of football people have portrayed Aston Villa as a club in crisis. A year beset by managerial issues, player unrest, and the sale year on year of our “best” players have all been used as weight to support the argument that we are a club on the decline. For me nothing could be further from the truth; if anything, we will be stronger this year for the experience of the season past. And with a clear direction, I actually think we can surprise a few people this season. But I’m digressing somewhat, for I really want to examine the issues I mentioned earlier whereby every day I see my club’s name being sullied by lazy media hacks.
The Whole Manager Thing
If you had said to me in the first few weeks after O’Neill left if we were in crisis I would have believed you totally. The shock of the Ulsterman’s very sudden departure was still reverberating around the club, the dressing room, and the fan base. We seemed to reel, punch-drunk, landing at Kevin MacDonald, who is a lot of things, but a Premier League manager he is not. With no transfer activity and no sign of inspiration on the touchlines we stumbled along, but it was obvious the club was lacking direction. The air of uncertainty was tangible and after what seemed like an eternity Randy Lerner surprised quite a few by calling upon Gerard Houllier (who wouldn’t have been many people’s first choice) and things seemed sorted, or so we thought.
No sooner was Monsieur Houllier in the door than quite a few problems with senior players began to surface. Some didn’t like that “their man” Martin was gone, some didn’t like the new training regime, and some just didn’t or couldn’t do what the new manager was asking and expecting—play football. The culmination of this was the drunken tirade led by Dunne and Collins at the training staff in which both were extremely lucky to keep their jobs. Then, just as things seemed to be coming together again before the season’s end, Houllier was taken ill and our hand was again forced to find a new manager. If fans were not exactly thrilled at the appointment of Houllier, they would be completely outraged at what would happen next.
When it became apparent that Houllier was to be replaced, many names were thrown around; each day the bookies had a new favourite and the press had a field day. You see, in summer, there tends not be a lot for football journalists to write about. With the transfer window still shut tight and most clubs on holiday there really is little or no news coming out of most football clubs, but the red tops, and websites, and radio phone-ins, and 24-hour sports TV needs have to be met. So with the lack of anything newsworthy they just seem to make it up as they go along.
Some may think we didn’t help the situation as the club cloaked itself in a veil of silence with no few official statements being given. This played right into the hacks’ hands. A period of quiet and considered deliberation among the club’s hierarchy instead became a national joke and a media circus, but the fact is that about 99% of everything read during that time was fabricated nonsense, the truth being that apart from those who needed to know, no-one knew a thing. But it served its purpose—it filled column inches and back pages and helped fill out five minutes of TV coverage on the hour, every hour. Compare our search for a new manager with that of Chelsea, who actually sacked their man Ancelotti before Houllier ever stepped down at VP. Was there much negative written about the nouveau riche wannabe aristocrats from West London? No, hardly a jot. But then again, they are a capital team and its London which controls the majority of the press so I expected nothing less.
If the press knew so much, or these people who portray themselves as “in the know” were really actually in the know, then how come not one of them touted McLeish as the man we wanted? It just goes to show these people, in the main, know as much or as little as we do, but they are well paid and stories are expected. All that said, we should have finally put to rest any lingering doubts about our manager with the appointment of Big Eck. We have a manager who on first impressions seems to be accepted and well received by the players—any of those considered surplus under previous regimes will be given the opportunity, and those who carried favour previously must maintain their performance to impress the new boss. This increased competition for places will surely only help us this season coming.
Transfer Dealings and Money
When McLeish was appointed he was asked at his press conference about the squad and new signings and he intimated that the goalkeeping position was his priority and this has been the case with links to Shay Given bearing fruit. Neither McLeish nor any club official once spoke of any exact transfer budget, so again people have drawn their own conclusions. Some would tell you we have between £40m-£60M, others that we are on a relative shoestring with around £20M (or less). Personally, my own view lies somewhere between—but once again, no-one really knows so it’s all just speculation.
