Aston Villa have signed Phillipe Coutinho. Yes you read that correctly, only 4 years since he moved from Liverpool to Barcelona for a whopping £142 million, the Brazilian playmaker is now an Aston Villa player, albeit only on a 6 month loan but still, this is one of, if not the most most high profile signing the club has ever made. An option to buy for a rumoured €30-€40 million euros at the end of the season makes it even more exciting if he is to recapture his old form at Villa Park. Yes his wages might be extortionate, but no, us fans aren’t paying them and you really can’t turn down the opportunity to sign someone of Coutinho’s calibre when just 3 years ago we were in the Championship, so let’s just enjoy this one yeah?
I think we have Steven Gerrard to thank for this one, friends with Coutinho, apparently Gerrard was in direct contact with Coutinho on numerous occasions throughout the negotiations. If this is the sort of calibre of player we can look forward to attracting under Stevie G, then bring it on!
Yes, he hasn’t enjoyed the best of times for himself personally at Barcelona, but as the saying goes, form is temporary, class is permanent and boy does Phillipe Coutinho have class. As Gerrard said himself in a press conference yesterday, you don’t get the nickname ‘Magician’ if you’re not an exceptional talent. He has everything you want in a number 10, close control dribbling, an immaculate first touch, eye of the needle passing ability and a hell of a long range shot. Reuniting with his old pal Stevie G could be the catalyst to get Coutinho back to his best, and I for one, cannot wait to see him in a Villa shirt.
Not only the fact that we’ve signed, on his day, a world class footballer, there are other positive impacts this transfer has for the club. Firstly, the publicity for the club is massive, it’s a huge statement of intent from the owners to bring him to the football club, one that makes opposition fans think, Villa mean business. The shirt sale figures will most likely hit the roof, it’s even tempted me to break my 15 year hiatus of having a players name on the back of a shirt. Secondly, the impact it will have on current players at the club, for example 20 year old Jacob Ramsey who is already showing big signs of progression under Gerrard will now have Coutinho to learn from and play alongside, it has to be exciting for the young lad from Great Barr. As well as Douglas Luiz, Emi Buendia and Emi Martinez having a new South American compatriot to play alongside.
Hopefully Coutinho will be everything and more we hope for and help us climb up the table and show enough for us to snap Barcelona’s hand off for the optional fee rumoured. Whether it works out or not I think we’re in for some exciting times under NSWE and Steven Gerrard.
Aston Villa host Arsenal at 12:30pm on Saturday 6th February.
A lack lustred performance last time out against West Ham will hopefully be the catalyst for a reaction from Villa at the hands of Arsenal this Saturday lunch time. Villa were set back by 3 goals to 1 in a game where they were out-fought, out-classed and were tactically out-done by an impressively organised West Ham. Villa have the chance to make amends and bounce back against an under-achieving Arsenal side who will also be looking to put things right themselves after losing a game against Wolves in which they looked on top and fairly comfortable before David Luiz conceded a penalty which saw him sent for an early bath right on half time. Villa sit 9th in the table on 32 points after 20 games, 4 points off the top six, 8 points off the top four with two games in hand and 1 point and one place ahead of today’s visitors with two games in hand over The Gunners. A win could climb Villa up to 7th, depending on results elsewhere. However, a win will only come if there’s a much improved performance to the one we saw Wednesday night and you could possibly argue, a better performance we saw in the narrow win against Southampton and most definitely a better performance than the second half in the loss against Burnley. So what’s gone wrong since that energised, fluid and dominant first half at Turf Moor less than a fortnight ago? For me there’s a few factors, obviously the covid outbreak did not help us whatsoever, the fact the effected players would have had to recover from a virus that heavily effects your muscles and causes tiredness as well not being able to have a full training session or properly prepare for upcoming matches. Then having to face an in form Man City side which is always a game where the work rate and pressing intensity has to be upped as you spend longer periods of the game without the ball. Secondly, which is factor but also a solution to the first factor is squad rotation. Now we know Dean Smith has his favoured XI bar one position and there’s some positives in having a nailed down starting XI but with the arrival of Morgan Sanson, the return from injury of Trezeguet, Anwar El Ghazi’s and Bertrand Traore’s goal scoring form and an impressive performance against Newcastle from Marvelous Nakamba there’s not the excuse there once was for us not having the strength in depth to rotate. Especially when it was quite evident to see Ross Barkley and John McGinn struggling in the latter stages of Wednesday Night’s game. For me personally and many Villa fans, on Saturday, we have to see a rotated side if we want to see a more energised and creative Villa display.
Predicted Aston Villa XI
As well as David Luiz, Arsenal will be without first choice goalkeeper Bernt Leno who was dismissed for handling outside the area in their loss to Wolves. A big boost for Villa, Icelandic international Alex Runarsson will make his full debut for The Gunners. The 25 year old came under criticism from fans after palming Mahrez’s effort into his own goal against Man City in the Carabao Cup. Although Arsenal will find some positives from their first half performance on Tuesday night, especially in the form of Buyako Saka who looked lively and troubled the Wolves back line on numerous occasions throughout the first 45 minutes. Pepe also caused problems playing off of the right hand side and curled a superb effort into the far corner for the opener. Arsenal’s form has been up and down in recent weeks so they arrive into this game with an unpredictability. If the reverse fixture is anything to go by, Villa shall be optimistic of a victory. It was a comfortable 3-0 win at The Emirates for The Villans when these two sides met back in November. However, Arsenal have introduced some young blood with the likes of Emile Smith-Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli who have seemed to have sprung a once down and depleted Arsenal team into some sort of life.
Predicted Arsenal XI
With that all said, an exciting affair awaits between two teams who boast a handful of dangerous players in the final third, I expect a much more even game than the reverse fixture but I expect there to be a few goals, hopefully Villa can get back to winning ways and cement the double over Arsenal for the first time since the birth of the Premier League in the 1992/1993 season where Villa came out 1-0 winners in both games.
If you rewind to last season, these two teams were in a relegation battle that went down to the wire and it was against The Hammers that Jack Grealish’s goal ultimately kept Aston Villa in the division on the final day of the season. Fast forward nearly 7 months and both of these teams fortunes have totally changed, both with their very own European aspirations.
