Villa will not be letting Ashley Young head for the exit door in January and, if he doesn’t re-consider signing a new contract, the club may be willing to let him run down his contract and leave on a free in 2012. The thinking being that another season with Ash in the team is worth more than any potential transfer fee, but that would depend entirely on how committed he is.

In the mean time, Houllier is hopeful that Ash will be available for Tottenham‘s visit to Villa Park on Boxing Day.

West Ham are thought to be close to signing Steve Sidwell and are negotiating terms with the player according to the Telegraph and Guardian. The latter scoffs at suggestions that Sidwell has already undergone a medical, he has just returned to light training after injury after all. Then again, we did manage to complete a medical with Stewart Downing when he was still on crutches last year, so who knows?

Gerard Houllier wants his players to move closer to Birmingham, Stephen Warnock and Luke Young in particular who are apparently living in the North West and London respectively. Stephen Ireland hasn’t been any more inclined to move and we know that Robert Pires is commuting back and forth from London in a chauffeur driven car. Neil Moxley at the Daily Mail goes on to use some of the quotes from last Friday’s press conference, some I’d used here, other just emerging.

And finally, a little cheer ahead of Christmas; a video of an AVFPA tribute to Paul Birch and other former Villans no longer with us I just stumbled on.