You could forgive Villa fans for being a little pessimistic. But a raft of new signings should add a hint of optimism at this famous old club.
With risk of wearing out the old hyperbole, the Championship is not for the faint hearted. Forty-four fixtures, vociferous support from top to bottom, and bitter Tuesday nights in Rotherham, Burton and Ipswich; never has a team appeared so ill-equipped as Aston Villa.
So much so, that the removal of the word ‘prepared’ from the club’s famous old badge summed up Villa’s malaise more than any punchline or protest could.
However, despite the initial uncertainty surrounding the appointment of Roberto Di Matteo (below), the alarm bells that accompanied every ill-advised Tony Xia tweet, a play-off push now appears every so slightly more likely than successive relegations.
Yes, five points from a possible 15 hardly hints at a side ready for battle in this most punishing of leagues. EFL Trophy humiliation at the hands of League Two Luton proves those so evident vulnerabilities remain.
But, behind the scenes, Villa have quietly revived a broken squad, dispensing with half-hearted old ‘pros’ like Jolean Lescott and Gabby Agbonlahor as well as talented yet erratic youngsters in the mould of Carles Gil and Adama Traore. In their place, Villa have imported proven, reliable lower-league nous.
Tommy Elphick, Ritchie De Laet and Mile Jedinak (below) have won promotion to the Premier League four times between them. Elphick and Jedinak, in particular, possess the reliability and leadership Villa so badly lacked last season.
And, as James Chester proved for Wales on French soil this summer, he remains as solid as ever when played bafflingly out of position. Tony Pulis, we’re looking at you. At £7 million, he could be a snip in today’s overinflated market.
Talking of over-inflation, £27 million for two strikers without a single top tier appearance between them appears risky to say the least. Yet, if Ross McCormack and Jonathan Kodjia (below) can match the 40 goals they scored between them last season for Fulham and Bristol City, that fee won’t seem quite so criminal.
The walls may still be crumbling at Villa Park, but at least the foundations are a little more secure these days.
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