The Opposition
West Ham visit Villa Park off the back of a 3-1 home defeat to last seasons Champions, Liverpool. However, their form beforehand is impressive, winning their previous 6 games in all competitions. David Moyes seems to have transformed West Ham into a very hard team to beat both home and away, they don’t play the prettiest of football but they find ways to pick up points from matches. Tomáš Souček being a vital cog in this winning mentality they have found. As well as being a solid ball winner in midfield, the Czech possesses a great threat from set pieces, scoring 7 goals in 20 games this season, making him their top goalscorer. Powerful centre forward Michael Antonio has also caused problems for Premier League defences this season, his bullish like approach and willingness to chase lost causes makes him a focal point to West Ham’s style of play. England international and Hammers captain Declan Rice who was at one point odds on to join Chelsea in the January window remains a West Ham player which is a massive boost for the rest of their season. The attacking efforts of Vladmir Coufal and Aaron Creswell from the full back positions have also impressed this season, they both top the charts for the highest forward pass percentage of defenders of clubs outside ‘the big 6’ in the league according to @TheOther14 on twitter. West Ham will be wanting to maintain their good form and will be hopeful of a win which will could put them just 1 point off the top four if results go their way.
What Happened Last Time?
Villa and West Ham met on the 30th November, where West Ham came out 2-1 victors in a game of VAR controversy where Ollie Watkins saw his equaliser ruled out for a marginal offside whilst seemingly being put into a chokehold by West Ham’s Ogbonna. Villa dominated possession and dominated the chances but as we’ve seen too many times this season, they didn’t take their chances, another good performance with nothing to show for it, which really asks the question; Imagine where Villa would be in the table if we had taken our chances and won the games where we’ve been the better team? However, tonights game is a chance to make up for the lost points and the undeserved loss the last time these two teams clashed.
What would a win for Villa mean?
Many Villa fans will have already checked the table numerous times, working out where a win takes us and where we’d go after winning the games in hand we have over the majority of sides in the top half. A win for Villa tonight could potentially move them up to 5th place depending on the Everton result as they travel to Leeds and currently sit 1 point ahead of Villa. However, it would not only mean a climb of the table but a massive boost of confidence and momentum going into the Arsenal game at Villa Park on Saturday but most importantly for the rest of the season, back to back wins in these two games would put Villa in the strongest position of the ‘outsiders’ to disrupt the top 6 of the league this season. The home games against teams in and around you are the games you have to be winning if you’re serious about a push for the European places. A European place would enhance the reputation of the club and would improve the finances of an already healthy football club. Tempting Jack Grealish to keep playing his football at his beloved Aston Villa is another big factor as to why a top six finish this season would be an incredible feat for Dean Smith’s men. Let’s hope we put in the performance we know this Villa team are capable of and pick up another massive 3 points on our quest for a European tour next season, dreaming of boozy away days in Cluj, Zagreb and Ludogrets.
Villa will be optimistic they can make it 5 wins out of 5 in a game that has the potential to be a mouth watering affair. They come up against new boys Leeds United who have been getting all the plaudits since their long awaited return to the Premier League after a 16 year abscence. Villa’s expectations for a result will be heightened after the news that England international Kalvin Phillips will be ruled out for six weeks. There remains doubts whether captain Liam Cooper and Diego Llorente will be fit to play on Friday night. Pascal Struijk has been hinted by Marcelo Bielsa to be Kalvin Phillips’ replacement in the Leeds XI. However there’s still that certain Bielsa factor about Leeds, that they could conjure up a result even without their best midfielder available.
Villa come off the back of a last gasp Ross Barkley strike to snatch all 3 points from Leicester on Sunday night. They made it four wins from four and are the only club in the first six English divisions to still hold a 100% record. It was a game of few chances unlike their last home game against Liverpool. So far Villa have looked compact at the back, only conceding 2 goals in their first four games, keeping 3 clean sheets in the process. Going forward, the addition of Ross Barkley has really brought a new dimension to the way Villa play. He’s another player who can drive and travel with the ball allowing Jack Grealish to run riot further up the pitch and vice versa, when all of the attention turns to Jack, space opens up for Barkley and when it’s a player of his calibre, it’s not wise to leave him too much space as we found out on Sunday. Ollie Watkins, albeit having quieter game against Leicester also has improved the way Villa go about their business in the final third, bringing the likes of Grealish and Barkley into the game with his work rate and hold up play up top. Villa will feel they can now go into any game and pick up the three points as they have already demonstrated so far.
Bielsa’s Leeds have caught the eye with their high intensity-attacking style of play. They have started the season well, picking up 7 points from their first 5 games. They ran Champions Liverpool close in their first game back to the Premier League, an entertaining spectacle that finished 4-3. They picked up their first win in another game full of goals against fellow newly promoted side Fulham. It appeared Leeds’ matches were going to be like a crazy, end to end, jumpers for goalposts game down the park. However, they picked up a clean sheet away next time out at Sheffield United in a 1-0 win. They followed it up with an impressive 1-1 draw in an exciting clash with Man City at Elland Road. After a good first half against Wolves last weekend, they were beaten 1-0 by a solid Wolves side who soaked up the first half pressure well and scored the vital goal in the second half that was enough to win the game. Leeds will undoubtedly miss their star man Phillips but they still have a good squad of players that know their job. Bamford has done well and silenced critics, popping up with 3 goals already this season. Mateusz Klich looks to be settling nicely in the centre of midfield. Jack Harrison and Helder Costa are dangers on the wing alongside new £30 million forward Rodrigo.
Both Villa and Leeds fans will be desperate to win this one, both sets of supporters have sparked up what can only be described as an online rivalry recently, it was all stemmed from the controversial game that was played between the two sides when they both last met in the Championship where Villa were allowed to walk the ball into the net after they deemed Leeds’ opening goal as unfair sportsmanship for not kicking the ball out of play for an injured player. I think we’ll see another entertaining game – no gifted goals and 22 man brawls but I envisage a free flowing game full of chances and drama. With no injury problems for Leeds, I don’t think too much would separate these two sides and I would’ve probably predicted a 2-2 draw but with the abscence of Phillips and possibly Cooper and Llorente combined with the momentum Villa take into this one, I think they will slightly edge this one and make it five wins from five to go top of the table for one day at least.
Villa went into this game 3 wins out of 3 and off the back of a remarkable 7-2 win against Liverpool. Confidence was high however Leicester are a great side and a loss would’ve not been a surprise, a draw would’ve been welcomed but a win would’ve continued a dream start to the season for Dean Smith’s men.
