With the transfer window now shut, Read Aston Villa take a look at the players at Aston Villa, who still needs to be sold.
Charles N’Zogbia
Since Tim Sherwood’s arrival as Aston Villa’s manager, Charles N’Zogbia has enjoyed the best of both worlds. The Frenchman started in the FA Cup final and featured towards the backend of last season, but this summer has seen N’Zogbia fall firmly out of favour with the Villans manager, Tim Sherwood.
N’Zogbia signed for Villa back in 2011 from Wigan Athletic. In his time at Villa, he has had many injury problems which have hindered his game time. You could understand why Alex McLeish, Aston Villa’s manager at the time, did sign him, as the winger was playing some superb football at Wigan. He scored 15 goals from 83 appearances for the Latics, before signing for the Villans.
He has never matched his Wigan form at Villa playing 78 times, scoring only four goals.
Throughout his four years at Villa, his career was affected badly by injuries, and there will always be the thought, that if N’Zogbia didn’t pick up so many awful injuries in his time at Villa, he could have been a star man in the Villa side, and really could have driven Villa on, in the Premier League.
Joe Cole
Joe Cole completes the three players who were signed by Paul Lambert on a free last summer.
The Villa faithful were hoping that when Cole joined, the attacking midfielder would contribute somewhat to the side, but only making a total of 11 appearances in the league for Villa, does say something else.
In his spell at Villa, he has struggled to retain fitness, and also the fact he is 33 years old, there was always a major doubt, that Cole couldn’t cope with the Premier League pace.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8cVZUjPzC4
At this stage of his career, Joe Cole isn’t good enough anymore to play in the Premier League, certainly not for Aston Villa. Sherwood also may think this, and although he is in the 25 man squad, it is highly likely that it will be another wasteful season of football for Cole. If used as a mentor for the likes of Grealish he could be an asset.
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos also joined Aston Villa on a free. The ex-Arsenal man was brought in for some needed experience in the Villa defence – proving to be an important asset when in the side.
Senderos only managed to play eight games for Aston Villa in the Premier League, mainly because of injuries. Although, when he was fit and in the squad, the statistics showed he was a very decent signing for Villa. In the eight games he played Villa kept four clean sheets, including the 1-0 away wins at Stoke and Liverpool.
Philippe Senderos hasn’t been chosen in the squad throughout the start of the season at all, and the Swiss international had even more of a disappointment, when it was confirmed on Thursday, that he has not been named in Aston Villa’s 25 man squad for this Premier League campaign.
Sherwood has other plans for his defence with a total restructiurng of it.
Kieran Richardson
Kieran Richardson joined Villa last summer on a free, after leaving Fulham who got relegated in that season. Paul Lambert brought him in with Joe Cole and Phillippe Senderos, who were all experienced Premier League players, which at that time, Villa were lacking.
Since then, none of them have made an impact in Villa’s side and unbelievably the three players put together, have only made 34 appearances in the league for Aston Villa.
Although Villa’s weak link in recent years has been left-back Richardson has never been the player the side needed to sure it up. The thought of an experienced player like Richardson playing there gave Villa fans hope. But some questionable displays in a Villa shirt quickly banished those hopes.
but only now, I feel that problem is improving, with the new signing of French left-back, Jordan Amavi.
Richardson was a poor signing from Paul Lambert – it was a definite desperation.
