The Watford midfielder is reportedly interesting Aston Villa – but this would not be his first spell in the Midlands having spent three seasons with Wolves.
When reports in The Sun emerged linking Watford’s Adlene Guedioura with Aston Villa, it’s only natural that fans would be concerned that his previous spell in the Midlands ended in disappointment.
Signed by Mick McCarthy’s Wolves in 2010 from Belgian outfit Charleroi, the Algerian international departed three seasons later having accrued only 34 Premier League appearances, and just two goals, in the colours of Villa’s local rivals.
Nonetheless, the bare facts don’t tell the full story. It must be remembered that six months of his time at Molineux were restricted to the treatment room after breaking his leg in a challenge with Steve Sidwell.
However, the main factor preventing his short-lived stint with Wolves from evolving into anything other than forgettable was not a shortage of ability, injuries or a difficulty adapting to the English game.
In fact, it was his manager’s own short-sightedness that prevented the naturally gifted midfielder from proving his worth. In Wolves’ three seasons back in the top flight, McCarthy made clear his preference for hard-working, kilometre-covering enforcers rather than technically proficient, unpredictable creators.
The fact that Guedioura, a midfielder with the ability to power past opponents with a burst of acceleration and thump rocket shots into the roof of the net, was left on the sidelines for the likes of Karl Henry says it all.
Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce, who The Sun claim is interested in bringing the 31-year-old from Watford, surely wouldn’t make the same mistake.
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