Pre game Villa’s confidence would’ve been boosted by the absence of Leicesters Jamie Vardy and Çağlar Söyüncü, whilst Villa were unchanged from the demolishing of Liverpool. It was a slow and quite honestly dull first half. Both teams were probably admittedly slightly off the pace and not at their best especially in the final third. Leicester started off on top and were getting into better areas than Villa. Although not really posing too much of a threat to the Villa defence. Emi Martinez holding on to a couple of half chances was about as much as there was to talk about in the first half. Jack Grealish was, as usual, looking the bright and creative spark on the pitch, most things Villa did went through him. Are you watching Mr Southgate? An Ezri Konsa header from a corner which just whistled wide of the post in the second half was the best chance both teams could muster up. Villa certainly looked the better team in the second half, more threatening going forward, John McGinn putting in another terrier like performance in midfield. Bertand Traore replaced Trezeguet who put in another big shift, his defensive efforts have really been appreciated this season. He may not be the most productive going forward at times but he undoubtedly does the dirty work very well. Traore himself had a header saved late on by Kasper Schmeicel in a game which looked like it was heading for a stalemate, but up steps Ross Barkley. A drop of the shoulder from John Mcginn saw Villa breakaway in the 91st minute, he laid the ball back for Barkley who tried his luck from range and found the bottom left corner. Jubilation from a Villa point of view in a game where we would’ve settled for a point and a clean sheet at this stage. The full time whistle blew, Leicester City 0- 1 Aston Villa. What a result. Villa are now four wins from four, three clean sheets from four games and the only English side to maintain a 100% record. Despite it being far from an entertaining affair, again all players didn’t put a foot wrong. Martinez did his job when called upon, Konsa and Mings appear to be forming a formidable partnership at the back, Cash and Targett were both equally as good at full back. The midfield three of Luiz, McGinn and Barkley showed it’s quality in parts, Jack Grealish put in another Man of the Match performance. Trezeguet put in another solid shift and Ollie Watkins worked hard and looked dangerous on the counter at times. What a start to the season it has been and may long it continue. Villa host Leeds United on Friday night and will be hoping they can continue their fine form and make it five wins from five. UTV.
We’re all guilty of getting sucked into all the latest transfer speculation and there’s nothing more exciting than your club signing new players. The anticipation of seeing the new men stepping out onto the Villa Park pitch and wearing the famous claret and blue is one of the most satisfying things about following this football club. Therefore I shall be documenting and evaluating the transfers as they happen and will give each transfer an excitement rating out of 10.
3.09.20 – Matty Cash
Finally, the moment we’ve all been waiting for; a signing! After a few weeks of twiddling our thumbs and refreshing our twitter feeds, first through the door is 23 year old Nottingham Forest right winger turned right back Matty Cash. Signed for a fee of £14 million rising to £16 million on a 5 year deal. Now, he’s not the biggest of names and is signed from the Championship but Cash possesses all the attributes needed to be a modern day Premier League full back. The combination of his attacking prowess and defensive determination makes him good value at the price we paid, just ask Forest fans. Cash loves to bomb forward, he has offensive qualities in abundance but also has a tremendous work rate and an aggression about his game that you can’t help but love. Because of these mixed bag of strengths he’s played a number of positions during his time at Forest including right wing, left wing and central midfield, versatility in a player is always handy. It’s up for debate whether we need to be signing a new right back but with Frederic Guilbert’s recent injury problems and Ahmed Elmohamady approaching 33 and in the last year of his contract, to me it seems like a clever piece of thinking ahead from Dean Smith and co, who described Forest’s player of the season last year as “One of England’s brightest young prospects”. I think Matty Cash will turn out to be a succesful piece of business for the club.
Excitement Rating : 7.5/10
09/09/20 – Ollie Watkins
Second to arrive, Sky Bet EFL player of the season and Brentford’s leading talisman Ollie Watkins on a 5 year deal. After a long few weeks of preparing bids and chasing the signature of the 24 year old, a fee of £28 million potentially rising to £33 million was accepted meaning he’ll reunite with former head coach Dean Smith. A new club record and a very hefty fee for a Championship player I must admit but to get what you want, sometimes you must over pay. Watkins boasted some impressive goal scoring stats last season – 26 goals in 50 appearances for the Bees, promisingly all of them from open play. This was just his first season playing a centre forward role, he previously played out on the wing, hitting double figures from there in his two previous seasons for Brentford. Like Matty Cash, Watkins looks like a ready made Premier League player. Pace, finishing, off the ball movement and heading are just a few of his many strengths, everything you want in your number 9. I’m very optimistic that Ollie Watkins’ contribution this season for Aston Villa will be a big one and I think he’ll end up being the prolific centre forward that last season deprived us of.
Excitement Rating : 9/10
16/09/20 – Emi Martinez
Signing number three of the window is 28 year old Argentinian goalkeeper Emilliano Martinez, for a reported fee of £16 million potentially rising to £20 million on a 4 year deal. During the back end of last season, Martinez stepped in to be Arsenal’s number one after an injury kept Bernd Leno out for the duration of the season. A nine game stretch saw Arsenal’s current longest serving player put in some impressive performances in between the sticks for The Gunners. He shed tears in the FA Cup Final win vs Chelsea after never getting much of a look in the first team, despite being on Arsenal’s books since 2010. After six loan spells, ranging from Getafe to Reading, he will now finally get his well earned chance as a first choice goalkeeper in the Premier League and I for one, am delighted it will be for Aston Villa. Martinez is a brilliant shot stopper. Standing at 6ft5 tall, he is commanding as a keeper can get, he makes the penalty area his own and puts defenders at ease when confidently plucking crosses out of the air which can’t really be said for Orjan Nyland. With Tom Heaton out till November, a new goalkeeper was deemed a priority by Dean Smith and fingers crossed Emi Martinez can be Villa’s number 1 for years to come.
Excitement Rating : 9/10
19/09/20 – Bertrand Traore
As expected the next through the door is Olympique Lyon winger and Burkina Faso international Bertrand Traore. Signed for a reported fee of £17 million on a 4 year contract. Despite a poor campaign in a cut short Ligue 1 for the French side, scoring just the 1 goal, in previous years Traore’s goal contribution figures are fairly promising. In his first season he scored 13 and assisted 4, the following season he scored 7 and assisted 2, which when you discount last season when at times he was in out of the picture and playing games at right wing back for Lyon, 20 goals over his first two seasons is a decent return. Football isn’t entirely based upon stats and Traore will bring a much needed injection of pace and directness on the wing for Villa. Blessed with quick feet and an array of flicks and tricks within his attacking arsenal, he will bring something we lacked in the final third last season. The only criticism I have is that he’s very left footed, he plays off the right and will always look to cut onto his stronger left foot in Arjen Robben fashion, which can prove to be predictable but he makes up for it with his ability to wriggle out of tight spaces and give himself the extra yards he needs. He’s likely to be frustrating at times but the talent is undoubtedly there and like any Villa signing he should be fully backed.
