Watford’s seldom seen midfielder was reportedly on Aston Villa’s radar earlier in the window.
The dog-eat-dog world of the Championship doesn’t allow too much time for gelling in or getting accustomed to new surroundings.
And, judging by the scathing reaction of a number of Twitter-venting Aston Villa supporters, Conor Hourihane and Birkir Bjarnason’s honeymoon period lasted precisely six days. Essentially, up until Tuesday’s 3-0 thrashing at Brentford, a defeat that Steve Bruce described as the worst by far of his Villa Park reign, as reported by the Birmingham Mail.
Patience is required of course. The horror show at Griffin Park was Bjarnason’s first outing in over six weeks while Hourihane will need time to get up to speed with a new gameplan. And fellow new-boy Henri Lansbury is still only two games into his Villa career.
Aston Villa shouldn’t be disappointed after Championship rivals swoop for reported target
Nonetheless, it’s tempting to look back at The Sun’s reports that Villa wanted Watford’s £3 million-rated Adlene Guedioura and wonder what might have been. Bruce’s lightweight midfield still lacks steel and Bjarnason, Hourihane and Lansbury are more architects rather than wrecking balls.
Algerian powerhouse Guedioura, however, offers something Villa still lack despite another hefty outlay; presence and power in the central areas. They failed miserably to get to grips with Brentford’s clockwork midfield on Tuesday but Guedioura, a tenacious competitor capable of carrying or winning possession, would have offered a much tighter stranglehold.
Reported target has the right character for Aston Villa
Villa have certainly signed three excellent footballers. But, would they have benefitted from a more rounded intake in that part of the team?
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