The threat of relegation has been a constant theme around Villa Park since Martin O’Neil had left to club in 2010. However, under the leadership of Tim Sherwood, it’s believed that this maybe our last relegation battle, at least under Sherwood.
‘I am allowed to sign whoever I want in the summer as long as I can justify it, but I believe even if we didn’t make a signing we wouldn’t be in this position again,’ – Sherwood
I actually believe Sherwood, Aston Villa have become a completely transformed side from February and many experts are already tipping Villa to be come the surprise package of 2015-16 season and being more than capable of challenging for a position in the top half of the table. The tactics that Sherwood has employed is a contributing factor to this success. The midfielders know their job well, Delph and Cleverly are given the freedom to move around the pitch with either Sanchez or Westwood protecting the defence. It has worked. As too, our attacking play. All our forwards look decent, and movement is creating space for our midfielders. Why couldn’t Lambert see that!
Another factor is the individual contribution, a handful of players have been transformed under Sherwood and many who were young up-and-coming talents under Lambert are now reaching the full potential. And improvement across the pitch is recognised. Clark, Bacuna and Richardson have improved under Sherwood, so much that Clark has been linked with a move to Manchester United. In midfield, Tom Cleverly is playing some of his best football and Delph is arguably the best midfielder in the League! In attack, Benteke has been a revelation, he can’t stop scoring, and he’s also contributing to the team, on average Benteke has made 2 key passes per game under Sherwood.
Challenging for the Europa League spots next season is a realistic target, what could challenge that claim will be interest from Europe’s elite clubs. Between our two best players, Benteke and Delph I reckon Aston Villa could net more than £50 million. I’d rather keep Benteke and Delph for at least one more season though. I really want to see what Sherwood can do with Aston Villa in a full season in the Premier League. What can Sherwood do if he is able to keep our best players and add to the side. Surely Villa have the capability of having one of the strongest sides in the Premier League.
I’m back in believing a new era has come back to our club, the game in its self is more interesting, Sherwood has up till now given me hope of better days to come.I don’t take notice of Oohah and his snipe’s at the players because I see the difference in some, He will make buys to how he wants in the new season,our only worry is has Lerner left the new man enough time to keep us up? I think Sherwood has the believe in the team he picks to just do that. Roll on Saturday,the next door neighbours are Westham freaks.
Give your neighbour hell MATE,I know who’ll have the bragging rights come 5pm Saturday the team wearing the claret & blue. 😀
That’ll be the Villa then. Still positive we’ll do enough to stay up but will be glad when that’s a certainty and we can look forward to the FA Cup Final. Think this Weekends fixtures are critical in sorting out the bottom of the league.
don’t think we need worry about teams in Europe snatching benteke he knows what he wants and has modeled his game on the epl don’t think his style would work anywhere else if we look to the premier who would he go to?if Liverpool somehow finish above the mancs and get champions league possible.as for Chelsea,city, arsenal,and united.cant see him fitting in he needs to play every week not sit on a bench i think any new deal being discussed should include a mammoth wage increase, i am not saying his goals have kept us up, i am saying his goals have saved the great club of aston villa from the rapid decline into the lower leagues maybe forever
ha nice!
From sherwoods comments over the last few weeks regarding signings and selling players I have a feeling benteke is gone this summer, ooh ah will finally tell us he is right after being wrong like 5 transfer windows in a row, but I think this will severely effect the team even though tim should get a good bit to spend on replacing him I think it will be impossible to replace him! Which is a shame because with delph I’m sure he will stay and then we have players like grealish, Clark, Bacuna, sanchez all coming good and gil if tim ever plays him, there are some decent players in there but without a top class striker we could struggle again. But if we win the cup who knows maybe benteke would stay but he will need a big pay rise I feel.
I wasn’t wrong first summer he wanted to go but Spurs woukdnt bid for price we wanted and last season he was injured or he would of gone then. In January he was coming bk from injury and playing shit so no one would want him then anyway. Now he’s played himself nicely into the window and barring injury he will be off no doubt about it. Just a question as to whom and how much. We can never hold on to a decent striker in a million years the club is a flawed selling club with no ambition whatsoever and will be for years to come I’m afraid.
