July 2009 Archives

FIRST the good news.

Stiliyan Petrov is in with a great chance of being fit for the start of the season.

The Bulgarian is a lucky boy.

Scans on his injured shoulder show that the dislocation should only put him out for between two and three weeks.

That makes it quite possible that he could play against Wigan.

Now the bad news. It's July 31. Still no players through the 'in' door.

The art of closing deals appears to be lost.

It's not just Martin O'Neill though.

Name the manager: "I think it's important that you get the right players, and if we miss out on them for the first three or four Premier League matches because they're hanging on for things, we'll have to do that.

"I've got a reputation for leaving things right up until the last minute."

Not O'Neill but Stoke's Tony Pullis.

The problem, as Villa fans are only too aware, is that Villa had to sign two crackers just to stand still.

There are genuine concerns from within the camp that not enough has been done and that the squad is simply not strong enough.

Anyway, we're hours away from the semi-final of the Peace Cup. Hopefully there will be plenty more fans here tonight after the game against Atlante was watched by one man and his dog (and plenty of folks back home on an internet stream).

O'Neill has faced Porto three times. One win and two defeats, including the UEFA Cup Final.

But tonight is not about him. It's about seeing whether Steve Sidwell and Nigel Reo-Coker can strike up an effective partnership, it's about Carlos Cuellar and Curtis Davies, it's about John Carew and Emile Heskey....

The emergence of Marc Albrighton on this trip has been a major plus. Brad Guzan was impressive against Atlante. Ashley Young is already up to speed.

But the negatives: Luke Young's thigh injury surely being the biggest cause for concern, still leave a nasty taste in the mouth.

Tomorrow is the first day of August. We can only hope that somebody's mobile phone has a signal and that that person's fax machine is plugged in.

I'VE never known a summer like it for speculation.

Only last night, whilst at the game, we must have been hit with as many as eight, nine or ten names on the Birmingham Mail's live match blog.

Obafemi Martins, Steven Taylor, Stephen Warnock and Tuncay. You name it they were on it.

Well, almost everyone.

It still baffles me why Olof Mellberg was firstly allowed to quit the club on a free transfer. Villa left it far too late to open talks with a player happy in the Midlands.

And then secondly why he was allowed to join Olympiacos for £3 million when a decent centre-half these days will cost you treble that for his boots alone.

I've heard it on the grapevine Olof wanted to return. His missus wasn't quite so keen.

As for the names being banded about I'm quite sure there remains a strong interest in some of these players.

And I am now pretty convinced that plans have had to be altered in the last few days. I hear or two signings that were lined up as near certainties who then fell through.

Certainly judging by Martin O'Neill's body language in the early stages of the match against Atlante you could tell there was a bee in his bonnet about something.

So where to next?

Robbie Keane would undoubtedly show ambition. Steven Defour? Definitely top drawer.

Villa have been keen to play down all the Darren Bent stories from back home, but sometimes there is no smoke without fire and despite his public utterances last night that Carew, Agbonlahor, Heskey and Delfouneso were quite ready to lead the charge this season (note, still not one single mention of Marlon Harewood as if he needed any further hints that his future lies away from Villa Park) it is clear that Villa need a natural goalscorer.

Clearly there are still problems in defence and it remains a huge surprise why Zat Knight was everr allowed to leave with no one seemingly lined up to come straight in.

Knight, to his credit, rarely let Villa down and Gary Megson has not done at all badly with his capture.

So who else has O'Neill lined up?

Stephen Warnock? That's a possibility although Blackburn will be looking at £6 million at least for a player with three years left on his contract.

Few words are now ever spoken about Fabian Delph. Clearly Leeds have been asking top whack and Villa won't pay it. Tottenham are thought to be ready to swoop.

Ah Tottenham. What ever happened to David Bentley who not so long ago was claiming to be in talks with Villa?

What of Tom Huddlestone? What of Jermaine Jenas?

There remain so many questions and so few answers. The season is a little over a fortnight away.

If this were happening in Doug Ellis' era the chairman would be coming in for a heap of stick.

One can only hope that the first of many signings are just around the corner.

But on a positive note we were lucky to be granted an interview with Nigel Reo-Coker earlier today.

What a few weeks it has been for him.

Not many people would have given him a starting place a few weeks back. Now he is going to be captain of Villa due to Stiliyan Petrov's dislocated shoulder.

For Reo-Coker also read Steve Sidwell. The challenge is there for both of them to now make something of their Villa careers. Finally the chance is there for either or both of them to make Gareth Barry's name a thing of the past.

I'd have put my money on Sidwell changing clubs this summer. Now both players look certs for starting berths and how on earth could O'Neill look to sell either of them?

The same "Not for Sale" message will also have to be slapped on Nicky Shorey and Craig Gardner, both who may well have been thinking about pastures new.

The only player who can leave is that man Harewood. But who will pay £2million for a player earning twenty-odd thousand a week who has hardly played for two years?

THERE'S little doubt that three goals and victory over the Mexicans of Atlante wiped away some of the frustrations and misery of a fraught summer.

Following a poor display against Malaga and a pretty woeful opening 35 minutes last night, Villa suddenly decided to up the ante and gets some balls into the box.

Atlante had clearly not done their homework on Villa or watched any Match of the Day clips. If they had they would have realised that you cannot allow a Premier League centre forward, especially one who is 6'5" and as aerially dominant as John Carew, free space in the penalty box.

There were other plusses. Marc Albrighton looked particularly impressive. No show-boating, no feigning injury despite some close attention, just a refreshing desire to get the ball down the wing.

Eric Lichaj also looks one for the future. Sure much bigger tests lie in wait but with so many youngsters out on the field at the end of the match, it was difficult not to wonder at the fine work of Bryan Jones, Kevin MacDonald, Tony McAndrew and Gordon Cowans.

I've often wondered why some Championship club hasn't wanted to prize the whole lot of them away.

Anyway, it was a good win but would even reaching Sunday's Final against Real Madrid or Juventus mask the problems behind the scenes. It would be most welcome, of course it would, but injuries to Luke Young and Stiliyan Petrov have opened up what was already a severely limited squad.

Can you see a team of Friedel, Lichaj, Shorey, Cuellar, Davies, Milner, Reo-Coker, Sidwell, Young, Carew, Agbonlahor seriously challenging for honours this season?

The manager thinks not. So there's your pointer. He says five players at least need to be brought in.

We're almost in August and just Stewart Downing has come in. It's the same every transfer window, isn't it?

This time Manchester City are being blamed for hiking up prices.

That may be so, if you are shopping in the same boutiques. But aren't we constantly amazed at some of the talent spotted in far off markets for a fraction of the cost?

It's all very well only wanting to buy English, but sometimes necessity demands an alternative.

With Martin Laursen, Gareth Barry and Zat Knight having departed and Young and Petrov injured, there has never been a more imperative time to act.

If Portsmouth want £4.5 million for a 31-year-old out of contract in a season then pay it.

If Leeds want £6 million for a teenager who has not played in the Championship before, then pay it.

It's all very well looking after the pennies like they were your own, but Villa are at a crossroads.

City and Tottenham look good bets to mount a charge on the top four.

Villa, it appears, will have the happiest accountants in the top flight. But exactly when did that win you trophies?