Villa men: Should they stay or should they go?
THE ‘clean break’ Aston Villa fans have been waiting for is edging ever closer. The club have been weighed down by a crippling wage bill since they dropped into the Championship and their chance to sling the deadwood overboard has arrived.
In the coming weeks and months, head coach Dean Smith, sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch and chief executive Christian Purslow will get their heads together and decide the futures of their out-of-contract stars.
But who should stay and who should go?
Mark Bunn: GO
Bunn, who has played 21 times in four years at Villa Park, is the club’s perennial happy camper.
Half of those appearances came in the Premier League with Remi Garde unconvinced by Brad Guzan.
The 34-year-old has been kept on as third-choice goalkeeper in each of the last three seasons without ever looking likely to force his way into the reckoning.
With Matija Sarkic approaching his 22nd birthday and able to deputise for Lovre Kalinic and Orjan Nyland, Bunn is verging on surplus to requirements at Villa.
Jed Steer: STAY
If Villa must have a third-choice keeper, 26-year-old Steer is a suitable option. Given his frustration that his loan to Charlton was cancelled at the beginning of January, it’s hard to imagine he will settle for that role come the summer.
The reward for being third choice at Villa is likely to be far more lucrative than that on offer to established League One ‘keepers, but Steer is desperate to play.
Investing in him for another year or two would be a wise decision for Villa, but he’s unlikely to accept life on the sidelines.
Micah Richards: GO
It’s a shame that Richards’ last game for Villa – a 1-1 draw with Wolves on October 15, 2016 – looks as though it could well be his final competitive game of football.
The 30-year-old has been plagued by a chronic knee injury for the past two seasons and is no longer being considered for selection. It goes without saying he should be released by Villa at the end of this season.
Ritchie De Laet : GO
De Laet’s rebirth Down Under has been welcomed by Villans keen to see the Belgian bounce back after a torrid two seasons.
He has been playing as an auxiliary striker for Melbourne City and has earned rave reviews in the A-League – and hasn’t ruled out making the move to Australia permanent.
Judging by De Laet’s
recent com- ments he’s resigned to leaving Villa after struggling to live up to his billing due to being struck down by injury in just his third match for the club.
Alan Hutton: GO
Smith’s decision to hand Hutton the captaincy against Reading shows how highly the Scottish Cafu is thought of behind the scenes.
However, there now seems to be an acceptance among the fanbase that the club needs to go in a different direction.
Frederic Guilbert will arrive for preseason ready to be first-choice rightback, with James Bree returning from Ipswich to potentially play back-up to the Frenchman, meaning there’s little need to keep Hutton and De Laet on the books. You never know, Hutton could finish the season in the same breathtaking fashion he did last term and force Villa to give him another year. It seems, though, that Villa’s irrepressible renaissance man has finally reached his limit.
Tommy Elphick: TBD
Of all the names on this list Elphick poses the most difficult question.
The former Bournemouth captain was rushing for the exit with Steve Bruce in charge but Smith has given him a second chance.
Since he returned from his loan at Hull, Elphick has been Villa’s most solid central defender. But, at the age of 31, questions remain as to whether he fits into the club’s long-term plan. Elphick falls into the ‘playing for his future’ category.
Mile Jedinak: GO
Injuries or no injuries, the fact Jedinak has played just six minutes of football in Smith’s four months in charge is telling. The powerful Aussie was Bruce’s go-to guy but Smith prefers his holding midfielder to be adept in possession, hence the deadline-day acquisition of playmaker Tom Carroll.
There’s no doubting Jedinak’s importance in his first two seasons – their record with and without him testifies to that – but his value has waned dramatically this season.
Glenn Whelan: GO
Some of the criticism levelled at Whelan has been unfair, particularly this season.
The Irishman has effectively been asked to adapt to a completely new style of football at 35, and there have been tee th ing problems.
To his credit, Whelan has been Villa’s most-used holding midfielder – but for how much longer? The signing of Carroll and Smith’s promise to overhaul an ageing squad is likely to signal the end of his Villa Park career.
The kids
Villa are looking at ways to sharpen up their youth set-up.
The club allowed Jacob Bedeau – a £900,000 signing from Bury two years ago – to join Scunthorpe on a free transfer, which hints at the overhaul planned. The club no longer want to invest time in players who they don’t believe will make the grade.
Four youngsters of note see their deals expire in June. Jordan Lyden’s promising loan spell at Oldham was cut short by injury and he’s likely to resume his career further down the leagues once his contract ends.
Harry McKirdy is embarking on his third loan spell in League Two with Newport and it should be his last. Likewise, with Easah Suliman, who has earned rave reviews for his performances for Villa and England at youth level. His last two loan stints at Grimsby and FC Emmen have been unsuccessful and it’s probably for the best that he moves on.