Do you have 100% concrete evidence he wanted to go to Spurs or is this just stuff you read in the papers?
If this was actually true which isn’t, he’d never have extended and let his contract run down to leave. But you keep pretending he wanted to go to Tottenham which is completely laughable of all teams so you can pretend you’ve ever been right about this.
Ya Bacuna has been quoted by the Guardian or the telegraph that as the closest friend to him at the training ground, he fears he will probably be leaving.
fairly reputable source – still can’t be counted for much, but if you were to give any credence to any speculation in the press, that is most telling so far.
Hard to know, whatever the liklehood of him staying this summer its still 50% more likely than the first time he turned around and signed an extension, I feel there is a lot more going for us as a club right now than there was 2 years ago.
We shall see I suppose.
The liklehood of Benteke staying is essentially down to Lerner/new owner and NOT the player himself who’s tied down for another 2 years whether he likes it or not!
This summer will be massive in terms of where Villa strive to be in 2 or 3 years time. If we have a repeat of the last 4 years we may as well give up! We need to show the ambition that has been sadly lacking in the last 4 years. The first sign of ambition must be to offer Benteke the salary he deserves and one that he could easily get elsewhere. Couple this with a very modest (by todays standards) transfer funds in the region of 35mil and we could be going places. I said at the beginning of this term that we are good enough for a comfortable top half of the table position. IMO, only mismanagement has prevented this. I love the way we are playing at present. Sherwood must be given the backing/funding to take us forward.
Another relegation battle is simply not acceptable! Only Lerner/new owner can fuck this up…..and they must not be allowed to do so. I’m sick and tired of being humiliated by much smaller clubs such as Swansea, Southampton, Stoke, West Ham, Hull etc, etc!
If the necessary ambition is not forthcoming then we all may as well give up. EVERY team needs AMBITION to improve each and every season. LACK OF AMBITION is simply NOT acceptable at a club like ours!
We fear NOBODY, did you hear me? We fear NOBODY!
Bravo!
Spot on Langford – as ever
So with two years left on his contract do you cash in now and get top dollar or leave till he’s into his last year and let him go on the cheap?
Contracts mean bugger all nowadays. If a pkayer wants to go, he just engineers the situation in the press.nOn a very big plus side, he IS in contract, which means we get a hefty fee should he go. At least he has the decency to ensure the club who’s looked after him gets a slice of the cake too. He could have easily run down his contract and left for nowt.
What I think we need to remember here, is that Benteke re-signed after handing in a transfer request.
I strongly suspect he was promised something in return and it wouldn’t surprise me if we’d said we would let him go.
If that’s not the case, this will be my first criticism of Sherwood, in that he should have said something like “We might consider it. The starting bid will be £50 mill” or quite simply “he isn’t for sale, at any price”.
Saying it’ll be the market price was nowhere near strong enough, imo.
I agree Badger that he was more than likely promised something in return. I’d also say there is a buy out clause in is contract. HOWEVER, I haven’t seen him this happy before. His body language and the way he is playing with a big smile on his face. I truly believe that he will give us at least one more season and I am also convinced he will end up staying beyond that,
Well….that goes 2 ways. His contract, albeit in a different way is a promise, is it not?
I still think 30 mil for the likes of benteke is fucking chicken feed in today’s market.
Why are we down at the thought of Benteke doing a walk about?, should we be more worried if Arsenal, Man Utd, or even any sky four make a move on Sherwood. Let’s think more on what’s going to happen over the next few games, and think that our manager made a statement no more fight for relegation and the club going forwards. I couldn’t give a toss if he desided a move is on ,its having the players that makes chances for his roll ,that what Bent missed from our game and told to move on loan. One man doesn’t make a team.
Yes Bill you never know MATE maybe timbo can do his magic on bent????
