Aston Villa have now appointed Tim Sherwood as manager, although some doubts have been expressed about whether he is the right man to lead them out of the relegation zone. If the unthinkable happened and Villa were relegated, West Bromwich Albion would be the only team representing the West Midlands, including the country’s ‘second city’, in the Premier League. They had a great cup win yesterday, but it is difficult to see them going above mid-table in the league.
Aston Villa have now appointed Tim Sherwood as manager, although some doubts have been expressed about whether he is the right man to lead them out of the relegation zone. If the unthinkable happened and Villa were relegated, West Bromwich Albion would be the only team representing the West Midlands, including the country’s ‘second city’, in the Premier League. They had a great cup win yesterday, but it is difficult to see them going above mid-table in the league.
In the four seasons under Martin O’Neill from 2006 to 2010, Villa’s net spend in the transfer market was £84.1m. They secured three consecutive top six finishes and regular cup runs.
In the two and a half seasons under Paul Lambert, Villa’s net spend was £48.2m. The emphasis was on reducing costs and striving for self-sufficiency. This meant a lowering of the ceiling on transfer fees and wages at a time of inflation elsewhere in the Premier League.
Owner Andy Lerner lost enthusiasm when his spending did not bring the real prizes he coveted. However, unless a club’s scouting network is outstanding, the budget that has been available at Villa is not going to deliver many Premier League level players.
Sometimes I wonder if there is a broader malaise which is reflected in the poor performance of the region’s teams. Admittedly, the West Midlands economy has picked up over the last year, with a big fall in unemployment.
Even so, the region has been somewhat eclipsed by Manchester, not just on the football pitch, e.g., the BBC’s move to Salford while its presence in Birmingham has been run down since the move from Pebble Mill to the Mailbox. Greater Manchester seems to have been better at getting its political act together and giving the city region a dynamic profile. HST2 should help Birmingham in that respect, but it is some way off.
Meanwhile, Andy Lerner has been looking for a new owner for Villa, but no one with sufficiently deep pockets or enthusiasm has appeared. If I was a billionaire, I would have thought it represented an interesting challenge with real potential.