Football Weekly: Aston Villa’s January plans, Liverpool’s contract situation and more

National World - LocalTV

On this week’s football roundup, a look at the standout players across 2024 for many different sporting outfits and another update ahead of the January window. All this and more, to come.

Transcript

00:00Coming up on this week's Football Roundup a look at the standout players

00:05across 2024 for many different sporting outfits and another update ahead of the

00:11January window. All this and more to come.

00:17Well Charles, Wrexham of course a team that's were bought by Hollywood by Ryan

00:23Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and it's it's such an interesting story that one

00:28because there were a club that was essentially left to rot in non-league

00:32football and then these two come in with their Hollywood money they have a show

00:37on Disney as well. Welcome to Wrexham and it's it's a bit of a fairy tale so far I

00:44mean obviously some of outsiders perhaps might not see it that way although for

00:47those involved in Wrexham I think it's just been a rollercoaster ride but

00:51certainly a positive one so far in terms of the progression that clubs experienced

00:55under their new owners but the question is how far can they actually take them

00:59because of course you know you look towards the Premier League and you think

01:01well there are essentially some state-owned or nearly state-owned clubs

01:05whether or not what your viewpoint is. Wrexham certainly are still on a good

01:09trajectory but how far can they actually go under these two? Yeah I mean I think

01:13at the moment you look at them and you think how high is this actual ceiling

01:18it's incredible to see where they've gone and how far they've gone in such a

01:22short space of time you know you have to give full credit to Phil Parkinson a

01:26manager who's had lots of EFL experience he knows clubs he knows you know the way

01:32to get clubs promoted as well and you have to give credit to these owners you

01:37know they've come in and they've not you know completely changed the culture

01:40they've they've just sort of adjusted things a little bit which which a lot of

01:43fans have loved a lot of fans have taken really really well to you know the likes

01:48of Phil Parkinson and you know Paul Mullin the players who are in the side

01:53and getting them through these tough times and tough divisions it's not a

01:56walk in the park League Two, League One and you know achieving promotion was

02:01unbelievable in League Two to go straight from the National League you know in

02:07dramatic fashion it was as well but to do it like this it is such a strange

02:13situation but but also something that a lot of clubs really want to build a

02:19model around I mean you see in this modern game there's so many American

02:23whether it be people involved in sport people with a lot of funding they're

02:28coming into the game now so yeah obviously they're doing well in League

02:32One this season so far I mean it's been a massive change for them to go to go up

02:38if they are to go to the championship it would be remarkable for them it would be

02:42that the highest ever they've been in the AFL and you know it's just going to

02:47continue for them I mean you know you look at their squad and it's not just

02:52players who have no experience players these are players who played in the

02:56Premier League you know Stephen Fletcher and you know you've got John Daddy Bob

03:00Varson a lot of championship experience and these are top top players as well so

03:05at the moment they are signing in years of years of in advance I'd say it's real

03:11credit to them and and I think it's going to continue for years to come

03:18so we're looking at Liverpool and obviously you know as we approach

03:22halfway through this this Premier League season and and there's been no updates

03:26on on Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk's futures as well

03:30which we mentioned a lot in the summer was going to be you know quite a standout

03:35topic throughout the the season especially when you know the season

03:39continues to go on and there's been no updates you know by the club you know

03:43the players have certainly said a few things themselves but in terms of the

03:47fans listening fans watching what what could you sort of give an update on and

03:52what's the stance of the club with when it comes to these star players because

03:56you know if they are to go go ahead and win the league with Liverpool have an

04:00amazing season then you know maybe opinions and positions could change when

04:06when the summer comes and it's time for them to possibly move on what's the

04:09latest you can tell us yes it was interesting after the Southampton win

04:14obviously Mohamed Salah speaking to the press back in the mix zone he doesn't

04:19often give interviews Mohamed Salah he very frequently walks past you know or

04:24says you know some some polite comments you know maybe next week a little joke

04:30or whatever but he took his time out to go and speak to the press and saying

04:35there's been no offer on the table I mean for me that's very direct plans if

04:42I'm honest with you you know he's probably been told by his agent right we

04:47need to start getting some talk going here because quite clearly talks are

04:53stolen I mean there's no doubt that Liverpool have been in talks with with

04:57his agency with Urge Bandai, Trent Central, Alexander-Arnold but they haven't been

05:01able to really come to come to the point certainly with Mohamed Salah it seems that

05:08you think he'll sign a contract if they draw one up and maybe they're too far

05:13apart in wages, Liverpool worries about his age he's obviously gonna be 33 in June

05:19but he's not stopping, are one party waiting for each other to blink maybe I

05:27don't know but Urge Bandai's a little bit different I think he's a bit more

05:30relaxed about him maybe comes out of money about Alexander-Arnold as well maybe he

05:36thinks no I deserve I deserve this obviously Liverpool moving to Adidas next

05:41season and him signing with Adidas maybe that's got something to do with

05:46negotiations I'd be disappointed if at least two of them don't stay I must

05:54admit I think the one that supporters are rightly concerned about mainly is

06:00Alexander-Arnold because he's just hitting his peak years and he's a Boyled fan who could

06:06potentially, you know a Boyled fan came through the academy and could potentially

06:12lead the club for absolutely nothing.

