Season Preview - Aston Villa

Quick Reminder, Real Life

Last season started out with an odd choice for manager (Houlier) who didn’t make it through the year due to health reasons. The team that had been excellent the year before regressed terribly despite a lot of the same talent and they hovered just above the relegation zone for a good part of the first half. In January they added Darren Bent as a front line of John Carew/Emile Heskey and Gabby Agbonlahor just wasn’t getting it done. The new acquisition helped them climb from the depths of the table to 9th. Still, a disappointing finish given the talent on hand and the expectations created in 2009-10 when they flirted with a Top 4 spot until well into the season.

Quick Reminder, Fantasy

BFAY (that’s Blog Favorite Ashley Young to the newly initiated), Downing, and DBent were exactly what you’d expect (very good) but also fairly expensive at this point. Albrighton and Clark were excellent values when they played. Friedel was a bit of a disaster in the first half but as tends to happen, his numbers improved along with the team’s fortunes in the second half. The forwards who started the season - Gabby, Carew, and Heskey - didn’t show much. Kyle Walker, a loan signing from Spurs, came on in the second half of the season and provided some good value when he was in the line-up. Left back Stephen Warnock disappeared after a very good 2009-10.

Summer Changes

Season Preview: Aston Villa

As I did for the Arsenal preview, I'm going to make some assumptions related to ongoing transfer speculation.  I'm going to assume that like Everton did last season with Lescott, Villa will capitulate to the huge offer from Man City on Milner and end up with Ireland and a bunch of cash.  Since I see Ireland plus cash for Milner as being great business for Villa - especially if they put that cash to good use - I don't think this will change the Villa outlook too dramatically if it turns out I'm wrong and they keep Milner.  I'm also assuming that Villa will keep Ashley Young away from the grasp of Spurs, et al.

Overall Outlook - It must be frustrating being a Villa supporter or even in management.  They have done some excellent business on a relatively tight budget over the last few years but seem to be moving backward more than forward.  The first team is as good as nearly any around and for the first time in ages there is actually some quality depth, especially at the back.  The problem is that while Villa are improving the old fashioned way, people with much deeper pockets are moving up the pecking order faster and potentially starting to undo some of that great work.  The insertion of City into the Top Four mix, the emergence of Spurs as a Champions League team with the increased revenue that goes with it, and the potential for Liverpool to be rescued from financial ruin by either Chinese or Syrian investors means that clubs like Everton and Villa are realistically going to have a hard time fighting it out for 7th place.  That said, there is every chance that Liverpool won't complete their sale in time to make a difference until January and that Spurs will wilt on the big stage (see Everton when they made the Champions League) and Citeh will continue to search for the right combination of players and manager to exploit their deep pockets and Villa could challenge for 4th.

Early Doors

The dominos are really starting to fall now.

Villa close to Dunne deal
Villa clinch Warnock deal
Dunne will offer them experience in the heart of defence, something they've been missing since Martin Laursen retired.  Not the Dunne is the same player, but they can't rely on Davies and Cuellar all season... especially as Davies seems to have popped his shoulder out in today's Europa League qualifier.

Oh dear, Davies suddenly motions to the bench and sprints off, his right arm not moving by his side - the shoulder is out again. Shane Lowry comes on in his place.

Warnock gives MO'N even more options.  He's primarly a left back, but Villa already have Shorey and, sooner or later, Bouma there.  He can also play in midfield either on the left or center, providing cover for BFAY and eventually Downing.  For fantasy it will be most interesting if he starts as a central midfield attacker alongside a deeper-lying Petrov.  He may be a real value defender even at 8.56 if that turns out to be the case.  Villa are home to Fulham this weekend with both clubs having just played European ties.  It might be worth keeping your powder dry until after this match and next week's sure-to-be-contentious Birmingham derby.  But then Villa are home to Portsmouth and at Rovers.

Chimbonda joins Rovers

"The experience of the player, the adaptability of the player in a
number of positions and his past record means we will have a good
player on our hands and will not miss Warnock too much.

"We all know his favourite position is right-back. We are well covered there, but he can play centre-back and left-back.

Definitely a wait and see.  Chimbo can provide fantasy returns when he's in the mood, but I'm not sure where he will slot in to Rover's defence barring injury.  But, lucky for him Rover's backline are brittle as... well, something very brittle.  Nelsen came out at halftime last weekend, so maybe Givet slides in to the center and Chimbo plays on the left.  That will cut into Givet's fantasy appeal, but at his price that may not be a problem for fantasy managers.  Givet seems like a reasonably do-no-harm defender and please, please, please let that not come back to haunt/jinx/curse me!  Regardless, at 8.16 and with Rover's terrible defensive record, you probably aren't considering Chimbo.

Pompey swoop for Smith

Portsmouth have signed Watford striker Tommy Smith on a four-year contract, for an undisclosed fee...

"He can play as a centre-forward, behind the centre-forward or out wide, so covers a lot of positions. He's going to be a great asset to us."

Smith netted 17 times for Watford in the Championship last season and has two goals in the current campaign.

This either speaks to Pompey's lack of money or ambition... or perhaps both.  I'm sure he'll be a good signing for them but at this point they are just making up the numbers.  And speaking of turmoil at Portsmouth...

Distin agrees Toffees deal

Everton have agreed a deal to sign defender Sylvain Distin from Portsmouth, and the player is set to have a medical with the Goodison Park club...

Toffees boss David Moyes is armed with funds after selling Joleon Lescott to Manchester City for £22million, and Distin will be effectively a like-for-like replacement.

A good signing for Everton but another real blow to Pompey who will in the very short-term have to try to keep the likes of Tevez, K2 and Robinho off the score-sheet at the weekend.

Stoke clinch Huth signing

Stoke have completed the signing of Robert Huth from Middlesbrough.

The 25-year-old defender finalised personal terms after undergoing a medical on Wednesday, and he could be followed to the Britannia Stadium by Boro striker Tuncay Sanli.

The Turkish striker was in talks with the Potteries club's hierarchy on Wednesday, with Stoke expected to pay around £11million for the pair.

The domino here is Sonko leaving.  The wildcard is Tuncay who showed flashes of real talent alongside a generous work effort.  It will be interesting to see how Pulis chooses to use him - up front off a target striker (Fuller/Beattie) or wide, which would threaten Etherington or Lawrences regular spot.  I guess he could also play in midfield, say in Glenn Whelan's role.  That is, if you can spot him amongst the trees.

Dunne set for Man City departure

Manchester City are resigned to losing captain Richard Dunne after he turned down a new contract - with Spurs leading the chase to sign the defender.

BBC Sport understands Dunne has rejected a long-term deal, leaving City facing the prospect of him leaving on a free transfer at the end of next term.

Spurs are now closing in on a £5m deal for the Republic of Ireland star.

£5?!?! That's a HUGE bargain and it would be a great bit of business for Spurs. Dunne and Woody could be a spectacular pairing and will make Spurs' new keeper even more of a +10 player than he would have otherwise been.