January 2011 Archives

Dear John, life goes on, by the time you write this note you'll be gone.

I couldn't let John Carew depart Villa Park after four eventful years without writing him a fond farewell.....

Dear John,

I've been speaking to a fair few Villa fans and the general consensus is thanks for the memories.

I took a small straw poll on Twitter and it seems you have made a lasting impression on many of the claret and blue brigade.

Off the top of my head the highlights seem to be the hat-tricks against Newcastle in the Prem in February 2008, and at Reading in the FA Cup quarter-final last season. Then of course there was the day you bullied Blues and helped yourself to a brace in the 5-1 in April 2008.

If that wasn't enough, you hoisted the ball boy off his feet in celebration and were then pictured driving away from the ground, grinning from ear to ear and gesturing the scoreline with your fingers.

My personal matchday highlight was the way you almost speared a young fan in the Holte by kicking the corner flag in an over-exuberant celebration after grabbing the winner against Stoke.

Even then you came out of it as the good guy, by giving the lad your shirt and a playful pat on the head/ruffle of the hair by way of an apology.

That was typical of you. From the moment you arrived from Lyon in a swap deal with Milan Baros in January 2007 you always knew how to play up to your adoring public.
An excitable clenched fist towards the crowd, a friendly wave, a kiss of the badge.

When it came to PR you were the Max Clifford of Villa Park. (Although, occasionally saluting the supporters chanting your signature tune, when you should have been chasing the ball did divide opinion!).

Not that I am trying to do you a disservice in terms of contribution on the pitch.

IT'S only a slight change, and it's not going to guarantee that Aston Villa's players will start spilling more blood, sweat and tears for the claret and blue cause.......(Well it might, fast forward to last sentence)

But here's an update from Villa's Bodymoor Heath headquarters which you won't find leaked by an agent of a disillusioned player.

No, it's not as juicy as a star having a training ground bust-up with a manager/coach/cone etc but it does give a little insight into efforts going on to improve the mood behind the scenes.

PICTURE the scene. Aston Villa are leading 1-0 in the last minute of the final match of the season at home to Liverpool - a game they must win to stay up.

The ball is flung into the Villa box.

It pinballs around between a sea of legs before Kyle Walker make a decisive, last-ditch goalline clearance to protect the victory and more importantly keep Villa in the Premier League.

Does the fact that Walker is then given special dispensation to return to Tottenham in the Champions League final (I know he's not in their squad for Europe, but stay with me) and subsequently scores their winner at Wembley, make his contribution to Villa any less important?

GERARD Houllier is unlikely to pursue his loan interest in Emmanuel Adebayor after Villa made a tentative enquiry about the Manchester City striker.

Villa have sounded out their Eastlands counterparts about the possibility of a temporary five-month deal for their out-of-favour former Arsenal star.

But the preliminary talks between the two clubs are not believed to have reached the stage where Adebayor's £160,000 per week wages were discussed.

City's willingness to release the Togo international until the end of the season could be helped by the imminent signing of Wolfsburg's Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko.

However, Villa, who expect John Carew to leave this month, have now turned their attentions elsewhere in their quest to strengthen their strikeforce.

Adebayor, a compatriot of forgotten Villa midfielder Moustapha Salifou, earns more than twice as much as the claret and blues' current top earners.

Villa would be unwilling to shatter their wage structure, while City would be reluctant to massively subsidise his salary at a Premier League rival.

Roberto Mancini's title-chasers have played down Adebayor's training ground bust-up with Eastlands team-mate Kolo Toure.