Premier League season preview: Aston Villa look to consolidate under Sherwood
By Ollie Irish
Predicted finish: 15th
Having lost some key players in the summer, Tim Sherwood will need to use all his genius to turn his Aston Villa team into a competitive unit.
Signings
Villa manager Tim Sherwood has trimmed plenty of fat from his squad – like a man who has cut the sleeves off his bulky jacket to create a gilet, you might say. Gone from Villa Park this summer: Shay Given (Stoke, free), Darren Bent (Derby, free), Andreas Weimann (Derby, undisclosed), Matthew Lowton (Burnley, undisclosed), Yacouba Sylla (Rennes, undisclosed) and Antonio Luna (Eibar, undisclosed). Those players were deemed surplus to requirements and have all moved to lesser clubs.
Sherwood could not, however, prevent the departure of the club’s two best players: striker Christian Benteke (Liverpool, £32.5m) and U-turning club captain Fabian Delph (Manchester City, £8m). Their departure has left two alarming holes in Villa’s first XI, and their headline summer signings so far – Scott Sinclair, Micah Richards (both from Man City) and Rudy Gestede (from Blackburn) – are less than thrilling, although imposing forward Gestede could be a steal at £6m. There are more grey clouds, as centre-back Ron Vlaar, a target for bigger clubs anyway, faces four months out due to knee surgery.
More promise lies with Sherwood’s four acquisitions from France’s Ligue 1: Jordan Amavi (Nice, £7m), Idrissa Gueye (Lille, £9m), Jordan Veretout (Nantes, undisclosed) and Jordan Ayew (Lorient, £10m). Amavi, 21, is an attack-minded left-back who bases his marauding style on Bayern’s David Alaba. Senegal international Gueye, 25, is a dynamic, box-to-box midfielder who will be expected to fill Delph’s boots. Ghanaian Ayew, 23, is a fleet-footed forward with the potential to torment statuesque defenders (incidentally, his older brother Andre signed for Swansea this summer). Sherwood also picked up goalkeeper Mark Bunn, 30, on a free from Norwich, and hardened right-back Jose Angel Crespo, 28, from Cordoba for around £500,000.
Manager: Tim Sherwood
Villa were a mess when Tim Sherwood arrived at the business end of last season, and the club’s fans can only have been impressed with the cut of his jib. A morale-boosting run to the FA Cup Final may have glossed over patchy league form, but Sherwood achieved enough to suggest he can keep Villa afloat. He is a self-styled leader of men. A motivator. An air of menace helps (see Tony Pulis); Sherwood can look after himself, you wouldn’t mess with him. But, more importantly over the course of a full season, is he a good football manager? Nobody's sure of that yet.
Sherwood’s biggest managerial problem is simple and obvious (and familiar to his predecessor Paul Lambert): who’s going to score Villa’s goals? The fumes of positivity will only get you so far through a season. Sherwood must have been crushed to see the back of Benteke, especially as he appeared to have earned the Belgian’s trust and respect in short time. Ayew could be the answer, but it’s a major risk to build your attack around a 23-year-old who has never played in England. Gestede is huge and tormented Championship defenders last season. Championship defenders, mind. As it stands, with no proven front-line striker to call upon, Sherwood has little choice but to roll the dice and come out fighting. Who knows, maybe Villa’s forgotten striker Libor Kozak will come to the rescue after 19 months out recovering from a broken leg – he has at least scored goals in pre-season. These are all long shots for a manager who must gamble with the cards in his hand.
One to watch: Micah Richards
Remember him? Richards is one of the most likeable English footballers around and many fans of all clubs will hope he gets his career back on track in Villa’s claret and blue after being frozen out at club and international level in recent seasons. Surely Sherwood, Mr Motivator that he is, will get far more out of the defender than Roberto Mancini and Fabio Capello managed. At 27, Richards is still positively young for a defender. Roy Hodgson will monitor his progress with interest.
Sherwood has entrusted Richards with the captain's armband during pre-season showing that his experience as an England international and Premier League winner will be valued at Villa Park, which should give the defender a lot of confidence going into the new campaign.