Matt Maher on Aston Villa's transfer window

Express & Star

Transcript

00:00Well, hello, I'm Nathan Judah. I'm delighted to be joined by Aston Villa reporter. It is

00:05Mr Matt Mayer. Matt, we're talking about deadline day activity. This could be a very short video.

00:11So let's expand it to the transfer window as a whole. And it's been an interesting one

00:17for Aston Villa, Matt, very much a balancing act.

00:20Yeah, we had a frenetic start, didn't we? Villa was so busy in June. Douglas Louise

00:27obviously sold. That was the big headline that helped them get underneath the profit

00:31and sustainability threshold in the Premier League. You had Omari Kellerman go to Chelsea

00:36for a slightly eye-opening fee of 19 million. Tim O'Robinon went to Everton for, what did

00:43he go for now, was it 9 million? 9 million.

00:46Ian Martson was another one of the early deals, came in from Chelsea. So we had all these

00:49deals between Villa, Everton and Chelsea that were fairly obvious why they were happening.

00:56Of course, Villa signed two players from Juventus to ease the Douglas Louise departure. Yeah,

01:04balancing act is precisely the way to describe it. It's been not just the Premier League's

01:10profit and sustainability rules, but also the need to get within the UEFA cost controls,

01:14which this season are going down. So clubs can spend 80% of their revenue on transfer

01:20fees, player wages and agents fees. So that's another thing that Villa have had to factor

01:27in. So yeah, they've been restricted. I think they feel they've done about as well as they

01:34could with the cards they held at the start of the summer. In an ideal world, they wouldn't

01:38have sold Douglas Louise, but they've not been operating in an ideal world. And I think

01:42with signing Amadou Anana from Everton for 50 million, I think they feel, and Ross Barkley,

01:48another of the early deals, for five million, I think they feel they have a stronger squad

01:53in depth. When you factor in the fact you're going to soon have Henry Buendia is back,

01:59obviously. Tyrone Mings has trained for the first time today, after 12 months out.

02:05Boubacar Kamara, not too far away. And they'll also factor in Jacob Ramsey, who missed a lot

02:09of last season as effectively a new player. So I think they feel that the squad is stronger than

02:14the one that finished last season. I think the fans will perhaps debate that. They're perhaps

02:19short in a few areas, but it's been a difficult summer. And I think on the whole, on balance,

02:28I think they're relatively pleased with what they've done.

02:32Can they, with the squad, with the quality they've got and the quantity,

02:36I guess, fight on all four fronts? Of course, we saw the Champions League draw

02:40the other day. Is it very much Premier League and Champions League is the priority? And let's

02:45see what we can get around for the Cups just for this season.

02:49I think the Premier League, I mean, Emery's always, he makes no bones about it. I mean,

02:53he's pretty straight talker. And he'll always say the Premier League is the main competition.

02:59That is what's going to get you into Europe next season. Champions League, of course,

03:04then after that, I think last year in the Conference League, Villa probably did

03:08about what they needed to get through the group stage. They had one big win at Alkmaar,

03:13but otherwise they were kind of scraping through games. And then Carabao Cup and FA Cup, I think

03:20it's a case of, well, we'll see how the draw goes and we'll see how far we get and whether we take

03:24those seriously later on. I think last season Villa played, was it 56, 57 games? And the squad

03:30held up really well despite a lot of injuries. But they really were, you know, the last month,

03:35they were really hanging on. If they were to suffer an injury crisis like they did last season,

03:42where it wasn't so much, well, they did have some big injuries, but then just a steady stream of

03:47players out, then I think it becomes difficult to fight on the two fronts, the Premier League

03:52and Champions League. Look, you know, they've done a lot. We can talk about this summer all we want

04:00and the deals that got done and the deals that didn't get done. But I think you're going through

04:04another season now, regardless of everything that's happened with, you know, this season

04:09will rest on the fitness of Olly Watkins and in particular, even more so, Emi Martinez. Because

04:15as much as I think for the supporters look at the defence and think, well, they've not got

04:19an experience back up right back, you know, Emi Martinez is going in as number one, you know,

04:26hopefully he'll be fit and play every game. But behind him, you've got Robin Olsen,

04:30who I think by now we know isn't good enough. And Joe Gauci, who we've no idea about because

04:36he joined in January and hasn't made a senior appearance. So, I mean, that is probably the

04:40area if I was to pick one that is of most concern in terms of depth is the goalkeeper.

04:50And I was going to say, in terms of outgoings, could one potential transfer that did not happen

04:56in the end actually being very helpful to Aston Villa this season in John Duran,

04:59who obviously has come on, scored the winner at West Ham United and could be a very important

05:05part this season?

05:06Well, I think that's already, it's already been helpful, hasn't it? Because he got on the win

05:09at West Ham and he's been helpful these first few weeks when Olly Watkins has clearly not quite

05:14been there quite understandably so because of the summer he had, slight injury he had, he's not,

05:18you know, he's clearly feeling his way back. I think Watkins is going to start whenever he's,

05:23you know, 78% fit because he's the best striker at the club. But yeah, Duran,

05:27look, if you've watched him play then you know how good he potentially is.

05:33You know, he's started three games in the Premier League and been pretty poor in all

05:38starts and that's what he's going to do next is prove that he can actually start games.

05:42But yeah, I think as a substitute, if he can get his head straight, it's as simple as that. The

05:49talent is there. The question is whether, you know, he's got the mentality to be a top level

05:54player and that ultimately is what separates, you know, the people who are just professionals

06:00to the good and the very good is that mentality. So far it's been a bit of a struggle. I don't

06:06think it's any, you know, there's been a few kind of issues along the way and I think Villa,

06:12had they got a bit of 40 million, would have, you know, would have sold. I mean,

06:17they were very close to selling him to West Ham. But they didn't get it and the fact that he

06:22stayed on board, if he's focused, you know, if he follows Emery's instructions,

06:29then, you know, he could be a really, a real asset. But there is obviously that if of whether

06:34he's kind of got the, you know, whether he can get the mentality there. Still only very young,

06:41you know, 20 years old and perhaps not as, you know, as old as some of the other 20 year olds.

06:47The likes of Ramsey, Rodgers. So we'll see. We'll see. But potentially, yeah,

06:52potentially that could be a deal that doesn't go through.

06:56Although it has not gone through, which actually turns out to be a blessing for Villa.

07:01Matt May, thank you very much. Good luck at Leicester tomorrow.

07:04I'm not playing at Leicester tomorrow, but good luck.

07:09Yeah, good luck with the Buffer.

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