Excitement rating : 8/10
30/09/20 – Ross Barkley
Ross Barkley joins Villa from Chelsea on a season long loan making him our 5th signing of the window. Barkley, a recent England international who has made 202 Premier League appearances with 25 goals and 27 assists to his name was reportedly straight down the M1 after being in the squad but not getting any minutes in Chelsea’s Carabao Cup penalty defeat to Tottenham last night. The 26 year old will bring a skill set similar to our own Jack Grealish, superb dribbling skills and quality close control. Not only is he technically gifted on the ball, he has a big enough physique to bring a bit of much needed strength and presence to the Villa midfield. His game is to drive forward at players with pace before getting a shot away where possible. The proposition of Barkley and Grealish linking up with Watkins up top making clever runs, John McGinn being John Mcginn and Douglas Luiz in behind is a very exciting one. For me, this is a big coup for Villa and a massive statement of intent that Villa are making eye catching moves as a football club.
Excitement rating – 9/10
16/10/20 – That’s all, folks.
So there we have it. The international transfer window closed on the 5th October and now the exclusive window for Premier League and EFL clubs is now closed. Villa made 5 signings in total, with an estimated total spend of around £80 million. We welcome Matty Cash, Ollie Watkins, Emi Martinez, Bertrand Traore and Ross Barkley to Villa Park. As the window remained open whilst the new season got underway, let’s review the progress the new Villa men have made since signing.
Matty Cash has looked an excellent acquisition. He looks made for the Premier League. What’s impressed me most about Matty is his work rate. He gets up and down the right flank with productivity in attack as well as being defensively solid, especially at making well timed recovery tackles and stopping crosses into the box. His debut against Sheffield United saw him play some brilliant whipped crosses into the box. I’m liking what I’m seeing so far from him.
Ollie Watkins has already done what he was signed to do. 5 goals in 6 appearances in all competitions so far and hopefully he’s not going to stop there. A perfect hat-trick in an unbelievable 7-2 win against the Champions Liverpool got him off the mark in the Premier League. From what we’ve seen so far, Ollie looks like the real deal. He has a bit of everything – great hold up play, good in the air, a desire to get into goal scoring positions and his link up play are all parts of his game that have really impressed me. I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t hit 15 goals in all competitions this season.
Emi Martinez started off his Villa career with a penalty save and a clean sheet on his debut against Sheffield United, doesn’t get much better than that. Emi already has a fan favourite feel about him. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this confident in a Villa goalkeeper since Brad Friedel, like expected he commands his area well and claims crosses confidently. He followed up his Sheffield United clean sheet with one away at Fulham and then made a couple of important saves in the win vs Liverpool.
Bertrand Traore’s Villa debut began with a goal in the 3-0 Carabao cup win vs Bristol City, and what a goal it was. A first time side footed volley floated into the top corner, with his weaker foot too, so much for being one footed! He hasn’t made a Premier League start yet being kept out by the hard working Trezeguet but from what we can so far is that Traore is comfortable on the ball and backs himself when taking on players. Let’s hope he can prove himself to be a worthy first team starter when he gets the chance.
Ross Barkley had a debut to remember and one that for him on a personal level will be even sweeter being a boyhood Everton fan. He came straight into the starting line up in the win vs Liverpool which was deemed harsh on Hourihane at the time but proved to be the right call from Dean Smith on the night. Barkley gave us some added bite and drive in midfield. He linked up with Grealish well as well as taking some pressure of of Jack himself and got into some great attacking positions. He topped off his impressive debut with a goal, on another night he could’ve scored 3. But so far so good for Ross and long may performances and results like that continue.
Overall Window Rating : 9/10
This has been one of the best transfer windows Villa have had for some time. It’s been a window of quality over quantity, opposite to last season. Each individual signing have all impressed in one way or another and have all had a positive impact to Villa’s strong start to the season. Perhaps it would’ve been nice to sign another forward for cover or possibly a left back which is why I wouldn’t give it full marks of 10/10, but maybe that’s just me being greedy. Let’s hope Villa can continue their fine form and hope the new signings can continue to flourish in claret and blue. UTV.
If you were to say to me after the 4-0 loss to Leicester before the lockdown last season that next season Aston Villa will beat world champions Liverpool by 7 goals to 2 with an Ollie Watkins hat-trick and Ross Barkley getting on the scoresheet I would’ve laughed my head off, told you to stop dreaming and asked if you were referring to your save on FIFA career mode.
Yes, it actually happened. I think like many Villa fans I struggled to sleep last night, hooked on all the positivity on social media, the adrenaline rush was too big, I found myself watching Jack Grealish cheekily slide in the 7th goal on repeat and can’t help feeling like a proud father watching Ollie Watkins’ beaming smile in the post match interview after his perfect hat-trick.
Pre match, the general attitude towards the game was that this was a free hit and a realistically a draw against a formidable Liverpool side would’ve been a great result. An Adrian mistake after 4 minutes changed this perspective, gifting Jack Grealish the ball who put it on a plate for Watkins to slot the ball into the bottom corner for his first Premier League goal of the season. Moments later Grealish toyed with Van Djik and found Ross Barkley unmarked in the penalty area, the Chelsea loanee could only drag his shot wide. This was promising, getting into these kinds of areas against the Champions this early on in the game. However, as Villa fans know, the script usually reads that we were to be punished for a rued chance. This was not the case, some superb hold up play from Watkins saw a give and go with Grealish set him away down the left flank, with still a lot to do, he cut inside of Joe Gomez and found the top corner. Watkins at the double, Villa 2 Liverpool 0 with only 22 minutes on the clock. Just 10 minutes later, Mo Salah pulled one back for Liverpool, a collective harmony of ‘here we go’ would’ve rang around Villa fans front rooms when it went in. But no, throw away that imaginary script because just two minutes later, Villa found themselves two goals in front again, a Ross Barkley chance which led to the resulting corner where John McGinn’s deflected strike found the back of the net. It was evident Villa were getting much joy from Liverpool’s high line, and this was highlighted by Villa’s fourth and Watkins’ hat-trick from a set piece where Liverpool failed to work an offside trap, Trezeguet found himself free at the back post, all he had to do was plant it on Watkins’ head, he did just that, Villa with a 4-1 half time advantage. Madness.
