Missed chance to bring in strike force
THE summer transfer window closed with not a lot of activity around these parts. The biggest disappointment was the failure of the Villa and Baggies to bring in much needed strikers.
The Villa have spent a lot of money in the summer – around £40 million-plus – and now have a much more balanced and stronger look about them apart from up front.
A top striker would surely have turned Villa from possible fourth or fith place finishers to probable.
The Baggies have played some remarkable and superb passing football in their opening Premier League games, but without doubt, the question everyone is asking is ‘who will get the goals?’.
Last season they had Kevin Phillips and Zoltan Gera notching over 34 goals. That goal-scoring ability has not been replaced.
Ishmael Miller has all the attributes to be successful but is struggling to get off the mark in the Premier League. He needs help and competition.
The major difference between the Championship and the Premier League is clinical finishing.
As they say, ‘you can’t have enough good strikers in your squad’.
As it stands, admittedly after only three games, the way Albion are playing the midfield will have to chip in with plenty of goals and to be fair, despite the brilliant football, that’s something they haven’t looked like doing so far.
I hope that come May neither Villa nor West Brom rue not splashing the cash to get a top-class finisher to aid their cause.
There are a lot of people, particularly at the more sensationalist local radio stations, who are set to have a large amount of gold and black egg scrambled all over their faces come May.
Wolves under the leadership of Mick McCarthy will in my opinion secure one of the automatic promotion places.
Despite what you might think, I am not being smart or over-reacting to their 5-1 hammering of Nottingham Forest last Saturday.
Wolves to win automatic promotion was one of the talking points on my football phone-in on 1152 am GOLD last Friday evening, while at the start of the season I fancied them for promotion but through the play-offs.
I have been more than impressed with Mick McCarthy’s slow but sure rebuilding of the team with the emphasis on youth and energy.
The signing of Chris Iwelumo for a reported £2million will prove to be inspirational. Richard Stearman from Leicester has helped sort out the defensive situation while David Jones from Derby was another vital piece in McCarthys promotion jigsaw.
Mick is a tough, no nonsense Yorkshireman who has had to deal with a lot of fan and media pressure. However I am convinced he will have the last laugh and be able to stick two fingers up to his detractors at the end of the season.
YET again, we have a two-week break from domestic football so Fabio Capello can prepare his squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Croatia.
Am I the only one who hates the break? Why do we need a two-week break? Does it really help?
For the life of me, I cannot understand why we play Saturday and Wednesday when it would be more helpful to the clubs to play Wednesday and Saturday. That would allow players who have to travel half way around the world to be back in good time to rest and prepare for vital Premier and Championship league games. As it is many arrive back on Friday tired from all the travelling and have to play the next day.
Very often, the manager has little or no time to do the pattern play, or work on set pieces etc. Barmy.
Again, Fabio leaves out Ashley Young, what does he have against the Villa winger? Yet why is David Beckham included? Becks has had his time and is now not good enough for England. He is playing in a poor standard of football and spends a large part of his life jet-setting all over the world. Crazy.
In addition, how Theo Walcott gets the nod over Ashley Young is beyond me. The Arsenal striker has been included as a striker yet mostly plays wide for the Gunners?
I cannot understand why Michael Owen has been left out despite the England head coach citing fitness as the reason.
Owen is playing in the Premier League and surely is fit enough to come off the bench and make an impact if required?
Sort it out Fabio!