06:17Charlie looking at Aston Villa and obviously January window approaching now and it's

06:23become a thing where you know a lot of clubs spend big in the summer and get big names in

06:27in the summer and tend to not really adjust massively you know the last few seasons

06:32especially in the Premier League the January windows have been quite quiet how do you sort of

06:37assess Villa's you know season so far up until this point until this festive period and how

06:44do you feel they're you know adjusting January whether you know do they sort of need any sort

06:49of position of improvement you feel and how much can that take them forward into the new year?

06:55I think there are definitely areas for Villa to address and going on quite a winless run

07:00throughout the end of October and throughout November as well there's been a few concerns

07:04among supporters but they've remained competitive Unai Emery isn't it he's not overly concerned by

07:08it and by the run of form at all because he knows that his players are keeping to the structure that

07:12he wants keeping to the demands he wants they've been quite a few injuries especially midfield

07:17and in defence as well that's disrupted Villa's rhythm but once again that they're not losing

07:21games by huge margins they're sticking in there and keep on cracking on they just need to be a bit

07:26more clinical maybe in front of goal not quite having the same cutting edge as we saw last season

07:31such an impressive campaign it's very hard to meet those demands and meet those levels once again but

07:36that's what fans want that's what Unai Emery wants that's what the players want maybe in January they

07:41could address a few areas it's just they don't want to slip back into the problems with the

07:45Premier League's profit and sustainability regulations we saw that in the summer just

07:50how much stress that caused they managed to sell Douglas Luiz that got that problem out the way

07:54they brought in Onanas they weren't too weakened but once again if they go and spend too much money

07:59without selling too much then they could run into issues again ideally they want a new right back

08:05because Matty Cash although he's played pretty consistently he's not quite of that Champions

08:10League level most would argue Ezra Conza better in the middle they don't want to rely on him going

08:15into right back so maybe another right side of centre back or a right back could fill in nicely

08:20and then an attacking midfielder a bit more creativity might be desired we've seen the

08:24odd switch with John McGinn moving just behind Watkins Morgan Rodgers heading out wide instead

08:30has that worked I'm not too sure Emi Wendier is he quite hitting the levels Jacob Ramsey

08:34constantly injured so an attacking midfielder will be desired as well but it's all about the cash and

08:39not having too much of it yeah do you feel that that maybe Villa squad depth isn't quite the level

08:45it needs to be to be competing in the Champions League I think in right midfield especially Moussa

08:50Diaby leaving great fee recouping pretty much everything that they spent on him over 50 million

08:55pounds but Jadon Filagin hasn't hit the ground running as much as Villa would have hoped

08:59Leon Bailey hasn't been in in the form of his life by any means he doesn't seem to have the confidence

09:04so yeah you're right and confidence isn't quite there which makes you feel like you haven't got

09:09that depth then they can certainly compete it's just about finding the confidence and

09:12finding the form of these players again Bristol City and obviously we've mentioned a number of

09:21times what it takes to be a championship winning side a championship promoted side you do need

09:28huge amounts of consistency throughout the season in terms of this season for Bristol City I mean

09:34the inconsistency has been quite incredible I mean it's obviously all throughout this calendar

09:39year as well if you look further back and then even further back over the last few seasons as

09:43well it's sort of been a bit of the same and they are trying to find the solutions to sort of

09:50resolve this because you know they sit mid table around there and they just seem to linger and

09:55they do pick up some good results but they also you know fail to win at home for example and then

09:59they go win loss win loss for example and it's just a form that's not going to get you out of

10:04the championship it's one of obviously the toughest divisions in the world to get promoted from

10:10so how do you sort of see them improving it what are the sort of solutions and key moments that

10:16they need to change if they are to sort this inconsistent run out well as I say just looking

10:21at their their recent form in just November they had one two three four five six games in in

10:28November and it's just so up and down and topsy-turvy you start the moment with a great 3-1

10:34win away at Preston North End and then fair enough okay I'd hope you get beaten by Sheffield United

10:39but then again they are pretty much at the top of the table and then you go away to Norwich City

10:44and you win 2-0 and you think you know it's been pretty good so far albeit the one loss

10:49then you come at home you lose against Burnley Burnley yes are up there as well

10:52you then go away from home to Watford you get beaten 1-0 and then you go and win 4-0 at home

10:58against Plymouth Argyle, Wayne Rooney Plymouth Argyle so you think okay it's been a all right

11:03month they've had they've had three three wins there albeit three losses as well and then you

11:11come into the start of December and you think okay build on that you've got Portsmouth at home

11:15bottom of the league and they're going to lose 3-0 it's it's it must be so infuriating from the

11:22times because they they go from such a good performance against Plymouth who are a team

11:26also down the bottom of the table to then go and to play Portsmouth who are also down there

11:32and it's such a poor performance and I mean Liam Manning the manager said they were lacking

11:37intensity but and it is that to be honest but it's the lack of consistency because I don't

11:42it must be so hard to try and work out why they're going from such a good performance to

11:45to such a bad one against two teams who are largely quite similar and had similar records

11:50so far this season so it is baffling for them and I mean they've all said they have aspirations of

11:56the playoffs but not with that level of inconsistency you've got to be picking up consistent

12:02results and yes they've had some great results but they're surrounded by some really poor results

12:07and that's just in the last month and a half to be honest and that's what the problem is it and

12:11it sort of epitomizes what they are like as a club at the moment

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