With 45 minutes to play, if there was one team capable of salvaging a result from 3 goals down, it was Liverpool, so for many Villa fans, this game was far from over. A strong start to the second half was needed, any early Liverpool goals were not welcomed for the nerves and finger nails of Villa fans. Those nerves were eased just 10 minutes into the second half. Ross Barkley and Jack Grealish showing that the link up between them could ruffle a few feathers for defences this season, it was Barkley who’s deflected shot looped over the helpless Adrian. Aston Villa 5 Liverpool 1, what is happening. Again, Mo Salah pulled one back for Liverpool on the 60th minute. With half an hour to play, a three goal cushion is never that comfortable when you’re a Villa fan, especially against the quality of Liverpool. But Villa were not to collapse like so many times we witnessed last season, Jack Grealish this time getting in on the act, albeit another deflected shot which left Adrian wrong footed making it 6-2. Ollie Watkins had a couple of chances in the second half to increase the scoreline, his one on one effort was saved, followed by an effort striking the bar from close range. In all honesty, Villa could’ve easily hit double figures. You would’ve thought Liverpool may have learnt their lesson from their ridiculously high line against a confident and ruthless Villa outfit but it was exposed again, John McGinn playing a nice ball through to Jack Grealish who softly guided his shot into the bottom corner of Adrian’s near post. Aston Villa 7 (seven) Liverpool 2.
This will go down as one of the most impressive victories in Aston Villa’s top flight history. It’s a real shame that no fans were allowed inside Villa Park to witness it, the atmosphere would’ve been electric. A lot of talk will be that Liverpool were poor or if you’re Graham Souness, the grass was too long but the lion share of credit should be given to every single player in claret and blue who were all magnificent. Martinez did his job when needed, Matty Cash looking the complete full back, Konsa and Mings as solid as ever, Matt Targett putting in a big shift, Douglas Luiz tidying up and orchestrating attacks, John McGinn bossing the midfield, Ross Barkley bringing a new directness in the middle of the park, Jack Grealish continuing to prove his Gareth Southgate shaped critics wrong every game, Trezeguet typically working his socks off for the team and Ollie Watkins being the well rounded striker we’ve lacked for years. And a big shout out to Dean Smith, Craig Shakespeare, John Terry, Richard O’Kelly and all the backroom staff for getting it tactically spot on. The feel good factor is back as a fan of Aston Villa and it feels like the current regime in place has real potential to go to big places as a football club. UTV.
Our fate has finally been decided. A nerve wracking last day of the season saw us stay up by 1 point after a 1-1 draw with West Ham was enough to keep us up as Watford failed to beat Arsenal. This season has really been a roller coaster of emotions, from excitement and optimism after the first win of the season against Everton to disappointment and frustration after failing to hold on to results on numerous occasions. In the end, we got the job done, and to be quite honest if I was offered a cup final and a 17th place finish before the season started, I probably would’ve snatched your hand off. This season was all about just surviving then kicking on, to kick on there will need to be additions in the form of transfers, now that the transfer window is officially open and Dean Smith reportedly going to be fully backed by the board, I’m going to put forward a few ideas of personnel we could potentially sign as the start of the new season is less than 7 weeks away.
Striker(s) a must..
I think it’s evident to most, we lacked cutting edge in the final third this season. Wesley managed 4 goals in 20 or so appearances before his injury, Samatta doesn’t really look up to the pace or required level of the Premier League and Keinan Davis, although being a handful for defenders and a strong hold up option, can’t really hit a barn door. So therefore, at least 1, if not a couple of strikers will need to be signed to ensure we don’t have the repeat struggle of finding the back of net again in the forthcoming season.
One player I would love us to sign, which would be dependent on whether Fulham manage to win promotion is Alexsander Mitrovic. The 25 year old Serb has racked up 26 goals in 40 Championship games this season for The Cottagers. Not only is he a proven goalscorer, he’s a massive shithouse. The sort of player we need leading the line at Villa, he put’s himself about and doesn’t allow himself to get bullied. He scored 11 goals in relegated Fulham’s last Premier League campaign which is more than all 3 of our strikers combined this season. There’s no doubt that Mitrovic would come at a price considering Fulham paid £22 million – rising to £27 million for his services. You’d think Mitrovic’s head would be turned with Premier League interest if Fulham were to not get promoted and I think maybe a bid of around £25 million would possibly tempt Fulham to sell.
Another man that knows all about being prolific in the Championship and a player that Villa fans will be very familiar of is Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham. The 22 year old has an impressive 48 goals in 78 games at Championship level, spread between two loan spells at Bristol City and Villa. He helped us secure promotion back to the Premier League by becoming the first Villa striker to score 20 goals in a season since Peter Withe in 1981 and the first Villa player to score 25 in a season since Andy Gray in 1977. He’s been given a chance of first team football at Chelsea this season and he’s done pretty well, notching 15 goals in 34 appearances for them. However, with the signing of Timo Werner and Oliver Giroud currently first choice, Tammy is likely to be nothing more than a squad option next season and with Euro 2020 next year, that might not be good enough for him. A bid may tempt Chelsea to cash in on him and an offer of guaranteed regular first team football combined with the appeal of going back to a club where he was highly appreciated, Tammy may be swayed. Like all young talents, he will come at a price, a reported fee of £18 million was apparently agreed between Chelsea and Wolves before he decided to see out his loan spell at Villa last January, so you’d think an extra £10 million has been added to his price tag since then. Failing a permanent transfer, another loan spell could be possible.
Where’s the service?
It’s all well and good splashing out on a striker but even the best of them need service. A big reason why our strikers struggled to find the net was the lack of service from our wingers this season. Unless Grealish played out wide, we rarely had a player that was able to go past a man and get the needed yard or two to get a good ball into the box. El Ghazi at times showed glimpses of being able to do this but not often enough and whilst Trezeguet is a hard worker and popped up at the back post at right times to essentially keep us in the league this season, he just doesn’t have the quality to be a starting Premier League winger. And whilst Jota is technically a nice player, he just doesn’t have the pace, power or ruthlessness needed to be a successful winger at this level.
