Paul Lambert was recently sacked but that doesn’t mean that we should ignore that fact that Lambert had over seen 6 transfer markets. With that Villa brought in an astounding 25 players during that period of time, not all players were permanent transfers. But on a limited budget, here are Lambert’s top 5 most expensive signings as Aston Villa manager.
5. Carles Gil = Valencia for £3.2 million
Carles Gil was the answer for the big question that had ravaged Aston Villa for two years. The need for a creative attacking midfielder. When Gil arrived most people knew little about him, a common trend for any Lambert transfer. Yet despite that, Gil impressed largely during the short period of time. Scoring 1 goal against Bournemouth in the FA Cup and assisting Okore against Chelsea in the Premier League. Gil looks like a promising player at the age of 22 and it sure looks as though money has been well spent.
4. Jores Okore = FC Nordsjaelland for £4 million
Unlike Gil, football fanatics around the world knew Okore for his excellent displays during FC Nordsjaelland Champions League campaign. He had loads of admires, particularly after the game against Chelsea. In-fact he turned down a move to Chelsea in favour of more playing time. Unfortunately, Okore ruptured anterior cruciate during a Premier League game against Newcastle, he was ruled out for the rest of the season. However, this season Okore has featured 17 times for Villa (more than Vlaar, Senderos and Baker) scored against Chelsea and is forming an excellent defensive pairing with Clark. At the age of 22 there is loads of room for improvement, but all in all, Okore has been an excellent signing for Villa.
3. Carlos Sanchez = Elche for £4.5 million
The oldest player on the list was brought in after an excellent World Cup campaign with Colombia. The 29 year old defensive midfielder had a poor start in the Premier League, often giving the ball away and not looking composed at all. But after adapting to the pace of the Premier League, Sanchez has down a good job protecting the back 4. In some games, Sanchez appeared to be Villa’s most creative player! This season he has made 23 appearances (on par with Cleverly and Westwood) and produced a single assist in the FA Cup. Is there more to come from Sanchez in the coming years? Sure looks like it.
2. Libor Kozak = Lazio for £7 million
The forgotten man. Kozak came in as a transfer deadline day deal from Lazio and boy was a surprise. Admittedly not many people knew him, despite the fact he was Europa Leagues top scorer for Lazio in the 2012-13 season. Arguably, Kozak had a solid start in the Aston Villa shirt. He had scored 4 goals in 15 appearances before Clark broke his leg in a training ground incident, he hasn’t featured since January. Good news is on the horizon though, with Kozak training with the squad again it looks as though he may return before the end of the season. Which might bring some relief as Benteke hasn’t been scoring goals as of yet. Still, in my book Kozak is yet to repay that giant £7 million transfer price tag, but he still has time.
1. Christian Benteke = Genk for £7 million
The same price tag as Kozak, yet has scored 33 more goals. Benteke burst into the scene of English football in his debut season at the club. Scoring 23 goals in 39 appearances he had become an instant fan favourite. Last season however was a little less successful, injury had limited the Belg to just 11 goals in 28 games and this season is a season to forget with a mare 3 goals. No one will forget Benteke’s u-turn to a transfer request, which resulted in a new 4-year deal. But regardless of that, Benteke has been a fantastic signing for Villa and arguably, Lambert’s best. It’s unknown how long Benteke will be staying at the club. But what most fans probably want now more than anything else, is a goal scoring run that will help Villa beat the drop this season.
Didn’t realise Sanchez was so old! I think they are all good players and potentially great players given the right guidance. I personally think Sanchez is too good for our current squad. What I mean by this is that he is on a different wavelenght and tries to make things happen, but nobody else around him is making the runs or getting into space. The same is probably true of Benteke, who seems to have given up the ghost. Let’s just hope we can stay in the league so we can get the best out of these players.
Potentially all good signings, unlike many of the others! Of all the left backs we were linked with, why didnt we go for Creswell! Far better than the likes of Cissokho, Bennett and Luna!
