We didn’t get to this, and I should have yesterday, because it’s interesting. But I had a less interesting thought stuck in my head to burden you with. So it goes.
When I first read Paul Scholes’ comments about the England set-up and players “at clubs like your Aston Villas” I thought it was a wind-up. And I was a bit offended.
Then I, belatedly, realized it wasn’t. Old news already. But I was still offended.
But, to continue a belabored nautical theme, being pressed into service (ok, very politely asked) to give our Matt a brief reprieve, I found myself thinking about what he had to say.
Personal glory
“I just got fed up. When you are going to a team, you want to be part of a team and play well, but there are individuals who are after personal glory.
“When there is a simple pass of 10 yards, they might try and smack it 80 yards. They will do things to try and get themselves noticed.
“I always felt players at clubs like your Aston Villas try to use England as a way to get to a top club. Which, I don’t know, you feel, ‘Are they there for the right reason?’ I think they are very selfish people.
“That is the biggest problem with English players – most of them are too selfish.”
That’s rather a lot in a few short sentences. And I don’t know how many of us would disagree, in the end. After all, one of the biggest knocks on Ashley Young was his divine right to knock every dead ball over everyone’s heads. Seemed a bit selfish.
What glory brings
Many commenters in the press have focused on Villans who would’ve been playing during Scholes’ time. But I don’t think that’s what he was talking about. What Scholes was saying is that the Barrys, Milners, Youngs, and Downings see an England call-up as a personal fillip, aka “opportunity” or “leverage”. There were others during his time. He’s just using more recent history to frame his observations.
You see, we’ve all noticed how England call-ups have signaled the end of the Villa careers of our four best players in the last, what is it, four years. At first, before we got wise, we were proud of our England players. “Six Villans in the squad! MON’s building the next England team right here at Villa Park!”
Oh, how naive we were.
All it meant was that our players would have their heads turned and seize the opportunity to move on for more money and the chance to “win things”. It turns out Villa wasn’t to be the England squad of the future. It is ultimately just a big part of the academy.
Selfish
Now, if I were one of the four Villa players I’ve named, I might feel a bit foolish. I might feel as though I’d been criticized. And perhaps unfairly. Milner gives it his all, as does Barry, I think, to the extent of their abilities. But they did get the call-up, and proceeded to look elsewhere.
I won’t pretend to know what’s in their heads when they pull on the shirt and take the field for England.
But I do know that England call-ups have presaged their departures from the club that put them firmly in the frame. Perhaps they’d have shone anywhere. Perhaps they, in earning their call-ups, did as much for Villa as Villa did for them.
I can’t help but think, though, that England call-ups have not been such good news for Villa. And I can’t help but think that Scholes is right: It’s the big audition on the big stage. “Hey, if I’m good enough for England, what am I doing at Villa Park?”
What can we do? Not much. This is the way of things. Get a couple-three call-ups, watch your stock soar, discern once-in-a-career opportunity to cash in.
I can only hope that Darren Bent is not quite so impressionable and has indeed moved around enough to actually want to stay put for a spell at Villa Park.
But if I’m Alex McLeish, I’m not telling anyone that Fabio has been on the phone.
The Author
