Whelan aiming to stop Villa rot
IF EVER Aston Villa fans want to vent about what is happening at their club, the first port of call now seems to be owner Dr Tony Xia’s Twitter account. When a chunk of the Under-23 development squad was culled over the summer the Chinese businessman was happy to respond to a question from a supporter about the thinking behind the decision. ‘One thing we and SB (manager Steve Bruce) made the agreement is to trim the squad to 19-20 and pick 5-6 youngsters to train with the 1st squad this season,’ he explained.
Such openness has been the hallmark of Xia’s tenure since taking control in June 2016 when Villa had just been relegated from the Premier League and he delivered his bold mission statement for the course of the next decade. ‘We want to win the European Cup.’
As the realities of the situation and depth of the problems at the beleaguered club became clearer, Xia (pictured) rowed back this June when he again used his social media platform to connect with supporters. ‘The long term mission is unchanged. If we can’t achieve in 8/10 yrs, we do 20 yrs, if 20 yrs not enough, I’ll fight through my whole life,’ he wrote.
Just a couple of weeks later and he was proclaiming his own fortitude once more. ‘Usually I don’t care what nasty people saying, but I’d like to rebuild some “fighting spirit” starting from me for the club… When u didn’t have real experience through t darkest time, u don’t know how struggling with a sunken boat. Thanks4all Villains staying with us.’
And when Villa completed the £1.25 million signing of Glenn Whelan from Stoke City last month, Xia was concise in his praise for the Republic of Ireland international. ‘Welcome, another fighter.’ That is exactly what the club have been lacking as they lurched from mid table obscurity in the top flight to the depths of relegation and a 13th place finish in the Championship having spent £80m over two transfer windows prior to this summer.
But it has not been the only blatant deficiency. There has been a lack of quality, leadership and commitment — all of which was neatly wrapped up in one shameful episode last season when Ross McCormack, a £12.6m signing from Fulham, failed to report for training because the gate to his house was broken.
There has been no togetherness, no clue and no hope on the pitch, while the only interest Randy Lerner showed was trying to get rid of the sinking ship for as much cash as possible. It is why Villa were relegated with just three wins under four different managers during the 2015/16 campaign. That was the nadir following several years of mismanagement after Martin O’Neill resigned on the eve of the 2010/11 season. And now, under serial promotion winner Steve Bruce, Villa are attempting to restore pride and respect.
Naturally, the free transfer capture of John Terry following his release from Chelsea captured all the headlines but the arrival of Whelan in the heart of midfield is an indication of the characteristics Bruce is attempting to revitalise the club with.
Dependability, professionalism and respect won’t gain you millions of followers on social media but it is needed to ensure a club goes in the right direction on the pitch. Whelan, Ireland’s most capped midfielder, will bring with him a wealth of experience after close to a decade in the Premier League but, more than that, there will be a renewal of standards and an ethos which has long since been lost at Villa Park. ‘Now is the time for a new football adventure — and what a club to join in Aston Villa. We may be in the Championship but everything about this club screams Premier League — and it’s the job of the players to get us back up there,’ Whelan told the club website after agreeing a two-year contract last month. It’s been a long time since Villa, seven-times champions of England and European Cup winners in 1982, were one of the greats, and Bruce’s work in the transfer market this summer has been hampered because of years of excess. Having attempted to buy their way back into the Premier League under Roberto Di Matteo — appointed in June 2016 and sacked in October — and then supporting Bruce last January, Whelan has been their most expensive acquisition. While parachute payments after relegation from the Premier League are worth £90m over three years, Financial Fair Play rules mean Bruce has had no option but to be shrewd.
‘But that’s the way it is. It is not a problem to me,’ he said ahead of Villa’s opening day fixture against Hull City today. ‘I wouldn’t say I am enjoying it because it would have been nice to not have the restriction. That’s what’s come our way. We can’t keep haemorrhaging more and more money. Looking from afar, it’s spiralled out of control in a few years.’
The signing of Whelan is just one step on the road to restoring respect at Villa Park but, alongside Terry, they now have a spine with the backbone required for the fight ahead.