Since our star striker put in his transfer request the general response from anyone associated with the club has been outrage. My initial reaction was somewhere between sadness, resignation, and numbness. Sad that this is what football in the year 2013 is about, and numb after going through this too many times. In this Eurosport article Jim White laments that all the modern footballer wants to do is join the top sides as opposed to helping their current club try to knock one of the top clubs off their perch and he couldn’t be more right.
Benteke’s would-be exit is awful for an Aston Villa supporter in its own way. James Milner and Ashley Young left the club in as classy of a manner as is reasonably possible, and it is hard for me to feel any resentment toward them. Gareth Barry’s machinations to move to Liverpool were disappointing, because, at that time, we were mounting a legitimate challenge to the likes of Liverpool to earn Champions League qualification. The one I found the most offensive was the way Stewart Downing left. At the club’s awards dinner, he spoke of how much he wanted to stay at the club as the prospect of a new contract was on the horizon. He proved himself to be nothing but a shameless liar when he did a 180 degree U-turn to force his way out. At least Downing waited until the club had received a firm offer before handing in a transfer request.
Benteke, on the other hand, has made it clear he just wants to leave and will go anywhere that will give him the salary he wants. Clearly his scumbag agent, and I mean scumbag in the most literal sense of the word – as I hold his agent in the same regard as I do a used condom – are only concerned with money. If Spurs are the Belgian’s preferred destination, is it really a massive step up in sporting terms? The past two years the club has frittered away Champions League qualification late in the season. With Jose Mourhino back at Chelsea, and Arsenal expressing renewed willingness to spend big, Spurs best chance to return to the Champions League any time soon may very well have passed. Spurs can offer Europa League football, but if that really mattered to Benteke he wouldn’t have refused to play in that competition for Genk last season.
It wasn’t that long ago that Villa was competing with and regularly finishing ahead of Spurs in the table. As Lambert continues to get Villa’s financial house in order and stocks the team with young talent Villa will be at that level again. That long-term outlook doesn’t matter to a player and agent who just want the quick buck. And if the player were to move to Tottenham, put up another strong season which attracted the attention of an even bigger club like Manchester United or Real Madrid, would anybody put it past the player to do the same thing to Spurs in the future. He makes Nicolas Anelka look like Gabby.
The club to their credit has handled the situation perfectly. If they told the player he was not for sale at any price, he likely would’ve dug his heels in even more. Most clubs who finish 15th could desperately use a £30m fee for one player to spread around the rest of the squad. Lambert has already brought in six new faces and at this point there appears to be no glaring holes. If Lambert were to spend even half of a Benteke fee on a replacement it would be substantially more than he has spent on any one player in his managerial career, and such a player wouldn’t fit the young and hungry mold.
It would be fascinating to see what Lambert could do with a £30m fee, but all things being equal the club is still probably better off if Benteke stays. Lambert, Lerner, and Faulkner will not be bullied into selling for cheap. I have little doubt that Lambert would have any hesitation about sending Benteke to the same football purgatory he sent Alan Hutton, Stephen Warnock, Steven Ireland, Darren Bent, Shay Given, Brett Holman, Barry Bannan, Nathan Delfonueso, and Enda Stevens. If Villa do not get a satisfactory bid in a reasonable period of time, Benteke could see himself training on his own in a broom closet until he rescinds his transfer request, apologizes, puts his head down, and gets to work.
Clubs in general underestimate the power they do have and are too scared of losing their players for nothing. The goal of any club is to win as much as possible. A year ago we were wondering if Villa or any other club could “do a Newcastle” and make a run at the Champions League. Even with Benteke that would be a bit much to expect, but there is no reason this club can’t do what Swansea City did last year. The club shouldn’t and won’t sell unless they get their price when they want it.
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