Anne Erskine from the Aston Villa website avillafan.com talks to us about the club’s maverick chairman, the recent turn around under Steve Bruce, and why money hasn’t bought success this season.
Can you assess Villa’s season for us? Presumably a disappointment…
AE: Unless we see a modern day miracle, we'll be plying our trade in the Championship again next season. That's not the outcome most wanted - or that many expected - last summer. Some will undoubtedly see failure to bounce back as disappointing. Given the mess we were in, there was never going to be a quick fix. We've already tripled our points tally from the depressing relegation season. We're top of the form table (we'll take anything we can get...) and if we can build on the recent good run in the remaining games then we have a great opportunity to hone a system and push on next year.
Why, despite the vast amounts of money spent, including three £10m+ strikers, have you not been able to even compete for play off spots?
AE: There are things that money can't buy. The team had no identity and was far from unified so we had a shaky start to the season under Di Matteo, who bought big names at this level without factoring in dynamics, it seems. Ross McCormack was a flop. The system didn't suit Rudy Gestede and wasn't made to suit him. Kodjia's been great but he was away for the Africa Cup of Nations and, in any case, no man is an island. Scott Hogan was unlucky to get injured shortly after his arrival. Bruce brought us hope but the nightmare run at the start of the calendar year realistically killed our chances of making the play-offs this season. Perhaps people underestimated what an unrelenting slog it is in this division; the reality robbed a few of their swagger.
Why didn’t things work for Roberto Di Matteo?
AE: Who knows exactly what went wrong? There are those who'll say he's never successfully built a team and couldn't cope when faced with a huge rebuilding job at Villa Park. Despite being well funded and having three 20-goal a season Championship strikers to call on, he couldn't get it right. I could argue that he was let down by the players who made countless individual errors, particularly in defence. Ultimately, the buck stops with a manager, rightly or wrongly, and his record was appalling - one win in twelve. He tinkered and tweaked but left us nineteenth, two points above the relegation zone and with a goal difference of -2.
What has Steve Bruce changed? How do you think he’s done?
AE: Apart from some bizarre comments about Agbonlahor, Bruce has been honest with the fans and that's appreciated. He's has made some questionable decisions but, overall, his pedigree and demeanour make me think he's worth sticking with. He shored up the defence on arrival and reaped rewards almost instantly. He made a big call in giving Chester the captaincy permanently even when Elphick was available again after injury. That decision appears to have paid off and it also served to highlight that places need to be earned. He got shot of players like McCormack who weren't enhancing the squad and has shown himself to be tackling the ill discipline at the club that's reportedly been rife for years. He's given the players, and the fans, belief.
Does he retain the faith of the fans, and more importantly the chairman, going into next season?
AE: I can't speak for the chairman and don't claim to speak for the fans, although most of the sensible ones I know believe Bruce is a man worth backing. He's made some shrewd signings, who seem to be made of sterner stuff than their predecessors, and needs them to deliver now. While Xia isn't going to be queuing at the job centre any time soon, he won't want to throw good money after bad.
Are you concerned - given the money spent, the managers worked through, the things he’s said, the results on the field — that you may have got lumbered with a loose cannon foreign owner the likes of which we’ve seen do such expensive damage at Cardiff, Forest, Hull and so on…
AE: I don't think Tony Xia is cut from the same cloth as the owners you refer to. The language barrier has posed problems and some of his tweets may make him seem eccentric. Looking beyond his less than perfect command of English, there's a humour and an intelligence to be seen. He's certainly made some bold statements but has put his money where his mouth is.
None of us can tell what the future will bring but Xia's no fool. The football is the focus but he has done a lot of work behind the scenes, getting the right people in to drive the club forward - on and off the pitch. The club needs stability and Xia is steering it in the right direction step by step. He strikes me as someone driven enough to ensure that we get back to the top flight - and compete there - sooner rather than later.
Who are your candidates for Player of the Season?
AE: James Chester is dependable and a real team player. He's been solid if unspectactular almost all season for us. It's hard to look beyond Jonathan Kodjia for this award, however. Despite criticisms about his selfishness, we'd be in a right royal mess without Kodjia's goals. If he keeps banging the goals in, the award's his.
What do you think will happen next season?
AE: I'd love to see us tearing up the Championship, with Hogan and Kodjia forming a formidable strike partnership. There are lots of talented players in the squad so another overhaul shouldn't be required this summer. The aim should, and must, be to win the division. However, it's rarely plain sailing for the good ship Aston Villa so we'll be prepared for more stormy seas.
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