The bits of news that have emerged from Villa Park recently have stimulated the media to write large headlines and inflated copy to attract the fans - and I don't blame them; they have to stay in business!
But an analysis of what has been published does not, in my opinion, really represent much. First of all the business of Jack Grealish. The media, first of all, seemed to suggest that he could be on his way in the January window, but we went through all this in the summer and Jack finally said "Home is home" and signed a hefty contract that represented the desire of the Villa's owners to keep their best players in order to keep on towards their ultimate aim.
And then the media has made a big issue about a £100m being set as the fee that clubs would have to work from if they want to buy him, suggesting that Villa might sell if the price was right. Well, I don't see the reality behind that logic. Greg Evans in his Athletic article made it clear that the owners have high ambitions and it's not plausible, in my view, that the skipper will go, having gone through the negotiations of the summer with a clear conclusion. Especially as this season he's only just started to properly realise his capability. Let's at least win the FA Cup before we even think about letting him go!
Talking of the FA Cup, it's 63 years since I saw Villa last winning it. And at that time there was a big noise because it had been 37 years since Villa had previously won it (1920 - 100 years ago)! For a club that was once famous for its cup-fighting traditions, we have sadly wained and had to be content with just 5 League Cup wins instead since Johnny Dixon's and Peter Mac's big day in 1957. Even the League Cup has not been won for 24 years, but we won it in some style that year, as we did in 1994, too. Great games.
Yes, we have won the European Cup as well, but the FA Cup was very much part of the club's tradition, and with less than 4 years to go before Villa's 150th anniversary, we have to - surely - make amends in this department. So, Liverpool come to VP in January for this precious FA Cup opportunity, and though I hardly expect a 7-2 win again, it will be Villa's grand opportunity to state their intentions in the business of winning trophies.
Coming back to the 150 years anniversary: is that a significant point in the club's owners' minds? Is that the target date that they plan for the Villa to be re-installed at the very top? Jack will be 29 by then and - we would hope - at the very top of his form.
One last topic - Ross Barkley. Reading the media comments about his planned return against Wolves next week, it would appear that people feel that the Villa have lost the last two matches because he's been out. Is that right? Is Barkley such a highly-rated centre-back who would have prevented those so-silly goals being conceded?! Would he have prevented Trezeguet (and all) wasting goal-scoring opportunities? What rot people come up with! This really does illustrate how silly the media has become, for I have yet to see Barkley consistently do such great things for Villa that he should be rated as a guaranteed match-winner.
In my opinion, Barkley has a useful array of skills, but I have seen him have the odd blip as well. I think he has still to do some adjusting before we should regard him as a saviour. I do think, however, that given time he could become something of a true hero in Villa's colours, and if he does achieve that will Villa pay the £100m that Chelsea will ask for him - let alone hang on to Jack?
Well, them's the thoughts of the week from me. We now enter hibernation for a few days of cold - and more empty news!
UTV!
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