Well if he has to go…please dont sell him to a EPL team. Make him go abroad, and START the bidding at no less than 40 mil! Fatty Faulkner probably gave him a buy out clause of 25mil!
Fatty Faulkner probably ate his buy out clause!!
🙂 🙂
Well, yes, he ate everything else 🙂
I had a very vivid dream we bear West Ham 3-0 last night? Hope it’s an omen!
I don’t think you’re wrong Giddy when you consider Tekkers averages a goal every other game and Bale (€100m) averaged about 1in 3 at the spuds, different type of players admittedly but using the Bale fee as a yard stick £30m does seem derisory.
Arsenal need Benteke more than anyone else.
Man U might be interested but I see him staying in England, and a move to Arsenal is most likely in my opinion.
Especially if he hopefully has a barnstormer in the final.
I don’t have any relegation worries now. Six teams won’t leapfrog us in the last three games. Win Saturday and we’re safe and can rest players against Burnley.
Benteke has been a great servant but is in a position to move no now, be fantastic to get him on another four year contract but part of me feels he deserves a chance for a shot at the title. He has battled back from horrendous injuries and still found his form.
He’s been fantastic for Villa, I hope he goes out in a blaze of glory, and wish him well wherever he goes.
Arsenal is his dream move he said that when he signed for us on day 1. Having said that a lot of arsenal fans I know don’t really want him they don’t think he has got the nouse to play for them and has a poor first touch. Their game is fast paced one touch football the ball won’t be lobbed up and crossed in for him arsenal rarely cross a ball and play thru the defence plus they take short corners.
Have you watched them as of late, how do you think Giroud scores? Giroud’s not this small, quick paced striker who’s making runs into the box like Aguero does, Giroud’s similar to Benteke’s size, uses strength and is great in the air. They often cross the ball into the box, this isn’t 2008 anymore. Arsenal aren’t that team, yes they can play fluid football with the best of them when on their game, but that’s a rare case.
Difference is giroud gas that bit more class about him IMO and arsenal fans would only want benteke to maybe replace well beck on bench
Disagree, in fact Arsenal fans disliked Giroud for half the season until he started showing up. Giroud’s not prolific by any means and Benteke would score twice as many at Arsenal.
Arsenal DONT need Benteke whilst they have Giroud. I believe that they are one of the highest scorers in the PL. Their priorities are elsewhere IMO. Arsenal would need to completely change their style to accommodate Benteke.
Their fans would disagree, they seem to think they need a world class striker still.
They have one in giroud benteke is not world class and never will be he will be a top prem striker no doubt about but world class no chance. He dosnt even understand offside rule ffs and not prolific enough over a whole season
My thoughts exactly.
I’m meeting up with a couple of Gooners at the final.
They really don’t rate Giroud AT ALL. Could you imagine Benteke at his best in a team that attacks and gives him half a dozen good chances a game ?
I hope he stays here but wouldn’t begrudge him a move.
I would begrudge him a move if a player didn’t want to play for us then I hope they fail miserably elsewhere. Barry is the exception as he gave us his best years and gave us every chance to finish 4th.
I don’t wish to appear contrary to your every opinion Oohah, but I have to disagree.
Barry went to the NOTW bleating about how he has to have a move to Liverpool, and Villa aren’t being fair not letting him go, shameful behaviour, worst since Yorkie strolled about the pitch at Goodison.
They dont rate Giroud…..for lords sake, are you serious. I would swap him for Benteke anytime. He has the class that Benteke will never have. Benteke certainly does not the football brain to play the Arsenal way and Wenger will never change his way of playing to accommodate him. He would have change the way Arsenal play completely and he’s not likely to day that anytime soon.
He’s not wrong though, up until about March a lot of Arsenal fans I know didn’t like Giroud, they’re growing on him but he’s not world class and that’s what they need. Benteke isn’t either but he he’s still has time on his side at 24. Plus Wenger can smarten him up, he is known as the Professor afterall.
Tony piss head Adams taking us over ffs http://news.sky.com/story/1479493/ex-arsenal-captain-adams-eyes-villa-takeover