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BBC WM's Richard Wilford

Wilf's World of Football

BBC WM's Richard Wilford is the first and last word in football! Wilf looks at the goings on at Villa Park after the Bolton game.

Villa rumblings grow after Bolton opener

Reports over the weekend suggest that all is not well among the Aston Villa supporters once again. A summer that started well with the swift signings of Aaron Hughes, Kevin Phillips, Patrik Berger and Stuart Taylor has been rapidly forgotten as a familiar feeling of déjà vu hangs over Villa Park.

Kevin Phillips

Suddenly cautious financial feels like penny-pinching again as the club tease their fans with interest in a big-name signing, then take an eternity over closing the deal. Will Milan Baros ever become an Aston Villa player? Is it true that he has agreed personal terms? And are Villa really holding things up for the sake of a few hundred grand? The truth is out there somewhere - meanwhile David O'Leary must soldier on with two fully-fledged senior strikers in Phillips and Juan Pablo Angel and an unproven youngster in Luke Moore.

There was a significant moment in a national radio interview I heard with Kevin Phillips after the 2-2 draw with Bolton. "I've been linked with Villa pretty well throughout my career," said Phillips. "It took longer than it should've done to get here." Speaks volumes doesn't it? And it echoes the sentiments of O'Leary who has already been quoted wondering what could have been had they signed Phillips two years earlier when he was still in his twenties.

Milan Baros

So what is going on with Baros? Liverpool have quoted seven million pounds for the Czech international striker throughout the summer, a price that has seen off his other serious suitors West Ham and Schalke. Meanwhile Villa have kept their reported six million pound bid lodged with the Anfield board, and some reports suggest they have edged a touch higher, and so the saga drags on, and on, and on.

Villa's fans need and deserve a boost, the belt-tightening of the last few years has squeezed the optimism out of the Holte End, and a lingering, tantalising link with an exciting international talent only serves to scratch at that sore. Doug Ellis and his board really need to put up or shut up. If they never had any real intention of bringing Baros to Villa Park then they should have distanced themselves from the press reports a considerable time ago.

But the overriding impression I have drawn from events at the club over the last month merely emphasize my pessimism about this new Premiership season - Villa are heading for a relegation scare, and too many of their supporters will honestly be able to shout "I told you so!"

last updated: 15/08/05

Have Your Say

What do you think? Has Wilf got it right? Let us know what you think.

Jim
O'Leary is the problem. With his track record at Villa with sales and purchases, would you trust him to spend £20m ??? I know I wouldn't, so fair play to Doug. If he'd a record of bringing in bargains or success to Villa then I'd be with the Anti-Elliss brigade, but the way things have been I can understand Doug's hesitance. O'Leary's %age in terms of youth into the club is poor and his willingness to let youth go is scandalous. He's sold in areas of the team and not replaced with like, or even youthful versions. We've watched as Spurs have bought all the best promising talent (why aren't we being linked with Bentley???). £7m for Baros is well over the odds in the current market for a player of proven lack of bite for a cause, and can't tie down a place in his current team. I'm totally bemused why things are as they are, but I know that I won't be getting a season ticket till O'Leary is gone!!!

Daniel Hawkins
I agree with wilf about the baros situation but the rest of it is rubbish. Anthony and James are right in what they say. Since o'leary has taken over manager at Villa, in my opinion amazing things have happened. We aren't finishing in the bottom half, were finishing mid way in the top half. Give o'leary some time and he will have us into europe again which is where Villa belong. The one major problem is doug ellis. If he took his hands out of his pockets and opened up some money for Villa we could could the strikers we need. Villa won't get relegated this season because we have the spirit to win. The only obstacle we have is Blues. We seem to choke against them every year. If we can draw with them or even beat them we will have a good chance of finishing quite high. Watch this space...........

Anthony Jones
No wilf is talking garbage.. since o'leary took over he has been in the stages of a 3 yr plan, stage one, consolidate premiership football after taylor almost took it away from us, and shave the wage bill...job done, next stage was to try and take it a step higher, and we was in the mix for europe with 2 games to go, not bad considering the injuries we had, now he has improved the squad with out spending a great deal, the players that have gone will not be missed, hitzlesperger could not stamp his authority on a game and phillips has already scored half of what vassell did last year in one game! baros will come, and i think villa are right to not just pay the asking price, they want to sell him as much as we want to buy him so 6.5 million should and will be enough to get him. relegation scare, i don't think!

James, Villa Blogger
Rubbish! Villa have improved from last season. Phillips and Hughes looked excellent on Saturday. We are yet to see Berger remember. The only problem is with Angel and Samuel. All Villa fans know that these two are capable of better but are both confidence players. JLloyd looks nervous, at one stage in the second half against Bolton he was forced to take the ball forward. He skipped past two players and won a corner. On another occasion he had a penalty appeal turned down. Coming forward he looks good he just needs to pick up a bit more confidence to give him composure on the ball. Angel as with all strikers will gather momentum once he bags a goal or two. Tipping Villa for relegation is nonsense. The quality at Villa Park is of at least a european qualification standard. To consider them as one of the worst three teams in the division is outrageous! In the last two years Villa have finished in the top 10. They have added 4 excellent players and now all of a sudden they are relegation candidates?

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