Villa Fan In Search Of Logic!

In Search of Logic

The football season has ended and the transfer window has been open for about two weeks and most of the clubs in the Premier League have, so far, not purchased a new player. For the life of me I cannot work out why there has been so little activity in the transfer market. To me it does not make sense, so obviously I am missing something. Something really, really important, but what it is I know not.

I will focus on Villa to illustrate the point, but, frankly virtually any team except Manchester City would do – you can’t include City, because Mark Hughes is a bit like a pauper who has been given a sack full of money and told to buy whatever he wants at the January sales. And he’s off, throwing money everywhere buying everything is sight that he thinks is good value. Let’s worry about whether it all fits when we get it home.

But, when it comes to most of the other teams? Well, I don’t know! Staying with the January sales theme, if I was going to buy from them I would first of all try to identify what I need to buy and then go an reconnoiter the goods on offer and earmark in my own mind precisely what I want to go after and in what order. Then, when the sales open I would be in like a whirling dervish chasing after to pieces I want anxious to get to them before someone else snatched them off the shelf before me.

So, two weeks after the sales opened I would have my hands on most of what I wanted. I would do it early because sometimes, when you look closer at the item you have in mind, it may not be what you want so you have to look at other options. Then as the sales progressed I may take a little longer to find a couple bargains others may have overlooked – it does happen.

What I would not do is to wait until all the bargain hunters have finished and then go in and look at what is left, or wait, like some shoppers do, to buy their turkeys at 4 o’clock on Christmas Eve at the Bull Ring Market and hope it will be all right, even though it is sold at a knock down price because no else wanted it. You see what I mean?

Now back to Villa, we have all known for some considerable time that we need another RB plus a CB, to replace the almost irreplaceable and a midfielder to replace our cash defector. That is to even stand still. Who else we buy is a matter of debate, but most agree that three or four others would be the least we need if we are to make progress again next season. The run-in last season has clearly demonstrated that those whom we have, with the possible caveat of team selection, is not enough to sustain a challenge for the full season

So why are we not buying when the available pool of players is at its largest? As I said at the beginning, I must be missing something. Please, will someone with more knowledge that I have about the wiles of football management please enlighten me. Then perhaps my angst will subside and I will have gained an invaluable piece of knowledge and perhaps some peace of mind..