The Aston Villa duo could either inspire the club into the play-offs or drown in the Championship.
It is the question Aston Villa fans have pondered for some time, particularly in the club’s darkest Championship hours: are Carles Gil and Jordan Veretout (above) cut out for the unforgiving environment of English football’s second tier?
As reported by the Birmingham Mail, the duo were never given the chance to prove themselves once Villa had succumbed to their inevitable relegation last season.
Gil and Veretout, two of the most technically gifted players in the squad yet alarmingly lightweight, were largely deemed unsuited to the demands of the English game and loaned out in the summer to Deportivo and St Etienne in their respective homelands.
Gil offered only glimpses of brilliance amid long stretches of anonymity while Veretout was not helped by being forced out of position into an unfamiliar wide midfield role which did not reflect his precise passing ability and eye for goal.
However, with Villa lacking inspiration in the final third at times this season, scoring fewer goals than any other side in the top half, a number of supporters have wondered whether it is worth giving the play-making duo a second chance in the summer once their respective loan deals come to an end.
And Villa CEO Keith Wyness has admitted to the Birmingham Mail that this depends wholly on one key issue.
“With players like Carles Gil and Jordan Veretout, for example, [the question is] is are they suited for the Championship?” Wyness asked. “It’s different from when they were bought in the Premier League.
“We are very aware of their performances. We already watch them closely but we’ll be watching them more closely to see if they can provide a role for us next season.”
Gil (below) has performed only in fits and bursts for Deportivo this season and the fact he has been unable to cement a position in a struggling side in a slower, more technical league suited to his talents does not bode well.
Veretout, however, has stood out in St Etienne’s midfield this term, so much so that Calciomercato claimed that Juventus were monitoring his progress very closely.
And if Villa want to close the gap to the top six next season, players of Veretout’s vision and class could make the difference.
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