Aston Villa

[SeagullofMalaysia]

Gollini is prone to howlers though (as the game against Hudds proved), so we have a chance

 

[Albion my Albion]

We certainly don't pay peanuts, but equally we don't (I hope) try and compete with the stupid money being thrown around that we all know is destroying the game. I for one am very glad that we don't do that.

There are different ways of winning, apart from just throwing money at a problem. Trying to go the obvious route of buying 'proven' players puts us in direct competition with teams that have far more resources than us. We cannot win if we choose to fight on that battleground. Instead we need to look at how we can play a slightly different game and best use whatever advantages we have.

Obviously you do need to invest, as we have done. One advantage we have is a large catchment area for the club, so developing our training facilities and our networks to hoover up and develop local talent is definitely a good long term strategy, but will take time to pay dividends.

In the shorter term I think we are focussing on being clever about recruitment and not just going for the obvious targets that everyone else will be chasing, and taking a few risks. I think we have done that pretty well, for instance in the cases of Kayal, Goldson, Knockhaert and Skalak amongst others. The fact that we have a very highly respected manager, good support, look like a well run club that is going places and that this is a nice area to live (especially for players with young families) can all be used to attract the right kind of player - for whom money is not everything.

Perhaps most importantly we are emphasising the importance of the team over the individual. This means buying the right type of player, and not just the big names, the strategy of 'strength in depth' rather than relying on one or two stars and, crucially, sticking to a pay structure so we don't create the kind of harmful dynamics that I am sure has destroyed team morale in more than one club.

So far this all seems to be working rather well don't you think?

I am happy that we don't seem to want to go and start offering bigger and bigger wages to tempt the kind of names that many on here think will 'guarantee' success.

It does seem to bring about the discussion of whether the top level Premier League, with it's large TV contract, excessive footballer salaries and excessive seat prices has truly been good for English football or is the PL ruining football in England. When is too much really too much (notice the correct use of the word "too")?

 

[BensGrandad]

Watching Ch 5 I think Jedinak was lucky to not get a red card for his aerial assault with his arm again on the Wolves player, he seems to get away with doing it most games.