It’s been a reasonably quiet week on the Villa front so I elected to make a rare foray into the realms of off-the-field antics at another club, mainly to get to the little nugget about Sir Alex not fancying Villa Park because of Deadly, but I suppose the Rooney story was the story and worthy of a mention.

Football’s resembling a cheap Mexican soap opera more and more every day. Frankly, I was never a soap opera type and it all bores the shit out of me. In true soap opera style, Rooney, from a position which appeared untenable, has now signed a new five year contract at Manchester United.

¡Ay, caramba!

A balaclava is placed back in its drawer, no longer required. The camera pans to an overhead position as a gloved hand taps the woven fabric as if to say ‘job done my friend, job well done’. Cut to a tight shot of Ian Holloway gazing out of his office window over a misty landscape, brandy in hand, a wry smile curls at his lips, a fireplace crackles in the background.

No. Whatever.

Meanwhile, Ashley Young, who according to all the tabloid headlines, has been “poised to sign a new contract” at Villa Park for a couple of weeks has now decided to wait a while so he can “concentrate on his football”. No wonder footballers get tired so easily if placing a signature on a contract that seemed to have already been negotiated is so terribly distracting.

Unless the reports of Ash being “poised” – I imagined pen was literally hovering over paper – weren’t entirely accurate. No! That could never be the case!

Anyhow, Ashley Young doesn’t see the point of being concerned with a new contract since his current one will still have 12 months on it come next summer. So would Wayne Rooney’s. That was the point, Utd have a policy of not letting contracts get into their last year before negotiating an extension as it puts the club in a massively weakened position.

Anyone seen my balaclava? It’s got reindeers on it!

No, wait… actually… whatever…

Sunderland

As I risk wandering off on some whiny rant, I’m reminded that there’s an actual game of football tomorrow. Against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light if I’m not very much mistaken.

Oh goody! I love football, me!!

So, what should we know about this one then? Well, Heskey’s fit and available, as is Albrighton, but then he only missed last week’s game through a tummy bug or something that kept him up the previous night. Not such good news for Luke Young though, he’ll be out for a couple more weeks at least with a torn hamstring.

Gabby will be another week or so. Gilmore’s Groin I believe. The fountain of all knowledge, Wikipedia, reliably informs me that Gilmore’s Groin has previously done in Frank Lampard and Fernando Torres, which is obviously extremely encouraging.

Sunderland have won one game this season: Man City at SoL back at the end of August, City’s only loss so far as it goes. They’ve drawn their last five, although Arsenal, Liverpool (I should still include Liverpool among a list of formidable opponents, shouldn’t I?) and Utd were among their opponents, they occupy 13th place in the league and are averaging a goal a game.

We won this fixture last season 2-0, Heskey and Milner with the goals, but our away form was 3rd best in the league last year. The year, our away form currently ranks 16th. Sunderland rank 10th on home results alone.

I don’t see any real reason to change the team that grabbed a point at home to Chelsea last weekend, but then we have to rotate or the poor wee lambs will be tired. There’s also Albrighton of course, we have to start him or the manager won’t be giving youth their chance. Until we can play 12 then, someone has to be dropped in the middle.

Erm… Stephen, sit on the bench would you? There’s a good lad.