Judging by the first week or so of the summer transfer window Tim Sherwood is doing a decent job of shredding the deadwood of the under-performing Aston Villa squad of recent seasons.
Defensive Exodus
The latest players to head for the Villa Park exit are left-back Antonia Luna and Irish keeper Shay Given. Both follow the exodus of Mathew Lowton and Ron Vlaar from the backline options of the Villa squad.
Luna aka Tony Moon is heading to SD Eibar in the Basque Country, after finding himself out on loan last season and in the Villa left-back wilderness where he was later joined by Aly Cissokho.
Luna who’s Villa highlight was scoring on his debut away to Arsenal, has slid dramatically from favour ever since in the seemingly cursed position of left-back at the club. His new club Eibar suffered relegation last season from La Liga, which gives you an indication of the level that Luna is actually deemed to be. One of his first matches with his new club will be a pre season friendly against Celtic in a friendly on 18th July. We wish him luck.
Also, heading out of Villa Park is Shay Given, who has reportedly passed a medical at Stoke City. Given is expected to play second fiddle to Jack Butland, after the expected departure of Asmir Begovic.
Credit must go to Given for winning his first team place back at Villa after being dumped off in the bomb squad by Paul Lambert. At least the Irish international finished his Villa career on a high with two trips to Wembley.
With Bent and Given’s wages wiped off the accounts onlyCharles N’Zogbia now remains as the biggest unproductive drain on the Villa finances.
Incoming to Villa Park
Norwich’s Michael Bunn has signed to the Villa cause for two seasons to cover the expected departure of Given.
Ironically, when MOMS got tipped off Villa were signing a Norwich back-up keeper a couple of seasons ago, we thought there was a chance it was him, although Jed Steer was always the more likely. The 30-year-old made only 31 appearances for the Canaries after arriving in 2012, but Villa’s goalkeeping coach Tony Parks obviously rates him from his own time at Norwich.
Villa are also waiting for the formalities of Lille’s Idrissa Gueye visa to be sorted out to add the Senegal midfielder to their ranks. UTV
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Talking of drains, let us not forget Alan Hutton. I wish I could. Get rid Tim please.