May 2008 Archives

EVERY year I've heard it.

"This summer is massive for Aston Villa."

With apologies to Carol Vorderman the algebra facing Villa this summer would be too hot even for David James' (He used to tell me he watched Countdown every day) and the nations' favourite bit of brain-tot.

I should know, as me and Carol actually had the same maths teacher, Palmer Parry in Rhyl, North Wales- albeit a few years apart and I would guess she was closer to the A+++ bracket whilst I was stuck in a mid-table C.

I digress...the figures facing Martin O'Neill in terms of squad-building this summer would test Archimedes, Babbage, Descartes, Fibonacci and Pascal. Even Pythagoras... perhaps?

I remember David O'Leary used to say something like: "There is a train coming towards the station and we have to be ready", or words to that effect when describing the onset of the pre-season rebuild.

Colourful stuff from Dave. Of course his train did arrive, although it was more 'Rusty' than 'Thomas the Tank Engine'.

But for so many reasons I can't help but think this summer could be absolutely gigantic.

Not only have Villa lost four players (Berger, Mellberg, Sorensen, Carson) and face the reality of losing a fifth (Barry, in case you hadn't heard?).

But they not only go into the new season with genuine top five aspirations but face the prospect of playing no less than 18 matches more next season in Europe if they get to the UEFA Cup Final in Turkey.

All that and two extra substitutes are allowed onto the bench at Premier League matches. That's 18 players per match.

Two seasons ago, around the time Villa took Gabor Kiraly from Crystal Palace on an emergency loan, Villa could only have named seven substitutes by picking youth teamers.

That FA Cup game at Manchester United, in January 2007, saw Steven Davis, Robert Olejnik and Peter Whittingham sit alongside Milan Baros and Jlloyd Samuel.

Thomas Sorensen, Stuart Taylor, Patrik Berger and Craig Gardner were injured, Olof Mellberg suspended. Ashley Young, John Carew, Phil Bardsley and Shaun Maloney were weeks away from joining as reinforcements.

Things got so bad that Lee Hendrie was brought back from a loan spell so that he could warm-up on the sidelines when Villa went back to Old Trafford six days later in the league.

Now that's bad! (Apologies to Lee, I'm joking)

Villa had nine players play 32 league games or more last season. They used 21 players but even that included the likes of Moustapha Salifou, Wayne Routledge, Stuart Taylor, Isiah Osbourne and Patrik Berger with four starts between them.

As things stand the substitutes for the first game of the season on July 19 in the InterToto could include Villa's press officer Phil Mepham who once, allegedly, was on the books of Mansfield.

Even with prolific youth striker Nathan Delfouneso coming into the fray because Curtis Davies and Stephen O'Halloran are injured, Villa could only name six subs at present.

Here's the current team for the InterToto: Taylor; Gardner, Knight, Laursen, Bouma; Petrov, Reo-Coker, Barry, Young; Carew, Agbonlahor. Subs: Harewood, Delfouneso, Salifou, Routledge, Maloney, Osbourne.

Now of course the youngsters, the likes of Bannan, Forrester, Lund, Lowry, Clark, Baker, Collins... are on hand to step in.

But surely this proves that this pre-season, more than any since John Gregory whittled away the Dwight Yorke and NTL monies, will be hectic.

Here's hoping.

Perish the thought but just imagine if Villa are losing, or even drawing at West Ham tomorrow with just five minutes remaining on the clock.

News comes filtering through that Blackburn have taken the lead at Blues....

Fulham are already four down at Portsmouth and Reading are trailing at Derby.

Now then, amid all the rejoicing from 3,000 visiting fans down in East London, when the dust settles do Villa fans pray for a Blues equaliser?

It would be a Blues goal to keep them in the division at the point.

But it would also keep Villa in the InterToto Cup.

I'm just guessing that the majority of Villa fans would say: "S*@ the InterToto- the Blues are down!"

But I'm pretty sure that Martin O'Neill and his coaching staff and players would be thinking the opposite.

It might mean coming back a day or two earlier in the summer.

