So Jhon Duran has got the move he, or more likely his agent, has longed for and signed for Al Nassr in the totally meaningless Saudi Arabian desert league.
There’s only one reason you’d want to go there and we all know what it is. Money. Boatloads of it.
I’ve seen talk of £300k a week as the basic wages. Get your head around that, just as I am as I type it. Let’s say he’s signed a 3 year deal. That would be just shy of £48 million tax free. While it’s easy to say that he’ll be a rich man wherever he goes or even if he stayed at the Villa, consider that he’ll only be 24 or so when that contract is done. Then the money is earned and he gets the choice of doing what he wants.
Seriously, would you turn that down? I’m not sure I could or would have, looking back at that age.
It is an odd one though. The Saudis are throwing money at all sports to try and improve their image, but when it comes to footy, they generally target superstars who are nearing the end of their career. Are they signing Duran because they believe they can keep him for many years or have they simply seen him as the big name throughout Europe over the last six months? If it’s the latter, we should be grateful just for that extra exposure he gave us, I suppose.
Whatever, while I quite liked Duran as a striker and much better finisher than Ollie, I have no qualms about him going.
To my mind he’s a petulant sort who will never be happy with his lot. I’m guessing that he caused Emery a world of grief with his moaning, which is why we’ve let him go. If Unai couldn’t control or mould him, I pity any other manager who has to try. On the other hand, he was seen handing out gifts to the mere low life staff in the tunnel after the Celtic game and that makes him much more my kind of guy.
While I think he’s made a mistake, where he risks his reputation (any decent striker can score lots in Saudi, surely?) I wish him well. Where he goes from here is a good question. I honestly believe that if he applies himself as much as he can, he’ll become another Harlaand and score loads wherever he ends up. But I’m inclined to think he’ll become complacent and just fade away.
The really big question is who are we looking to spend it on? I’m seeing loads of talk about attackers, but I don’t see it. Maybe one striker , but way more important are defensive players. We’re apparently interested in Rashford and I don’t see that either. Good grief, why would we? Yes, on song, he’s a great player. But he seems to have serious issues and I wouldn’t touch him with a bargepole. Then again, there’s been a few instances where I’ve thought Unai was wrong, but ultimately he’s doing a stunning job and you can’t argue with where we are.
Which is 8th in the Champion’s league table. I’m still struggling to get my head around that too. For a neutral, we’re brilliant to watch, but for a fan, we’re a nightmare. It’s a roller-coaster and while we play well at times, so we are awful at others, which leads to me being probably overly-critical. It’s just the frustration in not getting what we want and I guess that’s the difference between a fan and a more knowlegable manager who sees the bigger picture better.
And so onto the Dogheads tomorrow.
Again I’m laughing to myself, as it’s another where I don’t have a clue as to how it’s going to go.
Squad news first and Matty Cash will be out for around a month. If that doesn’t lead to us getting a Right Back in, I doubt anything will, I’ve said all along that I see this as by far the most important position that needs shoring up, but it hasn’t happened. I’m not convinced it will in this window either.
Tyronge Mings is apparently close to being available, but this game is too soon, which contradicts a report I saw saying we’ve underplayed his injury. Ross Barkley is still training on his own and is about a week away from rejoining the squad.
As for Wolves, striker Jorgen Strand Larsen is out and Joao Gomes is suspended after a red last weekend. Carlos Forbes is a big doubt and they have another three or four players unavailable.
Despite a good start under the new manager, Wolves have lost their last four games, with a GD of 1 for and 10 against, which would indicate that having a striker injured doesn’t make much difference.
This ought to be easy really, but it’s a game of jeopardy, where we’re a gift to any team on a terrible run.
I’m tempted to think we’ll tear the heads off those dogs and beat them soundly, say 3 or 4-1.
But I think we’ll look really tired again and will do well to get a win at all.
I’m going for a safe draw. 1-1.
And while I don’t think that is enough for a team aiming at CL qualification, I do think it’s about as much as we can expect if I’m trying not to aim too high. Hence I’d take it as better than nothing.
UTV!
Ugo was part of the celebrations but not the CF that scored. Malan is going to score in the second half. What A player we have in Kamara.
We’ll be getting Alan Wright back at this rate…
I didn’t think we realize the effect of the in play injuries that we have had. It’s one think to be injured and not available but to have your game plan turned upside down so often it’s brutal on the manager. We have a great manager.
Spurs to score next.
We’ve lost our shape and we’re all over the place. Again.
A half fit rash Ford has to be better than Bailey
Bervall and Bentancur both quitely booked.
About time too, the dirty bastards.
Bergaval is a dirty so and so.
Asensio and Rashford coming on.
Rogers scores again!
Thank god, we needed that.
Chesty!!!!!!!
Look at the players we’re bringing on! Bailey did well for the goal.
I thought Malen played really well – unselfish trying to set up team mates. A good player and a lot more to come from him.
We look like the Harlem Globetrotters!!!! Who needs defenders??? Pah!!!
Malen played well, Rashford showed signs and worked hard, Ascensio looks like a Rolls-Royce player but it was young Garcia who had the best game. I think that we have a real RB now.
Really really looking forward to the rest of the season.
Tottenham, Tottenham, Tottenham, Tottenham, Tottenham…
SHIT BBC!!! Non stop! Villa won the fucking game! Haven’t been mentioned! WTF?!
Shittest broadcasting I’ve ever seen! Fucking disgraceful!
Cancel your licence fee. I did.
We just need our CBs back fit!!!
I thought the same BFR London clubs and Northern clubs get the honour but us in the midland to them are shite🤮 , Well anyone watching that game will think differently we was superb we are back .
Watched with the family – good food and lots of booze.
Some observations.
Garcia looks a real deal at £6m – very impressed.
Asensio – different class – great loan.
Villa played some sparkling football – a little criticsm is not finishing off more opportunities.
Where was Onana?
Postecoglau should take a lead from Emery and stop blaming injuries – Emery would have a case but never does.
Post match coverage seemed obsessed with Spurs which was very annoying – why not concentrate on the exciting quality football played by Villa.
We won!
We could win the Champions League and they’d still obsess about Man Citeh struggling with the new format, which i think has been brilliant. Seeding is an awful practice.
It is never about Villa. Our games sometimes feature as the main event on TV, but only because of our opponents. So they get Jermaine Defoe as a studio guest to talk the audience through a Spurs win, and instead he has to talk about their failings.
“Eyes down and mumble”. Ange’s interviewer must have a hat with that cue card attached, because all I ever see him do is squirm like an 8 year old caught stealing.