What Kind Of World Are We Heading For?

Kamara will be picking up at least a whopping €500k a month at Aston Villa, which works out at €125,000 a week, or €6m a year. That accounts for around half of the £60m he’ll pick up over 5 years, which means Villa could have also given him as much as a £30m signing on fee to get him ahead of the competition. That is according to this article.

If that is true - and we must surely realise now that money seems no longer to be an issue at Villa Park - then in the light of the European Champions team of 1982 receiving in the order of just £500 per week at that time, with fairly ordinary club-supplied cars on top I believe, how do we feel about these modern payments?

Do they make sense in a world where there is vastly increasing devastation and poverty? A world where people on Pacific islands watch the water lapping up their beaches, just waiting for their islands to submerge. A world where half of humanity seems to be on the move - or will be soon. That's forgetting what's happening to wildlife who hold no value to the mining and deforestation companies.

Though - of course! - I want to see my football club do well, I cannot accept the justice in the payment of these sums that seem to be germinating at Villa Park. Those with nothing must be looking on and asking "What is all this about?".

Of course, we have known of a number of highly-paid players who send a large proportion of their income back home to those in need, whichever country they come from. Or UK born players who have shown a social conscience. But I wonder just how many there are who do that?

On top of that, Villa supporters will have to fork out more for their season tickets I understand. For many, the choice is already to eat or heat. What choices are Villa supporters making I wonder? All in the name of wanting success, but at any price?

Archie Hunter said, so long, long ago, "I never have much sympathy with players who put pecuniary conditions first and think of the sport afterwards" in this statement:

Some of the old members, myself among the number, who had been playing as amateurs, had a great reluctance to be paid for our services. Our diffidence may or may not have been reasonable, but it was sincere. When we finally ceased to be amateurs I may say that we left it entirely with the committee to arrange terms; and I never have much sympathy with players who put pecuniary conditions first and think of the sport afterwards. But professionalism is so strong and competition for good players so great that a ‘pro’ may ask for a good round sum as a retaining fee [plus] a high salary and stand every chance of obtaining both.

"Times have changed", you say? Haven't they. "Have they got better?", is what I ask.

I also ask, "Is all this sustainable?"

UTV : Undecided about The Villa 

The Season's Over! Perhaps It's Just As Well

Wow, the last match of the season was played as though it was akin to a Cup Final, although our contribution was essentially a well-martialled defence, two really well-taken goals and a spot of fortune. Until we made our first substitution we rode a bit of luck but certainly made City look a tad frustrated. In bringing on Nakamba, however, lies a tale that is linked to other events this past season.

At least we made a match out of it, and that is pleasing. Even if we had won it we would only have gained a couple of places in the League. Our final placing this season has been nothing to write home about and disappointing following what was at least a little progress in the previous two seasons. To not win one of the last three home games was quite galling.

We can try to analyse the past season until we go cross-eyed, but I'll leave Pete the Canadian to talk about the technical points. From a general perspective, however, it seems to me that we have experienced a very deflating season given that with £100 million pounds acquired from Jack's sale we were supposed to have purchased three players that would at least make up for Jack's exit. But have they done that? I fear not.

Not only did those three summer signings never gain a true rapport with their colleagues (though Bailey was never able to get going after his recovery from injury), but when Gerrard arrived he seemed to make the waters even more muddy by effectively demoting Targett and Konsa, two players who did very well for us last season. Konsa seemed a shadow of his former self at times and the two red cards acquired in the season by him were most unlike Konsa, I thought. Nothing nasty about what he did on those occasions, but they seemed to reflect his changed thinking in some ways.

After doubts about Digne after his replacement of Targett, he now seems to have found his feet and has shown good defensive ability as well as an attacking flair, which is Targett's shortcoming. Seeing one full back cross beautifully for his full back colleague to score was a most unusual sight.

I feel that with the chances that have been created this season, Watkins and Ings should have scored 30 goals between them, though Ings (one of those summer signings) has probably been the more profligate. People were saying that he was bound to score quite a few, but he missed quite a few more than he's scored. Buendia would have received more acclaim if Ings had taken the chances that Buendia supplied, as well as to Watkins.

Buendia has done much more, in my opinion, than perhaps people think. He's very quick to see a possibility but I fear that the strikers have not shown the same alacrity.

The season was muddied further by the sharp change in culture that marked Dean's departure and Stevie's arrival, and perhaps we have to leave the season's problems as being mostly linked to that. It has certainly seen a lot of stuttering performances, not helped (I feel) by the substitution decisions made by Stevie - such as Sunday's first when the defence was probably unsettled by the insertion of Nakamba, just when we seemed capable of riding out whatever City had to throw at us.

