Hey Up, Here We Go Again!

The new season seems to have crept up on us. I've still not fully recovered from the finale to last season, followed immediately by the huge financial crisis and then, suddenly, stability again. A new footballing season has suddenly appeared when we've barely recovered from the situations just stated.

And the question is, "How will Villa fare?". I just don't know really. There are questions to be answered even though the squad still remains a strong one, especially with Chester being strongly committed and providing inspiration. But who will partner him? Perhaps Elphick as hopefully he's adjusted to Villa Park now, but will he be reliable? 

Jack would appear to be staying for some time yet, and in which case his continued presence still leaves us with a big query about the striker spot, with Kodjia often showing detachment from his colleagues in pre-season matches and various strikers remaining out of action through injury.

At the bottom of it all I remain opti, but opti with caution. The plus side is that we kick off the season with a stronger team than that which started last season, when Jack was injured and Gabby had to be called up for duty, and scored his last Villa goal. As per last season we need additions to the squad, and the return of Snodgrass is mooted. Well, if he does return he comes already tuned-up for life at Villa Park, so that would be one hurdle overcome.

But I really do hope that this season we see Green becoming a permanent fixture, and other youngsters besides.  They've earnt the right to be up there for selection.

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Fresh Green Shoots

The game (at Dresden) seemed not to be going Villa's way, and then suddenly up pops Green to send in a bending missile which was craftily placed. Within 30 seconds and Hutton hops down the wing like a 2-year-old, skilfully evading two tackles, and pops the ball onto Green's head for what was a 'sitter'. Game over.

Dresden, in truth, wasted opportunities to at least draw the match, but Villa showed enough composure to win through.

But it's in the last two pre-season matches that Green has showed that he has the hunger to show 'em how, scoring 3 goals from about 4 or 5 opportunities, and generally showing good skill, though overdoing it sometimes. He looks as though he really wants to banish last season's enforced absence out of his mind and get cracking in a new season. He must surely be in the line-up at the start of the first match of the season, at Hull.

In the last two games, however, Villa's defence has not looked tremendously strong, and that could be Villa's Achilles' Heel. But in most other positions there appear to be signs that the newcomers of the last 18 months or so have now settled down and are playing as a team. I expect the oldsters Whelan and Jedinak to share the burden as the main rock in midfield, with Hourihane and Lansbury prompting hard. However, there certainly are youngsters capable of providing flair and energy in that department. And even Jack might get through another season with us, but I'm not counting on that. A £25m+ fee will surely purchase his services, and he wants his career to get going as well.

The only other real concern is the main striking role, with a lot of dependency falling on Kodjia's shoulders. Can Kodjia dovetail properly? Will he repeat his scoring form of the season before last? I wonder. And I'm not feeling positive about Hogan ever coming good.

I feel that that the squad lacks a couple of players - in defence and in the attack - for me to feel supremely confident about this season's outcome, but I still think it's a season that we should enjoy.

Well, we'll soon find out!

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A Breath Of Fresh Air!

Well, I can say that I can breathe more easily now that I've learnt that Steve "The Imperfect but Experienced" Bruce stays as Villa's managerial leader into the future. And also because Edens, one of the two new big investors, has stated: 

“We want to see Aston Villa restored to the highest levels of English football and do everything we can do to be good stewards of that.

“We think that nothing happens overnight. that was my experience with the Bucks and I think it'll be consistent with what it is here.

“We have very lofty goals for the club, the organisation and the fans and we want to be the best partners possible for that.”

Last night's run-out against West Ham showed that there's a distinct gulf between Vila's level and that of a Premiership club, but it was encouraging to see the later subs coming on and showing more urgency and a little more potency, with Green scoring a peach of a goal late on.

So, here we are. A new season about to open and every possibility that we'll be happier at the end of this 46-game season. It's by no means a certainty Villa will get promotion this time around, but so long as we're a bit more fortunate on the injuries stakes and so long as we'll find an adequate replacement for Grealish (for surely he'll still go), there's every reason to feel upbeat about the possibilities.

The two new investors clearly have a realistic attitude and now I feel a lot more confident about the club's ability to get there.

But, proof of what's on offer is only found in the eating!

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