I think maybe our best solution for goals would be to play Gil behind Benteke. Sinclair one side and maybe Bacuna the other. Gabby is a waste of a shirt at the moment. Weimann could be used up front to play more of a 4-4-2, but not out wide, he couldnt cross a road.
Maybe we can catch Newcastle out next week, from todays performance, if we cant score against them, we might as well give up.
Kozak has hardly had time to pay back his price tag. Not his fault his leg was broken. Therefore you can’t possibly compare him with Benteke, who is well out of sorts at the moment…
…next weekend can’t come soon enough for me. IT’S TIMMY TIME!!!!!
I once said Benteke was the ‘the new Heskey’. Just saying
And you were wrong.
Benteke suffers from long ball tactics and not enough service, any idiot can see that.
Think Sanchez needs too long on the ball than the Prem allows…even Stoke were over him like a rash yesterday…..
Kozac had just started showing some real potential when he got injured….I couldnt believe it.
Not sure why we are all raving about Kozak. According to stats his ratio is circa 1 goal per 4-5 games. Though at the moment that’s better than all our strikers put together.
His average was a bit better for us. We could really do with a 1 in 3 strike rate from somewhere. It’s not going to come from Gabby or Weimann, and looks like it isn’t going to be Benteke either.
I watched Leicester yesterday. They are naive at the back but get lots of men forwards. They had 6 men in and around the box in added on time having just conceded an equaliser. Strangely enough teams that do that create chances. Villa have spent so long in a negative mindset that it will be hard for Sherwood to change.
what about lambert non use of bent zog dunne warnock hutton
Not very expensive are they considering who we are and our overall success as AVFC.Think if you add all those price tags up you get around what we paid for Benty plus a few quid.How Lerner has lowered the standards.
I think its unfair to judge Kozak just on his goals scored. He was looking really good before he broke his leg. I personally think he will be a great signing if he comes back the same player. He reads the play well and makes those runs to the near post, back post etc and holds the ball up better than Benteke does. I also got the feeling the players liked playing around Kozak as he is a very unselfish player, whereas I get the opinion it’s the opposite for Benteke.
Unfortunately strikers are judged on goals scored that’s a fact.
I don’t think benteke gives a fuck if we get relegated or not, he looks totally disinterested & possibly his minds on a move away from brum.was he this 1 season wonder or not??
Giddy, I agree with you mate. He’s playing like a wimp; no power and no aggression; not like the player he was. Is he concerned about being injured thus possibly affecting a move away?
Yes mate even when he gets the chance to score he scuffs it or a lackluster header,that’s just to answer the fans who say he doesn’t get the service does bent spring to mind another one who needs it gift wrapped.sick of fucking excuses.
I don’t agree with that Hitchens, i think he’s playing like a player getting no service, and a player who’s now had his cards marked by other managers as he’s not the unknown entity he was when in his first season.
How many times have we seen strikers hit 20+ in their first season to then be found out in their second?
The problem for me is a mixture of;
a) other managers have studied his game therefore they know how to handle him
b) complete lack of service and awful hoof ball football that means his back is constantly to goal
c) he’s bored of playing for a club with players of less ability around him and totally reliant on his goals.
Against Stoke, Wollscheid matched him in the air which rendered him and our dour tactics ineffectual, which mean’t he came too deep to receive the ball to his feet, this has happened time and again this season.
If he had the service we used to get when we had Downing and Young, i’m pretty sure he’d still be scoring regularly, i can’t think of one striker in the Premier League who would do any better with the current players around him.
And i’m amazed Sherwood resorted to this cheap tactic against Stoke.
I think Benteke has 20 goals a season in him all day but he doesn’t want to prove his worth at Villa anymore. He believes he is too good for us in my opinion.
Benteke will be gone at the end of this season anyway when we are relegated
He’s wanted to go since the day he set foot in VP and realised we are not a London club!! Hopefully Vlaar Gabby and Delph go with him. Oh and Cleverley pleas don’t make that permanent.