There’s nothing better than a winger that get’s you off your seat as soon as they pick up the ball. Eberechi Eze of QPR possesses quick feet and abundance of skill and pace. He may not be an out and out winger, more of a central attacking midfielder but he definitely has the attributes to play anywhere behind the striker. He managed a respectable 8 assists this season and he undoubtedly knows where the goal is, scoring 14 goals for the R’s. There is already interest from Premier League teams including Crystal Palace and West Ham which has seen QPR demand ‘at least £20 million’ for the 22 year old. Worth it in my opinion.
Like Eze, Saïd Benrahma has bags of ability, showcasing his wonderful footwork and devastating finishing for two Championship seasons on the bounce. A player we were very interested in last summer, but we felt the the asking price wasn’t worth the £25 million gamble. A move to Villa might be slightly more unlikely now that there’s a lot of publicity around him and reports of interest from Champions League qualifiers Chelsea after a very good Championship campaign for Brentford. Of course the likeliness will differ depending on which division Brentford will play in next season. However if Brentford fail to win promotion, a current asking price in the region of £30 million seems fair and could possibly be worth paying for the silky Algerian.
David Brooks’ return from injury saw Bournemouth find a new found spring in their step towards the end of project restart, the 23 year old Welshman was also on fine form last season, raising eyebrows with his mazey dribbling and ability to get into goalscoring positions, scoring 7 goals for the Cherries. However an ankle injury kept him out for the majority of this season. Brooks is a nippy winger, with quick feet and clever link up play. Similar to Grealish he has his socks rolled down low and has the suaveness in his play to match. I’m sure now that Bournemouth have dropped down to the Championship, many clubs will be looking at the availability of the £11.5 million signing from Sheffield United. With still plenty of years left on his contract, you’d think Bournemouth will probably be looking at getting double for what they paid for him. For his age and potential he could be very much worth a punt.
A player I really admire, and another one that will be dropping down to the Championship is Emi Buendìa of Norwich. Like the other 3 mentioned, Buendia is very technically gifted and works well in teams who play fluid, attractive football. Boasting some very impressive chance creation stats this season in a poor Norwich side -up there with the best. I feel Buendia would be a very good addition to the squad and will no doubt have a lot of interest. He could possibly an ideal replacement if Jack Grealish were to depart but even better if they were to link up at B6. Yet again talent comes at a cost, Norwich will be looking at £20 million and upwards for this Argentinian talent.
Other Additions?
A player that I really wish we’d signed last summer is loan hero Axel Tuanzebe. But it may not be too late for a reunion to be on the cards. Although he may have problems with injuries, currently out till September, Tuanzebe would a great addition to our defence. Forming a solid partnership with Mings in the Championship, Tuanzebe would offer some much needed quality and competition to the defence. It seems it would be a perfect move for both parties. Hard to know what the asking price would be, but if I had to guess, somewhere in the region of £15 million could tempt Man United to let Tuanzebe get the regular Premier League football he deserves.
Although we have some very talented midfield players in Jack Grealish, John McGinn and Douglas Luiz. A bit of added physical strength would do nicely. A player that does the dirty work that will allow those said players to express themselves more further up the pitch. StevenNzonzi would add just that. There has been interest from Villa in the past and standing at 6ft5, N’Zonzi is not only physically capable, he’s actually a very good technical football player, Nzonzi would be perfect to sit in front of our defence. He’s also no stranger to England after spells at Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers. He’s currently contracted to Roma but has been sent out on loan twice suggesting he’s not needed at the Stadio Olympico. At 32 the out of fancy Frenchman could do a job for two or three seasons. Ettiene Capoue like his fellow compatriot Nzonzi is now in his early 30’s and for me, is a criminally underrated defensive midfielder, ask Watford fans. He’d add strength in depth, quality and bags of experience. Watford going down could mean a Premier League team will require his services as he nears the final years of his career in the top flight, which I would be very much in favour of it being with Aston Villa.
A bit of competition at left back would be welcomed. Antonee Robinson of Wigan Athletic was denied a move to AC Milan on deadline day in January. The American born youngster has a release clause of just £1.5 million if Wigan were to drop down to League 1, which has happened after a 12 point deduction (pending appeal). Neil Taylor is nothing more than a half decent back up option and Matt Targett could do with a well needed kick up the backside and the signing of Robinson could do just that.
Other ideas?
A few names that I have seen floating around on twitter and a few of my own suggestions that could maybe be reasonable include Milot Rashica of Weder Bremen, Ollie Watkins of Brentford, Xherdan Shaquiri on a free transfer, Ismalia Sarr and Gerard Delefeou of Watford, Jeremie Boga of Sassuolo, Callum Wilson and Josh King of Bournemouth, John Swift of Reading, Flynn Downes of Ipswich, Todd Cantwell of Norwich.
The transfer window will be an important one for Villa and it’s important we get it right. It won’t be a complete overhaul like last summer but there are obvious areas that need strengthening in order for us to build on our survival and to kick onwards and upwards in the Premier League. I would expect five or six new additions and I can see our transfer record being broken to bolster our attacking areas. Hopefully there will be some exciting things happening within the next few weeks.
As relegation is starting to look more and more inevitable with West Ham showing the needed fight of a team in a relegation battle to overcome Chelsea in a 3-2 victory last night, something we’ve failed to do ourselves during Project Restart. This will mean some players will have to move on and some players will stay. I’m going to take a look at which categories the players in our squad will fall into if the dreaded relegation is to happen.
Who Stay’s?
