As I write, a few days before the FA Cup Final and in the immediate aftermath of another truly forgettable League season, I can almost taste the relief.
With a flat finish following defeats in the final two matches, there is plenty to be done during the summer, in several key areas, and the focus must surely include retaining the services of Christian Benteke. There will undoubtedly be massive interest again in the Belgian, with Manchester United and Liverpool (to name a couple in this country) looking for fresh firepower, and possibly some of Europe`s top clubs casting admiring glances in the direction of B6.
Losing Benteke (if he does move on) may not be the disaster we think, as the £30m plus we ought to receive would surely be spent in part on a straight replacement.
We have Libor Kozak set to return from his long-term injury, and I felt he looked a great prospect when he first arrived – 4 goals in 9 games is certainly promising.
Callum Robinson has returned from a very successful loan spell and Tim Sherwood seems excited by his potential, and we now have Scott Sinclair on a permanent deal.
Andi Weimann is reported to be on his way out, which is a shame actually. He`s only 22, and has scored 24 goals in 91 games for us, which is not too bad a return for someone so young in such a poor team. I`d be tempted to keep him around – we need to find the right system for him, and there hasn`t really been enough time under Sherwood to see if he will work out.
Elsewhere, our midfield is looking much more effective than at any time under Paul Lambert, with Grealish bursting through and Delph, Cleverley and Westwood all looking like Premier League players finally.
N`Zogbia has been re-invigorated and Sanchez could still be a useful squad player. I vaguely remember a young Spaniard putting in a few decent games just after Christmas, but his name escapes me (and apparently, Tim Sherwood), so I`m guessing he is ‘persona non grata` around these parts.
On paper, our defence is actually not too bad, but the poor form and bad habits of the past few years seems indelibly ingrained in their psyche, and may well be impossible to overturn. A back four of Hutton, Okore, Clark and Baker, for instance, is good enough for me (considering we are highly unlikely to attract the likes of Raphael Varane or Gerard Piqué). With Bacuna, Vlaar (maybe), Bennett and Senderos in reserve, things aren`t as desperate as they might seem.
We`ve been crippled by injury over the past few months, and if training and fitness can improve this for next season, we should be ok. Obviously, we need investment in the squad, to remove dead wood and for Tim to stamp HIS authority on our style of play.
A full season with the current squad would, in my opinion, result in a comfortable, mid-table finish but as Villa fans, we demand and deserve more than that.
I`d be happy if we did sign Charlie Austin from QPR and Bacary Sakho from Wolves, and another decent defender would be good for us too – Van Aanholt from Sunderland maybe? And much as I would love James Milner back, I`m pretty sure he will stay in the north, with Liverpool the likely destination.
Next season`s opening game: Guzan; Hutton/van Aanholt, Clark, Okore, Baker; Westwood, Delph, Cleverley; Grealish; Austin, Benteke. (Steer, Vlaar, Lowton, N`Zogbia, Sakho, Bacuna, Sinclair).
I`d be happy with that as a start. Although I`m sure Tim will be given cash, I can`t see it being a huge amount with the club still for sale, so I`m assuming a pot of, say, £15-20m. Which isn`t enough, but I would trust Tim to get the best from that.
Who would you like to see brought in? And who doesn`t make the cut?
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