With the football schedule in the UK recently decimated by the freaky weather it feels like we haven’t seen the Villa play for ages. Whether the fact that the squad have travelled up to Blackburn and Wigan, only to have the games cancelled, will have any adverse effect when they finally get another crack at Ewood Park on Thursday remains to be seen. Obviously we hope not.

We’re assured that Man City will play their game in hand today at home to Blackburn. If Big Sam had more than half an eye on our Carling Cup semi-final encounter when we played them days before the scheduled fixture in the 3-1 FA victory, how will he approach today’s game at Eastlands?

We stand to gain on two fronts if he were to have a good crack at Citeh today. Firstly, should Citeh lose they’ll drop back below us on goal difference. Secondly, obviously, Blackburn would be a little bit on the tired side when we rock into town on Thursday. I haven’t checked the long term weather forecast, but when the UK basically looks like the picture below, the sense in keeping your powder dry for the next fixture that may not actually come is questionable.

Easy to see why so many games have been cancelled, eh?

Gareth Barry

Sticking with Citeh for a moment, I’ve read a little idle speculation about Gareth Barry’s future and as far as I’m concerned it’s very idle speculation. It seems to be based on a rumour, which may or may not have any grounding, that new gaffer Mancini doesn’t rate old GazBaz all that highly and the assumption that he’ll want to get himself some playing time elsewhere in order to ensure his place on the flight to South Africa.

Barry nailed his motivation to the pole for all to see when he took the paycheck Citeh offered over his stated ambition to play Champions League football and he’s got himself a rather lucrative contract in Manchester. Further, any talk of a transfer, back to Villa or anywhere else, is way off the mark due to a little thing called the FIFA Regulations which prevent a player transferring clubs more than once in any 12 month period.

I doubt any other club could or would entertain the idea of paying his wages in a loan deal and no matter how much money Citeh are rolling in, he’d have to make a very convincing argument for the club to cover his salary while he plays somewhere else to assist his international career.

Nope, don’t see it.  Sorry Mr Barry, it looks to me like you’re stuck at Citeh and you’ll have to play your way into your manager’s thoughts. Shouldn’t be too tricky, surely you can outplay a 33 year old Patrick Vieira? Heheh, schadenfreude can be so beautiful!!

Togo

As is often the case with major stories such as this, things have twisted here and there since I last wrote. As I understand things at the moment, the team initially decided among themselves that they could take no further part in the competition. Entirely understandable. However, perhaps as an act of defiance, they later took the collective decision to play on, but by that time the Togolese president had also decided that they should come home and had dispatched his jet to bring them back.

There are currently mixed reports floating around that Togo would now like to be re-instated into the African Nations Cup, but Africa’s governing body (CAF) are blocking their request. Whatever the truth, it would appear too late now as all of their games, including the scheduled opener against Ghana today, have been cancelled and the group amended to show just 3 teams.

One thing is for sure, cult hero Moustapha Salifou will receive a rapturous reception when next at Villa Park, if indeed anyone actually spots him. It’s been encouraging to read MON’s assurances that the club will be doing everything in their power to look after him when he gets back to Birmingham.