Let’s start with goalkeepers. Tom Heaton having been injured for the majority of the season will most likely stay and return to be our number 1 in the championship if we drop. His understudies are likely to be current number 1 Orjan Nyland and play off hero Jed Steer. I think it’s likely the majority of our defenders will stay. Frederic Guilbert, when fit, has more than done enough to cement himself as our first choice right back whatever division we find ourselves in next season. Ezri Konsa, still only 22, signed as a player for the future should also stay at the club whatever happens, I think he would prove to be very solid first choice centre back in the championship. Bjorn Engels at times has shown to be a good shot blocker and aerial threat at centre halve, so like Konsa, I can see him being a good option to have at the back if we go down. Kourtney Hause in my opinion is a championship standard player so should we drop I think he’ll still be part of the squad next season. Both left backs, Matt Targett and Neil Taylor will be good options to have in the championship and I see no interest in either from other clubs. Moving onto the midfield which is where undoubtedly our most valuable assets lie. I can see this being a position we’ll need to invest in if we go down. I expect Conor Hourihane to stay, a good player to have at championship level who will get you goals. Anwar El Ghazi on his day has already proved to be a threat from the wing especially at championship level so I expect him to be kept at the club. This one may divide opinion but I think Jota will still be at the club if we get relegated. Like Hourihane and El Ghazi, the championship is his probably his level and I feel like he could be a decent option to have. 19 year old Jacob Ramsey could be one of our youth prospects promoted to the first team after a promising loan spell with Doncaster Rovers in League 1, I would not be surprised to see him get some minutes at championship level. After a season ending injury, Wesley will return still an Aston Villa player next season. He’ll be itching to get back out there and prove his worth so I can’t see any reason why he would leave the club or any reason why any other club would take a gamble on him. Can also see Keinan Davis being a regular feature in the side if we drop, he’s shown glimpses of being a real handful for Premier League defenders so you’d feel with regular football in a division lower we will see him flourish.
Who Go’s?
Right now onto the brutal reality of players having to move on for the better of their careers and perhaps the relief of being able to see the back of a few players. There’s no reason why Pepe Reina will be needed to sign permanently so he shall be gone. I’d love for us to keep hold of Tyrone Mings to try and get us back to the Premier League should we drop but the reality is that he’s too good for the championship. After breaking into the England squad he’ll be needing to play at the very top level to increase his chances of making the Euro 2020 squad. I can see him joining someone like Arsenal, they’re in need of someone like Mings at the back and I think if we can get back what we paid for him to reinvest into the squad then we can’t complain too much. The obvious one for this category is Jack Grealish. There has been a lot of interest in him already from Tottenham, Man Utd and most recently Man City. Let’s be honest, we probably would be bottom of the league currently without him. He’s far too good for Aston Villa and there’s zero chance he’ll still be here next season if we go down. Like Mings, to get himself in the England squad he’s going to have to play at the top level. I personally think he will leave whether we stay up or go down, the price tag on him will be the only thing differing. I think £50 million would be a fair price for all parties should we drop. I can’t see Danny Drinkwater being signed permanently and I can see Henri Lansbury moving on to a championship team after hardly featuring for us in whatever division we’ve been in. There has already been talks of Trezeguet signing for Besiktas if we go down so I expect he’ll be gone too. Mbwana Samatta swapped European football for Premier League football so I can see himself wanting to move on if we go down after only signing in January.
Who Know’s?
There’s a few players that are lurking in the grey area. A uncertainty of what there future will hold. Ahmed Elmohamady could be used as back up but then again is getting on a bit so we may attempt to get him off the wage bill. I would love for us to be able to keep Douglas Luiz if we go down and in reality he’ll probably be poached by somebody after his impressive displays during the restart. However, he’s still young and will no doubt get his time playing for a top club in the future, so maybe a bit of persuading for him to have the opportunity to become a fan favourite and play a big part in getting us back to the Premier League could sway his decision to stay. Marvellous Nakamba is another tricky one, signing from Club Brugge who featured in the Champions League last season. That will be in his mind if we go down, although he wouldn’t be missed too much but I’m not too sure who would want to sign him so I wouldn’t be surprised if he stays. Super John McGinn, perhaps controversial but like Luiz, it would be great if we can hold onto McGinn if we go down. My thinking is that after his injury he’s looked slightly heavy footed and obviously not fit so he hasn’t been catching the attention like he did before his injury. I can imagine our asking price would be fairly hefty and McGinn seems like the character that just wants to get his head down and do the best for his current club. Andre Green could possibly be used as part of the squad after a couple of championship loan spells but i’m unsure whether he will be at the time of his career where he will start wanting first team football rather than being patient for an opportunity at Villa before probably being released when his contract is up.
If we do go down, I feel like keeping the majority of our squad together and let them improve and develop together as a unit with investment where needed, would be the best way of being prepared for another bash at the Premier League. This could also mean another lifeline for Dean Smith and his backroom staff, after all he was the man that got us promoted, so he’s already done it and knows the division. However I would not be against getting in Sean Dyche who has been rumoured to be unsettled at Burnley because of player contract issues.
Here’s what a Villa XI and subs in the championship could look like next season (without investment)…
‘THE FALLEN GIANTS ARE BACK ON THEIR FEET’ was the commentary that stood out when we gained promotion back to the promised land of the Premier League. A day that really felt like it could be the start of a new beginning at Villa. One of us as our manager, one of us as our captain, new owners with big pockets, a head on their shoulders and no mathematic riddles to solve on twitter.com. I think we can all agree, the first season back is about survival and then Dr Tony’s 5 year plan to make us the biggest sporting team the world has ever seen will still be alive and kicking…. all jokes aside, escaping relegation would mean a decent foundation to build on and eventually, work our way back up to the dizzy heights of European football that we’d seen not so long ago in the past. However that bubble is in real danger of being burst…
With 6 games to go, we sit in 19th place in the Premier League, despite it only being on goal difference, we have some really tricky fixtures. Relegation is looking like a very real possibility. I’m going to try and dissect why our recruitment this season could prove costly for our first season back in the top division.
It was obvious we were going to have to spend in the summer considering the squad that got us promoted was heavily populated with older players in the last year of their contracts and loanees. You could argue we could’ve kept on some of the older players for a bit of experience for another season but the thought of Glen Whelan hobbling back into position after Liverpool stick their 9th past us at Anfield is not a pretty one. Although I would’ve given Mile Jedinak a new contract just for the iconic stare to the away end after his penalty at the Hawthorns.
The loan signings turned into permanents pretty much signed themselves, Tyrone Ming’s was a no brainer, a bit pricey in the end, but the bloke played a massive part in our promotion, a rolls royce of a defender at Championship level. El Ghazi racked up enough good performances to justify an £8 million move from Lille. Kourtney Hause seemed like a decent back up option at centre halve for a small fee from Wolves as well as being a future Glastonbury headliner. It’s a real shame Axel Tuanzebe wasn’t signed for another season considering when fit, Man United haven’t gave him a look in this season. Tammy Abraham would’ve been nice to have leading the line but he’s onto bigger things and had a successful scoring campaign with parent club Chelsea.