And it does mean playing two games on July 20 and July 27 against opposition from Finland, Denmark or Northern Ireland.

It then involves a UEFA Cup qualification round in early August at a time when a high profile pre-season friendly has been pencilled in for Villa Park.

All a little messy.

But well worth the hassle when you think of the high-profile fixtures enjoyed by Tottenham, Everton and Bolton this season, not to mention Rangers.

As for tomorrow's game... well, I am not optimistic of Newcastle helping Villa out with a win at Everton.

By all accounts they struggled to get out of their own half against Chelsea when Mark Viduka went off injured, and Joey Barton cannot enter Merseyside because of bail conditions.

I'm also pessimistic about Villa's chances.

That row between Martin O'Neill and Rafa Benitez about who said what to whom and why and when and wherefore, has been a headline writers dream but it has certainly heaped a whole load of pressure on Villa's skipper and best player Gareth Barry.

And then there's the Nigel Reo-Coker factor which will make Villa's end of season finale anything but an end of season sunshine stroll.

As for that O'Neill midweek rant....it was simply the best of its kind since Kevin Keegan had a pop at Fergie.

Rafa certainly bit off a whole load more than he can chew when he took on the Irishman.

"I'm not so sure he has respect for anything", said O'Neill. OUCH!!!!

And yet in the background I can hear water running...... must be that tap.

"From SKY SPORTS NEWS, CNN, CENTRAL NEWS & MIDLANDS TODAY>>>>>>>

Wolverhampton Wanderers missed out on the playoffs by a mere one goal difference..... on a more serious

note Douglas from the Lurpak advert has melted!!!!"

My brother called from Australia this morning and woke me up with that little ditty.

He hasn't stopped chuckling since it appeared on the 606 message boards.

Had he not called when he did, perhaps I would still be sleeping now.

It had been a late night.

I was at the Football Writers' dinner. In Dorridge. Never been there before. Seven stops from Moor Street Station. I counted every one there. But the journey back is a little hazy.

Most of the big name bosses were there: Martin O'Neill who delighted in telling the room that a certain national

newspaper reporter had had his advancesn well and trully rejected by his daughter whilst they were at college together.

I have a feeling he was getting his own back for some rather wayward reporting.

O'Neill, John Robertson and Steve Walford all still managed to make the reserves play-off at Anfield later that night.

Tony Mowbray was there. Or "Moaney Towbray" as I'm sure I heard him introduced by the Daily Mail's Neil Moxley. I guess it was a slip.

Yet more chocolates were presented to Albion's best manager since Johnny Giles- as I later called him.

"What about Ron Atkinson?", he asked. "He inherited that side", I said.

I did not relate this tale to the said Mr Atkinson when I said hello just moments later. I probably said
something like: "Ron, you were the best manager Albion had since Johnny Giles". Perhaps. Not that two years is much to sniff about.

Trevor Francis was there. I told him that the last time we spoke was after a Blues win at Barnsley, as I recall. "A couple of days later you were sacked", I said.

Diplomacy has always been my high point.

Alex McLeish was there and in relaxed mood too, which was great to see especially considering relegation is looming large on the horizon.

Bored him half to death by telling him I used to live in John Street, Aberdeen. A flat above a pub, as it happens. Messy.

Graham Turner of Hereford United was there....and looks every bit the same bloke on the Panini stickers in the 1980s. Paul Jewell was there, laughing off a merciless ribbing about his aims of reaching the "magical 15 points" next season.

Adam Pearson, his chairman, also showed. It would have been easy to give it a wide birth after such a sorry season.

Fair play to 'Mox'. He'd organised the bash and put on a cracking event. "Getting 40 journalists and 20 football folk into one room can be somewhat taxing", he admitted. Or words to that effect.

Andy and Graham were there. The best two journalists on the patch. Jolly good blokes they are too. (both revealed that they liked reading my blog. I think they also still read Viz magazine and the Beano).

As for poor Douglas.. I have no idea whether he melted or not. Perhaps he had stayed out in the sun too long waiting for the Baggies' open top bus?