What I would say is that while some may berate our chairman for being “tight-fisted”, I think we are adopting the right policy of being careful and considered. The transfer market in England is an absolute mess at the minute and maybe it could well be that McLeish is looking around elsewhere for players, which would be sensible if not prudent. When you see the likes of Jordan Henderson being sold for £20M (especially given Nuri Sahin left Dortmund for £9m and is already a vastly superior player) it really does worry.
Personally I would be apoplectic with rage if we were being so careless. It’s one thing to spend money: hell, anyone can do that. But it’s signing the right players (at the right price) that counts, and if we had spent £85M as Liverpool have on Charlie Adam, Jordan Henderson, Andy Carroll, and Stewart Downing I’d be furious. But it’s not just Liverpool.
Look around at the other top sides and their transfer dealings. Arsenal have lost Clichy; Nasri and Fabregas want away. I think this will be Arsene’s last season at The Emirates. Spurs have to sell to buy, Chelsea need quite a revamp, for me, with an aging and not very mobile squad. Villas-Boas likes to play quick attacking football, and this will take time. Man Utd signed three, but none of them are world class, although all will improve, and at City it’s more about getting players out: Tevez, Adebayor, Bridge, Bellamy, Roque Cruz—the list is endless, although they have already made signings and expect to again. Of the rest of the teams who could be around us this season, Sunderland have been busy but nothing great in there, Everton don’t have a penny, and Newcastle are going all French—a gamble.
So definitely while we must sign, we must do it sensibly. Also to supplement the new additions I think that we already have a few who this season will be like new signings. I have high hopes (against my better judgment) for Stephen Ireland, who could be brilliant if he gets his head right; Jean Makoun is someone who really excites me—I believe he can be one of our most important players, he’s a class act; Delph, like Makoun, needs pre-season (and a little more luck). Add to this the number of younger players starting to break through and I think this might be a genuinely exciting time in B6. Bannan, Gardner, Albrighton, Clark, Hogg, Delfouneso, Johnson, et al, have been top of their class at junior and reserve level and we have spent time and money on their development so they deserve a chance and I welcome it. I appreciate the need for experience around them to help them, but we have this already and with a few more coming in I have no worries here.
The Big Ones Get Away
A bit of a recurring theme (or should that be nightmare) for Villa fans as each year for the past three we have lost our “best” player. But does that make us a selling club or have we simply showed sound acumen in selling at a very good price? I think it’s the latter: let’s face it, £17M for Ash with one year left and £20M for Downing is great business. Neither player wanted to stay any longer and that’s football today—the players are their agents hold all the aces and it’s to the game’s detriment.
It’s funny, too, how many don’t think of Liverpool as a selling club when Alonso and Torres wanted out. Look at Arsenal and the players I mentioned earlier: Are they a selling club also? Of course they aren’t, and neither are we. It’s just the way football is—players have always moved and been replaced and that’s the crucial thing here: it’s not so much who goes as who comes in.
When Barry left he was never adequately replaced; Milner’s form and industry papered over the cracks and we still had Ash. Then when Milner left, the paper wore thin and we were left exposed. It didn’t help that Stephen Ireland (Milner’s replacement) went and did a Stephen Ireland and so it was left to Ash and it was too much to expect him to carry the legs of Petrov, the technical limitations of Reo-Coker, and the gaping holes left from the exits of others. With both Ashley Young and Downing leaving this summer there is concern that our midfield is much weaker but I just don’t see it that way. If we get N’Zogbia as expected (and maybe even Parker also) and with Makoun and Ireland playing regularly, I actually think we might even be stronger. Last season we tried to fit three wingers into the team and it never often worked. This season we will have a better balance whatever formation we decide upon.
So I honestly don’t mind who we have let go and I accept that it’s the nature of football. Players can leave, it’s their careers, but it’s our football club, and if they can’t commit to us then I’d much rather they played elsewhere.
The Author