Jota was the first to join from Small Heath in a cash/player swap deal with Gary Gardner which was a bit of a weird one but at the time seemed pretty shrewd, Dean Smith had already worked with him at Brentford and we were signing their most technically gifted player in exchange for someone who was just never going to play for us again. Trezeguet looked like he could be an exciting signing, albeit no one knowing who he was but his highlights on Youtube looked promising but then again Gabby Agbonlahors highlight reel can be manipulated for him to look as good as Prime Messi. Plus giving himself the name ‘Trezeguet’ for no other reason than his former youth manager thinking he resembled him. ‘Tonev’ may have been more apt. Bjorn Engels was brought in at centre back from Ligue 1 in France, another unknown signing. The transfer policy was clear to see, cheaper, younger players from abroad. Talks of Kalvin Phillips being a target popped up quite a bit. £30 million the asking price. We signed Marvelous Nakamba and Douglas Luiz instead. Villa fans deemed this much more sensible, signing two players in the same position for cheaper than the price of one. Wesley signed from Club Brugge, a young Brazilian striker costing us just over the £20 million mark. This one was exciting I must admit but was also seen as a risk as it was evident we had to rely on a 23 year old with one leg longer than the other with not the best goal scoring record in the Belgian league to fire us to safety in the Premier League. Ezri Konsa joined from Brentford, seen as ‘one for the future’ by most. Brentford fans verdict was that we had just signed their 4th best centre back for £12 million which seemed worrying but we were just happy that so many signings were happening in such a short space of time. ‘Doing a Fulham’ were the shouts from fans of other teams. Tom Heaton from Burnley was a solid addition, a very good goalkeeper and an England international. This was dissimilar to the rest of the signings. Matt Targett was signed from Southampton for £17 million, a little pricey but at the time we desperately needed a left back with just Neil Taylor on the books, plus Targett was a regular in the Fulham team that defeated us at Wembley in the Play off Final the season before. Frederic Guilbert was already signed and loaned back to SM Caen the previous season. He boasted some promising stats in Ligue 1. Signings made in January included Mbwana Samatta, Danny Drinkwater, Pepe Reina and Borja Baston.
Before a ball was kicked, the summer window was fairly promising to many with lots of new faces at the club. The recruitment plan from Suso and co seemed exciting and the right thing for the club at the time. However, throughout the season, I think it has showed to be our biggest downfall. Many times a lot of blame has gone the way of the man responsible for the summer signings..
First of all, we were going into the season with three strikers, Wesley, unproved with a nothing too spectacular scoring record in a weaker league. Jonathan Kodjia, who had never been the same player he once was for us after a serious injury. Keinan Davis who was still just a promising youngster with a goal or two at Championship level but nothing more. In the Premier League to be a decent team you need a goalscorer that can get you 15 goals a season to keep you afloat, failing that two or three players that can get 7/8 each. So it was very naive of us going into our first season back as a Premier League side with those said players as our strike force. Secondly, for me, we needed to sign another winger. Another department where we left ourselves short. A good pre season for Andre Green was rewarded with a loan move to the Championship. El Ghazi, Trezeguet and Jota were our only three, which is just a really poor selection for this level. For me, Said Benrahma from Brentford should’ve been signed regardless of if Brentford wanted slightly more than we were willing to pay. And it has been proved that our wingers have really struggled to provide enough service for our strikers and haven’t really contributed enough themselves goalwise. El Ghazi has cropped up with a goal here and there but just hasn’t been up to the standard required. Trezeguet, who usually replaces the former on the 70th minute mark, the most predictable substitution the league has ever seen, just isn’t good enough. Jota just has no real pace about him and with a lot less time on the ball in this league, he’s struggled in the majority of games he’s featured. Which has seen Jack Grealish being played at left wing for the majority of the season, sometimes isolated. You really need your best player to be at the heart and middle of everything so pushing him out to the left where he see’s less of the ball seems crazy to me. Thirdly, we needed to sign a ball winning midfield general, a shithouse if you like. There’s no arguing we have bags of talent in the central midfield area. Jack Grealish and John Mcginn at the top of their game are both capable of playing for top 6 sides. Douglas Luiz is a technically very talented player but just hasn’t shown much steel needed in the anchor of midfield to drag away from a relegation battle and Marvelous Nakamba despite working hard, just really isn’t that big of a presence or difficult to out-muscle in midfield, and his not so marvellous footballing ability would cancel that out anyway. If you look at other teams above us they all have at least one midfielder who possess a good mixture of height and strength. Watford have Doucoure, Southampton have Romeu. Palace have Kouyate. Newcastle have Hayden. You get the point. Our midfield has just been far too lightweight this season. Fourthly, a bit of added experience would’ve done nicely. We were linked with Gary Cahill on a free transfer, who eventually went to Palace. I just cant help but think he would’ve been a perfect partner for Mings this season. He’s been there and done it. A Premier League winner. Disappointing seeing as he’ll probably be deemed as one of the signings of the season. Instead we signed Bjorn Engels, Ezri Konsa and Kourtney Hause. Zero Premier League experience between them at a position that requires great responsibility. A striker with Premier League experience who knows where the net is would’ve helped our difficulty to find the back of the net. Easier said than done but Southampton signed Danny Ings who has reached 20 goals in all competitions for a similar price to what we paid for Wesley who really didn’t look like he was able to hit a barn door at all before his goal against Burnley which unfortunately ended up being the game that ended his season. Samatta signed in January, he bagged on his debut away at Bournemouth but has not been able to fire us away from the relegation zone. Keinan Davis has shown signs of being a decent hold up target man who has given defenders a hard time during the restart of the Premier League but he himself struggles to find the net.
I understand in the summer we needed to sign practically a whole new squad of players on a budget of around £150 million, and it’s obviously quite a hard process finding and signing players, this is real life and not Football Manager after all. However I think looking far too much into this new recruitment policy of players on the right side of 20 with possible resale value has really cost us. The quality of players signed just wasn’t good enough to the point where I almost feel sorry for them being slated every weekend when in reality they’re performing to the best of their abilities, they just have nothing more to offer. The January signings have turned out to be just as bad excluding Samatta who’s looked useful at times. But an unfit Danny Drinkwater gifting Man City goals on his debut at Villa Park, a bald Pepe Reina rushing out of his area for no reason at all against Leicester and Borja Baston this week being released after playing less than 20 minutes of football for Aston Villa is a real accurate representation of the recruitment in general.
lewisclamp 