History Lessons
IT'S a funny thing history.
Not Henry VIII and his penchant for wives or Charles I and his penchant for wearing loose-neck sweaters.
No, I'm talking about how things have a habit of recurring.
Or more precisely how in football, what comes around seems to go around.
Take this article I stumbled across in the week.
It was written by myself in the Evening Mail (as it was then titled) in July 2004.
"GARETH Barry has warned Villa they face a 'strange' season ahead because of expectations now heaped on their shoulders," it started.
Hmm, strange indeed.
The article goes on: "Villa finished sixth last term and are expected to again keep pace with the big guns despite a modest £3million summer outlay so far. Barry puts the club's task into perspective."
That £3 million was one of the best pieces of business any Villa manager has put together in the last decade.
A pity it was David O'Leary. The player? Easy. Martin Laursen.
Anyway, Barry went on: "We should have done a lot better than 16th two years ago with the squad we had available. To improve on that was always on the cards because of the internationals we have at the club.
'This season, though, will be strange because if we want to finish above sixth then we will have to finish higher than Liverpool or Newcastle.
"But that's what we have to aim for. That's what the fans expect and it's what the players want. Our supporters argue that we should always finish in the top six because of the size of the club and the fact that in only two seasons in the Premiership have we finished outside the top eight.
"But this season there will be other so-called 'big' clubs looking to make up lost ground. The likes of Tottenham look to be spending big and then you have the likes of Everton who did ever so well two years ago but then struggled last season, so they'll be looking to get back up there.
"We have to look at ourselves and that means looking to put in another solid season."
Remarkable eh?
Apart from the reference to Newcastle, for which you can now substitute Manchester City, the words are pretty prophetic for the summer that now faces Martin O'Neill.
Barry may well be gone. Laursen would appear to be so. Stiliyan Petrov has not signed. Wilfred Bouma is back on crutches.
A flurry of others need their contracts addressed, noteably John Carew.
Will O'Neill get the funds necessary to compete with the big guns?
Only one man can answer that. Randy Lerner.
Anyway, Barry ended this interview five years ago by waxing lyrical about the needs of a goalscorer.
The article ended: "Villa scored 48 goals in 38 games - the same as relegated Leicester.
Barry adds: 'Any team with a goalscorer in their ranks is going to be up there. We had one last year in Juan Pablo Angel and that gives you a head-start on most teams. A goalscorer is always worth points on the board."
Five years later and Villa are still waiting for one.
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Mat Kendrick - is the Birmingham Mail's man at Villa.
Spot on Bill. It also shows that getting in the excuses first at Villa has been going on as long as last FA Cup win!
Just one question, what is your feel of the Barry situation? You have said for a while that you think Liverpool is a done deal but others seem to think he may stay. Despite both Barry and Petrov having good seasons don't you think most of the goals scored against come straight down the middle and that they don't do enough when they have not got the ball?
The Voice - Barry to Liverpool is not a 100 per cent done deal. But Barry moving clubs this summer is as close to definite as you can get - in my opinion. Things can always change. Football can often throw up the least expected. Alonso to Manchester City appears to be the new transfer thread. But I also know of major interest in Barry from abroad. Interest that is not yet concrete but could come to fruition in the form of a bid. And then what of Arsenal? Who knows what the next month will bring? But I believe Villa must now cash in, allow Barry to chase his dream and invest in a three not-so-much world class players, because they will always chase the money and profile on offer within the Champions League, but certainly Villa are short of three international class stars. A centre-back or two is a must. Can Reo-Coker replace Barry? Or Sidwell? Not on the evidence of this season but they both have the potential to do a job. But a midfielder of pedigree must be bought. And then, please, please, a goalscorer. I make that £25 million at least. And that doesn't even address the problem of the lack of quality outside the main squad of 15 to allow Villa to compete in 17 extra European games. As for the defending? The loss of Laursen has been key. Whoever plays in the centre at the back has been making mistakes. And in certain games Petrov and Barry together as a pairing have offered little cover. But make no mistake, those two are top five midfielders. Perhaps the manager should have kept faith with 4-5-1 a little longer?
Sorry, forgot to post my name on the above!