Still, I have to applaud Steve's acquisition of Chambers, and perhaps Phil coming on board may have a greater effect next season. Digne has now proved himself.

I am not a great fan of Luiz, however, and neither Nakamba. It's that section of the midfield that has been most problematical as I see it, and it's where I see new faces appearing for next season, as well as good striker support for Ollie. I feel that Archer may well be that person.

Well, I wonder whether Villa's target of reaching European competition will have been attained in the two seasons to go before the 150th anniversary of our great club. We were a bit late in getting back to the top flight for our 100th anniversary (1974) and also misfired in the 1924 Cup Final even though Villa were on top for 90% of that game (I am told!). But it was amazing that Villa got to the final that year having lost their excellent centre-half, Tommy Ball, to his neighbour's bullet just months before.

This next season will be interesting for all kinds of reasons. Will Gerrard become the new Sir Alex Ferguson that the Villa ownership seems to think that he is? We will see: at the moment I am in two minds. I am probably bamboozled that Newcastle turned things around so much to make Villa's efforts look almost puny.

Enjoy your summer!

UTV!

We Gave Pool Something To Think About

Phew! It was - to say the least - an interesting match to watch. Lots of effort and no little combativeness as well as skill. But also accompanied by our usual unnecessary mistakes, two of which led to their goals, and one or two others that might also have led to a greater deficit.

At the 'Pool end,  their keeper tried to give us a goal or two as well, and both Phil and Danny should have done better with the chances they had, though Phil's streak towards goal was wonderfully self-made. Ollie's main chance was prevented by superlative defending.

At the end of it all, a defeat is what most of us expected, I am sure, but they did not have a runaway victory. In fact I think that their two goals and one more were the only worthy attempts on goal that 'Pool had all night. We gave them something serious to think about in the first 15 minutes and in the last 15, but otherwise, they had control of the game in the most part but against a good Villa defence.

The main thing we lack is the urgency that these top teams display over and over again. We expect - too often - to be able to stroll the ball around like Brazilians (oh, we do have two!) but it doesn't work against teams like 'Pool. Chucky's casual pass led directly to their second goal, for example, but he applied himself quite well to his task in the 30 minutes he had on the pitch.

I praised Gerrard's team selection for last Saturday, and two games so close together probably did need some re-adjustment,  but why did he readjust in the manner he did? I did not find it logical that he should leave Chambers out to make way for Nakamba this match, for example. I feel that Nakamba could have been started at Burnley to ease him back into match play, and then bring Chambers on later and then start Chambers for the 'Pool match.

Nakamba did look good last night at times, but he also was deficient in some areas that Chambers might have done better in - particularly concerning Chambers' stature.

Last night Gerrard showed his preferences for players that - in my opinion - were not the best options on this occasion, although it was Phil's selection that caused me the most worry. Yes, he is sublime at times, but those "times" last night were just two occasions when he had their defence at 6's and 7's. Though sometimes useful at other times, I still feel that Buendia is a better all-around player and would have given 'Pool more problems overall.

However, all that is as it may be. The result was not a surprise and at least we made a decent match out of it. It's just that I feel it could have been a little better. Hey ho.

UTV!

Bring On Liverpool! (?)

I was quite excited when I saw the teamsheet! The enforced absence of Ramsey caused Luiz to be pushed up and Chambers brought in as a number 6. And Buendia started. "Great!", I thought.

But though the goals were all executed very well, not all was right, I thought. At half-time the stats showed that Burnley had a successful pass rate of 80%, while ours was 68%. And just like Norwich last week, if Burnley had worn the right shooting boots we would not have looked so good score-wise at half-time. But that's perhaps why such teams are where they are.

Furthermore, there were the regular sloppy moments; two from Mings caught the eye, plus a double one from Konsa and then the switch-off at the death to give them some compensation - which they deserved based on their first-half play.

Well, once again we can look like quite a good team against the lower clubs. But it's not enough against the top lot, as the 'Pool will most likely demonstrate in a few days' time. However, today was good practise with almost a new team. Perhaps they might play better in the next match.

The two selections I applauded, Chambers - as number 6 - and Buendia, played much as I expected, which was very well. 

And it was good to see strikers strike - again. It's taken time for them to gel and shoot straight but perhaps they're getting there.

Now ... the 'Pool! 7-2 anyone? I very much doubt that we'll even win it, but if Villa get a draw then we will be doing very well. And Villa may then say they've had a part in the title race!

UTV!