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It’s a breaking news type of thing; Robert Pires has passed his medical at Bodymoor and has signed a six month contract which takes him through to the end of the season. Carlos Cuellar tweeted earlier today that he’d met Pires at Bodymoor, he looked fit and they talked in Spanish – Pires was at Villarreal for four years of course.
I’m looking forward to seeing Bobby in action, not sure exactly where he’ll fit in, but as I keep saying, the quality and experience he brings could be invaluable as we get into the tough Winter months.
He joins as a free agent, so he should be registered and able to play at the weekend, there was no transfer fee and it doesn’t sound like wages was a big deal. Aside from his age, and the risk of him joining the conveyor belt of injuries, there really are no negatives.
He’ll be wearing the number 8 shirt vacated by a certain someone last seen heading for the blue half of Manchester.
In other news today, you may have already seen on the Aston Villa Central Tumblr page, Barry Bannan has said that he didn’t feel he was getting a fair crack under Martin O’Neill and the former manager seemed to have an issue with his height. Add him to the list of players not unhappy to see the back of MON.
Also, in injury news, positive news for once; Fabian Delph is spending several days in the United States as part of his recovery and is on schedule to return to action in the new year.
If we can hang in there through December and get into January in reasonable shape, with a little bit of luck, it’s possible that we could have all our players back, fighting for position and maybe, just maybe, something to play for as we hit the home straight.
[Photo credit: Aston Villa Official Site]
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12 Comments to “Pires signs for six months, Delph in America and Bannan’s MON problem”
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I think we are doing really well with all that’s happened this yr..I’m very pleased with our young players right now.They have given the club a huge boost this season even tho it’s mainly a transitional yr for the club…I think we would never have seen how good Bannan, Albrighton or any of the others were if MON was still in charge…Good luck to our young lads and long may they continue to improve themselves and our great club. I bursting with pride right now especially after the result on Saturday..Yes, we shoulda won the game but it was the way we played ManUre off the park in the game that was most enjoyable..We are on the up & up..The so called big4 have had it all their own way for to long but it’s changing fast..Man City, Spurs & ourselves(AVFC) are breaking the door down & looking like we could be the next big 3 or 4 teams in Champs Lge..I know it sounds like i’m getting carried away but i don’t feel that way..I see it as our destiny now..We have an owner who will back the manager with money when needed & we have a maneger who values good young players..I’m really bouyant as you can probably tell..
UpTheVilla!!!
it’s good to have a little good news for sure. it’s been a tough few months.
as i say, hopefully we can make it into the new year in reasonable shape and kick on again.
I’m massively in favour of Bobby Pires joing our ranks. His ‘palmares’ smacks of quality and experience and if I may be so bold, there’s a lot of ‘Arsenal’ about Villa of late and the experience Pires can bring in body and principles can only enhance Villa’s fortunes.
I look at the genuine craft and guile displayed by Baz Bannan and Albrighton and maintain if they plied their trade at the Emirates rather than Villa Park the plaudits would be flowing and we’d hear their names alongside that of Wilshire with equal abandon.
It seems to me that we have young, mobile, quick footed visionaries in messrs Baz & Marc and this brand of football is exactly the sort in which Bob’s playing career has been steeped (not exactly hurt by his time in the technical and adroit midfield of La Liga’s Villareal).
All told I like this addition a great deal. Technically it’s good, in terms of football philosophies it’s good, and still I feel Pires has that cachet of quality which sends a message out that Villa are a QUALITY team in every sense of the word…which may just encourage some undecided January targets to make the switch to claret & blue.
Vive la revolution!
Imagine all the team being healthy and the vets having to fight for a place with the youngsters. Competition is a wonderful thing and maybe we’ll see the best side of everyone.
Right, I’m not being negative, but the excitement of the above posts need some balance. I know some of it, is the result of renewed hope, but I think we are over spinning it.
The kids have had some good games. They’ve also had some shockers. Randy has put lots in, but is not going to buy us 4th place. GH has brought a fresh approach with some success, but has also made a number of selection/formation howlers. Finally, Pires was a good footballer in a great side. He can no longer be expected to gave a great deal of pact other than as an influence for younger players. By no means will the football world be looking at the signing and thinking we are on the rise. They will see it as the,, ‘any freebies around, my mates in charge, let’s give it a go’, situation that it is.
All that said, there is hope: it’s just that it is far too early to suggest what this hope may bring.
when i left, there was a bonfire burning. i return and there’s nothing but a faint, curling wisp of smoke rising from the damp embers.
come on, who pissed on my bonfire?
oh, hello nan. :p
What a change of role! I’m usually the one with the petrol and next door’s garden furniture.
this is true, nan.
for me, this is a 6 month thing, he’s clearly going to be used in central midfield and, given our current situation, as nice as it was to see hogg & bannan do quite well against a frankly lacklustre utd, we could really use his help.
the coaching thing seems to have been a little presumptuous, but if he’s looking to move into coaching after he stops playing, why not?
on that subject, i’d love to see us bringing talented ex-players into minor coaching roles, laursen and ollie on the staff would be awesome.
then, if it helps them build a coaching career along the right path, everyone is a winner. more ole gunnar solskjaers and paul inces and less gareth southgates and alan shearers please!
and i mean ince before he showed exactly why they shouldn’t jump to the top flight too soon, natch.
Yes, I’d quite like to see him alongside Bannan. Hogg doesn’t look fully cooked yet to me.
aye, he looked understandably nervous against utd, but i was impressed by him in vienna. not been overly convinced by what i’ve seen in the reserves, which isn’t much, but he looked the part in austria i thought.
Yes, he has something, but, like The Fonz, early promise means nothing. You never know what you’ve got until they play on the big stage. Bannan and Marc have shown they have it. Hopefully, several more will follow and then all the excitement will be justified. Defeat at Blackburn might taste a little bitter, mind.