Summer Transfer Window
Aston Villa have had squad overhauls in transfer windows before and they’re not always guaranteed to move the club in the right direction. Take last year, for example, talk about a false dawn. But of course, this summer’s overhaul will hopefully address the mistakes of that one and set Villa back on course to a return to the top table.
In an attempt to revive what had become a rotten and disillusioned squad, leadership was sought, as was legitimate previous success at Championship level. In terms of the moral of the squad, the outs were as important as the in’s.
In short, when you see the below lists of transfer activity, Robert Di Matteo, CEO Keith Wyness and owner Tony Xia certainly tackled the task head-on with a mass overhaul.
So lets take a look at five reasons to be cheerful as Villa fans after the summer transfer window…
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3. New Defence
After the shambles of last season, it was vital Villa rebuild the backline including a goalkeeper. While MOMS has reservations about plumping for a 21-year-old with very little experience between the sticks without serious back-up, the signings of Tommy Elphick, James Chester and Ritchie De Laet were all steps in the right direction.
When you consider that Jordan Amavi returning back from injury will be like a new signing too, Villa will potentially field an all-new backline. This was much needed.
Hutton, Richards, Baker and Cissokho will be the back-up back four. At a push, you could consider that strength in depth…but lets not dwell on that thought!
sadly, we had no leadership, which stems from the chairman downwards, for the last 4 years. Lerner lost interest and gave the club no direction handing the reigns over to Lambert who had too much on his plate avoiding the drop. Sherwood was a breath of fresh air for a time but then he got no backing in the transfer market and his recruitment, even though he can’t take all the blame was awful. Newcastle went down the same path a season before with Pardew and recruited many players from the French league, who couldn’t adapt to PL pace. One or two – yes not half a dozen!
We must applaud Xia and his team for turning the club around as I could only see us going in one direction like the famous Yorkshire trio of clubs.
It may take another season , it all depends how well the players gel and how they are missed going to the African nations.