Angel Not Going At Christmas!

Reports earlier in the week suggested that O’Leary had tried to swap Angel for Liverpool striker Morientes. Other reports went one step further claiming the Villa boss will try to off-load the player in January. However O’Leary has moved swiftly to play down the talk: ‘That is a load of rubbish and I don’t want to say any more because such speculation doesn’t deserve any more.’

He also admits that he saw Baros as a strike partner for Angel and had brought Kevin Phillips in as a ‘great squad member.’

‘I bought Baros to play off a target man and I’m looking for Angel to be that man. That’s the partnership I saw.’

Adding that ‘Angel must get back into scoring ways to force his way back into the team. To get him back to the way he was two years ago, he needs to start scoring goals. That’s what strikers are judged on. He was bought for £9.5million and he was bought to create and score goals. At that sort of price, it’s not just scoring or creating – for that money you do both. That’s what it’s about.’
Adding: ‘The bottom line, and it will change us for the better, is now to get him scoring goals. It’s what strikers are paid for. We’ve seen him do it in the past and it’s what we’re hoping for.’

We asked if you thought Angel should be sold and 59% said he should be and that he is a one season wonder. 21% said not until the end of the season with 20% sticking by the Columbian striker.

Our new poll asks if you would swap Peter Crouch for Juan Pablo Angel!