Moustapha Salifou Close To Debut?

Martin O’Neill has been talking to the official site about summer signing Moustapha Salifou and hints that he might not be too far away from first team action. The Togo international midfielder has played two blinders for the reserves after sorting out his work permit problems.

‘I thought he did very well for the reserves last week. He did very well indeed. He was very comfortable with it. His fitness is getting better, and his attitude has been very good. And in the practice game we had against Birmingham City in the second-half… he is doing really well now and is getting to grips with it.

‘He may, interestingly, be a wee bit closer than I had anticipated.’ It seems the Villa boss is happy with the no risk purchases saying, ‘You could say he offers us something different, but not just that. The couple of times he broke forward at the edge of the box he shaped up as if he was going to hit it with his left foot, then checked back again. He was impressive. The fans applauded him when he went off injured, and he got applauded on again. He did well.’

Randy.Stand said in his match report for the Villa reserves v the Spurs stiffs: ‘Salifou was fantastic, that good he got a standing ovation from the supporters even at a reserve game.’

Looks like Martin O’Neill might just have pulled off a blinder here, certainly a no risk transfer for the money anyway.