Juan Pablo Angel – Spent Force?

Juan Pablo Angel has promised, despite missing two penalties this season (one being converted via the rebound and the other, v Spurs at the weekend, hitting row z), that he wants to carry on taking them.

Hmmm, not sure about that. I’ve always been a big Angel fan, but he is starting to cost us points in positions where an instinctive striker would surely score?

Angel suffered, what in technical terms is known as ‘a mare’ (!) on Saturday against Tottenham and he said: ‘I’ve never had a more bizarre minute or so. It was crazy. Stuart Taylor shouted ‘leave the ball’ but in that split second I got a touch. It was a fantastic goal from Gareth Barry, one of the best I’ve seen, and it was a great relief for us and especially for me. After the own goal and the missed penalty I was disappointed.’

‘But with the penalties, I’ll keep going. It doesn’t change at all. Overall I’m pleased with the performance of the team, especially for the last 30 minutes of the second half. We showed great determination and we saved a point. The own goal acted like a kick to us and we started to play well and pushed forward and created some chances at the end and could have won.’

Angel has to start playing as good a game as he talks. Our record signing looked in his second season at Villa that he was set to become a Holte End hero, but things really haven’t gone well since and surely with new money coming to the club, he only has so many chances to prove that he isn’t a spent force. I hope he does it, but I’m – like many fans – starting to have serious doubts. Come on Juan, set us straight.

Our latest poll asks if Juan Pablo Angel is a spent force or a force to be recogned with?