Perhaps being Villa fans, we are the definition of eternal optimists. Given the bizarre management of the club in recent seasons, this probably isn’t surprising to the average outside, that in order to follow Aston Villa, you have to look for the positives.
However, the last few days have been testing for the best of us.
After the damaging U-Turn from Fabian Delph we now have to watch as the expected departure of Christian Benteke comes to fruition.
Whilst the Delph exit caught everyone off guard – the Benteke transfer always had a sense of inevitability about it. Whilst Villa included a ridiculous release fee of £32.5m for the Belgian, presumably on the assumption in part that if anyone was desperate enough, they would pay it, why didn’t this happen with Delph?
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
But anyway – this blog discussed at some length the merits of a Benteke move to elsewhere in the Premier League or abroad. I’m not ashamed to say I am still staggered that Benteke feels Liverpool is the next best move. For Villa, it’s a windfall. If, as the reports suggest, Benteke joins Liverpool, they will merely be a springboard to another move for him in 18 months to 2 years time.
To offset the above; I have huge respect for Liverpool – they have an illustrious history and are a huge football club. However, they are no longer amongst footballs elite & that is ultimately where Benteke is heading. If he fails to raise them to another level, he will be discarded along with the manager. If he achieves what we know he is capable of, he will be plucked from Anfield just as Torres, Suarez & Sterling were.
Christian is due to undergo a medical Monday with it reasonable to assume that come midweek a deal will have been announced. One imagines that Liverpool will want a close look at his achilles.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
It’s now also becoming a daily ritual that an Adebeyor link appears in the press. I’ve reflected over and over on the thoughts behind any such deal, and it’s success would depend completely upon Sherwood re-finding that glimmer of form they showed together at Spurs. On the flip side, if has all the hallmarks of a classic, costly & regrettable Villa signing. A £4m fee & £100k per week wages may be a stumbling block…
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
Ron Vlaar has been dealt a significant blow in his hopes to secure a contract following becoming a free agent at the end of the season. The Dutch international has revealed a serious knee injury will keep him out until at least the new year. Whilst this is terrible luck for him personally, it does show that Villa dodged a bullet in some respects. Vlaar allowed a renewal to his Villa deal to lapse & given this and his injury is not expected to be revisited.
Vital Villa have also posed the question about what happens to fans who bought shirts with Delph on the back after he “committed” his future. Whilst it’s reasonable to assume that the club must and will honour this – it’s not yet confirmed.