Aston Villa fans have been warned to expect a famine in the summer transfer window in comparison to the excessive spending they have seen this season.
When Dr. Tony Xia bought Aston Villa to put an end to the Randy Lerner era, he promised to return the club to their rightful place in the Premier League, and put the fallen giants back amongst the greats of the footballing world. At first, Xia’s words were met with skepticism, and he was labeled naive and over ambitious. However, so far the new owner has more than delivered, bringing in two promotion-winning managers, and the best that the championship has to offer. The one thing that has baffled the new-look Villa board, managers and players alike, is the most important thing: results. Arguably Villa’s best season off the pitch hasn’t been shown on the pitch, leaving the West-Midlanders in 13th place with just 11 games remaining.
Aston Villa spent big in the summer, signing what appeared to be guaranteed goals in the form of Ross McCormack, and championship experience in Mile Jedinak and Tommy Elphick. Not only that, but they were bringing in leaders, something the club has been lacking since the Martin O’Neil days. A playoff spot was the minimum expected, but not even Villa fans could have predicted the one win in thirteen that followed. The arrival of Steve Bruce came with an instant revival, giving fans hope that this season could be turned around.
In January, Villa were back on the transfer ferris wheel, buying 7 and selling 3. The window could not have gone better, with in form midfield duo Hourihane and Lansbury, and prolific striker Scott Hogan joining Steve Bruce’s claret and blue army. But yet again, this was met by a plummet in form, with a winless run of nine league games. So it is was no surprise when Aston Villa CEO told BBC WM that there would not be another dressing room shake up.
“We will have a relatively quiet summer. Still some ins and outs but nothing like this season”
He has recently added to this statement, saying that roughly 3 ins and 3 outs is Dr. Xia’s aim.
It is undeniable that Villa now have the personal to mount a promotion challenge next season, and Steve Bruce is the man to lead the charge. His objective for the remainder of the season must be to bring consistency to performances, and transform the squad from a group of individuals into a team.
