OK, must admit this transfer window has been no fun. That isn’t aimed at the club or manager by the way, just usually I can at least do articles on all the ridiculous press links but this one was stamped on fairly early with MON saying he didn’t expect to be buying anyone.
The little opti voice sitting on my shoulder can’t help but keep wondering if a surprise might not arrive before the window closes though..! lol
Oh and no, I don’t think so. All eyes on the summer then as once again I’m sure budgets will be in place and hopefully our ever increasing profile and (fingers crossed, prayer mats out etc) maybe we’ll finish one or dare we dream two places higher than last years 6th and again, we’ll be looking at a totally different ball game – well, if we finished 4th we would at least.
Anyway, only snippets I can see today that are of even the slightest interest are links to players we have been linked to possibly going to other clubs. Does that make sense!?
The Mirror say that Sunderland will bid £9million for Spurs striker Robbie Keane. We have been linked to him for years (the old myth was that Doug wouldn’t shell out an extra £500k which cost us his signing from Wolves, as happy as I would be to say it was Doug’s fault, it actually wasn’t – not that one anyway…! – John Gregory admitted that every time he watched Keano for Wolves he seemed to have an off day so didn’t go for him). Would he be good for us now? I’d say so, but I’m not the manager or the bloke who has to shell out the money, so much easier when you just have to sit behind a keyboard isn’t it?! I’d still love to dream though, that quality up front with Gabby Agbonlahor with Heskey as a good option from the bench AND with the Fonz still to come through (and through he WILL come). My mouth is watering.
Oh sorry, not just the Mirror, the News of the World also have a story on it, an ‘exclusive’ no less. They say Keane is on around £80k a week in wages. Nice work if you can get it I guess!
Hey ho!
What else?
Well, the Mirror suggests the arrival of Keane to Sunderland will signal the sale of Kenwyne Jones to Liverpool. Bothered? No, me neither. Not one that would really get the juices flowing for me I must admit. Don’t know that much about him but he does – from what I’ve read this month since we were linked early on in Jan – seem to be a player who blows very hot and cold. In John Carew we have one of those types already I think. I also always struggle to remember whether it is Kenywne or Kenwyne so that will save me a problem in him not becoming a Villa player, these sort of considerations are very important you know?!?!
And finally….. flame suit on!
The Mirror say that Manchester United will let Michael Owen go at the end of the season. Go on Villa, nip in now and grab him! Yeah, I know he isn’t getting any younger, yeah, I know he is injury prone but hey, he also knows where the back of the net is and with our supply (see Liverpool loss, we had how many chances before they won? See Arsenal game, we had how many chances to win but drew? See Blackburn away, see West Ham away, see Wolves away… need I go on? No please don’t Fear I hear you call… blimey, voices in my head yet again)
What I am also thinking is imagine the experience and skill he has? What might that add to the games of still developing Gabby? What might Nathan Delfouneso also learn from this past master? That could add 20% to both our young strikers games, worth the wages alone surely?
Then also for the rest of this season the former Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle and England star would also be gunning to get us goals to a) prove Sir Alex Chewalot wrong (remember he scored in the Champions League and then was dropped, so he is still scoring at the top level!) b) to try to force his way to the World Cup finals.
How much more of an incentive would he need? Remember also, Owen said that Emile Heskey is the best partner he has ever played with?
A gamble? Not really is it? Also he is a ‘name’ bums on seats player and as said, the experience he can pass on is immense.
Hey ho, pretty sure this is the last transfer window article, would have been lovely to see some class move our way but looking at all arrivals, very little has happened, there haven’t been any ‘damn we have missed out on a beauty there’ moments and I do believe that our focus again will be on the summer where I’m sure funds will once again be available as will a few players who I would imagine would be on their way out.
Marlon Harewood would be gone now you’d think, even if only on loan, if not for breaking his toe, sorry metatarsal. John Carew if memory serves me right only has one year left on his contract come the summer, with his hot and cold performances and injury record, I’d not be surprised to see him move on either? Then again, if he comes back from injury like he did last winter and starts banging them in again in the last half of the season, maybe he’ll get to sit out his final year of his contract, can’t see that they’ll be offering a new one. Nigel Hokey-Cokey will also surely be gone, again I think he is entering the last year of his contract next season and with Fulham already said to have been interested this January before he got injured, that seems a decent destination for the chap who it appears wants a return to London.
So come midnight tonight, we can stop fretting and looking at the press links and look forward to the end of this season showing we have grown, are at a final with another to aim for and no second half season capitulation like we’ve seen so many times before.
COME ON YOU VILLA.
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