Tim Sherwood’s latest move on the training ground has been to join the training sessions of Villa’s youth side and first team. Sherwood is keen having a better look at Aston Villa youth players and is analysing whether or not there is any talent in there that would be capable of making an impact for Aston Villa this season.
Gordan Cowans and Sherwood, who once played together at Blackburn are now working closer together to try to graduate some more Villa academy players.
“Tim’s focus on player development is great for everybody here at the club.
“He’s got us training next to the first team now so if he needs anyone, he can shout straight over but then he also comes over and has a look at us training.
“If you look back on what he did at Tottenham with the young lads down there, he was the one who was pushing them from behind-the-scenes, telling the manager to have a look at them.
“He saw them in training, in games with the U21s and was pushing them on and really encouraging them.
“You’d like to think it will be the same here with us.
I’ve got no issues with this, what’s so ever. However you could argue that the mass majority of our most talented young players aren’t actually at our club at this given moment. Current I feel as the likes Jack Grealish could make an impact in the first team. Some have argued that during his substitute appearances he hadn’t done enough to start. But under Sherwood it could very well be a different story. Additionally I do believe that Graham Burke has a future at Villa Park, but I just don’t see him having a break through season this year. I reckon next year he’d be a better option. Finally, I believe that Janoi Donacien has a future at Villa Park. Earlier in the season he went off to Tranmere Rovers and played a handful of games. He can play at either right-back or centre-back. But again, with the likes of Lowton, Baker, Senderos and Okore in front of him in the pecking order, it just looks unlikely that he’ll be given some game time.
But next season there could be some real break through’s! Gary Gardner, currently on loan at Nottingham Forrest has made a massive impact for the club and the fans want him to stay their permanently. But with Sherwood at Villa, I and I believe that mass majority of Villa fans want to him stay at the club and be given a legitimate chance. Callum Robinson is another player whom I’m really excited about. Currently on loan at Preston North End, he can score goals and looks quite the handy player. I seriously believe that he could be Villa’s ‘Harry Kane’ next season.
It’s exciting to see what the next set of Villa graduates can do for the club. The last time we had a large series of graduates being promoted was under Houllier. As a result of that we have the likes of Ciaran Clark, Nathan Baker and Andreas Weimann at the club today. Of course the amount of graduates will very much vary on the fact if Villa stay in the Premier League or not.
Perfect answer, just in case Sherwood reads this, is to put Gabby at left back. Okore and Clark CBs and the manager’s choice at LB if Hutton is unfit. Gabby has the speed and he has demonstrated he can tackle cleanly. The CBs will have to shout at him not to lag back, but that is routine. If he does get the chance to overlap he can deliver. There is no point in Gabby playing up front if Benteke is on the pitch at the same time.
I can see where you’re coming from OLL but not for me. I don’t think Gabby has the concentration to do the job properly for 90 minutes. I would go with Baker there as the best option in the circumstances.
I hope Sherwood can affect the mindset of the players. Newcastle have their own injury problems and very mixed form. They have a manager who will be out of a job at the end of the season, and I’m sure the players will know that. Hopefully that will knock their confidence. I would have 100% expected to lose this under Lambert, but feel that it’s 50/50 now. We need to get at them, rather than sit back and contain.
The key to Villa’s season is to get Benteke scoring. The other strikers are hopeless (Kozak apart though of course he can’t help us right now). The midfield is incapable of scoring more than a handful of goals between them across a whole season. The defenders chip in every now and then but it’s Benteke or nobody. The team has to create chances for him, and I’m sure that Sherwood will see that.
I mean manager’s choice at RB not LB.