With no match, and so few full international players among the Villa squad nowadays, there is very little to report this week from base camp.
For me, there have only been two relevant talking points arising this past week; firstly, and quite outlandishly, we have been linked with a summer move for Manchester City pair Scott Sinclair and Joleon Lescott; and, secondly, Arsenal are chasing one of our rising young starlets, fifteen-year-old Dan Crowley.
We’ve not even hit April Fools’ Day, but yet I am already thinking about what lay ahead for us come pre-season and what sort of additions that we can realistically expect to see coming in, and indeed going out.
The addition of Scott Sinclair most certainly has my blessing; but then I’m forced to face up to reality that my club are no longer an attractive motion for players – particularly players of Sinclair’s ability. Having turned twenty-four on Monday, he is at an age where he has to be playing regular football; having been starved of action this season, I have little doubt that he will be seeking new pastures – and let’s face it – he won’t be short of options. There are few guarantees in life, but one thing is for sure: if the former England Under-21 man does happen to don the claret and blue shirt of Aston Villa next season, then he will have to take a substantial drop in wages. That’s unless we manage to free up the £3.3 million a year that’s currently being wasted away on Stephen Ireland, and go on to match Sinclair’s reported £45k per week.
God only knows how any media outlet can fathom a link between ourselves and City central defender Lescott. He may well be available at a cut-price figure – but, again, it’s the whole wage thing. He’s netting himself around £100k a week at City, and we all know that under this (relatively) new code of strict financial constraint that Lerner has set, that there’s no way that we’ll ever come close to hitting those sort of figures. I don’t believe he is a player that currently matches our ethos – and that despite Lambert likely seeking to add some experience – at nearly 31 years of age, I feel that he is now the wrong side of his prime.
I shall be watching over this summer-time with a very particular glare, with my primary concern being that we see very few faces, if any of true note, arrive at Bodymoor Heath. I think it’ll end up being much more of the same; War chest? More like a Barbie lunchbox. The Walkers Sensations days are long gone, Villa are now all about Tesco’s own brand.
As much as Paul Lambert does have my full support and understanding, particularly as he leads the Villa whilst the club is on its knees, I still sometimes struggle to calculate just where he’s going with this Villa squad. Here, I echo my ramblings of last week but nonetheless I shall say it again: I am quite excited about three of four players from this young squad, and I can see them developing into solid players.
Solid [adj] – Substantial; hearty; sound; reliable.
Despite being an influential member of the 1996/97 Borussia Dortmund Champions League winning team, Lambert has previously described himself as a “crap” player, but boasts about how he grafted to become a winner. A philosophy that he’s most definitely taken into management, with a degree of success, too.
As much as I enjoyed my football in the 1990s, the beautiful game is continuously evolving, and I feel that solidness can only get you so far in today’s game. For a team to prosper in modern football, they simply have to be able to offer so much more, and be more diverse, particular at the top level. Take Celtic’s Scott Brown, for example; I am a fan of his, he is the definition of a solid grafter type of player. But XI Scott Brown’s will not win you games of football.
You’re probably sat there reading this and wondering where I’m going with this article; and so, in my closing notes, let me tell you: there have been times during this season that I, like many Villans, have been highly critical of some of our lads on the back of some woeful performances and results, but having said that, I don’t think I can recall a set of players who give as much as they do when they cross that white line, especially seeing that many of these players are not Premier League quality.
And so should Villa remain in the top flight, like I now believe we will, then this summer transfer window is going to be a fascinating one. With very few coins to spend, Lambert must change it up a gear and seek to move away from the stance that has taken him this far – he must evolve and seek to bring in some flair. Something to excite us and encourage the crowd to be on-side, whilst not breaking the bank.
Can Lambert work this magic? Or – is he too stubborn and set in his ways to alter an ideology that has treated him so well, thus far?
Bring on Liverpool. Keep the faith, and Up the Villa!
The Author
